above the galaxy

Chapter 620 Are peasants afraid of those who wear shoes?

Weishan Lake. Weishan Residential Area.

This was the residence of the high-ranking officers of the Yuhuo Army and the site of the founding of the Weishan Military Academy.

The reason why the Weishan Military Academy was established here is twofold: firstly, to facilitate the senior generals and retired cadres of the Fire Refining Army to give lectures to the young officers in the army, impart battlefield command experience, and cultivate batches of outstanding active-duty soldiers for the Imperial Army.

Secondly, the officer academy is heavily guarded, with a considerable military force deployed around it.

Their presence can protect the safety of the high-ranking officers and retired cadres of the Fire Army. The two can be said to be interdependent and mutually beneficial.

Third, Weishan Lake has fresh air and beautiful scenery; who wouldn't want to live and retire here?
In any dynasty, those who could reside in such auspicious and beautiful places were either high-ranking officials or immortals and Buddhas.
An almost luxurious stillness permeated the air, occasionally punctuated by the cries of a three-eyed hawk and a moonbird that echoed through the night sky.

Located on Weishan Mountain, behind the military academy.

Inside a secluded cave, a group of men dressed in black were silently gathering together.

The leader of the men in black issued an order via an encrypted channel: "Group one, report the situation."

"One group in position."

"Group Two reports the situation."

"Group Two, in position."

"The three groups report their findings."

"Three groups are in position."

"Group Four."
-
Hua Juan is Kong Yinghan's wife, and at this moment she is sitting on the living room sofa with a worried look on her face.

Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly indicating that she had been crying for a long time.

The second son, Kong Sheng, and the third daughter, Kong Ziye, accompanied her, while the eldest son, Kong Rui, followed his father as a secretary to gain experience.

"Xiao Sheng, did you find out anything? The entire Fire Army was wiped out?? Your dad and the others are really gone?" Hua Juan said in a hoarse voice.

Shen Wuxiang did not want the Battle of Jinxiu City to be known to the public, because it would shake the morale of the army and even undermine the public's trust in him.

This is truly an ugly war.

Therefore, he instructed the news department to impose a certain degree of information blockade on the war.

It was precisely for this reason that Hua Juan and her group only had a superficial understanding of the actual situation and outcome of the Battle of Jinxiu City.

To make matters worse, they tried to contact their families and relatives on the front lines, only to find that they couldn't reach them at all.

It's not the other person's problem, it's my own.

The signal was completely blocked throughout the Weishan District; phone calls could not be made and messages could not be sent.

All communication channels have been tried, but none of them have worked.

Weishanhu Community seems to have become an isolated island.

They are the island guards, braving wind and rain.

Kong Sheng pulled off the scarf around his neck, picked up the tea in front of him and gulped down a big mouthful, saying, "I went to Grandpa Tang's house, Uncle Wang's house, Uncle Li's house, and Aunt Hong's house. They were under control just like us."

"No phone calls, no messages, and I can't reach the secretary or aide. I think something serious has happened."

"Brother, how could we not know this is a big deal? We just want to know how big it is. Are Dad and the others still there?" Kong Ziye urged impatiently.

So you've been out wandering around all day and haven't found out anything?

"You think I don't want to know how serious this is? I can't find out. Nobody else knows, how can I fabricate a result out of thin air?"

"They're just as anxious as we are. Aunt Hong and the others said that we should let them know as soon as we have any results."

After hearing Kong Sheng's words, the room fell silent once again.

Their fate is unknown, which is the most heart-wrenching thing.

After a long silence, Kong Ziye said angrily, "I just don't understand. Even if my father died on the battlefield, he sacrificed himself for his country. Why are they sealing us off? It's like we've committed some terrible mistake."

Kong Sheng glanced at his mother, looking as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Xiao Sheng, just say what you want to say. Why are you hiding things from each other as a family?" Hua Juan noticed that her son's expression was not quite right and asked.

"Mom, I heard from Aunt Cai that the reason our community is locked down and we are prohibited from contacting the front lines is probably because someone in the high command of the Fire Army has defected."

"Rebellion?"

The mother and daughter gasped in surprise.

They were all military family members and knew all too well how serious the consequences of 'defection' could be.

"Shh!" Kong Sheng made a shushing gesture and whispered, "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear us. I heard that our families are being monitored."

"Have you heard... which family betrayed us?" Hua Juan asked, her heart pounding wildly. Her voice trembled.

If Lao Kong really betrays them, their family of several people probably won't be able to survive.

Just then, two men in black sneaked in.

Before the Kong family could scream in alarm, they revealed their identities: "We were sent by General Kong, mainly to safely evacuate you."

As they spoke, a man in black pressed a projection device on his wrist, and General Kong Yinghan's virtual image appeared in the center of the living room.

Meanwhile, similar stories are unfolding in other courtyards of the Weishan residential community.
-
Yanqing Street. Number 18. After Sheng Jing resigned from his position as the Imperial Finance Minister, he began to live a secluded life, rarely leaving his home.

This has led to much speculation. Some believe he is using a strategic retreat to manipulate the empire's economy from behind the scenes. Others think he has offended Shen Wuxiang and become a pawn, with the Sheng clan completely removed from the center of power.

