"…There are different categories of discussions about Gui Yi (归一) among the common people and the literati. Cai Taishi (蔡太师) has been the prime minister for more than ten years. He has done some good things and some bad things, but he cannot be simply judged. In the current imperial court, Tong Shummi (童枢密) is the head of the military officials. As for the civil officials, the one who holds the hope of the world is not me, nor Prime Minister Li, but this old Taishi who writes at home. To be honest, if there is really a problem with this Northern Expedition, if Prime Minister Li and I cannot hold on, the only one who can really control the situation is him."

After dinner, Qin Si Yuan (秦嗣源) spoke to Ning Yi (宁毅) while leading him towards the garden behind the Prime Minister's residence, casually talking about Cai Jing (蔡京). This old man who had been prime minister for more than ten years did not have a good reputation among the lower classes at this time. Among the literati, his reputation was mixed. However, most civil officials understood his position. Qin Si Yuan, being sixty years old himself, still referred to him as "old man," implying that if Li Gang (李纲) and Qin Si Yuan were dismissed, the other party would probably be the first to be reinstated to stabilize the situation.

Fortunately, Li Gang's resignation coincided with the best opportunity for the Northern Expedition. Qin Si Yuan was deep and resourceful. Although he did not have the accumulation of Cai Jing's decades as prime minister, he was by no means an easy target, and was comparable to him. This situation should not occur for the time being.

Qin Si Yuan was just mentioning this casually, without any deep meaning. Accompanied by several guards, the two strolled to the back garden. Qin Si Yuan asked someone to bring a Go set, preparing to play a game with Ning Yi as if they were in Jiangning (江宁). After a few casual conversations, the old man asked, "Liheng (立恒), what are your views on governing a country?"

This question was too formal. Ning Yi was a little surprised, hesitated, and then smiled, "Right Prime Minister... aren't you asking a blind man for directions?"

He said "Right Prime Minister" in a strange way. Qin Si Yuan laughed. As they were talking, a servant came, it was Cheng Zhou Hai (成舟海), who came to visit the Prime Minister's residence. After paying his respects to his teacher, Qin Si Yuan waved his hand, indicating that he should sit down beside them.

"This Northern Expedition has many difficulties, but now Tong Shummi has stationed troops in Liao territory, confronting Xiao Gan (萧干), and the Ever-Victorious Army has surrendered. The Liao people are retreating steadily under the Jin people's attack. If everything goes smoothly, it is possible to end the war within this year and recover Yanyun (燕云). After the war is over, the next step is resettlement..." The old man placed a Go piece. "So Liheng might as well say whatever comes to mind."

"Say whatever comes to mind?" Ning Yi chuckled.

The old man smiled and nodded, "Yes, say whatever comes to mind."

"Okay, then I'll just say whatever comes to mind." Ning Yi looked at the Go board, thought for a while, placed a piece, and then waved his hand, "Prime Minister Qin, you are here every day, looking at this city, what do you see?"

At this time, the pavilion where they were was located on a rockery in the back garden of the Prime Minister's residence. The terrain was slightly higher, although it was impossible to overlook Bianliang (汴梁), the light formed by the city's night scene and the lively atmosphere could still be felt. Cheng Zhou Hai looked around. Qin Si Yuan laughed, "This question is a bit too big, isn't it? Liheng might as well speak frankly."

"Have you seen any resentment?"

"Hmm?" Qin Si Yuan frowned, "What makes you say that?"

"If we want to talk about governing, we must see the resentment, right?" Ning Yi held a Go piece in his fingertips and rubbed it. "In this world, every person is born and inevitably interacts with the people around them. Interactions inevitably involve collisions and friction. Big and small resentments accumulate from this."

"Arguing with a neighbor today is resentment. Fighting with someone is resentment. Being cheated when buying something is resentment. Being inexplicably stabbed is also resentment. Filing a lawsuit, officials protecting each other, there is resentment here. Unfair trials, there is resentment... These resentments, big and small, are remembered in the heart. Some can be dispelled, some cannot. At death, it's all written off. Prime Minister's Qin talk about governing, I think practically speaking, governing is about governing this resentment."

