At Gu Yanwu's earnest declaration, Bai Yuan could not help but chuckle.
"Brother Gu," he said, eyes gleaming with mischief, "why not turn it into a proper stage production? Or better yet, a film. Let His Royal Highness the Prince of Tang play himself and recount his true story. We can adjust the ending a little. Instead of being rescued by us, he arranges for loyal retainers to save him. After that, he wanders through mountains and forests, living freely as a cheerful commoner. What do you think?"
Gu Yanwu's eyes widened, the scholar in him instantly captivated.
"That actually sounds rather compelling."
Bai Yuan grew more animated as the idea took shape. "Naturally it does. Every story needs a villain. The greatest villain would be the Emperor himself. We can get Chen Qianhu to portray him. He would absolutely capture the role."
Gu Yanwu burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. "Have someone portray the Emperor as a villain? That would be treason enough to condemn us all. No, no, that absolutely will not do."
Bai Yuan stroked his chin thoughtfully, adjusting the concept with effortless flexibility. "Very well, then we remove the Emperor from the stage entirely. Instead, we make an evil Jinyiwei centurion the main antagonist. The entire film will revolve around his relentless pursuit of the Prince of Tang, and the Prince's ingenious escapes through wit and courage. Suspenseful, dramatic, full of tension."
Gu Yanwu nodded slowly, clearly envisioning the narrative structure already forming in his mind. "Now that does sound promising. I will have to give it serious thought."
In just a few casual exchanges, the two had practically outlined an entire screenplay.
Zhu Yujian, standing nearby, listened in stunned confusion.
"What exactly are you two discussing?" he asked, unable to follow how his near-execution had transformed into entertainment material.
Zhu Piaoling, feeling faintly indignant, folded her arms. "I have known you both for years. Not once have you written a story about me. Zhu Yujian shows up, and immediately you are crafting a film centered around him. I find this highly unfair. I demand a biography of my own."
The group was still bickering cheerfully when something utterly unexpected occurred.
The gold-embroidered statue of Dao Xuan Tianzun on Bai Yuan's chest suddenly spoke.
"Make preparations. A large number of refugees will be arriving shortly by train."
Everyone immediately straightened and bowed in unison.
"Greetings, Dao Xuan Tianzun."
Zhu Yujian stared in horror.
"The embroidery… it spoke."
Bai Yuan reacted first. "Refugees arriving by train? That is unusual. The railway runs from Xi'an to Xiaolangdi. Are refugees not being resettled near Xi'an? Why transport them specifically here?"
The golden embroidered figure responded calmly.
"These refugees originate from Nanyang in Henan. Because of the severe drought, they fled toward Sichuan. We discovered them in Lingwu Cave in Sichuan and are now sending them back to Henan by train. Refugees are best resettled in their native regions."
Bai Yuan nodded. "Understood. We will arrange work for them and settle them in Xiaolangdi, Xin'an County, Hejin County, and Luoyang. Once the bandits in Nanyang are suppressed, they can return to their original homes."
The embroidered Tianzun gave no further reply and fell silent once more.
Bai Yuan's expression brightened immediately. "Continue your discussion. I must prepare for their arrival."
With that, he hurried off to organize manpower and supplies.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yujian remained rooted in place, staring blankly at Bai Yuan's chest.
"The embroidery spoke," he repeated faintly.
Zhu Piaoling grabbed his arm and tugged him along. "Come, let us go watch the spectacle."
"The embroidery… spoke."
"These are refugees from Nanyang," Zhu Piaoling pressed. "Is that not your own domain? Should you not see your people?"
"The embroidery spoke."
Her patience snapped.
She raised her hand and delivered a solid smack to the back of his head.
Only after the sound rang out did she freeze, suddenly remembering that Zhu Yujian was technically two generations her senior, making her action a rather textbook case of striking an elder.
Meanwhile, far to the southwest.
