Chapter 10

The autumn wind broke all the flowers and plants in the courtyard, and the dead leaves and flowers scattered on the soil, forming a colorful painting.

When Shen Yi thought about that day, he felt that he was so drunk that he couldn't even remember who delivered the red cloth to the General's Mansion. Huo had been staying at home recently, saying that it was up to him to pay his respects and that he didn't have to come if he didn't want to.

He had also gotten some information, but it was far different from Liu Qianshan's ridiculous claims. For some reason, the Hu people's invasion had moved up to late autumn this year, and the border passes were poorly guarded by their generals, allowing them to exploit the opportunity.

The sandstorm has started again in Longxi, and it is even more severe than in previous years.

They comforted him, and told him that General Huo's previous battle achievements were due to His Majesty's careful consideration. By the beginning of next spring at the latest, the old general should be riding back from Longxi with the silver spear.

By then, there will probably be many more rumors in Chang'an City, singing about the heroic stories of old but strong people, which is really glorious.

Shen Yi sat by the window upstairs, raised his hand to pour himself a full cup of tea, and after listening to his grandfather's words, he decided to start quitting drinking, lest the old man come back from the west and look down on his physique and refuse to teach him the spear technique.

The people in Chang'an seemed to have become accustomed to the news of war at every turn, and felt that it was no different from previous years. When they gathered in teahouses in their spare time, they would casually talk about those news that seemed false but not true.

He should be happy, Shen Yi told himself. His maternal grandfather had come from Longxi, and even when his mother got married, he was still in the western military camp. How could he not miss the eagle he had personally trained? How could he not want to return from Chang'an, to a place he was more familiar with, where all the stories of old friends were.

Shen Yi's hand trembled slightly as he picked up the teacup. Anyone would have wondered what the urgent decree meant. He suppressed the panic that was beginning to spread within him. My sister had been in the palace for almost two months, and rewards and punishments were clearly defined. This expedition should have been a coincidence.

He still remembered Chen Qian's words from before, and since he had handed over the tiger talisman so quickly, his grandfather's departure to the west was like the royal family suddenly loosening their grip, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they were delegating power.

Is it because the eagle has been locked up for too long, and when something big happens, people subconsciously let it out, and let it continue to step on bones to guard those crumbling cities, and guard every inch of the king's land under the sky?

He took a sip of hot tea, letting the warmth dispel the cold sweat from his fingertips, and buried these thoughts deep in his heart. His grandfather would definitely return victorious, to teach him the art of spearmanship, to be with his daughter, and to give him a title.

The old man and Shen Qian looked so disgusted with each other that Shen Yi thought of his father and shook his head. He had loved going to the general's mansion since he was a child. Shen Qian had always been reluctant to see him practice martial arts. Strangely, he didn't force him to learn any classics. It was as if he just watched him and would never mention him even if he wasted his time unless he caused trouble.

When it comes to choosing a name, he feels that he naturally inherited it from his maternal grandfather. If he were to be crowned with the name chosen by Chen Qian next year, he would feel that the crowning would be even more meaningless. He would be just like Chen Qian, compromising and not acting like a gentleman at all.

Thinking of the distinction between gentlemen and villains, Shen Yi laughed at himself. He wouldn't consider himself a gentleman, and now he could see that Shen Qian was just a villain accompanying the royal family. If he really wanted to talk about what he was like, he would be flattered. Others would also call him "Young Marquis" or, like when Liu Qianshan needed help from him, they would only see that he was Shen Qian's son and a descendant of Huo Yue.

The tea was still hot, but Shen Yi had already sat for a while. He stood up, went downstairs to pay the silver, and then walked down the street on foot. He did not let the servants of the Marquis' Mansion follow him. It was rare for him to not ride a horse, and he planned to take a walk around Chang'an City.

Only a few rare plants remained in the late autumn. He watched vendors boast about their wares and would stop to take a look from a distance. As for the goods in the market, there were few that caught his eye.

Hearing that he was bored, he continued to move to a more crowded shop and blend in with the bustling crowd. Later, he was tired of being pestered by the shop assistants, so he threw silver and let the shopkeepers choose some things at random and send them to the marquis's mansion to distribute to the servants.

The clouds gathered gloomily in the sky again, letting the wind below make people feel cold all over. Shen Yi also began to put on his cloak. The mansion rarely showed a bit of desolation. In Huo's room, the heater had been lit in advance, and she was carefully keeping herself warm.

Chang'an City is the same every year. This year, a cold wind blew overnight and winter came from late autumn.

A few days ago, Shen Yi heard some news from Wei Qianyu, saying that several military reports from the west had just returned. Counting the days, his grandfather should have arrived at Yumen Pass by now.

To this end, he paid a high price for a map of the west from a caravan from Longxi. In his free time, he would trace the mountains and rivers on it with his finger. Occasionally, in his dreams, he would see places he had never been to, and he would feel a rare sense of familiarity. After waking up, he quickly figured out the reason: there were people he knew, horses and silver spears he had seen so many times, and old stories that his grandfather would often recall.

