Chapter 171

Chapter 171

Liu Changyi asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Chen Qingyan couldn't very well tell the truth, only saying, "My cousin is engaged to Marquis Wuping, and I heard some rumors from him."

"No wonder! Uncle, how is the northwestern campaign progressing?"

Liu Yaozhi replied, "Just as Qingyan said, His Majesty has already dispatched the Jizhou army to provide support."

Upon hearing this, both men fell silent, a surge of worry rising within them. Having studied history extensively, they knew well the immense impact war could have on a nation. If defeated, it could spell the disaster of national extinction.

"The border conflict is not something for you to worry about right now. Focus on doing well in the Metropolitan Examination first."

"Yes," they both replied, bowing respectfully.

After the two left, Liu Yaozhi took out a secret letter and scrutinized it carefully. The letter had just arrived from the border.

It stated that the northwest army had fought over a dozen battles against foreign tribes, suffering more defeats than victories, with heavy casualties.

After reading the letter, his brows furrowed, and his face grew concerned. The situation at the border was far more severe than imagined.

Since its founding, the Wu Dynasty had been in ongoing friction with the Qiang people. The root cause was that the Xizhou region had been occupied by the Qiang during the previous dynasty and was only reclaimed by the Wu Dynasty. The Qiang frequently harassed the border regions under the pretext of retaking the cities.

Over the years, battles large and small had been fought, numbering at least eighty if not a hundred, but none had dealt a significant blow to the court. At most, they affected the people living near the border.

Last year, the Emperor planned to reopen the Tea and Salt Ancient Road and sent troops to clear out the remaining Qiang rebels and bandits along the Longxi route. This move angered the Qiang and many bandits, who joined forces in October to launch this war.

If it were just them, they couldn’t have mounted a serious threat. However, in November, the Turkic tribes allied with them and also sent troops to invade.

The Turkic people consisted of eleven tribes, which had gradually been unified in recent years by a Khan named Jie Li, forming a powerful coalition.

With all these factors combined, a major war was imminent.

In just two months, the northwest had already lost three cities to the enemy. Urgent military reports flooded into the capital, sending shockwaves through the court, alarming both civil and military officials, who feared a defeat and invasion by the barbarians.

This morning, some court officials proposed ceding territory to sue for peace, and many supported the idea. The Emperor was furious and threw the memorial to the ground, shouting, "You cowardly lot who cling to life and fear death!"

However, the northern barbarians were riding high on their victories, with well-provisioned troops and strong steeds. This war was likely to be arduous.

After pondering for a while, Liu Yaozhi picked up his brush and began writing letters. These letters would be sent to various regions in the south, ordering that provisions be gathered and sent to support the northwest by April...

*

"Brother, brother, tell me about the situation in the northwest," Liu Changyi followed Chen Qingyan as soon as they left, pressing him for information.

"I don’t know much either. Just two days before we left, I heard your sister-in-law mention that Marquis Wuping was commanding troops to support the northwest army."

Liu Changyi stroked his chin and said, "Jizhou is thousands of miles away from Xizhou. If the court is deploying troops from Jizhou, the border situation must be desperately critical."

Chen Qingyan replied, "Not necessarily. Although Youzhou is closer, its troops are needed to guard against the Rouran and cannot be easily deployed. Laizhou’s troops are mostly naval infantry and are not suited for land warfare. Longyou’s forces must maintain vigilance against Tubo. When you calculate it, only the Jizhou army can be dispatched."

"No wonder!"

Liu Changyi wanted to continue discussing the war, but Chen Qingyan was eager to go to the Experimental Field. "The Metropolitan Examination is in a month. Hurry and study the policy questions thoroughly to avoid ending up as a fellow scholar."

"Ah, with my abilities, passing the provincial examinations was already my limit. Even if I work hard this month, I might not make it to the second-tier honors."

"You still have to try. Last-minute cramming might not help much, but it's better than nothing."

Liu Changyi laughed, "Alright, I’ll continue studying the policy questions. If I don’t understand something, I’ll bother you for help again."

Chen Qingyan nodded. Seeing Liu Changyi return to his room, he immediately went back to his own room, bolted the door, and entered the Experimental Field.

There were no new notes in the Experimental Field, and the note he had left was still untouched on the table. Chen Qingyan paced anxiously, worrying about how things were back home.

After staying for a quarter of an hour, he heard a knock on the door. Chen Qingyan hurried out and found that it was a Liu household servant calling him for dinner.

During dinner, Lord Liu was not present, likely tied up with official duties. After the meal, the two returned to their respective rooms.

Chen Qingyan read for a while but couldn’t concentrate, his mind filled with restless thoughts. He waited until dusk and entered the Experimental Field again. This time, the two finally met.

"A Ying!" As soon as they met, Chen Qingyan hurried forward and took his hand, checking him over for any harm.

Wang Ying was also excited and asked, "You’ve arrived in the capital?"

"Yes, we arrived yesterday. I didn’t have a chance to enter the Experimental Field during the journey and didn’t see your message. When I saw it yesterday, it scared me half to death. How is Qing Er?"

"Lin Sui and I brought her out of the Li family, but..."

"What’s wrong?"

"The child contracted smallpox. Lin Sui and I went to the mountain to ask Taoist Master Qingxu for help, and she’s fine now."

Chen Qingyan’s heart leaped to his throat. "How did she get smallpox?"

Wang Ying shook his head. "We suspect the Li family were behind it. After they took Qing Er in, there was no one to take care of her. They locked her in a storage room and put her in ragged clothes."

"What heartless bastards!"

