Brother 45 is really amusing.

The imperial palace, the imperial study.

Emperor Jing lightly traced his fingers over the weighty memorial on the desk, his brow furrowing slightly, as if the paper carried not only words but also the harsh winds and lingering fires of the northern frontier.

He slowly handed the dispatch from the Northern Pass to Chancellor Wei, his voice tinged with a barely perceptible worry.

“Take a look. This just arrived urgently from Cao Xiong at the Northern Pass. According to his report, they’ve successfully taken command of the troops stationed there. The Zhao and Qian families over here are truly deteriorating; they can’t even repay their bank loans and have begun selling off their villas.”

Xu Le was unsurprised. In his former world, when the Shanghai team of Omega created this set of Water Margin cards, they priced them at 2,000 yuan each for the Unified Group.

Such things were not unusual; any normal country would act similarly. When military power is centralized in one person, and their prestige is too great, if they do not become emperor, how can people feel assured? Whether to abandon the army or not, at least they can live in peace.

At that moment, the directionally challenged one closed her eyes and gently placed a finger to her lips, signaling everyone to remain silent.

The netizens present shared the same confusion. Su Huai, the “Poetry God,” was revered as a celestial being in their eyes—how could any modern poet compare?

She believed that all the suffering she endured over the years was the fault of the Li family. Her mother loved her dearly; no matter what mistakes she made, she deserved forgiveness.

Hidden around the corner, Chen Shuyi smiled triumphantly after watching the carriage depart, tears still glistening at the corners of her eyes as she laughed.

The insect’s corpse was to be burned; otherwise, given its extraordinary vitality, it might still revive. Even now, though barely alive, it could recover if given the chance.

At the same time, Hu Biao, having eliminated two pursuing units, led the guard squad and remaining soldiers in a relentless chase after the remnants of the third battalion. Faced with Hu Biao’s fierce counterattack, the third battalion commander could only break through in desperation.

Shortly after leaving Yicheng, Hu Biao arrived near Zaozhuang. Intelligence from the military command indicated that several coal mines in Zaozhuang had been forcibly occupied by the Japanese army. Some mines had even resumed operations under enemy control.

“Alright, you carry it over first. I’ll go find some essentials,” Linghu Piao said before instantly teleporting away.

The merchants wasted no time, eagerly offering silver in cooperation with Zhang Chu. With the establishment of the new company, Zhang Chu faithfully deployed advanced looms and technologies in the newly built factory.

It was said that only the absolute elite could secure a foothold there. No matter how wealthy or powerful, it was nearly impossible to blend in. That place was the true cradle for Earth’s top talents within the organization, so exclusive that even the highest echelons of leadership found it difficult to intervene.

Moreover, Mu Xiaotian had assistance; others need not worry. But Ao Li and Kun Han were formidable opponents, ranking among the upper middle tier of their generation. Ao Li had even defeated Xuanyuan Qiyu in battle, and Kun Han was almost as strong. These two were treated with special attention by the saintly sons.

“Fine! Very well! But I must warn you—your life and safety are your own responsibility. Don’t expect me to save you!” Ye Xuanfu said expressionlessly.

Ye Liangchen returned to the dormitory with the class monitor, who had just finished eating. Seeing that Fatty and Kong Baocai were absent, likely sleeping at Jianghai’s place, he bid the monitor farewell and headed out.

But even without tonight’s chance encounter, Jianghai remained the same Jianghai Pan Rui had originally known, and Pan Rui never intended to take things seriously with him.

Those families and factions essentially sold out by the Steel War Star, if cooperating, could quietly send core family members away or even smuggle out several faster-than-light ships. These subtle operations were easily accomplished through the intricate web of connections the Steel War Star maintained.