After the Little New Year, every household cleaned their courtyards and put up new New Year pictures and paper-cut window decorations. As the lanterns began to light up, carriages passed through the streets, and occasionally the sound of firecrackers could be heard. Tan'er lifted the curtain and watched the carriage weave through the pedestrians on the street. After passing the wholesale district, they were soon in Yanhe Lane.

The accumulated snow had been swept to both sides of the street, and there were not many pedestrians on the road. Most of the buildings were large courtyards with green walls. Lanterns hung beside the gates, some open and some closed, and stone lions stood guard. Some of these courtyards were lively, while others were quiet. The inside of each was hidden from view. Couplets were pasted on either side of the gates, and the one near their own house read "The country is blessed, the family is prosperous, and people live long and healthy lives." As the carriage passed, there was a noisy commotion from inside one of the houses as someone was being beaten and thrown out, accompanied by the sound of a woman's crying.

Over at the Ning residence, several figures were also peeking out to watch the commotion. After the carriage passed, Chan'er, Su Yanping, and others jogged over. Tan'er also took a look and saw two women, one large and one small, being thrown out of the gate. The larger one had been beaten and was bleeding from the head.

"It's said that it's the fourth concubine of that family. She wasn't very careful, stole money from the house, and didn't respect her in-laws, so they threw her out..." Xiao Chan whispered, close to Tan'er. "Some say that this fourth concubine had an affair with a servant in the house, and her husband didn't want to drown her in a pig cage or report her to the government, so he just drove them, mother and daughter, away..."

In wealthy families, such things sometimes happened without needing too detailed a reason, and it was hard to say whether the information that spread was true or false. Tan'er shook her head, watching the mother and daughter kneeling on the street, crying and kowtowing, as someone threw out a small bundle. In the lamplight by the gate, a man stood there, looking on coldly before turning and going inside. After the servants closed the gate, the woman cried and rushed up to beat on the door.

"It's almost the New Year, where can people go..."

With a sigh, Tan'er and Xiao Chan entered the gate. Su Yanping, who was fond of gossip, was still leaning against the door, watching, until Tan'er stared at her for a while before she reluctantly raised her hands and followed them inside. Many things in this household now bore Ning Yi's mark – head tilts, shrugs, finger snaps, and even some of the neurotic behavior Ning Yi displayed when facing enemies, had all been adopted by the group as a trend.

Of course, the only thing they could tease him about was the fact that their second brother-in-law didn't seem to know how to woo women. Similar rumors occasionally reached Tan'er's ears, but when she asked them, no one dared to say anything. Even if they didn't say it, Tan'er mostly understood that it had a lot to do with Nie Yunzhu.

Inside the gate was the main courtyard for receiving guests. Next to the main hall was a large lounge, and many of the furnishings inside were Ning Yi's creations. There were all kinds of interesting chairs, carpets, and furs. In the winter, the stove was lit, making it quite warm. It served as a place for the family to relax and gather at night. At this time, Wen Fang, Wen Ding, and others were already inside, talking animatedly about things in the large courtyard outside the city, some interesting but useless new gadgets, or ideas on how to make money with new gadgets.

Under Ning Yi's influence, this family had not developed the kind of estrangement that was common in wealthy families, or perhaps it hadn't reached the point where estrangement would arise. Every time Tan'er saw the brothers getting along harmoniously, she sincerely hoped that this scene could last longer.

She was the mistress of the house, but after all, she was still a woman. She came over to say hello, left two small snacks, and then went back. Not long after, Ning Yi also returned from the Prime Minister's residence, carrying some intelligence dossiers. As he returned to his room, he said to Xiao Chan, "On the way back, I saw a woman with a child crying and banging on the door next door. It was really pitiful..."

"It's the fourth concubine of that house. I heard she got old and wasn't liked anymore, so she was kicked out..." The gossip in Xiao Chan's mouth changed again. "That's how Xiao Chan will be kicked out in the future."

"You're wronging me. At most, I'll spank you until your bottom is swollen..."

"Oh, then son-in-law, you'll hit my head..."

Tan'er smiled, watching the two of them talking as they came inside. Soon after, Ning Yi put down the intelligence dossiers he had brought back. The family talked and chatted. After dinner, they went outside to gather with Su Wen Ding and the others for a while. When they went out for a walk, the concubine and child who had been kicked out of the house next door were gone. In this snowy weather where one's breath turned to frost, they didn't know where they had gone.

Days could be passed slowly, and emotional problems could be suppressed in the heart. Ning Yi still had many important matters to attend to. For example, the domestic and northern situation. He would occasionally look at these dossiers. Tan'er could understand what he wanted to do. Although she was a woman, she could often understand Ning Yi's worries. Regarding the current decline of the Liao Dynasty and the specific domestic and foreign situation, Ning Yi did not place too much importance on them. He was only collecting and sorting out the attitude of the Jin Kingdom in the gaps of some intelligence reports.

"Actually, from collecting information on the Jin Kingdom for the past two years, it can be seen that these Jurchens are actually very respectful of the Wu Dynasty. When we allied with the Jin to attack Liao, Wanyan Xiyin actually came in person. I investigated his information. This person is very powerful, both cultured and martial, and he is considered to be a pro-Wu Dynasty faction, but in the past year or so, some of his words and deeds have become somewhat disappointing to the Wu Dynasty... Because we fought too poorly. As for Wanyan Zongbi, Wanyan Zonggan, and others, compared to their attitude towards the Wu Dynasty over the past two years, the changes are actually very terrifying. Unfortunately, the Secret Intelligence Division did not collect too much of these things..."

