Time approached noon, and the ice particles that had been pelting the city gradually turned into snowflakes, dyeing the streets of Chengdu a faint white.

It was the first snow of the year in the Southwest, and the pedestrians walking in the snow did not seem too distressed, most of them displaying a sense of novelty. Many didn't even bother with umbrellas, walking and chatting; there were also children chasing and playing in the streets, unwilling to return home even when their families called out to them.

Inside the Sifang Teahouse, the atmosphere of public opinion was at its most fervent. From within the private rooms, voices of discussion could be heard.

"...Considering the current situation, how much leeway does Lord Dai really have?"

"What about the current situation? The Jurchens have already retreated north, which is better than their previous southern invasions, wouldn't you say? You speak of today's Sage, who has betrayed his own people for the second time..."

"But who is Lord Dai facing! To the north are the Jurchens, to the south is the Chinese Army!"

"Originally, Liu Guangshi was not worthy of trust, all he ever did was run away..."

"...These remarks are truly shameless! What Brother He said is true. Lord Dai Mengwei's first betrayal of his own people could be excused as saving countless civilians, but this betrayal of Liu Guangshi is simply shameless!"

"...Don't play dumb. Confucianism is coming to an end!"

"...Alarmist talk! We Confucian scholars can still drink tea, eat, and chat here, how can you say it's coming to an end? Although the Chinese Army claims to destroy Confucianism, what they've actually done isn't too excessive..."

"Not too excessive? What is Ning Yi doing right now? Can't you all see? He's distributing land!"

"So what if he's distributing land? The Fairness Party in Jiangnan is only just starting to have internal strife."

"How can the Fairness Party be compared to the Chinese Army? Now, in the Southwest, distributing land means attending classes and drills. In his classes, he promotes literacy, forcing everyone to send their children to school. The children of farmers in the countryside, once they enter school, will be tied to the Chinese Army. And the three drills before the land distribution, he intends to promote a so-called militia system in various places. The literacy movement binds children to him, the militia system binds adults to his command. Ning Yi wants to bypass all scholars. His destruction of Confucianism is for real!"

"...If everyone can be literate, then everyone will be like a dragon, how can you say it's a bad thing?"

"Haha! Haha! Playing dumb. Is literacy and teaching people that easy? If those children who know three or five characters can truly understand great principles, then I have nothing to say. But Ning Yi is just using this as a means to seize power. From the founding of the Chinese Army, he spoke of so-called human rights, so-called democracy, to the previous imperial examinations, he screened stewards and clerks. Now, he's mobilizing everyone to become literate, every single thing he does is to bypass scholars like us sitting here. How many people in this world have studied the words of sages for decades? He's wooing a group of people who have never read a book, teaching them to read, and abandoning all of you... Don't think I'm jealous, but—if this kind of person can improve the world, why would you and I have bothered to learn those subtle meanings for thousands of years... But Ning Yi is determined, he wants to destroy Confucianism..."

"The Chinese Army is developing papermaking, wanting everyone to have books to read. In the past two years, they've been vigorously expanding charitable schools and village schools. But in the beginning, they can only do some literacy enlightenment. These things are being done step by step, and I don't think it's a big deal..."

"Confucianism doesn't oppose enlightenment. In the past millennia, papermaking hadn't developed, and scientific investigation was too slow. If Ning Yi truly had no selfish motives, everyone here knows that it would be better to use the already mature Confucian system to assist rural enlightenment. Ning Yi is prejudiced, wanting to drag along people who only know a few characters to fight against Confucianism. He doesn't stain his blade with blood, yet his methods are more brilliant than anyone else's. It's laughable that you're being boiled like frogs in warm water, seemingly unaware..."

"Even so, what does this have to do with Lord Dai..."

"How much time does Lord Dai have left? He's allied with trash like Liu Guangshi, what can he accomplish in the future? After the Southwest War, Ning Yi will occupy Sichuan and recuperate. It looks lively on the outside, but who doesn't know that once the Chinese Army marches out of Sichuan, no one in the world can stop them? But with this step that Lord Dai has taken, isn't the entire Central Plains suddenly enlightened? In a game that was sure to end in defeat, he's found a way out?"

