The two of them had a conversation, discussing various things.
What Bai Zihan needed right now was information to come up with the best possible plan.
First, he needed to know about his enemies and asked about the most powerful and influential people on the other side.
The first was Minister Duan, who controlled the military.
That explained the reluctance to mobilize the army even as the outer districts burned—he was saving soldiers for himself, not the people.
Minister Ren held the treasury.
That meant every ration, every bit of funding for weapons, repairs, and medical supplies—all filtered through him.
Without his approval, the city would starve or rot.
The Elder Council? Useless. Old men clinging to prestige, offering advice no one asked for, demanding respect they no longer deserved.
They probably hadn't drawn a blade in decades.
And the merchants… they were even worse. Kings without crowns, letting coins dictate life and death.
