The New Year festival is in full swing in the capital.

The sounds of sporadic firecrackers spread through the streets, and more and more children were seen laughing on the streets. The shops were decorated with lights and people went out to buy New Year goods regardless of the severe cold.

The New Year is approaching, and there is also news that the war with the Jin people will end soon, bringing smiles back to people's faces.

With a snap, half a cookie was thrown into a broken bowl.

This woke the half-dead beggar up, and he grabbed the cake in ecstasy and kowtowed excitedly to the fat passerby.

"Thank you, Grandpa. Thank you, Grandpa." He said excitedly, and I don't know if it was because of the northern dialect or his frozen tongue that his words were stiff and unclear.

The passerby didn't care.

"I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a bite of the cake." He said, and walked over leisurely.

The beggar then got up and couldn't wait to eat the cake. Although it was no longer hot, it was still soft, unlike the food he had gotten before which was harder and colder than ice cubes.

It had been a long time since the beggar had eaten such delicious food. While eating, he suddenly burst into tears, but it was actually not that long.

Just two months ago, he had a home. Although it was not rich, it could shelter him from the wind and rain. Although the family did not have much money, they could still have two hot meals a day.

Cakes like this are used to feed pigs or chickens.

The beggar held the cake in his hand.

"My home is in Liujiazhai, Bazhou..." he murmured, "I once longed for the capital, but I never thought I would come to the capital like this. Now, compared to the capital, I miss my home more..."

Someone stopped in front of him.

"Where are you from?" A gentle male voice came from above my head.

He spoke with the same accent as the beggar.

The beggar raised his head excitedly.

"Are you from Bazhou too?" he asked.

When I looked up, I saw a young official with a gentle face and a handsome face, accompanied by a man and a servant.

Ning Yunzhao shook his head.

"I'm not," he said, returning to his official language. "I have a friend who is."

The beggar didn't know what to say. Logically, he should have seized this opportunity to beg. After all, it seemed that the two men were very rich, especially the young man next to the official. He was dressed in luxurious and dazzling clothes, and no one knew who learned this from, but he reeked of copper.

But the beggar just doesn't want to beg today, and beggars also have the right to be willful.

He just sat there with his head down, eating the cake.

The young official leaned over and put a bag of money into his arms.

"Just survive this winter and live well," he said, pausing for a moment. "Your home will no longer exist."

Even after walking a distance, I could still hear the beggar's crying.

Chen Qi clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Mr. Ning, you are so mean," he said. "This person is already pitiful enough, and you still told him this news."

"I gave him money," Ning Yunzhao said. "He will know the news sooner or later, but if he cries then no one will give him money."

Chen Qi chuckled.

"Mr. Ning Shi, that's a good idea." He said, tucking his hands into his sleeves and avoiding the children running towards him. "Is your uncle okay?"

"It's OK." Ning Yunzhao said, "I burn the poems he writes every day with my own hands."

Chen Qi laughed again.

It was obvious that Ning Yan was very angry at home and cursed everyone, including the emperor. Naturally, these poems could not be leaked out, otherwise he would be charged with some crime and the Ning family would be finished.

"Master Ning Shi, are you okay?" Chen Qi asked in a low voice.

Ning Yan was dismissed, but the Tenth Prince Ning still served as an official in the court.

"How could I be in trouble? I didn't say a word from beginning to end." Ning Yunzhao said, "I did my job diligently and conscientiously. You can't dismiss or demote me just because I'm my uncle's nephew? My uncle didn't commit a serious crime."

Then he smiled again.

"Besides, your Majesty is a benevolent monarch."

Chen Qi chuckled again.

"Mr. Ning, you speak so well. No wonder everyone likes you," he said.

Although Ning Yan was dismissed, Ning Yunzhao's popularity in the court increased instead of decreased, mainly among those young grassroots officials, many of whom were reminded by him and did not participate in this war and peace dispute.

