"The advice that needed to be given has already been given by many people. There's no need to say more." Fan Xian smiled and patted Ye Ling'er on the shoulder, their relationship always being so casual.

Ye Ling'er didn't habitually raise her eyebrows; instead, her expression looked somewhat dim as she said, "Gossip always finds its way into my ears at home... Although I don't want to hear it, Father is very angry about what's happening in the north." She looked at Fan Xian, hesitating, before saying earnestly after a moment, "After all, you and I are people of Qing."

Fan Xian nodded, saying nothing, but his smile was somewhat bitter. The Qi Nian squad sent to Dongyi City, after meeting with Mu Feng'er, conveyed his will, causing the turmoil in the Little Liang Kingdom to reignite, in order to find a way to resist the imperial decree and allow the First Prince to stay in Dongyi City.

But the response from Northern Qi was beyond Fan Xian's expectations. Judging by the timeline, Wang Qi Nian should have just arrived in Shangjing, and the message he carried didn't include any suggestion for Northern Qi to launch a large-scale invasion. He only asked the young emperor to help Dongyi City, considering their personal relationship.

There are many ways to help, but Northern Qi's method was undoubtedly the most straightforward and the most embarrassing for Fan Xian. He snapped out of his thoughts, placed some silver charcoal, and chatted lightly with Ye Ling'er, trying to glean some information from the snippets of conversation in the Ye residence to understand if there were any movements from the樞密院 (Shu Mi Yuan - Military Affairs Department).

Because the Emperor's reaction to the northern war was too indifferent, so indifferent that Fan Xian smelled a hint of danger. However, he couldn't pinpoint where that danger lay.

……

……

A few days after the Winter Solstice, the Fan residence hosted another family banquet. Unlike the one at Prince He's residence, which invited the younger generation of the royal family, this was a purely family affair. Besides the hosts, only the Four Disciples of Fan were present.

Yang Wanli had been removed from his position as a section chief in the Ministry of Works and thrown into prison, where he suffered severe torture. After the Dali Temple announced the verdict that day, Fan Xian brought him back to the residence to recuperate. He was still somewhat incapacitated, but the resentful expression on his face had long faded. He simply sat quietly in the lower seat.

The one who had risen fastest among the Four Disciples of Fan was Cheng Jialin. He had become the prefect of Suzhou, but he was now implicated by Fan Xian and suffered a miserable downfall. The charges of soliciting prostitutes and abuse of power leveled by the palace were excessive. He was forcibly brought back to the capital. In the past month, Fan Xian had worked tirelessly to secure his life, but he had lost his official position and seemed to have no future. Cheng Jialin sat listlessly below Yang Wanli, sighing incessantly.

There were two tables in the drawing-room. The female members were at the table behind the screen, while the table outside was only occupied by Fan Xian and Yang Cheng. They hadn't touched their chopsticks, waiting for someone. Outside the drawing-room, snowflakes fluttered gently in the Fan residence's garden, waiting for those who were returning.

They didn't wait long before someone, braving the wind and snow, entered the drawing-room led by a servant. It was Shi Chanli, who had left Southern Qing years ago, adhering to Fan Xian's will and running the nationwide brothel empire.

Entering the hall, Shi Chanli didn't bother to brush off the snow but first bowed deeply to Fan Xian in the main seat, then bowed through the screen to his *Shimu* (teacher's wife) at the table inside. Only then did he turn around, give Yang Wanli and Cheng Jialin a wry smile, and step forward to embrace these two long-unseen friends.

He and Sang Wen now jointly managed Baoyuelou (Holding Moon Tower), so he naturally knew most of the news in the world. He also knew of the miserable encounters of these two friends over the past few months. Everything was unspoken; a single hug conveyed all the parting and comfort.

"Your body is not well; don't get up." Shi Chanli consciously sat below Cheng Jialin, speaking to Yang Wanli, who was making a move to get up and speak. Although he was now a wealthy merchant counted among the top in the world, considered a local hero wherever he went, the habits he had cultivated in his early years, when he devoted himself to studying Confucian classics, hadn't changed. Especially the regret in the deepest part of his heart made him naturally envy the experiences of his three friends, Yang Wanli, Cheng Jialin, and Hou Jichang, and he always felt that his identity as a merchant should put him in the lowest seat.

