Nie Yunzhu's recent meetings with Old Qin by the river weren't actually accidental. Though Ning Yi had suggested she accept Old Qin as her adoptive father and she wasn't opposed to it, Nie Yunzhu was, by nature, an independent woman with her own mind. Part of why she'd gone to meet Old Qin while Ning Yi was away was her desire to take the initiative in getting to know this man who might become her adoptive father.

After meeting him, she'd spent these two days by the Qinhuai River listening to him talk about Ning Yi's talented yet unconventional side, as if seeing this person from a different angle. Seeing Ning Yi again this morning felt good—familiar yet fresh.

Though that girl Jin'er had come to stir things up...

Nie Yunzhu was accomplished in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, while she was a master of music and dance, her skills in calligraphy, painting, and chess, though quite good, naturally couldn't match Old Qin's level. After watching for a bit, Ning Yi could tell Old Qin was holding back, essentially giving Nie Yunzhu some guidance. As they played, Old Qin talked to Ning Yi about the disaster relief and epidemic prevention manual.

Old Qin had already sent the booklet to his eldest son Qin Shaohe in distant Jiangzhou. On Kang Xian's side, he'd reportedly used his connections to submit it upward for distribution. Of course, seeing results would take time. When Old Qin discussed these matters with Ning Yi, Nie Yunzhu sat beside them, silently watching him.

For Nie Yunzhu, this was her first time seeing this side of Ning Yi. Since meeting him, her view had always been limited. She knew he was talented, but that came from others' words. Meeting daily, they talked about trivial matters, listened to his favorite strange songs, watched him paint odd lacquer paintings—it all just felt real. Though he'd shown composure when discussing business with her before, business was just merchants' minor pursuits after all.

But now the feeling was different. They were discussing national affairs, and this was not the pompous, hollow rhetoric of ignorant scholars—such pretentious talk she had witnessed all too often at Golden Wind Tower. These past two days, Old Qin had mentioned that Liheng wasn't one of those ignorant scholars; when he did things, he always sought practical and stable results. That was the true attitude for accomplishing great things. As the wind rose by the Qinhuai River, she listened to the two men discuss these matters, remembering the old man's evaluation of Ning Yi. Faintly, she seemed to feel something like shared pride and happiness.

In the following days, life continued much as usual, though some changes were occurring—they just didn't affect Ning Yi much.

The number of refugees inside and outside the city continued to grow with time. Near Yushan Academy, on the streets and against the walls, beggars could often be seen wandering and gathering. They looked pitiful, but if one truly wanted to care, it was impossible to help them all. Even Xiao Chan had become accustomed to these sights. Beggars had never been scarce in Jiangning; there were just more now. Many refugees had come from various places to seek help from relatives, and even the Su family had some disaster-stricken relatives who'd come seeking aid.

Therefore, the main cause of the city's slight crowding and chaos was the sudden increase in population. The government and military had increased their control efforts, so the situation in the city wasn't too bad. Those with travel permits¹and identity papers could enter the city. Those without permits or relatives to turn to could only gather outside the city awaiting relief.

These past few days, order could still be maintained and the city gates remained open. However, once when Ning Yi passed by the gates, he saw the refugees outside had increased considerably since his return. They'd set up simple shelters to live in—a chaotic, fearful mass with all kinds of noise and crying. The Ardent Wu Army had deployed large numbers to station by the gates, ready to respond and close them at any moment.

Due to the refugee situation, Ning Yi had reconsidered and temporarily shelved his plans for high-proof alcohol equipment and workshops. The blueprints were ready anyway; he could consider it after this period passed. These days, when he ran to the small building each morning, he often saw Yuan Jin'er and Nie Yunzhu drinking tea together. When he arrived, Yuan Jin'er would grab her teacup and run away.

Yuan Jin'er's departure from Golden Wind Tower had caused quite a stir in Jiangning. Even Ning Yi had heard Li Pin mention it, saying this member of the Four Great Courtesans had vanished without a trace. Seeing her drinking tea there each morning and remembering Li Pin's words gave Ning Yi mixed feelings. Apparently, several lovestruck men were still searching for her.

This woman planned to learn from her Sister Yunzhu how to run a business. She'd spent money to buy her freedom from Golden Wind Tower but still had considerable savings left, all of which she now prepared to invest in Zhu's—not a small sum. As she put it, from now on, "I belong to Sister Yunzhu." She was resting for now, planning to start as a minor manager at Zhu's in a couple of days.

The day after his return, Li Pin had mentioned something to Ning Yi.

"By the way, a pair of siblings came looking for you at the academy a few days ago."

"Siblings?"