"I think you're overestimating Zou Xu. In the end, he's just Ning Yi's disciple..."

"He was Ning Yi's most trusted disciple back then. There's no one in the world who understands Ning Yi's methods better than him. Now, Lord Dai holds the way of Confucianism, and Zou Xu understands the art of scientific investigation. When Tao and the arts combine, to contend with Ning Yi, there are no two people in the world more suitable than them..."

"But listening to his words and observing his actions, Ning Yi's arrangements in Chengdu these past two years have the aura of a sage-king..."

"Yes, the aura of a sage-king. Then I would like to ask you a question today – don't you have any land at home!? Don't any of you have land at home!?"

"You, you, you... We are discussing principles, how can you speculate in such a dirty way..."

"Good, when Ning Yi marches out of Sichuan, he'll start by dividing your land—"

One by one, noisy voices came from the rooms. On the other side, in a small private room, Yan Daolun and Yu Hezhong were drinking tea and listening to the discussions from next door. As the core of Chengdu's public opinion, Yan Daolun and his associates usually listened to the debates of the masses in this way. At this moment, Yan Daolun sighed, "See, this is the view that many outsiders have of Dai Mengwei's actions this time."

Yu Hezhong took a sip of tea, "Normally, this Master Tang Qi Tang appears to be virtuous and dignified, but this time he seems to be exasperated. Isn't he saying that he supports Dai Mengwei and opposes the Chinese Army simply because he has land at home?"

"He's saying more than that." Yan Daolun shook his head, "He's saying how many people in the world will support Dai Mengwei... To be honest, Brother Yu, my Yan family also has land."

"What does Brother Yan mean..."

"It means nothing. It doesn't affect the overall situation. It's just that overnight, the world has turned upside down. Brother Yu, I'm a little confused..."

The two sides met this morning. Yu Hezhong was anxious, originally wanting to go directly to Li Shishi, but he was stopped by Yan Daolun. First, they chatted about whether there were any high-ranking officials with the surname Long in the Chinese Army, then they listened to the noise next door, rambling about the current situation. Yan Daolun's mind was deep. He talked about more things today than usual, but Yu Hezhong's thoughts were confused and difficult to fathom.

In the past year, he had been too successful as a relationship broker in Chengdu. Others mostly sought him out to get things done. If there were any hidden meanings or reservations, he naturally wouldn't bother. And even if some people had sinister intentions, after going through the Chinese Army, they would have nowhere to hide.

Now, after having lunch amidst various digressions, as he was about to leave, Yu Hezhong gritted his teeth and asked directly, "Brother Yan, actually... if this matter really cannot be resolved, have you considered... joining the Chinese Army?"

Yan Daolun stared at him for a moment, then sighed, "This matter... let's talk about it later."

Amid the falling snowflakes, Yu Hezhong left the Sifang Teahouse and headed towards the Propaganda Department.

He went to Li Shishi's residence the day before, but ultimately failed to see her. This day, he went to the Propaganda Department's office, reported his name, and was told that Deputy Minister Li had not been working at the Propaganda Department recently, and as for where she had gone, they were unable to say. Yu Hezhong and Shishi usually had a private relationship. Although he occasionally asked for favors, he didn't bring them to the Propaganda Department, and wasn't familiar with the place. He left and headed towards her residence.

Shishi's official residence in Chengdu was a small courtyard near the Mahakara Pond. The high-ranking officials of the Chinese Army lived here. There were unified services, reception areas, and meeting rooms outside. Every day, many people came, either for official business or private matters, waiting in the reception area outside, and only after being reviewed or notified would they be led inside. Yu Hezhong was familiar with the place, and was already familiar with the receptionist outside. It wasn't yet quitting time, and the busy high-ranking officials of the Chinese Army were usually not at their residences. Yu Hezhong found the receptionist, registered, and then chatted for a while, asking, "Will Deputy Minister Li be back tonight, do you think?"

"Well, usually she will..."

