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In the capital city, on the Golden Palace.

The atmosphere at the morning court was somewhat oppressive. Emperor Da Yin sat on the dragon throne, his eyes occasionally glancing at Chancellor Wei Yan, who stood at the head of the civil officials, and then at Grand Tutor Li Xing beside him, as if waiting for someone to speak first.

Finally, Li Xing took a step forward, cleared his throat, and broke the silence.

"Your Majesty," Li Xing's voice was aged yet carried an air of authority, "Marquis Xie Zheng of Wu'an has been missing for many days since we parted ways in Jinzhou. Now, with no news from the front lines, I believe the Marquis has likely already..."

He paused, not uttering the word "death," but the meaning was crystal clear.

"Your Majesty, I request that you posthumously confer the title of 'Duke of Righteous Loyalty' upon Marquis Wu'an, to comfort his loyal soul and to give the people of the world an explanation."

These words immediately sparked a murmur among the court officials.

Many ministers nodded in agreement, agreeing with what Grand Tutor Li had said.

The person is gone, but there must be some recognition or recognition, otherwise how can we appease people's hearts?

The emperor nodded slightly and was about to grant permission when Wei Yan, who was standing on the other side, suddenly coughed.

That cough, full of energy, instantly drowned out all the murmurs.

Wei Yan's face was somewhat pale, and he was clutching a handkerchief in his hand, looking sickly.

He slowly stepped out of the ranks, bowed to the emperor, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Majesty, this old minister believes that what Grand Tutor Li said is absolutely unacceptable."

Li Xing frowned and turned to Wei Yan: "Prime Minister Wei, Marquis Wu'an sacrificed his life for the country, so it is only right and proper to posthumously confer titles upon him. What's wrong with that?"

Wei Yan ignored Li Xing and instead spoke earnestly to the Emperor: “Your Majesty, the Northern Jurchens are now eyeing us covetously, and Prince Changxin is stirring up trouble in the northwest. If we were to announce the death of Marquis Wu'an now with great fanfare and have the whole country mourn, wouldn’t that be telling the enemy that the pillar of our Great Yin has collapsed? At that time, the morale of the army will surely be in chaos, and the people will surely panic. If the Northern Jurchens take the opportunity to march south, and Prince Changxin seizes the opportunity to rebel, who will defend the Great Yin’s empire?”

These words were forceful and hit the nail on the head.

Upon hearing this, the emperor's expression immediately changed.

Yes! Now is a critical moment. If the news of Xie Zheng's death gets out, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Li Xing opened his mouth, wanting to retort, "But Prime Minister Wei, the truth will eventually come out, if..."

"There are no 'what ifs'!" Wei Yan interrupted him directly, his sharp gaze sweeping across the entire room. "I have already ordered a news blackout. To the outside world, we shall only say that Marquis Wu'an is in seclusion recuperating from his injuries, or is on a secret mission. As for the matter of posthumous conferment, let it not be mentioned again! As long as Marquis Wu'an's body has not been found, he is not dead! Anyone who dares to speak ill of military matters or undermine morale will be executed without mercy!"

Wei Yan had cultivated his influence in the court for many years and enjoyed immense prestige. When he lost his temper, the ministers below all shrank back and dared not utter a sound.

The emperor was also intimidated by Wei Yan's imposing manner. After hesitating for a moment, he finally nodded and said, "Prime Minister Wei is right. This matter... should be put on hold for now. Everything should be done in the best interests of the people."

Seeing this, Li Xing knew that arguing any further was pointless, so he could only glare fiercely at Wei Yan and retreat back into the ranks.

……

After the court session ended, at the palace gate.

Wei Yan got into the sedan chair, but before he had gone far, he was stopped by Li Xing.

"Prime Minister Wei, please wait." Li Xing looked at Wei Yan with a forced smile.

Wei Yan lowered the curtain, poked his head out, and said impatiently, "Does Grand Tutor Li have anything else to say? I'm not feeling well and need to go back to take my medicine."

“Prime Minister Wei’s health is of utmost importance,” Li Xing chuckled, but his eyes were sharp as knives. “There is one thing I don’t understand. Marquis Wu’an is, after all, the only bloodline of the Xie family and a meritorious official of our Great Yin. Prime Minister Wei, aren’t you afraid that your eagerness to suppress the news will… chill the hearts of the soldiers?”

