That the relief effort would meet with wave after wave of pushback was something Ning Yi, Qin Siyuan, and the others had anticipated from the very start. The pushback might come from far away, or from close at hand — from friends nearby, or even from one’s own relatives — for such is the tangled, complicated nature of human relationships in this world. Once you set out to actually accomplish something, this kind of resistance is rarely avoidable.

The pushback from the various regions in the north and south had begun as early as when grain merchants first entered the disaster zones, and it was only after mid-October that the situation gradually began spreading closer to home. Qin Siyuan, Yao Zunian, and other prominent figures dealt with the greatest share of trouble; Princess Chengguo Zhou Xuan and her husband Kang Xian in the south were surely facing much the same, though members of the imperial family could generally get away with dispensing with too much explanation. Ning Yi’s role directing operations from within the Chancellor’s residence was the last to be discovered by outsiders — but once people learned he was the aide in charge of this matter at the Chancellor’s residence, visitors began arriving at his door in steady succession as well.

Wealthy gentry and prominent clans from both north and south, relatives of officials, came to introduce themselves and their backgrounds, dropping veiled threats along the way, while also attempting to leave behind all manner of priceless gifts. Some sent jewels and fine jade; others sent calligraphy and celebrated literary works. Among them, those with poor temperaments might even launch into a tirade of scolding. One eminent scholar from Hebei, after finishing his rant, left behind his address, telling Ning Yi to come personally another day to receive his instruction — remarking that his own poetry was passable, as though bestowing a favor. Su Tan’er had no choice but to accept on his behalf.

The one left at home to handle all of this was Su Tan’er.

During this period, Ning Yi only returned home each evening, spending most of his daytime hours at the Chancellor’s residence. Wending and Wenfang could help receive some of the visitors, but they still weren’t truly capable of handling matters entirely on their own — and for some visitors of higher standing, they simply weren’t in a position to speak freely. Tan’er had never dealt with this level of society before either, but she was, after all, more seasoned than Wending and Wenfang. Bringing forward her status as lady of the household was enough to receive people properly — as long as her manner remained gracious, others could hardly press too hard against a woman.

While handling these unwelcome visitors on one hand, Tan’er also had to manage the business of the Su Cloth House on the other. The Su Cloth House and Zhu Ji together formed what was known as “Su-Ning.” When they had first arrived in Bianliang, Zuo Houwen’s intervention had made it difficult for the Su family’s cheap cloth to gain a foothold in the market. Later, once Ning Yi began employing salesmen to pursue a premium strategy, the Su family’s clothing had come to occupy a position akin to a luxury good. Yet the technological edge Tan’er had personally driven — the improved looms — still remained. During this relief effort, some grain merchants who had made substantial profits in the disaster zones not only returned to place further grain orders but specifically purchased winter clothing and fabric to transport to the disaster regions as well.

As a result, the Su family received a flood of orders — not only at high prices with generous profit margins, but the buyers hardly imposed any restrictive demands either. If you could deliver, they paid; if you couldn’t, no matter, we’re all friends here — they would even come by occasionally to ask whether there was a shortage of workers or cotton material. Because of this, the several cheap-cloth workshops the Su family had originally set up were now running at full capacity, taking on large numbers of additional female workers. Tan’er directed Su Wending remotely to oversee the myriad small matters of the cloth house, wearing him out to no end.

But the atmosphere at the Ning household these days was quite different from what it had once been at the Su family in Jiangning. With Ning Yi setting the example, the various cousins all understood that enduring this stretch of hardship now would open the way to real accomplishment later. So no one shirked their duties or complained — everyone worked hard, if somewhat anxiously.

When visiting gentry and dignitaries came calling and found Ning Yi absent, there wasn’t much they could do about it. Extending their reach directly into the Right Chancellor’s residence itself was an entirely different matter altogether. Although Qin Siyuan was undoubtedly under greater pressure from every direction during this period, given his authority and command of the situation, few people were yet capable of vaulting over the walls of the Right Chancellor’s residence to apply pressure directly from within. Of course, besides these outside visitors, there was also a small group of people whose particular relationships made them harder to simply turn away at the moment.

Among these were some distant relatives with tangential connections, as well as several business partners. For instance, after Tan’er redirected the Su family’s business toward the north, there was a family friend of the older generation named Hu Chengyan, who supplied cotton material to Tan’er’s operation. The two sides had always cooperated smoothly — even when Tan’er’s business had been blocked by Zuo Houwen, he hadn’t abandoned her, and had often asked whether she needed any help. But after this relief effort began, he and his family came calling in person, subtly urging her: Ning Yi’s power, after all, wasn’t so great — acting this way risked provoking widespread outrage. The Right Chancellor himself held such a high position that he needn’t fear such things, but if someone decided to move against your household, could you really withstand it?