Qin Si Yuan was stunned, then placed a Go piece, "Liheng's words are quite novel."

"Those who are good at lying are not necessarily good at doing. I am just talking on paper." Ning Yi smiled and continued, "Governing resentment has two aspects: edification and justice. Edification is morality, culture, and customs. Confucius said Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teachers, ranking them in order. Guan Zhong said scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, listing the important and unimportant. Think about it, if a farmer has never read a book, doesn't ask for much, and lives his whole life in only one village or town, even if he is bullied, he thinks it's normal and forgets it at night, so there is not much resentment. Someone like me, who has read some books and traveled more, thinks he is great, and has more collisions and friction with others. If someone looks down on me, I will be angry in my heart. I guess there will be a lot of resentment in this life..."

When he said this, Qin Si Yuan and Cheng Zhou Hai, who was listening nearby, laughed. Ning Yi continued with a smile: "In this world, if the level of morality is better, people are polite to each other, and everyone knows what things can be done and what things should not be done, there will be less friction, and there will be fewer opportunities for resentment to arise. People have different levels of understanding due to different levels of education, and people have different positions about themselves. When encountering different things, the possibility of generating resentment is also different. A scholar will be angry because others don’t value him, but an old farmer will not."

"Culture and customs tell everyone what position you are in here, what respect you should receive. Morality makes this society run smoothly. You return home, your neighbors are harmonious, your brothers and sisters are respectful, your wife is gentle and kind. These things will alleviate resentment. And justice is the last means of resolution."

Ning Yi placed a Go piece. "If I and Brother Cheng have a friction and generate resentment, and it cannot be resolved, and we are both uncomfortable, then we can only file a lawsuit. If justice is trusted, and the government handles affairs according to regulations, impartially and fairly, then the ruling from above will be accepted by both him and me, and the resentment will be dispelled. But if justice is not fair, and everyone thinks that officials protect each other, and the law is useless, then when Brother Cheng and I go to report to the officials, the first thing we think of is to find connections everywhere. In the end, his connections may suppress me, but even if I avoid it for a while, the resentment in my heart still cannot be dispelled. And if he is rich and powerful, even if I submit temporarily, he will still think that I dared to provoke him and will definitely make me regret it, and even the resentment in his heart cannot be eliminated. Then justice becomes a joke."

He shook his head. "This resentment may not cause anything for a while, but people will remember what happened in their lives. Gradually, the resentment intensifies. If there is too much resentment before death… people will kill people, will rebel. Some people don’t dare, but they are more easily incited by others, and are more likely to become a scourge. People become eccentric, and there is no more affection or trust between them. The most important thing in a society is always to eliminate this resentment, to make its… symptoms milder, and fewer people have it, so that the world will be better."

After he finished speaking, Qin Si Yuan and Cheng Zhou Hai were silent for a moment. Cheng Zhou Hai smiled and said, "According to this, isn't a world without edification the best? Everyone is a farmer, there are no scholars, so there is no resentment..."

"But human nature pursues better things." Ning Yi smiled. "You pursue eating your fill, pursuing dressing well. After eating your fill and dressing well, you want a girl, and after having a girl, you want to have offspring, and in the middle, you also want to do something meaningful. Some things are self-evident. Social development requires eliminating resentment so that it does not collapse. Eliminating resentment is also to make society move more steadily. It's just that governing should be centered on the principle of eliminating resentment. Treatment and development go hand in hand. The thing about development, it can’t be stopped, just like the reform..."

