Chapter 431: First Ripples

False Song, Bianjing.

As twilight deepened, Li Yuan walked alone on the bluestone road returning to his lodgings.

As a newly appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Works and a judge in the Southern Directorate of the Ministry of Personnel, although his rank was not top‑grade, his responsibilities covering officials' assessments and files made him a noteworthy post in Bianjing's arena of power.

But he was by nature unsociable; aside from necessary official engagements, most of the time he was like now, solitary.

In his mind, the image of the azure‑clad scholar he had chanced upon that day at the Clear Wind Pavilion rose unbidden.

"Lu Ming..."

He murmured the name, chewing it softly.

Though young, his insight into the Way of Tea was remarkably mature; in conversation he cited classics without showing off, instead exuding a rare composure.

Especially his grasp of maxims such as "wait for three boils" and "tea nature is frugal, not to be spread widely" coincided exactly with his own habitual thoughts.

"He's quite an interesting person."

A fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed Li Yuan's usually stern and rigid face—so subtle he himself did not notice it.

He had instructed his attendants that if Mr. Lu were to visit, they must notify him promptly.

In his usually closed social circle, this counted as an exception.

He did not ponder the reason behind this exception, merely attributing it to the rarity of a "tea friend".

His steps did not halt as he turned into a relatively secluded lane.

At the lane's entrance, a peddler bearing a load hawked needles and thread, his gaze seemingly sweeping the street at random.

Li Yuan did not notice.

In the neighboring lane, an old man pushing a single‑wheel cart trundled slowly, his load piled with firewood.

Li Yuan also failed to sense anything amiss.

He was even less aware that, in the upstairs of a newly opened calligraphy and painting shop diagonally opposite his residence, a half‑shuttered window was watching through a crack, recording the exact time he returned home.

The Iron Crow Army's surveillance, like an invisible spiderweb, had already quietly enveloped this newly risen official, whose upright and stubborn nature had marked him as a "potential destabilizing factor".

But this net had not yet reached the point of tightening.

Meanwhile, in the Chen dynasty's private villa quiet room…

Chen Wen slowly gathered his energy.

He had just finished a brief but efficient "effort".

It was not physical labor, but a deep exploration and application of the new ability known as "Shi Yong" (Fortune Momentum Initial Sense).

Focusing his mind, as if manipulating invisible tendrils, he tried to cross the light‑curtain barrier to sense, far away in the False Song capital of Bianjing, the extremely faint ripple of Fortune Momentum sparked by Li Yuan's first contact with Lu Ming.

This required extremely high concentration and mental control.

The process was arduous, draining his mind even more than ordinary physical labor.

Yet he persisted and succeeded in catching that subtle feedback.

"My progress has indeed improved."

He inwardly observed the formless vortex within him.

Though the gain was small, far less than the rapid growth brought by a fierce battle or a major decision, it was solid and steady.

This confirmed his conjecture: such a cross‑border, precisely placed strategic "effort" is likewise recognized by the system and can effectively drive growth.

"My lord."

Zhang Cheng's voice sounded from outside the door, carrying a tone of request.

"Enter."

Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru entered together, their faces wearing inquiring expressions.

"Li Yuan has returned home, with nothing unusual. Lu Ming's side has also received the order to remain silent for now, awaiting Li Yuan's initiative to extend an invitation."

Zhang Cheng reported the latest situation first.

Wang Ru then said:

"According to feedback from the Jing'an Bureau's monitoring of the False Song capital Bianjing, the Iron Crow Army has not raised its surveillance level on Li Yuan because of this teahouse encounter. They seem more concerned about which factions he has close ties with at court, and thus pay relatively little heed to such casual literary exchanges."

Chen Wen gave a slight nod.

"As expected. The Iron Crow Army guards the grand historical script; it is only mildly sensitive to private interactions between individuals that do not involve core power. This is precisely our opportunity."

He paused, then looked toward Zhang Cheng.

"The civil‑official infiltration route has been preliminarily verified as feasible. Next, we must steadily deepen our soft influence on Li Yuan, but we must follow the way of 'nourishing silently.' Lu Ming's role is that of a 'advising friend' and a 'purifying friend'—he may discuss the classics and comment on governance, but he must never actively offer counsel or involve himself in specific personnel matters. The aim is to guide Li Yuan toward forming a more pragmatic, far‑seeing political mindset."

"I understand, my lord."

Zhang Cheng nodded solemnly.

"We will strictly control the depth and pace of contact."

"Then, what is the next node?"

Wang Ru asked.

"Li Yuan's side has opened a breach, but we cannot fixate on just one point. The False Song realm is vast; there should be many nodes. Where should the next target lie?"

Chen Wen did not answer immediately.

He closed his eyes again, sinking his mind into the mysterious "Shi Yong".

