"Since you haven't rebutted, I'll assume you have no objections," said Xiaoyun as she continued scrubbing the bathtub, with a synthetic female voice:
"The second question, the world has fallen to this point, how should we solve it next?"
"What do you think is the solution?" Cheng Jinyang countered with a question.
"The Sima family is a very peculiar one," the other party didn't directly answer but changed the topic, "Firstly, they adhere to the doctrine of scientific and technological supremacy, believing that all problems can be solved through new scientific technologies, even at the expense of disregarding ethics and morals, resorting to various insane experimental methods to advance their research projects."
"If Sima Zhengdu had a slight sense of reverence for humanity itself, he wouldn't have embarked on large-scale human modification and transplantation without thoroughly researching the mechanisms of supernatural abilities."
Cheng Jinyang had no response.
For example, the Princess sister's military prosthetics, replacing originally healthy organic tissues with mechanical ones, upon careful consideration, indeed could easily make one feel uncomfortable. However, she herself seemed completely accustomed to it, feeling no discomfort at all.
"Secondly, apart from the traits of mad scientists, most of them are also stubborn idealists," Xiaoyun wiped the bathtub clean, then picked up the toilet brush. "Take Sima Zhongda, for example. He stubbornly harbored strong animosity towards the aristocracy, believing that they obstructed the upward path of the commoners and those from humble backgrounds. This prejudice was passed down to every generation of emperors after him."
"Yet isn't the royal family the epitome of aristocracy in this world? Ha!" The synthetic person let out a cold laugh, sounding as if mechanically synthesized, but due to electronic mechanisms.
Cheng Jinyang remained silent. He suddenly remembered the first encounter when the Princess sister met Ah Zhi, he overheard her undisguised threats to Ah Zhi in the bathroom.
If he were from a humble background or a commoner, he would undoubtedly stand by the Princess sister's side. However, his current status and the characteristics of his 'golden finger' dictated that only aristocratic girls could be his wings, lifting him up. This dilemma troubled him greatly.
Although the Princess sister didn't demand him to take sides, if what this person said was true, then the conflict between the royal family and the aristocracy would eventually come to a head.
When that time comes, should he choose the tree on the side of the already ruptured Princess sister, or the forest on the other side, with the aristocratic girls?
It seems he must resort to that four-word mantra.
"After crossing the Yangtze River with the regalia, imperial authority plummeted from its peak to the bottom of the valley. All the noble families were able to turn the tables, and public opinion and confidence were unprecedentedly high. However, there were still significant differences in how to handle imperial authority."
Xiaoyun finished handling the toilet, started mopping the floor, and continued narrating the story:
"Some of the noble families still held ridiculous trust in the royal family, believing that they could limit the power of the Sima clan and continue to rule the country with their prestige."
"On the other hand, another faction of the noble families believed it necessary to overthrow the rule of the Sima clan, even resorting to armed seizure of power."
"So, you're the radical faction supporting revolution," said Cheng Jinyang.
"Yes, but that's not important," Xiaoyun finished cleaning the mop and wrung it dry on the tiles. "What's important is that these irreconcilable differences have been persisting and gradually evolving into a trend of mutual consumption."
"Led by Wang Maohong and the Five Great Families, the royalist faction comprises the majority of the noble families in Jiankang after the Southern Crossing. These people advocate for compromise with the Sima clan. The fundamental reason is that they hope to settle down in Jiankang without diverting resources to launch a northern expedition and start a war - the latter requires a strong central core of power, which is impossible with the Sima dynasty emperor who has lost prestige."
The other party smiled coldly and said:
"Most of the aristocrats in Jiankang followed the court's migration southward decades ago. The majority have forgotten what demons look like and have also forgotten that the northern Central Plains were their homeland. It's not surprising that there's this trend of seeking peace."
"However, demons destroy forts and settlements in the north every day. Since Songjiang fell into ruins, refugees from the Central Plains can't travel south by sea and can only converge in Xiangyang and then come to Wuchang. Therefore, the overall opinion among Wuchang's aristocrats is completely contrary to that of Jiankang's."
"The majority of Wuchang's aristocrats are calling for a northern expedition."
"If the Jiankang court is willing to support the northern expedition, Wuchang will not be at odds with Jiankang's forces. The fact is, the court is neither willing to actively launch a northern expedition nor to support Wuchang's northern expedition. Therefore, we must first settle the score with the court, end this situation of mutual dragging and internal consumption, otherwise, even if Wuchang acts alone, a northern expedition will never succeed."
Xiaoyun finished wiping the floor tiles and began to clean the washbasin, continuing:
"Of course, openly confronting the court does not mean Wuchang is declaring war on the aristocrats in Jiankang. After overthrowing the Sima family's rule, all the aristocrats will still be an important force in the Northern Expedition of the new dynasty... Especially outstanding young scholars like you have always been emphasized as 'key targets for unity' by the Wuchang County Office."
Seeing Cheng Jinyang remaining silent, the other side chuckled, "Surprised that I'm not trying to persuade you to join Wuchang County?"
"Cheng Jinyang, you are the only one in the Cheng family worth striving for, but Wuchang won't force you to turn against your family. My purpose in establishing this initial contact with you is simply to let you know the reasons for Wuchang's initiation of war: we are not starting an unjust war, but fighting to rescue the people of the Central Plains and to create a brighter future for humanity."
"I see," Cheng Jinyang nodded. "Is that all?"
"That's all," Xiaoyun replied, "By the way, if you need to contact me next time..."
As soon as the words fell, Cheng Jinyang suddenly pulled out his gun and shot it in the neck.
Xiaoyun's synthetic head fell to the ground, the indicator light at the temple went out due to power failure, and the voice module that was originally located in the neck was completely destroyed by the bullet.
Cheng Jinyang let the damaged synthetic person fall to the ground, and quickly made a phone call, asking the girls who were still out shopping and the princess sister to come back quickly.
After making the call, he returned to the sofa in the living room and sat down, exhaling deeply.
If his speculation was correct, this time the contact from Wuchang should involve not only himself but also all the young members of the prominent families.
Their purpose was not to persuade them to defect, but to call out to the families behind them.
After all, if they were to directly contact the heads of various noble families, they would inevitably cut off communication to avoid suspicion. But if it's the 'ignorant' young scions, any mistakes they make can be excused.
This way, the voice of Wuchang can indirectly reach the various families in Jiankang City.
Still, Cheng Jinyang doesn't want to leave any room for reproach. If he lets the synthetic human, Xiaoyun, go back and then she's found to have some issue by the household company, or if they check the list of clients she served...
Well, at least her memory chip is intact, just powered off. After Ah Zhi returns, he'll have her take the memory chip for inspection, confirm there are no clues left, then return Xiaoyun to the household company for repairs.
Cheng Jinyang finished his thoughts, stood up, and walked to the balcony, gazing at the flawless moonlight outside.
"The Northern Expedition, huh..." He sighed softly.