Wei Yan sneered, leaned out of the sedan chair, and whispered in Li Xing's ear, "Grand Tutor Li, let's not beat around the bush. Are you in such a hurry to posthumously confer titles on Xie Zheng because you really care about him, or do you want to take advantage of his 'death' to seize his military power? Don't think I don't know how many people you've secretly sent to Jinzhou to look for him."

Li Xing's expression changed, but he quickly regained his composure: "Prime Minister Wei is joking. I am only concerned about military affairs."

"Concerned about military affairs?" Wei Yan scoffed. "I think you're more interested in the military command of those 100,000 troops, aren't you? Grand Tutor Li, let me tell you, Xie Zhengsheng is my man, even in death. His military power is none of your business. You'd better pray he's really dead out there. Otherwise, if he comes back alive and sees how eager you are to 'die,' what do you think he'll think?"

After saying this, Wei Yan sternly lowered the curtain and shouted, "Lift the sedan chair!"

The sedan chair bearers lifted the sedan chair and hurried away, leaving Li Xing standing there with a face so gloomy it could drip water.

"You old fox!" Li Xing cursed through gritted teeth. "You think you can stop me just because you've blocked the news? Hmph, once the man is dead, the military tally will be mine sooner or later!"

……

Wei Yan returned to his residence and had just sat down in his study when his trusted steward quietly entered.

He held a cup of ginseng tea in his hand, gently placed it on the table, then stepped aside and said in a low voice, "Sir, are you tired? Have some tea to soothe your throat."

Wei Yan waved his hand, leaned back in his chair looking exhausted, and rubbed his temples: "I'm not drinking anymore, I have no appetite. So, tell me! What's going on with Li Xing?"

The steward's expression hardened, and he immediately dropped his previous respectful tone, lowering his voice to report, "Your Excellency, the Li family did indeed make a move today. My informant reported that Grand Tutor Li summoned Qi Sheng to his study early this morning and spoke with him behind closed doors for half an hour. When Qi Sheng came out, his face was very pale, and he was carrying a secret letter. He went directly to the villa outside the city."

"A separate courtyard?" Wei Yan frowned and opened his eyes. "Which separate courtyard?"

“It’s the manor where Grand Tutor Li keeps his private army,” the steward continued. “This old servant had someone keep an eye on things. Not long after Qi Sheng went in, he brought out a group of about twenty men, all unfamiliar faces, who looked like martial arts masters. They didn’t take the main road, but instead went around to the back mountain, and the direction… seems to be Jinzhou.”

Wei Yan snorted coldly: "Twenty experts? Li Xing is really going all out! It seems he's really desperate and wants to take advantage of Xie Zheng's 'death' to quickly seize military power."

The steward nodded and continued, "Also, there's some activity at the Grand Council. Today, Grand Tutor Li sent his trusted advisor to the Grand Council under the pretext of 'reviewing old files,' and they retrieved all the files from the Battle of Jinzhou. I had someone sneak a peek, and they seemed to be looking for something. They were looking through them very carefully, even the grain and fodder ledgers from back then."

"The grain and fodder ledger?" Wei Yan's eyes narrowed. "Why would he want that? Does he suspect that Xie Zheng's death is related to the grain and fodder?"

“This old servant doesn’t understand either,” the steward shook his head. “However, there is one more thing. After court today, Grand Tutor Li did not go directly back to his residence, but went to the Marquis of Wu’an’s residence. He stood at the entrance of the residence for a while, and then asked the steward to go in and pack his things, saying that since the Marquis had died for the country, it would be a waste to keep the servants in the residence, so it would be better to dismiss them first. However, this old servant saw that after Grand Tutor Li’s steward went in, he did not dismiss anyone, but gathered all the servants of the Marquis’s residence in the main hall, as if he was asking them some questions.”

"Question?" Wei Yan sneered. "What kind of questions? Probably asking Xie Zheng where he usually hides things, right? That old bastard, his behavior is too disgusting. He hasn't even found the person yet, and he's already in a hurry to ransack the house."

The steward hesitated for a moment, then said, "My lord, there is one more thing. There seems to be some activity on the Northern Jurchen side as well. Our spies in the Northern Jurchen court have sent word that the Chanyu of the Northern Jurchen has been frequently summoning the envoys of the King of Changxin, and the two seem to be plotting something. Moreover, there have been quite a few more cavalrymen on the Northern Jurchen border recently, as if they are gathering troops."

