景翰 14th Year, Second Month, Twenty-first Day, South of Taiyuan, Qixian, Spring Rain.

The sky was so dark it felt like it was about to fall.

The rain beat down, chilling to the bone.

The horse galloped, lost and panicked. Chen Yanshu's vision blurred, and then with a thud, he fell from the horse. He rolled a few times, stood up, swaying, already covered in mud.

Several bodyguards rushed over, some dismounting to help him, speaking words, but met with Chen Yanshu's vacant gaze and slightly opening and closing lips.

"...Lord Chen, Lord Chen, what's wrong? Are you alright..."

The sound of their voices seemed to come from a great distance, and then drifted far away.

Two hours earlier, the Wusheng Army had launched an attack on Shuliesu's army.

After the defeat outside Bianliang City, hundreds of thousands of soldiers scattered and were later reassembled. Chen Yanshu's Wusheng Army, cobbled together, gathered more than 50,000 men, making it the largest of the various armies.

On this journey north, Chen Yanshu not only sought reinforcements from the rear but also, in the name of the court, gathered garrison troops and volunteer armies from the surrounding areas. When Zong Han stationed troops in Taiyuan, he had conducted some sweeping and looting of the southern front of Taiyuan. Later, Zong Wang's army passed through, disrupting the defensive arrangements in these areas. However, the arrival of the Wusheng Army and the issuance of orders still garnered considerable response and support. As a result, south of Taiyuan City, when Chen Yanshu finally decided to launch an attack on Shuliesu, the entire army had grown to a size of 70,000 men.

But the problems within it were also quite serious.

Among the 50,000 soldiers brought from Bianliang, desertions occurred daily. He had to use high-pressure tactics to maintain military discipline. The volunteer armies gathered from all directions had enthusiasm but were chaotic, with mixed formations and varying equipment. On the surface, people arrived daily, responding to the call to lift the siege of Taiyuan, but the internal structure of the Wusheng Army had become a complete mess.

But he didn't have many options. As the orders from the rear became more insistent, on the morning of the twenty-first, he forced the army to launch an attack.

The army, as difficult to move as a mountain, disintegrated in the subsequent spring rain, like mud and sand in the rain.

The Jurchen soldiers swept in, and he could only flee for his life. By the time he got here, he was truly exhausted.

The guards shook his arm, calling out to him. They saw that the high-ranking official, at the head of an army, had mud smeared on half his face, and his eyes were wandering vacantly in the air. His lips opened and closed, as if he were saying something.

"...It's over...it's over...if only I hadn't..."

"Lord, what are you saying!? Lord, wake up...the Jurchens are still behind us—"

"...If only I hadn't...it's over..." He waved his hand violently, shouting "Ah—", startling everyone. Then they saw Chen Yanshu rush forward with his sword drawn. A guard tried to snatch the sword from him and was almost cut. Chen Yanshu staggered forward, holding the sword upside down, the blade against his neck, as if to slash. He took a few stumbling steps, then grasped the hilt with both hands, trying to stab himself in the heart with the blade. The surroundings were gloomy, rain fell, and in the end, Chen Yanshu didn't dare to stab. He shouted hysterically, knelt on the ground, and cried out to the sky.

"Ah—if only I hadn't! It's over—"

The cry was accompanied by a chilling sob.

"It's over...the Wu Dynasty is over—"

Finally, he plunged the sword into his heart. Blood bubbled out, Chen Yanshu stared with wide eyes, and finally let out two gurgling sounds. The cry, like an ominous prophecy, echoed in the air.

No one knows what Chen Yanshu said here at the end. Soon after, several guards cut off his head and surrendered to the pursuing Jurchens.

The war outside Taiyuan City, in the spring rain, was tragic and uneventful. Hundreds of miles away in Bianliang City, no one yet knew the outcome of the Wusheng Army's northward relief effort. In these days, the situation in the capital was full of twists and turns, like a fire burning fiercely, undergoing drastic changes.

The court had still not made a decision to reinforce Taiyuan. Although the Wusheng Army had been sent north, the results of the battle outside Bianliang City were clear for all to see. Ordinary people might not have a clear idea, but among the many scholars and even officials, there was a great deal of daily discussion. Taiyuan had not yet fallen, so the discussions became even more intense.

