Ji Menghan finished speaking, then paused for a brief moment as if considering whether what he had just said had actually landed, before letting out a small breath and slightly shifting his tone into something more grounded.
"I know you probably do not understand most of that," he said, his voice losing some of its abstract edge and becoming more practical, "to be honest, even I do not fully understand every layer of it myself, so there is no need for you to overthink it."
He looked straight at the Shu Prince, his gaze steady.
"You only need to understand one thing," he continued, his tone calm but firm, "if you choose to surrender and compromise now, you will lose part of your interests, but a camel that starves is still larger than a horse, which means you will still live better than most people."
He took a step forward, closing the distance just slightly, increasing the pressure without raising his voice.
"That advantage comes from your ancestors," he added, his expression turning faintly serious, "they fought to drive out invaders, they bled, they suffered, they rebuilt this land, so as their descendant, enjoying some degree of benefit is not unreasonable."
Then his tone shifted again.
"But do not take too much," he said slowly, each word landing with increasing weight, "do not treat this world as your personal toy, and do not treat the people living in it as your private slaves."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
But also…
Confusing.
The Shu Prince stared blankly, clearly unable to follow the deeper logic, while even many of the workers behind Ji Menghan exchanged uncertain glances, because the level of abstraction had gone slightly beyond what they were used to.
Even among the educated group, only the graduate researchers nodded along with confidence, their expressions saying that they could follow the framework, even if they did not agree with every detail.
Ji Menghan noticed it immediately.
He coughed lightly, a rare hint of awkwardness slipping through his otherwise controlled demeanor.
"Alright," he said, waving a hand slightly, "let me put it in simpler terms."
His voice sharpened.
"The sky is about to change."
That one sentence landed perfectly.
Everyone understood.
"This world will soon no longer belong to the Zhu family," he continued, his tone steady and direct, leaving no room for misinterpretation, "and as a member of that family, you now have two choices."
He raised two fingers.
"First, give up part of your existing benefits and embrace the new world."
Then he lowered one finger.
"Second, resist to the very end, and then we crush you."
He smiled faintly.
"You choose."
Behind him, the workers immediately understood this version, their confusion disappearing as clarity replaced it.
This was simple.
This was direct.
This was something they could stand behind.
"You choose," the crowd echoed, their voices merging into a unified demand that pressed down like a physical force.
The Shu Prince began to tremble.
Not from anger.
From fear.
"What do you mean the sky is changing," he said, his voice shaking as he struggled to grasp the situation, "you… what you are saying is outright rebellion, you are traitors, are you working with the rebel bandits."
Even now, he still could not see it clearly.
Because standing in front of him was not a band of wandering rebels.
It was something far more structured.
A coalition.
Workers.
Entrepreneurs.
Local power.
All aligned.
Eunuch Xia quickly leaned closer, lowering his voice so only the Shu Prince could hear.
"Your Highness, a wise man does not fight when the odds are against him," he whispered urgently, "if you refuse now, they will kill us all in an instant, so you must agree for now, delay them, then contact Wang Weizhang and gather official troops and tribal forces to eliminate them afterward."
The Shu Prince's eyes flickered.
That made sense.
He nodded slightly.
Then immediately changed his expression, forcing a smile that looked stiff and unnatural.
"Alright, alright," he said quickly, raising his voice so everyone could hear, "I agree to all your demands, I will no longer interfere with your factory, and I will ensure production continues smoothly."
He swallowed.
"As for taxes, all my lands and workshops will pay taxes just like ordinary people."
He forced a laugh.
"That should satisfy you, right."
The crowd did not immediately respond.
Then a worker suddenly shouted.
"He is lying."
Another voice followed.
"He is just stalling, once we leave, he will bring in troops to suppress us."
A third voice rose.
"Better to kill him now and end it."
The Shu Prince panicked immediately, his composure collapsing.
"No, no, no," he said quickly, his voice trembling, "I am not lying, I will pay, I will pay immediately when I return."
Ji Menghan watched him quietly for a moment, then smiled, that same calm, almost playful smile that made it impossible to tell what he was really thinking.
"Alright," he said lightly, "since you said so, we will believe you."
He tilted his head slightly.
"But do not disappoint us," he added, his tone still gentle, but carrying an unmistakable warning, "because if you lie to us, the consequences will be very serious."