Leading his troops out of Daning, Cheng Xu finally reached Kuizhou.
Kuizhou, located in eastern Sichuan, was no ordinary town. In the historical epic Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Zhuge Liang had once deployed the Eight Trigrams Formation here to repel Lu Xun. The famed Baidi City lay within its territory. For centuries, it had been considered a critical gateway into Sichuan.
Now it lay in ruins.
The city walls had been torn down by bandits. Houses were blackened skeletons. Streets were silent except for wind stirring debris. The local population had long since been slaughtered or scattered.
Scenes once witnessed in Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Henan were repeating themselves here in Sichuan, confronting the Gao Family Village Militia once again.
Cheng Xu exhaled softly.
Flat Rabbit, standing beside him, clenched his fists until the knuckles whitened.
At that moment, a White Pole Soldier rushed forward from the shattered remains of the city.
"You have finally arrived!" he called out excitedly upon seeing the bright banner of Dao Xuan Tianzun. "Instructor He, it has been some time."
This soldier had previously followed Ma Xianglin in Shanxi, fighting bandits side by side with the Gao Family Village Militia. He had even tasted their luncheon meat, an experience he clearly remembered fondly. Seeing the Tianzun's banner stirred immediate warmth and familiarity within him.
"General Qin sent me to meet you," he explained.
Cheng Xu asked directly, "The situation in Sichuan must be extremely dire."
The White Pole Soldier nodded grimly. "After the Sichuan Commander Hou Liangzhu fell in battle, government forces collapsed. The Governor is incompetent, hiding in Chengdu and trembling in fear. The rebels have already seized thirty-eight prefectures and counties. Kuizhou is merely one among many."
"Thirty-eight?" Cheng Xu's expression darkened. He had expected urgency, but not devastation on this scale.
He frowned. "The Sichuan army is renowned as an elite force. Why did its defenses crumble even faster than Henan's once the bandits invaded?"
The White Pole Soldier could not answer.
At that moment, the mass-produced avatar of Dao Xuan Tianzun sat upright in the transport vehicle and sighed.
"There are three primary reasons."
Everyone turned to listen.
"First, the terrain. The mountainous landscape greatly benefits the mobility of rebel forces. Second, the economy. Aside from the Chengdu Plain, most of Sichuan is impoverished. In poor regions, rebels can more easily coerce or recruit common people. Third…" The Tianzun paused slightly. "Separatist forces."
Sichuan's mountainous geography and ethnic diversity had long made centralized governance difficult. The court appointed numerous tusi, native chieftains, such as Qin Liangyu of the Shizhu Tujia. These leaders nominally obeyed imperial authority but in practice governed semi-independently.
In times of stability, the system functioned. In times of chaos, fragmentation flourished.
Many such local powers prioritized their own survival over broader national stability.
"Of course," the Tianzun added evenly, "Qin Liangyu is an exception. She consistently prioritizes the greater good."
Cheng Xu absorbed the explanation, then asked candidly, "What should we do?"
"It is both difficult and simple," Li Daoxuan replied.
"The difficult part lies in persuading the various ethnic groups to consider the larger picture and cooperate in restoring order."
He continued calmly, "The simple part is economic development. Improve infrastructure. Build transportation networks. Encourage cultural exchange between Han and minority groups. When people have stable livelihoods and share mutual interests, separatism loses its foundation."
Cheng Xu's eyes lit with understanding.
"So whenever our militia conquers a new region, the Gao Family Village's economic methods must follow immediately."
"Precisely," Li Daoxuan confirmed. "We have already begun introducing crops suitable for Sichuan's terrain at the Tujia stronghold of Wan Shou Zhai. From there, we will expand to other mountain settlements."
He added, "Shanxi is largely stabilized. It is time for San Shier to be transferred here."
At that command, San Shier, the chief administrator of Gao Family Village's internal affairs, departed from Taiyuan in Shanxi and began his journey toward Sichuan.
The next stage of reform had begun.