Though he spoke earnestly, even having his wife help persuade Tan’er, the truth was that behind him stood a powerful clan with considerable influence in both the capital and Huainan. When Tan’er kept deflecting with practiced evasiveness, he let slip, in a roundabout way: you’ve been purchasing large quantities of cotton material lately, but my own stock is running rather low these days — if this keeps up, we may have to cut off supply…

Besides Hu Chengyan, a steady stream of other suppliers and distributors came calling as well — some connected to the Su family, others to Zhu Ji — and there were even landlords who had rented out property and land to them, now demanding the premises back: “We don’t mind breaking the contract, we’ll pay the penalty.” Most of these people had ties to local powerful clans; once these clans had traced out Ning Yi’s network of connections, they sent these people to apply pressure on their behalf. Some of them had even coordinated with one another, with many taking their cues from Hu Chengyan, taking turns coming by to press their case.

This steady drip of pressure from every direction — whether delivered through gentle persuasion or harsh words — was bound to weigh on anyone, no matter who they were. Tan’er outwardly handled it all with composure, but since the matter also concerned Zhu Ji, she waited for Ning Yi’s final decision. Ning Yi had her stall for a few days, and it was only today that Tan’er finally invited everyone to come at once. When Ning Yi returned from the Chancellor’s residence, Tan’er was in the back courtyard speaking with this family friend and his wife, while Su Wending and the others entertained guests in the front hall, where things had already grown quite lively.

“…Tan’er, dear, it’s not that Auntie means to lecture you — I know I’m a simple country woman, and some of what I say may not sound pleasant, but just take it in and let it pass. Even country folk know: the bird that sticks its neck out gets shot first. Some things, you might feel proud of now, but what happens later on… And that husband of yours, dear — he married into your family from the start, you’re the true head of this household, you need to keep a proper grip on things, you can’t just let him do whatever he pleases. When he does something like this, you ought to be the one urging him to think twice, isn’t that right…”

In a room in the back courtyard, Madam Hu chattered on and on, urging Tan’er, who kept a polite smile fixed on her face throughout, responding courteously.

“Auntie, I’m a woman too — he’s my husband, I honor him and love him… At first I was headstrong, but that was only because I was young and didn’t know better, with no one else in the family able to hold things together, I had no choice. What woman doesn’t want to simply support her husband and raise her children at home? Auntie, those matters out there are men’s business — let’s leave it to them to handle.”

“Oh, that’s not how it should be at all, dear. You’re no less capable than any man, Tan’er, but some things really do need saying, and you should listen to your auntie…”

“Tan’er understands, Auntie.”

Tan’er wove through the conversation with practiced grace, slipping past every attempt to pin her down. Hu Chengyan simply listened from outside the door, not joining in. He knew well enough how formidable this niece of his was, and how resolute her nature truly was. But resolve or not, this was a matter of slow, patient grinding — one might withstand a single person’s persuasion, perhaps even ten or a hundred, but the irritation would inevitably build up in the heart, and once irritation set in, friction within the household would follow easily, quarrels would break out easily, misplaced anger would follow easily — and eventually, they would understand that this pressure was inescapable, coming from every direction. After all, it wasn’t just his family making this move this time — quite a number of others had already banded together as well.

Above his own Hu family stood the Liu family of the capital, a clan of generations-long prominence. In having him handle this matter, they had even promised to betroth one of their main-branch daughters to his son. This was a marriage alliance he intended to secure. In truth, he didn’t wish to press the Ning couple too hard — he simply wanted them to ease up a little in a few small areas of Huainan. The Liu family were charitable people themselves, with no wish to see anyone starve — they simply found it convenient to acquire some land along the way. His own family held a small stake in this too. Every year of famine tended to work this way — now that I want to acquire a bit of land, surely you wouldn’t block my path? We’re all friends here — if you want to run your relief effort, we won’t stand in your way, we’re not bad people, we know where to draw the line…

Ning Yi came in through the back gate, and soon saw Ningxi and Xiao Chan playing there. Xiao Chan, holding the child, waved and said to Ningxi, “Papa.” Ningxi pointed over as well: “Little Mama, Papa.”

Ning Yi came over and embraced Xiao Chan and the child, asked about the situation up front, and only then went inside, where he found Hu Chengyan waiting. The man broke into a smile at once. “Ha ha, nephew Liheng.”

“Uncle Hu.” Ning Yi cupped his hands with a smile, then went to the doorway and called a greeting inside. “Auntie’s here… Tan’er, I’m back.”

