The imperial study was unusually quiet, and even Zhi Rou wore a worried expression.
She had witnessed the reactions of both her father, the Emperor, and her beloved.
An unprecedented sense of unease, of fear!
It was all because of those few words.
Liang Xiao!
General Tian!
After a long pause, Mu Cheng's trembling hand placed a black stone, sighing, "In the end, you were the one with foresight. This person might indeed be General Tian himself…"
Qin Feng couldn't help but offer a wry smile.
The emperor and his minister finally regained their composure and continued their wine and chess.
Mu Cheng frowned, "If our Great Liang were to rashly mobilize troops to the border, I fear the two nations would be at odds. The Hui Chun Sect and the Sun Moon Army are, after all, merely a rabble, not worth our entanglement."
Qin Feng explained, "The Sun Moon Army's combat strength is already comparable to regular troops. It's just that I didn't expect him to be able to create something like 'Heavenly Thunder.' I heard this weapon is like a thunderclap, capable of obliterating dozens of people in an instant. It is truly a fearsome weapon among fearsome weapons."
The gunpowder barrels created by Liang Xiao were becoming more exaggerated with each retelling, now regarded by the populace as 'Heavenly Thunder.'
"To create such a thing, isn't Liang Xiao afraid of shortening his lifespan?" Mu Cheng asked, somewhat displeased.
"Your Majesty, if I could create Heavenly Thunder, I would spare no effort to employ it to reduce casualties among our nation's soldiers," Qin Feng said solemnly.
Mu Cheng and Zhi Rou's breaths hitched; father and daughter nodded in unison.
"Indeed! The reason I am unhappy is precisely because we cannot create it. If the Great Qian Kingdom could use this weapon in the future, I fear we… Alas! Harmonious relations between the two nations are indeed the best national policy for now!"
The current Great Liang Kingdom also faced internal and external troubles, and could not afford to go to war with Great Qian.
"Tomorrow, issue an order to the Marquis of Zhenbei, telling the soldiers to be polite to the traveling merchants from Great Qian. Also, send someone to inquire exactly how Liang Xiao developed the 'Heavenly Thunder.' We must also rush to replicate it," Mu Cheng said, his eyes bright with anticipation.
The Marquis of Zhenbei of Great Qian was the Cavalry General Lü Yi, and Great Liang also had its own Marquis of Zhenbei, responsible for defense against Great Qian.
In an inn, Liang Xiao was awaiting news, and in the meantime, telling stories to the young ladies.
"Do you want to hear ghost stories?" someone pouted.
The faces of the three girls turned pale.
They had been frightened by this scoundrel last night!
Liang Xiao smiled, "Oh, how about I tell you some fairy tales?"
"Fairy tales?" The girls' beautiful eyes lit up, and they nodded obediently.
A quarter of an hour later.
"The little girl lit a match and finally saw her kind grandmother…"
After hearing "The Little Match Girl," the three girls wiped away tears, choked with sobs, "What a pitiful child."
Jian Qin Wan, her eyes teary, chided, "You wicked flower thief, can't you tell something happy!"
"Oh, my mistake! Then let me tell you 'The Little Girl Who Sold Gunpowder Barrels.'"
"Why sell gunpowder barrels again?" The girls' curiosity was piqued by Liang Xiao.
A moment later.
"The little girl lit a gunpowder barrel, and the entire street saw her kind grandmother…"
Before Liang Xiao could finish, Zhuo Xun was the first to break into laughter.
"Young Master, you're so wicked!" "You only know how to trick young girls!" "He's a big monster!"
…
Li Jin Yu, under the guise of the female painting immortal, was also recruiting painters from the Chuzhou region for Liang Xiao.
Including the painters from Luzhou, a total of forty highly skilled painters were willing to accept Liang Xiao's employment and promote him.
The newspaper office in the Chuzhou bookshop had also begun printing, and the first issue of twenty thousand copies sold out rapidly.
Due to the varying start times of newspaper offices in different regions, those that started later would reprint subsequent issues in a short period, aiming for nationwide synchronization in the future.
