Chapter 295: Mountain Rain

Alternate History

"After Marshal Li Tianrun returns, I'm afraid there will be a minor disturbance here in Hangzhou."

Taking a small sip of the clear tea from her cup, Lou Shuanwan smiled elegantly. As she set the teacup down, the silver bracelet on her wrist gently clinked against the porcelain, producing a crisp "ding."

"Li Heng teaches at the academy and might be a bit detached, but I've heard that Wenlie Academy is sustained by someone's backing. However, this time, the repercussions might be more widespread. I heard... Li Heng once spoke about Elder Qian at the academy. Given the current sensitive situation, this might be brought up again, so Li Heng should be careful... But it's alright. The Lou family now has some influence in Hangzhou. Although... Li Heng might look down on our family's various dealings, if anything happens, Li Heng can inform me. I might be able to help, and I hope Li Heng won't hold any reservations..."

Since their reunion at the Hundred Officials' Banquet, this was Lou Shuanwan's fifth visit. Although her reputation had not been good previously, if she genuinely wished to make a good impression, Lou Shuanwan was not the kind of woman who would directly offend people. Her demeanor was graceful and proper, and her visits were always discreet. Her first visit lasted barely the time it took to drink a cup of tea before she departed. Her second visit also seemed hurried. According to her, the Lou family had a fair amount of property here, which she used to oversee. In post-war Hangzhou, she had actually lost many acquaintances. Now that they had met again, she felt it was only natural to visit more often.

Consequently, by her third visit, things felt much more natural. Lou Shuanwan was not pretentious; she simply brought some daily necessities that wealthy families would use, along with some ancient books or scrolls, which were typically prized collectibles in Hangzhou in the past.

"Now they're not worth much. During the month or two of fighting, things were burned or smashed, and those who knew their value were killed. No matter how expensive these items were, they weren't worth a bowl of rice. The Lou family took the opportunity to collect many such things. Honestly, we originally intended to give them away..." Lou Shuanwan said, laughing, with a hint of melancholy. "However, even if there are a few scholars among the rebel army, they wouldn't particularly like these. Giving them ten chests of these is less practical than giving them one chest of gold and silver. They know these are valuable, but... they don't appreciate them in their hearts."

At this point, she chuckled again: "A month ago, General Pan Wende from the Western Camp seized a large mansion and renovated it. He said he had nothing for his home and asked for some paintings, calligraphy, and antiques to display. We quickly found the most valuable chest and sent it over. General Pan later became quite displeased, saying, 'Why did the Lou family only send so little? It's not enough to fill the walls of one room, and it's all old.' We quickly sent two more chests of gold and silver before he calmed down. A few days later, another general requested paintings, calligraphy, and antiques. We directly put together ten chests, and that general said, 'These paintings with their dragons and phoenixes are more beautiful than what General Pan received!'... In truth, those ten chests weren't worth a few taels of silver..."

"Then I thought, since they don't appreciate them anyway, there's no need to waste our efforts. We won't send these anymore. But keeping these things at home is like casting pearls before swine. Li Heng, you appreciate such things, so please take them to enjoy. In these times, these are minor matters. Li Heng, please don't decline my offer..."

It was difficult to imagine how Lou Shuanwan used to interact with scholars and talented individuals. Yet, in this post-war besieged city where everyone was looking out for themselves, the Lou family was flourishing and rising rapidly. This young lady, now holding a higher status than before, adopted the true demeanor of a 'gentleman's friendship is as clear as water' in her interactions. If Ning Yi had been a struggling scholar with no prospects, he might have been completely won over by her charm and generosity. Even though he remained clear-headed, in a situation where every bit of help was beneficial, Ning Yi naturally wouldn't completely refuse others' kindness.

The subsequent two visits became even more natural. After learning from an unknown source that Ning Yi had spoken about Qian Xiwen at the academy, Lou Shuanwan self-deprecatingly remarked a few times that her family's power was nothing special. In truth, this wasn't disingenuous; although she wasn't a female scholar herself, Lou Shuanwan genuinely admired things like literati and integrity. If not for that, she wouldn't have always frequented scholarly circles. And on this occasion, she brought news of Li Tianrun's impending return.

She was impressed by Ning Yi, but her investigation wasn't very thorough. If she had known the true reason for Ning Yi's capture or the past grievances between Li Tianyou and Ning Yi, she likely wouldn't have said these things.

"Uh, how do you know?" Ning Yi asked. As she spoke, he was casually filing away two messages delivered by a personal guard from the Blade Camp. He was already aware of Li Tianrun's return and had made his own predictions about the subsequent events, but hearing these predictions from Lou Shuanwan genuinely surprised him.

