The rain was falling as the carriage left the nearby streets. Xi Junyu lifted the curtain to look back at the Su family's grand estate in the rainy night. All he could see were probably just the two lanterns still glowing beneath the side gate's eaves. The rest was merely the dark outline of courtyard walls, with occasional glimmers of light rising within those contours. He sighed.

"I knew you wouldn't listen, but..." he murmured, smiling to himself. "Well, can't say I didn't warn you..."

Regarding the Imperial Merchant matter, after Ning Yi appeared, he'd still managed to mention a few things. Of course, not knowing whether Ning Yi understood the whole situation, his final words had been somewhat indirect. Regardless, the message should have gotten through. What he could do, what he should do in front of Su Tan'er—that was all there was to it.

As the carriage departed from one side, in the courtyard on the other, Ning Yi had already gone with Su Tan'er and Juan'er to the nearby small courtyard where dinner awaited. Ning Yi had long suspected something about the palace licenses but wasn't entirely clear on the details. He hadn't heard the first half of their conversation earlier—he'd only heard Su Tan'er discussing the state of the nation before making his teasing remark. Su Tan'er then laughed with mock annoyance: "Most of what I said just now was clearly from husband's casual discussions last time, yet now you accuse me of being unpatriotic... Husband isn't a good person either."

"The context is different, you can't lump them together." Ning Yi laughed and made up excuses in the heavy rain as Juan'er followed behind them.

After being away for several days, returning felt much the same as before. Though things with Xiao Chan seemed somehow different, in the evening everyone still ate together and chatted, discussing the trip to Nanting Village. After Guard Geng and Dongzhu left, Ning Yi, Su Tan'er and the others returned to their small courtyard under umbrellas. Chan'er and Juan'er busied themselves heating water for washing, Xing'er cleaned inside and out, while Su Tan'er returned to her room to continue working on the accounts she'd been handling before Xi Junyu arrived.

The storm had nearly formed flowing streams in the courtyard. Ning Yi watched from under the eaves for a while. When he looked up toward the opposite side, Su Tan'er's window was open, the woman's silhouette visible at the desk by the window, writing and calculating—truly no different from any ordinary day. As he prepared to return to his room, he noticed Juan'er standing behind him, holding a small basin of hot water.

Juan'er was usually the quiet type, but she got along well with Ning Yi. She smiled now: "Young Master should get to bed early tonight."

Ning Yi thought for a moment: "Hmm?"

"While Young Master was gone, Young Miss kept staying up really late. Just doing accounts, but Sister Xing'er and I couldn't talk her out of it."

After speaking, she lowered her head slightly and walked away with the water basin.

"Tsk." Ning Yi turned to look at the figure in the window, shrugging. "Well, I can't persuade her either."

He read in his room for a while that night. When he guessed it was around midnight, the light across the way was still on. Ning Yi thought for a moment, put down his book, blew out the lamp, and went to bed. In the room across the courtyard, Su Tan'er looked over, her hands still turning the account ledger, frowning slightly.

She propped her chin on her hand and glanced over again, unable to stop herself from looking at that darkened room. A moment later, she flipped another page, then simply closed the whole ledger.

That's enough, time to put out the light and sleep, she thought.

In the servants' quarters, Juan'er leaned out her window in her underclothes, checking Ning Yi's window, then glancing over at Su Tan'er's. She rested on the windowsill with a sigh: "Young Master really knows what he's doing..."

After the last rustling sounds, the courtyard fell quiet, with only the sound of the storm continuing...

On this same night, a thousand miles away in the Wu Dynasty's capital, the Eastern Capital, there wasn't a single cloud. The night was beautiful, with the hopeful crescent moon casting its cold jade light, stars scattered across the vast Milky Way like a jade belt. The city below still bustled with activity—markets, brothels, and residences large and small remained brightly lit. The city's liveliest Imperial Street led straight to the palace's main entrance at Xuande Gate. Looking from here, one could see the broad avenue, the city's lights, and the towering imperial city also shrouded in illumination.

Though the palace gates had closed, this was how it appeared every night. Few knew that an extremely secret and momentous event was quietly unfolding within the palace walls this evening.

At the Central Secretariat, some of the court's most influential ministers had gathered: Li Gang, Tong Guan¹, Wu Min, Tang Ke, Geng Nanzhong, Zhang Bangchang, Qin Hui, Gao Qiu, Zhou Zhi... Of course, these officials held positions both high and low, each with their own cliques. This was break time during a secret and important discussion. They gathered in groups of two or three, drinking tea and resting while discussing matters in low voices. Though quiet, they couldn't suppress their inner excitement.

"The Khitans sent another letter recently, asking to renegotiate the tribute. They're even willing to give it up entirely if we'll just help them against Jin. I'm guessing they've been knocking on your door too?"

