Within the private room of the tavern, Cheng Zhouhai’s voice rang out. Ning Yi sat with his hands folded, his smile unchanged, only his eyes narrowing slightly.
Those who had once worked alongside Qin Siyuan possessed a temperament different from ordinary men; that he could ask such a question here, so earnestly, naturally carried a weight beyond the ordinary. Ning Yi fell silent for a moment, simply looking at him. “What else could I possibly do?”
“After our teacher was imprisoned, Liheng originally meant to withdraw and leave—then discovered some problem, and decided to stay instead. What that problem actually was, I cannot guess.” Cheng Zhouhai turned his teacup slowly in his hands. “I haven’t known Liheng long, but I have some understanding of how you operate. If you saw things weren’t going well and threw in with Tong Guan simply to survive, I wouldn’t be saying any of this today.”
He had his own thoughts on the matter, but even without them, Cheng Zhouhai had never been one to wear his feelings on his face. His tone remained low and even; Ning Yi’s own voice stayed calm in turn. “Things have reached this point—the chancellor’s residence’s strength is exhausted, I’m nothing but a petty merchant, and the Bamboo Emporium has been battered nearly to pieces. If not for survival, what else could it be for?”
“I don’t know—but Liheng needn’t sell himself so short either. After our teacher’s passing, if there’s anyone who’s preserved what he left behind, it’s you.”
“Most of it, I handed over to Prince Guangyang.”
“That, too, was your own choice.” Cheng Zhouhai sighed. “Our teacher spent his whole life for nation and people. Since his passing, though the tree has fallen and the monkeys scattered, he still left behind a measure of human feeling and connection. These past few days, I heard that Chief Constable Zong Feixiao of the Ministry of Justice has gone missing, and another chief constable, Tie Tianying, suspects it was your doing. He’s contacted the Qi family’s aide, Cheng Wenhou, hoping to have the Qi family step forward and take up the matter. Cheng Wenhou is on very good terms with the great scholar Mao Su, and when Mao Su heard of this, he came and told me.”
Ning Yi fell silent a moment. “Has Brother Cheng come to warn me of this?”
Cheng Zhouhai neither confirmed nor denied it. “I know your capabilities, Liheng, and with Prince Guangyang’s protection now, this shouldn’t pose too great a problem. I have an obligation to let you know of it, but I’m not especially worried about it.” He glanced out the window as he spoke. “What I fear is what you’re doing right now, Liheng.”
The room fell silent. Then Cheng Zhouhai’s voice rose again, low and measured.
“Ever since our teacher’s downfall, you’ve kept everything hidden behind the scenes. What was once a plan to leave has become a decision to stay. What’s happening behind the Bamboo Emporium remains unclear, but it has never once stopped moving. You handed over the evidence our teacher left behind to Prince Guangyang—he may simply think you mean to use him as a weapon against others, and remain wary of you because of it. But I don’t believe that’s truly all there is to it.”
“Some things are open schemes. Once the intent is handed to the prince, however wary he may be, he can’t help but make use of it eventually.”
Cheng Zhouhai shook his head. “If that were all, I’d have understood it clearly enough by now. But Liheng, you’ve never been a man of such small ambitions. You stayed in the capital—even if it was only to avenge our teacher, you would never rely on such petty tricks alone. Looking at how you’ve conducted yourself in the past, I know you’re planning something far greater.”
He paused slightly. “Zong Feixiao’s death couldn’t have been your doing—a mere chief constable wouldn’t even register on your radar. Even if you did mean to move against him, he wouldn’t be the first target you’d choose. I suspect you mean to move against the Qi family, against the Great Radiance Sect—but perhaps it doesn’t end there either.” Cheng Zhouhai raised his head across from him. “What exactly is it you’re thinking?”
Ning Yi looked at him for a moment, then answered earnestly. “Merely self-preservation, nothing more.”
Cheng Zhouhai’s expression did not change.