He paused. "In every dynasty, every reform was not because some smart people thought of a good way, so they promoted this world. But rather because the world developed to a critical point before someone came out to promote change, because everyone saw that it had to change. Since the Shang Yang reform, edification has been promoted, and the number of scholars has gradually increased. The number of people who want to move up is increasing. If they can't move up, the resentment will increase. When it increases to a certain level, a new method must be implemented so that everyone has hope. The purpose of each reform, the purpose of adjusting the structure of the court and society, is mostly like this. If someone is dissatisfied, then they must be satisfied. The laws of the world have always appeared when people have found them useful, and not because they appear, and people do as they say…"

After he finished speaking, Cheng Zhou Hai thought for a while and said, "In today's world, there are indeed more and more scholars. It seems that there will have to be a change soon?"

"Hopefully there will be a change." Ning Yi replied casually, "Actually, there are more and more merchants too. They have money and a desire to climb up. Now many high officials are not also influenced by merchants? Now they can slowly influence, and when they reach a certain level, they will definitely push for change... Heh, I can also be considered talking business while doing business..."

Cheng Zhou Hai frowned. After a moment, he nodded in agreement, "A lot of people will die."

Ning Yi was still looking at the Go board. "A social trend, one change is twenty or thirty years or a hundred years. I'll just hide away."

He actually had one more sentence that he didn't say. The Wu Dynasty was now living in complacency and revelry, appearing peaceful and prosperous, but in reality, it was unknown if there was even a chance for change. It was after this sentence that Qin Si Yuan, who had been listening to him and playing Go in silence, spoke.

"Liheng... those things you promoted in Badao Manor (霸刀庄), do you have the idea of preparing for this?"

Ning Yi frowned. Since arriving in Shangjing (上京), he roughly knew that Qin Si Yuan was very interested in this, knew that he would have an inquiry, but didn't expect him to ask this question.

"That is a folk remedy." After thinking for a while, he said this. "It has nothing to do with governing the world. And… it's hard to say now. If there is an opportunity to see the results, it can be used for discussion later."

He looked at Qin Si Yuan.

That was indeed just a folk remedy, treating weakness, not the world. The revolution in modern Chinese history, most commendable, was the instigation of every grassroots member who participated. Before this, every rebellion, uprising, or large-scale armed struggle, the level of instigation was only limited to the scholar-officials and generals. The real grassroots members were always just following the tide, with no value in instigation. And this value of instigation can only be reflected in combat power, and has little to do with other things.

Qin Si Yuan nodded and smiled, "Liheng has such ideas and such abilities. Since you have returned from Shandong (山东), why not go to the Imperial College and try your luck with fame and fortune?"

Ning Yi also laughed. "I'm just talking nonsense. I have no ability for those things… and I'm really not interested."

Ning Yi's ability to do things had long been shown there, and Qin Si Yuan would not question his ability. He could only smile and shake his head at this time, "Alright, alright, we'll talk about this when we get back… There is something else to do today. I, the old man, admit defeat in this game. Zhou Hai, you accompany him for your teacher. If you have to leave later, also send Liheng off. Oh, I will go to see you off when Liheng leaves the day after tomorrow."

The main thing he left Ning Yi with today seemed to be to discuss the "governing the country" with Ning Yi. After he finished speaking, he hurried off to deal with his own affairs. When the old man's figure disappeared, Ning Yi turned his head and looked at Cheng Zhou Hai beside him.

"Brother Cheng, did you come specifically to find me?"

Cheng Zhou Hai came this time without saying anything to Qin Si Yuan, and looking at his expression, it seemed that he also had something to say to himself. Ning Yi felt slightly puzzled. Over there, Cheng Zhou Hai looked up at the sky, smiled, and cupped his hands.

"There is still time, shall we talk while walking?"

"Okay."

Just as the two were leaving the Qin residence, in another place in Bianliang City, Zhou Pei (周佩) put a dagger in her arms, and with a determined expression, she was putting herself into a large sack. After the sack was put into her, the opening was sealed, and then it was opened again. Zhou Pei poked her head out and looked around before going in again, saying to the people next to her, "Be gentle."

The moonlight was gentle. Two days before Ning Yi prepared to leave Bianliang, the night before he really left Bianliang, some things were happening…