The Empire will continue to win

Men's friendships are simple:

Those who have fought alongside each other are brothers.

Those who escaped together were even more like brothers.

During the month they spent on the run together, Shen Moqing and Zhang Zongcang spent every day together and developed an extremely deep friendship, closer than blood brothers.

The capital city remains prosperous, and in terms of liveliness, it is no less than that of modern metropolises.

Shen Moqing felt as if she had lived through another world.

First life: Reading, doing exercises, and researching.

Second life: A five-day, five-night war.

Brutal shelling, bloody trenches, and beast-like hand-to-hand combat.

Those dry and tedious political theories, nourished by blood and shaken by gunfire, seemed to come alive with a different kind of profound meaning.

Having been given a second chance at life, Professor Shen does not want the theories within him to remain merely theories.

.........

Although they are sworn brothers, they have very different personalities.

At this moment, Shen Moqing vowed to slay the dragon with his own hands.

Zhang Zongcang, however, was thinking about having sex with more women.

Young women in the capital dressed quite boldly, in a dazzling array of colors: high-waisted dresses, elegant short-sleeved tops, pleated skirts, and form-fitting cheongsams. The fabrics were thin and soft, accentuating their slender waists, with necklines slightly open, revealing their snow-white skin.

The open-mindedness of the United Empire is evident.

"Brother, things have come to this. Let's go to the Navy Headquarters to report first, and then have a meal."

"I, Old Zhang, can now eat twenty steamed buns in one go," Zhang Zongcang said as he watched a young woman with snow-white skin gracefully leave.

The two walked arm in arm toward the naval headquarters, completely unaware of how conspicuous their dirty military uniforms were.

As I walked through a narrow alley, a woman in a kimono approached, her wooden clogs making a crisp clicking sound on the stone pavement.

The loose-fitting kimono with furisode sleeves is cinched at the crucial point, making the waist appear slender and willow-like.

The alley was narrow, less than five feet wide.

The woman in the kimono stepped aside to the side of the road, lowered her eyes, and bowed respectfully.

The United Empire was an open and wealthy empire that attracted a large number of foreigners who traveled across the ocean to participate in the imperial examinations, as well as many single foreign women who came to seek their fortune, with the poorest women from the Eastern Sang Kingdom being the most numerous.

Dongsang women have always been known for their gentleness and obedience, and they filled various service industries in the capital and the private residences of wealthy merchants.

The two walked past with their heads held high.

"Second brother, why is that girl's face so pale? It looks like she's fallen into a flour sack."

"She's a Dong Sang woman."

"What?!" Zhang Zongcang suddenly exploded. "An enemy spy! Shouldn't we arrest him, strip him naked, and torture him severely?"

"There are at least 30,000 to 50,000 Dongsang women living in the capital. How do we catch them?" Shen Moqing suddenly realized a serious problem.

Women from Dongsang are everywhere, how many of them are spies? I'm afraid the capital city would have been infiltrated long ago.

He turned his head to look back at that beautiful figure.

As luck would have it, the woman in the kimono also turned around, and their eyes met from a distance of more than ten feet.

The woman in the kimono bowed again.

.........

Not far from the alley, a stern voice suddenly rang out.

"stop!"

The two looked closely and saw a patrol of soldiers in bright armor approaching from the front. The patrol was a mix of cavalry and infantry, with the cavalrymen wearing armor and carrying guns, and the infantrymen carrying rifles on their shoulders.

The leading officer sized them up from head to toe and demanded sternly, "Unit number? Garrison location? Uniform badge? Why is your uniform disheveled?"

Zhang Zongcang casually cupped his hands and said, "We are from the navy, and we just came back from Korea." The implication was clear: the army has no right to interfere in naval matters.

Upon hearing the word "Goryeo," the squad leader's face changed drastically, and he roared, "Seize these two deserters!"

Wow~

With ten rifles pointed at them, Shen Moqing and Zhang Zongcang looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Hand over your weapons!"