Yang Wanli and Cheng Jialin exchanged glances, wryly smiling. They were too lazy to pay attention to this pedantic fellow, so they turned their heads and chatted about idle things. No one talked about their tragic experiences in the past few months, and no one criticized the court, because they didn't want to worry their teacher, Fan Xian, with these matters.

They waited for a while, but no one else came, and the expressions on the faces of the people at the table began to become awkward and strained. Cheng Jialin looked at Fan Xian's slightly knitted brows and muttered, "Perhaps the snow is heavy, and they were delayed on the road."

Yang Wanli pursed his lips tightly, sighed, and drained the wine cup in front of him. Shi Chanli glanced at Fan Xian, puzzled, and said, "According to the information I have, Ji Chang should have returned to the capital seven days ago. However, the court hasn't convicted him, just let him cool off."

Fan Xian raised his eyebrows, smiled, and said, "As the end of the year approaches, officials and colleagues often have banquets and invitations. It's normal if they can't fit it into their schedule."

Despite his words, his mood was still inevitably gloomy. Hou Jichang had returned to the capital for several days but hadn't come to visit the Fan residence. The spies in the court had also picked up rumors that the palace didn't seem to have any intention of punishing him. All of this was quite clear.

In such a country, things like betraying one’s teacher to seek glory aren't unheard of, but since it was happening to him, Fan Xian couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. His gaze slowly swept across the faces of the three people at the table, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart. Shi Chanli had originally been in the capital of Song but had risked returning to the capital to see him this time. Not to mention Yang Wanli, but even Cheng Jialin, who had become the prefect of Suzhou, had always seemed to Fan Xian to be somewhat weak in character and not trustworthy. He didn't expect this person to rather be stripped of his official position than betray him.

But Hou Jichang unexpectedly hadn't come.

"I heard that Grand Academician He is also hosting a banquet today." Shi Chanli's face was somewhat unsightly, and he said, "Before you entered the capital, they were known as the top talents of Kyoto, and they once had some personal connections."

Yang Wanli gritted his teeth and said angrily, "What a Ji Chang! He's quick to abandon the dark and seek the light. When I see him another day, I must praise him heartily." His words were naturally sarcastic. Cheng Jialin only smiled bitterly, and after a long time, he sighed gloomily, "Thinking back to those days in the Tongfu Inn, Brother Ji Chang told us that Master Fan, even when traveling, would pay attention to raindrops dripping from his umbrella into the peddler's oil pan. Such a man who loves the people is someone we should follow, but I never expected that he would now... sigh..."

After a sigh, Fan Xian instead smiled, inviting the three to start eating, and said, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Besides, I can't do anything in the court now. It's normal for Ji Chang to want to work for the people and get closer to Grand Academician He."

His words were calm, and no one could see the chill in his heart. Fan Xian actually knew that Hou Jichang was the one he had originally favored the most among the Four Disciples of Fan, but the world is full of wonders. Whether it was a mistake in Fan Xian's arrangements or a matter of luck, among the Four Disciples of Fan, Yang Wanli had made contributions in repairing the dike, and his reputation shook the world. Cheng Jialin, at a young age, had sat in the position of prefect of Suzhou and was one of the New Policy Seven Gentlemen summoned by the Emperor himself. Although Shi Chanli hadn't entered the officialdom, the identity of the owner of Baoyuelou was also extremely glorious.

Only Hou Jichang was still stuck in Jiaozhou, unable to fulfill his ambitions. Now that Fan Xian had fallen from grace, this Lord Hou was probably forced to seek other ways in addition to his dissatisfaction. Fan Xian understood this, but he was just unhappy, especially with that Grand Academician He who was also hosting a banquet.

