0165 174 When autumn comes on the eighth day of the ninth month, my flowers will bloom and all other flowers will wither.

Ling Xingzhi was completely baffled by Zhou Xiye's mental state.

Sometimes, she would obediently wait for him to tell her a bedtime story, as docile as his daughter, and the way she slept nestled in his arms looked like an angel. But most of the time, Zhou Xiye was a devil.

She would run into other wards and take other people's things, yelling, "This is mine! This is mine!" Her hair was disheveled, and her bare feet were blackened from stomping. After arguing with them, Zhou Xiye insisted that the things were hers. Every time this happened, Ling Xingzhi had no choice but to step in and resolve the situation. He, who was not in a good mood to begin with, had to listen to the accusations from the other party and couldn't lose his temper.

He had never been so embarrassed.

"Keep an eye on your crazy wife!"

The last person said.

"Crazy wife?" Ling Xingzhi chuckled upon hearing this, offering no rebuttal. He pulled Zhou Xiye back into the house. Her eyes were glazed over, and she kept muttering, "That thing is mine..."

Ling Xingzhi coaxed her, taking a warm towel to wipe her feet, saying as he did so, "Yes, they're all yours. If you like them, I'll go buy them for you..."

Once the items were bought, Zhou Xiye no longer cared about them. Ling Xingzhi discovered that Zhou Xiye had a penchant for taking things from others.

Even more outrageous, when he took her out for a walk, Zhou Xiye said she was hot and kept trying to take off her clothes. This was winter, and even though Kunming is spring-like all year round, it shouldn't be so hot that people take off their clothes in the street.

He had no choice but to carry Zhou Xiye back to the ward.

The doctor said the psychological stress caused her mental breakdown, leading to her abnormal behavior. But as Ling Xingzhi sat beside her, observing Zhou Xiye, he pondered the situation and felt it was impossible. How could Zhou Xiye be defeated by reality? In his eyes, she was a patient person; she likely had her own plans.

So late at night, when no one was around, Ling Xingzhi took Zhou Xiye's hand and asked seriously, "Zhou Xiye, are you faking it? If you are, blink twice so I can play along."

Zhou Xiye looked at him in surprise, and kept backing away.

Ling Xingzhi sighed deeply, "Don't you trust me?"

Zhou Xiye frowned, looking aggrieved, clutching the blanket over her head. Ling Xingzhi stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, yanking the blanket off Zhou Xiye's head. His tone and expression turned serious. "Zhou Xiye, I'm not joking with you. I came to you because I've entrusted my whole heart to you. Why can't you trust me just this once?"

The person opposite him held back their emotions, pursed their lips, and tears fell one by one from their eyes.

"Wow--"

With a thud, Zhou Xiye burst into tears. This terrified Ling Xingzhi. In a panic, he hugged Zhou Xiye and comforted her, "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I was wrong, I shouldn't have yelled at you..."

The matter was dropped, but Ling Xingzhi's observation of Zhou Xiye never ceased. If she was faking it, she would eventually tire, and he would find a loophole. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. During Zhou Xiye's period of mental instability, Kunming couldn't be without a leader for even a day. Ling Xingzhi, having broken with his family, was already doing well to keep his position as mayor.

Who will be the Party Secretary of the Municipal Committee?

The central government sent people to visit Zhou Xiye, bringing many gifts. Ling Xingzhi helped with the reception, smiling broadly, but everyone knew what was really going on—to determine Zhou Xiye's health and whether he could still serve as the municipal party secretary. Moreover, the visitors were veteran officials; they were just going through the motions and would leave after their inspection.

The official received the visitor with utmost care and respect. He didn't mince words, stating his thoughts and the higher-ups' intentions: "Zhou Xiye's position as the municipal party secretary... I think it's unlikely she'll stay. They'll definitely remove her due to her health, but her personnel file is still within the organization, so the organization won't abandon her. If she recovers, she can be reinstated, but of course, it won't be a powerful position like the municipal party secretary. If she doesn't recover... the organization will take care of her until her death."