According to Liang Xiao's plan, later on, new newspapers that were updated in advance would be scheduled, and the completed layouts would be sent to various regions, to be published simultaneously on an agreed-upon date, preventing anyone from seizing the opportunity to buy large quantities of new issues and resell them at high prices in places that had not yet printed that issue.
Liang Xiao's primary purpose in developing the newspaper industry was not to make money, but for future propaganda!
Liang Xiao had no intention of implementing modern systems here. The greed and ugliness of human nature could not be saved by systems alone; it also required productivity that matched the systems.
Even in modern times, people exploit loopholes in systems to oppress the populace. If modern systems were implemented in regions where productivity seriously lagged behind modern standards, the situation would only be worse, even worse than feudalism.
However, necessary enlightenment and universal education were indispensable, otherwise public opinion would only be controlled by aristocratic families.
Liang Xiao looked at the intelligence sent by Steward Chen, "In all parts of Jiangnan, even a mere local gentry or small merchant might have the shadow of an aristocratic family behind them, which shows their immense influence!"
Aristocratic families were not unique to the Great Qian Kingdom; they existed centuries ago in the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Heng Kingdom. The fall of the Great Zhou Dynasty and the Great Heng Kingdom was inextricably linked to aristocratic families.
With power in hand, they could collude with officials and merchants, officials and bandits, and even collude with foreign countries for their own profit.
Moreover, the illiteracy of many common people also made them easily deceived by these individuals.
Normally, if a notice was posted, and if none of the illiterate people could read it, but those who could read were bought off by aristocratic families, then the right of interpretation would fall into the hands of these people, who could interpret it as they pleased, and even defame imperial authority!
However, martial arts practitioners were an exception. These individuals had high mobility, and some of them, for their sense of justice, were more likely to gain the trust and favor of the common people.
Having these people propagate Liang Xiao's message first could greatly improve the public opinion situation across the country.
At this moment, only Liang Xiao's people were in the inn. Chen Shao Ling then said, "Marquis An Guo, I have asked Xin Yue. It is said that the best blacksmiths in the country are still concentrated in the Xichuan region! That is also my master's hometown, the origin of the Xichuan Sword Clan!"
Mentioning her family, Jian Qin Wan's eyes also showed a hint of pride.
The Xichuan Sword Clan, a thousand-year-old renowned family specializing in swordsmanship, gradually declined. The known descendants of the Xichuan Sword Clan were currently only Jian Nanfeng and Jian Qin Wan.
"Xichuan suffered years of war. My master's Xichuan Sword Clan was almost wiped out. My master's wife's Mu family, a medical family in Xichuan, was also forced to relocate," Chen Shao Ling explained.
Liang Xiao nodded slightly, lost in thought, "When I have more leisure time, I should go to Xichuan to take a look."
Just the temperature of the furnace was not enough. If he could have professional craftsmen forge weapons for him and the army, the situation would be even better.
According to Liang Xiao's geographical understanding, the Xichuan region should be located in Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, and other places, covering a large area.
It was adjacent to the southwestern region, where the Sun Moon Army might be active, requiring extra caution.
Liang Yun had also gone to Xichuan, but the various regions of Xichuan were now heavily guarded, with various natural barriers, so there was no need to worry for the time being.
With the strong support of Lin Ming and the martial arts knights, Liang Xiao was having a relatively smooth time in the Chuzhou area.
The large amount of gold prepared by Xiao Shuang Zi was enough for him to carry out his propaganda and recruit literati and warriors.
The military power in Chuzhou was also in the hands of the old Duke of Dingguo's men. Situated between Luzhou and Jinling, enemies would not be foolish enough to attack Chuzhou first, so Liang Xiao did not need to worry about Liu Yun Zi's safety.
Before leaving, Liang Xiao specifically went to Liu Yun Temple to visit Liu Yun Zi.
Upon learning of Liang Xiao's arrival, Liu Yun Zi, who was lecturing, put down the scripture in his hand.
"You will accompany this old man on a journey; there are matters of the afterlife to entrust to you."