Long smoke sunset lonely city closed

The sky is filled with yellow sand, and the spring breeze of April has not yet reached this dormant yellow land.

On the Ganliang Ancient Road, the sad and ancient sounds of the Qiang flute and the Hu songs soared into the sky, and the vast setting sun illuminated the silent and towering lonely city in the distance.

"Hey, have you heard? This year's top scholar is actually a prisoner!"

A big man with a rough face leaned against the creaking wooden door that was about to fall down. He picked up the tea bowl with a hole at his feet and took a big gulp. He then chatted idly with the middle-aged man squatting in the other corner.

"Of course, such a big thing, even if I am a savage living in the mountains who doesn't eat brown rice, I should know about it."

Some of the tea in the man's hand splashed onto the ground and was instantly buried by the wind and sand.

"If you ask me, that number one scholar is really crazy. He finally made it through ten years of hard study, but ended up like this."

"Who says it's not true? He dared to arrogantly scold the current emperor in the Golden Palace, saying that Your Majesty is incompetent and has appointed treacherous villains. The country is in turmoil because Your Majesty's actions have angered the gods and a great disaster is about to happen. Look, is this what a top scholar should say?"

"Dude, be careful what you say!"

The man shook his head, approached the big man and lowered his voice mysteriously, "I heard it, I heard it, don't tell anyone else about it."

"That number one scholar's crime was more than just disrespect. It is said that after the palace examination, His Majesty valued talent and wanted to meet this number one scholar. However, he was so bold as to attempt to assassinate His Majesty. He was dragged out and beheaded that day. The blood on the city gate was three feet high!"

"What? Is that so?!"

The big man was stunned with astonishment. He was silent for a moment before he sighed.

"Your Majesty is kind."

"By the way, what is the name of our number one scholar?"

"It seems to be something like...Xu Yan. His name sounds elegant, but who would have thought he was a lunatic?"

"Oh, who said it wasn't?"

Crazy?

The young man sitting in the corner almost laughed out loud when he heard the conversation between the two. Maybe that was the case.

It does sound crazy for a weak scholar to give up his high position and bright future and go to the front alone.

Xu Yan stood up and paid for the tea. Time waits for no one. It is still about a hundred miles from here to the military camp, and he has to get there before sunset.

The sound of horse hooves raised a cloud of dust. Xu Yan turned his head to look at the shabby, barely recognizable tea shop behind him. His figure gradually blurred in the vast desert and turned into a speck of dust in the world here.

*

"I've seen the army."

"Um."

It's almost summer in the northern border and the weather is finally getting warmer. Xu Yan himself didn't expect that although he looks frail, he is actually quite hardy. He has been here for more than a month and has not had any problems despite the sudden changes in temperature.

Perhaps it was his fate to be rough. He smiled at himself and opened the military tent. Then he spread out his pen and ink on the table and began to write a military letter.

A military letter will not be sent to any of the six ministries or three provinces and will be sent directly to the Qinzheng Hall.

It's funny to say that when he set out from Tiandu, His Majesty gave him many instructions, saying that Gu Zi'an was a man who was too stubborn and easily broken, and was also bold and reckless, so he must keep an eye on Gu Zi'an and write to him if he had any problems.

He thought it was true as the rumors outside, that General Gu was ambitious and at odds with His Majesty, and that was why His Majesty reminded him of this. Therefore, when he came to the military camp, he deliberately did not report the token given by His Majesty, but joined the army in the name of a conspirator.

But based on my observations over the past month or so, how could he not understand this? I was really overthinking it.

Although the general was a bit arbitrary, he was not stubborn. However, he was always at the forefront of everything and did not care about his life at all. I think Your Majesty guessed that the general would be like this, so he asked him to keep a closer eye on him.

But no matter what, for any citizen of Daxuan, the harmony between His Majesty and the general is a great blessing. This country, which is in internal troubles and external chaos, can no longer withstand internal friction.

Only those vile and treacherous people who hide themselves in the shadows would hope for chaos in the world so that they can achieve their undeclarable goals.

Xu Yan thought of what he had seen along the way, with a chilling look between his brows. The trials of blood and fire had already begun to leave indelible marks on his body.

The boat sinks here and the ferry takes you to the other shore; life and death may depend on this moment.

*

"Gu Zian is really..."

Ji Mingxiu looked at the two military letters on the table with some amusement. The general contents were the same, but the one delivered by Gu Zi'an mostly reported good news rather than worries, and thus omitted many details.

However, Xu Yan wrote a thick stack of articles, from Tiandu to Yongzhou and all the way to the northern border, and he also listed many seemingly feasible strategies for developing the country.

He had originally wanted to use this year's spring examination to select a group of officials to be placed in the six ministries for gradual training. Xu Yan's talent and political views were first-rate, and he had long begun to pay attention to this wandering scholar. However, no one could have expected that the first time Xu Yan met him, he would volunteer to go to the front line.

"Your Majesty, this war with the Huns is not a battle between soldiers and civilians, but a battle between generals."

These words touched Ji Mingxiu's heart. If Xu Yan really had the ability to get rid of the Xiongnu's god of war Hu Mantu, with the help of Daxuan's troops, he would surely win the battle.

Maybe Gu Zian would not agree to use this method, but... he would not refuse.

Therefore, even though the hope was slim, he still did such a thing, using almost all the connections he had accumulated in the previous dynasty to send Xu Yan to the Northern Frontier.

Such tempting conditions were enough for him to go for a gamble.

"Ah, being an emperor is so tiring."

Ji Mingxiu closed the military book and put it into a sealed sandalwood box, then let himself lie on Su Yuanbai's legs, enjoying the service of the current imperial teacher.

Since Su Yuanbai took over the practical affairs, he no longer had the leisure time he had in the past. Although he still lived in the imperial city, Chaoyue Palace was not close to Qianqing Palace after all, so he naturally saw the imperial teacher less often.

"If your majesty wishes, you don't have to work so hard."

Su Yuanbai massaged gently, not realizing at all that he was stealing Qiu Ling's job. He just spoke casually as if he was chatting with her.

Ji Mingxiu, however, keenly perceived the deeper meaning of this. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked sharply into Su Yuanbai's clear eyes, trying to find clues of his ambition.

After Li Qingyun mentioned it last time, he asked Qiu Ling to look up the details of Su Yuanbai's resignation and becoming the prince's tutor. Although it was a matter of the previous dynasty and few people mentioned it, fortunately it was not a secret that could be kept secret, and it could be found out with a little inquiry.

Ji Mingxiu didn't know why Su Yuanbai had never mentioned this matter to him, nor did he refuse the official affairs he arranged. But since the imperial teacher himself was unwilling to say it, Ji Mingxiu could only pretend to be crazy and stupid and pretend that he knew nothing.

Besides, even if he really knew it a long time ago, what can he do?

He would still activate Su Yuanbai. This was a decision he would not regret, even if the Imperial Master would blame him...

But at this moment, Su Yuanbai just responded to Ji Mingxiu's scrutiny calmly and gently, and frankly offered his true heart without reservation.

It was like a blazing flame wrapped in a thin cloud. Such a look made Ji Mingxiu feel overwhelmed with doubts and didn't know where to put them.

He tilted his head and smiled, then closed his eyes and said with a hint of self-mockery.

"I was just joking. Everyone has gone through the same thing."