The Empire will continue to win

In the cold winter of October (lunar calendar), heavy snow fell.

However, the inner courtyard of the Shen Mansion, located in the northeast corner of the inner city, is a vibrant and lively place.

Enjoy the snow and brew tea.

Burn incense and play the zither.

As Zhou Shuren once said: It is difficult for people to enjoy their youth when they are young, and it is difficult for people to realize that what is beautiful is beautiful when they are in a good time.

This is an interesting statement.

Because unless they are born into wealth, young people in their prime are often poor, eat coarse food, and hold lowly jobs. Even if they meet a beautiful woman they like, they are unable to take care of her.

The most longed-for years, the most humble reality.

.........

Professor Shen has lived two lives, experiencing poverty, resentment, reflection, regret, indignation, and dreams. His life experiences are undeniably rich.

Having lived another life, one naturally understands life better. If you don't indulge in youth, what are you going to do?

A few specks of snow dot the landscape, and a subtle fragrance wafts through the air.

With a beautiful woman by my side, the spring scenery is enchanting.

"Young master, the snow outside is getting heavier again," a maidservant said with delight as she opened the window.

"Let's go out and enjoy the snow," Shen Moqing said with a smile.

Under the eaves, surrounded by beautiful women, one can lean on the railing and admire the snow.

To his left was his wife, Du Yulan, dressed in a fiery red brocade jacket embroidered with gold clouds, over which was a silver fox fur cloak. Her face was lightly powdered, her eyebrows were lightly drawn, and her hair was piled high in a bun. As she walked, the gold hairpin swayed. She was five parts dignified, three parts playful, and two parts gentle.

She has already displayed the demeanor of a matriarch.

To his right was his beautiful maid, Pearl, who wore a light yellow, tight-fitting silk skirt with fox fur trim at the neckline, and a moon-white brocade belt that tightly cinched her slender waist. Her black hair hung down, tied up only with a purple silk ribbon.

She was graceful and charming, with a slender and lovely figure, but before marriage, she dressed up and knew how to behave appropriately.

Behind him followed three or five newly arrived young and beautiful maids, all dressed in exquisite clothes, with delicate features, slender waists, and exquisite feet.

In this timeline, Professor Shen's youth was joyful. Whenever he had free time from official duties, he tried his best to make up for the regrets of his previous life, unwilling to miss a single moment of pleasure. Because he knew that one can only live once.

Sudden.

Jinchai, the personal maid of Madam Wang, came over, holding a newspaper in her hand.

"Second Young Master, Madam instructed me to bring this newspaper over."

"Let me see what big thing has happened."

The moment I glanced at him, my smile froze.

Oh no!

At this critical juncture, the damned *Jinling Daily* actually exposed the whole truth, from the Battle of Busan to the fall of Liaoyang.

Front page headlines.

Bold heading.

Two big words: Fake!!

The title, consisting of just two words, is like a bucket of ice and snow thrown over your head in winter, sending chills down your spine.

.........

Looking at the publication date of this newspaper, it turned out to be the tenth day of the tenth lunar month.

"What's the date today?"

"October 17th."

In this time and space, due to communication and transportation limitations, newspapers were not published daily; most were weekly, and a few were even bi-monthly.

"Damn it!"

Shen Moqing cursed, but he couldn't quite say who he was cursing. Was he cursing the *Jinling Daily*? The Empress Dowager? Or Zeng Guofan, the Governor of Jiangsu?

"Something terrible has happened, I need to go to the palace," Shen Moqing said angrily. "Quickly, prepare the carriage and get dressed."

The maids were instantly thrown into a flurry of activity.

The professor knew perfectly well that the defeat could have been concealed, since it happened thousands of miles away. As long as the official narrative was consistent, it could have been kept secret. However, he couldn't withstand the sabotage from within the official ranks.

Southerners are wicked!

The Empress Dowager is even worse!

.........

Changing clothes wasn't about being pretentious; it was about wiping away as much of the perfume and fragrance of one's wives, concubines, and maids as possible to avoid any unforeseen complications. Women are very sensitive to the scent of perfume and fragrance.

Jealousy is a woman's instinct.

Even the Empress Dowager was not immune to such customs.

While changing clothes.

Granny Li quietly knocked on the door in the courtyard: "Second Young Master, someone from the palace has come to summon you to the palace."

Wow.

The Empress Dowager and I are of one mind.

.........

.........

The person who came to the Shen residence to deliver the imperial decree was an old acquaintance—Li Lianying, a lowly eunuch of insignificant status.