"Kneel down!"

Seeing the officer's ferocious expression, Shen Moqing quickly gave Zhang Zongcang a wink, knowing that a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle.

The two obediently dropped their weapons, put their hands behind their heads, knelt down, and were then bound hand and foot and taken to the capital prison.

The cell was damp and cold, with rats and cockroaches crawling everywhere.

"Why is your army arresting my navy?" Zhang Zongcang had a fiery temper, and he continued to curse even in prison.

Shen Moqing, however, was calmly observing the surrounding situation.

The prison was completely empty; how strange.

It's strange that the army is arresting sailors.

It's even stranger to arrest people indiscriminately!

"Second brother, you actually have the leisure to lie down and sleep?"

"Something's definitely up to no good, brother. I have a feeling there's something fishy going on here."

Zhang Zongcang was about to ask further questions.

"Dinner's ready!"

"I fought for the court in Goryeo, and I personally killed five Eastern barbarian soldiers. Is this how you treat us?" Zhang Zongcang couldn't help but curse when he saw that the porridge was so thin that one could swim in it.

"If you don't behave, I'll starve you for three days," the jailer threatened.

"Please wait a moment, gentlemen," Shen Moqing said politely.

"What?"

"We wonder what charges our superiors have leveled against us for imprisoning us here?"

"deserter!"

"What?"

The jailer, A, gloated, "After the great victory against Goryeo, the court is rewarding those who contributed. You two cowards actually deserted, not only losing the wealth you were about to receive, but you might even get shot. Tsk tsk~"

Shen Moqing's face turned pale. When he saw Zhang Zongcang about to retort, he quickly covered his mouth and gave him a stern look to shut up.

Then, with a forced smile, he continued, "How did you two gentlemen learn of the great victory in Goryeo?"

"Hey~ What are you saying? The great victory in Korea is known throughout the city and the whole country. It's all in the newspapers."

Finished!

Shen Moqing's back was instantly covered in cold sweat. No one understood the treacherous nature of politics better than himself, an associate professor of political science.

The Forbidden City's high-profile announcement of a "great victory" is the ultimate expression of political correctness.

Anyone who dares to disagree will be mercilessly crushed, and I, as a witness, will probably be murdered to silence me, dying without a trace.

.........

Even ants cherish life.

Let alone living people.

Shen Moqing, quick-witted, lowered his voice and said, "My family is considered moderately wealthy in the capital. May I ask you, sir, to take the liberty of going to deliver this message? Our clan will surely reward you handsomely."

The Shen family lived in Zhenxian Hutong in the northeast corner of the capital. They were not a small family, but they could not be considered a prominent family either.

My great-grandfather had shed blood for the United Empire. After the country was established, he was rewarded for his contributions and received a low-ranking hereditary title, which was considered a great benefit.

The family quickly multiplied and grew in size.

Later generations lived mediocre lives, lacking talent in literature, martial arts, and business.

However, although no one in the family has brought prosperity to the family, fortunately, no one has squandered the family fortune either, and they have simply lived off their wealth.

Now that Shen Moqing is imprisoned, he has no way to use his many skills. After much thought, he can only seek help from his blood relatives.

.........

It's absolutely true that officials are like flies to blood when they see silver.

The two jailers exchanged a glance.

Jailer A: "He fought for the imperial court; wouldn't that make him a meritorious official?"

Jailer B: "That's right."

Jailer A: "Since he is a meritorious official, shall we make an exception for him?"

Jailer B: "Let's be lenient, let's be lenient."

"I will never forget your kindness, my lords. Besides the reward from my clan, I will repay you handsomely once I leave." Shen Moqing quickly pressed his advantage.

"Alright, then hurry up and write it," said Jailer A.

.........

[Another new book from a newbie is setting sail, my heart is pounding with excitement and trepidation. I warmly welcome all esteemed readers to invest, enjoy, and offer their opinions.]