Chapter 61 Prince Ning's Expedition

Their eyes met briefly before looking away.

Qin Xiao looked at everyone present again.

Jian Hongzhuo's brows remained furrowed, and he finally found an opportunity to interject, saying, "Your Excellency, please reconsider. His Majesty is young, and the court still needs your continued assistance. Otherwise, it would be better to send someone else to negotiate."

This journey is fraught with peril, and everyone will do everything in their power to kill Qin Xiao.

Jian Hongzhuo didn't want him to take that risk.

"The enemy specifically requested that I go; it would be useless for anyone else to go. There's no need to discuss this further." Qin Xiao then said to everyone, "I have already instructed General An to inform everyone of the necessary preparations for the expedition. If any of you have anything to add, or if you have anyone you would like to send to my side, please arrange that as well."

With 50,000 soldiers temporarily deployed, Qin Xiao could not possibly find all of them to be former members of the Qin family; there must have been people planted by other forces.

But there was nothing he could do. This happened too suddenly. He could only blame himself for having too few informants in the Northwest and limited access to information.

The most important thing right now is to set off as soon as possible and try to reach the Northwest within a month to avoid massacring the city.

The others, though outwardly unaware of his open invitation for them to bring in people, were all somewhat embarrassed.

Jian Hongzhuo knew that his advice was useless, so he turned his head and glanced at Chu Jiubian.

He had previously witnessed the methods of this Grand Tutor of Chu in Hexi Commandery.

He is skilled in medicine, can conjure up large amounts of grain out of thin air, and is eloquent and sharp-witted in the court. His abilities are beyond question, making him the perfect person to assist in governing.

Therefore, now that Qin Xiao has left, there should be no need to worry about matters in the capital.

On the contrary, the Northwest is where the real danger lurks.

Everyone did need to go back and prepare some things, so after Qin Xiao told them to leave, they all left the palace.

After these ministers with ulterior motives left the Hall of Mental Cultivation, only Chu Jiubian, Qin Xiao, and Baili Hong, who had been holding back his tears, remained in the hall.

Now that all the outsiders had left, the child could no longer hold back his tears, which rolled down in large drops like a broken string.

But he didn't cry out loud; he just silently shed tears, looking up at his uncle standing beside him.

Even though his uncle was so tall, he could only see the other person's jawline.

He was no longer a little boy who had just lost his mother; he knew that his uncle had to go to war this time to save many people.

So no matter how scared or sad he was, Baili Hong knew he shouldn't speak up to stop them.

But his little hands couldn't help but carefully tug at his uncle's clothes, holding them tightly.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes and saw that the child's face was covered in tears.

She then bent down and picked him up.

The little boy buried his face in his uncle's shoulder, wrapped his short arms around his neck, and finally began to sob.

Qin Xiao gently patted his back and slowly walked to the seat next to Chu Jiubian and sat down.

Chu Jiubian kept his eyes down until the child's crying gradually subsided, then he turned his head to look.

Because Chu Jiubian had mentioned it once before, Qin Xiao no longer hastily wiped the child's tears with his clothes. Instead, he took out a handkerchief from his chest, but unexpectedly pulled out another handkerchief as well.

The plain white handkerchief in his hand had a silver jasmine flower embroidered in the corner.

But Chu Jiubian clearly remembered that the other party always used handkerchiefs without any marks.

Qin Xiao also realized that he had brought out another handkerchief, so he folded it up and put it back into the hidden pocket in front of his chest.

They did not show any abnormalities.

Chu Jiubian stared intently, and suddenly felt an even tighter tightness in his chest.

"Uncle, Miaomiao misses you." Baili Hong looked at Qin Xiao pitifully, tears streaming down his face.

Qin Xiao didn't say anything, but gently wiped away his tears.

Children of this age should be self-centered and want to express themselves, but Baili Hong has experienced too much at such a young age and is more mature than his peers.

Therefore, he has been able to use reason to control his thoughts.

He didn't say a word to try and persuade him to stay, but only whispered, "Uncle is coming back."

Qin Xiao rubbed his little head, still not saying anything, but his smile was exceptionally gentle.

Chu Jiubian looked at his profile, then looked away when the other looked at him.

