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Huo Qiuhe's eyes shone brightly.

The two chief officials of the Ministry of Justice looked at each other in bewilderment...

Everyone here is shrewd; at least none of them are stupid...

In most people's logic, if such an important suspect has vanished into thin air, it is only logical to search high and low to find him.

However, Bai Luoshui deliberately broke free from conventional thinking.

I'm not looking!

Because searching is very likely to be a waste of time.

He reversed the gun and pointed it directly at the Zhou father and son!

The purpose of seeking out Lao Qi was precisely to implicate the Zhou family in a treason case, wasn't it?

Isn't the Zhou family itself the target?

You've hidden Lao Qi as the fuse, do you think I can't do anything to you?

I'll just kill the main culprit!

Simple and efficient!

It aligns more closely with the original intention...

Huo Qiuhe understood and was filled with admiration.

The two chief officials of the Ministry of Justice understood, but didn't know whether to agree or disagree...

Since ancient times, there has been a tacit rule in officialdom: one must abide by the rules of officialdom. Officials can be impeached, evidence can be collected, and even evidence can be fabricated. All kinds of intrigue and backstabbing are considered normal.

However, there is a bottom line that must never be crossed.

That's assassination!

If this door is opened, it will truly be like opening Pandora's box. Everyone in the officialdom will be in danger, and the laws and regulations of the officialdom will collapse overnight.

However, Bai Luoshui just happened to come up with such a terrifying idea.

How can the chief of the Ministry of Justice, who is the authority to enforce the law, express his opinion?

However, Huo Qiuhe was very excited...

Because he knew very well that no matter what happened, the right to interpret the situation always remained in their hands.

Above them is the Crown Prince, and the highest law enforcement agency, the Ministry of Justice, is staffed by their people. The Jiangnan region is the territory of the Prince of Rulan…

With complete control over the discourse, what taboos are there in the world?

"Leave this to me!" Huo Qiuhe stood up.

Bai Luoshui slowly stood up, gazing towards the capital: "The snow in Luoyang is just right today. Who is admiring the plum blossoms by the window? I've been away from the capital for a long time, and I'm starting to miss home. I should settle things in Jiangnan as soon as possible and return to the capital for the New Year."

Lin Shuiyao, standing behind him, looked at him with adoration on her face.

Huo Qiuhe nodded deeply.

clear!

Bai Luoshui never speaks her mind directly.

She has always been elegant and refined, like a poet or a chess player, but everyone understands the meaning behind those words.

Hurry up and finish this quickly, we still need to go home for the New Year...

Time flies by.

Qishan County has officially entered the twelfth lunar month.

On a piece of wasteland beside the East River embankment, a furnace was ignited, and the first batch of man-made cement poured down...

Why is it called artificial cement?

Mo Ziyi had done it once before, and the process was really "inhuman".

With a simple stroke of the ink-measuring ruler in her hand, this woman conjured a gigantic furnace out of thin air. How could the villagers possibly consider it "man-made"? Wasn't it clearly "divinely created"?

This method has both advantages and disadvantages.

The advantage is that it is effective and quick; from the appearance of the furnace to the cement being laid, it only takes one or two hours.

However, there are also drawbacks. That is, with Mo Ziyi gone, the furnace is also gone.

Zhou Wenju's method was much more conventional.

Zhang San was instructed to find the blacksmiths from the Hexi Valley. They brought a hundred cartloads of fine iron in an oxcart and set it ablaze on this wasteland. They hammered away for ten whole days before the enormous iron furnace finally stood on the wasteland.

The following process was somewhat mysterious, but overall it was acceptable.

Zhou Wenju released a sheet of gold paper, using the Mohist principles of craftsmanship and drawing upon the power of literature to create a fire-gathering array and a fragment array within the furnace...

The result is that when limestone is thrown in, it breaks down.

Once the fire is lit, the temperature naturally rises.

In cement production, the technological barriers that transcend this era were perfectly overcome by the Mohist philosophy of tools and methods.

Cement is then directly produced.

The cement was ready, and Zhou Wenju convened a small meeting with several key personnel...

Who are the key members?

Zhang San is undoubtedly a key member; he's become Zhou Wenju's steward and now carries the young master's orders wherever he goes.

In addition, there are Xu Hai, Li Jun, Song Qing, and Lu Jiu.

These young men were all leaders of the spear team that day.

After handing over their spears, everyone felt a certain degree of disappointment.

Upon hearing that the young master was involved in something important, he rushed over without saying a word.

Zhou Wenju also liked these young people very much and immediately entrusted them with important responsibilities: Xu Hai was appointed as the cement plant director, and Li Jun as the deputy director, in charge of production...

Once these two took office, they brought in a team of over a hundred people: those who cleared the mountains, dug the earth, transported materials, filled containers, and started fires...

In the blink of an eye, the cement business has become incredibly successful...

With all the preliminary work completed today, Zhou Wenju gathered them together to discuss the most sensitive issue for most companies: wages.