"Ah, but it’s fortunate the child is fine. If Qing Er had really passed away, Marquis Wuping would have torn the Li household limb from limb when he returns."

Chen Qingyan said angrily, "They deserve it! How could they treat their own granddaughter like that!"

Wang Ying said, "Let’s not talk about them. How was your journey? How is Lord Liu? Are you comfortable staying there?"

"The journey was very smooth. Lord Liu is just as rumored—stern, and talking to him makes me nervous. The accommodation is fine; the Liu residence is spacious, and they arranged for us to stay in guest rooms in the outer courtyard. Chang Yi is right next door."

"That’s good. Don’t worry about things at home; I’m here. Just focus on doing well in the Metropolitan Examination."

Chen Qingyan nodded. "By the way, if you have time, bring Yuan Bao in. His birthday is coming up, and I won’t be able to celebrate with him this year either."

"That kid cried several times after you left. He’s only just started to feel better these past few days."

Chen Qingyan sighed. "When I saw the note you left yesterday, my heart ached. If it weren’t for seeking an official post, who would want to be separated from you all?"

Wang Ying, seeing his eyes growing red, patted his shoulder and smiled. "Alright, it’s really not so bad. I’m not this sentimental."

Chen Qingyan said with a hint of grievance, "Brother, you don’t even miss me."

Wang Ying found his words being so mushy and wrapped his arms around his waist, burying his head in his shoulder. "I do miss you. I couldn’t sleep well the first night you left."

They held each other for a while until the system notified them that the public time was almost up. Any further use would cost experience points.

"Alright, go back and rest early. I’ll bring Yuan Bao in on his birthday."

"Okay."

They reluctantly parted and returned to their respective rooms.

Chen Qingyan read for a while before extinguishing the lamp. For the first time in a while, he finally managed to get a good night's sleep.

Three days later, Chen Qinghuai arrived from Shanzhou, and the three brothers met, talking by candlelight late into the night.

Since Shanzhou is relatively close to Xizhou, he naturally knew much more about the situation there. With a grave expression, Chen Qinghuai mentioned Xizhou: "This war is entirely different from previous ones. The Turkic army came with overwhelming force, successively capturing Tingzhou, Xizhou, and Luntai.

Now, their forces are gathered at the Protectorate of the Northern Frontiers, poised to attack Chaoyang Pass at any moment. Before I left, my father had already dispatched all 18,000 soldiers from Shanzhou to reinforce the front lines. It’s uncertain whether we can hold the border."

The Wu Dynasty had enjoyed peace for too long, and this war served as a wake-up call—prosperity grows from hardship, while comfort leads to decline.

*

February 16th was Yuanbao’s birthday. After this birthday, he was turning four in nominal age.

On his birthday, the family gathered for a meal. Lin Sui and Lin Qiu prepared small gifts for Yuanbao—nothing expensive, just things costing about a hundred coins.

Little Qinger also prepared a gift, one she had picked out herself: a wooden top that could spin for a long time when whipped with a whip. The children played joyfully with it in the courtyard.

Chen Rong looked at Qing Er and said, "This child has had it pretty rough too—no mother, and her father isn’t around. From now on, she’ll have to rely on you to take care of her."

Lin Sui, finding joy in it, replied, "Qing Er is obedient and sensible. I’m happy to have her by my side."

As the weather warmed up lately, Lin Qiu and Chen Rong planned to return to Longquan County in a few days. Originally, they had intended to stay until after Lin Sui’s wedding.

But now, with the Marquis leading troops to the border and it being unclear when he would return, they couldn’t leave their own home unattended for too long, so they decided to go back first.

In the evening, Wang Ying bathed his son, dressed him in new clothes, and took him directly into the experimental field.

Chen Qingyan was already waiting inside. The moment father and son saw each other, they embraced excitedly. "Daddy!"

"Yuanbao!"

It took a while before they separated. "Yuanbao missed Daddy so much!"

"Daddy missed you too. Have you been listening to your papa lately?"

Yuanbao nodded. "Yes, I have."

Wang Ying said, "This kid has been going wild playing at home every day with Qing Er and Xiaomai."

Chen Qingyan ruffled his son’s hair. "Take advantage of the time to play while you can. Once Daddy comes back, there won’t be much time for fun."

Wang Ying asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"I plan to start Yuanbao’s schooling soon."

"Great!" Yuanbao had long wanted to learn to read. He often sneaked into Chen Qingyan’s study, taking brushes to scribble and doodle. Without anyone formally teaching him, he had already learned to write his own name through osmosis.

The child had inherited Chen Qingyan’s intelligence. Even Wang Ying had to admit that Yuanbao was exceptionally bright. When he was Yuanbao’s age, Wang Ying was still making mud pies.

But intelligence alone wasn’t enough—whether he would use it wisely in the future remained to be seen.

Chen Qingyan held his son and picked some fruit with him in the experimental field. Before leaving, he took out the birthday gift he had prepared—a jade pendant carved with auspicious clouds and the word "peace," which he hung around Yuanbao’s neck.

"The Metropolitan Examination begins in two days. I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet you during this time. Listen to your papa at home, and once Daddy finishes the exams, I’ll come back to be with you."

"Okay!"

Wang Ying held his hand and said, "Don’t be nervous about the Metropolitan Examination. Even if you don’t perform as well as you’d hoped, don’t be discouraged—there’s still the Palace Examination afterward."

"I know. Wait for me to return..."

On February 18th, the triennial Metropolitan Examination officially commenced at the Imperial Examination Hall in the capital.

Two hundred top scholars from across the nation slowly entered the examination hall. Among them, some would fade into obscurity over time, while others would leave a profound mark on the pages of history.