Over the next two days, both Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian were exceptionally busy.

Qin Xiao was nowhere to be seen all day long, not even when it was time to eat. Chu Jiubian always ate with Baili Hong.

Baili Hong seemed to have calmed himself down, behaving as well-behaved and sensible as usual, only occasionally glancing at the palace gate before casually looking away.

But Chu Jiubian could clearly sense the child's confusion and sadness.

On the night of the 12th, Baili Hong stayed up late. After washing up, he played with the nine-linked rings that Chu Jiubian had given him the day before.

Hong Fu felt sorry for her and asked Xiao Yuzi to go find Qin Xiao.

But with the expedition to begin tomorrow, Qin Xiao is doing a final inventory tonight and hasn't returned to the palace yet.

Xiaoyu then went to find Chu Jiubian.

The Grand Tutor usually didn't go to bed late, but tonight it was almost midnight. When he went to look for Chu Jiubian, he found him sitting in the courtyard.

Hearing that Baili Hong hadn't gone to sleep, Chu Jiubian knew that the little boy was waiting for Qin Xiao to come back.

So he got up and followed Xiaoyuzi to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Upon entering the bedroom, I indeed saw the little boy wrapped in a blanket, engrossed in fiddling with the nine-linked rings in his hands.

Upon hearing the noise, Baili Hong turned his head sharply to look over.

Upon seeing that it was Chu Jiubian, a clear look of disappointment flashed in his bright eyes, but he quickly concealed his emotions and put on a well-behaved smile.

Chu Jiubian's heart softened, and he walked to his side.

Hongfu moved a chair to the bedside for him and then left.

Chu Jiubian sat down in the chair.

"Sir," Baili Hong greeted him obediently in a childish voice.

No matter how much a child likes Chu Jiubian, it can't compare to the blood ties with Qin Xiao.

Because Qin Xiao was there before, the children felt they had a strong backer and were more likely to let down their guard and accept others.

But if Qin Xiao leaves, Baili Hong will surround himself with a protective shell and shrink into it.

Even with Chu Jiubian, Baili Hong might no longer feel comfortable acting cute and charming towards him, because he was afraid that the other party wouldn't be as completely tolerant of him as his uncle.

It was precisely because Chu Jiubian knew what the child was thinking that he was able to see his cautiousness.

But he's only a little kid who's a little over three years old.

Chu Jiubian didn't say anything to comfort him, but simply opened his arms to him and said gently, "Would you like a hug, sir?"

Baili Hong pouted and immediately put down the Nine Linked Rings, rushing into his arms.

Chu Jiubian took the blanket and hugged the little, soft bundle of a baby.

“Sir,” Baili Hong choked out, “Miaomiao is scared.”

"What are you afraid of?" Chu Jiubian's voice was soft and gentle.

Baili Hong's tears slid down his soft little face, soaking Chu Jiubian's shoulder.

"Miaomiao is afraid that Mr. doesn't like me."

He doesn't even use the word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I, the emperor") anymore.

Chu Jiubian patted his back gently, just like Qin Xiao, and said softly, "Don't be afraid. Your master will always love you and always stand by your side, just like your uncle."

The little boy pulled away from his embrace slightly, his face streaked with tears, and asked pitifully, "Really?"

Chu Jiubian wiped away the tears on his face and said, "Really."

Baili Hong then snuggled into his arms again, and after a while whispered, "Sir, Uncle will come back safely, right?"

“Yes,” Chu Jiu argued, “He will come back alive.”

He didn't say the word "peaceful" because he knew that Qin Xiao would be seriously injured and have a slim chance of survival.

Baili Hong was finally relieved.

The master is a god. He said that my uncle would come back alive, and my uncle will definitely come back!

The child had been preoccupied these past few days, but now that he knew Chu Jiubian would stay with him and that his uncle would definitely come back, a huge weight was lifted from his heart.

Then, a belated drowsiness came over the child, and soon he nestled in Chu Jiubian's warm embrace and fell into a deep sleep.

Chu Jiubian carefully placed him on the bed, covered him with the quilt, and then got up and went out.

Hong Fu and Xiao Yuzi were waiting outside. When Chu Jiubian came out, they both bowed.