Ning Yi continued. “I originally only meant to leave. But then I suddenly realized—there is no land under heaven that is not the king’s land, no man within its borders who is not the king’s subject. While we’re still in the capital, men like Tie Tianying are already scheming against me. I’ve made enemies of the martial world and of the noble clans alike, more than I could count—and how many of them have already set their sights on me in secret, even if they haven’t yet struck? Suppose I went back to Jiangning—Princess Chengguo’s household might shelter me for a time, but Old Kang is already aging; how long could his protection possibly last? Sooner or later, men like Tie Tianying and Zong Feixiao would come knocking regardless. If it’s self-preservation I want, I’d still need to find some powerful patron to cling to eventually—and so, on the day Prince Tong came to pay respects to Chancellor Qin, I simply handed the material over then and there. At the time I still had a choice in the matter, so at least it counts as a favor rendered.”
“Sometimes, once you’ve climbed onto the stage, the trouble is you can no longer get off it.” Ning Yi leaned back slowly against his chair, hands folded and lowered. “I handed the material to Prince Guangyang—he’ll owe me a debt of gratitude for it regardless, and he belongs to the military faction besides, and men like that care little for reason or restraint. If anyone wants to move against me now, doing so under his banner is an entirely different matter than doing so under someone else’s. Having thrown my lot in with this side, my conflicts with others are at their minimum. If I keep my head down and bide my time in the Prince of Guangyang’s household for a while, he’ll naturally come to think me unremarkable, and once his attention drifts elsewhere, I—a mere merchant—can quietly slip south. At most, I’d send a few cartloads of birthday gifts each year come the prince’s birthday. That way, each of us gets what we want, and I’ve simply used the momentum to my own advantage.”
His tone remained even, and what he said was entirely reasonable on its face. In truth, Wenren Buer, though several years older than Ning Yi, had grown disheartened by this whole affair and left the capital entirely—so Ning Yi’s current attitude was hardly anything strange in comparison. Yet Cheng Zhouhai shook his head. “If that’s truly all there is to it, I have nothing more to say—but in my heart, I don’t believe it. Brother Ning…”
He opened his mouth, then continued. “Our teacher’s whole life’s wish was only for the sake of this nation and its people. His methods differed from mine, but as a man, he could be called truly upright and forthright. This time, with the Jurchens coming south, many people’s wishful illusions were shattered. Since returning from Taiyuan, I’ve known in my heart that they will surely come south again. As for the capital now—if you, Liheng, are truly disheartened and wish to leave, that would be nothing remarkable. If you still hold a grudge over Zong Feixiao and wish to kill a few Ministry of Justice constables to vent your anger, that too would be a small matter. But if you intend to go further still…”
“…The Qi family, the Great Radiance Sect, Tong Guan, Cai Jing, Wang Fu, Li Bangyan, Liang Shicheng—pull on one thread among these, and the whole web moves. I’ve watched how you conduct yourself, Liheng—the scheme that destroyed Liangshan, your dealings with the noble clans over disaster relief, and later the hardships of Summer Village—you came through all of it. Others may underestimate you, but I never will. These are things I could never accomplish myself, nor even conceive of how you might. But if you mean to strike at that level, whether you succeed or fail, what would it mean for the common people of this realm?”
Cheng Zhouhai’s schemes had always run to extremes, his methods calculating and severe. That he would speak such words now came as something of a surprise to Ning Yi, who gave a faint smile. “I had thought Brother Cheng a man of extreme temperament, unconcerned with small details…”
“My schemes have always run to extremes, it’s true, but that was then, and this is now. Back at the chancellor’s residence, I cared only for results, methods being secondary. But now, I ask for nothing more than that, when the Jurchens come south again, the common people of this city might find some good place to shelter.”
