February 16th, Weisheng, Qing Palace.

Every day, official duties piled up like mountains.

The weather remained cold, but the peach blossoms in the courtyard, dusted with patches of snow, were in bloom. Lou Shuwan seized the time to review the stacks of memorials on her desk, only occasionally looking up to let her mind relax briefly. The blooming peach blossoms reminded her of the somewhat hazy Jiangnan and the irresponsible life she had led in those days. That was truly delightful.

At one point in the middle, she still asked the maid Xiao Qiu to close the window. She muttered a few words, "This damned weather is getting colder and colder."

She rubbed her hands and continued to bury herself in the documents.

Women's bodies are always more sensitive to the cold. Although she had tried to practice some physical fitness qigong under the guidance of Shi Jin, Wang Juyun, and other masters in recent years, her mind was too active and scattered, making it difficult to enter a meditative state. Although her body was better than that of ordinary women, she still felt that progress was too slow.

Is there such a big difference between people? How did that damned Ning something from the Southwest train?

Although Shi Jin, Wang Juyun, and others had all solemnly said that the martial arts of that person in the Southwest were not necessarily as high as rumored, Lou Shuwan thought that he at least had first-class skills in the martial world. Otherwise, how dare he roar at Lin Zongwu like that on Mount Lüliang back then? Her mind is active, and so is he... Why?

The world is unfair.

Occasionally cursing the heavens and that damned Ning something from the Southwest was one of her ways of entertaining herself, and it could also be regarded as the source of her coordinates for doing things for so many years. Although she didn't understand the progress of her martial arts, she could one day figure it out:

That damned Ning something had probably been working day and night like herself all these years, reviewing memorials, reading news, attending meetings and engaging in games, walking forward cautiously, and thinking every moment about who was deceiving her and whether some information contained clues that she had missed...

There would be no other way.

Compared to the dark and suffocating situation and pressure of the past few years, the discouraging events, and the seemingly endless bad news, at least many things were temporarily going smoothly. The gratifying development of Jin was flowing before her eyes every day like a rushing river, with the information recorded on memorial after memorial. There were still many problems, but the knots were gradually showing signs of being untied.

The degree of annoyance was always somewhat relieved compared to the previous years.

The amount of time that could be allocated to reviewing these memorials each day was not long. In other times, there were meetings to be held. She needed to meet with representatives of many large families or forces to win them over, make decisions on major directions, and discuss progress and arrange the next steps with several ministers of the Jin Inner Cabinet on many specific matters, sometimes separately to win them over or suppress them.

Although the power was basically in her hands, in fact, her personal friendship with many civil servants in the court was not strong. She maintained a distant and business-like attitude with many people. Even with the team of advisors around her, her management was still based on the balance of power, not on personal connections.

A woman in power had a natural disadvantage in her identity. Getting too close to people made it easy for them to develop the intention to deceive and manipulate you. This was a painful lesson accumulated since the Tian Hu era.

Therefore, except for a relatively cordial trust in some people such as Yu Lin and Shi Jin, Lou Shuwan always showed impartiality rather than personal friendship when facing most officials. This ensured the integrity and insight of the Jin administration in some aspects, but it also made the female prime minister's governance foundation a bit like walking on thin ice in other aspects.

According to the dog's sarcastic remarks in the letter, this could only be regarded as a kind of "feudal integrity," like walking a tightrope, which may be maintained for a short time but would be difficult to last for long.

If she could establish a more useful team of disciples and staff like in the Southwest, her path should be able to be taken more steadily. But there was no way. She was not good at educating disciples, and it was difficult to form Ning Yi's "monarch"-like authority over her subordinates. Most of the time, people who understood the situation in Jin would express respect for her "impartiality" and "selflessness," but such respect was also easily disintegrated in the face of more explicit rights.

People like Shi Jin, who had their own firm and unwavering "Dao," were too rare. Even if Shi Jin's loyalty was worthy of her unconditional trust, she rarely let Shi Jin take on other work besides being a guard, such as intelligence gathering, for example, his views on certain things. Even if she occasionally asked, the perspective of a chivalrous person would be biased. Lou Shuwan cherished the fact that she didn't want him to get involved in more mundane affairs.

