Misty Qi Above the Well, Divided Hearts Beneath the Hall

Following the sound, he saw two middle-aged officials standing in the courtyard, locked in an argument.

Such scenes were common in government offices throughout the Imperial City; even the Hanlin Academy was no exception. They generally occurred when officials of equal rank or authority were about to meet a superior and report on some matter, yet could not agree on their views.

However, when officials in other offices argued, their disputes usually concerned only matters within their immediate sphere, involving little Fortune. But the matter these two officials were quarrelling over was far from simple.

With only a cursory glance, Qiu Yan vaguely perceived the rise and fall, the circulation and flow of Fortune above their heads. It involved not merely the Privy Council's courtyard, but even the Fortune of Prosperity Capital and the turning Dragon Qi.

"After all, this is a Central Pivot institution, one of the Two Offices, where the chief ministers hold sway. Civil and military orders emerge here in a tangled stream, touching upon countless matters and bearing on the changes of the realm. And now, in a time of national war, the Privy Council commands the military—does that not mean it commands the nation's Fortune for this period? Every move, every word, every action of its officials forms part of the Privy Council's decision-making will, indirectly affecting the Fortune of the entire dynasty..."

As the thought turned in his mind, Qiu Yan understood why the dispute between these two officials had stirred such immense changes in Fortune. At the same time, he developed some interest in what they had been discussing.

"Enemy chieftain? Beheading? It sounds related to the war in the north. Up to now, the common people of the Central Plains and ordinary officials only know that the war has not gone well