Amidst these discussions, the scholars' petitions continued daily, either requesting troops or calling for national revitalization, reform of the military system, and removal of treacherous officials. Behind these statements, countless forces were manipulating events, and some radical demands were brewing and fermenting. For example, Chen Dong, a student of the Imperial Academy and one of the leading voices of public opinion known for his outspokenness, petitioned outside the imperial city, demanding the execution of the "Seven Tigers" in the court.

These "Seven Tigers" included: Cai Jing, Liang Shicheng, Li Yan, Zhu Mian, Wang Fu, Tong Guan, and Qin Siyuan.

"Today's affairs are caused by Cai Jing's corruption in the front, Liang Shicheng's conspiracies in the back. Li Yan has made enemies in the Northwest, Zhu Mian has made enemies in the Southeast, and Wang Fu, Tong Guan, and Qin Siyuan have made enemies with Liao and Jin, creating border disputes. These seven tigers should be executed and their heads displayed in all directions to appease the world!"

That's roughly the meaning of the "Seven Tigers" theory.

Qin Siyuan was a recent addition to the list of treacherous officials. Since assisting Li Gang, Qin Siyuan had implemented mostly harsh policies and strict measures, making many enemies. During the defense of Bianliang, the court called for the defense of the city, with each household contributing manpower and taxes, all orchestrated by the Right Chancellor's office. During this period, many instances of abuse of power occurred, such as petty officials taking advantage of their power to conscript people for the battlefield to rape women, which were later exposed. After the defenders of the city sacrificed themselves, Qin Siyuan ordered all the bodies to be burned, which was also a major problem. Later, during negotiations with the Jurchens, the delivery of grain and herbs was also led entirely by the Right Chancellor's office.

In the past, Qin Siyuan's reputation among the people was at most that of a cruel official. But with the deliberate fomenting of public opinion in recent times, even with Bamboo News trying to exonerate him, negative comments about Qin Siyuan were rampant. The greater reason for this was that ordinary people preferred to criticize than to praise, especially since Qin Siyuan had indeed done many things that went against popular sentiment.

Among the three heroes of the defense of Bianliang, Li Gang, Zhong Shidao, and Qin Siyuan, if people had to find a villain, Qin Siyuan was undoubtedly the most qualified.

Tracing the roots, the forces behind these comments were various and related to the ever-changing situation in the court. A few days earlier, Qin Siyuan had already claimed illness and requested to resign. But along with that came an increasing number of memorials attacking and impeaching Qin Siyuan. Initially, they were based on rumors, such as Qin Siyuan providing food and supplies to the Jurchens, causing widespread resentment – which was absurd. Qin Siyuan was responsible, but the orders had to come from above. After the first few people were imprisoned, the later memorials became increasingly substantial.

Such as some of Qin Siyuan's expedient measures during his tenure as Right Chancellor, such as giving the Wuru Camp a backdoor for military pay, and such as the dark deeds he had done to so-and-so. Zhou Zhe tried his best to protect Qin Siyuan, throwing these people into prison one by one, until the number became too great and he stopped, instead resorting to reprimands. At the same time, he regarded Qin Siyuan's claim of illness as an expedient measure to avoid suspicion, stating: "I absolutely trust the Right Chancellor. The Right Chancellor need not worry. I will clear your name!" He also rejected Qin Siyuan's resignation.

Subsequently, Qin Hui took the lead in submitting a memorial, arguing that although the Right Chancellor was innocent and selfless, according to custom, with so many people impeaching him, the Three Divisions should jointly try him to clear his name. Zhou Zhe rejected this again: "The Jurchens have just left, and the Right Chancellor is a meritorious official for defending the city. I have not yet rewarded his merits, and now I am to do this. Would this not make people think that I am one to discard the bow after the birds are gone, and slaughter the dogs after the rabbits are caught? I naturally trust the Right Chancellor, and this matter is not to be mentioned again!"

These superficial gestures could not conceal the thunder brewing in the dark. On Ning Yi's side, some merchants related to Bamboo News began to inquire or probe, and all kinds of rumors were circulating in secret. Since handing over the things in his possession to Qin Siyuan, Ning Yi's attention had returned to Bamboo News, making many adjustments internally. As he had told Hongti, if the Right Chancellor lost power, Bamboo News and the Secret Intelligence Division had to separate immediately, cutting off their tails to survive. Otherwise, once the official forces took over, the things in his hands would inevitably become someone else's wedding dress.

The core of Bamboo News, which he had managed for so long, he naturally still wanted.

