The Bean-like Light in the House, Laughing on a Crutch

Some of the houses close to the Vermilion Bird Avenue were impacted by the battle. You could see some people repairing the houses in the snowy night.

Ning Que seemed like he didn't hear what Chao Xiaoshu said. He looked toward the houses for a long time and said, "Many people died that day."

Chao Xiaoshu stopped talking and started to scoop up mutton bits from the pot of soup.

Ning Que poured some wine into his bowl and said, "What do you think about the peace talks?"

Chao Xiaoshu said, "It's not appropriate for me to speak about matters of the Royal Court."

Ning Que said, "The war is in a lull now. But it's hard to tell if this is beneficial to the Tang Empire. Too much blood has been shed. It will take some time for them to catch their breath. Since we didn't lose the battle, we can have peaceful talks without suffering more losses."

Chao Xiaoshu said, "Let's eat first."