"I heard there were always those within the rebel army who favored capitulation..." Lou Shuanwan lowered her voice. "It's just that Fang La... the rebel army's influence grew larger and larger, especially after taking Hangzhou and declaring himself emperor. Capitulation, naturally, became impossible. Among these people, some changed their minds and willingly went along, while others no longer revealed their thoughts. But the higher-ups have always been very wary of them. It's just that the state is newly established and its foundation unstable, so it's impossible to clean house from top to bottom right now. However, for over a month, rumors about these matters have been very tense, with many people killed in various incidents related to this. My elder brother said that Marshal Li Tianrun's return this time might signal a major purge, which is why I'm worried you, Li Heng, might be affected..."

"Your elder brother... your second brother?"

"It's my eldest brother, Shu Wang... Oh, Li Heng, you've met him once."

"...Oh."

As dusk approached, Lou Shuanwan emerged from Ning Yi's small courtyard on Willow Lane, boarded her carriage, and departed. People bustled along the street, and the carriage moved towards the adjacent alleys in the setting sun, eventually disappearing from view. In the courtyard, Xiao Chan tidied the tea set and chatted with Ning Yi under the porch. Ning Yi replied with a smile, occasionally waving his hand to draw circles in the air, which made Xiao Chan laugh. After a while, Ning Yi picked up some documents and headed out through the side gate of the courtyard, past the medical clinic, and towards the main compound of the Blade Camp.

Wenlie Academy's classes had already dispersed by noon. Without the chattering children, everything felt tranquil and leisurely in the magnificent twilight. The path from here to the main compound wound through various courtyards, which were already fully occupied. At this hour, most people present were women and children, though some Blade Camp members had also returned from work. Some, recognizing Ning Yi, waved to him, while children, upon seeing him, approached to greet him and chatter.

The children knew he was a teacher, but most of them liked him, primarily because since Ning Yi's arrival, they had many more stories to listen to. Some were told by Ning Yi himself when he had free time, others were recounted in class and then spread by word of mouth. In short, everyone knew he was a man full of interesting stories.

In his former life, dealing with many affairs, he wasn't a frivolous or lively person. He certainly possessed humor, but it often leaned towards the profound. It was unexpected that he would become such a beloved figure among children. He didn't consider himself a good teacher, yet he found himself quite interested in the strange changes that occurred in others after being influenced by him.

According to some novels he had read, only those who were great villains possessed such a dark sense of humor.

Sometimes he thought, his current situation was quite grim; he shouldn't have such delusions unbefitting his circumstances...

Going to the Blade Camp's main residence daily had become second nature to him. By the time he returned after handling matters, it was already dark. Lights glowed in the courtyards, and the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted from every home, complementing the clothes hung out to dry and the children running about, creating a distinct ancient farming village atmosphere. Many families set up tables in their courtyards, inviting a friend or two to chat and eat. Ning Yi was often invited, mostly by Liu Tiannan and others. After all, Liu Tiannan was the Blade Camp's chief steward and communicated closely with Ning Yi. Some of the people around Liu Dabiao, once they got to know Ning Yi, also found him quite easy to get along with.

"Marshal Li is returning, and Hangzhou might not be peaceful lately. Li Heng, you know this, try to go out as little as possible. If anything happens, just let Xiao Sha or A-Chang know, and arrange for more people to accompany you. Safety first."

After sending his daughter to inform Xiao Chan that Ning Yi wouldn't be home for dinner, Liu Tiannan invited Ning Yi to sit down. Five other people were already in the courtyard: Du Sha, known as 'Life for a Life,' and A-Chang, both close to Liu Dabiao; Chen Fan; An Xifu, whom Ning Yi had met once or twice; and Liu Shuangmu, a deputy under Liu Tiannan, whom Ning Yi knew but wasn't close with.

Nodding and greeting everyone, Ning Yi sat down with a smile, accepting the wine cup Liu Tiannan offered. "I heard Marshal Li is a seasoned and steady man; he wouldn't do anything excessive for someone as insignificant as me, would he?"

Liu Tiannan shook his head. "That's hard to say. The fear is that he comes with overwhelming power."

"If he comes with overwhelming power, he won't act privately; everyone will know in advance."

After they exchanged these few words, Liu Shuangmu, standing nearby, frowned. "What overwhelming power?"

"The great purge that's about to happen."

"Mr. Ning... haven't you always stayed out of external affairs?" Liu Shuangmu asked, puzzled. "How do you know?"

