Chapter 184

Chapter 184

Wuping Marquis's survival was undoubtedly good news. Upon returning to the inn, Wang Ying stayed up late writing a letter to Jizhou. He wasn't sure if the news had reached there yet, but he still felt it necessary to inform Brother Sui.

Early the next morning, Wang Ying took Chen Qingyan to Qinglong Street to inspect the house. After confirming everything was satisfactory, the two went to the brokerage to sign the contract and pay the deposit. The remaining amount would be settled after the property transfer was complete.

With the housing matter settled, Chen Qingyan decided it was time to visit the Hanlin Academy. Once Brother Huai arrived in a few days, the two could report for duty together.

Arriving at the Hanlin Academy in the morning, Chen Qingyan informed the attendant at the gate, and before long, Li Bin came out to greet him.

"I thought it would take you a few more days to come. I didn’t expect you to arrive so soon."

Chen Qingyan cupped his hands respectfully. "Since I’ll be working here soon, I was quite curious."

Li Bin chuckled. "Come with me. I’ll show you around the Hanlin Academy."

The Hanlin Academy was located on Xuanwu Street, about two *li* away from the imperial city, a mere fifteen minutes’ walk. On a daily basis, the Compilers and Shu Jishi of the Hanlin Academy were responsible for managing historical records, literary works, and deliberating on systems, as well as drafting imperial edicts for the emperor. As such, they often had opportunities to meet the emperor.

Opportunities equated to both prospects and tests. Some, with high emotional intelligence and talent, could gain the emperor’s favor and secure rapid promotions. Of course, there were also those who were blockheaded and failed to seize such opportunities, likely unable to remain in the capital after their three-year term.

Chen Qingyan’s talent was undeniable, and his emotional intelligence was also quite good. While he wasn't the type to flatter everyone, he generally avoided offending others. As long as he didn’t make any major mistakes, he stood a good chance of being promoted to one of the Six Ministries after three years.

The Hanlin Academy was divided into three courtyards. The outer courtyard housed ordinary servants, while the middle courtyard was occupied by the Shu Jishi, who were responsible for compiling historical records. They were all *Jinshi* from previous imperial examinations, and some who enjoyed the work stayed on even after their three-year term.

Jiang Lin was one of them. At forty-six years old, he was a *Jinshi* from the Tianwu era and had been working at the Hanlin Academy for nearly twenty years, making him a veteran there.

"Lord Jiang, this is Zhuangyuan Chen. You’ve been wanting to meet him, and I’ve brought him to you today."

Jiang Lin stood up and examined Chen Qingyan carefully. "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young! I’ve previously read your poem 'Untitled' and have been wanting to meet you in person. I never expected you to be so young!"

"You flatter me, Lord Jiang."

"That line, 'Penglai is not far from here; the blue bird diligently comes to visit,' is absolutely brilliant! I heard you’re also a disciple of the great Master Liang. I wonder when I might have the honor of meeting your master."

"My master enjoys traveling and may come to the capital on a whim someday."

After chatting for a while, a servant came to deliver a message. Jiang Lin cupped his hands and said, "I still have official duties to attend to. Let’s talk again after Zhuangyuan Chen assumes his position in a few days."

"Certainly." Chen Qingyan watched him leave before continuing to follow Li Bin further inside.

"At the Hanlin Academy, the daily tasks aren’t too heavy, but you can’t miss roll call arbitrarily. If the palace summons you and you’re not here, it could cause trouble."

Li Bin pointed to a room in the inner courtyard. "This is where I work. The rooms next to it are empty. Once you arrive, I’ll explain everything in detail."

Li Bin’s three-year term was also coming to an end. After the handover, he would be reassigned by next February. It was still uncertain whether he would remain in the capital or be posted elsewhere, but he would wait for his mentor to arrange it.

Entering the room, Li Bin brewed tea, and the two began discussing Chen Qingyan’s examination paper. "I noticed that during the Metropolitan Examination, you advocated for using war to end conflict at the border. Your policy discussion was exceptionally well-written. However, I have a slightly different view."

"Please feel free to share your thoughts, Brother Li."