Tan’er stood and nodded, and the couple exchanged a glance. Madam Hu was about to launch into more chatter with Ning Yi, but he said with a smile, “Auntie, forgive my neglect — I have a few things to discuss with Uncle Hu, let Tan’er keep you company, let Tan’er keep you company… Uncle Hu, a word with you, if I may.”

Ning Yi extended a hand and walked off down the corridor together with Hu Chengyan. Hu Chengyan began, “Liheng, ah…” Ning Yi glanced back, a smile on his face, but spoke quickly. “Uncle Hu, I’ve been meaning to find you about a few things for some time now, but I’ve been terribly busy with official duties and couldn’t get away. It’s fortunate you’ve come today — we can discuss things properly. Oh, this way, please…”

“Er…”

Hu Chengyan tried to speak, but Ning Yi gave him no chance, continuing at a brisk pace. “It’s like this — demand at the cloth house has been very high lately, and the cotton material Uncle Hu can supply hasn’t quite been able to keep up. I’m sure Uncle knows the Su family has broken into the market, and so has Zhu Ji — lately many people have been reaching out wanting to work with us… Oh, here’s the order sheet, Uncle Hu, take a look.”

He drew a sheet of paper from his sleeve — a list of supply and sales orders for various goods, listing one household after another. Under the cotton category appeared two names: “Zhang Pei of Haicheng” and “Tang Sihan of Lucheng.”

“Look, these, these here… oh, don’t misunderstand about the cotton, Uncle — we’ve always wanted your family’s goods first. It’s just that last time Uncle mentioned the supply couldn’t quite keep up, which was truly a shame, and rather worrying too. Tan’er told me we shouldn’t trouble Uncle any further, so we took a bit of cloth material from the Zhang family to make up the shortfall. But going forward, whatever quantity Uncle can supply, we’ll take it all.” Ning Yi said, smiling briefly before his expression grew more composed. “But, going forward, we’re planning to expand.”

The two walked on together.

“Uncle Hu may not know this, but Zhu Ji has also played a part in the Chancellor’s residence’s relief efforts this time, lending a small hand. Not much credit to speak of, but we’ve come to know quite a few people through it. Within eight hundred li of Bianliang, we’ve established connections with eighty-seven large landowners and merchant houses, along with a number of smaller households besides. As you know, some people are generous — as long as you’re a friend, they’re happy to help. Take the Cheng family’s raw silk, for instance — they’re willing to sell it to us at seventy percent of the market wholesale price, and the finest grade too, no arguments.”

“Because of the relief effort, Su-Ning’s expansion has slowed somewhat,” Ning Yi continued. “But over the next two years, we have new plans in the works — the general outline is already in place. Uncle, with the help and support of all these people, plus the influence of the Chancellor’s residence behind us, how large a scale do you think we could grow to?”

Hu Chengyan frowned. “This…”

“Over the next two years, Zhu Ji is going to open branches all across the land — I intend to expand to over fifty storefronts in every major city. As for the Su family’s cloth, next year alone, Tan’er and I plan to expand our output fivefold. That means five times the supply we’ll need.”

“A new plan calls for a new system. Wending and I discussed it at length, and we’ve decided that early next year, we’ll invite all our friends and partners to gather together. We’ll set out our needs in advance, and everyone will bid competitively — how much each supplier can offer, at what price. That’s simply how business works once it grows to a certain scale, Uncle understands this well.”

A gathering, competitive bidding for supply contracts — this was the kind of arrangement only a business grown quite large could adopt. But with competitive bidding, prices would inevitably be driven down to their lowest point. Hu Chengyan understood exactly what Ning Yi was implying. Ning Yi, for his part, broke into a smile.

“But once we settled on this plan, Tan’er and I both agreed — others may be one thing, but Uncle Hu has always looked after our family so well, how could we treat you the same way? So I’ve been wanting to speak with Uncle about this specifically. We’ll continue purchasing Uncle’s goods at the current price, whatever quantity you can supply — if it falls short, we’ll have the Zhang and Tang families make up the difference. Come the beginning of next year, Uncle need only go through the motions of the bidding.” Ning Yi smiled, then gave a serious wave of his hand. “Now, Uncle, don’t go saying anything that makes it sound like we’re strangers. I know your character well — you’ve never once tried to take advantage of anyone, and we’d never look down on you either. All this time, Tan’er’s business has benefited from your care — you’re an elder, we’re truly family here. A little extra money between family, there’s no need to be so formal about it. And there’s one more matter — this nephew hopes Uncle won’t mind the presumption…”

