The scene was ablaze with lights and teeming with chattering figures.
The rain had just ceased, leaving the street surfaces outside slick with water. North of Hangzhou, lights blazed across this expanse of courtyards, bright red lanterns outlining the long streets as carriages and crowds converged, painting a picture of the most vibrant scene since Fang La ascended the throne.

It was the 22nd day of the eighth month, the Yongle Dynasty's banquet for its officials.

This area was formerly known as Changxing Street, a place where prominent and influential families of Hangzhou resided. Two streets away, the grand residence that was once a royal mansion now served as the Yongle Dynasty's makeshift palace. Changxing Street suffered minimal damage in the earthquake, and it was said that Fang Qifo had long admired this area, which escaped widespread destruction during the subsequent warfare. The relatively grand banquet for the officials was therefore held here.

Ning Yi arrived after eating at home. As instructed by A Chang, the young follower assigned to him went only as far as the entrance. After submitting the invitation card, Ning Yi entered under the guidance of soldiers. He exchanged greetings with a scholar he recognized from the academy along the way.

The guest list for this banquet numbered around four to five hundred individuals, but with the security forces and serving staff, the total reached several thousand. The once-luxurious courtyards and gardens seemed expansive on ordinary days, but now, with people bustling about and various figures moving along the artificial hills, pavilions, and stone paths, it felt like attending a temple fair.

Further in, the vista opened up. Here, amidst the surrounding buildings, was a medium-sized square. The walls of the buildings facing the square had been removed, and red-lacquered round tables stretched out like long dragons under the eaves, creating an impressive display. A large part of the canopy that had been erected over the square had been removed, leaving most of the ground dry. The remaining canopy ringed the perimeter, with numerous lanterns hanging high, creating a lively atmosphere.

Although the army that entered Hangzhou primarily consisted of farmers with little experience of wealth, they had plundered ample luxurious goods when they captured the city. Ning Yi's circle in Hangzhou was small, but he knew a few people, such as the scholars from Wenlie Academy and some parents of the students. However, the most suitable individuals to converse with today were the participants from the Overlord Saber Camp. After a brief search, he found a seat in a corner of the back room.

The table was mostly occupied by minor officials from the Overlord Saber Camp, such as the two clerks who used to assist Liu Dabiao in handling affairs, and some minor managers under Liu Tiannan. With the establishment of Fang La's Yongle Dynasty, they were all considered officials to some extent, and they came to join in the fun and show their faces, hoping to get a free meal. As for Du Sha and Luo Bingren, the chief bodyguards of Liu Tiannan and Liu Dabiao, although they were invited and had a good relationship with everyone, they wouldn't be sitting at this table even if they came.

Although Ning Yi was an outsider, everyone knew he was capable, so they didn't treat him poorly. Ning Yi was also not the type to make negative remarks, and he got along well with the two clerks. These individuals were veterans with considerable experience in the Overlord Saber Camp, having seen much during their campaigns. As Ning Yi sat down, one of them, a clerical assistant named Liu Zhizhang, pulled him aside and began to point out and introduce some of the people present.

"Look, the one with the long beard in front is called Gao Yu. He's quite accomplished, both in literary and military skills. He's very capable, and I've had meals with him before. Not far from him, the slightly overweight one is Grand Councilor Zu Shiyuan. He's very good to the Chieftain, and we've spoken together before, a family man…"

"A little closer, look, the one who's smiling, that's Zhang Daoyuan. Sometimes he's reckless, but some say he's honey-mouthed and dagger-hearted, but you don't need to worry about him…"

"Where are Xu Bai and Yuan Xing? They're usually together… Jia He, have you seen Li Tianyou?"

Liu Zhizhang pointed and spoke for a while, as if he were specifically identifying certain people for Ning Yi. Ning Yi understood that Zhang Daoyuan, Xu Bai, Yuan Xing, and Li Tianyou were the ones who had wanted to kill him. It was only because of Chen Fan's appearance that they had retreated. Although Liu Zhizhang and the others were only mediocre at handling affairs, their access to information within the Overlord Saber Camp was undoubtedly superior to his. They had obviously inquired about the events of that day and were now subtly reminding Ning Yi.

Tang Jiahe, a minor manager from the village who now oversaw miscellaneous matters on a few streets, was sitting next to him. He was in his thirties, cracking peanuts, and had a bandit-like air about him. He looked around and casually patted Ning Yi on the shoulder. "It doesn't matter if we don't see them, Brother Ning. Don't worry about those people. What about Li Tianyou? Even if his brother Marshal Li arrived, he wouldn't dare disrespect the Chieftain."

After he said this, someone thought for a moment and asked, "I heard… Brother Ning has also offended Marshal Shi?"