Chen Qian was still busy in the court, and even on his days off, he didn't stay in the mansion for long. Chen Yi was happy that he didn't have to see him much, so he stayed in the mansion these days because he was too lazy to go out. When he remembered, he would go to feed the pigeons himself.

Winter has just begun, and the white pigeons I raise have already accumulated thick feathers. Sometimes when I hold them in my palms, they feel warmer than the cloak I am wearing.

He didn't know how his elder sister was doing in the palace. The last news was told to him by his mother after she returned from the Huo Mansion. Shen Qian was assigned to the quiet place, which was quite favored. In addition, there were many trustworthy people around him, so his life was not much different from that in the Marquis' Mansion.

Shen Yi sighed softly, still holding the rice in his hand, and did not react immediately when the pigeon beak pecked his finger. How could the palace be the same as the Marquis' Mansion?

He understood these things and knew that Chen Wan's words could not be fully trusted. He could only look at the moon at night and pray, hoping that she could live a better life, and even better. He felt that no matter how many times he prayed, it would not be too much.

Every time I get up in the morning, I can see the footprints of servants coming and going in the courtyard. In the corners where no one goes, white frost will remain until dusk, accompanying the setting sun.

Chen Yi couldn't stay in the Marquis' Mansion any longer and wanted to drink to relieve his boredom, but he would often think of his grandfather's instructions after just two or three sips, and had to put down the wine cup and drink hot tea instead.

He walked around the mansion a few times, fed the white pigeons that flew in to beg for food, and also fed the birds that wanted to get some rice. He counted the number with his fingers before getting up.

However, he really couldn't think of a good place to go, so he tightened the reins of his horse and prepared to leave the house and take a walk in the city. He planned to come back at sunset and go straight to bed to sleep.

Shen Yifang jumped onto the horse, and before he could properly hold the reins, he saw the sedan chair passing by on the street stopped in front of the Marquis's Mansion.

"Young Marquis, how are you?" Wei Chen changed into a dark casual suit and a cloak of the same color and got out of the car to greet him.

"It's been a long time since I last saw Brother Wei," Shen Yi held the somewhat restless horse tightly and turned the horse's head towards the other party and responded.

"Young Marquis, do you have anything else to do today?" "I just wanted to take a quick look around. It's rare for you to come to the Marquis' Mansion." Chen Yi glanced at Wei Qianyu's casual clothes and realized that the court was closed today. "You wouldn't come to me like Liu Qianshan for no reason."

Wei Chen laughed heartily as he said, "Young Marquis is right, Wei Qianyu came to visit today, he really has something." Seeing him take two steps forward, Shen Yi also got off the horse holding the reins and moved closer.

As expected, Wei Chen finally spoke up and continued to explain what was going on. "His Majesty just announced an order to appoint Xue Congzhi as the military supervisor. He will set off westward early tomorrow morning."

He paused, his tone less serious than before as if he was thinking of something. "Young Marquis, you know that Congzhi is an old friend of my father's. And since General Huo has just set out to Longxi, we specially arranged a simple banquet. One reason is to welcome Congzhi, and the other is to ask the general to take care of him when he arrives."

Xue Congzhi… Chen Yi remembered who this person was and realized that he hadn't heard from him in over a month. "Brother Wei, if you ask me for help, of course I will go. I'll just follow Brother Wei's carriage."

After saying this, he sat astride his horse again and followed the sedan chair slowly towards the restaurant where the other party was hosting the banquet. The position of military supervisor was also considered an old system that was used in conjunction with the position of supervisory censor.

Thinking back on Wei Qianyu's words, Shen Yi felt that it was a coincidence. He recalled the quiet night they had spent together at Xue's house, drinking simple tea and warm water. It was better for Xue Congzhi to leave.

My grandfather had always been against civil officials. Xue Congzhi looked like a scholar, but he had only been in Chang'an for less than a year, so he wouldn't have been infected by the court's atmosphere. If my grandfather ever felt compelled to disobey orders, Xue Congzhi wouldn't try to stop him like those old guys, full of useless academic knowledge.

The restaurant where Wei Qianyu was holding the banquet this time was not close by. Shen Yi dismounted and patted the horse's back, looking at the horse's gently swinging tail with a smile. They would be outside the city in a few more steps, which aroused his horse's restless attention.

Perhaps because they had been instructed beforehand, the waiters in the restaurant did not come forward. Shen Yi followed Wei Chen into the side room, where the heater had been lit in advance and the windows facing the street were closed tightly.

"Young Marquis." Xue Heng stood up and bowed to the two people who had just entered. He raised his hand and invited Wei Chen to the main seat first, while he found a seat below and sat down.

Chen Yi returned the greeting as usual, "Xue Congzhi." He was not in a hurry to sit down, but looked at Xue Heng, who was dressed in plain clothes, and looked into his stature, his scholarly air that was not like that of others, and an inexplicable feeling of comfort.

She called him, and after a smile, she lifted her robe and sat down. She watched Xue Heng refill hot tea for herself and Wei Qianyu. She decided not to dwell on the mystery for now. Someone she felt comfortable with wouldn't easily anger her grandfather.

Now the old man is far away in Longxi, and he is the military supervisor appointed by the emperor himself, so the more convenience he can make, the better.