The Great Seminary

Chapter 303 Setting the Tone
Spring has arrived once again, and the capital city is bustling with activity in the middle of the first lunar month.

The Ming-Song Empire, which everyone thought was already on its last legs, suffered the consequences of its adversary, Changsheng Tiemu, engaging in endless wars.

And just like that, another year passed peacefully and safely.

Although only a small part of the southern land remains, it has regained some of its former peace and prosperity.

Especially Jinling Capital, which was originally the most prosperous city in the south, known as "the beautiful land south of the Yangtze River, the imperial capital of Jinling, with winding green waters and towering red buildings".

On the night of the Lantern Festival, thousands of lanterns of all sizes illuminate the streets, making all kinds of pavilions and towers look like a fairyland.

It was a scene of unparalleled prosperity, like "oil being poured on a raging fire and flowers in full bloom."

Having moved from Xianrong Island to Zhihai Town, and then riding the Flower Dragon Beast at breakneck speed, Zhang Gui finally saw this scene as he passed through the magnificent main gate of Jinling City.

I couldn't help but think of Xianrong Island, which was destroyed by war and its people wiped out just a few hours ago, and my heart was filled with mixed feelings.

He muttered to himself, "What a magnificent scene, a paradise on earth! I wonder if it will still be there next year. Ah, in my previous life, 'paradise on earth' was... uh, that doesn't make sense..."

As soon as he stopped his horse, a quick-witted street urchin approached and volunteered.
"Young master, Jinling City is huge, with countless beautiful and fun places to visit."

If you're coming to enjoy the lantern festival alone, having a companion to guide you will make things easier and more enjoyable.

"I have a place I need to go; just point me to a shortcut..."

Zhang Gui snapped out of his daze and was about to reveal where he and Zhen Ciyun had arranged to meet.

Then she saw Zhen Ciyun walking gracefully towards her, clearly having been waiting by the city gate.

"The person I'm looking for has arrived. You may leave now."

He tossed a small silver ingot to the street urchin, and Zhang Gui dismounted to greet him.
"Something really important happened today, otherwise I would never have been late."

"Can you tell me what's so important? Let me decide whether I should be here waiting for you for hours."

"I received a secret report."

Empress Mingren Rongyue went to Xianrong Island and slaughtered everyone there.

From that time on, there was no more Han Liren, nor any more Cheonje people.

Zhang Gui thought for a moment, then carefully put his mouth to Zhen Ciyun's ear and whispered something.

"What did you say?" Zhen Ciyun's eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Keep it down, keep it down, this news is no joke."

"Let's go find a quiet place to talk."

"Weren't you with Zhen Shijing and a bunch of her cronies, meeting up at the 'Longpingchi Club' for drinks, dice games, and lantern festival entertainment...?"

"What you're talking about concerns the overall situation of the world. I'm not brainless, why would I make a fuss about lanterns?"

Zhen Ciyun grabbed Zhang Gui's arm and quickened her pace to squeeze forward.

Zhang Gui hurriedly shouted:
"Flower Dragon Beast, I have to keep the Flower Dragon Beast you gave me, right?"

And so the two of them hurriedly wandered through the streets and alleys of Jinling City, finally finding a quiet restaurant in the midst of the hustle and bustle, and asked for a private seat on the top floor.

After they sat down, they dismissed the servants and began their private conversation. Zhang Gui did not mention the 'ritual' and even slightly staggered the times.

It is said that on the twelfth day of the first month, Emperor Naruto of Japan went to Fresh Meat Island, and then there was no one left on the island.

He only received this news today.

The city lights outside the window cast an unpredictable shadow on Zhen Ciyun's face.

After a moment's hesitation, she bit her lip and asked, "Are you sure about this news?"

"I have no vested interest in such news, so there's no point in fabricating it."

Zhang Gui deliberately frowned and remained silent for a moment before answering in a deep voice.

"Who sent that message?"

Zhen Ciyun asked again.

Zhang Gui looked troubled.

"It concerns a promise, so I can't say it outright. I can only say that it was sent by 'Sea People,' which has been established for a long time but has only just surfaced."

“That is the True Dragon Kingdom,” Zhen Ciyun said, staring into Zhang Gui’s eyes.

"Your relationship with them is quite close." "Dragons do indeed dwell in the sea," Zhang Gui nodded with a smile, his words a mix of truth and ambiguity.

"Is there any point in making such a promise?" Zhen Ciyun said with dissatisfaction.

Zhang Gui pointed upwards with his finger, "It's meaningful since it concerns 'mystery'."

"You've reached such a level of 'self-enlightenment' in Yu Chaofan!"

Zhen Ciyun stared wide-eyed in surprise, "Then let's not say anything more about this matter."

As the old saying goes, "If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't."

Having a feeling is equivalent to having faith, and from then on, it should not be taken lightly.

"It's not serious, I know what I'm doing."

Zhang Gui chuckled dryly, saying that everything was self-written, self-directed, and self-acted.
"In short, I think the most crucial thing right now is the entry of Japan into the game."

The most unpredictable and perplexing thing is that Prince Zhen, whom we always said was struggling to survive, actually died.

Kui Wang became the only choice to ascend the throne as the new emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

The old emperor is said to have no desire to live anymore.

The selection of concubines led to the indiscriminate use of potent drugs, resulting in a stroke, yet the concubines still indulged in debauchery during the day…

"You managed to obtain such confidential information; you truly have connections and a wide circle of friends, Prince Tsang!"

Zhen Ciyun interrupted Zhang Gui with some surprise.

Zhang Gui chuckled and said in a pretentious manner:
"These are all minor matters, don't worry about them."

The important thing is that, since ancient times, there have never been two suns in the sky.

Emperor Hezheng guessed that he wanted to die, but he didn't die in the end.

As the sole heir to the Ming-Song throne, it is unclear whether Prince Kui is still willing to wait for his father to die naturally.

Or maybe he should just "help" his father "die."

“Based on the King of Kui’s previous words and deeds, it shouldn’t be like this.”

Zhen Ciyun's voice became slightly hoarse upon hearing this.

Zhang Gui smiled again, "But when the current emperor was the crown prince, he was also known throughout the world for his 'filial piety'."

Zhen Shijing was speechless and remained silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Zhang Gui said softly, "Ciyun, don't think about it anymore."

Knowing about these "major world events" means we can take preventative measures early.

So that you won't panic when things come to a head.

As for what choices those important figures will make, we can only leave it to fate.

"You are the cat, you are the dog, you are the one who scares people, and you are the one who comforts people."

Forget it, forget it, I don't want to think about it anymore.

He's not even the head of the Zhen family of Jinling Flower Fish, so thinking about it more is useless.

I'd like to inform the elders about this. Yes, I'm comfortable with these things you mentioned…

“As long as it didn’t come from me, it doesn’t matter if you ‘guess’ it and go to a storyteller in a bookstore and let it spread throughout the world.”

"Then I'll just leave all these worries to the elders in the clan to worry about."

Zhen Ciyun sighed, and a smile finally appeared on her face.
"Let's talk about the little things that make us feel good. We've been together for years, have you thought about the future?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gui's previously composed demeanor suddenly turned uneasy. After all, he had lived two lives and had associated with more than a dozen so-called "confidantes."

Knowing that we are now in direct combat, we must first set the overall tone before making any further calculations.

So he smiled slightly and said, "Of course I've thought about it."

"I, Zhang Gui, will marry no one but you."

(End of this chapter)