While flipping through various intelligence reports from the Secret Intelligence Division about the north, Ning Yi summarized many details that others did not care about and copied them down with a pen. Tan'er would also participate in the low-voiced conversation.

"Can it be useful for you to copy down these things?"

"It's actually not easy to get the higher-ups to prepare for the Jin Kingdom. The alliance with the Jin to attack Liao is partly because the Jin Kingdom has fewer people, and we assumed they wouldn't attack the Wu Dynasty. Secondly, propaganda has been going on for a long time that the Jin Kingdom is relatively friendly, and after we recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, we will be brotherly nations. If it is said that the Jin Kingdom really wants to attack downwards, many people will have to take the blame."

"Because they have to take the blame, they should prepare first, right?"

"The problem is that no one wants to say unlucky things. The Liao Kingdom is still fighting, and the Jin Kingdom is still righteous, so someone will stand up and say that the Jin people are likely to continue to attack our Wu Dynasty. Even saying 'maybe' will make the people below panic. I can only talk about these things with Qin Siyuan... Actually, there are people in the Secret Intelligence Division who are worried about this. Look at these intelligence reports I copied down, which talk about the attitudes of Wanyan Zongbi and others. The handwriting is mostly the same. It seems to be a woman... The Liaodong branch of the Secret Intelligence Division, although I don't know who it is, I'm afraid they are the ones who understand the nature of the Jurchens the most..."

"A woman?" Tan'er became interested and took the intelligence to look at. Ning Yi shook his head.

"In this world, men are better off. If it's a woman... I've looked at the dates these intelligence reports were sent and calculated that this person should have entered the upper echelons of the Jurchens. I guess she's already someone's slave or favored concubine or something. It's not easy for Southern Dynasty women to do these things..."

Ning Yi shook his head and continued recording, "These intelligence reports are not systematic, so making a threat report wouldn't be meaningful. I just want to analyze the personalities of each of the Jin high-ranking officials. It might be useful in the future. I can use some small tricks or something... Heh, I always say that those people only know small tricks and can't fight a war head-on. When it comes to myself, it's actually about the same."

"You're just saying you're here to help. This isn't your personal matter... And the Jin people really have few people, so maybe they won't attack downwards." Tan'er consoled him.

Ning Yi nodded and smiled, "That's right, my old habits are acting up..."

In the warm, brightly lit room, the couple chatted, a mix of urgency and casualness. The child had already been taken away by the wet nurse. Later in the night, the couple blew out the lamps, went to bed, and their bodies merged together in the warm blankets. Soon after, Ning Yi got out of bed, heated the water in the coal stove, and soaked a towel to wipe Tan'er's body. Tan'er would always feel a little shy about this kind of thing. In an era where marital intimacy was mostly a perfunctory matter done in the dark with eyes closed, at least this kind of thing was not something that men should do for women, and seemed somewhat indecent. But after the weather turned cold, Ning Yi no longer allowed her to toss and turn getting out of bed. In these times, many illnesses were actually equivalent to waiting to die.

The next day at dawn, Ning Yi would get up, either participating in morning exercises or lighting a candle to handle unfinished work in the room. Tan'er would peek out from the blankets, looking at him. It was also on this morning that Ning Yi frowned slightly when he saw an intelligence report. It was news about the forces that had risen up around the Liao Kingdom after the great chaos, excluding the Jurchens. Among the Mongolian tribes, one force was rising in the northwest grasslands and could be considered one of the fastest-growing forces. Of course, compared to the speed of the Jin, this force was only mentioned briefly in the intelligence report.

Qiyan tribe... Where have I heard this name before...?

Ning Yi recalled, but could not find a suitable answer from the clues in his mind. He put this simple piece of information aside and did not record it.

Also at the same moment, in a snowy area in the north, a group of dozens of riders were about to set off south. Guo Yaoshi, who was leading the way, drank a bowl of wine and said goodbye to several Changsheng Army generals in front, "This time I'm going south to meet the current Emperor! Brothers, when I come back, I'll bring you all a life of wealth!"

"It's such a big snowstorm, Brother..."

"Haha, we men of Liaodong are not afraid of wind and snow. It'll be warmer after we pass Yanmen Pass!" Guo Yaoshi said. After a moment, he had his horse move closer and patted the general's shoulder. "The Changsheng Army is relying on you. Remember what I said, when the snow gets a little lighter, go and grab men. I've seen it clearly. Now we can't worry about who starves to death. The Wu Dynasty's soldiers can't fight. We must have people on hand. We have to be able to fight ourselves. With people, we'll have money, food, and wealth. Without people, relying on the Wu Dynasty's few armies, they're busy fighting among themselves, competing to see who runs away first. They can't fight. Remember... I'm leaving first..."

Turning his horse around, Guo Yaoshi led the people, gradually disappearing into the southward wind and snow, crossing Yanmen Pass all the way south to Bianliang.

Soon after, fireworks for the New Year's Eve rose in the capital, and Yunzhu's body had finally completely recovered. One day after the Lantern Festival, she invited Ning Yi to dinner with a letter. For several months, information between the two could mostly be conveyed by word of mouth, but this time it was different. In the letter, she said that she wanted to go home.

She wanted to go back... To the old home where her parents once lived... and take a look around...