Leaving Jiangning for almost a year, it's only natural that Ning Yi would feel a little unfamiliar with some things in the city. If he knew about the expansion of the Bamboo Chronicle (Zhu Ji) in the past year, and the names of the new restaurants and teahouses built in the city, his doubts would surely vanish.

In that past year, Bamboo Chronicle opened three new establishments. The first, Bright Moon Pavilion (Mingyue Lou), has now become one of Jiangning's largest restaurants and entertainment venues, bustling with dining, performances, and various events. The second is a teahouse called Azure Garden (Qing Yuan), composed of uniquely styled courtyards or private rooms, mostly frequented by men of letters and artists. Some women who sell their art but not their bodies preside over it, making it extremely elegant. The third is Blue Remembrance Residence (Yi Lan Ju), with a style somewhere in between. It's not as lively and bustling, but it features string and bamboo music to accompany dining, and occasionally someone tells stories, similar to a Western restaurant in later generations, with a touch of bourgeois sentiment, making it a normal place to eat.

The three establishments are actually all evolved from Ning Yi's previous ideas, each with its own style, but all backed by the support of Kang Xian. The Princess Consort's mansion in Jiangning never participates in public social events, but in reality, it's a dormant behemoth with deeply entrenched roots. When Kang Xian issues an order, by the time some business tycoons are showing their support for Bamboo Chronicle, they probably don't even know that the order came from this Son-in-Law.

Some things were already being done when Ning Yi left. Contacting some courtesans who sell their art but not their bodies to preside over Bamboo Chronicle, and buying some young boys and girls to train in storytelling, acrobatics, and performing, with older ones helping out in the shop. Ning Yi had taken a sum of money from Kang Xian for these things, saying it was the copyright fee for the previous disaster relief booklet, which he took with good reason.

However, Yun Zhu felt that it was a loan, and in recent months, she has been gradually repaying Kang Xian. Kang Xian didn't want it, but she was stubborn, feeling that Kang Xian had been inquiring about Ning Yi's whereabouts, so how could she still owe him money? In the end, Kang Xian had no choice but to accept it, secretly boosting the reputation of Bright Moon Pavilion and Azure Garden. Large and small banquets were held at Bright Moon Pavilion, and gatherings of scholars or poetry gatherings were held at Azure Garden. This year, the Lantern Festival poetry gathering of Lichuan Academy was arranged by him to be held at Azure Garden, instantly making its name known. Blue Remembrance Residence no longer needed his advertising after the new year.

Arriving at the Princess Consort's mansion and finding Kang Xian watching a play with his family, the Son-in-Law first talked about the recent development of Bamboo Chronicle. Ning Yi had returned from Hangzhou, and he basically knew everything that had happened during this time, so there was no need for more trouble and formalities.

"...There's one thing that's very interesting. The front hall of Azure Garden has collected many poems and turned them into plaques to hang up, with several of your poems at the very front. During the Lantern Festival poetry gathering of Lichuan Academy, when the *Qing Yu An* poem was placed there, few people dared to write poems to show off. Since then, this matter has been talked about with great interest."

After greeting Zhou Xuan, Ning Yi followed Kang Xian towards the rear garden, listening to him saying this, Ning Yi smiled and shook his head: "That's a bit much, isn't it?"

"Well, no..." Kang Xian waved his hand, "Your Yun Zhu girl certainly helped you promote it, but I was there at the time. I don't know why, but whenever people mentioned your *Qing Yu An*, there were really fewer people writing Lantern Festival poems that night. Some people said that you have exhausted the beauty of lyrics, and the meaning is fully expressed. There are few such lyrics in the world, haha... But those few poems of yours in Hangzhou, they can reverse the previous majestic atmosphere and be extremely delicate. If these people knew, they would really... call you the Poet Immortal and Lyric Sage..."

Ning Yi frowned: "A few poems in Hangzhou?"

"It's the 'Often I remember at Creek Pavilion eventide, So drunk I lost my way homeward bound. When all my pleasure was done and the boat turned back, I wandered, by chance, to the depths of the lotus flowers...' Such a short *Like a Dream*, it makes people feel like they're seeing it right in front of them. You can even write this kind of lyrics..."

Kang Xian is, after all, a scholar. Even if he values practical applications as much as Qin Siyuan does in secret, he's still a Confucian, so how could he not like poetry? Ning Yi smiled: "I didn't write that."

