Chapter 127: Under Surveillance

Wanyan Honglie and the others did not know that their actions and the contents of their meeting had been heard in full by Zhang Chu’an, Hong Qigong, and Ma Yu—after all, in The Legend of the Condor Heroes, even a teenager like Huang Rong could sneak into the Zhao Prince’s mansion with Guo Jing to eavesdrop on Wanyan Honglie’s theft of the Wu Mu Manuscript; how could Hong Qigong, Zhang Xiaofan, Zhang Chu’an, and Qiu Chuji not do the same?

Moreover, today Zhongdu is filled with their spies; though their operations were still somewhat covert, they ultimately could not escape detection, and so Hong Qigong and Zhang Chu’an held their revolutionary meeting right there.

When the secret meeting finally ended, it was already the deep, dark hours of dawn. As time slipped quietly away, Zhongdu began to welcome a new day. The rising sun, like a shy maiden, slowly revealed its blushing face, painting the horizon in brilliant gold and crimson.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and spilled across the land, bathing every corner of Zhongdu in a rosy glow, as if the city had been draped in a golden robe. On the streets, pedestrians began to appear one by one, their figures sharply outlined in the morning light, as though every movement had been carefully sketched by the sun.

Under the sun’s rays, the city of Zhongdu seemed to awaken anew. The air carried a fresh scent, lifting the spirits of all who breathed it.

Having just escaped from Li’s mansion, Zhang Chu’an turned to the group and invited, “Senior Masters, you’ve been keeping watch at Li’s place all day—how about we go eat some grilled meat?”

“You still have the appetite for grilled meat? Didn’t you hear what they just plotted? They’re planning to seize power and send armies to crush your base!” Qiu Chuji, ever hot-tempered, blurted out in agitation at Zhang Chu’an’s casualness.

“Yes, they plan to crush our revolutionary base—but do you think, given our current strength, we should fear them?” Zhang Chu’an said, stretching lazily—he’d been on watch all night at Li’s mansion and was exhausted.

Hearing Zhang Chu’an’s words, Qiu Chuji froze. That was true—why should they fear? The revolutionary army in their base totaled about half a million men, armed with Type 56 rifles and supported by nine hundred 107mm rocket launchers; there was no conceivable reason they could lose.

Even if you brought back Jin Wanyan and Yue Wumu together, they still couldn’t win.

“Aren’t you usually the one who hides your strength and avoids direct confrontation? Why are you suddenly choosing to fight them openly? That doesn’t fit your character.”

“I kept hiding before because I knew our uprising would face not only the Jin cavalry’s suppression but also opposition from Han gentry. Though our weapons are advanced, very few people truly accept our belief that the people should rule themselves—there’s a real risk of our troops being bribed and turning against the party.” Zhang Chu’an sighed. The masses, poisoned by Confucianism for a thousand years, could not easily accept such ideas.

Even in this era, tales of blind loyalty like the Yang Family Generals still had audiences in the 1980s; people still didn’t reject such feudal, decaying notions of loyalty.

Even as late as 2020, some still wanted to return to ancient times, offering modern inventions to the emperor, begging him and his officials to save the people, believing history was shaped by emperors and generals—yet they didn’t realize it was the people who shaped history.

Those emperors and generals were nothing but bloodsucking parasites feeding on the people.

From kneeling to standing—that step is hard.

“In recent months, though our base has grown rapidly and many people’s lives have improved, this progress has a downside: many still cling to illusions about the decaying feudal dynasty, believing that if only the emperor were wise and the officials honest, their lives would still get better.”

“But what difference is there between a wise ruler and a foolish one? Both treat the people as cattle and horses—only the wise ruler manages his cattle better, builds fences to keep wild beasts away, and lets them live tolerably.”

“But cattle and horses remain cattle and horses—not just themselves, but their offspring too. They will forever be driven and whipped by those born noble, never becoming human, never living in human homes, never eating human food—would cattle and horses, if granted such privileges, still work for their masters and allow themselves to be beaten?”

Hong Qigong and Qiu Chuji stared at each other, frozen in place. Though they had long lived with Zhang Chu’an and absorbed some of his future ideas, as men of the feudal age, their innermost selves still could not bear the violent shock of these thoughts. Even today, these ideas remained profoundly shattering, like a flood surging against their deeply entrenched feudal beliefs.

“The people can still be the people without emperors and generals—but what are emperors and generals without the people? The people have never realized how immense their power becomes when they unite; when the people unite, when they rise, all who stand in their way will be crushed without mercy.”

“I want them to understand that when they stand together, they need no one else to rise—once they rise, prosperity is only a matter of time.”

At this moment, Zhang Chu’an—who always presented himself as slick and carefree—revealed an unprecedented seriousness. His expression was grave and focused, as if all his frivolity and mockery had been instantly drained away by some mysterious force, leaving only a calm, resolute man.

Of course, the most important point is that if the gentry help Wanyan Honglie stage a coup, the conflict between the Jurchens and the Han gentry will become irreconcilable.

It’s easier to break two chopsticks twice than to break them both at once.

Seeing Zhang Chu’an so composed, Hong Qigong and Qiu Chuji said nothing more—he had never let them down.

Back at the mansion, Zhang Chu’an gave a command, and the household swiftly moved to bring forward the fresh meat and grills. As time passed, the charcoal burned hotter, and the meat on the grills began to release a mouthwatering aroma, filling the entire courtyard.

The grilled meat, expertly cooked, had a golden, crispy exterior and tender, juicy interior—clearly a delicacy. Hong Qigong, a true gourmet, could no longer contain his excitement; his eyes gleamed as he stared at the grills.

Finally, when the meat was fully cooked, Zhang Chu’an signaled Hong Qigong to eat. Hong Qigong could wait no longer—he snatched up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece, and shoved it into his mouth. Instantly, the rich, savory flavor exploded in his mouth, intoxicating him.

“Delicious, delicious! Zhang kid, this grilled meat never gets boring no matter how much you eat!”