Tang Jiahe scratched his head. "Marshal Shi is a man of tolerance; he's not unreasonable. Brother Ning is on our side now, so he'll understand. Even if he's unrelenting, doesn't Chen Fan have a good relationship with Brother Ning? Marshal Li and Marshal Shi, the Chieftain and Chen Fan, it's an even match…"

"That's hard to say. The Chieftain and Chen Fan are still young, after all…"

"The Chieftain and Marshal Shi have fought before, haven't they?"

The Marshal Li they were referring to was naturally Li Tianrun, and Marshal Shi was, of course, Shi Bao. Liu Xigua's position in Fang La's eyes was obviously quite extraordinary. Once a conflict arose, they would reason if they could win with reason, but if they couldn't be bothered, they would simply draw their swords and kill people, settling things with a duel. This kind of thing was probably not the first time, and the crowd chattered about it with great interest, while Ning Yi listened with amusement.

He naturally didn't need to worry about this now. Liu Dabiao was actually quite a sensible person. Since he wanted to protect him, it meant that he had already weighed the situation. For now, he could still be trusted. After talking for a while, they discussed who was the most powerful and influential in the rebel army, and so on.

In fact, not many of the real heavyweights of the rebel army attended this banquet. Ning Yi was also aware of this. Fang Qifo, who was now second only to one and above ten thousand, was attacking Jiaxing. Although he had Shi Bao, Li Tianrun, and others under his command, the battle didn't seem to be going smoothly. Fang Baihua had returned to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival a few days ago and had originally planned to attend the banquet, but she had hastily left the city the day before yesterday to take charge of the Northwest battle. The current Minister of War, Wang Yin, was in the south, fighting fiercely in Yuezhou and Taizhou with Si Xingfang and Deng Yuanjue, and supporting Lu Shinang's uprising in Taizhou, which was progressing well.

The Four Heavenly Kings and the truly important figures were mostly absent. In Hangzhou, Lou Minzhong was one faction, in charge of the government, and held great power. Right Chancellor Zu Shiyuan was more indecisive and had good relations with both Lou Minzhong and Vice Censor-in-chief Qi Yuankang. And the Heavenly Master Bao Daoyi, although seemingly low-key, was actually a typical example of having a lot of money, brothers, and equipment. Now everyone was essentially trying to get in good with these people, of course, there were other smaller factions, but they were naturally not as famous as these few. As for someone like Liu Dabiao, he only waved his banner internally, and outsiders couldn't really latch onto him even if they wanted to, so not many people knew about him.

Ning Yi had a general idea in his mind, and listening to the gossip now made it even clearer. Bao Daoyi and Qi Yuankang had not yet arrived. Lou Minzhong and Zu Shiyuan were surrounded by people, and from a distance, they seemed to have quite an aura. After watching for a while, Ning Yi went to the toilet. On the way back, in the corridor, he was stopped by a figure.

"Ning Liheng."

The person had a dignified appearance, a calm demeanor, and a hint of refinement. He was about thirty years old and cupped his fist in greeting after speaking. Ning Yi looked at him for a moment and then searched his memory for an image of the person. "Chief Dragon, long time no see."

He had only met this person about twice before. The first time was when he and Tan'er had visited him when they first arrived in Hangzhou, and the second time was when they happened to meet on the street one day and exchanged greetings. The person's name was Long Boyuan, and he was originally the head of the cloth merchant guild in the Hangzhou area. When the person saw that Ning Yi still remembered him, he was slightly surprised and waved his hand with a smile. "Ah, don't mention the head position. I'm not one anymore."

After laughing for a while, he asked, "Since you couldn't return, what about the Su family's niece…"

"It's a long story, but Tan'er has returned. Thank you for your concern, Brother Long."

"She's returned… It's good that she's returned." Long Boyuan smiled and nodded, then patted him on the shoulder. "Liheng, where are you living now? How are things?"

"Heh, I couldn't escape. I'm a teacher at Wenlie Academy, writing and classifying things for people…" Ning Yi explained his situation. "How about you, Brother Long?"

"Not good. When the army entered the city, a lot of my family's property was looted. Although I have some experience in the cloth business, the old acquaintances have all left. Now the market is full of all sorts of people, and I don't know how to navigate the rules. I'm barely managing. It's hard to do business in these chaotic times." He smiled. "I'm happiest to see that my old friends are safe, although being here isn't exactly a good thing. It's good that the Su family's niece has left. But since you're here, Liheng, come visit more often. I still live in the same place. Bo Fen is like you, a scholar, and you can talk to each other." Although he was a businessman, his younger brother, Long Bofen, was a genuine scholar.

Ning Yi smiled. "I will."

"Alright, I'll go over there first." Long Boyuan patted him on the shoulder, then leaned in closer. "If I don't leave, that girl over there is going to come over, haha."

After saying this, he walked away with a smile, without looking back. Ning Yi turned around in confusion and saw a woman under the red lanterns of the long corridor half a courtyard away, tilting her head slightly, looking over with a hint of uncertainty. It was Lou Shuwan, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
(To be continued.) Your support with recommendations and monthly tickets is my greatest motivation.)
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