"Then why didn't I see her yesterday even though I waited until night?"

"Which department isn't busy these days? Just for the land distribution, more than ten thousand people have been sent out. Look, Chengdu has sent out more than ten thousand people, how many people are left here to work? Even Mr. Ning isn't in Chengdu these days..."

"I know that, but... did Deputy Minister Li come back last night?"

"..." Yu Hezhong used to come often, and it was always easy to get in, but seeing him ask this, the receptionist hesitated, "Well, Mr. Yu, we have rules..."

"Okay, I won't ask." Yu Hezhong waved his hand, "Tell her when she comes back that I have urgent business."

The receptionist nodded and smiled in agreement.

That day, small snowflakes were falling outside. The waiting room, where all sorts of people gathered, had its windows open, but it wasn't cold. Yu Hezhong sat by the window, listening to the bustling voices, watching the visitors in various clothes gather and talk in the room. Some even talked about the "major events" happening in the Central Plains. An old woman with patched clothes sat in a corner of the room with three gaunt, malnourished children from the countryside, waiting for someone. Two of the children were probably hungry, and cried loudly. A orderly took some snacks in to coax them - these were probably poor relatives of some high-ranking Chinese Army official, judging from their clothes, they probably hadn't been in from outside Yanmen Pass for long, turning the room into a vegetable market.

Similar things were not uncommon in this waiting room. In the past, Yu Hezhong would have wandered off to other places, or had a drink at a nearby teahouse, and come back when the time was about right. But today he didn't have that kind of leisure, enduring the boredom with his hands in his sleeves, only using the snowy scenery outside as a small pastime. He wanted to compose a few lines of poetry, but after thinking hard for a long time, he couldn't come up with anything.

His mind couldn't help but think of Bianliang nearly twenty years ago. At that time, his writing was still decent, and he had met Li Shishi, and often attended various literary gatherings with Chen Sifeng. At that time, the high-end literary gatherings in the capital that were attended by important figures had limited seats. A group of scholars often composed poems in the lobby of Fanlou, seeking fame. His writing and Chen Sifeng's were only mediocre, but with Shishi there, she would often use some small tricks to get them in. Yu Hezhong often missed the grand atmosphere of those days, with celebrities gathering and exchanging poems.

At that time, among the countless celebrities in the capital, he still harbored imaginations of the future. He even thought that he might be the one to usher in an era of peace for all generations.

In the twenty years that followed, China was submerged, and people wandered around the world. What he saw was all kinds of infighting and bloody battles.

What rose were warlords, scoundrels, and all kinds of barbarians and vulgar people. Yu Hezhong had used connections and knelt before people. In the past two years, he had seen Shishi again in the Southwest, and only then did he enjoy an environment where he could stand up straight again. But in his heart, Yu Hezhong still regarded himself as a scholar. Even if his talent was mediocre, not reaching the top ranks, what truly made him feel comfortable and even intoxicated was still the environment of Bianliang back then.

He secretly criticized the Chinese Army's governance, and even Ning Yi. They were too pragmatic, lacking the elegance of cultured people, lacking the beauty of exchanging poems and songs.

Ning Yi was like that back then. Even though he could write first-class poems, he had no reverence for anything in writing. Chen Sifeng had once said in private that he was not a true romantic.

In the year or so after arriving in Chengdu, he had not taken the initiative to visit Ning Yi, whom everyone wanted to visit. In the final analysis, in his heart, he and the other party were always two different kinds of people. He had grown up in the atmosphere of Confucianism, wanted to write good poems, wanted to save the world and the people, wanted to show himself in literary gatherings, and wanted to maintain everything that was respected and admired. And Ning Yi...

Ning Yi... He was brilliant in writing, outstanding in martial arts, but from beginning to end he was a frivolous person. He became a Son-in-Law, did business, schemed, killed people, and even Shishi had said that he was too reckless and unprincipled, even criticizing the poems in those beautiful articles. But why was it that these people always seemed to be at the forefront in this world?

And thinking of Shishi...

That was the most beautiful dream in his heart.

