The winter snow had completely melted away.

In mid-March, as the Jurchens finally retreated north from Taiyuan, the nation, having endured immense suffering, began to awaken from the sudden blow it had received. In Bianliang City, changes within the upper echelons of the political landscape occurred gradually, like thawing ice water in spring, slowly transforming from trickles into a vast river. Following the Emperor's edict of self-reproach, the various changes and incentives that had been brewing were now being implemented.

The meritorious officials and armies in this war had their rewards and titles confirmed and bestowed. Both inside and outside the capital, the preferential treatment and compensation for the numerous deceased were being announced and implemented piece by piece. The officialdom in the capital was turbulent yet solemn. Some corrupt officials were being investigated and punished. At least for the common people and scholars in the capital, the Wu Dynasty court, due to the pain brought by the Jurchen invasion, was being reorganized and revitalized, a process that was comforting and moving.

The purification of the political situation, coupled with the influx of merchants and travelers from all directions after the siege of the capital throughout the winter, created a vibrant atmosphere throughout the city. The literati continued to hold poetry gatherings, the themes of which largely revolved around the spirit of learning from shame and striving for improvement, interspersed with poems of condemnation against the brutality of the Jurchens, likening them to beasts and pigs. Some great scholars also wrote grand and insightful articles, detailing the differences between humans and animals, arguing that the Jurchen Tartars were savage by nature, violating the principles of heaven and humanity, and would eventually meet a bad end. These articles circulated among the literati, stirring up emotions and igniting passions, making people willingly praise the sharpness of their pens.

This was how the situation in the capital appeared to ordinary people. However, in the upper echelons of officialdom, discerning individuals knew that a massive storm had been brewing for a long time and was about to erupt. This was a major battle concerning whether the ministers who had made great contributions in the defense of the city could ascend to the top in one step. One side consisted of the old forces represented by Cai Jing, Tong Guan, and Wang Fu, while the other side consisted of the two Prime Ministers, Li and Qin, who had finally found the best opportunity after being heavily relied upon by the Emperor for several years. Once they overcame this hurdle, the power of the two Prime Ministers would be truly solidified, making them giants capable of directly confronting Cai Jing and Tong Guan.

The brewing of this storm led to a flurry of private activities among officials, either seeking self-preservation or choosing sides. Even minor officials in the court were, to varying degrees, affected, becoming aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Yu Hezhong and Chen Sifeng were two such individuals.

As friends of Li Shishi, their starting points were not particularly high. Through some connections at home or self-promotion, they now held minor positions in the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Personnel, respectively. Recently, they had been surrounded by a large amount of political inside information, including some concerning Ning Yi.

In the capital, the connection point between the political situation and the common people was often places like the Fanlou brothel. Officials who came to Fanlou would occasionally reveal some information, which would then be transmitted through the brothel's information channels to the wealthy families in the upper echelons of the common people. This information was mostly ambiguous, with a mix of truth and falsehood. Yu and Chen would occasionally come here to talk about these matters.

"...A few days ago, Luo Shengzhou, the martial arts champion, went to take over the Wu Rui Camp outside the city. In less than an hour, he was seriously injured and driven out in disgrace. The Ministry of War is currently handling this matter, and the Ministry of Personnel has also intervened. Others may not know, but I do. That Wu Rui Camp is under the command of General Qin Shaoqian, and Li Heng is also among them... To be honest, going against the higher-ups like this is not smart for Li Heng."

In the small courtyard where Li Shishi resided in Fanlou, Chen Sifeng lowered his voice as he spoke about this matter. Li Shishi frowned and poured tea for him: "Has anything gone wrong now?"

"Luo Shengzhou is a member of Tan Zhen's faction. How could Lord Tan possibly save face after such a thing? Moreover, the atmosphere is tense inside and outside the capital right now, especially in the Ministry of War, which is currently of utmost importance. Such a thing must be thoroughly investigated. The Wu Rui Camp made great contributions during the defense of the city and is unruly. Perhaps even Prince Tong will be alarmed."

Yu Hezhong said, "Li Heng, after all, doesn't hold an official position. In the past, his actions have been characterized by chivalry and recklessness. It's inevitable that he's a bit regardless now. Alas, it's hard to say..."

The two didn't interact much with Ning Yi on a regular basis. Although they were childhood friends because of Li Shishi, in reality, they couldn't reach the level of people Ning Yi came into contact with in the capital. Whether it was his reputation as the number one talent, his dealings with the Right Prime Minister, or his ownership of the vast business empire of Zhuji, Li Shishi frequented the two of them because of her obsession. However, Ning Yi did not. Unless necessary, he didn't even look for Li Shishi much, let alone Yu and Chen. Therefore, when talking about Ning Yi's troubles at this time, the two of them might have even had a bit of a wait-and-see attitude. Of course, there was no malice.

Li Shishi then asked, "What exactly happened in the military camp?"

Chen Sifeng shook his head: "I'm not very clear about how Luo Shengzhou was injured. However, Shishi, you don't need to worry too much. Although Li Heng has a relationship with the Wu Rui Camp, he's not the real commander. Why would he be asked to bear such a great responsibility?"