Ning Yi fell silent. After a moment, leaning back against his chair, he said, “Though Duke Qin has passed, most of his disciples have indeed taken up his mantle…”
“And yet, Liheng, your convictions differ from our teacher’s. You are truly different—and because of this, you’re capable of extraordinary things time and again.” Cheng Zhouhai looked at him as he spoke. “In truth, the flame passes on even as the firewood burns out. With our teacher gone, none of us can carry his burden as he did—if you, Liheng, could take it up in his stead, that would be a fine thing indeed. If what you’re doing is meant to guard against the disaster of a future Jurchen invasion, then my concerns today would be needless worry after all.”
“I promised to pass down his writings. As for his life’s work… Brother Cheng, neither of us holds any real weight now. There’s little either of us can do.”
“Some things cannot simply go undone merely because they’re difficult. Since returning from Taiyuan, I’ve seen what it truly means for the common people to suffer utter devastation. Whether it’s me or you, Liheng—if we’re determined to act, there’s always some way to be found.”
Ning Yi nodded. Cheng Zhouhai’s words had been calm and forthright throughout; though his schemes had once run to extremes, after Qin Siyuan’s death, while Wenren Buer had left the capital entirely in despair, he had chosen to remain. And upon hearing that someone meant to move against Ning Yi, he had come specifically to warn him. This man, who had survived Taiyuan by the narrowest of margins and then returned to witness his own mentor’s household destroyed, had, once stripped of all his former background and extremity, revealed at his core nothing but a sincere heart devoted to nation and people. Ning Yi’s methods differed from Qin Siyuan’s, but he had always held that old man in deep respect—and for the Cheng Zhouhai before him now, he could not help but feel genuine admiration as well.
The essence of Confucian teaching had, after all, endured in this man.
He only nodded, offering no direct reply to what had been said. Looking out the window, it was now midday, bright sunlight falling across the lush green trees, birds coming and going. Twenty days had passed since Qin Siyuan’s death.
“There’s something I always meant to tell old Qin, but never got the chance to.”
In the silence that followed, Ning Yi spoke these words.
“Years ago, over the matter of Fang Qifo, I made enemies both in the south with the Ministry of Justice and with the Great Radiance Sect. At the time, the man responsible for the Bureau of Covert Affairs’ operations around Chongping County, a man named Hao Jinhan, cooperated with my plans during that operation. After I left, that evil monk Lin found him, and Hao Jinhan’s entire family was killed. When word of it reached us, old Qin had it sealed away, kept from my sight.”
He paused. “This time, while our teacher was under indictment, I was going through old records and found this document. He was in prison at the time, and later exiled—each time we met, so many great matters pressed upon us that I always forgot to mention it. The last time, seeing him off outside the city, I had a mountain of troubles of my own weighing on me, and by the time I remembered, I’d already forgotten to bring it up again. I thought, once my own affairs were settled, I’d find some opportunity to tell him properly.”
“But by the time I saw him again, it was on that hillock—and there was no chance left to say it.”
He fell silent again after this, and after a while, said, “Brother Cheng, our methods differ, and you’re right—it’s because you and the others act for righteousness, while I act for recognition. As for what you spoke of today, taking revenge against the Qi family or Grand Preceptor Cai and stirring up trouble… it’s too much trouble.”
He paused, then added, “Too much trouble… I won’t be doing that.”
The two sat facing each other a while longer, ate a little, and before long, Cheng Zhouhai took his leave as well. As he was departing, Cheng Zhouhai said, “If you truly intend to do something, you may come find me.”
Ning Yi only nodded in response.