"Others might believe you, but you don't have to say that in front of me. Do you remember the other lines, 'Three mountains fall halfway beyond the blue sky, Two streams divide Egret Isle in two.' You had already written these lines in front of me and Siyuan earlier. Back then, they were just incomplete lines, but this time in Hangzhou, you completed them: 'At Phoenix Terrace phoenixes used to roam, Now the phoenixes are gone, the Terrace is empty, the river flows on its own. Flowers and plants of Wu Palace buried in secluded paths, Costumes and caps of Jin Dynasty become ancient mounds. Three mountains fall halfway beyond the blue sky, Two streams divide Egret Isle in two. Ever do floating clouds obscure the sun, From Chang'an I cannot but feel distress.'..."

Kang Xian recited it, and in the end, he couldn't help but sigh and shake his head: "If someone had told me this before, I wouldn't have believed it. When it comes to exquisite poetry, there's nothing left to write after you. Only that last line reveals your slip-up: 'Ever do floating clouds obscure the sun, From Chang'an I cannot but feel distress.' When you wrote the poem, you imitated the style of the Tang Dynasty. At the time, you were too lazy to change it, including those lines like 'Often I remember at Creek Pavilion eventide'... I don't know how much time you spent. Honestly, I don't believe that it was all done effortlessly, but when it comes to poetry, for you, it's probably not about using objects to express emotions, it's purely you... Alas, I don't know how to say it, whether to praise you or scold you a few times to be fair to myself. In short, with someone like you around, how can we others bear it? In the future, I don't know if I want you to write one more poem, or just tell you not to write anymore..."

In short, when it came to this, the old man was initially filled with admiration, and then he became depressed. Ning Yi naturally understood what he meant. Kang Xian had taken all these poems as his own. When ordinary people write poetry, they inevitably have their own style, but the poems he had previously copied were all heroic and magnificent, while he casually threw *Angry Banana* to Liu Xigua, and even threw out Li Qingzhao's works. At the time, it was just fooling around, but these two completely different styles, in Kang Xian's eyes, became another kind of connotation.

Being able to play with several different styles of writing so skillfully could only prove that the author had far surpassed this level, or that Ning Yi was a genius who could play with words as skillfully as if they were mud in his hands. Whenever needed, he could immerse himself in the style of the Tang Dynasty and write poems like *Ascending Phoenix Terrace in Jinling*, or completely different scenes like *A Knight-Errant's Line* and *Like a Dream*.

If it was just a matter of words, it would naturally be difficult to believe, but there are certainly all kinds of geniuses in the world. Like some genius mathematicians in modern times, their power doesn't come from logic that ordinary people can understand, but because numbers themselves are alive in their eyes. People like this must exist in every era, and Kang Xian may have seen similar ones. After he was certain that the poems were written by Ning Yi, eliminating all other possibilities, he could only treat Ning Yi as such a genius, even if he had no reverence for poetry, poetry itself was like mud in his hands, which he could easily knead into any shape. For scholars who have studied hard all their lives, this is naturally a frustrating thing.

He already thought so, and Ning Yi couldn't help but smile wryly. After a long while, Kang Xian said: "It's good that you hung those poems on the head of that rebel, whether there will be a chance to clear your name for you in the future, I guess you don't care. However, if you decide to go to the capital, I have one thing I want to ask you before that... Originally, we could talk about it in a few days, but I've really been thinking about it for too long."

By this time, they had arrived at the pavilion in the center of the rear garden. There was no one around, and Kang Xian's expression became serious. Ning Yi frowned: "What is it?"

"The things you did in the Tyrant Blade Camp were carefully considered by you. What exactly do you want to do?"

"For the time being, it's to bewitch people's hearts."

"Really?" The old man asked, staring intently, but Ning Yi's eyes didn't fluctuate much. Only after a moment did he smile slightly.

"Going further would be taboo, I know. You're not the first person to ask me this recently, ha..." Ning Yi smiled, "But you also know that these ideas are useless for a hundred or two hundred years. At most, they're used to bewitch those who are too idealistic. You care about this, which means you're an idealist too."

The old man's expression was stern, and he swayed slightly. Then he breathed a sigh of relief: "I naturally know that these ideas are useless for a hundred or two hundred years, but what exactly were you thinking?"

Ning Yi thought for a moment: "Then... let's not talk about Confucianism, let's just talk about utility, let's talk about something grand and generalized?"

"Ha, you never talk about Confucianism. I'm also not someone who can't understand words. If the reasoning can be explained clearly, then so be it."

"From ancient times to the present, every time a dynasty changes, what a country will become is actually determined from the very beginning."

