The capital was in the thick of the New Year festivities.
Occasional bursts of firecrackers spread through the streets, and more children playing and laughing appeared, shops decked out in lanterns and streamers, and people, undeterred by the bitter cold, crowded the streets to shop for New Year goods.
The New Year was approaching, and so was the news of a truce and cessation of hostilities with the Jurchen people, which brought smiles back to people's faces.
With a snap, a half piece of dry cake was thrown into a broken bowl.
This woke the half-dead beggar, who joyously picked up the cake and knelt to thank the plump passerby fervently.
"Thank you, sir, thank you," he said excitedly, uncertain whether it was his northern dialect or his tongue stiff from the cold that made his words unclear.
The passerby didn't mind.
"I'm happy today, so I'm giving you a piece of cake to eat," he said, staggering away.
Only then did the beggar hurriedly begin to chew on the cake. Although it was no longer warm, the cake was still soft, unlike the hard and cold food he had received before, harder than ice blocks.
It had been so long since he had tasted something so delicious. As he ate, the beggar suddenly began to cry; in reality, it had not been very long.
Just two months ago, he had a home, not affluent but enough to provide shelter from the elements, and while they didn't have much money, they had enough for two warm meals a day.
Such cakes were usually used to feed pigs or chickens.
The beggar held the cake in his hands.
"My home is in Bazhou's Liu Family Village..." he muttered, "I once yearned for the capital, but I never thought I would come to the capital this way. Now, compared to the capital, I long for my home even more..."
Someone stopped in front of him.
"Where is your home?" a gentle male voice asked from above.
He spoke with the same accent as the beggar.
The beggar excitedly looked up.
"Are you also from Bazhou?" he asked.
Looking up, he saw a young official with a gentle demeanor and handsome features, accompanied by a man and a servant boy.
Ning Yunzhao shook his head.
"I am not," he said, reverting to the official language, "but I have a friend who is."
The beggar didn't know what to say. Normally, he should seize this opportunity to beg, evident by the wealthy appearance of the two men, especially the young man accompanying the official, dressed and adorned lavishly, exuding a strong stench of wealth learned from who knows where.
But today, the beggar didn't want to beg; beggars have the right to be willful too.
He just silently bowed his head and continued gnawing at the cake.
The young official bent down and placed a bag of money into his embrace.
"Survive this winter and live well," he said, pausing a moment, "your home, it no longer exists."
Even as they walked away, the cries of the beggar could still be heard.
Seventh Chen shook his head in disbelief.
"Mr. Ning, you are truly cruel," he said, "this man is already pitiable enough, yet you deliver such news."
"I gave him money," Ning Yunzhao said, "he would have found out sooner or later, but then there would be no one to give him money when he wept."
Seventh Chen chuckled.
"Tenth Noble Son Ning is indeed wise," he said, slipping his hands into his sleeves and dodging a few children running towards him, "How's your uncle doing?"
"He's alright," Ning Yunzhao said. "I personally burn all the poetry he writes daily."
Seventh Chen laughed again.
Clearly, Ning Yan was at home resentfully cursing the heavens, the earth, and the emperor, and naturally, such poetry must not be circulated, lest he be charged with who knows what crime, and the Ning Family would indeed be finished.
"Tenth Noble Son, are you alright?" Seventh Chen asked quietly.
Ning Yan had been dismissed, but Tenth Noble Son Ning was still a court official.
"How could I be in trouble? I never spoke out of turn," Ning Yunzhao said, "I perform my duties diligently and conscientiously. They surely can't dismiss or degrade me just because I'm my uncle's nephew? My uncle didn't commit any collateral crime."
He said, smiling slightly.
"Moreover, the emperor is indeed a benevolent ruler."
Seventh Chen laughed again.
"Mr. Ning, you do speak well; no wonder everyone likes you," he said.
Although Ning Yan was dismissed, the popularity of Ning Yunzhao among the court officials did not decrease but instead increased, mainly among the younger, lower-level officials, many of whom heeded his advise and did not participate in this conflict of war debates.