Recognizing reality was not difficult.

But occasionally, in the middle of the night, even with a beautiful woman by his side, he would still think with incomparable vexation that Shishi... was ultimately occupied by that reckless and unprincipled person.

When a person is in their twenties, they see the splendor before them, and always feel that the future is full of endless possibilities, and their hearts are always full of hope. But gradually, these possibilities narrow before their eyes, and at some point they suddenly realize their incompetence, realize that the future only has one or two narrow paths, that is the darkest moment.

Coming to the Southwest, and seeing Shishi again, it was as if heaven had given him a second chance. If there was even a slight possibility that Shishi had him in her heart, then how perfect would his life, which was gradually approaching forty, suddenly be? Even the more than ten years of wandering after the age of twenty would seem to have full meaning.

But these thoughts were ultimately just illusions. Not long after the reunion, the rumors about Shishi and Ning Yi became real. After Shishi subtly admitted it during a moment of smiles and laughter, the perfection of life finally left him. After that, if there were any knots, Yu Hezhong's life was nothing more than getting Li Shishi's favor in his early twenties and attending a few big literary gatherings, and then being mediocre for more than ten years, being a mediocre rascal who had the pity of Li Shishi when he was almost forty, and was fortunate enough to mix with the high-ranking officials.

There was no splendor of poetry, nor the sweetness of love.

In his life, there was nothing worth writing about.

He didn't know why, but at this moment, looking at the snow falling outside the window, he thought of these things.

In the midst of the fluttering snow, the light of the afternoon gradually dimmed. In the noisy waiting room, people were gradually being led out. This was a symbol of the high-ranking Chinese Army officials living in this area returning from work. Yu Hezhong watched these people leave, estimating who they were looking for, estimating their status, position, and purpose... When the bell of You Shi rang, the eaves between the courtyards gradually had lights, and more people were being led out. The people who were being led in at this time were mostly going to dine with people, which showed their closeness. Sounds of laughter came, but no one came to call him.

Shishi had not returned.

More than half of You Shi had passed. The receptionist taught people to send tea and snacks to this room. When he came over to ask Yu Hezhong to close the window, Yu Hezhong asked again about Shishi's itinerary: "Hasn't she returned yet?"

The other party had a complex look in his eyes, and was ambiguous: "Ah, who knows... By the way, Mr. Yu hasn't eaten yet, has he? We have a cafeteria here, why don't you go and have something to eat?"

"No, no." Yu Hezhong thought for a while, then stood up, "Someone is waiting for me. I'm going to eat, I'll come back later."

He didn't want people to think that his desire to see Shishi was too urgent. He left and had a hasty meal in the nearby quaint commercial street. When Xu Shi had passed a little, he probably tidied up his appearance and went back.

"Has Shishi come back?" He thought the time was about right.

"Haven't you received a message?" the receptionist said.

Yu Hezhong thought for a while: "Haven't received a message... Is it that she hasn't returned, or hasn't called me."

"Uh, anyway... I sent your registration over a long time ago, Mr. Yu..."

"Then... is Xiao Ling here now?" Yu Hezhong asked about the whereabouts of Shishi's personal secretary.

The receptionist thought for a while: "Uh... I didn't see her during the day."

That night, the same thing happened as the day before: until late at night, no one came out to tell him that he could go in.

When Hai Shi was almost over, the receptionist began to persuade the remaining three or five people in the waiting room to leave. Yu Hezhong went out in a daze, and an ominous premonition finally surged up: something was wrong.

Could the downfall of Liu Guangshi have had a bigger impact than he had imagined, so much so that Shishi was unwilling to see him again?

He had this thought in his mind, but upon closer inspection, he was unwilling to admit that Shishi would be such a person.

He still tried to remain calm that night, and then returned to the courtyard of another confidante, Gao Wenjing, to rest. This Gao Wenjing was a woman from the north, with a somewhat cold and aloof appearance, and had some similarity in temperament to Shishi, who had always smiled at the various literary gatherings more than ten years ago. Yu Hezhong had pursued her for a long time before she agreed to be with him. When she was serving him to sleep that night, Gao Wenjing also asked about Liu Guangshi's affairs: "Now that Marshal Liu has left, what is the Chinese Army's attitude? Have you asked that Sister Li?"