Li Bin took out a scroll from a drawer and spread it on the table. "Now that the Turkic army has retreated to Luntai, which is quite far from Yangguan and Yanmen Pass, there’s no need to pursue a defeated army relentlessly."

Chen Qingyan hesitated for a moment before replying, "A centipede may die but never stiffens. Moreover, the Turkic soldiers are well-fed and their horses strong. Their desire to invade our great Wu Dynasty remains. If we don’t seize the opportunity to defeat them while they’re weakened, I fear they will retaliate in the future."

"But war involves too many complexities. Beyond the soldiers dying at the border, there’s also the burden of supplying provisions and warhorses from various regions, which makes life difficult for the common people. How can we talk about people’s livelihoods under such circumstances?"

"Brother Li, you only see the current hardships of the people, but you haven’t considered the hell on earth that would ensue if the barbarians invaded. Both of us have read history books. Four hundred years ago, when the Hu people moved south, the land was plunged into chaos, people were displaced, and the Hu people even wrote about eating Han people in their recipes—terms like 'Rao Ba Huo,' 'He Gu Lan,' 'Bu Xian Yang,' and 'Gu Rou Li.' Must we experience such tragedies again?"

Li Bin said, "Our Wu Dynasty is not the Jin Dynasty, and the Turkic people cannot achieve such dominance. Brother Chen, you worry too much."

"One thrives in worries and hardships and perishes in ease and comfort. Since we’ve entered officialdom, it’s our duty to share the emperor’s burdens. We must consider these matters carefully."

Finding little common ground, the two did not continue the discussion. Chen Qingyan also felt uncomfortable and soon found an excuse to leave.

Returning to the inn, he found Wang Ying teaching Little Yuanbao to read. It had been agreed that once the imperial examinations were over, Little Yuanbao would begin his education, but there had been too many matters to attend to since their return.

"How’s the learning going?"

Wang Ying rubbed his forehead. "I suspect your son has hyperactivity."

"What kind of illness is hyperactivity?"

"He can’t sit still for a moment. After learning three to five characters, he wants to go out and play."

Chen Qingyan looked at his son and asked, "Is that true?"

Little Yuanbao blinked innocently and nodded. "Reading is so boring. I want to play hide-and-seek with Wood and Brother Chun Sheng."

Wang Ying tapped the table with a ruler. "Finish learning these sentences first, then you can go!"

"Let me teach him. You take a break."

Wang Ying quickly gave up his seat and went to relax elsewhere. Chen Qingyan, being a scholar after all, was more skilled at teaching. Instead of rote memorization, he explained the meaning of each sentence and the stories behind them to Little Yuanbao.

The little one listened intently, occasionally asking questions, and within a short while, he had memorized all the sentences.

"Go play now."

"Yay!" Little Yuanbao cheered and ran off to find Wood and the others.

Wang Ying gave his husband a thumbs-up. "As expected of the top scholar! Professional expertise matters—you’re the expert when it comes to studying!"

Chen Qingyan smiled wryly. "I’m just teaching Little Yuanbao the way my father taught me."

"How was your visit to the Hanlin Academy?"

Chen Qingyan sighed somewhat heavily. "The Hanlin Academy is fine, but..."

"What’s wrong?" Wang Ying pulled him to sit beside him.

"Do you remember Brother Li, the one we had dinner with the other day?"

"Yes, his name is Li Bin, right?"

"When I went to the Hanlin Academy today, he showed me around, but then he suddenly started discussing the border conflicts with me. Our political views differed, and we debated a bit. I felt his attitude toward me cooled considerably."

Wang Ying reassured him, "Hey, I thought it was something serious. It’s perfectly normal for officials to have differing political views. Eventually, everyone states their case, and the emperor decides whose advice to follow. If all the court officials shared the same views, the emperor would probably be worried."

"How so?"

"Think about it. If all the ministers thought alike, wouldn’t that undermine the imperial power? What if the emperor’s ideas differed from theirs?"

Chen Qingyan laughed. "That’s the first time I’ve heard such a perspective, but it makes sense. Still, I’m afraid it will be hard to maintain a good relationship with him once I join the Hanlin Academy."

"Don’t worry. 'Gentlemen harmonize without conforming; petty men conform without harmonizing.' Besides, you have Brother Huai. You two share the same teacher—he would never hold political views contrary to yours!"