The two stood still, and in the hospital corridor, the sunlight shone from behind, lengthening their shadows.

"Is there really no other way?" Ling Xingzhi asked in a low voice.

The old man sighed and smiled. "Mayor Ling, in your opinion, how is Secretary Zhou's condition?"

He shook his head, indicating that he should stop.

“Well, you see, people are sick, and the country needs to be treated too. This is something that can’t be delayed,” the old man paused. “I will report Secretary Zhou’s situation truthfully. As for who will come to Kunming to be the Party Secretary… I don’t know.”

Ling Xingzhi didn't speak, watching the person walk away, the footsteps echoing in the corridor, gradually fading away.

"Mayor, do you have any ideas?" Li Qingshan asked.

Ling Xingzhi shook his head, then turned to look at Zhou Xiye sitting cross-legged on the ground playing with Lego, completely absorbed in his task. He was at a loss for what to do.

Aside from the appointment of the Kunming Municipal Party Committee Secretary, the situation at the central level was turbulent. Since the pragmatists wouldn't give the reformists a chance to shine, the reformists created their own opportunities, unexpectedly proposing reform measures at the financial summit, catching both the intellectuals and the pragmatists off guard and revealing another side of the Chinese economy.

A moderately prosperous society? Sorry, it's still a long way off.

This move effectively hastened Zhou Pei's trial.

Backstage after the summit, the chairman met with the core figure of the reformists. He hadn't expected, and no one else had expected, that the core figure of the reformists would be Wu Fengxiang. The man who publicly declared he wouldn't join any faction, only do practical work without taking sides, the man who never expressed any opinions in the cabinet.

The surprise and arrogance didn't last long. The two greeted each other and walked together. They chatted and laughed, "...This is a good idea. Finance is the lifeblood of the national economy. Committee Member Wu, you are right."

Wu Fengxiang smiled, shook hands with the chairman, and said with a confident air, "Haha, this is all thanks to the due diligence of our committee members, as well as the many fresh faces, which has given us a different perspective."

The chairman's lips twitched, and the muscles in his face twitched. The two walked side by side when suddenly the chairman seemed to remember something. "Not long ago, we arrested a rebel, which caused a very bad influence. Committee Member Wu, do you think it's better to deprive him of his political rights, imprison him, or kill him?"

Wu Fengxiang said nonchalantly, "Chairman, you've decided... Besides, this kind of thing should be left to the Discipline Inspection Commission. If it's a matter within the military, then naturally it should be handled according to military rules." She knew who the chairman was referring to; she had heard about it, but she didn't care.

The chairman sighed deeply, his face grim, and said with concern, "Those who plot rebellion should all be killed."

Wu Fengxiang paused for a moment, then followed.

Soon, just before the Two Sessions, the verdict against Zhou Pei was issued.

"The defendant is guilty of disturbing public order, espionage, and drug trafficking. He is sentenced to death, deprived of his political rights for life, and all his personal property is confiscated."

That day, Kunming was covered in heavy snow.

That was the heaviest snowfall in recent years; overnight, the entire city of Kunming was covered in a thick layer of white. The snow danced and swirled, a vast expanse of white sweeping across the land.

Upon seeing the verdict, Ling Xingzhi didn't dare delay for a moment and drove to the hospital. Unlike the urgency outside, the pace inside the hospital was slow. The silence was broken by Ling Xingzhi's hurried footsteps. He pushed open the door to the ward and paused.

Zhou Xiye was asleep.

Ling Xingzhi slowed his pace and quietly entered, afraid of disturbing her. He stood by the bed, looking down at Zhou Xiye. Only at times like this could he see her true self. He slowly sat down; outside the window, all was white.

"Zhou Pei's verdict has been handed down. Zhou Xiye, aren't you going to save him? He's your brother."