Of course, the time for such a split had not yet come. The people in the court had already shown an aggressive posture, but Qin Siyuan's retreat and silence might not be a strategy. Perhaps the Emperor, after attacking for a while, would realize that he was not retaliating and would believe that he had no selfish motives. On the other hand, the old man had also confined Qin Shaoqian to the mansion, not allowing him to manipulate the Wuru Camp any further, waiting for the Emperor to find someone to take over – this was also something that could not be helped.

However, Taiyuan was truly being cooked in the fire. The one-eyed Qin Second Young Master was anxious in the courtyard every day, practicing boxing all day long, beating his hands bloody. He was no longer a young man, and he understood what was happening. Precisely because he understood, the torment in his heart was even greater. One day, Ning Yi went over to talk to Qin Shaoqian. Qin Shaoqian's hands were bloody, but he didn't bandage them. He spoke relatively calmly, chatting with Ning Yi for a while. Then Ning Yi saw him fall silent, his hands clenched into fists, his teeth grinding.

"Liheng, Taiyuan is still fighting!" He saw Qin Shaoqian raise his head, his eyes bloodshot and red, veins throbbing on his forehead. "Big Brother is still in the city, Taiyuan is still fighting. I am unwilling..."

Ning Yi was silent for a moment, and squeezed out a sentence: "I have already sent people to rescue him."

Qin Shaoqian gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling, and stopped for a long time.

Coming out of the Prime Minister's residence, on the surface he had nothing to do. Besides communicating with some big merchants, these days, a relative came to visit, Song Yongping.

This brother-in-law from a bureaucratic family had previously passed the imperial examination and later, with Ning Yi's help, had been assigned a good county as a magistrate. When the Jurchens came south, a Jurchen cavalry unit had raided his county. Song Yongping had carefully surveyed the nearby terrain and, with the fearlessness of youth, had actually used the terrain near the county to repel the Jurchens, killing dozens of them and even seizing some warhorses. When the war first subsided and merits were determined, the Right Chancellor's faction held real power and conveniently reported a great achievement for him. Ning Yi naturally didn't know about this. Now, Song Yongping had come to the capital to be promoted, but as soon as he entered the city, he realized that the situation in the capital was changing rapidly, and a storm was brewing.

At this time, Song Yongping was somewhat more mature. Although he had heard some bad rumors, he still came to Bamboo News and visited Ning Yi, and then stayed at Bamboo News.

After all, he didn't have a deep understanding of the overall situation. These days, he talked to Ning Yi, but mostly spoke with Su Wenfang. Previously, Song Yongping was the pride of the Song family, far more intelligent than unruly children like Su Wenfang of the Su family. But this time, he realized that this cousin from the Su family had also become mature and steady, to the point that even he, who had been a magistrate, couldn't quite understand him. He occasionally asked about the size of the problem, and the methods of extricating himself from officialdom, but Su Wenfang only smiled modestly.

"Things can be big or small...Brother-in-law should have a way."

"It's useless for us to worry."

Su Wenfang said this every time, and Song Yongping felt somewhat anxious. He was also an aspiring scholar, whose ultimate goal was to become a prime minister-like figure in the imperial court. He felt that even if he was young, he might be able to think of a way to help others out of trouble. He pondered hard for these days, and on this day at the end of February, when he met Ning Yi and Su Wenfang for lunch, he began to inquire about the details.

"As the saying goes, two heads are better than one. Since I was a child, I grew up in a bureaucratic family and was influenced by what I saw and heard every day. I also know a thing or two about the affairs of the court. This time I came here and heard about the situation and am really worried. I wonder to what extent the situation has become serious, and I hope that Brother-in-law will not hesitate to tell me. Although I am not talented, my father still has some connections in the court. Although I cannot interfere in the affairs of the prime minister, if Brother-in-law wants to extricate himself from these businesses, there may be a way..."

He was very enthusiastic, and Ning Yi couldn't refuse. He nodded and thought for a moment, then picked out some things that he could say and gave a rough explanation. During this time, Song Yongping asked a few questions, and Ning Yi answered them. He wanted Song Yongping to feel at ease, so it was impossible for him to tell him everything, such as the game between the Emperor and the Prime Minister, and the participation of Cai Jing and Tong Guan, and so on. He had only spoken for a moment when suddenly a commotion came from the front of Bamboo News. The three of them got up and walked outside. Then someone came to report that some people were causing trouble in the front.