Wei Yan's face instantly darkened, and he muttered to himself, "Prince Changxin... that old bastard, he's really restless. It seems he wants to take advantage of Xie Zheng's death and the fact that the Great Yin is leaderless to march south. Li Xing, that fool, is still thinking about how to seize military power, but he doesn't know that the wolf is already at the door."

The butler, observing Wei Yan's expression, cautiously asked, "Sir, what should we do next? Should we..."

Wei Yan waved his hand, interrupting him: "No need. Let Li Xing search if he wants. Does he think Xie Zheng is still alive? Hmph, that pretty boy is probably long gone, dead in some unknown corner. The harder he searches, the more it proves Xie Zheng is dead. When he's searched the entire Jinzhou and can't find a trace of him, let's see how he manages to seize military power."

"But what about the Northern Jurchens..."

“I will have people keeping an eye on the Northern Jurchens.” Wei Yan stood up, walked to the window, looked at the night outside, and said coldly, “Prince Changxin wants to take advantage of the chaos? Not so easy. I, Wei Yan, am not dead yet, and it is not his place to lay his hands on the throne of the Great Yin.”

Then he turned to the steward and instructed him, "Go and fetch that secret letter from my study. I want to write a letter myself to the generals in the Northwest. Tell them to strengthen their defenses and guard against any transgressions. If the Northern Jurchens dare to cross the line, kill them without mercy!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The butler accepted the order and left.

Wei Yan then sat back down in his chair, picked up his pen, and wrote a few words on the paper.

“Xie Zheng…” Wei Yan looked at the name on the paper and a cold smile appeared on his lips. “You’d better be really dead. If you’re still alive, all my efforts will have been in vain.”

After he finished writing the letter, he blew on the ink, folded it up, and put it in the envelope.

"Someone come here!"

"exist!"

"Send this letter to the Northwest Camp by express courier, and personally deliver it to General Zhang!"

"As ordered!"

Watching the messenger's departing figure, Wei Yan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

“Li Xing, Li Xing,” Wei Yan muttered to himself, “Let’s see who finds Xie Zheng’s body first. But I bet you’ll never find it in your lifetime.”

……

Meanwhile, in Lin'an Town, thousands of miles away...

News of the death of Marquis Xie Zheng of Wu'an also reached this place. Some bolder people, thinking that the emperor was far away, actually gathered together to gossip about these high-ranking officials.

The main problem is that the world is too chaotic, the court is unpopular, and the common people are all harboring resentment.

Fan Erniu was squatting at the door, smoking his pipe while listening to the bolder neighbors bragging: "...That Marquis of Wu'an, Xie Zheng, is nothing! Although Xie Zheng is a marquis, I heard he looks like a woman. What's so great about him?"

The neighbors chimed in, "That's right, that's right! That so-called marquis is dead, so what? Who cares? It's better if the court loses a few more high-ranking officials."

"This damn world! It doesn't give us ordinary people any way to survive."

No one knew that the Marquis of Wu'an, whom they called "dead and gone," was lying in a corner of the mass grave, already long since dead.

This must be a cruel joke of fate...

In the imperial court, two powerful ministers fought tooth and nail over a dead man, scheming and plotting against each other.

The dead man, however, had long since vanished without a trace, not even having a proper tombstone.

It's laughable, pathetic, and lamentable.

……

Xigu Lane in Lin'an Town has been quite lively these past few days.

The Song family is moving away.

I heard that Song Yan has climbed the social ladder and is about to marry the daughter of Magistrate Cui. He will be the county magistrate's son-in-law, so this shabby alley is no longer a good match for him.

This was also the fundamental reason why the Song family broke off the engagement with the Fan family; after all, how could a butcher's family compare to the daughter of a county magistrate?

At this moment, two carriages were parked in front of the Song family's house, and several workers were busy moving boxes out.

Standing at the door, Song Wushi clutched a money bag in her hand, her face alternating between pale and flushed, showing both heartache and helplessness.

"Mother, hurry up!" Song Yan, dressed in a brand-new silk robe and holding a folding fan, urged impatiently, "Don't keep the Cui family waiting. This place is so smoky and chaotic, I don't want to stay here a moment longer."

Just then, Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua arrived.

Meng Lihua held a neatly folded piece of paper in her hand; it was a record of her expenses over the past few years. Fan Erniu followed behind, his face stern, saying nothing.

