Chapter 192: Early Spring, Challenge

It was late afternoon. Walking through the market streets by the Qinhuai River, pedestrians filled the area, both near and far. After the spring thaw, merchants and travelers began moving in and out of Jiangning. Occasionally, distant travelers could be seen leading horses through the market, alongside impressive armed escort teams protecting their carriages. Some were local, while others had journeyed from nearby cities, finding a brief respite as they passed through Jiangning. The escorts, armed with swords and guns, looked around the bustling market, speaking loudly and discussing the city’s prosperity with their companions.

Once outside the city, on the open road, such vibrant scenes were rare indeed.

Flags and signboards hung at the entrances of shops lining the roads. Near the river, gaps between shops often revealed stone steps used for boarding boats or washing clothes. Though the snow had only recently melted and the willows had yet to bud, some birds had already arrived, singing melodiously. On the emerald green river, pleasure boats drifted by, their music drifting on the air.

“Master, look, that scholar on the pleasure boat seems to be Yuan Li. He visited Duke Consort Grandpa a few days ago.”

The early spring weather did not inspire much tension. Ning Yi, carrying a long bundle on his back, walked along the street with Princess Zhou Pei. Slightly behind them was a subtly dressed yet robust middle-aged man, a royal guard named Song Qian. Zhou Pei and Zhou Junwu usually had two guards waiting nearby while they attended classes at Yushan Academy. Now that Zhou Pei was going with Ning Yi to visit Kang Xian, and they were carrying a few fire lances from the courtyard, it was natural for one of the guards to accompany them.

Having served as a guard in the prince’s manor for a long time, he usually remained as inconspicuous as an invisible man, barely registering his presence.

The academy and the Duke Consort’s residence were quite far apart, but with nothing pressing to do, Ning Yi preferred to stroll through the city. Young Zhou Pei had something on her mind, but naturally kept it to herself. After walking for a while with Ning Yi and listening to her master point out various profound and interesting things, she temporarily put her worries aside. As they walked along the riverside path, she spotted a young man in a green robe standing at the bow of a pleasure boat nearby. Recalling something she knew, she began to tell Ning Yi about him.

Ning Yi turned his head to look. The pleasure boat was quite lively, evidently hosting another gathering. The young man in the green robe stood at the bow, a folding fan in his hand, his scholar’s cap fluttering gently, cutting a rather graceful figure. A young woman in white emerged from the boat and stood beside him, talking. She was likely one of the accompanying courtesans, with a good figure, though her face was unclear from a distance.

He then turned to look at Zhou Pei. She was daintily holding up her long skirt with one hand to keep it from dragging as she walked, while stretching her neck, gazing at the pleasure boat with keen interest. At that moment, she looked like a curious, star-struck young girl, which was quite charming.

“…That seems to be a boat from Mingyu Workshop. I wonder if that’s Yin Xue or Hua Ping. Teacher, what do you think they’re talking about?”

Mingyu Workshop held some renown in Jiangning, and the courtesans Yin Xue and Hua Ping were indeed its star attractions. In those times, such matters were not considered scandalous; rather, a pairing of talented individuals and beautiful women often became a celebrated tale. Zhou Pei had grown up hearing these kinds of stories and was quite interested now. Ning Yi squinted, observing the beautiful pleasure boat as it glided through the early spring air, indeed a pleasing sight.

“I think I’ve heard the name Yuan Li before. He’s quite impressive, isn’t he?”

Zhou Pei had been about to nod and agree that he was impressive, but then she pursed her lips and blinked at her master. Yuan Li did have some renown; the fact that he could visit Kang Xian with others was proof enough of his standing. However, in present-day Jiangning, his name paled somewhat in comparison to "Ning Yi Ning Liheng." Seeing her master with his long pack on his back, asking with a genuine smile that seemed unfeigned, Zhou Pei felt a momentary helplessness. Her interest in the scholar and courtesan waned slightly, and she simply mumbled:

“He’s alright. A few days ago, he was debating about northern affairs at Duke Consort Grandpa’s house, and he was quite passionate. Didn’t you also sign that memorial a while back, Master? He was one of the most enthusiastic people involved; I heard he’s been discussing these matters a lot recently, and I’m sure that’s what he’s doing today too… It’s a shame Jin and Liao have made peace. Who knows how many years it will be until war breaks out again? Otherwise, I heard he intended to emulate Ban Chao and trade his pen for the sword…”

“It won’t necessarily be a few years…”

Ning Yi smiled and nodded. As he, Zhou Pei, and Song Qian continued walking forward, the pleasure boat also moved slowly alongside them. Amidst the music and dances, faint strains of scholars reciting poetry blended the leisurely atmosphere of the Qinhuai River with the bustling commotion of the market. Zhou Pei trotted beside him. “Master, you also think it won’t be a few years? A few days ago, when I went with Duke Consort Grandpa to Grandfather Qin’s house, they were guessing the same thing…”

The young girl frowned, then seemed to remember something, and spoke mysteriously, “Master, do you know about Grandfather Qin?”

