Chu Chaofeng was also feeling troubled. The scouts he had sent out brought back battle reports of the clashes between the Taiping Army of Liangzhou and Prince Wu of Jizhou. It was said that the Taiping Army hadn’t suffered a single casualty—instead, they had used sorcery, causing the troops of Jizhou to collapse instantly.
Chu Chaofeng knew his hopes had been shattered.
Now, only two paths lay before him: either march south to attack Youzhou or surrender directly to the Taiping Army.
Fang Zhiyi was equally frustrated. The only cannons they had were taken by Wang Erxi to Jizhou. Given their current production capacity, it would be difficult to manufacture a new batch of cannons in a short time.
As for firearms… Fang Zhiyi glanced at the crooked iron pipes lying nearby and shook his head with a sigh.
The path of industrialization was not an easy one.
City after city in Jizhou fell, with the Taiping Army crushing through them effortlessly. Later, they didn’t even need to fire their cannons—the cities would open their gates and surrender as soon as the Taiping Army lined up outside.
Prince Wu was exhausted from fleeing. The Taiping Army followed him relentlessly, never in a hurry, as if they had nothing else to do.
Finally, he snapped. Prince Wu charged alone into the Taiping Army’s camp, grabbing Wang Erxi by the collar and shaking him. “What do you want? Huh? What do you want?”
Wang Erxi calmly removed his hands and stared at him in silence, making Prince Wu uneasy.
“What do you people even want?”
“Run,” Wang Erxi said.
“What?” Prince Wu didn’t understand.
“Run,” Wang Erxi repeated seriously.
Prince Wu frowned. “You want me to run?”
“Yes. The Great Celestial Master said, ‘You run, I chase.’”
“I demand to see your Great Celestial Master!” Prince Wu was losing his mind.
The banners of Jizhou were replaced with those of the Taiping Army, and news of Prince Wu’s capture spread across the land, drawing the attention of warlords to the once-obscure Liangzhou.
Looking at the disheveled Prince Wu before him, Fang Zhiyi could tell how rough his recent days had been. According to Wang Erxi’s report, he had chased Prince Wu relentlessly—setting up cannons the moment the prince entered a city.
“Fang—no, Great Celestial Master, just tell me, how do you want me to die?” Prince Wu’s face pleaded for death.
Fang Zhiyi remained silent, deep in thought.
Prince Wu suddenly sprang up, startling the guards who immediately drew their swords. Ignoring them, he shouted, “Fang! Let me tell you, push me too far and I’ll do anything!”
Fang Zhiyi slowly turned to him. “Really?” There was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
The next day, Prince Wu stood dumbfounded by the roadside, dressed in a Taiping Army uniform, holding a brush and a bamboo slip, watching a group of commoners enthusiastically mixing grayish-white mud.
“Supervisor Wu, does this hardness look right?” someone called.
Snapping out of his daze, Prince Wu walked over, inspecting the mixture. He tentatively stepped on it, his face lighting up with amazement. “Incredible!”
“Then it’s settled. Mark me down for a day’s work.”
“Supervisor Wu, mine’s done too!”
“And mine!”
Prince Wu was swamped with work.
At the statewide assembly, Fang Zhiyi raised his voice in a rallying cry: “To prosper, first build roads!”
The crowd echoed his words.
“Road construction is now our top priority. Selling sugar? Dirt roads are too slow. Transporting salt? Mountain paths are too dangerous. Even if we mobilize troops to Yongzhou, paved roads will save time. So, what we need now is roads! That concludes my speech. Next, the newly appointed Minister of Agriculture will speak.”
Amid applause, a frail scholar hesitantly took the stage. “Under the Great Celestial Master’s guidance, I’ve successfully improved the second-generation rice seeds. Results will be visible next month—I estimate yields will double.”
The hall fell into stunned silence.
“What?”
“Double? So a hundred catties becomes two hundred?”
“But he already improved it once before.”
“This kid’s really something.”
“Didn’t you hear him say it was the Great Celestial Master’s guidance?”
“Wow… the Great Celestial Master truly is remarkable. When will he guide me too?”
“Silence!” Fang Zhiyi stood, and the murmurs ceased.
“Next, our newly appointed head of commerce will speak.”
A woman stepped onto the stage, causing an uproar.
“A woman?”
“Is this a joke?”
“A female official?”
“The Great Celestial Master’s schools admit girls too. Are you discriminating?”
“No, no, no! Don’t twist my words!”
The woman cleared her throat and slammed her fist on the table. “Shut up!”
Her booming voice silenced the hall.
“Ahem. The Taiping Granary project proposed by the Great Celestial Master is nearing completion. Next, we’ll need the Agriculture Ministry’s cooperation.” She glanced at the young scholar nearby. “In recent internal meetings, we’ve decided to establish Taiping Markets along major trade routes in Liangzhou and Jizhou. These markets will be under Taiping Army protection, with low taxes and free trade for merchants.”
The crowd buzzed again, but no objections arose.
After all, even allowing merchants to hold office had been the Great Celestial Master’s idea.
“Now, the newly appointed Minister of Taxation will speak.”
A middle-aged man nervously took the stage, stammering until the audience burst into laughter.
Finally, red-faced, he announced, “The land tax will be set at one-thirtieth, with exemptions for refugees and slaves.”
Thunderous applause followed.
This was direct relief for the common people, and most present understood its significance.
“Lastly, a statewide campaign to eradicate feudal superstitions will commence, with all materials prepared by the Great Celestial Master!”
The first statewide assembly concluded, leaving the elected representatives abuzz with discussion.
“Meetings like this should happen more often. The Great Celestial Master is truly wise!”
“More often? It takes over a month just to travel here.”
“You’re from Wuwei, right? I hear road construction is progressing quickly there. It won’t take so long in the future.”
“Still, it’s not so bad now. Bandits in Liangzhou have been wiped out, so the journey isn’t as exhausting.”
Prince Wu, who had been listening the whole time, couldn’t close his gaping mouth. He finally realized one thing: with the Taiping Army and Fang Zhiyi around, he would never unite the realm. These common people genuinely stood with the Taiping cause!
Though he still glared at Wang Erxi with resentment, Prince Wu had to admit that supervising road construction was oddly satisfying. Fang Zhiyi even paid him a monthly salary—not in heavy copper coins or silver, but in strange, lightweight sheets they called “paper.” Prince Wu treasured them, carefully storing them at home.