Fan Erniu really wanted to take out his big knife and chop these ungrateful bastards down.

When Song Yan saw them, he frowned and subconsciously took half a step back, as if afraid of getting tainted by some bad luck.

"Oh, Second Uncle, Second Aunt, what brings you here?" Song Yan asked with a forced smile.

Meng Lihua ignored him and directly spread out the bill and handed it to Song Wushi: "Sister-in-law, since you are moving out, let's settle the accounts."

When Song Wu saw the bill, her eyelids twitched. Reluctantly, she took it and said, "Settling accounts? What accounts? We're all family. Isn't it only right that we help each other out in the past?"

"Family?" Meng Lihua sneered. "You used to say we were family, and that our family would contribute money and effort to support Song Yan's studies and preparation for the imperial examinations. Now that Song Yan is going to become the son-in-law of a county magistrate, you're ignoring our kinship? If you don't acknowledge it, then you still have to pay back the money, right?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding neighbors all swarmed around.

"Exactly! The Song family has been living off the Fan family for years, and now that they've become successful, they want to renege on their debts?"

“Meng Lihua keeps a clear record of these expenses: pork, cloth, and silver—which of them wasn’t earned through hard work?”

"Mrs. Song, you can't be so heartless!"

Song Wu's face turned red from the barrage of questions and accusations. She glared at Meng Lihua and said, "Meng Lihua! Stop spouting nonsense! When did we owe you money?"

"No debts?" Meng Lihua pointed at the number on the bill and said loudly, "It's written clearly here. Over the years, the money the Fan family has given the Song family for pork, cloth, and holiday gifts, rounded down, totals thirty taels! Sister-in-law, you have to give us these thirty taels today!"

Upon hearing that it would cost thirty taels, Song Wu's face twitched with heartache.

She tucked the money pouch into her bosom, her face contorted with grief, and said, "Thirty taels? Are you robbing me? Where would I get so much money? My family has already spent it all on Song Yan's exams, and we even have to borrow money to move!"

Song Yan frowned as well. He didn't want to lose face in front of his neighbors, nor did he want his future father-in-law's family to laugh at him.

He gritted his teeth, then said with a fierce look on his face, "Fine! Thirty taels, right? I'll give it to you! But you'll have to owe me for now."

After saying that, he still felt unsatisfied and shouted at Meng Lihua, "Fan Erniu, Meng Lihua, don't think I don't know what you're thinking! You just want to extort money from me because I'm going to marry Miss Cui, right? Here's the money, I'll pay you back as soon as possible, just remember not to bother me again!"

Before Meng Lihua could speak, a clear laugh suddenly came from behind the crowd, "Oh, isn't this the butcher's wife from the Fan family?"

Everyone turned around and saw a young woman dressed in fine silk and jewels walking towards them.

She was followed by two maids, who acted superior.

It was the county magistrate's daughter, Cui Qianjin.

Cui Qianjin walked to Song Yan's side, took his arm, glanced contemptuously at the Fan family couple, and then took a heavy bundle from the maid's hands.

With a "smack"!
Cui Qianjin threw the bundle on the ground, and it fell apart, revealing fifty taels of silver inside.

"Consider this money a reward," Cui Qianjin said sarcastically, raising her chin. "I heard your family slaughters pigs? This silver is dirty; take it home and wash it thoroughly. Stay away from Song Yan in the future, so he doesn't get tainted by your pig stench and embarrass the Cui family."

These words caused an uproar among the villagers who were watching.

"How can this girl talk like that? It's so bullying!"

"Exactly, so what if you have money?"

"Fan Erniu, don't spoil her! Stand up to her!"

Fan Erniu's face turned bright red, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and he was about to rush forward to argue.

Meng Lihua grabbed him and stared coldly at the silver on the ground.

Just then, Fan Changning, who had been hiding behind Meng Lihua, suddenly ran out.

The six-year-old girl didn't understand anything about humiliation; she only saw many shiny silver coins on the ground.

"Sister, is this silver for us?" Fan Changning asked in a childish voice.

Then he bent down, stretched out his chubby little hand, picked up a silver ingot, and wiped it on his clothes.

This scene stunned everyone present.

Looking at Fan Changning's "greedy" appearance, Cui Qianjin couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Oh, Song Lang, look at this kid from the Fan family, he really is from a butcher family, greedy for money, and has no manners at all."

