The Great Seminary

Chapter 222 Awakening
This refers to the evaluation of the Ming-Song foreign prince and the Kaifa Longhu General regarding the enemy state of Yuanshan capital and his betrayal of his ancestors.

Zhen Ciyun, the eldest daughter of the Zhen family of Jinling Flower Fish in the southern capital region of Ming and Song, completely scoffed at this.

"To be honest, this wolf pack has indeed achieved a state of 'blooming flowers and blazing oil'."

But Yuanshan has no inherent wealth or heritage.

Take, for example, the restaurant right beneath our feet.

Even the designs are modeled after those from the Ming and Song dynasties.

In short, it's all pretentious and contrived, a mere copying of other things—what kind of skill is that?

"This world is very realistic; being able to defeat you is a skill in itself."

Zhang Gui sighed and said carefully:
"I've sighed more in the last two days than I have in the other two months."

Thinking about it this way, it seems that the Ming and Song empires have reached their end.

Otherwise, you wouldn't be here in Yuanshan Wolf City.

"I was deceived by Mr. Huaihe, well, it can't be called deception."

The trip to Yuanshan by the mountain chief saved millions of lives; how can someone as junior as me casually offer my opinion?

However, I am not. Well, none of my elders tried to stop me from going to Yuanshan this time, which is indeed rare.

But as far as I'm concerned, I did come to take Mr. Huaihe back to his hometown.

As for anything else, I don't know.

"You must hold a very high position in the Zhen family of Jinling Flower Fish."

"Number one or two."

If, in the future, one of their male offspring is willing to bear the surname Zhen, then they can contend for the position of head of the family.

Zhen Ciyun answered honestly.

"So it's true that your 'Huayu Zhenjia' has started betting on both sides."

In fact, for the prominent families of the Ming and Song dynasties, being attacked by the loosely politically connected Yuanshan was much better than the rebellion of local strongmen and the usurpation of power by righteous armies.

Given the nature of the evergreen ironwood, it might truly devour the Ming and Song dynasties in the future.

As long as they are willing to obediently send troops and money, the power in the hands of prestigious families may become even greater.

If you think about it carefully, although Temujin's ruling model seems backward, it also has its own rationality.

Put yourself in his shoes.

Since Lao Tzu was born with unparalleled skill in "riding horses and fighting battles," he devoted himself wholeheartedly to "making a living with his one skill."

The management of other lands, people, wealth, and so on, were left to others to worry about.

If it's managed well, then it will be managed; if there's too much corruption or the level of governance is insufficient, then it won't be managed well.

Lao Tzu then rode his horse into battle, exterminated his clan, took all his money to fill the hole, appeased public resentment, and then found another powerful family to take over the administration.

Tsk tsk tsk, that really saves trouble.

This has a tremendous negative impact on the development of civilization as a whole human society.

But for you scions of powerful families who value clan over nation, it doesn't matter.

As they were talking, the door to the private room was gently pushed open, and a group of maids brought in four plates and eight dishes of exquisite banquet food.

After setting out the dishes, I warmed two jugs of Shaoxing wine and then smashed ice to chill two jugs of fruit wine in an ice bucket.

The maids quietly withdrew.

The aroma of the fish soup made Zhang Gui's mouth water.

He left the window and took his seat, saying:

"Come on, Miss Ciyun, let's fill our stomachs first before we talk about anything else."

Zhen Ciyun stood silently to the side for a long time, carefully savoring Zhang Gui's "theory of fighting on horseback" and memorizing it word for word.

Then he sat down next to Zhang Gui and earnestly gave him a warning.

"At such a young age, even if you have read many history books, it is extremely difficult for you to 'investigate things and reason' to this extent."

It's as if they were born with that knowledge.

Even someone of Baoshan Angyue's status and temperament could be easily subdued with words.

This is actually not a good thing, as one should know that "wisdom determines lifespan."

Zhang Gui picked up a piece of plump fish belly with his silver chopsticks and said with a smile:
"The reason why Baoshan Angyue acted as if he valued me was at most two or three parts because of those few profound words of 'I will not rest until I say something amazing.' The remaining seven or eight parts were because I casually broke the magic array that restrained 'extraordinary' in the bamboo forest of 'Xianhezhai'."

In this world where 'great power originates from oneself,' there is no such thing as 'wisdom or longevity.'

It's just a matter of whether your fist is big enough.

"Are you just naturally inclined to argue?"

Feeling that her good intentions had been taken for granted, Zhen Ciyun said with dissatisfaction.

Zhang Gui was taken aback and stopped talking.

After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly gave an apologetic smile.
"It's my fault, I apologize, I apologize. Would you like warm wine or chilled fruit wine?"...

Although he had only been in the Yuanshan Empire for a short time, through his personal experience, Zhang Gui had already determined that even if the island nation he founded was a true dragon, its expansion speed would increase tenfold.

They have already lost the chance to become the winner of the 'Eastern Continent Grand Competition' because they entered the game too late.

Although Zhang Gui had been diligently cultivating and doing his utmost to unlock the divine power within his bloodline, he remained steadfast in his efforts.

However, the most crucial factor for extraordinary advancement has always been the Giant Serpent Head Island, the earthly divine kingdom promised by the ancient gods of Xihe Continent, as the initial canvas.

The divine right of law and the rules of 'capital' are the paintbrush.

The national structure, characterized by the healthy development of the government, society, and people, serves as the "paint" that outlines the trajectory of a new path to human civilization.

And in doing so, they could manipulate certain powerful rules of the mysterious realm to reap rewards.

under these circumstances.

The larger the canvas, the more powerful the brush, the richer the paint, and the clearer and more profound the trajectory of humanity's new path to civilization.

The greater the force with which this leverages the powerful rules of the mysterious realm, the richer the rewards will be.

But now the chances of winning the 'Great Contest of the Eastern Continent' have become slim.

The chances of the 'canvas' continuing to grow in the future are getting lower and lower.

As for the 'brush' being powerful, that requires time to hone.

The easiest way to cheat is to increase the concentration of the 'pigment'.

The most likely winner of the 'Great Contest of the Eastern Continent' is Changsheng Tiemu, whose 'rule by man' and Zhang Gui's 'rule by law' are, in a sense, completely contradictory.

Therefore, after Zhang Gui arrived in Dalangdu, he subconsciously began to extract the governing philosophy of the Longevity Ironwood from what he had heard and seen.

Then find an opportunity to express it, in order to pursue a 'collision of ideas'.

I've become a contrarian without even realizing it...

"Practice makes perfect!"

Even if Changsheng Tiemu swiftly conquered the Ming-Song Kingdom, depriving me of the opportunity to continue my rapid expansion.

I still have the base of influence on the giant snake-head island in the sea that I can use to my advantage.

If we remain calm, there is still much that can be accomplished.

Why be so impatient?

Be careful not to go astray and become possessed.

Zhang Gui thought to himself.

Zhen Ciyun's gentle voice rang in my ears.

"Warm wine is best."

The hotter the summer heat, the more my stomach feels cold, and I need to be warm.

"Then I'll pour it for you."

Zhang Gui snapped out of his daze, poured Zhen Ciyun a cup of warm rice wine, and handed it to her.

After the young woman accepted the glass, she raised her own glass and poured herself a full glass of chilled fruit wine.
"I only like to eat iced food in the summer."

"Let's drink to victory."

"May you win!"

The two clinked glasses, drank together, and started chatting.

In this way, Zhang Gui completely sorted out his thoughts over the course of a meal.

(End of this chapter)