Those who advocated war were glad, and those who advocated peace were also glad, because His Majesty was fair and had dismissed and punished officials from Ning Yan's faction, as well as some officials who advocated peace. This showed that the Emperor did not punish his subjects because they went against his wishes, but because the officials had failed in their duties or were impolite.

Even though he seemed a bit spineless, everyone had stepped into the level of Beijing officials, and no one wanted to joke about their official career, so they all expressed their affection for Ning Yunzhao, whether openly or secretly.

Of course, more people think that this was Ning Yan's idea. He led by example and devoted himself to the cause, even though he knew it was impossible.

Although he lost power in the court, Ning Yan's reputation among scholars soared.

Ning Yunzhao smiled when he heard Chen Qi's words.

"How can everyone like you?" he said. "If that were the case, wouldn't everything be perfect? ​​Even saints and gods can't do that."

For example, after all, there is someone who doesn't like him, and that person happens to be someone he likes.

Even though millions of people in the world are pleased with him, there is still a missing piece in his heart that cannot be filled.

"Mr. Ning." Chen Qi suddenly made up his mind, leaned over and lowered his voice, "I think you are the best, and I will definitely stand on your side."

Ning Yunzhao laughed out loud.

"Because I just introduced you to a big business?" he said.

"Business is business, and personal relationships are personal relationships." Chen Qi said with a chuckle.

"People and things are inseparable." Ning Yunzhao smiled and patted his shoulder. "I introduced this business because of Miss Jun, just to make her happy. I don't want to deny this."

Chen Qi bowed to him.

"As expected, a gentleman is open and honest." He said with a plastic surgery.

"Is she still in Qingyuan Prefecture now?" Ning Yunzhao asked.

As expected, the gentleman was honest and open-minded. He wanted to take the benefit and inquire about Miss Jun's whereabouts right after helping.

Chen Qi bowed again.

"I'm still in Qingyuan Prefecture, chopping wood, feeding horses, hunting, and farming." he said.

"I don't know who those mountain people are to her." Ning Yunzhao said with a smile.

"Even the poor mountain people, Master Ning, don't you know that Miss Jun is a kind-hearted doctor..." Before Chen Qi finished speaking, Ning Yunzhao smiled and shook his head.

"I really didn't know she was kind-hearted." He laughed, "It's still the same old saying, people and people, there are no people without fate and no things without fate and reason."

Chen Qi laughed twice. It is really not easy to deal with these officials. These people have very cunning minds.

"But the north is about to be in chaos. Can she still be content to be a mountain dweller?" Ning Yunzhao said.

Chen Qi looked a little uneasy.

"If we negotiate peace, won't we stop fighting? Then won't there be peace?" he said.

There was a hint of mockery on Ning Yunzhao's lips.

"Peace is for those of us who are not in the North," he said, "but for the abandoned people in the North, there is no peace at all."

Watching the young official leaving leisurely with his servant, Chen Qi stood on the street for a moment until his nose felt cold.

He raised his head and looked at the sky where snowflakes were floating.

"Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest."

Children ran by with bunny lanterns in their hands, laughing.

Chen Qi walked hurriedly into the Jiuling Hall.

Jiuling Hall was quiet and warm like spring, exuding the aroma of medicine. Fang Jinxiu sat behind the counter fiddling with the abacus.

"Jinxiu." Chen Qi did not joke around like he usually did, but walked over quickly. "Why does Miss Jun need so much money? What on earth is she going to do in the North?"

Fang Jinxiu didn't even raise her head.

"It's her money, she can use it however she wants, it's none of our business," she said.

At the same time, in the Fang family in Yangcheng, Mrs. Fang was throwing a thick account book in front of Fang Chengyu with a gloomy face.

"Why does so much money flow to Hebei Road?" she said. "It's ridiculous. Did she spend all the money in Hebei Road?"

Fang Chengyu smiled and held down the account book to prevent it from falling to the ground.

"Mom, money is meant to be spent, how can you say it's ridiculous?" he said.