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As the Lunar New Year approached, the joyous and prosperous atmosphere in the capital city continued. Searching for (Wanben God Station) to read high-quality literature for free, before the end of the year, people engaged in various complex tasks were mostly busy for a while, summarizing the year, consolidating accounts, looking forward to the new year, and reflecting on the past, all of which were matters for the coming year. In short, after the hustle and bustle, shops, inns, and government offices entered a slightly leisurely lull. Even an event like Zhang Jue's assassination, which suddenly stirred up waves, was subsiding. During the Lunar New Year, people were more inclined to keep such matters to themselves, planning to address any problems after the spring festival.

In any case, Zhang Jue was dead, the Jurchens had withdrawn their troops, and the New Year was coming... so let's enjoy a few good days.

In the Right Chancellor's residence, the initial busyness was also subsiding. Qin Siyuan nearly fainted upon receiving the news of Zhang Jue's death, but he soon recovered. After all, he was a man who had seen countless storms, and the blows he had suffered in his life were far more than just one or two. However, being advanced in years, he was forced by his family and a group of advisors to temporarily put aside most of his political affairs after this shock—if one didn't consider the north, there wasn't much problem with him not interfering in many domestic issues. So, in these few days, he took advantage of the New Year atmosphere to calm down a bit.

Ning Yi and others often visited to chat with him, and Yao Zunian also rushed over from his home outside the city to check on his condition. Besides resting, he would spend most of his time reading a book, sometimes using a brush to circle and mark things. Compared to the busy official affairs, he considered marking these things a kind of leisure, so as long as it didn't last too long, everyone didn't say much about it.

Regarding the Zhang Jue affair, at least for this period, he had stopped mentioning it. In the past few days, the court had been in an uproar over this matter. First, Qin Hui submitted a memorial impeaching Wang Anzhong, which then sparked a major debate in the court. The final determination was that Wang Anzhong had worked hard and endured humiliation, and although there were certainly mistakes, it should not be exaggerated. Anyone placed in that position would probably not have made a better decision.

The right and wrong were thus determined. Emperor Zhou Zhe rejected Qin Hui's impeachment but still decided to transfer Wang Anzhong away from Yanjing in the coming year, selecting another minister to take charge. In fact, Wang Anzhong was also unhappy in Yanjing at this time. After Zhang Jue's death, Guo Yaoshi had said, "You gave Zhang Jue when the Jurchens demanded him. If they come asking for Yaoshi, would you give me too?" Although Wang Anzhong had come to seek forgiveness afterward, he still felt uneasy. His memorial of resignation was already on its way.

This lenient treatment of Wang Anzhong glossed over the controversy surrounding the emperor's decision. In fact, Qin Hui and the Right Chancellor's office still frequently interacted and had a good relationship. But when it came to him, Qin Siyuan simply said, "Hui knows the Emperor's mind too well."

The day after he fainted, perhaps because he was too depressed, he had spoken to a few people about the beginning and end of his severance of ties with Zuo Duanyou when Ning Yi and others came to see him that day.

"...Back then, when the Emperor had just ascended the throne, he was ambitious and had the aspirations of a wise ruler. We officials were fortunate to encounter such an enlightened ruler and should do our best to repay him. I, Wang Qisong, Liang Mengqi, and Zuo Duanyou conceived the idea of establishing the Secret Intelligence Agency because the Liao Kingdom had been trading with our Wu Dynasty for a hundred years and had long been assimilated by our court's extravagance. Although our court's extravagance was even greater, if there were an enlightened ruler, perhaps we could achieve rejuvenation as a result. This is... the origin of the Secret Intelligence Agency..."

"The subsequent events, Duke Nian all knows, and Ji Kun, who has been by my side for many years, also understands. Only the reason why Duke Zuo severed ties with me after the Black Water Alliance, I have never told anyone. In fact, this matter should not be discussed with many people."

"We were once greatly valued by the Emperor, and his favor was unparalleled. We had taught the Emperor to read and the ways of a ruler. The Emperor was intelligent and learned quickly. Before long, he had grasped the concepts and had many of his own... unique insights. After this, he became distant from us. This was not a big deal. Later, when the Liao people marched south, we strongly advocated for a desperate battle. The Emperor had already exerted great effort in secretly orchestrating provocations in the north. Seeing the Liao troops advancing south, the Emperor... decided to feign compliance and negotiate peace in advance. Zuo Duanyou was of an intense temperament and advised me that generals abroad are not bound by the ruler's orders. Although the Liao people were advancing rapidly to the south, there was a vast area to maneuver north of Bianliang. As long as we dragged it out, the wealthy people of the Liao Kingdom would be the first to oppose this war that was affecting their business. He said this, but I could not do it. Under the Emperor's continuous urging, I had to negotiate peace... You know that Duke Zuo broke off relations with me after this..."

