New Ming Year 5, shortly after the Fifth People's Congress.
In a teahouse within the capital, two old friends finally sat face to face after many years apart, their reunion quiet yet warm, as if the long separation had merely been a brief pause in a conversation that had never truly ended.
Wu Shen, known these days as Wu Qianwan, lifted his teacup with a relaxed smile, while across from him sat Shi Kefa, still carrying that familiar upright bearing, though now tempered with the weight of responsibility that came from serving in the new order.
They had not seen each other in years.
Ever since Wu Shen had taken up his post as Governor of Shanxi and Shi Kefa had gone to Anlu, the two had only maintained contact through letters, their lives moving along different paths that rarely crossed.
And yet, as the saying went, the friendship of gentlemen was like water, light yet enduring, and so when they met again, there was no awkwardness, only an easy familiarity that returned as naturally as breathing.
Wu Shen chuckled as he leaned back slightly.
"Brother Shi, that program of yours, Shi Kefa Explains the Law, I have been watching it quite faithfully, you know. Every time I sit before the Immortal Mirror and watch it, I feel like I can see your face right in front of me."
Shi Kefa burst out laughing.
"Hey now, that phrase you used just now sounds like you are talking about someone already dead."
Wu Shen slapped his forehead and laughed along.
"Ah, you are right, that wording is not quite appropriate, I will punish myself with three cups for that mistake."
Shi Kefa waved his hand dismissively, still smiling.
"Speaking of that program, I will not have much time to continue filming it. Ever since the new nation was established, my duties have only increased, and I can hardly spare the time anymore, so I intend to hand it over to someone else."
Wu Shen raised an eyebrow with interest.
"Oh? And who will take over?"
Shi Kefa's lips curled slightly.
"Pan Du'ao."
Wu Shen paused for a moment, clearly searching his memory.
"Pan… who?"
Shi Kefa laughed.
"The strategist of the Eight Kings' army."
Wu Shen's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Ah, that scholar who was driven into rebellion because corrupt officials seized his land, right? He ended up imprisoned and sent to labor reform."
Shi Kefa nodded.
"He has been released. With the recent general amnesty, even the former emperor walked free, so someone like Pan Du'ao, whose crimes were not severe, naturally qualified as well. He turned to banditry because of the collapse of law and order in the old Ming, but during his time in prison he studied diligently, and I visited him often. Now that he is out, I have brought him in to take over the program, and it will be renamed Pan Du'ao Explains the Law."
Wu Shen let out a long breath, nodding slowly.
"That is good. Very good."
Shi Kefa continued, his tone turning more thoughtful.
"Our Legislative Committee is also being formed, and I intend to join it. I will bring Pan Du'ao along as well. Someone who has personally suffered injustice understands better than anyone the importance of law, and he can help us build a stronger legal system."
Wu Shen raised his thumb in approval.
"Without rules, there can be no order, and law is precisely that framework, so it must be handled with utmost care. However, there is something I wish to say."
Shi Kefa leaned forward slightly.
"Oh?"
Wu Shen's expression grew more serious.
"The reason the Great Ming Code was reduced to chaos was not because the law itself was flawed, but because those who enforced it failed to do so properly. The law was sound, yet the officials did not uphold it. That is the true root of the problem."
Shi Kefa's smile faded, replaced by a solemn look.
"What you say is entirely correct."
Wu Shen tapped the table lightly.
"When drafting new laws, you must also restrain those who enforce them. That is all I will say."
Shi Kefa leaned back, lifting his gaze toward the sky beyond the teahouse roof, his voice quieter now.
"As long as Dao Xuan Tianzun still appears from time to time, then we live with the awareness that there is something watching above us, that actions have consequences beyond human judgment. Those who enforce the law dare not act carelessly under such watch… but what concerns me is the day when he truly withdraws completely. When that day comes, will our enforcers still remain just and fair?"
Wu Shen followed his gaze upward and let out a soft sigh.