"I will not lie," the Shu Prince said quickly, nodding repeatedly, "I am a man of status, my word counts."
"Good," Ji Menghan said, turning slightly toward the crowd, "everyone, return to work, the Prince has agreed not to interfere anymore."
The workers chuckled softly, their expressions strange, but they began to disperse anyway, the massive crowd gradually dissolving as if nothing had happened.
Only after everyone left did the Shu Prince finally let out a long breath, his body relaxing as relief flooded in.
"These uneducated brutes are so easy to fool," he muttered, unable to hide his contempt.
Eunuch Xia leaned in immediately.
"Your Highness, we should return and notify Wang Weizhang at once, then gather troops."
"Of course," the Shu Prince replied, his confidence quickly returning now that the immediate danger had passed.
He did not even remain at the summer estate.
The location was too exposed.
Too dangerous.
He rushed back to the city, seeking the protection of Chengdu's high and sturdy walls, because as long as he had the city, he believed he could hold out long enough for reinforcements.
As soon as he returned, he summoned Wang Weizhang and recounted everything that had happened, his tone filled with urgency.
"Gather the troops immediately," he ordered, "this rebel force is massive, tens of thousands strong."
Wang Weizhang listened with a strange expression, then nodded and left to assemble the forces.
Several days passed in a blur.
Then, one day, while the Shu Prince was casually eating fruit in his residence, the sound of noise erupted outside once again, far louder than before, filled with voices that overlapped into a roaring wave.
Eunuch Xia rushed in, his face full of excitement.
"Your Highness, Wang Weizhang has assembled the official troops, and several nearby tribal leaders have also sent their forces."
The Shu Prince's face lit up immediately.
"Excellent," he said, slamming his hand on the table with renewed confidence, "I was worried those tribal forces would refuse to come, but it seems they still understand the situation."
With troops on his side, his fear vanished.
"I will wipe those rebels out completely," he declared, his voice filled with regained arrogance.
But before his words could settle, another voice cut through the air.
Amplified.
Loud.
So loud that it seemed to echo through the entire residence.
"Shu Prince Zhu Zhishu," Ji Menghan's voice rang out clearly, carried by some unknown device that magnified it far beyond normal human limits, "you have no credibility, you agreed to our terms and then immediately broke your word, even gathering troops to suppress us."
The voice paused briefly.
"We have lost all patience with your behavior," it continued, cold and sharp, "and now, on behalf of the people, I declare you an enemy of the people."
The entire residence fell silent for a split second.
"Are you ready to face the anger of the people."
The Shu Prince's face turned pale instantly.
"They are here again," he shouted, panic returning even faster than before, "hold them off, hold them off for a while, Wang Weizhang and the tribal forces will arrive soon."
A guard rushed in, his expression filled with terror.
"Your Highness, this is bad," he said, barely able to speak clearly, "Wang Weizhang is with them, and the tribal forces have also joined their side."
The Shu Prince froze.
"The rebel army," the guard continued, his voice shaking, "is being led by the current Sichuan commander."
"What," the Shu Prince shouted, his mind unable to process the collapse happening around him, "how is that possible."
More loyal subordinates rushed in, their panic even more obvious.
"Your Highness, most of the guards have defected," one of them said urgently, "seeing the overwhelming force outside, they have either surrendered or switched sides."
The Shu Prince felt his legs go weak.
This was no longer a negotiation.
This was the end of his control.
He rushed up to the highest tower in his residence and looked out.
What he saw made his entire body go cold.
Outside, the area was completely filled.
Workers.
Civilians.
Farmers.
Official troops.
Tribal forces.
All gathered together, surrounding the residence from every direction, their voices rising in unison.
"Why do we have to pay taxes while the Prince does not."
"We refuse to accept this."
"He lies and betrays his promises, and even tries to suppress us with force."
"The army belongs to the people."
"I no longer believe in this Prince."
The Shu Prince could not hold it anymore.
"I was wrong," he shouted desperately, his voice cracking, "I was wrong."
But this time, it was too late.
"Now you admit your mistake," Ji Menghan's voice echoed again, calm but completely devoid of mercy, "but your previous words were like air, and your current words carry no weight either."
There was a brief pause.
Then came the command.
"Militia, move in."
The official troops under Wang Weizhang, now reorganized as the new people's militia of Sichuan, surged into the residence without hesitation.