"Of course I have to ask." Yu Hezhong said, "But the Chinese Army is busy with things recently. For land reform, they have transferred more than ten thousand people from the work teams. I'll find a better time to see her in the next few days. Actually, this matter doesn't have the biggest relationship with me. Yan Daolun and the others are the ones who are really... Now that Lord Liu has left, they have become truly rootless..."

He tossed and turned that night, sleeping for a while and waking up again for a while. When it was morning the next day, he suppressed the wild thoughts in his heart and went to Mahakara Pond not long after dawn.

He stayed in the waiting room again for a day, feeling disturbed and full of wild thoughts.

December 13th, the same was repeated.

At this time, it was the fourth day since the news of Liu Guangshi's death had reached Chengdu. Various viewpoints in the public opinion field were constantly fermenting. Yu Hezhong even felt that the receptionist looked at him with some arrogance. He and Yan Daolun had become famous figures in Chengdu in the past because of the largest arms transaction between Liu Guangshi and the Chinese Army. Now that the stove fire under this furnace had been extinguished, they had also become the most awkward group of people. Even if they had not deliberately inquired about it in the past few days, Yu Hezhong could imagine how others were discussing them.

And if Shishi was unwilling to see him anymore, what kind of person was he, Yu Hezhong, in Chengdu?

Various thoughts intertwined in his mind. At one point, he thought of simply making a scene here, saying that Li Shishi turned her back on people as soon as they fell on hard times and was too realistic, but in the end he was timid and dared not act recklessly; at another point, he thought of simply finding an excuse to meet Ning Yi, even if it meant currying favor with him. However, when he thought about it carefully, he realized that Ning Yi had not returned...

The Central Plains had already been turned upside down, and the two largest enemies of the Chinese Army were about to come together and form an alliance. But Ning Yi had not returned to preside over the overall situation just for the sake of a little bit of what was happening in a hundred villages!

The Chinese Army was so arrogant that it would be over sooner or later.

On the 14th, he shaved his beard in front of the mirror. He wasn't steady with the blade and cut a gash on his face. The blood flowed non-stop. When he went to see Yan Daolun that morning, Yu Hezhong carefully looked at the other person's expression, but the other person's expression was still as usual. Apart from a few words about the difficult situation, he couldn't see too much anxiety.

"There may be things that are too busy on the Chinese Army's side. I estimate that Shishi is not in Chengdu. This has happened in the past, it's okay. I'll go again next time, at most in three to five days, there will be news."

Yu Hezhong said this as frankly and casually as possible.

Yan Daolun didn't take it to heart: "That's for sure. The Chinese Army's view of the importance and urgency of things is different from ours. Look at Mr. Ning, he's not in a hurry to come back." Then he told Yu Hezhong about the changes in Chengdu's public opinion circle in the past few days.

The development of things was not unexpected. The "new cultural people" on the side of the Chinese Army began to unanimously bombard Dai Mengwei's act of betrayal. Among the old Confucians and the new Confucians, the large plate of voices had certainly split, but the people standing in their respective positions had also become more determined. Some old Confucians began to analyze the great ways of the world in a more classic way. Some said that Dai Mengwei had no choice, some said that Dai Mengwei's alliance with Zou Xu was ingenious. Some new Confucians were forced by Dai Mengwei's actions to break away from the alliance, but there were also some new Confucians who, after careful consideration, began to more fiercely criticize the Chinese Army's land distribution practices.

In the past, the Chinese Army's destruction of Confucianism and the Confucians' criticism were mostly limited to oral discussions. Some Confucians even began to offer advice and suggestions to the Chinese Army after experiencing the prosperity of Chengdu, hoping that all the prosperity could be replicated to the outside world. However, the Chinese Army's "imperial examination method" was a small intensification, and this time the land distribution was implemented, which brought about a more decisive intensification.

