Rongcheng is the fifth largest city in China, after Yanjing, Zhonghai, Guangping, and Nankun. It is also the political, economic, and cultural center of the six southwestern provinces of the Empire: Tianfu, Xijiang, Nanyun, Wanshan, Guixi, and Pingnan. It is a world-class megacity with a population of 23 million.
Tianfu Province holds a significant position in the Empire.
The Rongcheng Military District is one of the major military districts of the Empire, primarily tasked with guarding against unrest in Nanyun and Pingnan Provinces. Nanyun, despite its numerous ethnic minorities, is relatively peaceful and is undisputed territory of the Empire. However, Pingnan is different; it was annexed from Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam after World War II. Although the Empire has fully integrated it over the decades, it still needs to prevent subversive activities.
Tianfu Province has a population of over 100 million and ranks high in GDP and other metrics within the Empire. Historically, it has produced cultural figures like Su Dongpo. Militarily, during the five years of the Anti-Japanese War, 600,000 Sichuan troops were killed. Later, when the Empire counterattacked Japan, the first two units to enter Tokyo were the Sichuan troops and the Yunnan troops, now under the Rongcheng Military District. The notorious Tokyo Massacre, which shocked the world and labeled the Chinese as a "barbaric fighting nation," where 800,000 civilians were killed, was initiated by these two units.
Ten years ago, when the United States' Central Asian strategy was thwarted by the Empire, it incited anti-Chinese sentiment among the indigenous people of Indonesia. The Empire launched a fierce counterattack, deploying four aircraft carrier battle groups and 150,000 troops into Indonesia. Most of the invading forces were from Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangxi. Although the Empire tried to cover it up, some Western journalists and even some Empire journalists, who could not be controlled due to freedom of speech, revealed the truth. After that war, these two units were again the first to act, leading to the massacre and brutal killing of over 3 million indigenous Indonesians, many of whom were burned to death with incendiary bombs, their deaths gruesome and horrifying. It is said that the nearby seawater turned blood red.
This war cast a bloody shadow over the Empire's glory, which has yet to fully dissipate.
In the ongoing Syrian War, the Empire has already deployed over 30,000 soldiers, a significant portion of whom are from the southwestern Rongcheng Military District.
Therefore, Tianfu Province holds a crucial position in the Empire's politics, economy, and military.
If one can achieve fame in Rongcheng, they can also become famous in the six southwestern provinces and soon throughout the country.
The Rongcheng Literature and Art Publishing House is one of the largest publishers in Rongcheng, having published many influential books in the Empire.
Today, a young man in his late teens, wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans, arrived at the Rongcheng Literature and Art Publishing House.
Li Chencan stood at the entrance, explaining his situation to the receptionist. The receptionist, dressed in a high-heeled black suit with a slender and attractive figure, couldn't help but glance at Li Chencan a few times.
This young man was very handsome, and more importantly, he had a pair of very beautiful eyes.
He was tall and had a pleasant appearance.
The receptionist was a bit curious because the young man had brought his manuscript, but he looked no more than 18 or 19 years old. Could he really publish his own book?
"Please wait a moment," the receptionist bowed to Li Chencan, her low-cut top revealing a glimpse of her cleavage.
Li Chencan frowned. At 18 or 19, he was in the prime of his youth, and although the receptionist wasn't being provocative, it still caused a slight physiological reaction.
After about ten minutes, a middle-aged man in his thirties approached Li Chencan, dressed in a business suit.
Although the Empire has been encouraging people to wear traditional Han clothing in recent years, many still prefer Western suits.
"Hello," the middle-aged man glanced at Li Chencan casually and said, "Do you have a manuscript to submit?"
"Yes," Li Chencan nodded. The middle-aged man said, "Just leave your manuscript here, and we'll get back to you in about a week."
"A week?" Li Chencan hadn't expected that. He thought they would review it immediately, but then he realized that a large publishing house like this must have a backlog of manuscripts waiting for review.
"There's nothing we can do; we have too many manuscripts," the middle-aged man said. Li Chencan had no choice but to wait... but he was indeed in dire need of money...
"Could you give me the manuscript again?" Li Chencan said, "I'll make a few copies."
The middle-aged man frowned and said, "That's not a problem, but I have to tell you that once you give us the manuscript, you can't submit it to other publishers until we give you a response."
"What?!" Li Chencan was surprised by this restriction. The middle-aged man explained, "However, we will try to speed up the review process. Please leave your contact information, and I'll inform you when there's news."
Li Chencan hesitated for a moment. Submitting to a major publisher was more reassuring, so he nodded, "Thank you."
"You're welcome," the middle-aged man remained polite throughout.
After Li Chencan left, the middle-aged man, Nie Yuan, let out a slight sigh of helplessness. Young people these days, thinking they can just write a history book on a whim, like "Those Ming Dynasty Things"?
Looking at Li Chencan, who was no more than 17 or 18, the vast history of the Chinese nation spanning five thousand years, the immense history of the Ming Dynasty, with countless details and complexities, was far beyond the scope of a young man like him. This wasn't like the United States, which could only make movies about European history.
Although Nie Yuan was friendly to Li Chencan on the surface, he was actually somewhat dismissive of him.
After Li Chencan left, Nie Yuan chuckled to himself, planning to put the manuscript at the bottom of the pile. But then he remembered his own youthful days, full of expectations and dreams. Even if Li Chencan was just writing nonsense, it was still a dream. So, he decided to take some time to read it.
As a preliminary reviewer, he would recommend it to the chief editor if he found it suitable.
The Empire has been vigorously promoting the revival of traditional Han culture since the previous cabinet, encouraging the people to study Chinese history more systematically.
The Empire has a tolerant attitude towards many things, hoping for a diversity of cultural expressions. Even if some declassified imperial archives appear, they don't pay much attention.
A nationwide enthusiasm for reading history has gradually emerged...
The history of the Chinese Empire is not as heart-wrenching as that of another timeline's China. The history of the Empire, especially the two World Wars, is inspiring and stirring, evoking deep admiration for the founding ancestors. Of course, the ancient history of the Empire is also worth attention.
Nie Yuan thought that perhaps Li Chencan was just following the trend... but for a 17 or 18-year-old to try writing a history book was just ridiculous.
Shaking his head, Nie Yuan forced himself to read the young man's scribbles—
Family Background: (at least three generations) Poor peasant
Birth and Death: 1328-1398
Favorite Color: Yellow (no choice here)
Social Relationships:
Father: Zhu Wusi, farmer
Mother: Lady Chen, farmer (apologies, her name is not recorded in history)
Motto: What's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine..."
Reading these humorous words, Nie Yuan couldn't help but laugh. "Ridiculous! Can history be written like this?" But he had to admit that the opening was funny and attention-grabbing.
"This kid is quite interesting."
Nie Yuan chuckled and continued reading: "Main Experiences:
1328-1344: Herding cattle
...
For example, when the wind blows, heavy rain, fragrant aromas, stars twinkling, red light everywhere, it's all to tell you that this person is different. Mr. Zhu Yuanzhang was no exception. When he was born, the ground was filled with red light, and strange light appeared in the house at night, leading neighbors to think there was a fire and come to help (Ming Shilu)."
At this point, Nie Yuan's expression became slightly more serious—this kid might be joking, but he was writing in an interesting way. The language was humorous, but the points were valid!
As he read on, Nie Yuan's playful expression disappeared, replaced by extreme seriousness and astonishment.
PS: Thank you to the generous supporter, "Zhuwo Chuiguo Feng."