After three rounds of wine, the few chatted about the things they had done in their respective positions over the years. Yang Wanli talked about how those white piles of silver had turned into huge stones and earthworks on both sides of the river. Cheng Jialin talked about how he had protected the people in his jurisdiction as prefect, how he had used Master Fan's help to bring those salt merchants and imperial merchants into line, and how he had raised money for *Shimu* to enter the Hangzhou Association, helping many poor people. Shi Chanli then smiled and talked about his experiences in the world, as well as the slightly better lives of those poor women in the brothels. He also told an anecdote that in some of the back parlors of Baoyuelou, there were now statues of Master Fan enshrined, because Master Fan had protected the lives and safety of many girls…

As soon as these words came out, everyone except Shi Chanli himself spat out the wine.

Although the three were chatting about their own affairs, they were actually all related to Fan Xian, talking about some of the things Fan Xian had done in his life that benefited the country and the people. Fan Xian wasn't a saint, just a mortal, so he was naturally a little happy. He looked at the three with a smile, paused for a moment, and said, "Wanli has been living in the residence these days. Anyway, he doesn't have a proper home in Kyoto. Jialin, your family is still in Suzhou, so you might as well move to the residence as well."

As soon as their teacher spoke, the three fell silent at the same time, put down their chopsticks, and looked at him.

"I have arrangements for the affairs in Suzhou. Don't worry," Fan Xian said gently to Cheng Jialin, "Just get through this period. I called you here today because I was afraid that you would harbor resentment towards the court, resentment towards me, and harm yourselves instead."

He smiled bitterly and said, "Of course, now it seems that there's no need for me to worry about Ji Chang's side."

"But you know, I've never had any other requests of you, only those eight words, so even if the court wants to find my crimes through you, it's not possible. Ji Chang's side has his own considerations, but I don't think he will fabricate things to betray me." Fan Xian's expression calmed down, and he said slowly, "The four of you followed me to serve as officials in the world, but that was a time of peace, so you needed to put in effort. But now the world is not peaceful, so you need to be patient. I know you want to help me, so you secretly went to some friendly colleagues, but don't do that anymore. My affairs are not something that court officials can solve."

Cheng Jialin agreed with a bitter smile. They all remembered clearly the eight words that Fan Xian had left for them when they were posted to other places – Be good people, be good officials.

"Now that you can't be officials, then be good people honestly." Fan Xian's brows showed some hidden pain. His Majesty had knocked everyone around him into the dust, making him look around and feel a little overwhelmed. This move was indeed too vicious.

After the family banquet, Yang Wanli and Cheng Jialin went to rest in their residences in the back garden. Fan Xian kept Shi Chanli behind. He had summoned Shi Chanli back to the capital from a thousand miles away, naturally not just for a simple meal. In the study, only the two of them were left. Shi Chanli no longer needed to hide anything and cursed Hou Jichang angrily.

Fan Xian shook his head and said, "Ji Chang is just a scholar after all, an official. Even if he has only recently learned how to scheme, how could he know that he has made a big mistake?"

Shi Chanli's heart chilled. He knew too many of his teacher's secrets, and he naturally knew that his teacher wasn't just a simple powerful minister. His teacher's power was more than just his position and rank. Hou Jichang's betrayal was actually angering a king in the darkness.

"Don't worry, I won't kill him. I don't have that kind of leisure," Fan Xian said, lowering his eyes slightly. "How is the matter I asked you to investigate going?"

"There are no abnormalities in Dongyi City and the north, and it doesn't conflict with the surface-level warfare," Shi Chanli first added, then seriously answered Fan Xian's question, "The matter of Grand Eunuch Gong Dian leaving the capital is indeed a bit strange. Two months ago, the 樞密院 (Shu Mi Yuan - Military Affairs Department) issued a transfer order to the southern region of Nan Zhao, but the security level was extremely high. The Baoyuelou only caught wind of it. Now, without the cooperation of the Ministry of Military Affairs, many pieces of information can only be touched at the surface level."

"Nan Zhao? What's the problem there?" Fan Xian asked, frowning.