Most people had to choose their position. Some people might not agree that Dai Mengwei was a sage, but in order to prevent the land distribution from continuing to expand, how could Dai Mengwei not be a sage? Even verbally, it could be said that he was a god who knew five hundred years in advance and five hundred years in the future - the mythical story containing this claim has now begun to be serialized in the supplement of the *Tiandu News*.

After exchanging information in a rambling and trivial way, after eating lunch, Yu Hezhong went to Mahakara Pond again.

He sat empty until night, feeling exhausted physically and mentally.

On December 15th, Yu Hezhong didn't want to go anymore. After coming out of Gao Wenjing's courtyard, he had his servant drive the carriage around the city. In the past, he was a popular figure in the public opinion field. When he was upset, he could go anywhere, but now he couldn't go anywhere. After considering it for a long time, he had the carriage turn back to where Gao Wenjing lived, stopped by the roadside for a while, but didn't dare to go in.

Gao Wenjing and Wei Rou, whether they were called confidantes, were actually curious about the follow-up of his search for Li Shishi, whether he could go back, and whether he could give them a little comfort?

However, he couldn't go back.

On this day, the small snow had turned into heavy snow. People on the road were in a hurry. Yu Hezhong lifted the curtain and looked at the raincoats of the pedestrians on the road. After watching for a while, he saw a carriage stop not far from the entrance of Gao Wenjing's courtyard. A man who vaguely remembered him knocked on the door and then went in.

Yu Hezhong was stunned for a long time.

After the Chinese Army occupied the Southwest, Chengdu did not have a mature brothel system like Jiangnan. This was because the Chinese Army did not allow forcing women into prostitution in terms of law, and the behavior of cultivating young girls into prostitutes and skinny horses would be severely punished. However, this law was a law. On the other hand, the Chinese Army did not prevent various women of the world from entering Chengdu from other places. This may also be an expediency to develop experience, but in short, various famous prostitutes, ladies, and high-level escorts still existed in the Southwest.

Gao Wenjing and Wei Rou were both members of this kind of place in the past, but after Yu Hezhong spent a lot of money, they became a kind of kept nature. Two women who were knowledgeable and talented in various arts no longer operated outside, and only showed up when Yu Hezhong needed to entertain friends, which made Yu Hezhong have a lot of face.

Now the courtyards where the two lived were bought by Yu Hezhong, and all the food, clothing, and other expenses were provided by Yu Hezhong. But who would have thought that there would be someone coming here in private?

His mind went blank for a while. He asked the servant to find thugs, and then, staggering, went to the back door of the small courtyard.

After Gao Wenjing was with him, the number of people arranged in the courtyard was not large. Yu Hezhong quietly opened the side door and went in, avoided the servants, and sneaked to the front hall. He saw that Gao Wenjing was actually serving tea to the other party in the reception hall. The person who came was named Sun Kang, a big businessman in Chengdu, said to have been a general during the Wu Dynasty. After the Wu Dynasty was overthrown, he brought capital to the Southwest to make a living. He was tyrannical and rude, and Yu Hezhong had always disliked him.

At this time, the other party was endlessly telling Gao Wenjing nonsense.

"...What childhood playmate, do you really believe that person surnamed Yu? Let me tell you, Wenjing, you will only know who is human and who is a ghost when the situation changes... He said Yan Daolun is more nervous, he's talking nonsense. What is Yan Daolun's background and ability, what ability does Yu Hezhong have... Let me tell you, everyone knows that Li Shishi is Mr. Ning Yi Ning's person. What attitude will Mr. Ning have towards Yu Hezhong? It's generous of him not to kill him... Isn't that the case this time? Look, Liu Guangshi is dead, and Li Shishi doesn't even see Yu Hezhong... Do you think she's busy, or not in Chengdu? Haha, let me tell you, someone saw Minister Li yesterday. She doesn't see Yu Hezhong, what kind of attitude is this, Wenjing, you taste it, you taste it... Let me tell you, there's no future following him, Wenjing..."

