The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

"Who is it?" Yang Jinhua asked urgently.

"Ning Zhongze, the 'Martial Saint' who lived in seclusion in Bianjing," Ouyang Xiu slowly uttered the name.

The room held its breath. Ning Zhongze—the legendary figure whose martial arts had reached the pinnacle, who had been invincible for twenty years, yet had gone into seclusion for some reason.

"Senior Ning... will he make a move?" Mu Guiying asked hesitantly. Such a person is already beyond worldly affairs; even the imperial court would probably find it difficult to persuade him.

"I have personally written a letter, recounting Miss Liu's grievances and her compassionate heart as a healer, and mentioning the profound mystery of the tortoise breathing technique she uses, which may pique Mr. Ning's interest. More importantly," Ouyang Xiu looked at Wang Zhonghua meaningfully, "I mentioned in the letter that Miss Liu has a close friend named Wang Zhonghua, who is simple and honest, with exceptional talent and a pure heart for martial arts, and who bears a deep-seated hatred for his family and country... perhaps a rough gem yet to be polished."

Wang Zhonghua was shocked and looked at Ouyang Xiu in disbelief.

Ouyang Xiu nodded slightly to him and continued, "Senior Ning's greatest regret in his later years was that his unique skills had no suitable successor. This trip to Chenzhou will serve two purposes: first, to save lives, and second, to observe people. His Majesty has granted permission to use all necessary resources to support this. This matter must be kept absolutely confidential."

A wave of emotions surged through everyone present. If they could truly persuade Ning Zhongze, Liu Xinyi could be saved! And Wang Zhonghua might be about to encounter an incredible stroke of luck!

"And the second thing?" Lord Zhe asked, suppressing his excitement.

Ouyang Xiu's expression grew even more solemn: "The second matter concerns how to completely overthrow Chen Shimei and tear open the gates of the Xiangyang Prince's Mansion." He looked at Wang Zhonghua, "Young friend Wang, His Majesty is already aware of your methods in the marketplace. His Majesty said: The hearts of the people can be won over, but they must be guided onto the right path and transformed into the mighty power of Heaven to break the ice. Otherwise, they may be used by those with ulterior motives and bring disaster to the world, which we must guard against."

Wang Zhonghua understood immediately: "Sir, you mean..."

"His Majesty wishes to 'see a show,'" Ouyang Xiu said, emphasizing each word. "A grand show that will allow all the people of Bianjing to see, hear, and feel what 'injustice', 'injustice', and 'heavenly justice' truly mean! Then, following the trend, he will grant Miss Qin Tiehua permission to—file a complaint with the Emperor!"

"To file a complaint with the emperor?!" Yang Jinhua exclaimed in a low voice.

"Excellent." Ouyang Xiu's eyes gleamed with wisdom. "Only by personally presenting the case before the Emperor and sounding the 'Drum of Appeal' can we bypass all the judicial procedures that might be influenced by the Prince of Xiangyang, and place the case directly before His Majesty and the soon-to-be Prefect of Kaifeng, Bao Zheng! This 'performance' is the fuse that ignites the attention of the people and gathers public opinion! We must expose this case to the light of day from the very beginning, so that anyone who wants to manipulate things in secret will hesitate to act!"

He looked at Wang Zhonghua: "Young friend Wang, I've heard that you and Master Li of Tianxiang Tower are preparing a new play called... 'The Tragedy of Liu E'?"

Wang Zhonghua was shocked! Ouyang Xiu's information network was so advanced! His secret meeting with Li Jingniang was only yesterday!

He steadied himself and solemnly said, "Indeed. Master Li and I share this intention. The script is already in its early stages, and we can begin secret rehearsals soon."

"Excellent!" Ouyang Xiu clapped his hands. "This play, when the time is right, should not only be rehearsed in secret. His Majesty will arrange a 'perfect opportunity' to have it 'accidentally' performed openly in the most bustling entertainment district of Bianjing! At that time, the masses will gather to watch, and public sentiment will be in an uproar! The injustices in the play will resonate with the injustices in reality, and when public anger reaches its peak—"

His gaze sharpened as he looked at Yang Jinhua: "It was General Yang who, accompanied by Miss Qin Tiehua, struck the Dengwen Drum to appeal directly to the Emperor!"

A crystal-clear yet thrilling roadmap unfolds before everyone: public opinion lays the groundwork, drama ignites public outrage, a direct appeal to the emperor, Bao Zheng takes over the trial, Ning Zhongze rescues Liu Xinyi, and irrefutable evidence points directly to Chen Shimei and the mastermind behind him!

A series of interconnected and suspenseful events! It integrates the power of the people, art, the judiciary, imperial authority, and even the most powerful figures in the martial arts world into a grand scheme!

