The fine drizzle continued to fall.At this moment, Qingzhou City felt like a silent film—stifling, as if choking on unspoken rage.It was a fury long suppressed in the hearts of the people.In their eyes, Xiao Ming saw that anger—once buried deep, now rising to the surface.Three years ago, they had endured the barbarian invasion. They suffered under the cruel exploitation of noble families who colluded with the enemy. The people had borne these pains silently. Now, that anger had erupted into hatred—for the barbarians, for the corrupt nobles.And it was precisely because of this that the people, freed from their shackles, had firmly supported Xiao Ming in crushing the noble families and resisting the barbarians.He also understood clearly: if he wanted to survive safely in this world, he could only rely on the people of his fiefdom.To him, only a kingship built on the people’s trust was truly stable. Otherwise, he would remain a puppet in the hands of the noble families.After all,

In the Governor’s Residence, the military officers listened quietly as Xiao Ming explained the new army structure.Compared to the Great Yu Empire’s current military hierarchy, this new system was simpler and easier to understand.With the help of the knowledge crystal’s memory enhancement, Niu Ben and the others quickly grasped the new structure—though the terminology still felt strange to them.But Qingzhou was full of new things these days. To progress, the old had to be discarded.“The military structure must change. We also need to establish a dedicated Logistics Department,” Xiao Ming continued. “Combat soldiers will focus solely on training, while logistics will handle rations, food storage, equipment procurement, battlefield medics, and other support tasks.”Niu Ben nodded, noting this down. He agreed that specialization was necessary.Beyond this, Xiao Ming also addressed military uniforms.Armor was for battle, but to distinguish soldiers from civilians, he planned to design

“Your Highness, Cui Hao holds the position of Guanglu Dafu in the court. He is responsible for advising and responding to imperial commands but does not have a fixed official duty,” said Pang Yukun.Having worked in the official circles of Chang’an, he knew Cui Hao very well.“Also, this Cui Hao comes from the Cui family and has always been close with Prince Yan. He is also a renowned Confucian scholar, highly respected in the court, and has founded the Zhengdong Academy in Chang’an where he gives lectures. Many officials in the Great Yu court have attended his lectures.”Zhan Xingchang nodded, “The reason Cui Hao became the leader of the peace faction is because of the support from many officials who studied at Zhengdong Academy. These officials follow him closely and have considerable influence in the court.”“So, you’re saying Cui Hao is forming a faction for his own benefit?” Xiao Ming asked.“Exactly. These officials, along with Cui Hao, are privately referred to as the Zhengdong

In the Jade Water Pavilion, Liu li had been waiting at the door.Since the morning, Consort Zhen had asked several times, afraid of missing Prince Qi.But it was understandable. Prince Qi had been gone for three years. For a mother, nothing was more painful than that. After all, Prince Qi was now Consort Zhen’s only hope.Leaning by the door, Liu li was bored and counting flower petals. When she heard footsteps, she instinctively looked in the direction of the sound.She saw a young eunuch leading a handsome young man toward the Jade Water Pavilion.In the inner palace where the concubines lived, the only man who could freely come and go was the former emperor, other than that, only the princes could enter.Looking at this young man, Liu li was immediately surprised and happy. Although Xiao Ming’s appearance had changed a lot in the past three years, his general look was still the same. She immediately ran back excitedly, shouting, “My lady, my lady, His Highness is back! His Highness

Golden sunlight blanketed the palace buildings, and the early morning palace seemed to radiate a strong aura of auspiciousness.Luo Quan’s words made Xiao Ming nod slightly. He wasn’t agreeing to give the cannons to the imperial guards, but he did agree with Luo Quan’s distrust of the vassal lords.This was exactly what a loyal general should say and a reason that made Luo Quan worth winning over.“This cannon production technology—I will give it to no one,” Xiao Ming answered Luo Quan with a firm tone.“Your Highness… this…” Luo Quan looked confused, even slightly angry. It was understandable if Xiao Ming didn’t want to give it to other vassal lords, but to refuse even the imperial guards, who were directly under the emperor—this he couldn’t understand.Lu Fei, standing behind, let out a big sigh of relief. He had truly been worried Xiao Ming might agree too easily. Luo Xin seemed deep in thought.Luo Quan’s reaction was just as Xiao Ming had expected. Once he said this in court, the