The lights shone over, reflecting the ripples in the pool outside the pavilion. In the distance, there was a faint sound of opera, a scene of peace and harmony, but Ning Yi knew that the old man in front of him wasn't just welcoming him back. This was a representative of the smartest people of this era. Some things couldn't be fooled. Some things written and said in the Tyrant Blade Camp, when they entered their ears, could be seen as dangerous clues. Perhaps he hadn't fully figured out the key points yet, and might not take his own handwriting too seriously, but if he really treated it lightly, the kind and smiling old man in front of him also had the ability and courage to turn this place into a Hongmen Banquet...

Therefore, he thought for a while and started with this sentence.

"The reason for saying this is that at the beginning of each dynasty, the emperor, or the ideological trend at the time, will determine what the ruling class of this dynasty values more. If we only ask for one thing, such as national prosperity, then it's very simple: reduce restrictions and let the localities develop. Within three generations, as long as this country is still there, we can flatten the foreign races and recover Youyan. Who says it can't be done?"

"All dynasties perish through weakness, only the Han perished through strength. If we govern the country like the Han Dynasty, then we can perish like the Han Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty perished, all dynasties paid more attention to centralization and checks and balances. The art of emperors is to make their subordinates suspect each other constantly to achieve balance. Now we say that we want to revitalize military preparations and how, but there is actually a very simple way. Suppose... this is just a hypothesis, suppose it can be done, as long as the current emperor loosens control over his subordinates and applies the standards of the Han Dynasty, in less than sixty years, if the Wu Dynasty is still there, then if there are still any foothold for the Liao and Jin to the north, I'll give you my head."

Kang Xian looked at him: "Suppose?"

"Yeah, suppose." Ning Yi nodded: "The reason why it's a hypothesis is because it's irresponsible. In the current situation, if you really do this, feudal lords will rise up in less than twenty years. But what I'm saying is that what the superiors emphasize in each dynasty can actually be controlled, but there aren't many directions to choose from. If we lean in one direction, some other things have to be abandoned. We chose the prosperity of Jiangning today, so we can't see the scene of brave soldiers like clouds trampling Mount Helan. It's all our own choice."

"So what?"

"My lord, I know that the Confucian concept of 'opening up a peaceful world for all ages' is to find the best state. But today, let's not talk about the Dao, let's just talk about utility. Since the establishment of the Wu Dynasty, the direction it has taken has already been decided. The net established by our Confucian family will continue to tighten, tighten, and tighten again. From ancient times to the present, why have reformers never had a good ending? Because any system will spontaneously maintain its own state and trend. Why did the Northern Expedition have problems? Because this net is already deeply rooted, and anyone who wants to show their talents will be covered in blood, whether it's a good thing or a bad thing, because no one will have room to show their talents. This is best for the country. This was decided at the founding of the country. It's not supposed to let you move around! If this Northern Expedition is successful, we'll really be lucky and use enough force, but what will happen next? Can't you see? The net will continue to tighten."

Ning Yi tilted his head and smiled: "When I came back from Hangzhou this time, I established many relationships. The Su family has a relative named Song Mao Song Yufan, who is serving as a prefect in another place. My lord, you know what will happen next. When he comes, he will come to visit me. The interests of both of us will be tied together and become even stronger, but maybe he's a corrupt official, and I'll be implicated by him in the future. This is a risk. The Cheng Princess Consort's mansion's industry belongs to the royal family. It seems to be managing itself, but you know yourself how many connections you have behind you. These people represent all kinds of interests. Duke Qin was assassinated by those merchants who didn't want to go to war with the Liao. My lord, do you have people like this behind you?"

Kang Xian frowned.

Ning Yi continued: "No one can move. This was decided at the beginning of the founding of the country. Even the current emperor can't change it. If he wants to change it, even he will be battered and bruised. Maybe there will be two emperors who are willing to take such a risk to guide the country to the other side, but who really dares?"

"My lord, what you are studying now is Neo-Confucianism. Next, you can say that you want to 'preserve heavenly principles and eliminate human desires.' The rules for how people should live, every line and stroke are clearly stipulated, how men should behave, how women should behave, how sages should behave, all are molded in the same way. This is the Dao, but in terms of utility, it's to make people unable to move, more and more unable to move. If the world is just our Wu Dynasty, the Wu Dynasty will not collapse even after a thousand years if it continues to develop like this. This is to 'open up a peaceful world for all ages'... but the country has enemies. We chose this direction. If we are surrounded by rules and regulations and various conflicting interests, in the end, we'll end up like the current Northern Expedition: I can't beat others, and I'm getting worse and worse at it..."

