Chapter 127: Under Surveillance

What Wanyan Honglie and the others did not know was that their actions and the content of their meeting were heard crystal clear by Zhang Chu'an, Hong Qigong, Ma Yu, and these people; after all, in the Legend of the Condor Heroes, a Huang Rong in her teens could take Guo Jing to Wang Fu to eavesdrop on Wanyan Honglie stealing the Wu Mu Legacy, so there was no reason Hong Qigong, Zhang Xiaofan, Zhang Chu'an, and Qiu Chuji could not do the same.

Moreover, Zhongdu was now full of their spies; although their actions were still somewhat secretive, they ultimately did not escape their gaze, and so Hong Qigong, Zhang Chu'an, and the others held their uprising meeting right there.

When this secret conspiracy meeting finally drew to a close, it was already the deep night of the early morning. As time quietly passed, the city of Zhongdu began to welcome a new day. The gradually rising sun, like a shy maiden, slowly revealed her bashful face, dyeing the horizon into a brilliant golden red.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and sprinkled down upon the earth, illuminating every corner of Zhongdu in red, as if draped in a layer of golden clothing. On the streets, pedestrians began to appear one after another; their figures stood out clearly in the dawn light, as if every movement was carefully outlined by the sunlight.

Under the sun's illumination, this city of Zhongdu seemed to regain its vitality. The air was filled with a fresh scent, making people feel joyful.

Just having fled from Li Fu, Zhang Chu'an invited the few of them, saying, "Two elders, you have been keeping watch for us at Li Fu all day; shall we go eat some roasted meat?"

"You still have the mood to eat roasted meat? Didn't you hear what they were just conspiring about? They plan to seize political power and dispatch a massive army to encircle and annihilate your base!" Qiu Chuji, who was always fiery-tempered, could not help but speak urgently upon seeing Zhang Chu'an so casual.

"Yes, they want to encircle and annihilate our revolutionary base, but do you think, given our current strength, we should fear them?" After Zhang Chu'an finished speaking, he stretched lazily; keeping watch at Li Fu all night had exhausted him terribly.

Hearing Zhang Chu'an's words, Qiu Chuji was stunned for a moment; yes, why should they fear? The revolutionary army of the base, totaling about five hundred thousand, plus those five hundred thousand soldiers wielding Wu Liu Ban, plus those nine hundred 107 rocket launchers, left no reason to think they could lose.

With this strength, even if you summoned both Jin Wuzhu and Yue Wu Mu together, you still could not win.

"You have always wanted to hide your strength and avoid clashing head-on with others; why this time do you want to fight them openly? This does not fit your character," Qiu Chuji asked in confusion.

"Before, I kept hiding because I knew that in our uprising, we would face not only the suppression of the Jurchen iron cavalry but also the opposition of the Han gentry; moreover, although our weapons are very advanced, very few people accept our ideology of the people being masters of their own destiny, so it is very possible that people will be bribed, and the army will turn around to command the party," Zhang Chuan said, unable to help but sigh; the masses poisoned by Confucianism for a thousand years would find it hard to accept their ideology in the short term.

Let alone this era; even in the 1980s of the later generations, stories like the Yang Generals, preaching blind loyalty, still had a market, and there was no rejection of that kind of feudal, decadent loyalty.

Even in the year 20, some people still wanted to return to ancient times to present things from the future to the Emperor, hoping the Emperor and officials would save the people, believing that emperors and generals shaped history; but what they did not know was that it is the people who shape history.

Those emperors and generals were merely blood-sucking parasites clinging to the people.

Going from kneeling to standing is a very difficult step.

"Actually, although our base has developed rapidly during this period and people's lives have improved in many ways, doing so also has drawbacks: many people still harbor illusions about the decadent feudal dynasty, believing that as long as the Emperor is wise and the officials are honest, their days will still get better."

"But what difference is there between a wise ruler and a foolish ruler? They both regard the people as cattle and horses; only a wise ruler manages his cattle and horses and builds fences so that wild beasts do not catch them, making their lives bearable."

"But cattle and horses are still cattle and horses; not only are they so themselves, but their offspring are too; they will eventually be arbitrarily driven and whipped by those born noble, unable to become human, unable to live where humans live, unable to eat the same food as humans, because if cattle and horses enjoyed these things, would they still work for the master and let the master beat and scold them at will?"

Hong Qigong and Qiu Chuji looked at each other, standing dumbfounded in place. Although they had lived with Zhang Chu'an for a long time and were already somewhat influenced by the thoughts of later generations, as ancients from the feudal era, they still found it hard to bear the strong impact of these thoughts deep in their hearts. Even to this day, these thoughts remained incredibly shocking to them, as if a torrent suddenly crashed against the feudal concepts they had long upheld.

"The people remain the people even without the so-called emperors and generals, but what are emperors and generals without the people? The people have never thought about how great the power is that erupts when they unite; when the people unite, when the people stand up, anyone obstructing them will be ruthlessly crushed."

"I want them to understand that when they unite, they do not need anyone to stand up; as long as they stand up, becoming rich is only a matter of time."

At this moment, Zhang Chu'an, who usually presented a slick image, displayed an unprecedentedly serious attitude. His expression was solemn and focused, as if all frivolity and mockery were instantly stripped away by a mysterious force, leaving only a steady and determined him.

Of course, the most important thing is that once the gentry helps Wanyan Honglie stage a coup, the contradiction between the Jurchens and the Han gentry will become completely irreconcilable.

Breaking two chopsticks twice is easier than breaking two chopsticks all at once, isn't it?

Seeing Zhang Chu'an so calm, Hong Qigong and Qiu Chuji said nothing more, because he never disappointed anyone.

Returning to the mansion, Zhang Chu'an gave an order, and the people in the mansion quickly moved, bringing forward the prepared fresh meat and the barbecue racks. As time passed, the charcoal fire grew stronger, and the meat slices on the barbecue racks began to emit an enticing aroma, filling the entire courtyard.

That fragrant, overflowing roasted meat, carefully grilled, had a golden, crispy skin and tender, juicy inside; one look told it was a delicious dish. Hong Qigong was originally a gourmet, and at this moment he could not hold back his inner excitement, staring at the barbecue rack with shining eyes.

Finally, when the roasted meat was fully cooked, Zhang Chu'an signaled that Hong Qigong could taste it; Hong Qigong could no longer hold back. He impatiently picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of roasted meat, and put it into his mouth. Instantly, that delicious flavor exploded in his mouth, making one intoxicated.

"Delicious, delicious! Zhang kid, this roasted meat is never boring no matter how you eat it."