In the days that followed, the capital remained as lively and bustling as ever. While Qin Siyuan had held office, though the Left and Right Chancellors were not the most deeply-rooted ministers at court, the overall strategy of the nation—centered on the northern campaign and the recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun—had at least remained clear. After Qin Siyuan’s removal, though barely twenty days had passed, the Left Chancellor’s own faction had already begun to crumble, and those with ambition and a sense of urgency began jockeying for the position. To support the current national policy of massively expanding the Yellow River defensive line, Tong Guan’s faction had begun pressing forward aggressively, standing in opposition to Li Bangyan and others at court. Cai Jing, though keeping a low profile, commanded such an enormous network of disciples across the realm that his mere presence alone made him seem impossible to unseat. Meanwhile, owing to the losses suffered in the war against the Jurchens, the appeasement faction led by Tang Ke had also gained momentum, with merchants and various interest groups alike hoping the Wu Dynasty might cease hostilities with the Jurchens and open border trade as soon as possible, so that everyone could go back to making money happily.
After all, hadn’t the Wu Dynasty maintained much the same sort of relationship with the Liao before?
With matters standing thus, the court appeared a landscape of rival lords, and Zhou Zhe worked deliberately to maintain balance among them. Sensing that Tong Guan was beginning to make moves against the Wurui Battalion, he too dispatched several officers to the battalion on his own side—compared to Tong Guan’s approach, Zhou Zhe’s own pace was considerably gentler; these officers were sent simply to “study,” while also serving to prevent any unfairness within the ranks, ostensibly as oversight. In truth, it amounted to a gesture of goodwill, an attempt to win the army’s favor.
In any performance, there must always be a villain and a hero. Back when he had been too generous with the Ever-Victorious Army, no one had dared play the villain’s role. Now that Tong Guan had taken on that part, Zhou Zhe could naturally step forward as emperor to play the benevolent hero in turn. With the Wurui Battalion’s fighting strength now established, what mattered most was steering their loyalty directly toward the throne itself—should it prove necessary, he would not hesitate to shape this force into his own imperial guard.
Whether rising or falling, everything remained in a state of ferment. As for Ning Yi, he was called to the Wurui Battalion twice more, keeping a low profile within the princely household, living quietly, tail tucked in, treading carefully. Among the soldiers of the Wurui Battalion, private talk had begun to turn increasingly contemptuous of him—yet in the most hidden depths of the camp, someone was already whispering inflammatory words.
“…It’s all political maneuvering! You’ve all seen it—first the Right Chancellor, then General Qin Shaoqian. After the General died, Old He was targeted too, and now Master Ning—why do you think they dragged him along? To have him hold down the fort? No! It’s to have all of us smear filth on him, to blacken his name! And what exactly are they doing right now? The Yellow River defensive line? Don’t you all understand yet? Any large-scale construction project means money flowing in! You want to know why they’re so eager about it—heh, it’s not that they don’t fear the Jurchens coming south, they’re plenty worried about that, plenty concerned… they’re just also grabbing power and skimming money on the side while they’re at it—”
Such words remained buried at the very bottom of the rumor mill. Meanwhile, the capital grew ever more prosperous. The war against the Jurchens had been devastating, but as long as one survived, there was always a chance to turn things around. During this period, merchants poured in from every direction, and scholars of every rank grew increasingly fervent in their calls to rise up and save the nation. In the pleasure houses and taverns, wherever scholars gathered, the talk invariably turned to strategies for national salvation.
This atmosphere also fueled the rise of countless popular religious sects throughout the realm. The most renowned of these was the Heavenly Master Guo Jing, who had recently arrived in Bianliang, said to possess the power to move mountains and overturn seas, to scatter beans and summon soldiers from thin air. Some regarded this with skepticism, but the common people flocked to him with tremendous enthusiasm, and no small number of high officials had already granted him audience. Some said: had the Heavenly Master been present when the Jurchens came, they need only have opened the city gates and released the Six Jia Divine Soldiers, and then… Most spoke of this with great relish, tongues clicking in wonder. When that day came, everyone need only stand atop the city walls and watch the Six Jia Divine Soldiers reap the Jurchens like wheat.
At such moments, many also recalled anew the horrors of the city’s defense, secretly wiping away tears—had the Heavenly Master only come sooner, had the traitorous chancellor not been the one defending the city, would their own husbands and sons have had to die so miserably atop the walls? Yet amid such discussions, some also pointed out that, with the treacherous chancellor in power at the time, even had the Heavenly Master come, he would surely have been suppressed and pushed aside. On reflection, people found this quite plausible as well.