This is Hong Fu's brilliance. Despite being so familiar with Chu Jiubian and now being the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, equivalent to a second or third-rank official in the court, he remained humble and never overstepped his bounds in the slightest.

He treated Qin Xiao the same way.

Chu Jiubian said in a low voice, "His Majesty is asleep. I'm going out for a walk."

"yes."

Chu Jiubian left the main hall and stood in the spacious courtyard, gazing up at the sky.

The bright moon hangs high, the starlight dims.

After some time, he suddenly realized something and looked away from the courtyard gate, just in time to see a tall and upright figure stepping through the gate.

The other party had obviously also noticed Chu Jiubian. He paused slightly before continuing forward until he stopped two steps away from Chu Jiubian.

"Is everything arranged?" Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao showed no signs of fatigue, only his jawline appeared more defined, as if he had lost weight.

"Hmm." Qin Xiao glanced at the palace behind him. "Is His Majesty asleep?"

Chu Jiubian nodded.

Qin Xiao smiled and said, "Shall we take a walk together?"

Chu Jiubian wanted to ask him if he wanted to rest, but he didn't ask and just nodded.

The moonlight, like a veil, illuminated the streets and alleys inside and outside the imperial city.

The common people were already fast asleep, but the powerful and wealthy stayed up all night. Everyone knew that as soon as dawn broke, Prince Ning, the most powerful man in the capital, would lead his army into battle.

Whether they can come back depends on the methods of the others.

Outside the imperial city, 50,000 soldiers were already fully prepared and ready to go.

Qin Chaoyang meticulously checked the number of people, their identities, and the military pay they had received along the way.

An Wuji was constantly busy with the Imperial Guards, and his mind was on high alert.

For this expedition, Qin Xiao didn't even bring Qin Chaoyang with him, leaving him in the palace to help Chu Jiubian handle various miscellaneous matters.

Even in the shadows, Qin Xiao revealed more.

He went into battle with the determination that he would never return.

Inside the palace, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao unknowingly walked to the west courtyard.

This is Qin Xiao's residence. Previously, there was nothing special about the courtyard, and it was even less lively than the main hall and the east courtyard.

But right now, Chu Jiubian saw a courtyard full of jasmine flowers.

The flowering season is almost over, and I don't know when Qin Xiao had someone plant them.

"You like jasmine flowers?" Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao looked at the swaying pure white flower branches and said, "It feels very special."

What's so special about it?

Qin Xiao just smiled and didn't say anything more.

The September night breeze was cool, and a delicate fragrance lingered on their robes.

They should have had a lot to say, but they felt they both knew the unspoken understanding between them.

So for a long time, they continued to walk slowly and silently in the courtyard, their steps in unison.

No one mentioned parting at this moment.

It wasn't until Qin Chaoyang rushed back from outside the palace and stood outside the courtyard gate looking at the two people walking side by side that he said in a deep voice, "My lord, it's time to prepare to depart."

After saying that, he quietly retreated to a more distant place, so as not to disturb them any further.

Chu Jiubian stopped in his tracks.

Qin Xiao continued walking forward to the edge of the flower bushes and gently stroked the petals of one of the flowers.

Chu Jiubian looked at him quietly.

A few breaths later, Qin Xiao turned around and looked at him from a distance of a few steps.

The man, dressed in black, stood out against the slanting, shimmering moonlight overhead and a sea of ​​overlapping pure white flowers behind him.

Qin Xiao's eyes held a smile as he said, "Want to gamble with me again?"

"What are we betting on?" Chu Jiu asked.

Qin Xiao said, "I'll tell you when I get back."

Chu Jiubian smiled and said, "Then His Majesty and I will wait for your return."

The young man's eyes were smiling, and he was dressed in white, as white as snow and as bright as the moon.

Qin Xiao gave him a deep look, then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

"Go and rest." The man's slightly deep voice, accompanied by the faint fragrance of flowers, drifted in the air.

Chu Jiubian stared at his retreating figure until he could no longer see him before turning away and walking out of the courtyard.

But after taking two steps, he stopped.

Before long, he finally stepped out of the courtyard gate, but in his hand he had a pure white jasmine with a crooked petal.

Inside the bedroom of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Baili Hong was curled up in a ball with his back to the door.

