Chapter 13 A dignified third-place scholar, don't be so naive...
The capital city of Shengjing was filled with grand gates.
The Xiao family, the Duke of Jing, was the head of the civil officials, and the Pei family, the Marquis of Dingbei, was the head of the military officials. In addition to these two families, the Zhao family, the Duke of Ning, the Gu family, the Duke of Rong, and the Meng family, the Duke of Jianguo, were also wealthy and powerful.
The current Duke of Ningguo, Zhao Ji, is nearly seventy years old.
He achieved early success and was the chief strategist by Emperor Taizu's side. He and Pei Su, the first Marquis of Dingbei, were known as the two great talents of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
His first wife, Zou, was an exceptional woman.
At the end of the previous dynasty, the people were suffering and the flames of war spread to all parts of the country. Emperor Taizu led countless oppressed people in an uprising.
The former dynasty's army suffered defeat after defeat in battle.
The young emperor of the previous dynasty knew he was no match for them.
He made a desperate gamble, sending assassins to kidnap the young Emperor Taizong and bring him to the front lines to coerce Emperor Taizu into retreating.
When Emperor Taizu learned of the young emperor's plot, it was too late.
In the critical moment, it was Lady Zou who substituted her own son for Emperor Taizong, saving his life.
The young emperor, unaware of the true situation, had Zhao's son tied to the city wall.
The young child cried out for help to his parents, who were besieging the city.
Zhao Ji hesitated, but Zou nocked an arrow and drew her bow, ending the life of her own child.
After that battle, Zou sat on the battlefield strewn with corpses, holding her lifeless child and weeping bitterly. As a result, she damaged her health and was unable to have children for many years.
Zhao Ji cherished his first wife and never took a concubine.
The couple didn't have another child until they were nearly forty years old. This child was Zhao Yingjie, the heir of the Duke of Ningguo, who is now guarding the southwest.
Emperor Taizong was deeply grateful for the great kindness shown to the Zou family, and immediately bestowed favors upon them upon ascending the throne.
Not only did he bestow the title of Earl of Zhongyi upon Zou's younger brother, but he also personally issued an edict betrothing Meng, the youngest daughter of the previous Duke of Jian, to Zhao Yingjie as his wife.
Even Zhao Bolin has come to Beijing? It feels like a storm is brewing.
Wen Lingzheng frowned slightly, a strange premonition spreading in her heart, making her anxious.
The Zhao family line dwindled, and by the time it reached Zhao Ji, only he and his brother Zhao Qin remained.
Zhao Yingzhong died young, leaving Zhao Ji with only one son, Zhao Yingjie.
Although Zhao Qin received the favor of his great-grandfather and married Li, the daughter of the first Prince of Fuyuan, he only had one son, Zhao Yingxiao.
However, Zhao Yingxiao was physically weak from childhood, and after many years of marriage, he only had one daughter, who is now the Kangping County Lady Zhao Ruyun in the emperor's harem.
The hopes of the whole family rested on Zhao Yingjie.
Unfortunately, Zhao Yingjie and Meng only had Zhao Bolin. Even though Meng stopped giving her concubines contraceptive soup, she only had one more illegitimate daughter, Zhao Rushao, and that was it.
Just as Wen Lingzheng was lost in thought, a figure blocked her view.
Suddenly snapping back to reality, the shadows spread before her eyes, and she could only make out the faint water ripple pattern on the person's t-shirt by the dim light.
Yang Songjian!
Wen Lingzheng took a deep breath. She had become acquainted with Yang Songjian in the fifth year of Xuanren.
Yang Songjian, courtesy name Qingrang.
Her father was Yang Chengru, the Minister of Revenue at the time, and her mother was the most beloved younger sister of Gu Yingzhi, the current Duke of Rong.
The Empress Dowager was his paternal aunt, and by virtue of the Emperor, he was his cousin.
He had frequented the Forbidden City since childhood and had known Chen Lingwen for a long time.
Wen Lingzheng became close to Pei Ning, and naturally, she also became friends with Chen Lingwen.
At the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet held at the Yongqing Grand Princess's residence that year, Yao Zhongxi deliberately tripped up Wen Lingzheng.