"He is a deity, after all. He cannot remain with us forever, playing at mortal affairs. His withdrawal is inevitable, it is only a matter of time. Before that day arrives, we must strengthen the legal system as much as possible."
Shi Kefa nodded firmly.
"Then we will do exactly that."
After a brief pause, he turned the conversation.
"By the way, Brother Wu, what have you been doing lately? I heard you resigned as Governor of Shanxi. Are you planning to retire and enjoy a quiet life?"
Wu Shen grinned, looking almost sheepish.
"Well, I am not getting any younger. It is about time I take things a little easier."
Shi Kefa narrowed his eyes.
"You do not look like someone who can sit still."
Wu Shen scratched his cheek, then laughed.
"Fine, I will be honest. I have left officialdom and gone into business."
Shi Kefa nearly choked.
"You did what? Leaving office to become a merchant? That is quite the reversal. Most people strive to do the opposite."
Wu Shen spread his hands helplessly.
"I have spent my whole life in the political arena, rising and falling with the tides, and I am simply tired. I want to see what it is like on the other side."
As he spoke, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a book, placing it proudly on the table.
"Take a look. This is something I wrote."
Shi Kefa glanced at the title.
Wu Qianwan's Guide to Getting Rich.
He blinked.
"And what exactly is inside this book?"
Wu Shen's eyes sparkled with pride.
"It explains how to earn your first hundred thousand taels, then how to turn that into a million, and then into ten million. It is selling quite well, I might add. Inside are dozens of business strategies, all gathered from top merchants across various industries during my time as governor, compiled carefully into one volume."
Shi Kefa stared at him, cold sweat forming.
"Brother Wu… do you truly not realize where your own wealth came from? That money was not earned through business at all. This book of yours… I fear…"
Wu Shen waved his hand.
"That is exactly why I intend to test it myself. I must be responsible to my readers, and I must stand behind my own work."
Shi Kefa leaned forward urgently.
"You must reconsider. Do not act rashly."
Wu Shen shook his head, determination clear.
"My mind is made up. I have already resigned. There is no turning back now."
Shi Kefa inhaled sharply, unable to find words.
New Ming Year 7, Wu Shen invested several thousand taels to establish a steam-powered textile factory.
That same year, Shi Kefa and Pan Du'ao joined the Legislative Committee.
In Year 8, Wu Shen's textile factory collapsed, and his investment was completely lost.
That same year, Pan Du'ao Explains the Law premiered, and Shi Kefa withdrew from the program to focus fully on governance.
In Year 9, Wu Shen invested two thousand taels to open an electric fan factory, imitating the design invented by Mo Li.
In that same year, Shi Kefa and Pan Du'ao compiled the New Great Ming Code based on the old laws, establishing it as the foundation of the new legal system.
In Year 10, Wu Shen's electric fan factory went bankrupt, losing everything once again.
That same year, Shi Kefa revised the Marriage Law, significantly reducing disputes.
In Year 11, stubborn as ever, Wu Shen invested another one thousand five hundred taels into a generator factory.
In that same year, Shi Kefa revised the Civil Code, bringing order to countless civilian disputes.
In Year 12, the generator factory also failed, and Wu Shen lost his remaining funds.
That same year, Shi Kefa personally paid one thousand taels out of his own pocket to help Wu Shen settle his debts.
In Year 13, Wu Shen publicly declared through the Immortal Mirror that his book was complete nonsense, urging readers not to follow its advice, and offering a sincere apology.
That same year, 3,232 merchants who had become wealthy using his book jointly wrote to him, insisting that his teachings were sound and that they had changed their lives because of it, urging him to stand tall and not apologize.
New Ming Year 14.
The two old friends sat together once again, drinking.
Wu Shen let out a long sigh, staring into his cup.
"I finally understand now. The book is not the problem… the problem is me."
He paused, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Knowing is easy. Doing is hard. Knowing is easy… doing is hard."