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The sky gradually darkened, snowflakes fell outside the door, and pedestrians passed by the roadside. Search: \(¨Finished¨Book¨God¨Station¨) to read high-quality literature for free.

The city had been besieged for months, and supplies in the capital had become extremely tight. Wenhui Restaurant had a deep background and wouldn't close down, but even now, there wasn't much business. Due to the heavy snow, most of the restaurant's doors and windows were closed. In this kind of weather, those who came to eat, whether from the legitimate or illegitimate world, were all rich and powerful. Shi Shi naturally knew the owner of Wenhui Restaurant. She went upstairs, ordered a small private room, ordered simple dishes, and waited quietly.

The two armies outside the city were still facing each other. As a high-ranking member of the Xia Village army, Ning Yi had secretly returned to the city. Shi Shi could guess what he was up to. However, she didn't care about the specifics at the moment. Roughly speaking, Ning Yi was taking countermeasures against other people's actions. He wasn't the frontman for the Xia Village army. There was no need to be too secretive about making connections in private. Those who knew what was important would naturally know, and those who didn't often weren't insiders.

She didn't want to become an insider either. Women couldn't interfere in the affairs of men at this level.

The wind and snow fell quietly outside, and although it was winter, the wind wasn't strong. The city seemed to be whimpering softly in the distance. The anxiety of the past few days had become somewhat calm at this moment. She ate some food. Before long, she heard people whispering, talking, and going downstairs outside. She didn't go out to look. After a while, footsteps came up again. Shi Shi went to open the door.

"Li Heng," she smiled.

"Why did you come here? You scared me."

The person outside the door was naturally Ning Yi. The last time the two met was several months ago. Looking back further, most of their meetings and conversations were relaxed and casual. But this time, Ning Yi returned to the city travel-worn, secretly meeting people, and discussing serious matters. His eyes and temperament carried a complex weight. This was probably how he looked when dealing with strangers. Shi Shi had only seen it on some important figures. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it contained murderous intent, but at this moment, she didn't find anything inappropriate about it, and instead felt reassured.

She then told a little lie, "I was also scared. What a coincidence. Li Heng, are you... dealing with those troublesome matters?"

"Some people need to be seen, some things need to be discussed," Ning Yi nodded.

"Li Heng... have you eaten?" She tilted her body slightly.

"Someone else is coming soon."

"If there's anything I can do to help, Shi Shi can play the zither to add to the fun..."

"That wouldn't be appropriate."

"Mm."

As they spoke, someone came over and said something in Ning Yi's ear. Ning Yi nodded.

"It's getting late. I'm afraid I'll be busy today. I'll visit Fanlou in the next few days. If Shi Shi wants to go back earlier... I'm afraid I won't be able to come out to say hello."

"I'm not going back. I'll wait for you here."

"It'll probably be late at night."

"I've seen a lot of people die on the battlefield these days, and I've seen a lot of other things... I have something I want to tell you."

Ning Yi saw the woman in front of him looking at him with clear eyes, and then she smiled. He was taken aback, and then nodded, "Then, if you'll excuse me."

**************

She waited for nearly two hours. People occasionally came and went in Wenhui Restaurant, but Shi Shi didn't go out to look.

She arrived at the Jiaofang Division when she was still young. Later, she gradually grew up and her fame rose in the capital. She had also witnessed many major events. The power struggles in the capital, the resignation of ministers, the feud between Chancellor He Zhaoguang and Cai Jing in the fourth year of Jinghan, with rumors that the emperor wanted to kill Cai Jing, the Liangzhe Salt Case in the fifth year of Jinghan, where the richest man in the capital, Wang Ren, along with many wealthy merchants, were executed, and the war and peace factions in the capital fighting and implicating each other in the seventh year of Jinghan, with many officials dismissed. Living in the capital and close to the circles of power, she had seen many signs of impending storms.

Such an atmosphere was like the sound of footsteps outside the room. Even if she didn't know who it was, she knew that the person's identity must be important. In the past, she had been curious about these secrets, but this time, she suddenly thought of the nights when her father was arrested many years ago. She and her mother were studying the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting in the inner hall, while her father and his staff were in the outer hall. The light shone on them, and the shadows of people coming and going revealed anxiety.