"Yes, they seemed to be from a wealthy family, quite young but with remarkable bearing. The sister was about twelve or thirteen, rather difficult—seemed to deliberately come to challenge us. You weren't here, so she gave me a thorough test. Haha, the brother had a better temperament though."

Li Pin described their heights with gestures while recounting the testing that day. With his open-minded nature, Li Pin wouldn't take children's games seriously. With his talent, he certainly couldn't have lost. Speaking of it now, he mentioned the siblings were quite learned, and clearly he appreciated them.

Seeing the heights he indicated, Ning Yi laughed in realization, thinking of the Zhou siblings, Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu. They'd only met once at Dragon Boat Festival, yet they'd made a special trip to challenge him. Getting on a woman's bad side really was no joke...

He immediately put the matter out of his mind.

Ning Yi's fixed daily activity remained his teaching. Having finished The Analects, he'd begun teaching Mencius. While Confucius's philosophy centered on humanity and focused on individual behavior, Mencius dealt directly with matters of state and society. When teaching daily, Ning Yi would include stories about the country. Today, he talked about the Battle of Hubudagang²from several years ago.

Ning Yi had inquired about Jin's movements, and Old Qin and Old Kang often discussed them. This battle occurred four years ago when Emperor Tianzuo personally led an expedition with seven hundred thousand troops. Wanyan Aguda met them with twenty thousand soldiers, nearly prepared to die in battle. Yet ultimately, those twenty thousand achieved great victory—not a costly victory, but nearly annihilating Emperor Tianzuo's seven hundred thousand. Regardless of the complex reasons behind it, this battle was a miracle in thousands of years of warfare history.

Ning Yi was using this extreme example to discuss the Jurchens' ferocity and the relationship between state and people. He couldn't say too much to a group of children. After class, he could chat more with Li Pin about views on the Jurchens. The two walked to the nearby office, and after entering and putting down their books, Li Pin sighed: "There's been a saying that 'Jurchens unbeatable when over ten thousand,' and looking at recent years, it truly seems so. But can such military achievements be repeated? The Khitans are ultimately powerful while the Jurchens too few. How this war will end is still hard to say."

Ning Yi smiled: "Isn't this better? The streets are full of talk about 'both sides suffering losses' and such. Each has advantages and disadvantages—our Wu Dynasty can profit from it."

His words carried some mockery. Li Pin looked at him several times and laughed: "Liheng is deflecting again... Street talk is just wishful thinking. Our Wu Dynasty is weak—whoever becomes our neighbor won't be good news. If we could achieve a three-way balance of power, we might gain breathing room, but... that's also too idealistic. What's emerging isn't an easily balanced situation. Still, though weak and powerless, we must take action, not sit awaiting death. The Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun have been lost for over two hundred years. If we can seize this chance to recover them and use the Great Wall's natural defenses, our dynasty might truly gain time to regroup..."

"Mm." Ning Yi nodded, waiting for Li Pin to continue. But Li Pin saw his reaction and paused slightly, then smiled bitterly: "Liheng still disagrees..." After saying this, he became serious, clasped his hands in salute, and bowed slightly: "At this point, there's no need for pretense. I've long wanted to hear your thoughts on the current situation, Liheng. With the realm so weakened, where do you believe any hope might lie?"

"Tsk..." Ning Yi looked at him, frowning slightly, then smiled. "How long have you been holding that in... Heh, what use is asking me..."

"Indeed, it's been some time." Li Pin smiled. "After hearing Liheng teach several classes, I found them thought-provoking and wanted to discuss your views, but worried it would be no different from idle tavern talk. Yet the more I consider your ideas, the more I see they form their own school of thought—some of your practical insights are truly revolutionary. You have unique perspectives on history and understand current affairs well. This time, I genuinely want to hear your views on our situation, for mutual benefit... Let's just treat it as two friends chatting over drinks. How about it?"

A bit earlier, in the corridor beside the academy, two children's figures were approaching, one after the other. This was a pair of siblings. The sister Zhou Pei, the brother Zhou Junwu, each carrying a small bag, eating soft, sticky pastries as they walked. Their attendants and guards had been left at the academy entrance. Approaching the classroom building, sister Zhou Pei hung her bag at her waist, wiped her mouth, then turned to look at her brother. This fellow was still walking and eating, so she glared at him several times...

Not until hearing voices from that direction did Zhou Junwu look up, then stood there blinking in confusion, not understanding why his sister was glaring at him. His sister wore an expression of "rotten wood cannot be carved" as she turned and walked forward. Only then did he hurry to follow: "Wh-what's wrong..."

They'd originally come out for snacks, but hearing that barbarian had returned, his sister had dragged him here to challenge him. Still hungry, he popped the remaining half pastry in his mouth after speaking, chewing thoughtfully...