"Oh, they have. That Liao envoy practically begged me to put in a good word at court. Sent all sorts of gifts—there was one incense burner that was actually worth something. The rest... heh, not so much..."

"The Khitans are desperate. Getting them to this point took long enough..."

"When the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold. I still think we're making a mistake here. The Jurchens have the upper hand now—what happens after they finish off Liao? We could be next."

"You're being paranoid. The Jurchens don't have the numbers. Even if they take down Liao, they'll have what—a hundred thousand troops at most? And they'll need those to keep order. They can't just march thousands of miles to attack us."

"Zhong Shidao²holds this view too. He's been telling people we shouldn't ally with Jin to attack Liao. Instead, we should ally with Liao to attack Jin, because Liao has been our brother nation for a century. This Jin is the true nation of tigers and wolves. There's also Deng Xunwu³..."

"That's ridiculous! It's always been 'befriend the distant, attack the nearby.' Who ever heard of doing it backwards? This is our chance to get Yanyun back—we've been waiting centuries! If we pull this off, we'll all... we'll be in the history books..."

"Zhong Shidao is truly confused..."

"Liao's finished. We need to move with the times... This is the Wu Dynasty's moment."

"Pity that Lord Tong will soon leave the capital to deal with the Fang La matter..."

"A mere eunuch..."

"Shut up! Keep your voice down!"

The buzzing voices continued their various discussions. Regardless, the proposal to ally with Jin against Liao, publicly promoted by Tong Guan, had already passed its initial phase and entered detailed negotiations.

The true groundwork might have been laid seven years ago with the Black Water Alliance. Especially four years ago, when the Liao Emperor Yelu Yanxi personally led seven hundred thousand troops against Jin, only to be nearly annihilated by Wanyan Aguda's twenty thousand warriors at Hubudagang—after that, calls to ally with Jin against Liao had been rising domestically. Though some believed the Wu Dynasty shouldn't participate in this war, or should ally with Liao against Jin, like the famous Northwest general Zhong Shidao.

Privy Council Executive Deng Xunwu had also spoken on this, saying something to the effect of: "What 'attack the weak and ignorant'? I think we should support the weak and suppress the strong. Now the country's military is weak, finances depleted, people's strength exhausted—everyone knows this situation but no one dares speak. I don't understand: is having strong Jin as a neighbor better than having weak Liao as a neighbor?" The King of Goryeo had secretly sent word: "Liao is our brother nation; keeping them can secure our borders. Jin is a nation of tigers and wolves—we cannot associate with them!"

Of course, such views were now in the minority. It had been over two hundred years since Shi Jingtang⁴lost the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. The temptation to recover Yanyun was something no emperor could resist.

Though the Khitans, now sensing danger, had begun seeking help from the Wu Dynasty, even willing to cancel the tribute in exchange for the Wu Dynasty joining them against Jin. But for several years, the Wu Dynasty had been sending envoys by sea to contact the Jurchens. After several round trips, this time the Jin envoys had finally brought a relatively definite response. Next would be negotiating terms on this side, then sending people over—they'd essentially entered the formal negotiation phase.

The Jin envoys who came this time had only expressed their intent to agree, without authority to negotiate specifics. After discussions here concluded, they'd still need to send people to Jin to meet with Wanyan Aguda face-to-face. While everyone was still discussing in the palace, at a tavern near Imperial Street, two members of the Jin delegation were drinking. One appeared to be in his forties, the other only in his twenties. Both had that fierce quality of the Jurchens, though the middle-aged man's gaze at the bustling street outside was rather complex. They seemed to be just attendants in the delegation with no status, not accompanying others into the palace, but their conversation held unusual significance.

"Since Lord Gushen has come, why not simply reveal yourself and sign that agreement early? Then the Wu Dynasty would march north, and those Khitan dogs would be stretched thin. We could lighten our burden too."

Anyone truly familiar with Jin's situation would be shocked by the name "Gushen." Huandu's son Gushen, also known as Wanyan Xiyin⁵, was Wanyan Aguda's most important strategist. Since Aguda's rebellion against Liao, this man had participated in all major affairs. Not only was his military strategy exceptional, he was also a renowned Jurchen scholar. When Aguda proclaimed himself emperor a few years ago, feeling the Jurchens lacked their own script, he'd tasked Xiyin with creating one. Xiyin had created a set of Jurchen characters modeled after Chinese regular script last year, now being implemented throughout Jin. At this moment, he looked at the lights outside and shook his head.

"Though we considered Wu Dynasty's assistance from the beginning of our uprising, this matter was first proposed by the Wu Dynasty. Since the Wu Dynasty needs us, we naturally cannot appear too eager. I came to the Central Plain only to see this Wu Dynasty's prosperity, the Eastern Capital's splendor... What I've seen has made the journey worthwhile. Look at this Eastern Capital scene—compared to it, Liao's five capitals still fall far short."