Over time, such an impression wasn't entirely accurate. On closer inspection, it should be the experience she had accumulated over the years that had completed her gradually fading memories. After so many years, the person in that position was someone she really knew.

The interactions and flattery in the world of courtesans couldn't be called true feelings. There were always some romantic talents with outstanding talent and sharp minds—like Zhou Bangyan—but she never regarded them as close friends in private. She always knew clearly what they wanted and what she had. Even Yu Hezhong, Chen Sifeng and others, whom she considered friends in private, she could see through clearly.

As for Ning Yi, after their reunion, they weren't close, but they weren't distant either. This was related to his consistently measured attitude. Shi Shi knew that he had been hit when he got married and lost his past memories - which allowed her to correct her attitude - losing his memories wasn't his fault, but she couldn't help but see him as a friend.

Many things from the past, including her parents, had fallen into the dust of memory. Those who could connect her to her past self were these few people, even though she had already entered the Jiaofang Division when she met them. But at least at that time, her younger self still retained her former aura and future possibilities...

If Li Shishi wanted to become Li Shishi - she always felt - her former self couldn't be abandoned. She couldn't keep these things herself, and she could only trace back to the past through them.

Now, Ning Yi had also entered the center of this storm.

And there didn't seem to be anything she could do. After all, Ning Yi was different from Yu, Chen, and the others. From the beginning of their reunion, everything he had done was unimaginable: destroying the Liangshan bandits, fighting with Jianghu people, and then going out this time, implementing a scorched earth policy and resisting the resentment army at Xia Village, as well as the complicated situation this time. She also remembered those nights when her father was still around.

In the middle of this, she opened the window, and the wind and snow poured in from outside, blowing out the candles and causing a chilling cold. She didn't know when, but she had almost fallen asleep in the room when there was a knock on the door again. Shi Shi went and opened the door. Outside was Ning Yi's slightly frowning figure. It seemed that things had just come to an end.

"You haven't left yet?"

"I wanted to wait for Li Heng to talk," Shi Shi smoothed her hair, then smiled, and stepped aside to invite him in. Ning Yi nodded and entered the room. Shi Shi went over and opened the window, letting the cold wind blow in. She hugged herself by the window and let the wind and snow blow for a while, then closed it with a wince, and went over to pull a chair for Ning Yi and pour him hot tea.

"It must be hard to be besieged for so long. Although I was outside the city, I've heard people talk about your affairs these days. I'm glad nothing happened." Ning Yi took a sip of tea and smiled slightly. He didn't know what she had stayed behind to say, so he spoke first.

"I think... it must be even harder for Li Heng," Shi Shi sat down opposite him. "You have to fight outside, and then there are these things when you come back. Even after winning, you can't relax..."

"The Jurchens haven't left yet, so it's not a win," Ning Yi shook his head.

"Shi Shi has heard in the city that negotiations are a certainty?"

"There's a certainty where we give them whatever they want, and there's a certainty where we get whatever we want. Shi Shi, which one do you think it is?"

Ning Yi smiled as he looked at her. Shi Shi heard this, held her teacup, and her eyes dimmed slightly. After all, she was in the city and couldn't find out some things, but when Ning Yi said it, it carried a different weight. Although she was mentally prepared, she still wasn't happy when she suddenly heard this.

Ning Yi then comforted her with a few words, "We're also trying, but... things are very complicated. It's hard to say what we can protect in this negotiation, what benefits we can get, whether they are immediate or long-term."

"I don't really understand these things..." Shi Shi replied, then smiled charmingly, "Sometimes at Fanlou, I pretend to understand, but I don't really understand. These are ultimately men's affairs. By the way, Li Heng, do you have anything to do tonight?"

"There are things to do, but I'll probably be free for the next hour. Did Shi Shi wait specifically because there's something you want to say?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," Shi Shi sat there and smiled, "The things you said to me when you left the capital, I didn't quite understand at the time, but after the Jurchens came south and began to besiege and attack the city, I wanted to do something. Later, I went to the Suanzao Gate and saw... a lot of things..."