"The reason known to outsiders at the time... was mainly because Duke Wang's entire family of men died heroically for the country, but the deeper reason was not for this. Duke Zuo's thinking is similar to Liheng's. He said treasonous words, he said... the ruler... is ambitious but lacks talent. Had I known this, the Secret Intelligence Agency should not have been established. Without any strength of our own, we desperately play conspiracies in secret. If the orthodox and the unconventional cannot be combined, our Wu Dynasty will only continuously show its weaknesses to others. Originally, the national fortune might have continued for many years, but now, like a clown jumping on a beam, we are just hastening our demise..."

"I could not refute his words. In the end, he stopped a part of the Secret Intelligence Agency that he managed. But as far as I was concerned, since things had come to this, what other choice was there if I didn't do this? Even if the world is extravagant, we can only grit our teeth and endure. This time, as long as we get through it, it will be smooth sailing. But now... I'm afraid he'll laugh at me... Hehe, a clown jumping on a beam, a path to death..."

"After my reinstatement, I knew in my heart that the Emperor valued balance. He would often suppress one thing when he promoted another. I was prepared for this. In the past, in the court, I would occasionally make some mistakes to let him see, hoping that after he suppressed these, he could promote some other important matters. This time with the disaster relief, I knew that I had offended many people, and I only thought in my heart that if after the disaster relief, I became the target of public criticism, the Emperor would go along with the tide... He always wanted to ensure the Northern Expedition. Perhaps with my old bones, I could still barely get through it, but I didn't know that between this rise and fall... the fall, fell on Zhang Jue's head..."

Perhaps due to physical and mental exhaustion, there was much in his words that he shouldn't have said normally. Fortunately, those around him were the most core advisors of the Chancellor's office, and their fortunes were basically tied to Qin Siyuan's. In fact, Qin Siyuan's words were too gentle. In the information that Ning Yi had in the Secret Intelligence Agency, he had already referred to the patterns of many government orders during the Jinghan years. The Emperor did value balance, but it didn't mean that he truly valued the way of balance. In a sense, at least Ning Yi only felt that he was using balance as a game.

After ascending the throne, Zhou Zhe had indeed made several grand moves, including the Secret Intelligence Agency and the Flower and Stone Gang. Initially, Zhou Zhe continued the Flower and Stone Gang because there was not enough money to use for state affairs. After the Black Water Alliance, the money flowing overseas decreased greatly, and the peace in the political arena also led to a daily increase in the treasury's income. But the Flower and Stone Gang didn't stop. He was already having too much fun with it. Didn't he want to give it to others? Alright, then I should keep it for myself to play with. He heavily relied on Cai Jing and Wang Fu to collect valuable items from various places. When someone impeached them, he would scold them, which was considered suppression. After suppressing them, he would feel bad and give them more power.

In the end, Wang Fu and others were scolded a lot, but their power increased day by day. The Emperor gained the reputation of a wise ruler. A few years of training also led to the Censorate, the Qingliu faction, and the channels of speech often weighing their words and mastering the ability to speculate on the Emperor's thoughts to the highest level. They impeached countless times, "allowing all officials to speak freely, clearing up the political arena," but without causing any real damage.

If analyzed from a psychological perspective, this was Ning Yi's view. A chuunibyou teenager, with unstable values, after receiving a lot of information, thought he had seen through the world. This emperor, in essence, didn't believe in anyone. He didn't believe that things in the world were right or wrong. He didn't think that Cai Jing was working for the country and the people, nor did he believe that Qin Siyuan and Li Gang were working for the country and the people. From this perspective, everyone's ass only had interests behind it. Cai Jing was for his family's power and dominance, and Li Gang and Qin Siyuan were for leaving a mark in history, for temporary fame.

In fact, for those in power, sometimes having such thoughts may not be a big mistake. If one's logical ability is not enough, and one always uses big principles, there is nothing wrong with that. Such people also have a path to success. However... as an emperor, his ability to withstand pressure was too shallow.

Not long after arriving in the capital, Ning Yi had already had a superficial impression of the current emperor. Of course, it was hard to say whether it was right or wrong. After all, he wouldn't directly face the other party. However, the Zhang Jue incident really made him feel extremely helpless.

For Qin Siyuan and others, they were certainly heartbroken about the Zhang Jue incident, and their worries were probably not very high. After all, there were not many Jurchens, and everything might not be irreversible. Only Ning Yi knew in his heart that the Jurchens were likely to march south, and after this incident, it made him sigh even more.

He was holding back anger about this setback, but since the end of the year was approaching, he couldn't think of a way. Facing Qin Siyuan, who was recuperating, it was certainly not good to say anything, so he could only greatly adjust the arrangements for the Zhuji in his heart... The Emperor is the greatest, after all. If he wants it this way, what can you do...

He often came to the Chancellor's residence to sit, chatting with Qin Siyuan, Yao Zunian, Ji Kun, Wenren Bu'er, and others, while thinking about what he wanted to do. One afternoon, after arriving at the Chancellor's residence and sitting down in the warm study, after a few words, Qin Siyuan smiled and took out some books for them to read, probably his writings.