After all, he wasn't very clear about the matter of the Wu Rui Camp. He said it might be related to Ning Yi, but after thinking carefully, how could Ning Yi stir up such a big thing at this critical moment? Subsequently, the group changed the topic and talked about some other gossip,

such as the recent activities of the pro-peace faction led by Tang Ke, the apparent neglect of Zhong Shidao, and the gatherings of Cai Jing's top lieutenants, among other things.

Li Shishi had good sources of information, but it was impossible for her to know everything. At this time, after hearing about the Wu Rui Camp, she was somewhat worried. She couldn't possibly go to Ning Yi and ask about it because of this matter. In the following days, she learned from several generals that the matter of the Wu Rui Camp had been resolved, and Li Bingwen, a confidant of Tong Guan, had personally taken over the Wu Rui Camp. This time, nothing went wrong.

During this period, she also inquired about the matter of Luo Shengzhou's serious injury.

"...That Luo Shengzhou was born as a martial arts champion and was confident in his martial arts skills. When he went to the Wu Rui Camp, he wanted to suppress people with force. As a result, he fought against someone in the army... In the first round, both were unarmed, and Luo Shengzhou knocked the other person to the ground. In the second round, however, weapons were used. The soldiers of the Wu Rui Camp had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How could they be easily provoked? It's said that both sides exchanged a knife, and both were seriously injured..."

Although the general who came to talk about the matter of the Wu Rui Camp was simple, it was also thrilling. Subsequently, he unexpectedly added a sentence that surprised Li Shishi: "As for that Ning Yi you mentioned, is he the one from Zhuji? I've also heard some things."

"Hmm?" Li Shishi's eyes widened.

Being able to perform in front of Li Shishi, the general was quite proud: "It's said that after Luo Shengzhou entered the Wu Rui Camp, although he was somewhat unaware of his own limitations and ended up disgraced, he was, after all, a trusted confidant of Lord Tan. The person who fought against him was just a mere soldier. After the surname Luo was seriously injured, the Wu Rui Camp couldn't accept him. How could he swallow that breath? The Ministry of War wanted to severely punish that soldier according to military law. It's said that Luo Shengzhou also released words, determined to take that soldier's life. In the past few days, it was that Ning Liheng from Zhuji who came forward to run around, looking for many connections, begging his grandfathers and grandmothers, and also entrusting several adults to come forward, and finally saved that soldier..."

"Privately, it's also heard that Luo Shengzhou used some means, but up to now, he has not succeeded after all." The general said, "Speaking of which, this Mr. Ning went to such great lengths for a mere soldier and finally got things done. He has the style of ancient knights, and I also admire him very much. Now that Prince Tong has come forward to take over, there shouldn't be any more trouble."

That's what the other party said. After clarifying the ins and outs, Li Shishi felt a little uneasy. At this time, in the changing situation in the capital, the Left Prime Minister Li Gang wanted to ascend to the top, and Cai Jing and Tong Guan wanted to prevent it. This was the most discussed topic among the people. For the lower-level people, they liked to see the villain suffer and the loyal minister ascend to the top. During the years when Li Gang was Prime Minister, his character was upright and honest, and his reputation among the people was very good. Everyone was clear about Cai Jing and others forming factions and engaging in private dealings. In this political struggle, although it was rumored that Cai, Tong, and others wanted to deal with Prime Minister Li, Li Gang's upright and upright style left the other party with no way to start. Although various memorials flew around in the court, there was almost no impeachment of Li Gang. When others talked about this matter, they all felt a little joyful.

After Li Gang was Zhong Shidao. Passing Zhong Shidao, Qin Siyuan's figure appeared in the eyes of many people. The Qin family had mixed reputations, with both those who praised and those who were pessimistic. But in general, the Wu Rui Camp's victory over Guo Yaoshi at Xiacun and Qin Shaohe's martyrdom in Taiyuan made the Qin family still quite promising. But... since they were so promising, why would it become so troublesome for Liheng to stand up for a soldier?

She had been in the news circle in the capital for so many years, and she already had the ability to sense things before they happened. Every major event, factional struggle, and court infighting in the capital, although it wouldn't accurately reflect in Fanlou's information system in the first instance, one could always sort out some clues from the chaotic and complex news if one was mindful.

In the next two or three days, she felt even more uneasy in her heart with various news. The Qin family had lost their eldest son in this Jurchen invasion, and the second young master was now being deprived of his military power. Could it be that this time in this chaotic vortex, the knife was actually going to be cut on the Right Prime Minister's residence?

That night, she met Mama Li Yun. During a casual chat, she heard Mama Li say: "That Ning Liheng's Zhiyan Tower might as well be sold to me."

Li Shishi was stunned: "What?"

Ning Yi founded Zhuji, and the restaurants were opened one after another. This Zhiyan Tower was one of the restaurants in the capital. Li Yun glanced at her: "I'm not very clear either. I just heard someone say this unintentionally, saying that the Zhiyan Tower seems to have been mortgaged to someone else. Since you don't even know, it might be false. Hmm, have you not gone to find him recently?"