"For his part, Moliye finds it too extravagant, soft without any fierce spirit. Lord Gushen, actually some in our delegation say this Wu Dynasty, aside from extravagance, really has nothing worthwhile. They've been bullied by the Khitans for a century without achievement. Even if we ally with them, I fear there's little benefit. Though they might draw some attention, it's really optional. Without them, we Jurchen warriors could still take Liao. Now we're just letting them take a share for nothing..."

"Don't be arrogant." Wanyan Xiyin frowned. "The Wu Dynasty occupies the Central Plain, with vast territory and abundant resources. Before we Jurchens appeared, the Han people had thrived here for thousands of years. Though they seem bullied by the Khitans these years, if they were truly that weak, wouldn't the Khitans have swallowed them long ago? How could they have developed to this extent?"

He shook his head, though uncertainty flickered in his eyes: "I've been deep in their books these past years, creating our script. The more I learn about Han culture, the more I realize how deep it runs. Moliye, even His Majesty and Lord Wuqimai⁶speak carefully when discussing the Wu Dynasty. Never underestimate the Central Plain. Once we crush Liao together and share a border, we could easily become enemies. How can you look down on a future enemy?"

Having said this, he turned his gaze back to the prosperous night scene outside. The young man named Moliye lowered his head in thought. If it were anyone else, their words might not change his perception, but Lord Gushen was different. He possessed not only exceptional martial prowess but also superior military strategy and wisdom. His words surely had merit.

Thinking thus, Moliye also turned his gaze outside, beginning to ponder just how formidable these Han people might be.

Perhaps one day... we'll meet on the battlefield.

So he thought.

This night in Kaifeng might be remembered years later, occupying a place in the history books. Of course, this was just a small interlude among the many events that would unfold over the coming years. At this moment, people were all doing what they believed was right.

The rebellion of Fang La and other insurgents in southeastern Wu Dynasty was beginning to spread widely. The famous general Tong Guan, while advocating alliance with Jin against Liao, was considering first crushing these peasants with lightning force before marching north. The emperor awaited the recovery of Yanyun, the return of our rivers and mountains, then to slowly pursue good governance. Wanyan Xiyin in Bianliang and Wanyan Aguda on the front lines against Liao were both considering what assistance the Wu Dynasty's northern expedition might provide and the future situation. The Jurchen population and army were too small—if they took Liao, how could they maintain balance with the Wu Dynasty and avoid being swallowed...

Of course, Ning Yi knew none of these things.

He was sleeping. When he got up in the morning and saw the storm had stopped, he went for his usual run. During the run, he practiced internal energy using the breathing method Lu Hongti had taught him. He made his way to Nie Yunzhu's small building, had a cup of tea, and chatted. After all, they hadn't seen each other for several days. After brief pleasantries, the two sat quietly for a while. Nie Yunzhu was considering how to tell him about meeting Old Qin, who might become her adoptive father. As Ning Yi picked up the teapot to pour himself water, a hand holding a teacup reached over from behind.

"Hey, pour me a cup too."

A woman's hand, fair and delicate. Ning Yi paused slightly, poured the cup full, then turned to look. A woman wearing what seemed to be one of Nie Yunzhu's dresses sat on the steps two levels behind, raising the teacup to blow on it several times before slowly drinking.

They clearly knew each other already. Nie Yunzhu turned around, looking slightly surprised and unsure whether she should make introductions. After a moment, Yuan Jin'er put down the teacup, smacked her lips, and noticed Ning Yi still looking at her. She pouted, glared, and leaned back: "Why do you keep staring at me!"

"Oh." Ning Yi blinked and nodded, then turned back to his tea without another glance. After a moment, he shrugged. "Yesterday I saw some woman crawl out of the river in the pouring rain, completely drenched... and, well, let's just say everything was visible. But that probably wasn't you."

His tone was casually indifferent. Yuan Jin'er's eyes instantly went round. Nie Yunzhu made a soft "Hmm?" and turned to look at her. She certainly remembered how Jin'er had looked when she arrived. Later, she'd pulled her to take a bath but she'd already fallen asleep. To prevent her from catching cold, Yunzhu had undressed Jin'er herself and wiped her body.

Yuan Jin'er blinked, exchanging glances with Nie Yunzhu: "Of course it wasn't me!" Then she pulled at her skirt hem, stood up and ran inside. Nie Yunzhu was slightly taller, so the skirt was a bit long. As she ran inside, she cried "Ah!" and nearly tripped.

Nie Yunzhu laughed helplessly and turned to look at Ning Yi. Ning Yi maintained his calm tea-drinking demeanor, then glanced at her... glanced again...

"Why are you looking at me like that? She already said it wasn't her!"

"...Libertine."

Nie Yunzhu picked up her teacup and turned her face away...