It should have been Princess Mingzhu's show, but she was tricked into coming here to claim this prize.
She had no way to avoid it, and didn't want to attract attention, so she had to resort to clever tactics.
Behind a screen, with a foot of silk and a handful of yellow sand, one can paint and write poems.
Wen Lingzheng had no idea that someone on the upper floor would be watching all of this.
In the golden autumn of October, the red leaves on the trees rustled in the wind, and the sunlight scattered, outlining the handsome young man under the eaves.
He called out to her from behind from a distance and walked towards her against the light.
He stopped a step away from her, a half-smile on his face.
She saw a mocking glint in his clear, black-and-white eyes, like a venomous snake.
"He is right-handed but insists on writing with his left hand."
"Interesting! Very interesting."
Memories fade away with the wind.
Concealing a hint of impatience in her eyes, Wen Lingzheng looked up to meet Yang Songjian's gaze: "I wonder what advice Young Master Yang has for me?"
Yang Songjian lowered his eyes and smiled.
He moved slightly to the side, leaning against the wall, and a ray of clear light came from behind him, somewhat dazzling.
Wen Lingzheng glanced at him suspiciously, and after a long while, she heard him lower his voice and ask, "What is Miss Wen looking at?"
He clearly noticed her eyeing Zhao Bolin, and Wen Lingzheng felt a pang of regret.
She pretended not to hear Yang Songjian's words and continued looking out the window, smiling when her eyes met Zhao Rushao's.
At this critical juncture, avoiding it would seem cowardly; it's better to be more decisive.
"Can't I look at the scenery?"
"Brother Qingrang, are you free today?" Chen Lingwen turned around and leaned closer.
Xiao Shanghua also craned her neck to look into the distance: "If Brother Qingrang has some free time, surely my eldest brother should also have some free time?"
Yang Songjian leaned against the window, and the snow that had temporarily stopped falling under the eaves was blown in by the wind. He raised his hand to block it.
"Yun'an has gone to the Emperor's presence for a meeting."
“Ah…” Xiao Shanghua sighed and slumped her head: “Ever since the Emperor issued several imperial edicts summoning my elder brother to the palace that day, he hasn’t been home for several days.”
A meeting? An urgent imperial edict?
Wen Lingzheng keenly grasped the key points of their conversation, and the unpleasantness from before was instantly forgotten.
Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly clenched. Could it be because of the matter in the North?
In the first year of the Qinghe era, Pei Lin, the second son of the Marquis of Dingbei, and Xiao Weiyuan, the heir of the Duke of Jing, were ordered to enter the palace to serve as companions to the then Crown Prince.
On the surface, both Pei Lin and Xiao Weiyuan are trusted confidants of the Emperor. The reason why the Emperor would urgently summon Xiao Weiyuan to the palace must be a major event that could shake the foundation of the country.
The year is drawing to a close.
The floods in Jiangnan had long since subsided, and in her previous life she had never heard of any misfortune that occurred at the end of the eighth year of Xuanren's reign.
—Only the North remains.
Wen Lingzheng's heart sank.
What could it be? He…
Countless speculations tangled in her heart like spider silk, and her once vibrant and lively eyes froze at that moment.
"Miss Wen, you and Prince Xiao shouldn't be very familiar with each other, right?" Yang Songjian's untimely voice interrupted Wen Lingzheng's thoughts.
He stroked his chin, a playful look in his eyes, like a hunter who had found prey but had no intention of hunting, casually toying with the arrows to watch the prey scatter.
Although Wen Lingzheng was familiar with Xiao Shanghua, Xiao Weiyuan was still an outsider.
The two were neither classmates nor relatives, so how could they be acquainted? Yang Songjian's words were truly infuriating.
Wen Lingzheng concealed her expression; her unreadable gaze fell upon Yang Songjian, as cold as snow in December.
"It seems that Young Master Yang is not suited to be a third-ranked scholar, but rather to go to the Star Gazing Platform, where he can look far into the distance and make even unfounded things sound real."
Chen Lingwen couldn't help but laugh out loud, but when she saw Yang Songjian glancing at her, she quickly covered her mouth.
This guy is the most two-faced type; she doesn't want to provoke him for no reason.
Yang Songjian looked at Wen Lingzheng, who still had a smiling face, but the smile was only on the surface.