Ling Xingzhi's voice was very soft. He stared at Zhou Xiye, trying to discern any clue. She was still asleep, not awake. He sighed softly and gently touched her cheek. "They all say you were defeated... but I don't believe it..."

The fingertips could barely feel any temperature.

"He's your brother, aren't you going to take care of him?"

The voice murmured softly, a whisper on the lips.

"It's alright... Even if you don't get better, it's okay, I'll always be with you," Ling Xingzhi said, looking at her still sleeping face, while outside the window, snow was already falling heavily, and the world had changed.

At night, Ling Xingzhi sat at his desk, a desk lamp on, reviewing documents. A cup of tea steamed in the breeze. His gaze shifted from the teacup to Zhou Xiye, who was playing with a toy, amusing himself. The Two Sessions were about to convene, and the Provincial Party Committee's Organization Department had already reshuffled the positions of Kunming's Party Secretary and Mayor, submitting a list of candidates to the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee. This meant that Kunming was about to undergo another major purge.

It won't be that quick; the transfer order won't be issued until at least after the Two Sessions, giving Ling Xingzhi time to negotiate. He can't possibly wait until Zhou Xiye regains his senses and discovers the two of them are political deserters overseas, can he? That's not the case; he must act quickly now.

First, he needs to secure his position. He has the ability to protect Zhou Xiye, and only after she recovers will there be room for maneuver. Second, he's a seasoned veteran with connections in officialdom. Since the central government is currently divided into three factions, he should first secure a safe haven in a corner of the country and focus his efforts on protecting Kunming from trouble.

Finally, he needs to think about the long-term strategy.

To move up the ranks, one definitely needs connections at higher levels. Now that one path is blocked—and the intellectual Zhou Xiye certainly wouldn't choose that—then… only the reformists remain. Ling Xingzhi is fed up with the different factions, but without their help, they can't advance.

This is indeed different from immortals cultivating immortality; one relies on strength, while the other relies on connections.

You need ability, but you also need connections.

The central government is too busy with its own internal struggle to pay attention to him, and Ling Qingyun is even busier as the top leader close to the chairman. So... he needs to talk to people in the provincial party committee, sound out their opinions, and see how likely he is to be spared.

If Ling Qingyun wants to get rid of him, he needs solid evidence. The Kunming Municipal Party Secretary is ill, but the Mayor has neither embezzled nor violated any regulations. What reason could be used to transfer him? Power can be used arbitrarily, but it is still limited.

He decided to take a gamble—the provincial Party committee's organization department only had candidates for municipal Party secretary, not mayor, and this was a tactic Ling Qingyun was using to intimidate him.

Ling Xingzhi felt frustrated. He wanted to go out for a smoke, but as soon as he stood up, Zhou Xiye looked over.

"I need to go to the restroom."

Ling Xingzhi pushed open the bathroom door, turned to look at Zhou Xiye, and after confirming that she had no emotional change, slowly closed the door, leaned against the sink, took out a cigarette from his pocket, shook it out, put it in his mouth, and lit it.

The nicotine rushed to his head, and he felt much more energetic.

Taking care of Zhou Xiye wasn't tiring, but he had a lot on his mind, and he visibly lost a lot of weight.

Ling Xingzhi took a puff of his cigarette, pondering the matter, and suddenly realized how difficult Zhou Xiye's situation had been. When she was taken away for investigation, she had suffered even more than he was now.

That's really cruel...

Thinking about it this way, his eyes inexplicably welled up with tears. He was sure he could get through this.

Ling Xingzhi stubbed out his cigarette, threw it in the trash can, turned on the tap, splashed cold water on his face, rubbed it vigorously, let out a long sigh, looked at his slovenly self in the mirror, pursed his lips, and gave a mechanical smile.

He straightened up and secretly cheered himself up.

The phone rang at that moment; it was an unknown number.

Ling Xingzhi thought for a moment and then answered the call.

The voice over there was gentle and lovely.

"Cousin, I'm back in China. Want to get together?"