Ark, they don't revolve around you

He said softly, "After all, I don't want Dayan to have a bunch of clowns."

……

……

When Ya walked into the village, he saw only silence and a winding red color.

The corpses were lying on top of each other, and it was obvious that a war had broken out, and both sides of the killing were almost blood-red.

She frowned slightly. Although she always looked down on ordinary people, she could not help herself when seeing several villages being uprooted.

Unexpectedly, the Shanhai Clan, which was once quite powerful, disappeared in a short period of time.

She suddenly heard a slight noise. There were still people lingering in the village. She walked in, kicked the table away coldly, and saw the secret emissary cowering under it.

“No, sir, please spare me, please spare me…!”

Ya looked at him coldly and suddenly swung his sword, which made the man even more devastated.

"I was wrong to wait. I am willing to surrender myself as long as you don't kill me!"

He was indeed frightened. He frowned and sighed, "What on earth happened?"

After hearing the voice, the secret envoy raised his head and confirmed that the visitor was not someone from the imperial court, but the rather mysterious "Ya".

"Sir, you're back?!"

"I'm back." Ya looked around, "You're the only one here."

"Everyone was killed, except me!" The man probably realized that he was safe. His fawning and flattering look disappeared, and his whole body seemed to be surging with passion. He cried loudly, "Sir, you have to make the decision for us!"

"Sir" is a respectful title for Ya. Although this guy of unknown origin has a bad personality, he is extremely capable and deserves the title of "Sir".

"Stop talking nonsense and tell me what's going on." Ya could hardly hide his contempt.

Fortunately, the secret agent didn't care and stammered, "That devil, he pretended to be captured by us."

"devil?"

"Yes, the doctor from Rhode Island."

"Rhode Island..." Ya remembered the name, "You caught its doctor."

"We shouldn't have arrested him. After we arrested him, he told us that he had a tracker on him. We did find it, and he shouted that he wanted to kill him!"

"Then?"

The man's face showed great fear. "But we didn't dare. We wanted to threaten him, but he told me a few examples, so the leader got scared and said, why don't we surrender?"

"But some people don't want to vote. The two sides are arguing, and it's a mess." The man was obviously hiding something in his words, and he didn't say which side he was on.

Ya didn’t want to know, he was just curious about the follow-up: “So you guys just killed each other.”

"...Yes." The man felt like it was a nightmare. "Everyone has gone crazy! Recently, the Great Yan court has been trying hard to encircle and suppress us. We have no room to fight back. With this, who can see hope!"

After he finished cursing angrily, he fell to the ground dejectedly: "That man watched us fight, and then easily untied the rope. He was caught by us on purpose."

"He said he was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see us suffer, and then, and then..."

"——I will get rid of all of you." Ya sneered.

"Yes, that's it, sir." The man was in tears and didn't even hear the contempt in Ya's words.

"Okay, stop crying. I don't want my men to be so fragile." Ya said coldly. She really had no interest in the Shanhai people. What she really wanted was revenge on Xiang Sui. For this, she had to gather these remnants of humanity.

"Where will the Doctor you mentioned go next?"

"I, I don't know."

Ya glared at him, and the man broke out in a cold sweat. After thinking for a moment, his voice suddenly stopped trembling: "Probably... Shang Shu!"

"Why?"

“Shang Shu still has the last year-old fragment, sir, he will definitely go!”

"Okay." Ya turned around, his red clothes as red as blood, "It just so happens that I also want to go to Shangshu to cut off the last Sui Piece."

She smiled mockingly: "Come on, lead the way for me."

"No matter who is trying to stop me, I must revive the Sui Beast."

……

……

Shang Shu.

On the river, a small boat stopped. The woman jumped onto the shore and bowed to the boatman.

"Thank you for your hard work, Rain Master."

"Don't mention Miss Ning. I'm just a boatman now." The boatman smiled helplessly and paddled, "Give my regards to Lord Liang."

Woman... Ning Ci Qiu took a deep breath and cheered himself up.