"In fact, there are naturally differences from what you said. If things really go wrong, there will be people who dare to reform and dare to be covered in blood in every dynasty." After thinking for a long time, Kang Xian slowly spoke, "But it's generally similar to what you said. Then what does that have to do with what you're doing in the Tyrant Blade Camp?"

"Speaking of 'opening up a peaceful world for all ages' is a bit too grand. In fact, whether it's governing the country or being in politics, it's generally about finding and fixing problems, like carrying a scale that's always shaking. Whenever there's a problem, you patch it up, but the overall situation is always moving in one direction. Mencius said that a true king will rise every five hundred years. A dynasty will come to an end in five hundred years because it's tightened too much, and it's becoming more and more difficult for others to have hope, and resentment is growing. Then, with a bang, the weight drops to the ground, and when it drops to the ground, people live worse than pigs and dogs..."

Ning Yi paused: "But maybe there's a way to avoid this. Maybe it won't be the best, but it can avoid the worst."

"Is that what you're doing?"

"It's just one sentence: the minority obeys the majority."

Kang Xian laughed: "When that time really comes, will the minority behind you and behind me obey the majority?"

"That's a matter of details. My lord, the Confucian family has been passed down for so many years, and every time it changes, the one who takes the throne is called the Emperor. Cultural inheritance determines the way the entire rules and system exist. Suppose that after hundreds or thousands of years, there is such a system, replaced every three to five years. If someone wants to rebel, if he has more people, he can naturally go up. Then will anyone still rebel? There won't be years when people live worse than pigs and dogs."

"How can that be? People just talk when there are many of them, is it rock-paper-scissors? And do you know what 'a villager is a thief of virtue' means? If you take the throne, would you be willing to give up the power in your hands? You'll have to wipe out these things during the few years you're in power! And to ensure the continuation of this method, you... where do you put the Emperor? Your idea is treasonous." Speaking to the end, Kang Xian had already subconsciously lowered his voice.

Ning Yi looked at him: "Those are all minor details. My lord, don't tell me you can't imagine it. It's the culture that everyone believes in that determines what the dynasty looks like. Culture determines the system—I call it the system. If everyone believes that the minority obeying the majority is the truth, some things will slowly be worked out... and that should be something that happens hundreds of years from now. The minority obeying the majority, everyone is saying it. I'm just saying it in another way. My lord, let's say something treasonous. If the Wu Dynasty can't last for five hundred years, shouldn't there be something new?"

"This is your idea..." Kang Xian sighed after a long time, "A... new game of make-believe. Since the Tang Dynasty, there has been more than one person who wanted to reach the world of Great Harmony and donate their family property to live in the mountains, taking care of the old and the young, but they all ended in obscurity. Yours is different, so I looked at it carefully. Who knew... you're thinking about these things. This idea is too treasonous. You have to restrain it. Heaven, earth, sovereign, parents, teacher, some things are immutable, how can you bargain about the minority obeying the majority."

The old man spoke of treason, but in reality, he didn't have that kind of treasonous intention in his heart. Philosophy is the end point of all disciplines. Since ancient times, among those who studied Confucianism, there have been many who were rebellious and unrestrained. There would be all kinds of ideas, and there might not have been anyone who mentioned the extent of the overall situation to see why these ideas were formed. If you can't think this way, the *Analects* mostly talk about the principles of being a person, so how can half of the *Analects* govern the world.

He wasn't wary of this because he realized the remoteness of the realization of this idea. If you want to punish people just because of the sentence "the minority obeys the majority," then that would be too much. Confucianism also emphasizes the minority obeying the majority, but this is on the concept of the same class, and what Ning Yi just said was just popularizing this concept to everyone. If he wanted to do something that touched the core of class division, such as heaven, earth, sovereign, parents, teacher, then that would really be treasonous, but he just said that this theory might be better, then it was just an excessively bold exploration or experiment. Although Kang Xian didn't agree, he hadn't reached the point of drawing a line.

In Kang Xian's eyes, Ning Yi was just a Confucian scholar who wanted to open up a peaceful world for all ages. Although he didn't pay attention to the Dao and considered too much from the "utility" aspect, these ideas might not be without reference value, but without the Dao, there was a lack of soul.

This was, after all, a young man who was too talented and had too many ideas. He sighed: "You were able to succeed in Hangzhou because you always jumped outside the rules to do things, so your vision was always wider than others, but if you always jump outside the rules, something will eventually happen. You're not ignorant of these things, but if you're going to the capital next, I think I still have to remind you."