The plays always felt that the reason why a certain monarch was昏聩 was that he could not 任贤用能, but in fact, the most painful thing for people at the core of power was that they simply didn't know what information was true and what information was false. Most of the time, the balance of power was also hoping that three or more people could express several different perspectives in order to seek the truth from the collision of viewpoints, but once the lower-level personnel formed an alliance, even the most enlightened monarch could only see darkness.

Correct information is the basis of everything.

It was noon when she finished reviewing the memorials, so she called a few cabinet ministers for lunch and discussed the progress of various matters with them.

Negotiating cooperation with Zou Xu was one of the focuses of this recent period. For the outside world, the news that Jin was going to develop Taiyuan, and that the Bianliang Zou and Dai forces had supported and prepared to participate in it, had already caused quite a stir, bringing positive benefits, but in the specific direction of negotiations, the tug-of-war continued.

"...Zou Xu has put forward several trading methods again today... As before, most of them are of course what we want to sell, but there are always a few that we can't accept... In the middle of this, it involves firearms. After discussing with Master Yu, there are six to seven items, and Xiaocang River in the Northwest is one of them... Moreover, Zou Xu has hinted at several projects related to firearms, saying that if we can secretly take them out, they can offer a very high price..."

"...Master Yu and I have discussed this matter. To be honest, the prices he gave are indeed tempting. Several plans this year are bottomless pits... Moreover, Zou Xu said that they are in the initial stage of their business and that reputation is the most important thing in trading with all parties. Therefore, secret transactions will not allow them to take advantage of us, but of course, we refused at the time. However, I think Lou Xiang should take a look at these asking prices..."

The official negotiating with Zou Xu's team now belonged to the Jin Ministry of Households, which was Lou Shuwan's direct jurisdiction. His words were also more relaxed, saying the process and handing the book to Lou Shuwan. Lou Shuwan glanced at it while waving for the other party to sit down and eat, and almost dropped her chopsticks.

"Oh, the Zou family is offering so much..."

"We roughly estimated that after getting the family property of Liu Guangshi, Yin Zong, and Chen Shiquan, it is not surprising that they can come up with these things. After all, many are commodity deliveries, and we... are indeed lacking these."

"Sell me..."

"Lou Xiang is joking."

"I'm not joking. This nephew of mine is really rich and generous in his offers. This is what it means to be young, rich, and handsome. He also seems to have good character." She held the chopsticks in one hand and the book in the other, stared at it and smiled, then closed it and shook her head with a restrained smile, "In the afternoon, please have Master Cen throw these asking prices in the faces of those people on the opposite side."

"...The matter of firearms and the ownership of Xiaocang River are the bottom line of that person in the Southwest. There is no room for negotiation, and we cannot negotiate. Jin's current sigh of relief was obtained by begging Grandpa and Grandma in the Southwest. Our wings have not yet hardened, and we are leading us to deceive our ancestors and slap people in the face. Ask them, what exactly does Zou Xu want to do! Does he really not understand this principle, or is he dawdling and being long-winded, going around in circles with us all day long."

"Yes." The official surnamed Cen nodded, then, "...Are you really throwing it away?"

"Huh?"

Lou Shuwan raised her head, looking at him as if puzzled.

The other party also smiled after a moment.

"...Understood, this subordinate will handle it. However, according to the views of Master Yu and me, firearms and Xiaocang River are probably Zou Xu's exorbitant prices. When it comes to actually paying the money, the interests of Guanzhong and Tongguan seem to be the focus of their concern..."

"...It is also what should be." Lou Shuwan said while eating, "The Northwest is not only a barrier for Jin, but also connects the entire Central Plains. As long as he and Dai Mengwei are not blind, they will regard Guanzhong as the heartland. Now that Tongguan and Chang'an are in our hands, and he and Lao Dai only killed Liu Guangshi not long ago and are still clearing old debts, their foundations are not stable, so they can only negotiate with us. He also mentioned this the last time he came... I haven't completely figured it out yet."

