The wind from the border carried the roughness of gravel and the chill of snow-capped mountains. When Qi Mingyue's convoy drove out of the last pass, the view suddenly opened up before them—the boundless Gobi Desert stretched to the horizon, with snow-capped mountains in the distance, a vast expanse of heaven and earth, completely different from the exquisite prosperity of the capital.
“This is Yumen Pass.” Yao Xiuyan rode his horse alongside the carriage, his dark cloak fluttering in the wind. “The spring breeze does not reach Yumen Pass; this is the place described in the poem.”
Qi Mingyue lifted the carriage curtain and was awestruck by the vast and desolate scene before her. In the distance, military flags fluttered, and nearby, the camel bells of caravans jingled; a primal and powerful force rushed towards her.
Yao Xiuyan's villa was located inside the city gate. Its exterior was simple and unadorned, but its interior was a hidden paradise. The underfloor heating kept it warm, and the furnishings were simple yet exquisite. The most wonderful thing was that the study was filled with books, many of which were local chronicles of the border region and military books.
"Does Brother Xiuyan come here often?" Qi Mingyue asked curiously.
Yao Xiuyan took off his cloak: "I always come to stay for a while when I'm guarding the border." He suddenly smiled, "But I'm afraid I won't be able to have any peace and quiet anymore."
Before the words were finished, a commotion arose outside the courtyard. A burly man with a thick beard led several generals in, who all froze in place when they saw Qi Mingyue.
"Your Highness, who is this...?" General Li asked in a gruff voice, his gaze unabashedly scrutinizing Qi Mingyue.
Yao Xiuyan said calmly, "Miss Qi is from the capital. I will need your help in running the school on the border in the future."
The generals exchanged glances, and General Li spoke first: "Your Highness, the border is bitterly cold, and Miss Qi is so delicate, I'm afraid..."
“General Li is overthinking it,” Yao Xiu said calmly. “Miss Qi is here to establish a school, not to defend the border.”
Only then did everyone notice the book box behind Qi Mingyue. A young general scoffed, "Run a school? Children on the border are lucky to have enough to eat, let alone study."
Qi Mingyue said gently, "The general is right. It is precisely because the border is so harsh that we need to study and understand principles."
The general was about to retort when Yao Xiuyan stopped him with a look: "I'm tired today, everyone please go back."
As everyone took their leave, Qi Mingyue clearly heard someone whisper, "How long can this pampered young lady from the capital stay? I'm afraid she can't endure hardship..."
Zhi Shu's eyes reddened with anger: "Miss, they are so rude!"
Qi Mingyue remained calm: "It's alright. It's inevitable when you're new here."
Yao Xiuyan looked at her and said, "I'm sorry you had to go through this."
"Brother Xiuyan, what are you saying?" Qi Mingyue looked out the window. "Now that we've come to the border, we'll have to face these things sooner or later."
......
Life at the border was indeed tough. The wind and sand were strong, the water was hard, and the food was coarse. Although Qi Mingyue was not delicate, she still suffered from acclimatization problems and lost a lot of weight after a few days.
The school was located in the southwest corner of the city, in what was originally an abandoned granary. Qi Mingyue and Zhishu personally cleaned and arranged it, and it took them several days to make it barely presentable.
On the day the court session began, more than a dozen children of military households came, all of them pale and thin, with timid eyes. Qi Mingyue patiently taught them to recognize characters and read, but the children couldn't sit still and kept looking out the window.
Halfway through the class, they suddenly heard the sound of galloping hooves outside. Lin Qiuyan led several female soldiers in, their red clothes fluttering in the wind, exuding a commanding presence.
"Oh, you've really started a school?" She looked around, her tone mocking. "What will Miss Qi teach these children? Poetry and songs? The border doesn't need that."
The children, frightened, hid behind Qi Mingyue. Qi Mingyue calmly asked, "Miss Lin, is there something you need?"
Lin Qiuyan raised an eyebrow: "Let's see how the talented women of the capital teach." She suddenly drew an arrow, "How about I teach them archery? That would be much more practical."
She then proceeded to demonstrate inside the hall, startling the children who screamed and scattered. Qi Mingyue stepped forward: "Miss Lin, this is a school."
"I know it's a school," Lin Qiuyan sneered. "I just don't know what kind of teaching Miss Qi can produce."
Just as they were at an impasse, Yao Xiuyan's voice came from outside the door: "Qiuyan, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Lin Qiuyan immediately dropped her arrogance: "Brother Xiuyan, I just came to take a look..."
Yao Xiuyan scanned the room: "Finished reading? You can leave now."
Lin Qiuyan glared at Qi Mingyue resentfully before leaving with the female soldiers.
Yao Xiuyan examined the children's writing and said gently, "Were you frightened?"
The children nodded timidly. A little girl whispered, "Miss Qi teaches well...we want to study..."
Yao Xiuyan patted her head: "Alright, then study hard." He turned to Qi Mingyue, "Qiuyan is straightforward, don't take it to heart."
Qi Mingyue smiled faintly: "No."
After the person left, Zhishu couldn't help but say, "Young Master clearly saw Miss Lin being provocative, so why did you let her off so easily?"
Qi Mingyue continued tidying up the books: "He is the commander-in-chief of the border, he can't possibly bother with our daughters' disputes."
......
A few days later, Yao Xiuyan was to inspect the defenses and would be away from the pass for several days. No sooner had he left than trouble broke out.
That day, Qi Mingyue was giving a lesson when she suddenly heard loud wailing outside. When she went out to look, she found several military households' women kneeling outside the school, holding their children.
"Miss Qi, please have mercy! Close the school!" an old woman pleaded, kowtowing. "Since the child started studying here, there's been no one to do the housework. Yesterday, the little girl's father broke his leg, and no one has taken care of him!"
Another woman cried out, "What's the use of studying? Can it put food on the table? Miss Qi is a noblewoman from the capital; she doesn't understand the plight of us poor people!"
The children were terrified and cried loudly, and the school was in chaos. General Li rushed over upon hearing the news and frowned upon seeing the situation: "Miss Qi, I think it's best to postpone the school session."
Qi Mingyue insisted, "General, reading and understanding are always a good thing..."
"We don't talk about these empty principles at the border!" General Li said impatiently. "Being able to eat well and stay warm is what really matters!"
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