Liu Shuangmu clearly understood the series of events that Li Tianrun's return could trigger. His confusion was evidently not about what would happen, but how Ning Yi knew. Liu Tiannan patted his shoulder, and Ning Yi glanced at him. "Recently, several internal businesses and relationships within the estate have changed. Xiao Jinjian, Guo Yan, and others were formerly advocates for capitulation. The news of Marshal Li's return isn't heavily suppressed either. Considering the northern war situation, it's not hard to figure out... After all, numbers don't lie."

Chen Fan took a sip of wine and shrugged. "Don't overthink it. Since this guy is involved, nothing can be hidden from him. Either be prepared for it, or how about you just eliminate him, Shuangmu?"

Ning Yi chuckled. "Why hasn't the government issued a decree to hang all unemployed vagrants yet?" Ever since Chen Fan stepped down as the chief of city management, he had essentially become indistinguishable from a vagrant.

An Xifu listened for a moment before asking, "Mr. Ning, what do you think of the war in the north?"

They didn't interact much, but they had essentially encountered each other once in Huzhou. Ning Yi glanced at him. "There isn't much I can guess. Speaking of which, Jiaxing definitely can't be taken, right?"

The words were spoken casually, yet Liu Tiannan showed no offense, nodding, "Yes, Tong Guan led troops, and the city's siege has been lifted."

"Fang Qifo probably doesn't want to come back. Grain harvests are abundant between July and August, and the area from Hangzhou to Jiaxing has always been a land of fish and rice. As the saying goes, 'Troops and horses move, provisions come first.' What could be harvested was harvested; what couldn't was naturally burned. Tong Guan's army is large, and their logistical needs are strong. This side... is probably planning to fight from within the city. Is that right?"

No one responded this time. Ning Yi smiled. "With the recent harvest, if Hangzhou doesn't fall, it can hold out for a long time. With a rebellion and an emperor declared, there will always be people flocking to join. Even if the siege of Hangzhou cannot be lifted, as long as this side holds out, the pressure on the imperial court from outside will intensify. Furthermore, the Jin and Liao states in the north have already begun fighting, and the Wu dynasty must also send troops north. Tying down 150,000 soldiers in Jiangnan, with this give and take, might... exhaust the imperial court. That's all I can guess."

Ning Yi pondered: "When the Yongle Dynasty was first established, it was impossible to immediately execute a group of people and cause widespread panic. But since they're preparing to defend the city by fortifying walls and clearing the fields, whether the city can unite as one becomes the most crucial thing. I heard Marshal Li is steady; his return with troops to purge some individuals can better stabilize the situation in Hangzhou. Political struggle, I suppose, is like this."

The matters Ning Yi currently handled within the Blade Camp were all internal. Core secrets or issues related to the northern war had largely been filtered out. This was why Liu Shuangmu was surprised by him. After Ning Yi finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Chen Fan, likely the person most familiar with Fang Qifo's intentions, frowned and asked, "Is that possible?" referring, of course, to the goal of exhausting the imperial court.

Ning Yi chuckled. "Discussing theories and making predictions on paper, I'm quite adept at that. If you want to take this seriously... then I'm not so sure. Nothing in this world has a fixed formula. There's a saying: 'Build high walls, amass ample provisions, and postpone claiming kingship.' But here, you rushed to declare yourselves emperors, and of course, you had your own reasons. Whether it will succeed is always something that can only be achieved after concrete action..."

Everyone exchanged glances. Soon after, Liu Tiannan said, "'Build high walls, amass ample provisions, and postpone claiming kingship' — that saying makes a lot of sense. I wonder who said it..."

Ning Yi replied, "Han Xin told it to Liu Bang."

At this moment, he was discussing with Chen Fan the poetry gathering he was to attend the next day. In fact, Ning Yi had already had his second meeting with Wenren Buer, the spy chief sent by Elder Qin, a few days prior. This was the agreed-upon location for their third meeting. So, he first laid the groundwork with Liu Tiannan and the others, claiming that Lou Shuanwan had invited him—though it was actually Ning Yi who mentioned the poetry gathering today, and Lou Shuanwan happened to say she also had an invitation. For a moment, he didn't pay much attention to the simple historical question until a group of people started discussing, "Han Xin actually said that..." Only then did he seriously ponder it.

"Uh... it seems... possibly... yes..."

Much later, the famous saying "Build high walls, amass ample provisions, and postpone claiming kingship" spread through many peculiar ways. Most people believed it was either Ning Yi himself or one of his strategists who coined it. As for his repeated assertion that Han Xin had said it, it remained untraceable many years later...

At this time, Ning Yi naturally knew none of this. Amidst the casual chatter with his companions, he was simply thinking about the poetry gathering the next day. As friends and guests conversed, the night deepened.

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