There was a slight silence for a moment.

"...In any case, according to what Lao Ning said in his letter last month, Zou Xu is very capable of holding out. When negotiating with him, be prepared to go around in circles a lot. As for the ideas for Chang'an and Tongguan, endure, endure until they ask for it on their own initiative, and see how much they want it... In addition, if you really feel that something is wrong, throw the book or the stool directly at their faces, and say that I am angry, and let Zou Xu come to apologize to me in person, otherwise don't talk anymore. Jin is not indispensable to them."

Hearing her mention "Lao Ning" like this, the people below became slightly solemn and also breathed a sigh of relief. Lou Shuwan glanced at them and turned the topic to other places.

The negotiations between Jin and Zou Xu are now an important matter, but at least the publicity impact of Jin's development of Taiyuan has begun to be cashed in. Now, the cooperation intentions of various gentry and large merchants are gathering, and a large amount of materials are being mobilized for Taiyuan and the Northwest. Cooperation and coordination with the rebel army are being communicated and coordinated every day. These are all urgent matters, and there will be a general overview of each day's report.

These messages came in turn, and by the time they finished talking, it was almost an hour and a half later. Lou Shuwan hurriedly finished a few bites of the already cold food before talking about the two important matters for the afternoon.

"...As for the negotiations with the Jurchens to make peace, Lu Cheng has prepared everything and will set off north tomorrow. No matter whether this matter is effective or not, everyone should vigorously publicize it. In addition, the envoy from the Xia Army from Liangshan will arrive in Weisheng this afternoon. There are not many people coming, but the gongs, drums, and firecrackers have all been prepared at the East Gate. The Xia Army fully supports our reconstruction of Taiyuan. If you have time, release the wind on this matter as well."

Everyone stood up and agreed.

Not long after the meal, Lu Cheng, the envoy preparing to go to the Jin Kingdom, led several deputies to meet with Lou Shuwan. This was a middle-aged official in Jin who was eloquent and extremely adaptable. The news of his mission to the Jin Kingdom had also been spread around Weisheng for several days.

Going north to develop Taiyuan was an extremely ambitious and risky thing. Under normal circumstances, only the most radical speculators would choose to participate. Against this background, Zou Xu's proactive overtures provided Jin with some publicity convenience. At the same time, the female prime minister's sudden decision to negotiate with the Jin Kingdom gave everyone a more reassuring pill.

This was an extremely mature political skill.

In the past, the Jin Kingdom and Jin had deep-seated hatred. The female prime minister had also shown an extremely radical attitude in the process of resisting the Jin. After she did the thing of setting Weisheng on fire, most people would not dare to express the idea of绥靖 first. However, under the current situation, considering the rumors that had been circulating for a month about the new Jurchen monarch ascending the throne, power struggles, and the loss of power in the Western Palace, many people believed that Jin's expression of peace to the new Jurchen monarch Wanyan Dan at this time was very likely to receive a positive result.

Even if war was inevitable in a few years, at least the buffer period for developing Taiyuan could be extended as much as possible.

Especially after the female prime minister showed such a broad mind and such natural planning skills, many people in Jin even raised their understanding of her to a new level. In the days after the news was released, several gentry and representatives of large families in Weisheng City who were still hesitating successively proposed preliminary intentions to cooperate with the development of Taiyuan to Lou Shuwan.

"...When you go to the Jin Kingdom, just maintain an attitude that is neither humble nor arrogant. Today's Jin has demonstrated its strength in the past wars. It is not the Wu Dynasty that they can demand anything from, so there is no need to be obsequious and lower our posture. Wanyan Dan, the new monarch, has not been in power for long and wants to move a powerful minister like Zong Han. As long as they are not pigs, they will be willing to give Jin a hand..."