After the footsteps that had stood at the door for so long had faded into the distance, the child wrapped himself tightly in the blanket, tears silently rolling down his cheeks.

The master said that my uncle would return safely.

==

After Qin Xiao left, everything seemed to change. The tense atmosphere in the capital, which had been on the verge of conflict, miraculously calmed down.

Even during the morning court sessions, the matters were mostly trivial and insignificant.

But Chu Jiubian knew this was just the calm before the storm. Everyone was waiting for the final outcome in the Northwest.

He took everything in with a cold eye, handling his tasks meticulously without the slightest slackening.

The list of candidates for the imperial examinations has been finalized, and the examination venues in various regions—the Gongyuan (examination halls)—have all been completed.

Chu Jiubian ordered Qin Chuan to send people to conduct secret investigations in various places, and those with problems have been ordered to make corrections.

Those government offices that had previously taken advantage of being located in remote areas to get away with things carelessly were so frightened by the imperial court's letter of reprimand that they nearly died on the spot and dared not get away with it again.

When Chu Jiubian was investigating candidates for canal transport in various places, he had already witnessed Qin Chuan's methods and the use of the keyword "connections".

Upon hearing about the matter at the examination hall, Qin Chuan immediately knew it was Chu Jiubian's doing. While he suspected Chu Jiubian's relationship with the High Priest, he diligently carried out his duties.

The imperial examination system benefits both the people and the imperial court, so Qin Chuan has no need or reason to refuse this task.

He wanted to exchange his reward for another chance to save his life, but the high priest ruthlessly refused and instead handed him a repeating crossbow.

After receiving the repeating crossbow, Qin Chuan said he loved it so much that he asked the High Priest to issue more missions so he could get more different weapons.

Chu Jiubian hadn't expected him to like weapons so much. He thought that if he were to bring him a machine gun one day, he would be overjoyed.

He was thinking of sending Qin Chuan to protect Lu Yao right now, but Qin Chuan hesitated and said, "Can we go later?"

"What?" the high priest asked.

Qin Chuan knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he said frankly, "I'd like to go to the Northwest."

Chu Jiubian looked at the repeating crossbow in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "You can go find Lu Yao later. I will reward you first."

He bought penicillin from the mall, repackaged it, and gave it to him: "This medicine is taken orally, one tablet at a time, three times a day, to reduce the chance of wound ulceration. However, you should try a small amount first, and only take it if there are no adverse reactions."

It was rare for the high priest to speak such a long string of words, but Qin Chuan was completely preoccupied with other thoughts.

His heart sank when he heard the words "reduce wound ulceration".

The high priest must have guessed that he was going to find Qin Xiao, but why did he give him this kind of medicine?

If this is intended for all the soldiers, it is far too little.

So, will Qin Xiao get injured?

And it might even lead to the wound festering?

Thinking of this, Qin Chuan couldn't stay a moment longer and stood up to bow and ask for his leave.

The high priest said that this medicine should be tested in advance, and it can only be taken if there are no adverse reactions. Therefore, it should be tested while Qin Xiao is still healthy, otherwise it will be too late when he is seriously injured.

However, before that, he needed to have someone test whether the drug was truly effective and non-toxic, just in case.

Chu Jiubian then instructed the system to send the person out.

Then there was silence.

A box of penicillin only costs two points, but Chu Jiubian never expected to buy it, especially when he guessed that Qin Chuan was going to send the repeating crossbow to Qin Xiao.

Chu Jiubian sat alone in the Divine Realm for a long time before finally laughing.

Prince Ning is quite cunning. He said he wanted to gamble with him, but deliberately didn't tell him the bet agreement. He must have been intentionally making him keep an eye on it.

Chu Jiu argued about the Divine Realm, but deliberately ignored it.

The next day was also the tenth day since Qin Xiao left.

Chu Jiubian handed over the first batch of test questions to Qin Chaoyang, instructing him to send the trained examiners and secret guards to set off together. They should arrive no later than the 29th, and the imperial examination could officially begin on September 30th.

The caravans that transported fine salt have all returned today.

The first batch of fine salt brought in a very considerable income, accounting for almost half of the caravan's total earnings. With such a lucrative business, everyone wanted to continue doing it.

