Under the prolonged rule of Han Yin, the state of Yong never managed to recapture the grandeur of Emperor Yong Ming, Han Zhou’s era. They were thoroughly repelled from the northern territories, yet still held sway over thirteen prefectures: Tianming, Jing’an, Nanxiang, Taining, Shun’an, Yonghuai, Hechang, Fuchun, Lan’an, Fuming, Yiyang, Zhenyou, and Lingbei.

Compared to the mere three counties held by the state of Zhuang, Yong could truly be called colossal.

Were it not for the constraints imposed by the state of Jing, as well as the natural barrier of the Qichang mountain range, and had not several generations of Zhuang’s rulers proven to be heroic talents, Yong would have long since swallowed Zhuang whole.

But regardless of the myriad reasons, after several centuries, Zhuang had not only avoided defeat and ruin but had gradually flourished, a clear testament to the perceived decline of Han Yin’s martial vigor.

Especially in the year 3919 of the Daoli calendar, at the dawn of the new year, a vast conflict concluded in an incredibly short span.

The people suddenly awoke to a terrifying realization: since Zhuang Chengqian founded the state, Zhuang had been suppressed, had been bullied, yet had never truly lost a war for its very existence!

Whether against the state of Mo, or against Yong, or even against the now-extinct state of Xu.

Zhuang Chengqian’s bloody stand at the Qichang mountain range, holding back the advance of the Han Yin army, was one thing. Zhuang Gaoen’s two national wars were even more remarkable. The first time, he inflicted painful losses upon Yong’s border forces, securing years of peace along the frontier. The second time, he came perilously close to destroying Yong entirely!

The sheer power of Zhuang’s military sent tremors through the hearts of many.

Following the Zhuang-Yong War, the entirety of Lingbei Prefecture was occupied by Zhuang.

The southern portion of Yiyang Prefecture, with Suolong Pass as its dividing line, also fell under Zhuang’s control, and was incorporated into Zhuang’s Yongchang Army.

Suolong Pass lay roughly two-thirds of the way south within Yiyang Prefecture. Thus, geographically speaking, the majority of Yiyang Prefecture still belonged to Yong.

However, due to the strategic importance of Suolong Pass, the entire Yiyang Prefecture was overlooked by the pass, leaving no truly secure territory.

Only the sudden rise of Yinge City managed to mitigate this geographical disadvantage.

Fortunately for Jiang Wang, the sect station of Qingyun Pavilion was located in Yong’s western Shun’an Prefecture, not in the war-torn Yiyang Prefecture where the great armies of Zhuang and Yong clashed.

Had it been in Yiyang Prefecture, under the oppressive weight of the armies, he would have had no need to even entertain thoughts of action; he would have simply abandoned the endeavor.

Furthermore, Shun’an Prefecture was one of the few places relatively untouched by the national war. Its southern neighbor, Lan’an Prefecture, had once been attacked by the allied forces of Zhuang and Luo, but they were quickly repelled.

To the south, Zhuang’s military advance never breached Suolong Pass, and to the north, Jing’s Chi Ma Wei never entered Jing’an Prefecture.

The entire Shun’an Prefecture’s only brush with the conflict was perhaps during the brief period when Zhuang’s State Minister Du Rujiu harassed the Yong border to tie down Yong’s Shenlin battle prowess. He briefly descended upon the prefectural capital, Ningyuan City, unleashed a single punch that failed to even breach the protective city array, and then hastily withdrew.

Therefore, compared to places like Yiyang and Lan’an, the atmosphere in Shun’an Prefecture was noticeably more peaceful.

Walking the main street of Wenxi County city in Shun’an Prefecture, Jiang Wang could keenly feel the control that the Han Xu monarch and his ministers exercised over the entire state.

The unease of the populace regarding the ongoing changes was palpable.

For instance, Yong now embraced Mo Xue as its orthodox doctrine. Within its borders, all Ru Yuan, Dao Yuan, and even temples had to be demolished or rebuilt. The industries that had blossomed around these Ru Yuan, Dao Yuan, and temples naturally suffered devastating blows. Yet, these people were also citizens of Yong, and they needed to survive. This was the root of the contradiction.

However, everything he witnessed proceeded in an orderly fashion. The people felt anxiety, but not resentment, nor were they numb. Amidst the sweeping changes of the era, they maintained a sense of confidence in the court and held hope for the future.