Those books contained the Four Books and Five Classics, which were Qin Siyuan's handwritten copies. After handwriting them, he wrote many of his own understandings beside them. Qin Siyuan had already reached the point of cultivation where he was not alarmed by favor or disgrace, but when showing these things to everyone, there was a slight hint of smugness in his expression. Yao Zunian and others looked at them respectfully, and after a moment, they frowned and showed an expression of importance. Ning Yi flipped through them casually. It wasn't that he couldn't understand them, but his heart had an implicit influence of a thousand years of Confucian tradition. Everything in the book seemed to him to be simple, self-evident Confucian principles.

Qin Siyuan lay in the chair and slowly opened his mouth: "These things, I started writing when I retired at home, and I discussed them with Kang Mingyun and others. Later, I revised them several times. After my reinstatement, the revision and annotation were done intermittently, but the revision was the greatest. This is the first time I've taken them out for everyone to see."

He closed his eyes, folded his hands on his chest, and tapped his fingers lightly: "In my life, I first made a name for myself as a Confucian scholar, and later I did many things that were difficult to conform to the way of a Confucian scholar. After becoming an official, my path was not as upright as Prime Minister Li's. Objectively speaking, in order to achieve a good result, I have been somewhat... overly scheming. Fortunately, I have always maintained a bit of literary reputation, and I have not been criticized too much for it as a result. But in recent years, reading these Confucian studies, I have taken a crooked path. There is always a doubt in my heart, or... expectation: If this world were upright, why would I have to use such schemes..."

"In recent years, I have read books and had many chats with Duke Nian and some other great Confucians. During this period, Liheng claimed that he was not a Confucian, but he was the most superficial in some principles. I remember Liheng once talked to me about how, in every dynasty, when it came to collapse, there were often traitors who caused chaos and harmed the country. The Han had Dong Zhuo, the Tang had An Lushan, the Jin had Jia Nanfeng, and the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun were ceded by Shi Jingtang. These people were nailed to history books, and they were scolded by everyone, but if Dong Zhuo had met Emperor Wu of Han, would there still have been the Three Kingdoms period? If An Lushan had met Li Shimin, could the Maweipo Incident still have happened? If Jia Nanfeng had met Sima Yi, how dare the Eight Kings rebel? So on and so forth. People at the time all thought that traitors were ruining the country. In fact... like this grain shortage, if it weren't for all kinds of vermin being weak to a certain extent, hollowing out a country, how dare outsiders covet this land!"

"During this grain shortage, in order to reduce the pressure on the court, I drank poison to quench my thirst, and I encouraged some merchants to secretly manipulate public opinion and submit memorials to lobby for merchants. Liheng once talked to me about commerce. If the way of commerce flourished, how would the Wu Dynasty be able to suppress the expansion of the profit-only atmosphere? Whether my promotion behind the scenes this time is good or bad, I cannot be relieved, but many people want to live, and I have to do so. Thinking about it afterward, these sets of books are my compensation for this matter and for using schemes too much in recent years..."

Ning Yi raised his head... When Qin Siyuan decided to use this method, he had thought that this old man must have gone through a long period of psychological preparation before making the decision. Later, the trend of thought in the court to justify merchants, Ning Yi also guessed that the old man was behind it. Although Ning Yi started as a merchant, he has always believed that the profit-only, naked capitalist ideology of later generations is a poison that this era cannot touch at all. He guessed that Qin Siyuan must have some backup plan, but he didn't expect that the backup plan was these books...

What does he want to do... Well, he wants to slightly unbind the classes of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, and then put on more detailed and precise principles. This is indeed a way of thinking...

Ning Yi flipped through the book in his hand, thinking this way in his heart. At this time, he was still considering his plan. He had a lot of appreciation and agreement for the old man's actions that were linked together. In any era, people who do great things are not simple... However, just a moment later, a flash of thought boomed like thunder, completely blasting him out of such thoughts.

"People of the time are mostly ignorant," the old man said. "The writings of the sages are also to lead people out of this ignorance and find a path. For thousands of years, the sages have taught people to view things, to make choices, to make decisions. All the differences are nothing more than the shortness and length of vision. Zigung redeemed people. After he redeemed people for the Lu Kingdom, he didn't want a reward, thinking it was noble. But Confucius said that publicizing this kind of nobility is harmful to the country. Now we promote repaying grievances with virtue, but Confucius said, what should we use to repay virtue? We should repay grievances with directness and repay virtue with virtue. In this world, all those who are complacent are often thieves of virtue. What is virtue? The so-called morality, virtue because of the Tao. This Tao is morality, but also reason, and it is the path that we can make the world better... How should this path be taken..."

"People of the time only care about themselves, not their families, only care about their families, not their country. This is the obscuration of human desires. It is the separation of desires and heavenly principles. The principles of heaven and earth determine that people interact with each other, combine, and become a family and a country. We must let go of some desires in a timely manner in order to make the country stronger and more prosperous. We must let it flow from time to time and live on and on. We study knowledge in order to find such a path and try to make the interests of the two into one. According to Liheng's saying, this is the distinction between the greater self and the lesser self."

Qin Siyuan closed his eyes, sat in the recliner, slightly raised his head, and took a breath.

"And for me, it is to lead people's desires and tend towards heavenly principles."

At that moment, the wind stopped.

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