"...But there are also many barbarians in the Jin Kingdom. When a beast sees people, they bare their fangs and claws. As long as you take a step back, they will see your nervousness, and then you can only be manipulated and demanded at will. Therefore, Master Lu, the result of the negotiation should be as successful and as good as possible, but the most important thing is that barefoot people are not afraid of those who wear shoes. You must try to show that we in Jin are barefoot and they are wearing shoes. How long Jin can take the next breath depends on your trip to the north. I will represent the people of Jin and entrust it to Master Lu and everyone."

She solemnly instructed Lu Cheng and others, and they also stood up and solemnly cupped their hands.

"When we go to the north, we will try our best to visit all the important Jin officials we can visit to promote this matter. Even if it doesn't work out, yesterday I also discussed with Brother Feng and Brother Su and others. We can die there and never let them think that the Jin people have the slightest timidity."

"Don't die there."

Lou Shuwan shook her head.

The meeting with Lu Cheng and others lasted for a while, followed by the arrival of several gentry and merchants with considerable prestige in Jin. Lou Shuwan talked with them one by one in turn for a while before leading everyone to the East Gate of Weisheng to welcome the envoy of the Xia Army from Liangshan.

In addition to Zou Xu's statement and Lu Cheng's mission, the ostentatious welcome to the Xia Army envoy at the East Gate of Weisheng also confirmed the Xia Army's support for Jin's plan to develop Taiyuan.

The only fly in the ointment was that when the envoy arrived, Lou Shuwan discovered that this envoy from Liangshan named Fang Chengye had a pointed mouth and monkey cheeks, and looked like a small gangster. The only good thing was that his eyes were relatively calm.

According to the previously reported information, Fang Chengye was also Ning Yi's disciple. His hometown was in Zezhou, and he didn't know why he went to Xiaocang River to follow Ning Yi to learn some things. Later, he returned to Zezhou and had partnered with Zhan Wu for a period of time. He participated in the Tian Hu incident. However, she didn't know why, but after Tian Hu died, he left Jin and handed over all the work to Zhan Wu. Therefore, Lou Shuwan was meeting him for the first time.

Lou Shuwan always maintained curiosity about Ning Yi's disciples. This person was a different type from Zou Xu. Although he looked worse, she didn't know if it was because Liangshan had always lacked supplies that led to his leanness, but at least his eyes were stable and deep, and seemed to carry a hint of bitter depression.

--Most people who have seen troubled times have such expressions, but those who are capable like Zou Xu can mostly use heaven and earth as a chessboard and give free rein to their talents. His bitterness was more like the trauma after being powerless about world affairs. It was somewhat similar to Zhan Wu, as expected of people who had worked together.

The first entry into the city was just for publicity. On the surface, the Xia Army first supported Jin's construction of Taiyuan, but in fact, Lou Shuwan proposed to the Xia Army to send troops to capture the Northwest. The envoy sent by the other party was only dozens of people, saying that they would be responsible for some lobbying tasks. This made Lou Shuwan quite unhappy—or rather, even if she had expected from the beginning that the Xia Army would not really send troops to take the Northwest, a place of little value, her unhappiness on the surface was necessary.

After the lively welcome, everyone returned to the Qing Palace. Lou Shuwan waved everyone away and scolded Fang Chengye and Zhan Wu, who had both participated in the show. Unlike Xue Guangcheng's hard topping and Zhan Wu's veiled needles, Fang Chengye repeatedly apologized, expressing extreme humility on everything, but then also stated the various considerations for the Xia Army's inability to come with reason and evidence, and 表
said that with the Xia Army's power in Liangshan, it might be able to echo Taiyuan in the future, but naturally it would not be able to control the Northwest. If the female prime minister wanted that place, she could take it and play with it.

This person had no spirit, and there was no point in resisting. Lou Shuwan cursed Ning Yi a few times and waved the two away.

There was still some time left, so she continued to review memorials; at night, she stayed in the Qing Palace and continued to receive some officials and gentry.

In an ordinary day, she tried her best to keep her thoughts clear, and so on until the reception came to an end. She趴on her desk and rested for a while. When she woke up, the starry night outside was vast and the阆苑 was peaceful. Yuan Xiaoqiu put a cloak on her shoulders. She didn't know what time it was at night.