Things that are sensitive for most companies are not sensitive to this group of people.

Even when Zhou Wenju mentioned paying them wages, their first reaction was to refuse, until Zhang San spoke up: "What are you all refusing for? The young master even pays wages to the maids he bought! How can you not pay your brothers?"

The group looked at each other in bewilderment...

Do they pay wages to the girls they buy?

Was it purchased?

Zhang San then said, "I know my brothers are grateful for your kindness and are willing to work for you for free. However, this cement factory project isn't something that will last just a day or two; it's a long-term commitment. You'll all need to get married and have children in the future, and you'll need to support your families. Without wages, you'll all starve to death. How will you work then?"

The general public has initially accepted it.

Zhang San's third sentence sealed the deal: "If everyone feels the wages are too high and you're not satisfied, that's easy! Roll up your sleeves and work hard to increase production so the young master can earn more!"

Everyone was bursting with enthusiasm: "From today onwards, I, Xu Hai, will try three days without rest!"

"I, Li Jun, once went five days without rest. Here, young master, I'll challenge my limits!"

"Five days without rest is nothing. Back in the day, I chased wild animals in the Western Liang Mountains for seven days without rest. Here with you, young master, I can definitely work for ten days straight..."

"My God, are you all going to work like beasts of burden?!" Zhou Wenju slapped his forehead. "There's no need for today's meeting. I'll just write the 'Cement Plant Management Regulations'... There's one particularly crucial clause, so remember it well: unrestrained overtime is strictly prohibited. Everyone must guarantee at least five hours of rest per day. Xu Hai, don't look at me like that. If you disregard the body's natural rhythms and blindly extend overtime hours, causing the villagers to work themselves to death and fall ill, see how I deal with you!"

Xu Hai's eyes widened, and he scratched his head, chuckling to himself...

The meeting was canceled, and Zhou Wenju directly wrote a set of management regulations for the cement plant.

Then, he walked home side by side with Zhang San.

"Is it already the twelfth lunar month?" Zhou Wenju asked.

"The first day of the twelfth lunar month!" Zhang San replied.

"The New Year is almost here!" Zhou Wenju exclaimed. He had been in this world for more than three months, and with the first New Year just around the corner, his feelings were quite complicated.

"For the people of Qishan County, this year's Spring Festival will be the most unforgettable one of their lives!" Zhang San looked towards Qishan with a smile on his face.

"And you? Do you like this kind of life?" Zhou Wenju asked.

Zhang San's gaze lingered on Zhou Wenju's face, his eyes somewhat unfocused: "Having food to eat, clothes to wear, and not being cold in winter—who wouldn't like this kind of life?"

"No!" Zhou Wenju smiled slightly, "Actually, you don't like it!"

Zhang San laughed too: "Young master, you noticed? Actually, it's not that I dislike it, it's just... Don't worry, young master, I can accept this kind of life, I promise!"

Zhou Wenju said, "You accept this kind of life because of me! But you also have your own pursuits in life, Third Brother. You prefer to wield a long spear and conquer the world, don't you?"

Wielding a long spear, I will conquer the world!

A glint of light suddenly appeared in Zhang San's eyes.

He was a hunter by trade, and he once regarded the Hexi Valley and Xiliang Mountain as his hunting grounds. Wild game in the mountains and outlaws in the world were the dead of his arrows. Later, he took up a long spear. The crisp sound of the gun, the blue smoke from the muzzle, the smell of gunpowder, the methods of arranging troops...

It made his blood boil...

Even though he left that kind of life, he still couldn't forget that past...

Zhou Wenju said, "I have a premonition that one day you will once again wield your spear and truly fight the enemy on the battlefield!"

"Really?" Zhang San's eyes shone brightly.

"Yes! Definitely!" Zhou Wenju said.

Zhang San looked at him quietly, and he looked at Zhang San quietly...

Zhang San took a deep breath: "Young master, you saw through my wish at a glance, but do you know? I don't expect this wish to actually come true."

"Because if you get to this point, it means I've also encountered an insurmountable obstacle, right?"

"Yes! If I were to use force, it would be for your sake, my lord!"

"The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease; how can everything in this world go as one wishes? Weapons are instruments of destruction, used only by sages as a last resort!" Zhou Wenju said, "From today onwards, I will teach you some military tactics to prepare for future needs! We only have this December; learn as much as you can, because after the New Year, I must go to the capital..."

Back in the courtyard.

Zhou Wenju sat in the Red Pavilion.

Hong'er brought tea, and Zhou Wenju began to talk to Zhang San about military affairs.

Zhang San felt as if he had opened a completely new door...

This was the first time he had ever known what a battlefield was.

He learned for the first time about the decisive factors in war.

He realized that for an army to win a battle, weapons were only one aspect; morale, intelligence, strategy, and logistics were all equally important...

The setting sun seemed to fall without anyone noticing.

Zhang Sanru, as if in a dream, asked, "Young master, how...how do you know so much?"