At some point, Yu Hezhong's mind buzzed, and his eyes turned red. He grabbed a bottle and walked out. The two people in the hall stood up. Gao Wenjing wrung her hands together: "Husband... Sir..."

Yu Hezhong gritted his teeth and walked towards Sun Kang: "You couple of..."

Sun Kang raised his head and chest, rolled up his sleeves, and was full of horizontal flesh: "What are you doing?"

Yu Hezhong stopped.

Only now did he realize that the other party had practiced martial arts, was a head taller than him, and had led troops and lost battles outside in the past. He was just a scholar and could not fight him.

In fact, in the current situation, all parties were watching the changes on his and Yan Daolun's side. He shouldn't even come out to catch the adulterer. When people were rich, catching the adulterer and beating him up was right, but when they were down on their luck, everyone would feel that you were getting more and more down on your luck. And if you failed to catch the adulterer and were beaten up by the other party instead, you would become a complete laughingstock in the public opinion field.

Yu Hezhong pointed at Sun Kang with trembling fingers, and then pointed at Gao Wenjing. He couldn't hear clearly what Gao Wenjing was defending, and he didn't know how to scold them. After a while, he said, "This courtyard is mine..." He smashed the porcelain bottle on the ground and strode out the door.

After leaving the courtyard, he dismissed the thugs that the coachman had called. He didn't know how he got on the carriage, and he didn't know why the carriage went to the outside of the city. On this day, the wind and snow howled outside, and the white snow scenes flashed by outside. He just felt cold, first in his heart, and when he realized it, it was almost dark, and his body was cold from hunger. He had the coachman find him a random inn to stay in. There was not much food. The quilt in the unfamiliar room was dirty and smelly, and strange things hung from the dark beams. Yu Hezhong curled up into a ball, thinking of Gao Wenjing and Wei Rou. These two people were probably laughing at him, and the whole city of Chengdu was laughing at him.

Tossing and turning for half the night, he thought of his wife and children far away in Shishou, which was Xiao Zheng's territory. Now that Xiao Zheng had killed Liu Guangshi with Dai Mengwei, he couldn't bring his wife and children over. In the Southwest, he had become a truly solitary person. Although he still had some money, no one would look up to him or care about him in the future.

When he went to the waiting room of Mahakara Pond again, it was the morning of December 16th. On this day, the snow stopped in Chengdu. On the way, he saw all kinds of Confucians rushing to the scene of the public opinion field. Maybe what happened to him being humiliated by Sun Kang yesterday would become one of the core events in the public opinion field today. Yu Hezhong didn't want to think about these things. He waited in the waiting room until the afternoon, watching the visitors come and go, and had dinner in the cafeteria. At a certain moment when the lights were on, he suddenly had an idea: among the high-ranking officials of the Chinese Army, many people did not have families - if they had wives or parents at home, they could also entertain visiting relatives during the day, and they would probably not have to wait until night.

He fell asleep heavily in his seat.

He didn't know when, but someone gently patted his arm. He woke up, reached out and wiped the saliva from the corner of his mouth, and wanted to talk to the receptionist: "Is it time..." But the person who came over was not the receptionist.

Shishi was squatting beside him. She was wearing a simple cyan-gray long coat and pants, her hair was tied up behind her head, and she was holding a stack of something in her hand. The snow-covered shoes looked like she had just returned from somewhere - she reached out and gently patted him.

In a trance, Yu Hezhong seemed to see another "Li Shishi" more than ten years ago, still as clear and sweet as in the past, and reassuring. But she also had a strange temperament that was completely different from that of Fanlou back then. This was a temperament that the entire past era had never had, and it was a temperament that could only be seen in the Chinese Army. He was even unable to distinguish his feelings about this temperament for a while.

"Come in."

She led him through the roads covered with snow-covered branches to the courtyard inside, which was simply furnished but elegant. In the study, there was a small stove. Shishi asked the orderly Xiao Ling to cook a bowl of hot soup noodles, and then poured a cup of hot tea for Yu Hezhong.

Yu Hezhong didn't speak. Shishi sat across from him and looked at him. After a long while, she spoke.