Lady Zhe took a deep breath and slammed her iron crutch down heavily: "Your Majesty is wise! Ouyang Xiu's plan is far-sighted! This old woman... has no objection! The Yang family has an inescapable responsibility!"

Mu Guiying and Yang Jinhua also stood up solemnly: "The Yang family is willing to be the vanguard!"

Wang Zhonghua was deeply moved. He looked at Ouyang Xiu and the people of the Yang family, and bowed deeply: "Zhonghua, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse! Even if I am shattered to pieces, I will still seek justice for this injustice and make a move for this cause!"

Ouyang Xiu helped him up and said gently, "Young friend, the road ahead is fraught with peril, even more so than the battlefield. I hope you will remember your original aspirations and make good use of your talents. I will inform you immediately as soon as there is any news from Mr. Ning. As for that play..." A hint of anticipation flashed in his eyes, "It all depends on how spectacularly you and Master Li can perform it! Old Madam, please invite Qin Tiehua out. How about we discuss together the 'Amazing Beauty' secret treasure that young friend Wang and Qin Tiehua have painstakingly crafted?"

Lady Zhe nodded, about to give instructions, when Wang Zhonghua suddenly spoke up: "Lady, please wait."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall, finally settling on the wrinkled yet still dignified face of Lady Zhe. His tone carried a hint of youthful curiosity and reverence: "Lady Zhe, I have a request."

"Please feel free to speak."

"I grew up listening to stories of the Yang family generals since I was a child." Wang Zhonghua carefully chose his words, a fleeting look of dazedness in his eyes. "Golden Beach, Two Wolves Mountain, Seven Sons and Eight Tigers, the Battle of Chenjia Valley... I can see these names even with my eyes closed. In my heart, the Yang family is full of loyal martyrs. Seven sons sacrificed themselves for the country, General Yang died by crashing into the Li Ling Stele, and a family of widows donned armor and went into battle... That is the most tragic story I have ever heard."

Grandmother Zhe paused slightly, a complex light flashing in her cloudy old eyes.

"But when I arrived at Tianbo Mansion today, what I saw was quite different from what I had heard." Wang Zhonghua looked around. "Seventh Madam Du Jin'e is still as charming as ever, Marshal Mu is as heroic as ever, and General Yang is as majestic as ever... This family does not seem to be as...decayed as the legends say."

The hall suddenly fell silent.

Du Jin'e and Mu Guiying exchanged a glance and saw the smile in each other's eyes—a smile that contained both bitterness and relief.

After a moment of silence, Lady Zhe suddenly smiled. The smile was gentle, like the wind blowing through withered leaves, yet it carried a kind of wisdom born from experience.

"China," she began slowly, "half of the stories you've heard are true, and half... were added by the storytellers."

She stood up, leaning on her cane, walked to the window, gazed at the dark night sky outside, and spoke in a desolate and distant voice:

"In the Battle of Jinshatan, my Yang family indeed suffered heavy losses. Of our seven sons, only the sixth son returned. Our old lord... was indeed captured after a fierce battle at Chenjiagu and died of starvation. All of this is true."

She turned to look at Wang Zhonghua: "But the Yang family doesn't only have seven sons. And the Zhe family doesn't only have me, an old woman. My Zhe family has been generals for generations, and my brothers are all fierce warriors on the battlefield. The Yang family's collateral branches, in-laws, and former subordinates, all added together, number more than a thousand or a hundred. Storytellers only talk about tragedy, not about inheritance. Because tragedy sounds good, inheritance... it's too long, and no one wants to listen."

Wang Zhonghua was stunned.

He had always thought that the story of the Yang family generals was about a widow guarding the Tianbo Mansion and supporting half of the Song Dynasty with her unwavering loyalty. But now he realized that the real Yang family was more complex and more real than the story portrayed.

A child's voice, newly broken, suddenly came from outside the door: "Great-Grandma is right! Those storytellers just make things up, making our family sound so miserable, like we're all extinct!"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a boy of about twelve or thirteen years old peeking out from behind the curtain. His round face was still smudged with ink, and his bright black eyes darted around with a hint of cunning and mischief. He was wearing a royal blue robe with a silver ribbon tied around his waist and a pair of deerskin boots, looking exactly like a little general.

"Huaiyu!" Du Jin'e scolded lightly, "No manners! We're discussing important matters here, what are you doing hiding there?"

This boy was Yang Huayu—the son of Yang Wenguang, the youngest direct descendant of the Yang family. He had just turned thirteen this year, an age when cats and dogs disliked him.

Yang Huayu stuck out his tongue, peeked out from behind the curtain, and respectfully bowed to Grandmother Zhe: "Grandmother, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. You asked me to come and get the pen and ink. When I got to the door, I heard this uncle asking about our family, so... so I stood there for a while."

Grandmother Zhe looked at him, her eyes full of affection: "Then tell me, is your uncle's question correct?"