Things had settled down in the Qing diplomatic mission. It was others' turn to worry. Shopkeeper Sheng came by frequently to deliver wine, obediently passing on greetings from Xinyang. Shen Zhong also sent a number of invitations to Fan Xian, who found various excuses each time to turn them away. Shen Zhong had no way of expressing his anger. Instead, it was Chang Ninghou who was pained by the revenue that had been snatched away from him, sullenly urging Shen Zhong to press on.
Perhaps there was some kind of agreement between the Eldest Princess and Shang Shanhu, but Xinyang did not have a particularly established base in Northern Qi. They had always needed the strength and support of the Overwatch Council. Persuaded by Fan Xian, Yan Bingyun had finally agreed to his plan, and they were preparing to utilize the network that had been built over the past four years.