“Hope” can guide people through any predicament. It appears to cost nothing, drawing solely from the spirit, yet it demands the greatest effort.

It was not difficult to imagine the depth of preparation undertaken by Yong’s new court, led by Han Xu, for this very day.

With the backing of the Mo family, this was not an impossible feat. The Mo family’s mechanical arts were unparalleled in the world. Their various mechanical creations alone were enough to make them the wealthiest faction. The Mo family investing some resources to alleviate the pain of change was likely not a difficult matter.

But what surprised Jiang Wang most was the absence of the spectacle he had imagined: Mo family mechanical beasts parading through the markets. Even after three days spent traversing most of the street districts in Wenxi County city, he had seen only a handful of Mo family disciples.

Perhaps the Mo family still harbored reservations about becoming deeply involved in state affairs, and their support for Han Xu was merely a trial. Or perhaps there were divisions within the Mo family itself, preventing full investment. Or perhaps the Han Xu monarch and his ministers possessed superior means, adopting Mo Xue as the state’s learning but preventing the Mo family’s influence from permeating every industry.

In short, Yong’s military and political power were clearly still firmly in Han Xu’s hands.

Yong was Han Xu’s Yong, and not, as many speculated, merely a different form of the existing “Ju City.”

“Ju” signifies steel.

Ju City was the holy land of the Mo Sect. Legend claimed it was a true city of steel, but save for the highest echelons of the Mo Sect, no one knew its precise location.

Based on Jiang Wang’s observations, the Yong Court and the Mo Sect seemed to be in a relationship of cooperation rather than dependence. As for how Han Xu managed to navigate this relationship with the seemingly more powerful Mo Sect, that was beyond Jiang Wang’s current understanding.

The thrilling complexities of these thoughts were not for outsiders to fully comprehend.

During these three days, Jiang Wang did not wander aimlessly. While recuperating his body and adjusting himself to peak condition, he also gathered as much intelligence as possible, analyzed the information, and prepared for his ultimate objective.

Shun’an Prefecture was one of Yong’s border prefectures, inevitably a melting pot of various factions. Coupled with Yong’s critical period of political transition, individuals from all walks of life were active within Yong.

At this juncture, the Han Xu monarch and his ministers were more focused on maintaining the stability of the state.

And a pedestrian like Jiang Wang, wearing a mask and tightly wrapped, was not particularly conspicuous.

Just as he had for the past few days, he ate a bowl of “Qiong Jiaohuan” at the end of the back alley behind the inn where he was staying, then walked south along the clean street.

He had switched to a more ordinary Zodiac Dragon mask that only covered the upper half of his face, so it didn’t impede him while eating.

“Qiong Jiaohuan” was a unique delicacy of Yong’s Shun’an Prefecture. It was essentially a type of fried flour pastry, pinched into the shape of small birds. The outer skin was crispy, and when bitten, it would emit a sound similar to a living creature’s “ji ji ji” chirp.

The local people called it “Qiong Jiaohuan,” which meant it was too delicious; no matter how much it called out, it couldn’t escape its fate of being eaten.

The concept felt strange, but the taste was quite good. Jiang Wang had only been here for a few days, but he had already become like the locals, accustomed to eating a bowl every morning.

Because the size they were pinched into wasn’t consistent, a bowl of “Qiong Jiaohuan” typically contained between twelve and fifteen pieces, depending purely on the shop owner’s nimble hands.

Jiang Wang was lucky today; his bowl had fifteen pieces. This pleased him greatly, and his footsteps on the street were lighter.

Unexpected encounters often brought no surprise.

His gaze swept casually yet meticulously over those around him, gathering information as usual, but his eyes suddenly fixated.

In that instant, the pedestrians passing by on the street seemed like blurred figures, and the “ji ji ji” sound of the “Qiong Jiaohuan” he bit into seemed to echo from the edge of the sky.

Everything felt distant.

He only registered the person walking towards him.

The one with whom he completed his first Inner Door mission, who shone brightly in the Three Cities Discourse…

He often told others that he was, but he possibly wanted to find that person more than anyone else—

Zhang Linchuan!

PS: I want to eat all the food in Red Heart… or maybe when I have free time, I’ll research some recipes and see if I can replicate something similar…