Chen Qingyan’s eyes lit up. "'Gentlemen harmonize without conforming.' A Ying, you’re absolutely right!"

*

After staying at the inn for five or six days, the housing procedures were finally completed. Wang Ying paid the remaining amount and finally received the keys. They could now move out of the inn!

Staying at the inn these past few days felt like money going up in smoke—it was truly heartbreaking.

After packing up and checking out, they drove the carriage to Changping Dao on Qinglong Street.

"That house up ahead is the one."

"Whoa—" Ma Qianzi pulled on the reins. "The location of this new house is really great. There are bookshops, painting studios, and antique and curio shops not far ahead."

Most of the residents in this area are officials in the capital, so these kinds of shops do very well. Who says ancient people don’t know how to do business? They’re all as sly as foxes!

Wang Ying got off the carriage and took out the keys to unlock the main gate.

Tian Ju and Ma Zhandong drove the carriage into the courtyard, while Chen Qingyan helped Yuanbao down. The little one ran around the yard excitedly.

"This will be our new home from now on. Do you like it?"

"I love it! With such a big yard, I can play constables and thieves with Brother Mutou and Brother Chun Sheng again!"

Chen Qingyan smiled and shook his head, asking the two older boys to look after his son while he went inside to help Wang Ying tidy up.

The main room didn’t need much additional furniture—tables and chairs were already in place. Though they were a bit old, Wang Ying wasn’t planning to replace them for now. Funds were limited—buying the house had already cost more than half of their savings, and the rest had to be set aside for daily expenses and future business ventures. There was no room for unnecessary spending.

Wang Ying did plan to replace the bed in the bedroom. He intended to ask Ma Zhandong to find some bricklayers later to convert the bed in the west room into a heated *kang* bed, so it would be much more comfortable to sleep on during winter.

The east and west wing rooms weren’t needed for now, and since they already had furniture, they would be left as they were.

The servants would stay in the rear rooms. The only thing missing now was a female cook and a maid for cleaning. Wang Ying planned to assign this task to Ma Qianzi, giving him a chance to gain some experience.

Moving into a new home called for a celebration. That evening, the family of three enjoyed a hotpot meal. The ingredients had been stored in the experimental plot beforehand, so they were readily available. They also cooked quite a few dumplings to go with the meal.

As they ate, Little Yuanbao suddenly felt a lump in his throat, and tears started to fall.

"What’s wrong?" Wang Ying thought his son might have eaten something spicy and quickly handed him water.

Yuanbao shook his head. "I miss Grandma. The dumplings we just ate were made by her."

Li Shi always liked to make a few brown sugar dumplings, and Yuanbao had just eaten one of those.

Wang Ying hugged his son to comfort him. "Don’t cry, my dear Yuanbao. When the New Year comes, your father will take you back to visit."

Chen Qingyan said, "But last time you said the journey was too short and not worth the trouble..."

"Then just the two of us will go back. You can stay in the capital and work extra!"

"Alright..." Chen Qingyan quickly buried his face in his bowl. With his husband angry, he didn’t dare say another word!

*

Far away in Jizhou Prefecture, Li Shi also missed Yuanbao and often muttered, "By my count, they should have arrived in the capital by now. I wonder how they’re settling in."

Qing Yun, munching on snacks, said, "Don’t worry. With Sister-in-law there, everything will be taken care of properly."

Li Shi frowned at her daughter’s belly. "You should eat less. Why does your belly seem to have grown so much these past few days? Be careful, or you’ll have a hard time during childbirth."

Qing Yun reluctantly put down her snacks. The doctor had also mentioned during her last check-up that her belly was larger than average for a pregnant woman and advised her to cut back on food to avoid complications during delivery.

"But I get so hungry soon after eating."

Li Shi held her daughter’s hand. "You have to endure it. Childbirth is like braving the gates of hell, especially for your first child. We can’t afford any mistakes!"

"Okay."

Just then, Lin Sui hurried back from the shop. "A postal courier just delivered a letter—it’s from Sister-in-law. I rushed back to bring it to you, Aunt."

"Quick, open it and read it to me."