As she said this, she then spoke about her experiences at the Suanzao Gate. Although she was a woman, she had always been mentally clear and self-reliant. This clarity and self-reliance were different from the nature of men. The monks said she had Buddhist nature and had seen through many things. But having said that, a woman in her teens or early twenties was still growing. In recent days, what she had seen and experienced, and what she thought in her heart, couldn't be said to others. In her spiritual world, she regarded Ning Yi as a reflection. After the war stopped, more complex things surrounded her, making her physically and mentally exhausted. At this time, Ning Yi came back, and she finally found him and confided everything.

Ning Yi hadn't expected her to talk about her experiences these days, but he listened. The slightly thinner but still beautiful woman in front of him spoke about the things on the battlefield, the residual limbs and broken bodies, the soldiers who died tragically, the battles at Suanzao Gate... Shi Shi didn't speak loudly, and she didn't seem too sad or excited. She even smiled slightly from time to time. She spoke for a long time, saying that she took care of the soldiers who died later, saying that she was chased and killed and then protected, saying the meager wishes of those people before they died, and later talking about Xue Changgong, He Leier and others...

Time gradually passed in this conversation. In the middle of it, she also spoke about her joy after receiving news from Xia Village in the city. In the wind and snow outside, the watchman's gong had already sounded.

"...In these few days at Fanlou, the things I heard people talk about were all about power struggles. I've seen a lot of it before, and I'm used to it, but after participating in the city defense this time, when I heard those young masters talk about the negotiations and the victories and defeats outside the city in a frivolous manner, I couldn't continue the conversation. The Jurchens haven't left yet, and the adults in their families are already fighting for these dirty things. Li Heng has probably seen it too these days outside the city. I heard that they are secretly trying to dismantle the Wu Rui Camp. I was worried after hearing this. How can these people be like this? But... there's ultimately no way..."

Ning Yi laughed in the middle of Shi Shi's words, "A few groups of people did come, and there were a few fights..."

Shi Shi also smiled, "However, Li Heng has returned today, so naturally there will be a way to deal with them. In this way, I'm relieved. I don't want to ask Li Heng what you've done, but I think I'll hear about those people being disgraced in a while. Next, I can get a few good nights' sleep..."

"Uh..." Ning Yi was slightly stunned, but knew that she had guessed the wrong thing, "Coming back tonight wasn't for this..."

"Ah..." Shi Shi hesitated for a moment, "I know Li Heng has more things to do, but... Li Heng will have a way to deal with these troublesome matters in the capital, right?"

Ning Yi was silent for a moment, "The trouble is very troublesome, but if you're talking about a solution... I haven't thought of what I can do..."

"..." Shi Shi looked at him.

"They want to attack the Wu Rui Camp, it's just a small matter," Ning Yi stood up, "The room is too stuffy. If Shi Shi is still energetic, let's go for a walk. There's a place I've been looking at all afternoon, and I want to go take a look."

Shi Shi then nodded. It was already late at night, and there were no pedestrians on the streets outside. The two of them came down from upstairs, and guards followed quietly around them. The wind and snow were heavy, and Shi Shi could tell that there wasn't much joy in Ning Yi's eyes.

But as they walked in the wind and snow, Ning Yi still smiled, "In the afternoon, I saw the things here from upstairs, and I asked someone to inquire about it. Oh... it's this one." They didn't walk far before stopping in front of a small courtyard by the side of the road. This place was only ten feet away from Wenhui Restaurant, across a street. It was a dilapidated courtyard with a small door and small windows. The door was already closed. Shi Shi recalled that when she arrived at Wenhui Restaurant in the evening, Ning Yi was sitting by the window, seemingly looking in this direction. But she didn't remember what happened here.

"This family is all dead."

Ning Yi waved his hand, and the guard next to him came over and chopped the door bolt open with his knife. Ning Yi pushed the door open and entered, and Shi Shi followed him in. Inside was a dilapidated courtyard with three rooms, filled with a deathly atmosphere in the darkness. As Ning Yi said, everyone was dead.

