Chapter 612: Zou Sheng

Yintan City.

Qing Yangshuo watched the account book in his hands quietly.

In the incense burner nearby, sandalwood curled, making one feel somewhat drowsy.

Zheng Yueru was also quietly organizing account books nearby. In these past few days, orders in Yintan City had surged violently, and the Factory was working overtime every day. To be precise, ever since Jinghua began preparing for this great commotion, orders in Yintan City had shown an abnormally violent surge. The "Big Data Center" from Liangshan had alerted them to this point at the first opportunity. Although they could not trace the destination of these orders due to the Yinzhou Coin, the orders themselves were enough to explain the issue.

This was a very unusual matter.

Qing Yangshuo smiled faintly: "The Viscount once said that the orders of Yintan City can reveal the Great Trend of the world. How does Yue Ru see it?"

Zheng Yueru smiled: "Sir, Yue Ru only knows that the more bustling Jinghua becomes, the safer the Viscount will be."

Qing Yangshuo laughed: "That is no lie."

He paused for a moment, then sighed leisurely: "Perhaps that old Emperor also knows that if this Longyan were to lose Governor Liu, it would lose much of its bustle, right? Would it be like this? A pool of stagnant water?"

Zheng Yueru smiled softly, pushed Qing Yangshuo's wheelchair, and walked out the door, intending to let him breathe some fresh air.

Ever since Xi'er left, Zheng Yueru had often been by Qing Yangshuo's side, because this man who looked "peerlessly elegant" had never been willing to let any maidservant approach him. Whether it was his fastidiousness in daily life or his fastidiousness of spirit, he was the type to make people grit their teeth. In the past, Zheng Yueru had even wanted to introduce a wife to Qing Yangshuo, but he had always ruthlessly refused—in this Liangzhou, there were plenty of women who wanted to serve the gentleman of Yintan City.

"The Academy is about to open, isn't it?"

Qing Yangshuo asked suddenly.

Zheng Yueru could not help but chuckle: "There are only a few days left, and that Feng Zhen is howling like a ghost every day; he hasn't been able to recruit a single person for the Military Academy."

Qing Yangshuo also smiled: "A thing like a Military Academy is, after all, appearing in Longyan for the first time. The Viscount also said that all teaching is free. Yue Ru, you go and make arrangements; go to Yintan City and find some children of slaves to send there. We can't let General Feng fail to open for business, can we?"

Zheng Yueru suppressed a smile, agreed, and left.

"Preposterous, simply preposterous!"

For these past few days, Feng Zhen had been unable to sleep or eat.

He even had dark circles under his eyes!

Good heavens!

He had been running all over the streets, mobilizing this family, doing ideological work for that family.

His Military Academy simply could not recruit a single person!

Yet, the Academy over at Shen Xing's side already had fifty thousand people signed up!

Terrifying!

A crushing defeat!

Feng Zhen had gone from initial anger to despair, and now to numbness.

He watched the Liangzhou Academy, where traffic flowed like a stream, while his own side was incomparably desolate.

This was caused by social concepts. For people of this era, if they wanted to find a way out, their first choice was still to study. Of all things, only studying is noble. To study and excel is to become an official; this was the universal value. As for some Military Academy... Commoners who become soldiers? Who would choose to be a soldier, a brute?

Not to mention the exhaustion, there was the danger to one's life in war, and not returning home for years.

Therefore, it was understandable that this Military Academy had so few visitors.

"What to do!"

"How can I explain this to the Viscount!"

Feng Zhen was about to vomit blood.

"Quick, quick, quick, over here, over here, pass the ball!"

"Oh my, what are you doing! Do you understand even a little bit about teamwork?"

At this moment.

In a vast field inside Yintan City, a group of children, neither big nor small, were running and kicking a ball on the ground. This was a group of mud-caked children; among them, their skin tones differed, and their heights were even more varied.

Among them.

A young lad, the tallest and with slightly dark skin, was clearly the leader of this group of children. Just then, a match ended, and the losing side was wailing as they were forced to do push-ups on the ground. One after another, the winning side laughed loudly.

"Can't do it, can't do it, we can't take it anymore, we can't take it anymore! Brother Sheng, Brother Sheng, spare us!"

Several children, covered in sweat, could no longer persist and were begging for mercy in various ways.

That tall boy smiled coldly: "A bet is a bet. The playing field is like a battlefield; what, do you want to renege?"

Several children muttered: "You cheated, your victory was dishonorable!"

The dark-skinned boy laughed loudly: "All is fair in war, the highest art of war is to use strategy. As long as you win within the rules, it is all acceptable! Stop talking nonsense, keep doing them!"

This group of children still listened to him very much.

After finally finishing, a group of children sat together and began to chat.

"Brother Sheng, you have loved reading since you were small. The Liangzhou Academy is opening in a few days, don't you plan to go and give it a try?"

A child asked.

Other children also chimed in: "Exactly, our Brother Sheng has read many classics and speaks with eloquence; how is he any worse than those descendants of wealthy families?"

"Go and try!"

The group of children was very excited.

The dark-skinned boy was only fourteen years old this year, and his name was Zou Sheng.

He had come to Yintan City following the first batch of slaves. His father was Longyan, and his mother was Nanyang. Since he was small, he had been indoctrinated with the idea that he was of slave status, and they had already accepted their fate... Unexpectedly, after arriving in Yintan City for just over a year, his father, because he was a carpenter, was appreciated by Yintan City and directly shed his slave status; now he was even a small leader in the carpentry department!

Their family had also bought houses and land in Yinzhou and received the respect of the people.

Zou Sheng still remembered that night when his dull, honest father had drunk half a jar of Drunken Yinzhou and kept muttering to himself. Governor Liu, a benevolent ruler! Governor Liu, a Contemporary Sage!

From then on, Zou Sheng, who had followed in shedding his slave status, began to study diligently.

Yes.

Governor Liu had already become an existence he looked up to and revered.

He spent his life wanting to follow the person he wanted to become.

But he also knew that while leaving the slave registry was one thing, the opportunities to truly attend school and enter the inner sanctum were still few.

However, he immediately gave a dashing laugh: "Haha, who says that to attend school, one must go to the Academy? These past few days, I bought a few books by Governor Liu and am self-studying!"

"Good!"

"Brother Zou Sheng will surely achieve great things!"

"Exactly, those teachers of theirs might not even be as good as Brother Zou Sheng!"

A group of simple, honest children began offering all sorts of comfort.

Zou Sheng forced a smile, a look of disappointment flashing through his eyes.

"Zou Sheng!"

Just at this moment.

Suddenly, Zou Sheng's honest and simple-minded father ran over, pleasantly surprised.

"Father?"

Zou Sheng stood up straight and performed a salute.

Old Zou wept with joy: "Quick, quick, quick, stop playing ball, wash up, pack your belongings, and head to Liangzhou; you have a chance to attend school, you have a chance to attend school!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Zou Sheng was left stunned on the spot.

He had not expected it.

Happiness had arrived so suddenly.

"Ah! Congratulations, Brother Zou Sheng!"

"Brother Zou Sheng, go quickly!"

"Brother Zou Sheng, you must think of us!"

"Once you've made something of yourself, don't forget us!"

The group of little companions wiped away their tears, genuinely happy for him.

"And you all, and you all... together, go together! Go to the Military Academy, the whole family, all of you will be removed from the slave registry!"

Old Zou caught his breath and continued.

"Ah?"

At this, no one could react in time.

These children, some of whom were still on the slave registry, never imagined that their lives of rising against the odds were about to begin at this very moment.