Song Yan also showed a look of disgust.

Meng Lihua felt a sharp pain in her heart as she watched her daughter pick up the silver.

She stepped forward, took the silver ingot from Fan Changning's hand, and then bent down to pick up the other silver coins from the ground.

She counted them; they were exactly fifty taels.

Then, in front of everyone, she stuffed the thirty taels of silver into her bosom, and picked up the remaining twenty taels and threw them back at Cui Qianjin's feet.

With a "thud".

Cui Qianjin's laughter stopped abruptly, and her face instantly turned ugly.

"Meng Lihua, what do you mean by this?" Song Yan asked, frowning.

Meng Lihua ignored Song Yan and instead took out the bill from her bosom. In front of everyone, she tore it in half with a "rip".

Then, with a few more swift movements, the bill was reduced to fragments, scattered by the wind. "Thirty taels, we'll take it. This is what you owed the Fan family; we're even now."

Meng Lihua raised her head, her gaze sweeping over Song Yan and Cui Qianjin, and said firmly, "The remaining twenty taels are nothing to our Fan family. Although we are butchers, we have backbone. We know in our hearts whether this money is dirty or not."

She took Fan Changning's hand, turned to Fan Erniu and said, "Honey, let's go."

"Wait!" Song Yan suddenly called out to them.

Meng Lihua stopped and turned to look at him.

Looking into Meng Lihua's calm eyes, Song Yan felt inexplicably uneasy.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something to save face, but found himself speechless.

"Don't come looking for me again... don't come looking for me again." Song Yan struggled for a long time before finally managing to utter this sentence.

Meng Lihua sneered, "Don't worry, from now on, the Fan family and the Song family will have no further dealings. You go your way, and we'll go ours. If you dare to bother us again, don't blame me, Meng Lihua, for showing no mercy!"

After saying that, she grabbed Fan Changyu and Fan Changning and left without looking back.

Fan Erniu followed behind, glared fiercely at Song Yan, and spat, "Pah! What a piece of trash!"

The villagers who had been watching dispersed, pointing and whispering as they left.

"The Song family is utterly despicable!"

"Exactly, so what if you're rich? I don't think that Miss Cui is any good!"

"Fan Erniu and his wife are really tough! They have backbone!"

……

Song Yan stood there, watching the backs of the Fan family of three, his face ashen.

Cui Qianjin, clinging to his arm, grumbled discontentedly, "Song Lang, look at that butcher's wife! She actually dared to throw my money away! She's really disrespecting me!"

Song Yan quickly smiled ingratiatingly at Cui Qianjin and said, "Alright! Let's get in the car quickly! Don't pay any attention to these poor bastards."

"What Song Lang said makes sense."

Actually, Song Yan felt inexplicably empty inside.

Those thirty taels of silver bought out all the ties between the Song and Fan families.

From then on, he was a high-ranking official's son-in-law, while the Fan family was nothing more than butchers in the mud.

But why does he feel so uncomfortable?
Madam Song picked up the twenty taels of silver from the ground, and painfully blew off the dust: "Oh dear, this is twenty taels! Just throwing it away like that? What a spendthrift!"

Song Yan impatiently shoved her: "Get in the car! Stop picking it up!"

The carriage slowly started moving and drove out of Xigu Lane.

Song Yan lifted the carriage curtain and glanced back.

At the alley entrance, the Fan family's butcher shop was still open. Fan Erniu was sharpening his knife, Meng Lihua was cutting meat, and Fan Changning was eating a candied hawthorn.

They seem to be doing better than before.

A sudden surge of intense regret welled up in Song Yan's heart.

Did I... do something wrong?
However, it's too late.

The carriage turned the corner and disappeared completely into the alleyway.

In the Fan family's butcher shop, Fan Changning, biting into a candied hawthorn, asked indistinctly, "Mother, does this mean we no longer need to deliver meat to the Song family?"

Meng Lihua patted her head and said with a smile, "That's right, we won't need to anymore. From now on, we'll only eat meat for our own family."

Fan Erniu slammed the sharpened knife onto the cutting board and shouted, "That's right! From now on, no one will dare to bully our family!"

The sunlight shone into the butcher shop, making it feel warm and cozy.

The Fan family's life continued.

The Song family, however, is destined to face another ending filled with regret.

...(End of this chapter)