Ning Yi glanced around, then lowered his voice. “I heard recently that your son is being considered for marriage to a young lady of the Liu family. Being at the Chancellor’s residence, I have certain conveniences — I looked into it a little, and it turns out this Liu family girl is born of a concubine, and has had dealings with several men herself — she may not be a suitable match… This wasn’t really my place to say, but since it concerns your son’s lifelong happiness, I felt I had no choice but to play the unwelcome gossip this once. Of course, Uncle should verify this personally — this is a copy of what the Secret Investigation Bureau turned up in their inquiry, just some trivial, mundane details, nothing serious. Uncle, keep it for now and confirm it once you’re back home. As for our friends out front who’ve been waiting so long, I’d be grateful if Uncle would join me in dealing with them — with Uncle there, it’ll help keep things properly in hand.”

He slipped another envelope of information into the man’s sleeve, then patted the back of his hand, and finally, clasping the man’s hands in both of his, led him forward.

In the front hall of the Ning residence, the dozen or so people gathered there had already been waiting quite a while, their conversations having grown rather impatient. Then, they saw Ning Yi and Hu Chengyan emerge together, hand in hand. Seeing that it was Ning Yi himself who had appeared today, the hall fell momentarily quiet, and everyone rose to their feet. Though their purpose in coming was to apply pressure, Ning Yi’s standing at the Chancellor’s residence was clearly no small thing, and none of them dared take him lightly. As everyone mentally rehearsed what to say, Ning Yi smiled and had Hu Chengyan take a seat.

“Please, everyone, sit, sit. We’re all old friends here, no need to stand on ceremony. Wending, has the tea been served properly? Go fetch that jar of my finest pre-Qingming tea from inside — a grown man like you, don’t you know anything… Everyone please sit, uh—” Ning Yi was about to take his own seat when his expression suddenly settled. “Oh, there are two people here who aren’t friends of ours. Let me deal with them first.”

He walked over to two men in the room. “Master Chen, Master Hu. The land and buildings south of the city and near the West Gate belong to each of you respectively. When we rented them, we signed contracts, with guarantors as witnesses. Now you wish to take them back early — has my household ever treated either of you with anything less than respect?”

One of them cupped his hands. “That’s certainly true. It’s just…”

“Have we ever offended or wronged either of you?”

“No, it’s simply that we have urgent matters now requiring the property back, and we’re willing—”

“Very well, then let’s take it to court.”

“Eh?”

“The Kaifeng magistrate’s office. We’ll fight it out there, however long it takes — I, Ning, am at your service. Now, please, both of you, leave.” He gestured with a finger toward the steward standing nearby. “See them out.”

The moment he finished speaking, the steward moved forward at once. One of the two men grew furious. “You, Ning — we signed a contract! I have urgent matters now, and I’m willing to pay compensation — how dare you humiliate me like this! We need to settle this properly today…”

As he spoke, someone else nearby quickly stepped in. “Liheng, there’s no need for this…” Ning Yi glanced at the man with a smile, while burly guards had already appeared at the hall’s entrance, ready to escort the two men out.

“If they won’t leave on their own, throw them out.”

The words came out cold as ice. Neither of the two men could bear to lose face any further, and so they left, cursing and grumbling as they went. In truth, back when Ning Yi and the others had first arrived in Bianliang, some matters had been handled by others on his behalf, and the contracts signed at the time hadn’t been nearly as rigorous as they might be in later ages. Ning Yi didn’t much care about the money involved, but since these two clearly meant to make things unpleasant for him out of spite, he saw no reason not to strike back just as indifferently. In his previous life, he’d hardly been some paragon of virtue in the business world either — dragging this to the authorities, with the influence of the Right Chancellor’s residence behind him, would at the very least ensure he wasn’t openly bullied. Even if the final ruling ordered him to return the property and land, with the other side still paying that same modest sum, or perhaps even less, it would still cost them a good deal of trouble in the meantime — buying him more time and breathing room in the process.

Having driven the two men out, Ning Yi sat down again with a smile. “Kicking a man while he’s down, taking advantage of someone’s misfortune — I have no patience for that sort. But all of you here are old friends. When I, Ning, do business, I always look out for friends. Come, come — I have something here for everyone, Wending, please hand these out.”

He drew a thick stack of papers from his robe, each one identical to what Hu Chengyan had already seen, and Su Wending distributed them one by one.