His vision was no longer confined to the small quiet room, nor to a corner of the False Song capital Bianjing.

It was as if a hazy, flowing scroll unfurled in his consciousness.

The Fortune Momentum representing the Chen dynasty's homeland showed a vigorous, tenacious hue; although occasional subtle undercurrents appeared—such as the Khitan threat to the northern borders or possible complacency from prolonged internal peace—overall it was steady and rising.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the light curtain, the vast "Mirror Zhongyuan" displayed a far more complex hue of Fortune Momentum.

Bianjing and its surroundings, as the power core, were occupied by a massive Fortune Momentum representing "orthodoxy" and "civil governance," its shade somewhat stagnant, its interior woven with numerous bright and dark strands—some standing for imperial authority, some for ministerial power, some for officials of various factions—mutually entwined and checking each other.

Against this dull backdrop, the tiny circle of faint light that Li Yuan and his environs had just begun to coalesce appeared especially precious, like a single dewdrop placed on a dark canvas.

Chen Wen's "gaze" passed over Bianjing.

He "saw" toward the south, the area that had only recently been unified by the False Song, where Fortune Momentum appeared chaotic and thin, stained with the "youneng" of resentment and resistance, and also the unpleasant "void" left behind after the Iron Crow Army's purge.

He "saw" toward the western borders, where there was a frontier abutting the Tangut people, Fortune Momentum thin and full of turmoil.

He "saw" toward the northern territories, the Khitan's sphere of influence like a deep ink color, carrying aggression and oppression, rubbing and colliding with the Fortune Momentum of the False Song's Bei Jing, occasionally sparking dangerous "sparks".

He also "saw" some scattered, bright or dim light dots, dispersed throughout the False Song.

Some light was steady, representing important historical figures already formed.

Some flickered unstably, seeming to be at a crossroads of fate.

Moreover, some were extremely faint, like just-ignited sparks, yet harboring a potential to influence the future.

"The next node......"

Chen Wen muttered to himself.

His "gaze" swept over those light points one by one.

Finally, he paused slightly in a direction that seemed ordinary and unremarkable.

That place was part of the Western Capital Road, the terrain gentle, mainly agricultural.

At that moment, there was no particularly conspicuous light point there, but Chen Wen faintly felt that a Fortune Momentum concerning "land" and "livelihood" was slowly gathering and brewing there.

It seemed related to an agricultural policy measure being implemented or about to be implemented by False Song local officials.

"Agricultural policy."

Chen Wen opened his eyes, his gaze clear.

"The False Song has just been established, Emperor Zhenzong has just ascended the throne; the primary task is stability, to rest and recuperate. Agriculture is the foundation of the state, and also the current top priority of national policy. Starting from here, resistance is minimal, effects may be slow but it can lay deep foundations and is unlikely to touch the Iron Crow Army's sensitive nerve that upholds the 'civil governance prosperous age' script."

He looked toward the direction of the Ministry of Works where Zhao Lao Nian usually was.

"Notify Zhao Lao Nian to select from our improved technical library, suitable for the False Song's current technological level, a few beneficial agricultural implements' drawings. They need not be the most cutting-edge; emphasis is on practicality and ease of promotion."

He also said to Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru:

"Through the 'South Wind Chronicle' or other reliable channels, try to bestow these 'good laws' upon the folk-friendly officials of the Western Capital Road who have decent reputations and truly care for the people, in a clever way that makes it seem as if they themselves 'discovered' or 'improved' them."

"This measure can actually benefit the False Song's populace, alleviating their suffering; this is also our wish;"

Chen Wen's voice was low and resolute.

"Second, this allows us to observe the efficiency and response of the False Song's local administrative system; third, if it can thereby boost local agriculture, it can also create a more favorable civilian foundation for possible future activities of my Chen dynasty; most importantly, this is an effective way to accumulate 'growth'."

Zhang Cheng and Wang Ru exchanged a glance, each seeing approval in the other's eyes.

"We will attend to this immediately."

The two bowed, accepted the order, and withdrew from the quiet chamber.

In the quiet chamber, only Chen Wen remained once again.

He walked to the window and gazed at the night sky.

The stars were speckled, seeming no different from those on the other side of the light curtain.

He knew that the stone he had cast into Li Yuan's heart had already sent out the first ripple.

And the other stone cast into the agricultural policy domain of the Western Capital Road was also about to fall.

These ripples appeared tiny, each independent.

But one day they will churn against each other, overlay, and converge into an undercurrent strong enough to alter the course of rivers.

He felt the slow, steady growth of his internal growth progress, his mind at peace.

The road must be walked step by step.

Foundations must be laid brick by brick.

In this "undercurrent surging" stage, what is being compared is precisely this patience and layout.

"Come on."

He spoke softly to the boundless night sky.

"Let's see whether your script is unbreakable, or whether my effort can create miracles more effectively."