"Who are they?"

"Some hooligans. It seems that the Grand Commandant's mansion is behind it."

The Bamboo News members who remained in the capital had already been tested for a long time. When they came to report, they had already figured out the situation. Ning Yi and Su Wenfang looked at each other and went out from the side door. When they got to the road, they saw that the restaurant in front of Bamboo News had already begun to be smashed.

Song Yongping frowned: "The Grand Commandant's mansion dares to make trouble on the surface. They are not afraid of tearing their faces. Has the situation become so serious?"

Ning Yi looked around and saw Gao Mu'en's figure in the room upstairs across the street.

"Boss, what should we do?" The Bamboo News member asked.

"Don't confront them head-on." Song Yongping said to the side, then lowered his voice, "Grand Commandant Gao has the position of Commander of the Palace Guards. Confronting him head-on in Bianliang will only play into his hands. Since the other party has called in hooligans, we might as well report it to the authorities."

The Bamboo News clerk was waiting for Ning Yi's attitude. Ning Yi nodded: "Let them smash. But we don't need to report it to the authorities. Let them go."

Song Yongping was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "Indeed. If we report it to the authorities, the other party will say that there is no smoke without fire, and it will also be troublesome..."

He was a smart person, and he understood as soon as he heard it. Ning Yi also nodded slightly in appreciation. Looking at the Bamboo News restaurant, he whispered to the clerk: "Go and tell everyone to come out, avoid them a little, so they don't get hurt."

Being bullied to this extent in the capital, Song Yongping and Su Wenfang couldn't help but feel depressed. Looking at the restaurant not far away, in Song Yongping's view, Ning Yi's mood must be about the same. At this time, a team of yamen runners came over from the road and rushed into the Bamboo News building.

Song Yongping thought that this was the other party's follow-up move, and his brows furrowed even more. He only heard someone shout: "Arrest the troublemakers!" The troublemakers seemed to want to argue, and then they were beaten up. When someone was dragged out, Song Yongping realized that these yamen runners were actually going after the troublemaking hooligans. He then saw other people rush across the street and go upstairs to arrest people. A voice came from the building: "What are you doing! My father is Gao Qiu—Who are you—" It was actually Gao Mu'en who was taken down.

Song Yongping and the others were confused. On the other side of the road, a middle-aged man in a black robe walked over. First, he cupped his hands towards Ning Yi, then also gestured to Song Yongping and Su Wenfang. Ning Yi cupped his hands in return. The other party took another step closer and said a few words in a low voice.

"This humble one is Cai Qi, steward of Grand Tutor Cai's mansion. Grand Tutor Cai invites Mr. Ning to his mansion for a chat."

He didn't speak loudly, and Song Yongping didn't hear him clearly. Ning Yi said: "Now?"

The other party nodded, gestured, and a carriage came over from the other side of the road. Ning Yi nodded, looked at Song Yongping and Su Wenfang, and said: "You guys eat first. I'll go out for a while." After speaking, he walked over there.

Su Wenfang frowned, but Song Yongping was a little excited, pulling on Su Wenfang's sleeve: "Grand Tutor Cai, it seems that Grand Tutor Cai also values Brother-in-law's talent. Now there is a turning point. Even if something happens, he can play both sides..."

Su Wenfang did not speak. At this time, a galloping horse rushed past him. The rider's clothing showed that he was from Bamboo News.

The rider reined in the horse hard next to Ning Yi, startling everyone. Then they saw the rider dismount and give Ning Yi a small paper tube. Ning Yi pulled out the letter inside and opened it to take a look.

The long street was chaotic. The hooligans who were being escorted out were still struggling, walking forward. Gao Mu'en was shouting and making a fuss over there. The onlookers were pointing and chattering, buzzing, buzzing, buzzing...

Buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing buzzing —

The vast sky was shrouded in darkness.

Ning Yi stood by the carriage looking at the information in his hand. After a long time, he raised his head.

"...Mr. Ning, Mr. Ning?"

The middle-aged man in the black robe spoke next to him. Ning Yi slowly turned his face, his eyes sizing him up, as deep as an abyss, about to swallow people in. The next moment, he seemed to say unconsciously: "Hmm?"

Then he said: "...Hmm."

He rolled up the letter and got into the carriage.

When he lifted the curtain of the car, the wind blew past.

An era had passed...

February 25th, Taiyuan fell. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my biggest motivation. Read.)