"Such a eloquent tongue."
"I underestimated Miss Wen."
Xiao Shanghua failed to detect the tension in their words.
She rested her elbows on the table, propped her chin up, and gazed into the distance with a hint of melancholy.
"My older brother even said he'd come with me to fight Hammerball!"
"January has passed, and we haven't even seen a trace of him."
Shen Que happened to lead Zhao Rushao over.
The most playful little girl, upon hearing the words "Hammer Ball," immediately rushed to the window.
"My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Ru Shao. May I ask whose elder sister this is?"
"Tomorrow I'll have my old woman deliver an invitation, asking you to come to my garden and play ball with me!"
With her eyes lighting up, Xiao Changhua said, "My name is Changhua. My father's surname is Xiao, and his given name is Xian."
"This is Princess Mingzhu."
“Those are the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei’s family and the fourth daughter of the Wen family in Yinan Lane.”
"Your Highness, may you be blessed."
"May all my sisters be blessed."
If a young girl smiles with her eyes crinkling in the bright spring sunshine, she is innocent and naive, completely out of place in the turbulent city of Shengjing.
Even Wen Lingzheng couldn't help but sigh with regret when she thought of the little girl's ultimate fate.
"May Zhao's younger sister be well."
They were all just young girls, and soon they were playing together. Although Zhao Bolin felt that his younger sister was too unruly, he didn't say anything more.
The morning light comes and goes beneath the winding corridors.
Yang Songjian remained nonchalant, leaning against the wall, tilting his head slightly, and glancing at Chen Que behind him.
It was rare for him to seriously examine someone.
"I have long heard of the elegant reputation of Young Master Shen."
"But Young Master Shen's behavior is bound to worry Her Majesty."
He paused in his forward steps and turned around.
His gaze was as cold and detached as ever, like a river or a spring, so clear that it seemed to see into the depths of one's heart.
Yang Songjian narrowed his eyes, a rare occurrence for him.
He met Shen Que's gaze without flinching, his dark pupils seeming to darken slightly, concealing an unknown emotion surging within.
A gentle breeze was blowing, and in the distance, Chen Weize was already walking towards the two of them.
Shen Que then slightly withdrew his gaze.
He turned to Chen Weize and said softly, "A gentleman is one whose words and deeds are consistent. Don't be so naive, you esteemed scholar."
A gentleman?
Yang Songjian scoffed; he had no interest in being some kind of gentleman.
The sunlight was dim, and the morning court session had just ended, so the Chui Gong Hall was deserted.
After expelling the eunuchs from the palace, Li Shan sat cross-legged on the ground, with a map of the northern border spread out in front of him.
He reached out and swept across the Fengjiang River basin, then lingered meaningfully in the valleys on both sides for a long time.
“Yun’an”.
"What is your opinion on this seemingly minor strategy?"
Xiao Weiyuan, who had been standing beside the official with his eyes lowered, finally turned around.
He strode over to the map, squatted down, and traced his fingertips across the border town, then to Jincheng, and finally to Lanzhou.
"If we rely solely on natural defenses for defense..."
"The North is lost."
As Xiao Weiyuan traveled outwards from the Lanzhou region, his gaze fell upon the three cities on the border of Dayue: "This move by Jianwei is risky, but if it succeeds, our dynasty can seize these three cities from the Yue people."
Li Shan remained silent for a moment, his gaze following the direction Xiao Weiyuan pointed, surveying the three cities on the border of Da Yue.
Beyond the northern border city lies an endless wasteland, and on the other side of the wasteland lies the ruined city of Da Yue.
Wucheng is rich in water and grass, making it an excellent place for grazing. Unfortunately, it is not suitable for cultivation, and grain is scarce. Therefore, every winter, the Yue people would march south.
Although the other two cities are not as prosperous as Wucheng, they have an excellent geographical location, making them suitable as a stopover point for merchants traveling between the north and south.
Li Shan began to waver.
He frowned slightly and tapped his fingertips heavily on the three cities on the border of Dai Viet.
"I sent a message to Jianwei, telling him that I had granted his request to join the battle."
"Furthermore, tell him that if he wants to protect the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion, he should come back alive."
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