How can one cultivate immortality without learning modern knowledge?

Chapter 69 The County Town Will Change Tonight

Su Xin held the teapot, poured some tea leaves from the bamboo tube, and poured a cup for Zhou Wenju: "This is tea from this mountain. It looks a bit rough, but its taste is quite authentic. Please try it, young master!"

"Good tea!" Zhou Wenju took a small sip.

"Young master, you guessed correctly. This humble nun already knows what you have done since you entered Qishan," Su Xin said. "But this humble nun does not know why you would do such unorthodox things."

No one is born rebellious; all rebellion in the world is born out of necessity!

"Who forced you to act this way, young master?"

"The times!"

"The times? The times you speak of, young master, could perhaps be interpreted as the expectations of the people; your astonishing act of defying the tide could perhaps be interpreted as the people pleading for their lives!"

Zhou Wenju smiled lightly: "Miss thinks too highly of me. I am not a person who speaks out for the people. I am an extremely selfish person. All I seek is an opportunity for a breakthrough."

"An opportunity for a breakthrough?" Su Xin frowned slightly.

"Can't you tell, young lady?"

"This humble nun dares not say that she can see it, but she also does not wish to go against her conscience and say that she cannot see it—" Su Xin's brows slowly relaxed: "I can only try = guess."

"Please, young lady!"

Su Xin smiled slightly: "To manufacture powerful weapons, incite a popular uprising, and lift up the two mountains hanging over the heads of the people of Qishan in one fell swoop, a hundred-man gun squad sweeping away three thousand soldiers like a whirlwind. To most people, this is tantamount to suicide, but in your heart, young master, you see it as an opportunity for breakthrough. I believe that you want to use this opportunity to bring yourself into the sights of the court."

Zhou Wenju smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a small sip: "Does the young lady think my plan has any chance of success?"

Su Xin said, "Those at the bottom are obsessed with hatred, while those at the top weigh the gains and losses. If His Majesty knew that you could transform 30,000 villagers into elite warriors in ten days, how could he not be impressed by your great talent? If you gain His Majesty's favor, the rebellion in Qishan can be turned around. Your plan really has a chance to succeed."

"I admire your vision and perspective, young lady!" Zhou Wenju raised his glass in a toast.

"It's not surprising that this humble nun, observing from the sidelines, could discern a thing or two. But you, sir, by entering the game yourself and anticipating the situation, truly deserve admiration."

Her voice suddenly stopped.

Because something is happening in Qishan County at this moment.

Gunshots rang out, shattering the silence of the county town.

Countless people rushed out, and a fierce gunfight unfolded in the city.

Flames shot skyward, and the crowds surged in chaos—

Su Xin's beautiful eyes were fixed on Zhou Wenju: "Young Master, this—"

"Tonight, the stars shine brightly on Lonely Mountain. Why don't you, a quiet young lady, take a cup and gaze upon the myriad lights of the city?" Zhou Wenju gently raised his cup.

Su Xin took a deep breath, and the shimmering light in her eyes slowly subsided.

Gunfire echoed throughout the city.

On the lonely mountain, the wind is gentle and the night is still.

The two men, holding their cups, faced each other, truly regarding the dramatic changes in the city as if they were just ordinary lights.

Outside the county government office, the yamen runners were all astonished.

Zhang Yun was not on duty tonight and had already lain down when he heard the gunshot. He sprang up and rushed into the county government office, where he immediately saw Old Qi guarding the backyard.

"Officer Qi, where is the master?" His voice was urgent.

"Master is writing a memorial in his study. What's the matter?" Old Qi asked.

"Officer Qi, didn't you hear that? Gunshots! Gunshots! They're coming from the city, this—" Zhang Yun cried out in alarm.

"You must have misheard. Where was the gunshot? That's clearly the sound of firecrackers!" Old Qi said. "It seems that the whole town has already learned that the He and Li families are utterly wicked and are celebrating spontaneously. It's quite ironic, really. When two families fall, thousands of households rejoice. It seems that we, working in the county government, really have to follow the will of heaven and the people."

Zhang Yun's heart was pounding wildly—

Firecrackers, is this what the firecrackers at your house sound like?

However, seeing Old Qi's appearance and glancing at the commotion in the study—

Zhang Yun's mind started to wander: "This—this is the master's intention?"

Old Qi waved his hand: "Tell the brothers, the people's celebration is their business. We government officials shouldn't spoil the people's fun. We should all stay in the yamen!"

"Okay—" Zhang Yun's mind was truly clear.

With such intense gunfire, there was no reason why the master couldn't hear it.

The master pretended not to hear, so why bother?

Thus, the entire Qishan County was completely engulfed. The He and Li families, who controlled 80% of the shops in the city and dominated all the shops that provided for the county's livelihood, were simultaneously seized by the villagers of Hexi Valley. Those who resisted were executed on the spot, and their money and provisions were confiscated.

All the cloth was taken away, and more importantly, the house deeds and land deeds were burned to ashes, leaving only the lackeys of the He and Li families, stamping their feet and howling in despair.

Throughout the entire process, no yamen runners were dispatched.

The county government office, which was right next door, seemed to have been completely unnoticed.

Until dawn!

As dawn broke, the county town's gong sounded.

When Magistrate Zhou Liangsheng stepped out of the backyard, he was greatly surprised to find that the people beating the drum were none other than a group of prominent figures in the county.

Du Yuesheng, the owner of Zuige Pavilion.

Xiang Yuhua, the owner of Chunjianglou Restaurant.

Casino owner Li.

Lei Zhou, the owner of the largest horse farm —

These bosses used to be full of vigor, their stomping feet in Qishan County could shake the earth, and they could get whatever they wanted. But today, they all looked like they had lost their parents, their hair disheveled.

"Your Honor, you must uphold justice for us common people!"

"Your Honor, these thugs are truly lawless—"

"Your Honor, these rioters are going to cause chaos!"

"What happened?" Zhou Liangsheng frowned and shouted.

This drink led to the astonishing turn of events last night—

People from the Hexi Valley entered the city last night—seven or eight hundred of them, all armed. They started looting as soon as they entered, killing anyone who tried to stop them. Hundreds of shops were raided simultaneously; all the goods were stolen, along with the money, land deeds, and house deeds, which they then burned to the ground.

Is there no law left?

Is this still the territory under the rule of the Great Yu Dynasty?

this----

As he poured out his heart, Zhou Liangsheng felt a surge of emotions.

"Old Qi! What's going on?" Zhou Liangsheng's first target was Old Qi.

Old Qi looked bewildered: "This old man—this old man has been guarding outside the master's study all day yesterday, but I don't know what happened—what about you? Did you hear anything?"

He pointed one finger at Zhang Yun.

Zhang Yun quickly shook his head: "I didn't hear it either, what about you?"

He pointed directly at the remaining yamen runners.

One of the constables spoke up: "I think I heard some noises, I thought it was firecrackers."

"Yes, I heard it too. I also heard some residents talking about it. Everyone said that the He and Li families are wicked and that the villagers who were bullied in the past are setting off firecrackers to celebrate—" This was the outermost constable.

The horse ranch owner, Lei Zhou, turned pale: "You—you clearly knew bandits had entered the city and allowed them to loot!"

"Exactly! The county government office is so close, how could we not hear such intense gunfire? How could we not see the carnage throughout the city? Magistrate, as the official in charge of this county, how can you act like this? Where do you place the laws of the dynasty?" Du Yuesheng, the owner of Zuige Pavilion, angrily said, "This humble subject will immediately go to Lingnan Prefecture and ask Prefect Chen to uphold justice!"