She returned to Shangshu. This mountain city was still a little boring, but she had lived here for several years and was already used to it. It was not unacceptable.

Ning Ci Qiu smiled faintly. The eldest daughter of the Ning family was an official of the second rank, Minister of Rites, but her visit here was very small and almost no one knew about it.

Not long after she walked, she saw the man in scarlet official uniform. The man was still serious and looked like he had been waiting for her quietly for a long time.

Ning Ci Qiu blushed slightly: "Lord Liang."

Lord Liang saw Ning Ci Qiu, bowed slightly, and said in a deep but powerful voice: "Minister Ning."

"Are you here specially to pick me up? I sent a telegram, telling you to wait for me at the mansion."

Sir Liang... Liang Xun shook his head: "You and I have been colleagues for many years, Minister Ning, I must come to pick you up in person."

"No, Sir Liang, why should you be so polite? Although Ci Qiu is a woman, she is not spoiled." Ning Ci Qiu blinked, "I heard that you have been quite effective in suppressing bandits."

"Although the Shanhai Clan seems to be powerful, they are mostly just a group of untrained civilians. How much of a threat can such people be?"

"Your Excellency, there is no need to be modest. I have reported this to the court. Perhaps you will be transferred to the capital in a few days." Ning Ci Qiu did not notice the slight yearning in his words. "Add to that your achievements as a prefect, it is possible for you to be promoted to Jingzhao Yin."

Her tone was quite awkward, and any normal person could see the emotion in it.

This should have been a good thing. Liang Xun also had a good impression of the woman in front of him, but he couldn't help but worry. He was not from a wealthy family, but the Ning family was a well-known family. The difference between their social classes was like heaven and earth.

Although the current Taifu, who is like a prime minister, also started from humble beginnings, and he and Zhenlong both hold the idea that "the prime minister must start from the prefectures and counties", Liang Xun was promoted by the Taifu himself, and in a sense, he belongs to the Taifu's man.

But family background has long been engraved into the bones of Da Yan, especially the noble families who control official positions, such as the Lin family in the capital, where the eldest daughter Lin Qingyan is only a young girl, but she has already been promoted to the position of Shaoqing of the Dali Temple, the second in command of the Dali Temple, in charge of criminal lawsuits!

Of course, Lin Qingyan is quite capable, but this is enough to highlight that Dayan is still in the stage of aristocratic politics. Look at the officials in the court, most of them are of noble birth. Ning Ci Qiu is only thirty years old, but he is already a second-rank official. In the future, he may succeed his father as the Shangshu and enter the Zhongshu School.

The best among this kind of people is probably Zuo Le from Yumen Zuo family, who gave up his position in the imperial guards and joined the Bingzhu people of Simaitai. But this is an exception. Moreover, Zuo Le is always accompanied by an imperial censor, who has a low rank but has the power to impeach officials. How can ordinary Bingzhu people get such good treatment?

Therefore, Liang Xun, who came from a humble background, could not help but feel sad and alienated, but he could never reveal such thoughts.

He looked at Ning Ci Qiu, nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble you, Lord Ning."

Ning Ci Qiu returned the gift politely. Having served in the imperial court for several years, she had seen too many dissolute dandies who did not do their job and indulged in a life of debauchery in the capital. She just felt fed up with them.

Therefore, the court proposed to send her to Shangshu. She was unwilling on the surface. After all, the capital was the core of power. If she moved to the center, she would have fewer opportunities for promotion.

But she was happy in her heart. She thought her father obviously saw this and chose her instead of other ugly people from Si Sui Tai.

She and Liang Xun served the same term. They were of similar age and had similar interests. In recent years, Liang Xun's governance of Shang Shu was quite effective. There were no thieves outside and no complaints inside.

In fact, if a discerning person looked into it, he would find that it was wrong. After all, Liang Xun himself was from Shangshu. The unwritten rule in officialdom was to prevent nepotism. Transfers could not be made to one's hometown. So how could Liang Xun be the prefect of Shangshu?

