As the film ended, the lights in the Xi'an Grand Theater slowly brightened.
No one in the VIP section stood up immediately.
A heavy, suffocating silence lingered, as if the battlefield from the screen had not truly faded, but instead followed them into reality, clinging to their sleeves and collars.
At last, Lian Guoshi rose to his feet.
He let out a long, weary sigh and smoothed the folds of his official robes, as though that simple motion could also smooth the turmoil in his heart.
"Alas…" he said slowly. "The border situation is grim. Truly grim."
His voice carried the weight of countless memorials, grain reports, and sleepless nights.
Wu Shen followed suit, standing and cupping his hands.
"Governor," he asked, "as civil officials, how can we possibly assist the soldiers on the frontier?"
Lian Guoshi paused.
The question struck painfully close to home.
"What else can be done?" he replied at length. "We manage administration diligently, stabilize the rear, and provide weapons and provisions to the frontier armies. That is the greatest contribution we civil officials can make."
As soon as he mentioned administration, a familiar ache throbbed behind his temples.
Shaanxi had not seen rain since last August.
Northern Shaanxi, in particular, was riddled with bandits. Listing their names alone could fill over a hundred characters on a memorial. If not for Regional Commander Shi Jian and his troops suppressing them with blood and steel, the province would already have collapsed into chaos.
At present, the entire province of Shaanxi was relying on the northwestern region surrounding Xi'an.
Chengcheng County.
Heyang County.
Baishui County.
These areas were said to be under the blessing of Dao Xuan Tianzun. Rain fell intermittently there, celestial fertilizer was applied, and grain harvests were abundant enough to sustain not only themselves, but much of the surrounding regions.
If not for that miracle—
Shaanxi would have already starved.
In recent days, Dao Xuan Tianzun had even manifested repeatedly over Xi'an, bringing several long-awaited downpours. The farmland surrounding the city had begun to show signs of recovery.
And yet—
Lian Guoshi still could not produce much surplus grain for imperial taxation.
All of it had to be diverted to feed regions where the drought still raged. As for supplying the frontier army…
That burden could only be borne by the wealthy lands of Jiangnan.
Nearby, Zhu Cunji sat pale-faced, his fingers clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.
He leaned closer to Shi Kefa and lowered his voice.
"Master Shi," he whispered, "you are of the Jinyiwei. Your intelligence network far exceeds ours. Tell me honestly—does this film exaggerate matters? Are there falsehoods?"
Shi Kefa answered without hesitation.
"Yes."
Zhu Cunji immediately exhaled in relief.
"Good… good. So it is exaggerated."
Shi Kefa added calmly, "The protagonist's personal martial prowess was exaggerated."
Zhu Cunji froze.
"Everything else," Shi Kefa continued, "is true."
Zhu Cunji sucked in a sharp breath.
"You mean… the Manchu being so powerful—that's true as well?"
Shi Kefa nodded.
"It's true."
Zhu Cunji pressed urgently, "Aren't they just savages? Do they truly possess so many cannons? Bombarding cities like that—is that also true?"
Shi Kefa's expression darkened.
"It's true. The Manchu acquired cannon-casting techniques years ago. Their firearms are no weaker than Great Ming's. Yet people still call them savages. It's laughable."
Zhu Cunji's face drained of color.
"Ahhh—what should we do?" he cried. "If they're that strong… what if they march all the way here?"
"They won't reach Xi'an for now," Shi Kefa replied.
Only then did Zhu Cunji manage a shaky smile.
"That's good… that's good…"
He wiped his brow, heart still pounding.
"What a film," he muttered. "Truly terrifying… truly…"
Shi Kefa, however, felt no relief.
What haunted him was not fear for Xi'an—but the memory of Dalinghe's civilians, reduced to rations, gnawed by desperate soldiers.
"The common people suffer unbearably," he murmured.
He stood stiffly in place.
"I should do something," he thought. "But… what can I do?"
And then it struck him with painful clarity.
At this moment—
He could do nothing.
For the first time, Shi Kefa realized that he was far more powerless than he had ever imagined.
Inside the Xi'an Grand Theater, backstage.
Chen Qianhu clasped his hands respectfully before the Puppet Heavenly Lord avatar.
"Reporting to Dao Xuan Tianzun," he said, "the Xi'an Grand Theater's opening was a resounding success. The box office receipts are extraordinarily high."
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
"You know," he said, "I have no interest in the box office."
Chen Qianhu immediately shifted course.
"The Battle of Dalinghe has deeply shaken the nobles and officials of Xi'an. For the first time, they truly understand how brutal frontier warfare is—and how formidable the Manchu are."
He hesitated, then added,
"After the screening, Zhu Cunji donated five thousand taels of silver to support His Majesty, the Chongzhen Emperor."
"Five thousand?" Li Daoxuan laughed. "That fellow spends hundreds of taels on snacks, yet only donates five thousand?"
Chen Qianhu replied, "He has been excessively extravagant. The princely estate's treasury is already running a deficit."
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
"However," Chen Qianhu continued, "he has recently taken a keen interest in the West Yan Railway. He goes to the construction site daily, urging faster progress. He claims that once it turns a profit, he'll use the money to 'kill off the Manchu.'"
Li Daoxuan laughed even harder.
"Hahahaha! That fellow is surprisingly entertaining."
He paused, then said thoughtfully,
"I originally planned to confiscate all his property once the new state is established. But now… I've changed my mind."
Chen Qianhu listened attentively.
"If he truly builds railways and develops industry for the benefit of the people," Li Daoxuan continued, "then I will not confiscate the wealth he earns from those ventures. I'll let him keep it."
"I'll only confiscate the Prince of Qin's residence," he added casually, "turn it into a museum—and take back his fief."
Chen Qianhu laughed.
"Then Dao Xuan Tianzun is truly benevolent. In past dynastic changes, the remnants of the former imperial family were rarely spared."
"Killing, killing, killing," Li Daoxuan said lightly. "That's not a good habit. Don't always think about extermination."
Just then—
The curtain suddenly flew open.
A small child darted in, clutching a bamboo water gun. With a triumphant shout, he aimed at Chen Qianhu.
"Pew!"
Li Daoxuan instantly stepped back, avoiding the spray with ease.
Chen Qianhu was not so lucky.
Water splashed squarely onto his chest.
The child burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! I got him!"
Chen Qianhu let out a dramatic cry, clutching his chest.
"You… you—"
With a heavy thud, he collapsed to the ground, motionless.
The child screamed with delight and ran off.
"I've eliminated a menace for the country! I've eliminated a menace for the country!"
Only then did Chen Qianhu sit up, calmly wringing water from his clothes.
Li Daoxuan laughed.
"Not angry at all? You even played along."
Chen Qianhu grinned.
"Once you get used to it, it feels rather nice. Making children happy is wonderful. An actor's duty is to bring joy, after all."
"Hold on," Li Daoxuan said. "You're a thousand-household commander. A general. Since when did acting become your profession?"
Chen Qianhu scratched his head.
"Well… I'll retire someday. Once peace reigns, I plan to become a full-time actor. Acting is far more enjoyable than fighting wars."
Li Daoxuan laughed heartily.
"Excellent ambition. I have high hopes for you."
Chen Qianhu's eyes shone.
"With Dao Xuan Tianzun's support, I fear nothing! I'll fight with all my strength to bring peace as soon as possible—so I can act without regret."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
"Next time, how about playing Nurhaci?"
Chen Qianhu turned pale.
"Ahhh—Heavenly Lord, please spare me! I want to play a good person!"