In early sixth month, the walls near the New Suanzao Gate had already been completed. Zhou Zhe left the palace, walked around near the city gate, and, watching the throng of people flowing in and out of the city from atop a tavern, felt no small measure of satisfaction.
“So much still to be rebuilt. Yet the people of my Wu Dynasty have not, in the end, been broken by this suffering. Now, wherever I look, I see only greater prosperity—this is truly the sign of a nation strengthened through adversity!”
He said this to Du Chengxi, pointing down at a merchant caravan entering the city below. Noticing that many of the caravan’s members carried weapons, he nodded further. “After such a great calamity, the roads remain far from peaceful, and so this flourishing of martial spirit is, for now, no bad thing. But how to restrain it and guide it properly requires careful handling. Once we’re back, we must draft some regulations promptly.”
He went on to discuss a few more matters briefly with Du Chengxi. Regarding the recent disputes over who would oversee each section of the Yellow River defensive line, tensions had been simmering for some time, and he had no wish to let the disturbance grow any larger—within the next few days, he intended to make his decision final. This was, at present, the great strategic undertaking meant to guard against the Jurchens, and also represented a major redistribution of power at court following Qin Siyuan’s death—an opportunity for him to once again grasp the reins of balance himself. He had already thought it through carefully and had a clear plan in mind; what he shared with Du Chengxi now was mostly information he was content to let circulate.
Once Du Chengxi hinted at these matters to others, people understood the decisions had already been made, and dared not press further.
“Only after Qin Siyuan’s death did this court learn just how much he had kept concealed from this court beneath him. Such is the nature of a powerful minister—make use of him, and sooner or later he turns against you. But this court has thought it through carefully, and the path of balance must not be handled recklessly either. Men like Cai Jing and Tong Guan should serve as pillars bearing up the roof beam for this court—but the true work must be done by this court alone!”
Having said this, his thoughts wandered further, and, gazing toward the city gate, what rose unbidden in his mind was the image of that wooden platform once erected there, and the woman who had climbed up to perform for the wounded soldiers. He tried to push the image from his mind, thought of a few other matters, and on the way back to the palace, gave Du Chengxi a number of further instructions on state affairs to attend to.
“…The matter should be settled within these next few days. When the edict is issued, a great many details must be handled with precision. Once the edict comes down, the court must return to proper order. As for Tong Guan and Li Bangyan, this court has no wish to press them too hard—but Cai Jing, standing there doing nothing at all, has quietly claimed the greater share of what Qin Siyuan once held. This court has thought it over, and in the end, he too must be given a warning. The day after tomorrow’s court session…”
He continued issuing instructions, one after another, and at the very end, recalled one more matter.
“…Also—in three days’ time, once matters are settled, add one more name to the young officers and officials this court intends to receive. Ning Yi, Ning Liheng. He came from the chancellor’s residence, and has behaved himself quite well of late, it’s said—sheltering now within the Prince of Guangyang’s household, though he’s yet to pick his old business back up, and has been called to the Wurui Battalion rather often these days. He does have some connection to the Wurui Battalion—this court has even heard rumors that he and that Chieftain Lu of Lüliang might be lovers. True or not, it hardly reflects well on him, and leaves him without much face to speak of.”
“When the Qin household fell, and the wall crumbled with everyone pushing it further down, this court did shield him somewhat. He has a genuine talent for getting things done—this court doesn’t wish to press him too hard. This court will grant him a minor clerical post in the Ministry of War, to give him a way forward, and to spare him from being ground down entirely under the Prince of Guangyang’s overly harsh hand, lest his edge be worn away completely.” Having said this, he sighed. “With this matter settled, the case concerning Qin Siyuan should at last be brought to a close. The Jurchens remain a looming threat even now, and the court urgently needs to rally its spirit—this is no time to dig up old grievances. All must set the past aside and look forward. Du Chengxi, this is this court’s will—see that it’s arranged. From now on, in this time when we must all pull together as one, let there be no more talk of Qin Siyuan’s crimes of overreach and abuse of power.”