“What about him?”

“Uh… it’s about the Blackwater Alliance. In previous years, I only knew Grandfather Qin was very learned, and Duke Consort Grandpa had a good relationship with him, but I didn’t know what he had actually done. I only recently started hearing people talk about it.” Zhou Pei paused, thinking. “Something about the Blackwater Alliance, and losing battles… Grandfather Qin used to live here, and few people visited him or mentioned him much. But recently, more people have been visiting and talking about him. Yet, I’ve privately heard some people curse him, saying he did many things just for fame, and even worse, they say… they say Grandfather Qin is a Han traitor…”

The young girl frowned. “I asked Duke Consort Grandpa recently, but he didn’t say much, only that a final judgment can only be made after the coffin is sealed, and that it’s not yet the time to speak of it. I vaguely know that the matter might be related to the Jin and Liao states. However, every time Duke Consort Grandpa visits Grandfather Qin, Grandfather Qin refuses to discuss these things, instead just talking about various irrelevant topics, as if he doesn’t care about them at all…”

“I’m not entirely clear on what happened several years ago…” Ning Yi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. He had heard some of the recent rumors circulating in the market, but they were too obscure and unreliable to be believed. He only knew that the Blackwater Alliance, seven years prior, might have involved Old Qin, who was said to have signed a chaotic and humiliating treaty. Now, some people were bringing up this matter, claiming it laid the groundwork for the conflict between Jin and Liao, and thus digging up the name "Qin Siyuan." However, most people naturally remained skeptical of such claims.

Old Qin and Kang Xian used to enjoy discussing the world's political landscape, but recently, it was true that they spoke little of northern affairs. This was especially noticeable after Jin and Liao suddenly made peace, and Yelü Yanxi officially recognized Wanyan Aguda as the Great Holy Emperor. This news poured cold water on those in the Wu Dynasty who had been anticipating war between Jin and Liao. In theory, this concession by Emperor Yelü Yanxi of Liao, whether genuine or not, seemed to guarantee a few years of peace, effectively postponing the imminent war. During this period, when Ning Yi occasionally visited Old Qin, he found that the elder refused to discuss the matter at all, seeming to completely disregard it. Curiously, Kang Xian’s visits to Old Qin seemed to have subtly increased.

Ning Yi could sense a certain atmosphere and naturally had his own conjectures. However, he wasn't a true participant in these high-level affairs. Even Kang Xian, who genuinely knew the inside story, held his breath and refrained from speaking about it. On such serious matters, Ning Yi certainly couldn't adopt a confident tone and speak carelessly to Zhou Pei. He simply felt that those who accomplish great things are ultimately different; whether it involved betraying the country or misleading it, such actions felt entirely distinct from discussing trading one’s pen for the sword amidst courtesans on a pleasure boat.

He then spoke with Zhou Pei about the Jin and Liao states, mentioning how Wanyan Aguda had single-handedly revitalized the Jurchen people in the lands between the White Mountains and Black Waters. He had established the legend that “if the Jurchens number less than ten thousand, they are invincible when they reach ten thousand,” and at Hubudagang, he even achieved the astonishing feat of defeating seven hundred thousand with just twenty thousand troops. He was, truly, an extraordinarily formidable hero. Few people in the Wu Dynasty were truly aware of this information, but over the past year, through Ning Yi's casual anecdotes, a group of students, including Zhou Pei, had come to both admire and fear him. Fortunately, the Jurchen population was small, and Wanyan Aguda was no longer young, so the likelihood of him destroying Liao and subsequently threatening the Wu Dynasty within his lifetime remained low.

Zhou Pei enjoyed discussing these topics, occasionally making predictions and asking, “Right? Right?” Talking about these things temporarily lifted the gloom she had been feeling. At noon, feeling stifled, she had only managed to nibble on a small vegetable-and-meat roll. Now, after a lengthy walk, she was hungry. They happened to be approaching the recently opened Jin’er branch of Zhuji restaurant, so the young girl subtly hinted that they should stop to rest and eat something, and also to take a look at Zhuji’s new establishment—Ning Yi had previously taken her and her brother to the main Zhuji store several times.

