Thinking of the various tragic conditions of the people during wartime, Cheng Yuanzhi’s eyes reddened: “Which of you has been forced to flee the city with your entire family due to enemy attacks, becoming refugees and beggars? Who among you has gnawed tree bark due to lack of food… or even exchanged children… to survive!”

Cheng Yuanzhi couldn’t bear to say “exchanging children for food,” his throat choking up.

“Where were you when Xi Liang massacred cities? Do you know how many border people have been killed generation after generation? Men were slaughtered like livestock… countless women were violated to death! When Great Yan attacked our cities and brutally killed our people, they didn’t allow slavery, but they treated our people like cattle and horses, forcing them to build palaces for them. Unless they died, they couldn’t stop laboring. They didn’t even spare children – have you all forgotten?”

“In those days, the Yan kingdom was an absolute power. I was just a small soldier then. When Yan conquered our cities and forcibly conscripted people to build the Yan dog emperor’s imperial tomb, you may not know… why the Bai family army nearly exterminated Yan completely! It was because Yan… after conquering all cities, took men away like livestock, used women as military prostitutes, and children… those children were too weak to work, and feeding them was considered a waste of grain. Those Yan dogs hung children from trees and let Yan soldiers practice archery on them! Which of you has seen the tragic sight of such small children’s bodies riddled with arrows? I have seen it!”

At that time, Cheng Yuanzhi, still a soldier, followed Bai Qishan to take those children down from the trees for burial. It was then… that Cheng Yuanzhi, this rough man, finally understood why the commander always said that only with world unification… could there be world peace.

Cheng Yuanzhi’s eyes filled with tears: “Yan is now powerful, and even a rough person like me knows that Yan’s destruction of Wei… was for the sake of unifying the world! It was to ensure that Great Yan’s west and south would have no more worries, so they could boldly fight for world unification! If Yan begins the path of unification, just considering what Great Yan’s Ninth Prince did to Wei, think for yourselves… do the people of Great Zhou! And you scholars of the Great Zhou still have a way to live?!”

“Remaining vigilant in times of peace… these four words were what our Bai family army commander, Bai Weiting, constantly told us Bai family soldiers when he was alive! Even I, a rough man who hasn’t read many books, know what they mean. Don’t you understand? Do you think that after destroying Liang… Great Zhou henceforth sleeps without worry and enjoys world peace?”

“Sleep without worry…” another student supplied the correction for Cheng Yuanzhi.

“Open your eyes wide – those eyes you use for breathing – and look! Use your brains and think! You want to stop fighting and form alliances, but will Yan let you form alliances and cease fighting? Xi Liang is currently in difficulties, but when Xi Liang frees up its hands, will it let you form alliances and cease fighting? Can the Rong Di stop burning, killing, and plundering our border people?”

“I, Cheng Yuanzhi, deeply believe what my commander, Bai Weiting, said – only with world unification can we return eternal peace to the people. Only with world unification can we return peaceful mountains and rivers without worry or fear to the people! The deputy commander once said that as long as someone can bring peace to the people, the Bai family army will be the sword in that person’s hands! And will gladly be a chess piece in that person’s hands. This is why the Bai family army is willing to follow the Bai family generals to the death, daring to die and fight with no regrets!”

Cheng Yuanzhi’s words lacked organization, speaking whatever came to mind, but that sincere passion was enough to move hearts.

In the vast Talent Recruitment Hall, there was no more whispering among the students.

No one understood the cruelty of war better than soldiers and border people, and no one understood the importance of world unification better than soldiers and border people.

In war, it was always the soldiers who sacrificed their lives at the front. They gave their lives today… so that their descendants would not have to give their lives tomorrow.

Bai Qingyan looked calmly at these students who only dared to voice their anger in low voices, and slowly spoke: “Alliances, peace treaties, and ceasefires are all temporary. You who read books and study history should know… alliances between nations are formed for benefit, coming together for profit, and dispersing when profit is exhausted. This ultimately treats the symptoms but not the root cause. Even if the rulers of all nations dislike war and prefer peaceful alliances, what about the children and grandchildren of these rulers? Who can guarantee that a piece of alliance paper can last for thousands of generations?”

The students’ palms tightened. If treaties were effective, why would there be so many wars and conflicts…

Take the Jin kingdom, for example – it had formed alliances with various nations, if not a thousand, then eight hundred times. In the end, didn’t they still fight back and forth?

In the silence, the students fell into deep thought.

Only then did Bai Qingyan continue: “Today’s debate between you and me about whether women can take imperial examinations and serve as officials is no different from the past dispute between humble families and aristocratic clans. ‘No humble families in the upper ranks, no aristocratic clans in the lower ranks’ – the imperial examinations proved that humble families can produce talent, great talent! Now allowing women to participate in imperial examinations and enter officialdom, I deeply believe it can be like the imperial examinations of the past… selecting large numbers of talented people for the Great Zhou and strengthening the Great Zhou!”

“Among all nations, how many have ambitions to pacify the world, but how many can produce unparalleled talents who pacify the world? Now Yan is poised and ready, ambitiously intending to unify the world. Although the Great Zhou currently has the strongest power, it dares not claim it will become the final unifying nation. Therefore, the Great Zhou recruits talent regardless of gender… regardless of humble or noble birth. Only when all of Great Zhou works together with one heart can world unification be achieved and true peaceful mountains and rivers be realized!”

“Establishing schools so that both men and women can read the classics of sages – when the youth strive diligently and our generation seeks strength, why worry that the Kingdom cannot prosper?” Bai Qingyan clasped her hands together and bowed to the students upstairs and downstairs. “I dare ask all of you to join with Bai Qingyan in building a prosperous age together!”

The students all rose together, performing deep bows toward Bai Qingyan.

Even Xue Renyi, who had initially been full of indignant resentment, was now convinced by Bai Qingyan’s words and moved by Cheng Yuanzhi’s passionate sincerity, performing a deep bow toward Bai Qingyan.

Because Bai Qingyan had established a new goal for them – world unification and clear seas and rivers. With a common goal, minor details seemed less important.

Xiao Rongyan stood under the tree, gazing at Bai Qingyan. Her words – “even if the rulers of all nations dislike war and prefer peaceful alliances, who among the children and grandchildren of these rulers can guarantee that a piece of alliance paper will last for thousands of generations” – already proved that Bai Qingyan was determined to complete the wish of world unification in this lifetime.

He recalled that yesterday Bai Qingyan had said that the competition between Great Zhou and Yan should be… whichever nation’s policies could truly achieve these four words – “enriching the people and strengthening the Kingdom” – that nation would be worthy of unifying the world.

He closed his eyes, his heart inevitably wavering…

Bai Qingyan didn’t care who ruled the world, only who could enrich the Kingdom and strengthen the people.

The Bai family had truly carved the four words “protecting the Kingdom and securing the people” into their very bones. Bai Qingyan was using her way to fight for the greatest benefits for the people.