Ning Ci Qiu knew that this was what the Grand Tutor meant. Someone who did not understand the current situation of Shang Shu could not lead Shang Shu.

The more she got to know this man, the happier she was. It was a pity that Liang Xun always behaved rather dully. Although Ning Ci Qiu was anxious, she had to control her temper.

"I heard that the doctor will come to Shangshu in a few days?"

"Yes, Doctor." Ning Ci Qiu felt depressed when he mentioned this name. "I am sorry to the Doctor. He trusted me, but I once put him in danger."

"It's all in the past. I'm sure the doctor doesn't mind." Liang Xun comforted him, and suddenly stopped and looked into the distance. What he saw was naturally the Three Mountains and Seventeen Peaks of Shang Shu.

Although the name of Doctor was not well-known in the past, most people have heard of it in just a short period of time. Some people say that it is because of his diligence that Dayan was able to wipe out the thieves so quickly. When some of his deeds were revealed, everyone was amazed and discovered that there was such an organization in the world.

Liang Xun knew more. For example, in the suppression of bandits, although he was an outsider, Rhodes Island cooperated with Yumen in attacking everywhere, which must have been due to the doctor's instructions.

He had seen that man before. Just a year ago, he had drunk tea with the doctor at the foot of the mountain. He never imagined that this man would be such a respected figure.

"He came here this time for the one on Shangshu Mountain, right?"

Ning Ci Qiu followed his gaze upwards.

Shangshu is mountainous. As a mobile city, it is incredible that the mountains, rivers and streams were moved within its territory.

There is also an immortal on the mountain who once persuaded people to stop a natural disaster by raising his cup, and the people of Shangshu have always talked about him.

But as a person of the court, she never stopped being suspicious of the immortal. Otherwise, why would Ning Ci Qiu, who was the Minister of Rites, be sent to a remote post? Even if she returned this time, it was because Zhenlong took into consideration that she was familiar with that year.

"Ling." Ning Ci Qiu spit out her name, "It's been a year. I heard that she has been sleeping and no longer seeing people."

"That's right." Liang Xun had a conflicted look on his face. He didn't tell anyone that Ling Chang became drunk after meeting Zhuang Ning.

"No matter what, I believe the situation will improve when the doctor comes." Ning Ci Qiu didn't understand these things, but felt that the future was still full of hope. "Your Majesty has the heart of a hero after all. The Shanhai people have collapsed, the mastermind has died, and those termites that depended on Da Yan have also been uprooted."

"Da Yan's treasury is even more abundant, and there are sufficient weapons and armor. Even if Sui breaks through the seal and returns to the world in a few years, Da Yan will not be afraid." She said happily, "You and I only need to do our respective duties and share this peaceful and prosperous era. That's all."

"Peaceful... prosperous times." Liang Xun chewed on the word, finally sighed, and gently agreed, "Yes, let's share this peaceful and prosperous time."

……

……

Ling was having a dream, a dream that she could hardly escape from but had to face.

She shouldn't have been like this. This woman who always thought she was free and easy was in unprecedented weakness. She couldn't help but think of what happened a year ago, and of the man who climbed up the mountain to look for her.

It was a summer day, and the whole of Shu was as stuffy as a steamer, but it was still cool in the mountains.

Shangshu once had an eighteenth peak, but that peak was destroyed by a natural disaster. Zhuang Ning was guided to the top of the seventeenth peak, where he could see a pavilion in the distance. The pavilion stood on the eighteenth peak that was supposed to have disappeared.

It was like a dream.

But that was not a dream, but an indescribable authority. Ling's ability was stranger than anyone else's, and entering dreams was just the most insignificant manifestation of her authority.

This kind of authority is even enough to distort time and space and summon the undamaged Eighteenth Peak of Shangshu. This woman's ability is indeed reminiscent of an immortal.

Only those invited by her were qualified to come to the Eighteenth Peak. She drank there all day long and there were few visitors, but it was still a pleasure for Zhuang Ning to see her in person.

To put it bluntly, Ling and Zhuang Ning's interactions before this were only in dreams.