“This concerns some new developments for the Su Cloth House and Zhu Ji — there will be some changes, but I promise you, the opportunity to make real money has arrived. In business, we seek profit, but we seek it through mutual benefit as well. I guarantee you’re all seeing this first, so you can prepare accordingly… Take a look, and I’ll go through the details with you…”

Ning Yi’s words echoed through the hall — his tone gentle, but the atmosphere beneath it cold and hard as steel. Before long, everyone present had grasped his meaning clearly: cause trouble for me, and I’ll simply replace the lot of you.

None of them had expected he would go quite this far. To be fair, if he truly replaced everyone, Ning Yi’s side would take a loss too — those gathered here could, of course, simply burn the bridge outright if they wished to make trouble for him. But before long, they also caught a glimpse of what lay ahead for Zhu Ji — if this relief effort really had forged this many connections for him, then with the strength of the Right Chancellor’s residence behind him going forward, Su-Ning would become a power to rival any gentry clan in the land — because it already operated, in effect, under the name of the Right Chancellor’s residence itself.

Everyone present had originally relied on the patronage of some powerful clan or another for their livelihood, which was precisely why they’d come here to apply pressure in the first place — but as for how much these great households truly valued them, that was another matter entirely. Ning Yi’s words carried an unspoken implication: rather than following them, why not follow me instead? You already have a working relationship with me, and going forward, as we expand and grow, things will only come more naturally — this pie, if you’re willing, all of you could share in it yourselves.

Before long, two of the men tore off their masks entirely and left in anger, while the rest remained undecided, watching how things would unfold. Hu Chengyan said almost nothing the entire time. After Ning Yi left to return to the Chancellor’s residence, it was once again Su Tan’er who came out to attend to the guests. After a while, these visitors finally, one by one, took their leave.

Dusk drew near, night fell, and stars rose in the sky. The night wind blew cold and desolate, and across the vast city of Bianliang, who could say how many others were still occupied with their own affairs, each in their own way.

Late that night, Ning Yi rode a carriage from the Chancellor’s residence all the way home. Hazy lamplight and the sound of laughter enveloped the Ning household in this season — someone was joking, someone was roughhousing, someone was chasing Ningxi around the courtyard as she ran about with her little hands raised in mock ferocity, her giggling laughter occasionally drifting through the air. Ning Yi greeted everyone he passed, and when he returned to his own room, a warm, golden lamp burned within. Tan’er sat on a stool, dressed in a graceful gown, soaking her feet in a wooden basin of hot water, her hands resting on her knees. Seeing Ning Yi enter, she gave him a smile.

Ning Yi walked over, crouched down, and reached his hands into the warm water. Tan’er drew back slightly, reaching out to stop him. “Don’t.” She likely felt this wasn’t something a man ought to do, but Ning Yi didn’t mind at all, and washed her feet for a while, easing away her fatigue. In truth, dealing with all these petty, tangled matters day after day — even with a firm and unyielding manner — still took its toll on both mind and body, leaving one worn and troubled. Even the most formidable of people might feel invigorated in spirit, refusing ever to compromise, yet the weariness was still there all the same — and even Ning Yi, however practiced he’d become in matters of business, was no exception.

By now, the couple truly understood one another, and as time passed and they spent more days together, their understanding only grew ever more effortless. The room fell silent, broken only occasionally by the soft sound of water, while the warm, cheerful sounds of the great household drifted faintly from outside. Tan’er rested her hands on her knees, looked up for a moment, and then began softly humming: “Stars up in the sky… shining bright and clear…”

It was a song Ning Yi remembered from his past life, one he had once sung to Tan’er, and she had remembered it ever since, growing rather fond of it. Hearing her soft voice rise in song, Ning Yi smiled and hummed along with her: “Those are pairs and pairs of, pairs and pairs of eyes…”

“Blinking, blinking… watching, watching…”

“Those are the friends of childhood days…”

“Heh heh…”

The man crouched before the woman, the lamplight casting the whole scene in warm golden hues as their song filled the room. The simple, quiet sound seemed to stir up memories within them. Their own childhood friends were long gone now, their lives no longer the simple ones they’d once known — caught up in this vast whirlpool of events, their world had grown even more complicated and perilous than most people’s, a hundredfold over. Before long, Tan’er also helped Ning Yi wash his feet by the bedside, and after a while longer, the lamplight in the room dimmed, and the lights throughout the great household dimmed as well, letting everything settle into warm and peaceful sleep.

This day had passed. The complicated enemies they had faced had been beaten back and pushed aside, yet countless others had not stopped pursuing their own desires — and in the new day to come, still more enemies would gather around them, seeking through various means to disrupt, entangle, obstruct, or attack them.

But there would always be some way to pass warmth from one person to another. As long as one could lean on someone close, everything, in time, would eventually grow distant and fade…

And then, the next day arrived…