Therefore, when Chu Jiubian spread the word that he still had the same amount of fine salt as the first batch waiting to be sold, everyone remembered to "show their loyalty".

Not to mention the Wang, Lu, and Xiao families, who were incapable of falsifying accounts, even the Qiu family put away their little schemes and paid Chu Jiubian much more than they had anticipated.

Before Chu Jiubian could even enjoy the money, he approved several hundred thousand taels as military pay, ordering Kou Qiao, a senior official in the Ministry of War, and Wang Pengyi, a vice minister in the Ministry of Revenue, to lead three thousand soldiers to escort the grain convoy, which had already set off a few days earlier.

Kou Qiao came from the Qin family army and was Qin Xiao's man. However, he was previously an assistant minister in the Ministry of War. He was promoted to minister in the Ministry of War because he made contributions in the disaster relief work in Hexi County.

Right now, it would be most appropriate to put him in charge of escorting the military pay.

As for Wang Pengyi, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, he never expected that he would be summoned alone by Chu Jiubian in the name of the "Emperor".

He never expected that the other party would entrust him with the task of transporting hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. Even after leaving the palace and waiting until he arrived at his doorstep, he still couldn't understand it.

Could it be that Chu Jiubian saw the power of the Wang family and therefore thought that if he got this job, it wouldn't be taken by someone else?

Or perhaps Chu Jiubian thought that given the Wang family's emphasis on reputation and their arrogance, they would definitely stand on the side of the court when it came to matters of principle, which is why he allowed a member of the Wang family to accompany the army to guard the military supplies.

Unable to figure it out himself, he went directly to his grandfather, Wang Zhiyuan, the Minister of Rites, and recounted his conversation with Chu Jiubian in the palace.

Wang Zhiyuan remained silent for a long time after listening.

When Wang Pengyi was summoned to the palace, Wang Zhiyuan had already received the news and guessed that it was about escorting military funds. He thought that Chu Jiubian might want Wang Pengyi to provide some suitable escorts, or he might want him to carefully count the silver.

But he never expected that Chu Jiubian would actually have Wang Pengyi personally escort the military supplies.

How important is military pay?

Even a delay of a few days could cause Qin Xiao's 50,000-strong army to go hungry and be overwhelmed by the enemy.

Under these circumstances, Chu Jiubian would never allow any of the various factions to intervene; the most appropriate course of action would be to order Qin Chaoyang to escort him.

It's just a temporary official position, a special case, and no one else can say anything about it.

But now Chu Jiubian has not only employed people from aristocratic families, but also Wang Pengyi, a high-ranking official!

Wang Zhiyuan suddenly laughed, a joyful and hearty laugh.

He stood up, walked up to Wang Pengyi, patted him on the shoulder and said, "You must do this job well! And you must not make any mistakes."

"Grandson understands." Wang Pengyi hadn't intended to fool anyone.

He knew in his heart that the events in the Northwest were a conspiracy against Qin Xiao, and many people wanted him to die there. Delaying military pay and supplies was definitely a good way to force him into a corner.

But Wang Pengyi wouldn't do that.

It doesn't matter how much our own people fight, but colluding with foreign enemies is no different from treason!

The Wang family members would never be traitors.

Wang Zhiyuan looked at him with admiration and helplessness in his eyes, but mostly with relief.

“Go ahead,” he said. “We are getting old after all, and we can’t compare to the young people.”

It can't even compare to the magnanimity of the gods...

It must be said that Wang Pengyi was actually relieved when Wang Zhiyuan told him to do his job well.

He had previously worried that his family would ask him to delay military pay, but now it seems that there is a reason why his grandfather was able to stand in the court for three generations and why the Wang family has a long-standing reputation.

When Wang Pengyi returned to his courtyard, he unexpectedly encountered his cousin Wang Qichen, who had been elusive lately.

The young man still had that unruly, disheveled look, but his brows and eyes were even more arrogant.

"Cousin, it's been a long time!" Wang Qichen greeted him with a smile.

Wang Pengyi chuckled and asked, "Have you been busy with important matters lately?"

"Of course, I was just thinking of showing you the results of my recent busy work."

“Not now,” Wang Pengyi said.

