Jiang Jizu had just finished dealing with the Liao family's affairs when he rushed to the second courtyard to bring some food to his daughter.
They came up empty-handed.
Zhang Xianglian, who was stewing pork knuckle, said that the children were all at the entrance of the examination hall, and he followed them without thinking.
Unexpectedly, the imperial examination had just ended, and the students were all leaving. For someone as tall as him, going against the flow of people was quite difficult.
After finally squeezing his way to Jiang Sheng, Jiang Jizu was already sweating, but he still smiled and called out, "Nannan, Daddy's here."
As usual, his chubby daughter would have already happily rushed over and tugged at his clothes.
Something was off today. The little girl looked shy and hesitant. It took her a while to finally come over and ask in an extremely soft voice, "Daddy, do you know my third brother?"
Third Brother, that kid from the Fang family, right?
The son of an old friend, despite the great changes that befell his family, still remained true to his original aspiration to guard the frontier, and has won several small victories in the past two years.
If he weren't so busy, Jiang Jizu would really like to sit down and have a good chat with this kid.
"Of course I know him." He seemed to understand something. "Don't worry, once they are stationed on the frontier, they are my men, and I will never let any outsiders bully them."
If those who guard the frontiers can be bullied by those who enjoy peace, what is the point of war? What is the point of being a soldier? What is the point of defending one's homeland?
Soldiers always deserve respect and preferential treatment.
"Father is so good." Jiang Sheng was surprised that her father was so insightful and rushed over happily. "Father is a good father and a good general."
Jiang Jizu smiled bitterly.
He may be considered a good general, but he was definitely not a good father.
At least not before.
Fortunately, there is still a future.
"Come here, little girl. Daddy has prepared honey pastries from the east of the city for you, as well as the best candied hawthorns in all of Fengjing." He took things out of his pocket.
Same, same, and yet the same.
Jiang Sheng watched with great interest, her eyes shining.
Xu Mo and Zheng Ruqian exchanged a knowing glance and stepped aside to avoid each other's view.
Then, Fang Yuan, in the crowd, saw Fang Heng, one of the siblings.
These two cousins, who once practiced martial arts alongside their grandfather, finally looked at each other after their identities were reversed and their families underwent a sudden change.
A figure dressed in flowing white robes, though of noble status, was surrounded only by servants.
A figure dressed in black, seemingly frail and powerless, yet amidst the hustle and bustle.
In particular, Jiang Sheng generously started distributing things, giving each brother a piece of honey pastry, another brother a candied hawthorn, and stuffing a whole string of bright red candied hawthorns into Fang Heng's hand.
Pitted hawthorns coated with rock sugar aren't particularly delicious, but with my sister's thoughtfulness, they become especially touching.
Fang Yuan watched quietly, showing no surprise at seeing an old friend, but rather a complex expression.
Seeing this, Fang Heng raised the candied hawthorn high and took a bite with relish.
"Third Brother, is it delicious?" Jiang Sheng asked, holding a large bag of treats. "If it's good, I'll share some with you."
"It's delicious." Fang Heng smiled.
Turning around again, Fang Yuan was already gone, leaving only desolation on the ground.
He couldn't quite describe his feelings. He sighed deeply, then got into the carriage with his brothers, sisters, and other relatives and returned to their two-courtyard house.
Aunt Zhang had already cooked the meal, and was just waiting for the children to come back so she could serve it to them while it was still hot.
They ate and drank heartily, talked freely, reminisced about their brotherhood, and discussed the wars on the frontier.
Jiang Jizu seemed a little drunk, and patted Fang Heng on the shoulder, saying, "You are younger than my son, but you are more outstanding than him. You have become a squad leader without anyone promoting you. If someone wanted to promote you, you would be amazing."
"Old Fang and I are old friends, so I won't stand idly by and do nothing for his child... But your father has had quite a few former subordinates in the northern frontier over the years, so why haven't you contacted them or sought their help?"
Why?
Initially, it was to avoid the Fang family and prevent them from discovering his whereabouts. Later, he wanted to protect the border in a down-to-earth manner. If others could start from being ordinary soldiers, Fang Heng could too.
If one benefits from their father's influence, there's always a sense of opportunism.
Fang Heng was straightforward and not afraid that the Jiang family also had Jiang Chengyuan, so he honestly told them what was on his mind.
Jiang Sheng, listening from the side, clicked her tongue in disapproval, feeling worried about her third brother's straightforwardness.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Jizu laughed heartily, admiring the young general even more. "You're right. To become a great general, one must start as a soldier, worry about the world's troubles, and suffer the common people's hardships. Only a general who truly rises from the grassroots can lead the Dayu Dynasty to victory and drive out the Tartars."
"Whether it's Lao Fang, me, or the several deputy generals who led the troops, we all started as ordinary soldiers. We went straight to becoming captains and generals without even entering the camp."
Fang Heng nodded repeatedly, feeling a sense of awe and admiration.
“But…” Jiang Jizu’s tone suddenly changed, “If you rely solely on your own strength, it will probably take you more than ten years to become a general. If you have the ability and skills, even if you get promoted faster through connections, it will only mean protecting the people and guarding the border sooner, right?”
Fang Heng was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously.
He was already familiar with squad combat, and continuing would only be tiring and repetitive. But becoming the captain of the third battalion was not so easy, and becoming a general was even more out of reach.
“Military generals are straightforward and despise collusion, but Xiao Fang, in the end we are all contributing to the defense of our country. If we can help the suffering people and drive away the cruel and hateful Tartars sooner, even if we take some shortcuts, it is understandable.” Jiang Jizu said meaningfully.
After several rounds of meals, the general stood up, patted his daughter's head, and told her to get some rest.
Fang Heng sat there, seemingly having undergone a spiritual baptism, or perhaps having realized the path he should take.
“I think I should start looking for the old members of the Fang family.” He looked at his brothers. “The Fang family already knows of my existence, and a silent battle is about to begin.”
“To be precise, the Fang family has known for a long time that you are our third brother.” Chang Yan spoke slowly. “We used to think that the Fang family changed the exam papers because they were eyeing our eldest brother’s talent, but today we realized that we were wrong.”
Fang Yuan's ability to master Xu Mo's handwriting in a year demonstrates his considerable perseverance. He may not be able to achieve the top score in the provincial examination, but passing the metropolitan examination should not be difficult for him.
Their main reason for replacing Xu Mo's grades was to remove Fang Heng's support.
They feared Fang Heng's rise to power, feared that Fang Heng had connections in the court, and feared that Fang Heng would return to Fengjing from the northern border.
"So it was my fault that everyone was in trouble." Fang Heng didn't have time to blame himself. He clenched his fists. "Xiao Wu, tell me, how exactly should I test the Fang family's trump cards?"
Since we are already irreconcilably at odds with the Fang family, let's just go all the way and target them to the end.
Let's see if the established families are more powerful, or if the outstanding young people are stronger.
"No rush, no rush." Chang Yan squinted his eyes. "Everyone should continue with what they are doing during this time. We... need to wait for the results of the imperial examination."
Fang Jiafang, will he be able to pass the provincial examination and obtain the status of a tribute student?
They wait and see.
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