The two walked towards the shop. As they neared the entrance, they encountered two individuals approaching from the opposite direction. One of them was around fifty years old, tall and slender. Although dressed as a scholar, he carried an air of wealth and authority, cultivated from years of commanding others. His expression was stern, his gaze proud. Ning Yi had met this man once before; he was Zhang Rui, courtesy name Hongyuan, a renowned Confucian scholar in Jiangning and one of the tutors at Prince Kang’s manor, said to be highly esteemed.

The other man appeared to be in his thirties, slightly stout, with a similarly stern expression behind his squinting eyes. He was also dressed as a scholar and held a fan. Ning Yi did not recognize him. Zhang Rui, however, recognized Ning Yi. After exchanging a few words, the two men approached, but it was Zhou Pei who first stepped forward and curtsied. “Greetings, Master Zhang, Master Li.”

The two men quickly returned her bow, saying, “Oh, the Princess is here too. We are most undeserving, most undeserving.”

Only then did they greet Ning Yi and introduce themselves. Both were indeed tutors at Prince Kang’s manor and held considerable scholarly renown in Jiangning. The stout man, surnamed Li, whose name was Li Tong, squinted as he scrutinized Ning Yi. “So you are Ning Yi, Ning Liheng. I have long heard of your esteemed name but never had the chance to meet you. What a fortunate encounter this is today.”

Zhang Rui, however, looked at Ning Yi and Zhou Pei with some displeasure. “Liheng, to take the Princess, a lady of such noble stature, to wander idly in this common market—this seems rather… inappropriate, doesn’t it?”

If it had been an ordinary chance encounter, they might have simply exchanged pleasantries and parted ways. However, after a few sentences, Zhang and Li began to shift the conversation, one after the other, towards topics like “seeking enlightenment” or “engaging in scholarly debate.” They also brought up Ning Yi’s teaching methods and asserted that it was truly improper to take the young princess wandering through such a market.

There was a background to these remarks. Towards the end of last year, Zhou Pei and Junwu had taken Ning Yi as their master. Originally, Prince Kang had intended a grand ceremony, personally visiting the Su family to emphasize the significance. However, Ning Yi declined, so the master-disciple ceremony was facilitated by Kang Xian and simplified considerably. Yet, as tutors at Prince Kang’s manor, these men were well aware that the young prince and princess had acquired a new master.

The prince’s manor housed numerous retainers. A group of tutors, despite their considerable scholarly reputation and respectable status, primarily instructed the children of the various servants within the household. Even if some of them held the title of master to the young prince and princess, it was still fundamentally different from a master specifically and deliberately sought out by the family.

Ning Yi, in his early twenties, was renowned as Jiangning’s foremost scholar. It was impossible for him not to be envied. When these masters learned of his new position, they prepared a significant event: a poetry gathering at a brothel, for which they sent an invitation to Ning Yi. They presumed their collective standing would be sufficient to ensure Ning Yi would show respect, especially since they all served in the prince's manor.

Little did they know, Ning Yi’s position as an honorary guest in the prince’s manor had been arranged by Kang Xian himself. He wasn’t required to work there, so they weren’t truly colleagues. Moreover, Ning Yi’s relationship with Su Tan’er was at its peak – they had only consummated their marriage two years after tying the knot, a testament to their deep affection. Su Tan’er needed him to accompany her on various visits. Following his usual practice, he tossed the invitation aside and sent a boilerplate letter of polite refusal. It was a lengthy, verbose piece, but its essence could be summed up in seven words: "Busy. Not going. Apologies."

These tutors had spent nearly half a month reviewing books and preparing topics, only to have their expectations dashed, leaving them greatly indignant. Today, Zhang and Li happened to encounter Ning Yi on the street. The man named Li, who had initially felt somewhat apprehensive about the title "Jiangning's Foremost Scholar," observed Ning Yi’s youthful appearance and concluded that while he might possess some talent—perhaps even be considered "unconventional"—he certainly wasn't "broadly learned" or "profound." Consequently, he and Zhang Rui immediately decided to seize this opportunity to challenge Ning Yi academically, though they outwardly termed it "seeking advice."

While they might have hesitated to openly *challenge* him, they couldn’t refuse a simple invitation to sit and converse. Thus, the group proceeded towards the newly opened Jin’er branch of the restaurant nearby, ascended to the second floor, and found a private room to sit down.