Those advocating for war were relieved, and so were those advocating for peace because the emperor was fair, dismissing and punishing officials from Ning Yan's side and also fined some officials advocating peace, indicating that the emperor does not punish his subjects simply for disagreeing with him, but because the officials were derelict in their duties or disrespectful.
While it may seem somewhat spineless, once everyone steps into the level of Capital Officials and court officials, no one wants to jest with their career trajectory, hence, publicly or secretly, they all expressed their good feelings towards Ning Yunzhao.
Of course, many believed it was Ning Yan's idea; he led by example, working tirelessly, knowingly engaging in a futile act.
Although he lost power in court, Ning Yan's reputation among the scholars greatly improved.
Upon hearing Seventh Chen's words, Ning Yunzhao laughed.
"How can everyone like me?" he said, "If that were the case, wouldn't life be too perfect? Even saints and immortals can't achieve that."
For instance, there were inevitably people who disliked him, and coincidentally, these were people he liked.
Even if millions in the world delighted in him, his heart still felt a missing piece that couldn't be filled.
"Noble Son Ning," Seventh Chen suddenly straightened himself and leaned in to whisper, "I think you're the best, I definitely stand by your side."
Ning Yunzhao laughed heartily.
"Is it because I just introduced you to a big business deal?" he asked.
"Business is business, personal feelings are personal feelings," Seventh Chen chuckled.
"Human affairs are intricate, people and matters are always inseparable," Ning Yunzhao laughed, patting his shoulder, "I introduced this business deal because of Miss Jun, to make her happy and delight her, and I do not want to deny that."
Seventh Chen bowed to him.
"Indeed, a gentleman is magnanimous," he straightened up and said.
"Is she still in Qingyuan Prefecture?" Ning Yunzhao asked.
Indeed a gentleman is magnanimous, just helped and now seeking benefits by inquiring about Miss Jun's whereabouts.
Seventh Chen bowed again.
"She's still in Qingyuan Prefecture, chopping wood, feeding horses, hunting, farming," he responded.
"I wonder what those mountain people are to her," Ning Yunzhao said with a smile.
"Just poor mountain people. Noble Son Ning, don't you know Miss Jun's compassionate heart as a physician…" Seventh Chen began.
Before he could finish, Ning Yunzhao laughed and shook his head.
"I indeed do not know of her compassionate heart," he laughed, "Again, human affairs are intricate, there are no causeless relationships nor causeless events."
Seventh Chen gave a dry laugh; indeed, dealing with these officials was never easy, as they are very astute.
"But the northern lands are about to descend into chaos, can she still live peacefully as a mountain person?" Ning Yunzhao remarked.
Anxiety crossed Seventh Chen's face.
"Didn't they discuss peace, shouldn't they stop fighting now? Wouldn't that mean peace?" he queried.
A slight mocking smile tugged at Ning Yunzhao's lips.
"Peace is for those of us not residing in the northern lands," he stated, "but what peace is there for the Abandoned People living there."
Watching the young official and his servant boy leave smoothly, Seventh Chen stood in the street for a moment, until a chill touched his nose.
He looked up, noticing the snowflakes that had started to float down from the sky.
"A timely snow promises a good harvest."
Children ran past, laughing while carrying rabbit lanterns.
Seventh Chen quickly stepped into Jiuling Hall.
Jiuling Hall was quiet and as warm as spring, wafting with the scent of medicine, Fang Jinxiu sat behind the counter fiddling with counting rods.
"Jinxiu," Seventh Chen did not jest as usual but briskly approached her, "Why does Miss Jun need so much money? What exactly is she planning to do in the northern lands?"
Fang Jinxiu did not lift her head.
"Her money, she can spend it however she wants, it's none of our business," she said.
Meanwhile, at the Yangcheng Fang Family, Lady Fang, with a grim expression, threw down the thick ledger in front of Fang Chengyu.
"Why does so much money flow to Hebei Road?" she demanded, "It's absurd, has she spent all the money in the entire Hebei Road?"
Fang Chengyu pressed down the ledger, grinning to keep it from sliding to the floor.
"Mother, money is meant to be spent, why call it absurd?" he responded.