The two historical slices began to incessantly absorb all surrounding elents: mountains, rivers, vegetation, the Qi Army, and those old-party officials...
Soon, the players witnessed a series of scenes flashing before them, like a revolving lantern.
In Yu Jiaxuan’s historical slice, it ranged from his fifty horsen raiding the camps, to later sweeping away the tea bandits, training the Flying Tiger Army, and finally, dying in sleep while shouting "Kill the traitors" with indignation.
In the slice featuring Wang Wenchuan and Zhang Renxia, it started with Wang Wenchuan’s climbing high and declaring, "I do not fear the clouds that obscure my view, for I stand at the highest level," then onto his acquaintanceship with Zhang Renxia, through the northern drought, being dismissed from office, to his political coback and subsequent second dismissal...
At last, two scenes left a profound impression on the players.
The first was a conversation between Zhang Renxia and Wang Wenchuan.
"Jing Gong, it was you who taught the ’people are the most important’ philosophy, but now, do you disregard the livelihood of the people?"
"Jie Fu, to only care for the present and not for eternity, is that your principle?"
"But Jing Gong, with the great drought in the north, the rise of refugees, the disaster victims holess, corpses of the starved everywhere in the capital, without the present, what eternity can there be?"
Wang Wenchuan laughed heartily, "So all these current issues are born from my reforms?"
Another scene was of Wang Wenchuan on his deathbed, upon seeing the series of decisions Wen Jun actually made after coming to power.
He demanded that within five days, all the new laws be abolished.
Even the Exemption Law, which many old-party ministers thought should be preserved, had to be eliminated.
During Wang Wenchuan’s reform period, his support for generals led to the successful campaign to conquer Hehuang, and the establishnt of Xihe Road, further expanding the territory of the Qi Dynasty.
Especially after capturing the four military forts of Mizhi, Futu, Jialu, and Anjiang, the military situation in the northwest of Qi significantly improved.
After Wen Jun took office, however, he considered these places a massive financial burden for the state and a potential cause for friction and wars with enemy nations.
Therefore, he intended not only to return the newly reclaid forts to the enemy but even considered handing back the entirety of Xihe Road and the Lanzhou State.
His reason was, "How can one, if discovered holding stolen property, refuse to return it and still be right?"
In other words, the Qi Dynasty, like a thief, had taken sothing that belonged to another and refused to return it even when caught, which was quite immoral.
Put simply, we snatched four military forts from others, thus provoking a border conflict. It’s better to give them back to avoid further fighting and the exhaustion of resources and people.
The new party mbers imdiately refuted: "To the east of Lingwu, all is the ancestral land of Huaxia. The late Emperor raised an army to exact punishnt and reclaid it, why provide such an explanation now? With the military achievents of the late Emperor, to give it up without cause, would that not be viewed as weakness by foreign barbarians?"
In the end, with the efforts of other new-party mbers in court, Xihe Road was preserved, but the four fiercely battled for forts were handed over to the enemy nation by Wen Jun and other old-party mbers.
Seeing this news, Wang Wenchuan was silent for a long ti.
Logically, he should have been extrely angry at this point.
Because reform was the work of his lifeti, although ultimately not entirely successful, generating many problems and bearing many curses, at the very least, the reforms had filled the state treasury of Qi and accounted for so of the rare glorious monts in foreign wars.
But now, because of a single word from Wen Jun, not only was a barely disputable good law being abolished, but also the forts won by blood and toil of soldiers were to be returned.
Another matter, although seemingly insignificant, was a consequential ripple effect.
After Wen Jun took power and ordered the abolition of all new laws, it ant that all laws and imperial decrees formulated by Wang Wenchuan with the emperor were abolished as well.
anwhile, Ayun, the girl who inadvertently initiated the reforms, had served her sentence and, due to a general amnesty by the emperor, regained her freedom, remarried, and returned to a peaceful life.
The life of a lowly commoner might not be rich and happy, but at least, she was alive.
However, following Wen Jun’s complete abolition of the new laws, it ant her previous sentence would also beco invalid. If pursued, her cri of murdering her husband, compounded with a degree, would certainly result in death.
There was no record in history books on whether Ayun was later captured and executed; this piece of history did not reveal that either.
But considering the special nature of Ayun’s Case, most players guessed that the girl’s fate was more likely to be dire.
After all, even if Wen Jun did not target such a minor figure, there would always be other old-party officials eager to please Wen Jun and willing to exploit this issue.
After witnessing all this, Wang Wenchuan on his sickbed did not vomit three liters of blood, nor did he beco furiously enraged.
Instead, after a long silence, he murmured, "Has it co to this?"
In other words, even these things are to be abolished?
Not long after, this famous official, who dedicated himself to reforms, t his "good end."
And not long after the death of Wang Wenchuan, Wen Jun also passed away.
His greatest regret before death was that he hadn’t managed to completely abolish the new laws in the last few years of his life, instructing his successor to persevere and abolish all new laws as soon as possible.
After his death, Wang Wenchuan was cursed by the common people.
Village crones fetching water would stir bran in a wooden basin, chanting, "Lo, lo, lo, let Adviser Ao co." Pigs, hearing the call, would co to the basin to feed. Then calling to the chickens, "Ge, ge, ge, Wang Wenchuan is coming," all the chickens would flock together.
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