It was freezing cold and the roads were slippery, so Shen Moqing decided against riding a horse and opted for a four-wheeled carriage sent by the palace. In this world, sedan chairs, such outdated modes of transportation, were basically obsolete.

While the United Empire had many shortcomings, it was far superior to the Qing Empire in a parallel universe. It possessed everything: railways, telegraphs, mines, shipping, and charters.

What we are most proud of is our cultural export.

Tea-colored porcelain, Confucianism, and Mencius's teachings have been exported to the world for over a century, profoundly influencing generations.

Today, the United Empire is a sacred place of civilization in the hearts of intellectuals worldwide, and an ideal country in the hearts of rebels worldwide.

Inside the train carriage.

The two sat facing each other.

"Does Eunuch Li know why the Empress Dowager has urgently summoned me to the palace?"

"It seems to be a major military matter."

"Oh?"

"This servant is of lowly status and can only serve outside the palace, so I don't know much. But judging from the flustered look on Miss Der Ling's face in the communications department, there must be some bad news."

"Eunuch Li has a keen eye. You're right, it's definitely not good news, but it doesn't matter. In such a large country, bad things happen every day; the sky won't fall."

"Lord Shen is absolutely right."

Shen Moqing stared at Li Lianying, who was handsome and spoke eloquently, and suddenly smiled and said, "I see that Eunuch Li has an extraordinary appearance and will surely achieve great things in the future."

"Lord Shen is joking. I am just a servant who was castrated at the age of eight and sent to the palace because my family was so poor that we could not survive. What great things could I possibly achieve? I am just trying to make a living."

"No, I have an excellent eye for people; I've never been wrong."

Li Lianying looked up in surprise, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he didn't speak.

.........

Xihua Gate.

As usual, after inspection, body search, and registration, I was allowed to enter the palace. Unlike usual, I did not walk, but took a carriage directly to the Golden Palace.

On the way, Shen Moqing felt that the atmosphere in the capital was a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He saw squads of imperial guards hurrying along.

As the carriage passed in front of Longzong Gate, it happened to encounter the Empress Dowager Cixi's palanquin.

"Stop!"

With a shout from An Dehai, the bright yellow palanquin carried by two men came to a stop.

Upon seeing this, Shen Moqing quickly got out of the carriage and strode towards the sedan chair, making a gesture as if to kneel down on one knee to perform a grand salute.

"No need for formalities, come here."

"Thank you, Empress Dowager."

"Shen Qing, do you know why I summoned you to the palace so urgently?"

"This humble servant dares not speak presumptuously."

The Empress Dowager, dressed solemnly in her court robes, glanced at An Dehai. An Dehai understood immediately and waved away the group of unrelated eunuchs and palace maids.

So, only he and two eunuchs carrying the sedan chair remained at the scene.

"It's alright, go ahead and speak."

"Yes."

Shen Moqing approached Feng Luan and lowered his voice, saying, "This humble servant suspects that Fengtian has fallen."

A silence that lasted for more than ten seconds.

Even the howling north wind couldn't suppress the Empress Dowager's uneven breathing.

Completely confused?

Half a minute later, the Empress Dowager, sitting in her palanquin, let out a long sigh: "Minister Shen, you are indeed a diviner. I regret it so much, I regret not listening to your advice sooner, now I'm in a passive position."

"The Empress Dowager?"

"Ronglu was hit by cannon fire and succumbed to his wounds; Fengtian City has fallen. Li Shaoquan's first garrison has just arrived in Guangning Prefecture and has already engaged in skirmishes with scattered enemy scouts. And..."

"And the Jinling Daily."

"You knew all along??"

"I just saw the Jinling Gazette circulating in the capital and knew something was wrong. I was about to set off for the palace to see the Empress Dowager when, coincidentally, the Empress Dowager also wanted to see me."

At this point, Shen Moqing suddenly looked up and boldly stared at the Empress Dowager, who was sitting on the palanquin at the same height as him.

Just a foot away.

Eyes facing each other.

Feelings began to blossom.

Empress Dowager Cixi felt a sudden tightness in her heart, her hands involuntarily gripping the armrests of her palanquin, her chest tight and her breath difficult to breathe; she was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

When women encounter difficulties, they are most easily moved by a man who appears out of nowhere.

However, once this man helped solve the problem, his image became less impressive, and it declined day by day.

Therefore, the best way for a man to act is to demonstrate his attitude.

Just showing an attitude~