"The bailiff asked people to carry the bodies out of here this afternoon. I saw it from upstairs, so I asked someone to inquire about it. There were three people here, and they were doing okay originally," Ning Yi walked towards the room inside, saying, "Grandmother, father, a four-year-old daughter. When the Jurchens attacked the city, the family didn't have much to eat, and they didn't have much money. The man went to defend the city and asked the bailiff to take care of the two people left here. Then the man died on the city wall, and the bailiff couldn't take care of them. The old woman, she caught a cold. She was also afraid that there would be chaos in the city and someone would break into the house to rob things, so she bolted the door. Then... the old woman died of illness, cold, and hunger. The four-year-old girl also starved to death in here..."

The room was filled with the stench of corpses. Ning Yi stood at the door and shone a torch inside. It was a cold and messy ordinary home. Although Shi Shi had adapted to the stench on the battlefield, she still covered her nose, but she didn't understand what Ning Yi meant by saying these things. Such things were happening in the city every day. The people who died on the city walls were even more miserable and numerous.

"When I heard about this upstairs, I was thinking that many years later, when people talk about the Jurchens coming south this time, and talk about Bianliang, they'll say that tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people died, and that the Jurchens were so cruel. They'll start scolding the Jurchens, but in their hearts, they won't have any concept of it. They scold because they feel it's very satisfying to do so. They feel that they've fulfilled their responsibility as a Han Chinese, even if they haven't actually done anything. When they talk about hundreds of thousands of people, all the weight won't be even one ten-thousandth of what happened in this room. An old woman died of illness, cold, and hunger, slowly dying while enduring it. That little girl... no one cared. Her stomach became more and more hungry. First she cried, then she couldn't even cry anymore. She slowly stuffed all sorts of things into her mouth, and then she also starved to death..."

Ning Yi said these things calmly, and the torch drooped down, silent for a moment.

"Coming into the city wasn't to argue with those people. If they want to dismantle, we'll fight, who cares... Prime Minister Qin is running around for the negotiation, and he's not at home during the day. I came to see some people and arrange some trivial matters. A few months ago, I set off north to do my part and organize the Jurchens from coming south. Now that things have been done, even more troublesome things have come. Unlike last time, this time I haven't figured out what I should do, what I can do. There are many things I can do, but no matter what I do, there's no turning back once the arrow is released, and it's difficult to do. If possible, I'd like to retire successfully and leave..."

Shi Shi was slightly confused. She was standing next to Ning Yi at this time, so she gently and carefully tugged at his sleeve. Ning Yi frowned, his ferocity revealed, but then he also tilted his head slightly and smiled.

"You saw people die like this on the city walls, and I saw it outside the city, their stomachs cut open by knives, their hands and feet chopped off. Just like these people who slowly starved to death in the city, their deaths have weight. This thing can't be thrown away, and it's hard to pick it up. How to pick it up is also a big problem."

When he said these words, there was an unconcealable ferocity in his eyes, but then he turned around, waved his hand towards the door, and walked over. Shi Shi asked hesitantly, "Li Heng, could it be... that you're also disheartened and want to leave?"

"It's not quite the same as that, I'm still thinking," Ning Yi shook his head, "I'm not some kind of killing maniac. So many people have died in front of me. Actually, what I'm thinking is similar to what you're thinking. It's just that the more complex things inside are hard to say. It's getting late, and I have to go to the Prime Minister's Mansion later. I'll send someone to take you back. No matter what I do next, you should know. As for the group of people looking for trouble with the Wu Rui Camp, you don't have to worry. They're just clowns. Even if there are hundreds of thousands of people following them, a coward is still a coward."

Shi Shi then nodded. After reuniting after several months, she still couldn't see Ning Yi clearly this evening. This was a different kind of unclear than before.

The door of the courtyard closed behind them.

The wind and snow continued to fall, and the lanterns on the carriages were lit, heading in different directions in the city. On the streets, the watchman carried a lantern, and the patrolling soldiers passed through the snowflakes. When Shi Shi's carriage entered Fanlou, Ning Yi's carriages had already entered the Right Prime Minister's Mansion. He passed through the garden and walked towards the Prime Minister Qin's study, which was still lit.

The night was deep and dark, and sparse lights flickered...

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