"Is there something you need?" Wang Qichen asked. "Are you going out?"

"I'm going on a long trip." Wang Pengyi then told him that he was going to escort military funds, which wasn't exactly a secret anyway.

"I just don't know why Lord Chu would send me," he said casually.

Wang Qichen narrowed his beautiful eyes slightly and tapped his palm lightly with his folding fan.

Previously, when the High Priest asked him about the relationship between Liu Junqi, the Vice Minister of Works, and Wang Zhiyuan, he mentioned Wang Pengyi, saying that his cousin was kind-hearted, talented, and had his own pursuits, but was constrained by his family identity. He added that if given the right space, he would be able to realize his ambitions.

Although the high priest didn't say anything at the time, he must have taken it to heart.

Previously, the High Priest had forbidden him from revealing the existence of the "High Priest" to Chu Jiubian, and Wang Qichen had agreed.

However, he immediately thought that the High Priest's name had long since spread from the northern desert to the capital, and Chu Jiubian couldn't possibly not know it, unless the High Priest's real name was something else.

But someone like Chu Jiubian, who could stir up trouble in the court, must have guessed that the High Priest was an old acquaintance of his, and perhaps the two gods had already recognized each other.

Therefore, Chu Jiubian is likely to get information from the high priest that Wang Pengyi is a reliable person, and may then entrust him with the important task of escorting military supplies.

Thinking of this, Wang Qichen couldn't help but scrutinize Wang Pengyi carefully.

His cousin is good in every way, except for one thing: he is too tightly bound by his family.

But what if he also does something wrong for the sake of the family this time, harming Chu Jiubian's interests? Wouldn't Wang Qichen, the recommender, be causing trouble for the High Priest?

Wang Qichen's thoughts raced.

The High Priest and Chu Jiubian had such a good relationship, they might even be partners. If they had a falling out because of the person Chu Jiubian introduced, he couldn't even imagine the trouble he would cause.

That would offend two gods!

The more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. The smile remained on his face, but his expression had turned serious.

“Cousin,” he began, his tone as frivolous as ever, “could it be that Grand Tutor Chu saw your integrity and ability and simply trusted you personally, which is why he sent you to deliver the military supplies?”

Wang Pengyi was taken aback.

Chu Jiubian believes him? How could that be?

But he couldn't help but recall his grandfather's attitude earlier, and the somewhat wistful remark the other man had made.

Could it be that Grandfather recognized Chu Jiubian's ability to recognize and utilize talent, which is why he respected him and told him to make sure he did this job well?

Judging from his expression, Wang Qichen knew that the other party had taken his words to heart and would definitely do his job seriously.

That's good. With Wang Pengyi's talent and ability, if he decides to protect the military funds, then there will definitely be no problem.

Wang Qichen opened his folding fan, in a good mood.

However, when he enters the Divine Realm next time, he will have to ask the High Priest if he has already recognized Chu Jiubian.

Yes, his paper mill has already achieved mass production. He came to see Wang Pengyi today because he wanted to take him to see it.

The paper of far superior quality to "Langya Gold Paper" is ready for sale. Perhaps he should go to the High Priest tonight to report on the progress and ask him to give the new paper a beautiful name.

Meanwhile, in a dyeing workshop in southern Xinjiang, Situ Zhaoling touched the soft, smooth silk in her hand with a rare fondness; the color was still her favorite light purple.

Looking up again, on a wooden frame not far away, bolts of brightly colored silk seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

No, it's glowing!

Because the weaver added silver threads to these bright silk threads when weaving, the interplay of the two created a beautiful sheen.

I wonder how beautiful these clothes would look if they were made from this fabric and embroidered with novel and unique patterns!

Situ Zhaoling felt that she should meet the High Priest tonight to show off her achievements, and it would be even better if she could receive praise.

Yes, and the cotton that the high priest had asked her to plant was also entrusted to the village's most skilled elders in planting. Two elders sent people over this morning to say that it had already bloomed.

It's a good opportunity to bring the cotton to the high priest as well.

That very night, just as Chu Jiubian sat down in the bathtub, he heard a system notification: [Host, believers Situ Zhaoling and Wang Qichen request entry into the Divine Realm.]