"Well... but I'm still thinking about the matter of going to the capital. Tan'er is about to give birth, and Tong Hubo has already started to go north. After all, I don't understand the specific operations of the officialdom. I'm afraid the capital might not need me."

"Hey, it will definitely need you. The matters in Hangzhou before were sent to Bianjing, and he wrote to me, asking you to go up there after you come back. You also said that there are too many rules, what is lacking is people who can look outside the rules, but it's just to take a look. Those who can look outside the rules are afraid of breaking the rules. At that time, I'm afraid Old Qin won't be able to protect you."

"I'm taught, I'll pay attention, let's take a look first, and then talk about it after I've dealt with the family affairs here."

"What's there to deal with here? If it's just a few clowns in your family, I can help. However, your wife is pregnant, so I think you have to wait for the child to be born before you leave. In addition, it's just the matter of Yun Zhu. Have you decided how to arrange it?"

"I'm having a headache about it, and I came here this time to ask for your opinion."

"Huh?" Although Kang Xian raised the question, he seemed very puzzled at this time, "What's so headache-inducing about this?"

"A year ago, I thought about leaving the Su family and taking Yun Zhu with me. Now I'm having a headache about whether to break up with Yun Zhu since Tan'er has already given birth to a child. But to be honest, the relationship between Yun Zhu and I isn't like that of ordinary brothels or purely selling their bodies... ha, maybe everyone will see themselves this way. But now it's like this: both the palm and the back of the hand are flesh. This is purely my own fault. I want to hear your old man's opinion."

"Ha... hahahahahahaha—" The old man suddenly laughed. The laughter grew louder and louder, and he didn't stop. After a long time, he saw him stop slightly: "Haha... I just now, just now I was thinking that although this person is lazy in character, his ability and talent are superior to others. If he were placed in a chaotic world, he might be a Cao Cao-like hero. But I didn't expect... haha, you can do those things casually, but now you're troubled by such trivial matters. It's really... really a bit hilarious."

Ning Yi looked at the old man and pursed his lips: "Let's be honest. I won't let go of any of them. I never thought of really letting go. I'm a philanderer, men are unreliable, and people are never satisfied. It doesn't matter what others think. The real thought is: they're all mine. Why not? The reason why I'm asking you, old man, is to have you say more about how a real man should have three wives and four concubines, so that I can make this unreasonable thing more justified."

Kang Xian spread his hands: "I just don't know how you would think this can't be justified..."

"You know... the minority obeys the majority... and everyone has to be treated equally..."

"That is to say, you, your wife, and Yun Zhu... are all treated equally."

Ning Yi laughed. In fact, the trouble wasn't as big as he said it was. Even in modern times, the circle he was in was full of messy relationships between men and women. But if he were an ancient man, he would truly consider placing men and women in completely different positions, but he was a modern man after all. After he truly valued the other party, everyone really stood on the same line. This was what made him feel interesting.

Kang Xian also looked at him for a long time, and finally patted him on the shoulder, his expression slightly serious: "Ning Liheng, oh Ning Liheng... To be honest, before, I ultimately regarded you as an interesting, promising, and capable young friend, but after tonight's conversation, I can finally say that learning has no order, those who have achieved come first. You and I can sit down and discuss the Dao without distinction of rank. You're really thinking about these things, but... hahahahaha..." As he said that, he couldn't help but laugh again, "You're too self-inflicted."

Feeling that Ning Yi had really put these thoughts into practice in his life, the old man completely dispelled the previous thoughts and the "treasonous" misgivings in this laughter. Of course, this was a misunderstanding...

"It's commonplace for a man to have three wives and four concubines. The meaning of that is to tell you to value women's affairs less. There's nothing unreasonable about this. I have nothing to say. Your wife respects you very much and has a child, so you shouldn't abandon your wife, otherwise, how are you different from beasts? Miss Nie is so gentle and virtuous, she's waiting for you to come back and she's not greedy for your family property. With her heart and character, if it weren't for her past stains, it would be appropriate for her to be the first wife in a wealthy family. She truly loves you, so she's willing to endure whatever you do to her. If you miss this kind of woman, it'll be difficult for you to find a second one in your life. I've been dealing with those sisters more recently. If you're sorry to her, I'll have A Gui grab you with a cloth bag and sink you into the Qinhuai River..."

The corner of Ning Yi's mouth twitched, and then he laughed heartily.