Li Shishi's eyes were puzzled, and she said: "He's too busy, and I can't always go looking for him. Besides, Fanlou and Zhuji..." She said to here, thought of the decision Li mama made at the beginning of the year, regarding the large-scale publicity and collection of war stories by Zhuji, Li mama did not let Fanlou cooperate, although she did not stop Shishi and others from helping, but in reality, there was an attitude of staying out of the matter. Thinking of this, Shishi looked at her and said: "Mama, could it be that you... had already guessed..."

"Guessed what?" Li Yun blinked her eyes.

"Guessed... the Right Prime Minister would lose power..."

"How would I know?" Li Yun hesitated for a moment, "However, you're also guessing this matter? I've only recently felt that the wind sounds a little wrong. If it's true, then your nemesis is preparing to withdraw south... What a pity, I've always felt that he's really a powerful character."

Shishi fell silent. Li Yun looked at her for a while and consoled: "You don't need to think too much. How can the officialdom's killing be so simple? Until the end, it's hard to say who the winner is. That Ning Liheng knows more inside information than you and I do. If you're really curious in your heart, just go find him and ask. What's so difficult about that?"

Shishi nodded.

That night, she was thinking about this matter in the room, and various thoughts came to her mind. What was strange was that she didn't care about the Right Prime Minister's loss of power. The thought that lingered in her mind was actually Mama Li's sentence "Your nemesis is preparing to withdraw south." In the past, when Mama Li said this, she naturally had many ways to retort coquettishly. But at this time, she suddenly realized that she really cared about this point.

He might be leaving?

Looking back, from the reunion with Ning Yi to the present, the relationship between the two was actually a little strange, and even tasted a little unreal when chewed carefully. They said they were old acquaintances, but even when they were young, they had not had much contact. After the reunion, at first, she regarded him as a man who had married into the family without any ability. Later, she gradually discovered the strangeness. He wrote poetry well, was the number one talent in Jiangning, and had a strange personality. Getting along with him didn't feel the same as being with Yu Hezhong and Chen Sifeng.

Later, he came to the capital, he went to Shandong, slaughtered the Liangshan bandits, cooperated with the Right Prime Minister's residence to provide disaster relief, and cracked down on hoarding gentry and merchants. He had been hunted down by the Green Forest people all along, but no one could succeed. Then the Jurchens invaded the south. He went out of the city to the battlefield, and in the end, he survived through great difficulties, but he still accomplished great things... She hadn't fully accepted that she had such a powerful friend, and suddenly, he might be leaving.

All of this was not without clues. All along, his personality was relatively direct. The Liangshan bandits came to his house to kill people, and he went directly over and wiped out Liangshan. The Green Forest people came to kill him, and he killed them back without mercy. The local gentry and wealthy merchants hoarded grain to harm people. Their power was so great, but he still had no fear. During this Jurchen invasion, he also faced the danger and went up. The last time we met, when talking about the Taiyuan matter, he was a little frustrated in his tone. At this time, if the Right Prime Minister's residence really lost power, it wouldn't be strange for him to choose to leave.

But suddenly... he was leaving...

Recently, the situation in the capital had been changing rapidly, and it was difficult for ordinary people to see clearly. He was obviously running around everywhere, and the two had not met since the Lantern Festival. That night, she hugged the quilt and suddenly thought: If he was leaving, would he come and tell her?

Then she felt that their relationship was not as good as she thought.

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

The quiet night gradually passed.

While a large number of people were watching outside the chaotic vortex, some people were struggling in a difficult situation.

The next day was the eighteenth day of March in the fourteenth year of Jinghan. In the Right Prime Minister's residence, various trees and plants were sprouting new, tender green branches and buds, and flowers were blooming, full of spring.

In the afternoon, a large number of soldiers and officials announcing the imperial decree entered the Prime Minister's residence. Due to the various accusations and impeachments in the court and the public outcry, Zhou Zhe was forced to have the Three Divisions jointly try a series of cases of Qin Siyuan during his tenure as Prime Minister in order to restore his innocence.

After some twists and turns, the command of the Wu Rui Camp had been taken over by Tong Guan's faction.

Then on this day, Qin Siyuan was imprisoned.

When Ning Yi stepped into the Prime Minister's residence, there was not much sorrow in the Right Prime Minister's residence. The old lady of the Qin family, who had fallen ill due to Qin Shaohe's death a few days ago, was now in charge of the family's affairs, directing the family's servants and relatives to pack their things, ready to leave at any time. And when Qin Shaoqian wanted to make trouble in indignation, it was also this usually kind old lady who stopped him with a cane in a stern voice.

To prevent the situation on this day, it would be unfair to say that the Right Prime Minister's residence's counselors were not acting. When they realized the crisis was coming, everyone, including Ning Yi, had secretly done a lot of things to try to change it. But since they realized that this matter originated from the emperor high above, everyone was also prepared for the futility of the matter.

Including that old lady.

"...His (Qin Siyuan's) life was for the country and the people, and he has a clear conscience. Now that the emperor wants him to leave, then we'll leave. The Wu Dynasty was founded without killing scholars. He has contributed to the country, and they have to give him a way out."

That white-haired old woman said that.

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