In the morning, the snow had just cleared and the sun shone brightly.

Jiang Ning wore a dark blue everyday attire, draped with a silver fox fur cloak, exuding less of the usual severity and more of elegance and leisure.

Su Qingying had also changed into her dress, not her usual plain white, but a light red winter garment embroidered with silver plums, with a matching cloak, highlighting her skin that seemed whiter than snow, and her eyes and brows appeared less aloof, with more of a worldly aura.

"Shall we go to the Martial King Mansion first, or the Xiao Mansion? Or somewhere else?" Su Qingying asked softly.

"Let’s go to Martial King Xiang Yuan first, he’s impatient, and also Master Xiao’s senior brother," Jiang Ning replied with a smile.

The two did not ride nor bring any attendants, simply walking side by side out of the National Master Mansion.

The main roads of the Royal Capital were cleared of snow, children in new clothes chased and played at the alley entrances, firecracker remnants mixed with snow mud, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and the aroma of food wafted from various homes.

The Martial King Mansion was not far from the National Master Mansion, a fifteen-minute walk away.

The entrance to the Prince Mansion was festively decorated with lanterns, and the two stone lions were draped in red silk, appearing charmingly naive.

The gatekeeper clearly recognized Jiang Ning, and rushed to greet them respectfully: "Marquis! State Preceptor! The Prince has ordered that you both be invited in directly upon your arrival!"

Since the founding of Great Xia, it had been a tradition on year-end days to visit relatives and friends, so the gatekeeper was not at all surprised to see the two of them.

Crossing the front yard, before reaching the main hall, Xiang Yuan’s voice boomed from the direction of the martial practice field: "Everyone keep your spirits up! What if it’s year-end? Does it mean no enemies will come? Practice!"

On the martial practice field, Xiang Yuan wore only a single garment, his body steaming with heat as he personally trained a team of guards.

All those guards were sweating profusely but dared not show the slightest negligence.

A closer look revealed that the armor they wore was not ordinary, but training-weight armor.

"Lord Xiang, not even a break during the year-end?" Jiang Ning said aloud.

Xiang Yuan turned at the sound, his big eyes brightening like lanterns, and laughed heartily as he approached, "Jiang Ning! State Preceptor Su! Rare guests! I’m just loosening their muscles a bit, so they can eat meat and drink wine later!" With a big wave of his hand, he said, "Dismissed, dismissed, go prepare for the New Year feast!"

The guards, feeling as if granted amnesty, quickly retreated after saluting.

"Let’s go inside to talk, it’s cold out here!" Xiang Yuan warmly embraced Jiang Ning’s shoulder and gestured invitingly at Su Qingying.

Though rough in demeanor, he held a certain respect for the unfathomable State Preceptor.

Inside, the charcoal fire was warm, and the table was already set with food and wine, though simple, plentiful, mostly hearty dishes.

Xiang Yuan personally poured wine for the two: "Come, let’s have a toast to wish everything goes smoothly in the new year!"

After three rounds of drinks, Xiang Yuan started talking: "Jiang Ning, you rascal, that incident at the National Master Mansion the other day... Tsk tsk, though unclear, the vibe couldn’t fool me! State Preceptor Su must have advanced in cultivation, right?"

His gaze swept over Su Qingying, filled with curiosity. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Evidently, he attributed the phenomenon of that day to Su Qingying.

Su Qingying merely smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying, taking a sip of tea.

Jiang Ning took over the conversation: "Lord Xiang, you have sharp ears and keen eyes. But it’s year-end festivities, so let’s not talk about that. How has the Prince been lately? Are the border soldiers’ New Year essentials sufficient?"

He knew that Xiang Yuan was not as idle as he, a carefree Marquis.

Xiang Yuan was a Second Grade General, wielding significant power by the border, indeed a man of authority.

"Good! Thanks to His Majesty, the border has been relatively stable this year, and provisions have been distributed fully," Xiang Yuan said, patting his chest. "But those barbarians in the north have been unusually quiet, which makes me uneasy. But whatever, let them come, we’ll deal with it! Come, let’s drink!"

Barbarians.

The word triggered thoughts in Jiang Ning’s mind.

The Northern Barbarian Clan was something he had heard of before.

In recent years, the barbarians knocking at the border had been a recurring issue for Great Xia.

Every year, substantial military power, financial resources, and grain had to be invested in the northern border defense because of this.

And the blood in the barbarians differed entirely from that of Great Xia people, virtually a different race.

This had resulted in no reconciliation for over 800 years.

Later, after lingering at the Martial King Mansion for an hour, politely declining Xiang Yuan’s invitation to a meal, Jiang Ning and Su Qingying took their leave and headed to the Xiao Mansion.

....

The atmosphere at the Xiao Mansion was completely different from that of the Martial King Mansion.

The residence was peaceful and elegant, simple palace lanterns hung under the corridors, several ancient plum trees blossomed, their subtle fragrance drifting in the air.

Xiao Wuque seemed to expect their arrival and awaited in the warm pavilion.

"Marquis, State Preceptor, please," Xiao Wuque, dressed in a blue everyday attire, exuded a scholarly elegance as he personally brewed tea.

His gaze lingered on Jiang Ning briefly, a barely perceptible astonishment flickering in his eyes.

With his keen perception, he naturally could see that Jiang Ning’s aura had become even deeper and more reserved, like a still river or a towering mountain, different from their last meeting.

Yet his mind was profoundly composed, showing no hint of expression, merely speculating silently.

"May Master Xiao have a peaceful year-end," Jiang Ning cupped his hands.

"The same to you," Xiao Wuque smiled, "I heard the Marquis had a closed-door intense cultivation recently, it seems it was quite fruitful." His words seemed to carry a hint, stopping right there.

"A slight improvement," Jiang Ning said calmly, taking the tea Xiao Wuque passed, "Is Master Xiao busy lately?"

"It’s quite leisurely. After winter began, the Thirty-six Prefectures of the Nine Provinces have quieted down," Xiao Wuque replied smoothly, continuing, "Regarding the East Sea matter, the teacher’s initiative stroke has deterred all sides from making moves, although this tranquility probably won’t last long, the Marquis should prepare in advance."