Some say Sheng Jing has been imprisoned and tortured daily. Others say he has been killed, otherwise why hasn't he shown up for so long?
Sheng Jing himself is elegant and composed, spending his days at home listening to his wife sing little tunes, playing Go with his daughter, and sometimes having a couple of drinks with his younger brother.

He used to not drink alcohol. In his professional field, he was a demanding and meticulous man, almost to the point of being rigid.

He believes that people involved in the digital economy should avoid drinking alcohol, because even a slight overdose can alter the numbers in their minds.

Every change in the decimal point could trigger a financial tsunami.

Now that I'm retired, I can indulge myself a little to relieve my worries.

Yes, although he remained outwardly calm, he was still very worried inside.

The person who received the position of Finance Minister was none other than Shi Hongchuan, who had previously been highly regarded. He and Sheng Jing were not on the same side, and after taking office, he was supposed to carry out a bloody purge of Sheng Jing's people.

This is a method that everyone has always used.

However, Shi Hongchuan, after going through some mental process, did not make any major changes, but simply transferred some of Shengjing's people from important positions to less important departments.

That's very respectable.

Sheng Xinhuai, with her meticulous attention to detail, placed her white piece and looked at her father, who was sitting in front of her with his head down in thought, and asked, "Has Shen Wuxiang made any moves lately?"

"Motion?" Sheng Jing calmly placed his piece and said with a smile, "Rather than saying that Shen Wuxiang's side is making a fuss, it's more accurate to say that Tang Fei is the one who's causing the fuss."

"Really? What big move has he made this time?" Sheng Xinhuai asked with a broad smile.

She didn't know why, but mentioning that man would make her feel happy.

Perhaps it's because they've been trapped for so long that life has become too lonely and boring.

"The Tang bandits assembled a large army and breached Jinxiu City. The Yuhuo Army was defeated, and Tang Shengyan was captured."

After a pause, Sheng Jing continued, "I heard that Kong Yinghan, the deputy commander of the Fire Reborn Army, surrendered voluntarily, which influenced many other Fire Reborn Army generals to follow suit and surrender as well."

"This is an extraordinary victory. After the Tang bandits captured Jinxiu City, they connected Fengcheng, Hongyue City, and Liyu Port into a line, forming a natural barrier for mutual support."

"In front of the Splendid City lies the rich heartland of the empire. Behind the Splendid City lies the vast northern plains."

"We can attack from nearby or defend from here. With the Qin family of Zhaoling and the Lu family of the desolate land echoing each other, the Tang bandits' momentum is already established."

"It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious."

The Tang bandits achieved such great results that Sheng Xinhuai felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.

This is the man I value, the man I have always trusted the most.

He was indeed as outstanding as I had imagined.

Unfortunately, they were imprisoned and unable to witness his success firsthand.

Sheng Xinhuai wanted to hold back, but he couldn't.

Then, a smile bloomed on her face, like a ripe rose, and she asked in a sweet voice, "Old Sheng, who do you think will win?"

Sheng Jing glanced at his daughter and sighed deeply in his heart.

What are you, a third party—no, an observer—so happy about?
He's acting like an idiot.

Shen Wuxiang can shield ordinary people from the right to know the truth, but he cannot affect those in high positions.

They have their own information channels.

Phoenix has always been by Tang Fei's side, supporting him time and time again as the princess of the empire, and now she holds the extremely important position of 'Prime Minister'.
They're the real couple, so where do you stand?
Thinking of this, Shengjing felt a toothache.

“Tang bandits,” Sheng Jing replied.

He knew this was the answer his daughter wanted to hear.

"I also think it's Tang Fei!" Sheng Xinhuai was extremely excited. He threw the chess piece he was holding into the chess box, ran to sit down next to Sheng Jing, and said with a flushed face, "Think about it, since he came to Xinxing, what has he not succeeded in?"

"He is a man who constantly creates miracles; nothing he does is surprising."

"Don't just care about them, think about yourself too," Sheng Jing couldn't help but remind him.

"Myself? What's wrong with me?" Sheng asked, puzzled.

Forget it, that doesn't make sense.
Sheng Jing changed the subject, saying, "With the great defeat at Jinxiu City, Shen Wuxiang's situation is even more dangerous. Even the Fire Army, one of the three elite armies, has lost, and Tang Shengyan and Kong Yinghan have surrendered. The Imperial military will surely be in a state of panic."

"In order to maintain control of the situation, Shen Wuxiang will definitely increase his control over the empire's internal affairs. If he can't handle external hatred, then he'll manage internal conflicts."

Therefore, we must be prepared. Prepare for the worst.

"Old Sheng, are you worried that Shen Wuxiang might harm our family?" Sheng Xinhuai asked anxiously. "He resigned from his position as Minister of Finance, transferred all his power, and he's been imprisoned. Doesn't he trust us?"

“When people’s hearts are in turmoil, we need to make an example of someone.” Sheng Jing looked at his daughter and said in a deep voice, “Finding a chicken of sufficient weight is not an easy task.”

"Shen Wuxiang deserves to die," Sheng Xinhuai said through gritted teeth.

"Don't worry too much," Sheng Jing said gently, not wanting her daughter to live in constant fear. "If Shen Wuxiang really wants to resort to any means necessary, we won't let him have an easy time."

"He has his brilliant plan, and I have my countermeasures. We're barefoot now, what are we, these mud-legged folks, afraid of those who wear shoes?"

(End of this chapter)