"General Ye's son is on the front lines of Nan Zhao. According to court practice, there is no war in Nan Zhao now. The new ruler has been in power for three years, so that border army should return to the capital to report their merits..." Shi Chanli glanced at him and continued, "According to the timeline, they should have arrived in Kyoto to be seen by the Emperor and then be divided back into the major camps. However, that border army has not arrived."

"You mean… they might have gone west?" Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly thought of an extremely terrifying possibility. He shook his head and said, "With such a large-scale military transfer, how could it be hidden from the world?"

"If we had focused our attention on the south from the beginning, even the southern line of Weizhou, with the help of Umei (Charming) and her companions, perhaps we could have found something." Shi Chanli said self-reproachfully, "It's just that Baoyuelou has been focusing on the three places of Kyoto, Dongyi, and Northern Qi these past months, and the information on that side has not been carefully sorted out."

"It's not your fault, I chose the focus." Fan Xian rubbed his temples with a headache, and said to himself, "Ye Ling'er's older brother… this guy has been away from Kyoto for many years, I forgot there was such a person. According to the timeline, if the Nan Zhao border army really withdrew, passing through Kyoto without entering, if they really went west… wouldn't they have already reached Dingzhou?"

Fan Xian raised his head, took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with unease and fatigue. He knew he had made a big mistake, but these months he had been under house arrest in Kyoto, and the Supervisory Council was under the care of Yan Bingyun. Relying only on Baoyuelou, he couldn't accurately grasp the military mobilization of Qing.

"Grand Eunuch Gong Dian left the capital to go to Dingzhou to summon the heir, Hongcheng, back to the capital… taking away 10,000 Kyoto garrison soldiers and 2,000 imperial guards." Shi Chanli reminded him, "This is what was found out earlier."

"I know that." A sense of frustration arose in Fan Xian's heart, and he tapped the desk lightly with his palm, sighing, "But I never thought that His Majesty would have such a big plan, actually transferring troops from the far south, crossing thousands of miles, exchanging large numbers of troops. Isn't he afraid that the world will be in chaos?"

Shi Chanli understood these words, and his body turned cold. He forced himself to analyze calmly, "For the court, the new ruler of Nan Zhao is young, and many powerful ministers in the country are inclined towards Great Qing, so there is no need to guard against them. It is enough to leave an army and a half on the southern line. And Yanjing City and the Beida Camp can deal with the situation in Northern Qi and Dongyi City. Although it seems that the lack of a leading general in the Beida Camp due to the aftermath of the rebellion has some impact, in reality, there is no danger… So for His Majesty, as long as he can pacify Western Liang, there will be no more causes of chaos in the world, and he can fully prepare for the northern expedition."

"Pacifying Western Liang means dealing with those people on the grasslands…" Fan Xian frowned, sighed softly, and knew that he was still calculated to death by his emperor father. In the end, he didn't get past the other party's palm. An indescribable feeling of exhaustion and disappointment filled his body, making him sit woodenly in his chair, unable to move.

He finally knew why His Majesty maintained such a cold attitude towards the northern war, not being angry or vigilant because of the possible collusion between Northern Qi and Fan Xian. It turned out that the Emperor had already sorted out the actions that this illegitimate son might take and concentrated all his energy and all his strength on the west. The Emperor didn't follow Fan Xian's layout and dance, but instead took advantage of the situation and slammed his fist heavily into Dingzhou City.

"We must immediately notify the heir!" Shi Chanli said in shock.

Fan Xian sat wearily in his chair, and after a long time, he said, "It's too late."

……

……

The winter grassland was permeated with a chill. The wind came from the north, and the slight moisture carried by the North Sea had already run dry in the deserts and Gobi in the northeast of the grassland. It was dry and cold. The autumn grass on the ground was long gone, and all that was left was sand and soil, boundless and hard, making even the horses' hooves feel uncomfortable on the frozen earth.

If it were a normal winter, birds looking down from the sky might be able to find some touching and enticing green colors near some lakes. But today, even these pitiful habitats were gone. Because the eyes of these hardy birds, who were unwilling to spend the winter in the south, were all blood-red. The frozen, dry grass roots were blood-red, the round pebbles were blood-red, the sand that crumbled with a pinch was blood-red, and even the field mice that came out of their burrows seemed to be blood-red.