"Travel ten thousand miles and read ten thousand books, that's all..." Zhou Wenju raised his head and gazed at the sky.

The sky is vast and boundless, and the path we came from is unknown.

Night falls, marking the beginning of the twelfth lunar month.

In the Qishan County government office, Zhou Liangsheng sat in the study in the backyard, with a stack of draft paper in front of him.

There were many drawings on the scrap paper.

He was a Confucian, not a master of painting or calligraphy. His paintings were abstract, but they were imbued with the ambition of a county magistrate.

With cement, the Donghe River embankment will be completed soon.

With 100,000 taels of silver in hand, he gained a reputation among the people that was widely supported by the government.

He can finally draw up a blueprint that Qishan County never dared to dream of before.

Where to build bridges, where to repair roads, where to build schools, where to carry out renovations...

All of these can be drawn and are achievable.

With his current prestige.

Once he decides to do something, there won't be a single dissenting voice in the entire Qishan County!

Suddenly, a soft sound!

Zhou Liangsheng suddenly looked up and saw a strange sight before him.

One wall in his study disappeared without a sound.

Outside was a pitch-black night sky.

The night sky was filled with endless killing intent!

Assassination!

What audacity! Daring to assassinate someone in the county government office!

As soon as Zhou Liangsheng had a thought, the county magistrate's seal on the table suddenly shone brightly.

Transformed into a sword, it pierced the deep night sky...

puff!

The sword, like red-hot iron, pierced into the icy lake.

Vanished in an instant.

Zhou Liangsheng's heart skipped a beat: "Do not enter the backyard!"

The eight words came from his mouth.

The brilliance of literature and scholarship begins in the study.

It transformed into thousands of layers of literary waves, rolling out, with a golden character on each layer: "Courtesy"!

This is the power of his literary mind.

Everyone knows he is the county magistrate, wielding the authority of an official seal.

However, most people gradually overlooked the fact that he was also a man of great literary talent and a genuine Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations).

His literary prowess was previously ineffective in Qishan County, but now that Qishan's literary path is open, his literary combat power far surpasses the power of the county magistrate's official seal.

Because county magistrates generally cannot possess literary talent; most are merely successful candidates in the imperial examinations.

It is extremely rare for a man of his literary talent to be demoted to the position of county magistrate.

If today's assassins ignore this point, they are bound to suffer a major setback!

However, under Zhou Liangsheng's great power of literature and philosophy, a flower bloomed in the deep darkness!

As soon as the flower bloomed, a power far surpassing the might of his literary mind swept over him, instantly engulfing his literary power, and plunging the study into darkness...

Zhou Liangsheng exclaimed in surprise, "A Daoist flower!"

The visitor was none other than Dao Hua!

Dao Hua, a true master of pulse cultivation!

Although literary cultivation can surpass pulse cultivation in later stages when competing with peers, they are no longer at the same level! The other party is a "flower," while he is only a "heart," a whole level apart!

The county government was alarmed the moment the county magistrate's official seal was activated.

Constable Zhang Yun suddenly stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of his knife.

The lady rushed out of the room, stepping one foot onto the stairs.

The maid Xu'er also rushed out, her face revealing her complete panic...

However, that flower bloomed in the dark of night.

Everything is on hold.

Zhang Yun's sword could not be drawn.

The lady's feet could not touch the ground.

The panic on Xu'er's face could not be erased...

Everyone watched as the flower spun around and swallowed half of the study wall, swallowing the layers of literary waves formed by the master's literary power.

Like a scythe spinning in hell, it reached Zhou Liangsheng's throat. Zhou Liangsheng's face turned pale, and his eyes were filled with despair...

"No!" the lady cried out, her voice filled with unbearable sorrow...

Suddenly, a figure in gray appeared out of thin air!

Appearing before Zhou Liangsheng!

The swirling flower landed in his palm...

This is a bald monk!

The monk gently raised his hand, and it suddenly expanded...

The darkness vanished, and a black shadow, like a drifting catkin in the wind, spun and flew towards the enormous hand...

"Who...who are you?" the shadowy figure asked urgently and angrily.

"Amitabha Buddha, this humble monk... Miaokong!"

Snapped!

With a gentle clasp of his hands, the dark figure was grasped in his palm, revealing the true face of the man: a pale-faced middle-aged man staring in disbelief at the monk. At the same time, his entire body, bones, and dantian were crushed to pieces.

Meanwhile, on the top floor of Biyan Tower.

A sudden surge of emotion welled up in the cup of tea in front of Bai Luoshui.

The expressions of the three people sitting next to him changed simultaneously.

These three people were none other than the two chief officials of the Ministry of Justice, and Huo Qiuhe.

The image presented in this cup of tea is that of the monk who suddenly appeared; he is around forty years old and has a peaceful expression.

"Where did this bald monk come from?" Huo Qiuhe gritted his teeth.

The plot is heating up: Update! Come and check it out!