Chapter 1190: Did You Hear That?
Mi Qianhu couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "Sichuan, how is that possible! How could you possibly gain a foothold in Sichuan?"
Zhu Cunji sighed, "As long as you can provide a happy life for the common people, is there anywhere in this world you can't reach? We've even gained considerable control over Nanjing."
"Nanjing too!!!"
Mi Qianhu let out a strangled gasp, "Impossible, this is impossible."
Amused by the man's constant shock, Zhu Cunji chuckled, "Might as well tell you everything. We've also gained indirect influence over Pi Island, the Xuan-Da Command, the Mongolian grasslands, parts of the Fujian and Guangdong seas, and the Dengzhou Garrison..."
With each location he named, Mi Qianhu let out another choked sound.
By the time he finished listing them all, Mi Qianhu realized that in this realm, apart from Northern Zhili and the Jiangnan region still being in the court's hands, everywhere else seemed to have fallen under the rebels' control.
"No! Impossible!" Mi Qianhu retorted. "That's impossible to achieve. There are still bandits, though. Yes, bandits still occupy Henan and Hubei. You can't deal with the bandits; you can't possibly orchestrate such a rebellion."
"As for the bandits, we're just about to close the net."
Mi Qianhu said, "You dare show me such classified information? As long as I draw breath, I will certainly deliver these secrets back to the capital."
"Secrets, my foot!" Zhu Cunji scoffed. "If it's broadcast on Gaojia News, how can it still be a secret? Everyone in the Heavenly Lord's Liberated Zone can watch it. You're in the Heavenly Lord's Liberated Zone now, so of course you can watch. After you've watched for a few days, if you're still willing to send word back to the capital, then I'll truly respect you as a man."
With that, Zhu Cunji waved his hand and said, "Where's my car?"
The gleaming Kulinan pulled up, stopping beside Zhu Cunji. He swiftly hopped into the car and declared proudly, "Take these bumpkins from the capital; we're going to watch Gaojia News together."
The description "bumpkins from the capital" nearly made Mi Qianhu and his entourage faint from rage. They were "Capital Lords," accustomed to calling outsiders bumpkins. To be called bumpkins by someone from a remote corner of Shaanxi this time filled them with indignation.
The gleaming Kulinan led the way. The princely guards and local Jinyiwei, escorted Mi Qianhu and his party through the streets and alleys to Cai City Plaza.
It was nearly dusk...
The common folk were once again settling in for their daily evening ritual.
Countless people across Xi'an began counting down in unison: "Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven..."
"Lights on!"
With a synchronized cry from an unknown number of people, the entire city of Xi'an suddenly lit up with electricity. Streetlights throughout every nook and cranny of the city flickered to life, a riot of colors, vibrant and dazzling.
Xi'an, a city that never sleeps!
Mi Qianhu and his group gasped, "Ahhhhh!"
Zhu Cunji laughed, "See? Country bumpkins are just so amusing."
Mi Qianhu asked, "What's happening? What are these strange lights?"
Soon after, they arrived at Cai City Plaza.
Zhu Cunji ascended to his private viewing platform on the second floor. His consort was already waiting there. Seeing a row of bound captives behind Zhu Cunji, his consort asked curiously, "What strange people have you brought to watch Gaojia News this time? You always like bringing odd characters to watch the news with you."
Zhu Cunji chuckled, "It makes things livelier. These capital bumpkins haven't seen much of the world. I simply love seeing their astonished reactions."
His consort gave a wry smile, "Always stirring up mischief."
Mi Qianhu, convinced he was going to die anyway, spoke without restraint, "You're the one who hasn't seen the world, your whole family hasn't seen the world! Pigs confined to the city of Xi'an! What have you seen besides Xi'an?"
If someone had said that a few years ago, it would have utterly devastated Zhu Cunji, making him break down in tears on the spot, weeping uncontrollably.
But the current Zhu Cunji was no longer fazed by such words.
A confident smile spread across his face. He gazed at Mi Qianhu with an expression usually reserved for fools. "I've seen the vast, misty sea!"
Mi Qianhu was dumbfounded.
Just then, the enormous Divine Mirror illuminated...
Every day at this time, the first person to appear on the mirror was Chen Yuanyuan.
Today, she wore neither a wool sweater nor a down jacket. Instead, she held a fragrant, silken fan. With a gentle wave and a radiant smile, she said, "Rabbit Brand Silken Fan, I simply can't put it down..."
Then the camera shifted, and Padi Tu appeared: "Rabbit Brand, specializing in Sichuan delicacies. All profits from this establishment are donated to the poor! If a single coin lands in this Rabbit's pocket, I'll personally walk into the Huanglong Mountain labor reform camp and stay in a cell."
Zheng Gouzi appeared on screen: "Rabbit Lord, you can't go back to Huanglong Mountain. I just heard someone say that no rabbit ever leaves Sichuan alive."
Padi Tu was greatly perplexed: "Why?"
Next, a large crowd of Sichuanese people appeared on screen, shouting in unison, "Spicy rabbit heads!"
The people in Cai City Plaza erupted in laughter: "Hahaha, Rabbit Lord is still Rabbit Lord. Only Rabbit Lord's commercials are the best to watch; everyone else's aren't funny at all."
Someone said, "Hey, why do commercials need to be funny? Isn't introducing the product the main point? This is clearly an advertisement for a silken fan, so why isn't there a single mention of the fan itself? By the end, I want to buy spicy rabbit heads?"
Someone argued, "It doesn't matter what kind of commercial it is; I just like Rabbit Lord! Whatever Rabbit Lord sells, I don't care what the product is; no introduction needed, I'll buy it. I'll buy the fragrant silken fan, and I'll eat the spicy rabbit heads too."
"Hahaha!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.
Mi Qianhu watched, utterly bewildered: "What kind of strange giant mirror is this? It's actually used for commercials? Selling local goods?"
What followed was a full ten minutes of commercials, which left Mi Qianhu increasingly astonished.
Products from all corners of the land paraded across the screen. There were even silk bolts for sale from the Anqing Yingjiang Sericulture Cooperative.
Then, the screen suddenly went dark.
When it lit up again, the beautiful, dignified, and poised Gao Yiye appeared. Flanking her were two young, new presenters.
Gao Yiye was currently mentoring the newcomers. In a few days, the two new recruits would be taking the lead.
Gao Yiye smiled at the camera and said, "This is Gaojia News! First up today, we bring you international news..."
"Recently, the Shimabara Rebellion erupted in Japan, also known as the Christian Rebellion. A man named Amakusa Shiro led Christian believers in an uprising. On the surface, this uprising appears to have been caused by the persecution of Christians by the Japanese rulers. In reality, a deeper look reveals that it was merely an uprising by impoverished common folk, driven by hardship and using religion as a pretext."
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