Du Chengxi accepted the decree, and the emperor moved on to other matters.
The next day, at Ning Manor, a messenger arrived from the palace, informing him that he was to be received in audience at court, along with instructions on proper etiquette for meeting the emperor and a general outline of what he might expect—along with, inevitably, a fair share of admonishment as well.
“…Major cases in the capital often implicate a great many people. In the case of the traitorous Chancellor Qin Siyuan, all of you were counted among the guilty—it was only by His Majesty’s own word that leniency was granted to you at all. Squire Ning, you are but a common merchant; that you should be granted an imperial audience is a blessing earned across eighteen generations of your ancestors. Henceforth you must burn incense with the utmost reverence and pay homage to your forebears—but more important still, you must truly grasp the depth of His Majesty’s care and favor toward you, his wish to raise you up. From this day forward, whenever there is any matter to relieve the sovereign’s burdens, you must throw yourself into it wholeheartedly, foremost among all others! His Majesty’s countenance—do you imagine that is something just anyone may behold at will? That is the Son of Heaven! The most exalted of all under heaven…”
This palace messenger spoke at vivid length, instructing Ning Yi for the better part of an hour. Ning Yi, for his part, played the role of the awed and grateful subject, nodding repeatedly, his words humble throughout. Once this instruction concluded, Tong Guan summoned him as well, offering much the same lesson in broad terms—though Tong Guan did point out specifically that His Majesty wished the matter of Qin Siyuan’s crimes to end here, that Ning Yi ought to bear this firmly in mind, and thereafter conduct himself with due gratitude for the emperor’s grace.
By now, the many great affairs in the capital concerning the Yellow River defensive line were beginning to reach their conclusion—this was a major strategic undertaking, and Tong Guan himself was still in the process of absorbing and consolidating the power now in his hands. For a minor figure like Ning Yi to receive an imperial audience, that Tong Guan would even summon him for a lecture on the matter was already a rather generous gesture. Having delivered this admonishment, he sent Ning Yi on his way and gave the matter no further thought.
That day, as Ning Yi passed through the corridors of the princely household, he drew more than a few cold looks and murmured comments from others. Only when he crossed paths with Shen Zhong did the man greet him with a broad, beaming smile, cupping his hands and offering a few kind words. “I always knew Liheng was no ordinary man—to be received in imperial audience, that’s no small honor. This is something to bring comfort to your ancestors!”
“Indeed, indeed.”
“I hear the Ministry of Justice has been giving you some trouble. Well, after this—heh heh—let’s see if they still dare try anything! Even that Qi family, powerful as they are, you needn’t fear them any longer! Brother, once you’ve truly risen in the world, don’t forget your old friend here, ha ha ha ha…” Shen Zhong clapped him on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
“Naturally, naturally. In fact, I was even thinking of finding someone to smooth things over with the Qi family,” Ning Yi said, laughing along with him.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry…”
Before long, Ning Yi and his party left the princely residence.
The sun was sinking slowly toward the west, and the great city of Bianliang remained as prosperous as ever, its bustling crowds still weaving through the streets. Tie Tianying led his men through the city, searching for any possible connection between Zong Feixiao’s death and Ning Yi. Lamp after lamp gradually came alight. Ning Yi sat in the courtyard of his residence, waiting as the daylight slowly faded, as stars began to scatter their faint silver light across the night sky, and the whole world seemed to settle into quiet stillness because of it. Time’s wheel turned on, moment by moment, and amid all this prosperity and peace, it pressed forward, slowly but without the slightest hesitation, toward the future two days hence.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.