This was a common late night. She stretched in the cold air to wake herself up and returned to the desk in the study.

There were still some memorials that could be finished before she could go home and rest.

An ordinary, relatively easy day...

Soon, Shi Jin came in and told her an interesting piece of news.

...

The night's vision swept across the courtyard and palace walls of the Qing Palace, and after a relatively dim road, it lit up again.

Beside a teahouse in the bustling night market, Zou Xu and Fang Chengye met on the road. This time, there was no stalemate like Xue Guangcheng's assassination. The师兄弟 who had known each other for a long time greeted each other calmly, then went up to the teahouse and sat down in front of a window seat to brew a pot of new tea.

Many eyes were watching this scene in the dark, trying to discern some information of the exchange, but due to the noise of the night market and the occupation of the surrounding area by the accompanying personnel of both sides, no third person could hear the conversation.

...

"...I didn't expect it was you who came."

"...In troubled times, every meeting is one less. How have you been recently, Senior Brother?"

"...You know what I've done, killed Liu Guangshi, joined forces with Dai Mengwei..."

"...It's not easy, Senior Brother... I'm asking about your mental journey."

"...This place is so pleasant that I don't miss Shu."

"...Comparing yourself to阿斗 doesn't have a good ending."

"...I just think it's quite appropriate to put it here... Please have tea."

"...Please."

...

"...In the end, you still have to help the female prime minister take the Northwest."

"...What are you here for, Senior Brother?"

"...I want to talk to the female prime minister about Guanzhong and see if I can buy some guns and cannons."

"...The guns and cannons from Liu Guangshi's place are enough for you, what's there to buy? Why are you lying to me?"

"...The first and second generations are useless."

"...They won't sell you the later ones, you don't understand."

"...I also know how the craft develops, I just don't have time. Monkey, help me."

"...Is Fang Chengye that kind of person?"

"...What kind of person?"

"...A person who betrays comrades."

"...So that's what you think."

"...What else should I think? I was the one who investigated what you did."

"...Then you should know my difficulties. They made the first move."

"...Can't it be explained? Or do you not want to explain it?"

"...The world is vast, Monkey, why can't you and I be the protagonists... And didn't I tell you? Last time it was you who came, so I spared your life."

"...It doesn't matter if you kill me, the Xia Army is not just me. If you make one mistake after another, Teacher will clean you up in advance."

"...Who's coming? Who... Forget it, let's not talk about this, it hurts our feelings. How about this, Monkey, let's just say, if one day there is a problem in the Southwest, if there's anything you want, remember you have me, okay?"

"...Senior Brother... I'll give you a piece of advice too."

"...You say it, I'm listening."

"...There's one very obvious thing that you may not have thought much about... When I went to investigate, I advised you to go back. You didn't want to because you were afraid of being punished and not having a good ending, but things are different now. What you may see is your own rising sun, and also walking on thin ice, but in my opinion... If you want to go back and avoid Teacher killing you and rockets falling on your head, today is also your best opportunity..."

"..."

"...Look, you took Bianliang, killed Liu Guangshi, and tricked Dai Mengwei into joining. Your subordinates control half of the Central Plains and also control the so-called current sage. You kill him, or capture him, expose him, and return to the Xia Army... Teacher will not punish you. Even if it's just based on your merits and abilities today, you can keep everything you have now, including your several women. No one can punish you, and even the strictest discipline will make an exception for you..."

"..."

"...Senior Brother, you've had enough fun, come back..."

On February 16th, on the still-cold spring night, the Jin sky was as watery as the moon and the stars were vast. Just as Lou Shuwan was still writing at her desk in the palace, on the bustling night market street, a pair of师兄弟 briefly fought with words, and these words were like a storm, almost about to stir up the upheaval of the whole world.

It was like hearing the whispers of a demon, or seeing the unrestrained合纵连横 of a strategist...

Zou Xu was stunned.

And Fang Chengye looked at him.

"...This is the best way..."