Chapter 813: Special News
As evening descended upon Xi'an, the city hummed with a dreamlike vibrancy.
It was once again time for the daily news broadcast.
Zhu Cunji, the Prince of Qin's heir, had once again arrived early at his private "viewing platform." Settling himself comfortably, he was immediately presented by his guards with an array of peculiar snacks: Want-Want senbei crackers, popping candy, potato chips, and "Happy Fat Water."
His consort also accompanied him, sitting beside him with a radiant smile.
From their elevated platform, the couple looked down to see the Prefect of Xi'an, Censor-Inspector Wu Shen, and other officials gathered at the street corner.
Zhu Cunji chuckled. "Look at these fellows," he scoffed, "not one of them as clever as I am. They don't even think to arrange a private viewing platform for themselves, hahaha! They're left to jostle with the common folk below."
In the street at the marketplace, the crowd was already thick, a sea of bobbing heads. Common people, eager to watch the news broadcast, filled the entire central intersection.
Every evening during the news broadcast, this scene of fervent anticipation was repeated.
After all, entertainment options were scarce in these times, and people craved diversion.
The hour arrived!
Wang Tang appeared, approaching the massive "Immortal Treasure Mirror." With a practiced movement, he activated the tablet computer's power, then, with a few deft operations, the news broadcast officially began.
On the screen now was the familiar Saintess, Gao Yiye, her face dignified and elegant.
However, today her expression seemed far more solemn than usual.
"Today, we must first broadcast a special report." Gao Yiye's voice carried a heavy, somber tone. "Please first watch the footage sent by reporter Tie Niaofei from Xuanfu and Datong."
The screen then went black, only to light up again, revealing the face of Zhang Zongheng, the Supreme Commander of Xuan-Da Command.
Zhu Cunji, the officials, and the common people all sensed an unusual atmosphere. No one dared to let their attention waver, staring intently at the screen.
They watched as the Manchu found a pretext to attack the Great Ming, and the Emperor's decree ordering local officials to defend their cities to the death, with execution for any who failed.
After watching, the expressions on everyone's faces were utterly bizarre.
Zhu Cunji, perched on his second-floor "viewing platform," found his mouth agape, remaining wide open for a long moment.
His consort tugged at his sleeve beside him, whispering urgently, "Do not make any comments! Our family is different from others. They might say something and get away with it, but we cannot utter a single word of criticism, not one!"
Zhu Cunji's jaw worked silently, his lips trembling. He forcibly swallowed every word, not daring to utter a sound.
The first to shout aloud was Wu Shen. "Is this a joke?" he exclaimed. "How can they handle things this way? The Emperor is utterly reckless!"
To call the Emperor reckless in public—only a Censor would dare such a thing.
Nine out of ten Censors in the Great Ming were notoriously unruly troublemakers.
With the Censor leading the charge, the eerie silence was finally broken. The common people erupted in a clamor of discussion.
"The Manchu have invaded!"
"Like in the play 'A Border Soldier at Daling River' we watched," one cried, "are those brutal and vicious Manchu going to attack Xuanfu and Datong again?"
"This time they've reached Shanxi," another exclaimed, "that's not far from us!"
"The Emperor should send reinforcements to Xuanfu and Datong," someone else argued, "and send vast amounts of weapons and provisions! How can he just send a single command?"
"Hush!" a fearful voice warned. "Are you tired of living? How dare you speak ill of the Emperor?"
"Anyway, Shi Kefa is on sick leave lately!" someone retorted. "He's not in Xi'an."
"Do you think just because Shi Kefa isn't here, there are no Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) around?"
"Uh..."
Both officials and common people were swept up in Wu Shen's fervor, stirring up a widespread commotion.
At this point, even if there were Jinyiwei mingled in the crowd, they wouldn't know whom to arrest. A quick glance revealed thousands of people cursing Zhu Youjian, the Chongzhen Emperor; it would be impossible to know where to even begin apprehending them.
Meanwhile...
In Gao Family Village itself, Puzhou City, Chengcheng County, Heyang County, Hedong Circuit, Pingyang Prefecture, Yan'an Prefecture...
In all the places where the Heavenly Lord had cast down "Immortal Treasure Mirrors," the common people gathered.
They stood before the Mirrors, earnestly discussing the matter.
In truth, the largely illiterate common folk originally possessed little worldly insight.
However, in recent years, the "Immortal Treasure Mirrors" had broadcast daily news to them, relating all sorts of events from various places. This broadened the common people's perspectives and understanding. They were no longer confined to a ten-li radius from their homes, nor were they simple, unworldly peasants whose knowledge was narrow and limited. Instead, they were new-era citizens who, without leaving their homes, could know of events a thousand li away.
They had begun to understand how to use their own simple values to judge the right and wrong of an issue. They no longer blindly believed in "imperial majesty and authority," nor did they cling to the excuses that "if the Emperor is wrong, it must be the eunuchs abusing their power," or "the Emperor is a good person, it's just corrupt officials bending the law."
They now knew that eunuchs abusing power and corrupt officials bending the law were, in the final analysis, all the Emperor's fault! If the Emperor failed to govern the bureaucracy well, then it was the Emperor's fault, a responsibility he couldn't shirk.
A militia soldier in Xi'an, currently undergoing ideological and political education, shouted aloud, "Please send me to Xuanfu and Datong! I want to fight the Manchu to the death!"
"Please send me!"
"Is it too late for me to join the army now?"
"I can even help by bringing a hoe!"
"Don't talk nonsense!" a fishmonger roared. "You lot haven't learned battle formations or martial arts; you'd only be a hindrance there. We need to help the border army in other ways. I'm willing to donate a dou of rice to the border army, but how can I ensure it reaches them?"
"Hey? That's right!" someone else chimed in. "If the Emperor won't send supplies to the border army, we will! I'll donate a dou of rice too!"
The crowd's emotions surged, a tide of fervent support...
Outside the diorama box, Li Daoxuan continuously switched perspectives, looking from city to city. Seeing the performance of the little people under his governance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of profound relief.
Finally, after years of using comic books, plays, movies, and various other means to awaken the people's wisdom, he was now, at last, beginning to see tangible results.
With the unwavering support of the common people, anything would be easy to accomplish!
Li Daoxuan swiftly switched his perspective, landing upon the Puppet Heavenly Lord, which was with Gao Chuwu. For years, Gao Chuwu had always carried the Puppet Heavenly Lord, the same puppet originally used in Hedong Circuit to scare Huang Yunfa. Now, it was one of Gao Chuwu's treasured possessions.
As soon as he co-sensed into the puppet, he felt something was amiss.
Two chubby infant hands were kneading the Puppet Heavenly Lord.
As Li Daoxuan co-sensed into it, he was tossed and turned by the playful kneading.
He focused his vision and realized it was the beloved son of Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang, a chubby little boy only a few months old, who was playfully turning the Puppet Heavenly Lord over and over with his tiny hands.
Li Daoxuan: "Oh, hello there! In the blink of an eye, you've grown so big."
The infant: "Waa, waa, waa!"
For the puppet to suddenly speak would scare an adult witless, but it didn't scare the little infant. Not only was he unafraid, but he became greatly excited, shouting "waa waa" loudly.
He continued to babble incessantly.
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