This was Red Mouth Pass, a place that must be passed to enter the territory of Great Qing from the grassland. The mountain stones were all red, but today's red was not a strange color given by heaven, but was dyed red by the Hu people on the grassland and the soldiers of Great Qing.

There were corpses everywhere, and blood everywhere. The earth-shattering screams and killings that had startled the field mice out of their burrows and the big birds into the sky had gradually stopped, but beside some desolate hills, there were still cruel battles taking place. Some Hu warriors who were resisting desperately had gathered into small circles, and were pouring out their last blood under the siege of Qing soldiers, who outnumbered them tenfold.

A year ago, Li Hongcheng, the heir of the Duke of Jing, the general of Dingzhou, received the Black Riders and Fan Xian who had escaped from the grassland at Red Mouth Pass. At that time, he had hoped to fight a beautiful ambush here, but the Hu people were not fools and never gave the Qing army such an opportunity.

In previous years, at such a cold time of year, countless tribes of the Western Hu would follow the great banner of the royal tent, slowly avoiding the cold air, and advance towards the depths of the grassland, all the way to the foot of the unscalable mountains, waiting to endure the bitter cold of the year. Then in the early spring of the following year, they would reappear all over the grassland.

The Western Hu rarely chose to launch an attack on Qing's Western Liang road in the middle of winter. In the past, unless those tribes who lost power in the internal fighting on the grassland would try to cross the border like crazy to rob the winter grain of the Qing's military and civilians, there had never been a major military operation.

But this year was different. For some reason, Huga, the adult who inherited most of the cattle, sheep, and warriors of the Left Virtuous King, suddenly boldly led his tribe to migrate eastward, and bravely, or rather rashly, launched an attack on the territory of Qing.

Even more incomprehensible to the Western Hu people was that the great *Shanyu* (Chieftain), the far-sighted *Shanyu*, after thinking for a day and a night in the royal tent, expressed his appreciation for Huga's behavior, and, braving the severe cold, dispatched the most elite grassland iron cavalry, trying to cross Red Mouth Pass, bypass Qingzhou, and directly attack the inner abdomen of Western Liang.

No one thought that in the wilderness near Red Mouth Pass, there were actually as many as 20,000 Qing iron cavalry and 70,000 Dingzhou troops! These Qing soldiers seemed to have known the direction of the Hu people's attack on the grassland, the number of attackers, and the time of the attack. The most terrifying thing was that they had predicted that the Western Hu would attack despite the severe cold this year!

The Hu's attack was completely unreasonable, and the Qing army's ambush was even more unreasonable. These unreasonable things came together and achieved the great Qingzhou victory, which was recorded in the history books, a killing field where tens of thousands of people sacrificed their lives.

Beside a desolate hill, it had been filled with corpses, and blood was flowing in the sand. This group of Hu warriors had fought to the last man, surrounded by the Qing army. From the previous battles, the Qing military officer knew that this person must be one of the best experts on the grassland, so he no longer urged his subordinates to come forward, but slowly raised his right hand, preparing to fire an arrow indifferently.

"Surrender or not?" The cold voice echoed in the cold air of the grassland. Huga, who was covered in wounds, was breathing heavily, his eyes full of scarlet red. He glared at the cold-blooded Qing soldiers, suddenly shouted, and stabbed a knife into his chest, so deep that it went to the hilt.

Huga died, his eyes still open, looking at the sky venomously. Even if he died, he would turn into a resentful spirit and ask the young man in Kyoto who had caused all this unreasonable bloodiness, why? Why all this?

……

……

(I want to swear, I've been taking medicine for several days, and I haven't seen any improvement. I'm dizzy and dying, coughing to death… Reaching out to everyone for monthly votes, I want money to buy medicine, cough cough, probably no one believes me, what a terrible reason to canvass for votes… cough cough, this time I'm really coughing.)