Chapter 11 "Then I will visit General Wei tomorrow..."
"It's him?" Bai Xuerou's expression shifted slightly, somewhat surprised. She hadn't expected such a coincidence. She then asked, "But I remember he was only recently invited back by Father. He's not as good as the other generals. Why did you choose him?"
Ling Xun's expression shifted slightly, revealing a hint of excitement and longing.
"Sister-in-law, you don't know this, but General Wei Yi is not only highly skilled in martial arts, but also extremely adept at troop deployment. Back then..."
As he spoke, his voice trailed off. He glanced around and saw that the maids were all in the distance before whispering, "Back then, Father King had several times the number of troops and barely managed to win. But even so, he still managed to escape from the encirclement of the main army."
This was clearly a shameful thing for the Prince of Zhenbei, but his son said it with great enthusiasm, his expression unusually lively.
Bai Xuerou's eyes widened involuntarily, but she couldn't help but smile when she saw him like this.
Even if she knew nothing about military affairs, she understood what those words meant. No wonder he joined the Zhenbei Army so easily; if he could have such a capable general under his command, who would care about those trivial matters from the past?
"Truly, it's amazing." She exclaimed in admiration, thinking that it was incredible that she had managed to have such a capable person as her bodyguard for so many years.
Ling Xun assumed she was shocked by Wei Yi's achievements and said firmly with a slight gleam in her eyes, "Since we're looking for a master, we should naturally choose the best."
He was usually calm and composed, but there was a hint of arrogance in his words, which finally made him seem more like someone his age.
Bai Xuerou couldn't help but smile and chimed in, "That's how it should be. Since you have an idea, I'll send someone to find out what this person likes."
"Thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law," Ling Xun said happily, revealing a hint of joy, but he tried to maintain a calm demeanor, which made Bai Xuerou smile even more.
She might not be so sure about others, but with Wei Yi, it was a sure thing.
“But what about my father…” He hesitated again.
No matter how bad that teacher is, he was still invited by the Prince of Zhenbei. Now that Ling Xun refuses to go and instead wants to go to the Ling family, isn't it obvious that he looks down on that teacher? The Prince of Zhenbei will definitely feel offended.
"I'll talk to him tomorrow and find out, but I think Father will agree," Bai Xuerou said with a smile.
Whether Aunt Ge has just passed away or not, the Prince of Zhenbei is currently in the midst of his deepest remembrance.
If we bring up Ling Xun's matter now, the chances of success are very high.
Ling Xun, not understanding the intricacies, seemed to be deep in thought.
Having settled the matter with the gentleman, Ling Xun took his leave.
The unmarried young men in the household usually study in the morning and practice martial arts in the afternoon, but today is the first day of the month, which happens to be a holiday of one day every half month, so they don't have to go to school.
He had just sat down when someone came and brought him some pastries made in the small kitchen. The sweet aroma filled the air, making his mouth water. Strangely enough, Aunt Ge was from Miao territory, and the Prince of Zhenbei was from the north. Both loved spicy food, but he couldn't eat it. His taste was more southern, and he loved sweets.
No one paid much attention to this before, until I came to Zhiwei Academy, though I had eaten with Bai Xuerou at the same table a few times—
Apart from breakfast, on special days, lunch and dinner are eaten in their respective courtyards.
After a few times, Bai Xuerou actually discovered his taste preferences.
It's hard to tell whether his attempt to conceal it was too clumsy or Bai Xuerou's keen perception.
From then on, the kitchen would send him desserts almost every day.
Ling Xun dismissed the servants. He hadn't taken any of the people from Xiefang Courtyard before, and they had been reassigned elsewhere by the manor. The people he was now using were all new recruits brought by the steward through Bai Xuerou, whom he then selected himself. Apart from instructing them on some rules, she didn't interfere much.
Although he didn't care, he felt much better after seeing what Bai Xuerou did.
The study quieted down. He took a piece of pastry and ate it, his eyes narrowing slightly as he revealed a happy expression.
The next day, Bai Xuerui told the Prince of Zhenbei about going to the Bai family to enroll in school.
As expected, although the Prince of Zhenbei was slightly displeased, he still agreed, and after pondering for a moment, he took the initiative to bring up the matter of Mr. Wu.
Bai Xuerou's heart stirred slightly. She glanced at Ling Xun and showed some hesitation.
The Prince of Zhenbei had asked casually, but seeing Bai Xuerou's reaction, he became somewhat interested and looked at Ling Xun, saying, "What, do you have someone in mind?"
"Yes, I have heard that General Wei Yi is highly skilled in martial arts and I would like to become his disciple." Ling Xun stood up and said respectfully without any attempt to hide his identity.
Bai Xuerou lowered her eyes, her heart tightening.
Based on what Ling Xun said, she figured the Prince of Zhenbei must have mixed feelings, and in short, he might not be happy.
At the head of the table, the Prince of Zhenbei indeed remained silent for a moment.
“Wei Yi, his martial arts skills are indeed extremely high. But I’m very curious, where did you know that?” he asked.
Wei Yi had only been in Yandu for a little over half a year and had kept a low profile. People outside only knew that he existed, but they didn't know much else about him.
Bai Xuerou grew increasingly uneasy and worried when Ling Zheng gently squeezed her hand beside her.
She looked up and met the other person's reassuring gaze. Just as Ling Zheng was about to speak, Ling Xun calmly said, "I happened to run into General Liu before and heard him mention to someone that he wanted to challenge General Wei to a rematch. I had always heard that General Liu was very skilled in martial arts, but he was defeated by General Wei, so I had this idea."
"That old Liu," the Prince of Zhenbei said irritably.
Bai Xuerou felt relieved and smiled at Ling Zheng.
Ling Zheng's eyes held a somewhat inscrutable expression as he slowly returned her a smile.
Chunniang didn't understand, he said to himself.
Although Wei Yi's background is hard to say, and he has kept a low profile for the past six months, he is capable. His current low profile is just a way to lie low and try his best to gain his father's trust.
If he doesn't cause any problems once the war starts, he will definitely be given an important position.
He might very well become the leader of all the generals.
If Ling Xun could become his disciple, he would have a powerful ally. In such a situation, if he were to develop ambitions…
Ling Zheng instinctively feared and disliked anyone who could threaten his position, and his first thought was to suppress Ling Xun.
But it was just a momentary impulse. He always understood that he could do anything, as long as he didn't displease the Prince of Zhenbei.
Right now, the Prince of Zhenbei is clearly in a position to treat Ling Xun well, so he can't spoil the mood.
Since that's the case, then we should treat him well. Ling Xun is still young, so it's best to take him under our wing now.
With his mind racing, Ling Zheng had already made up his mind.
In that short time, the Prince of Zhenbei was saying that he would not speak up for Ling Xun, and whether he could become Wei Yi's disciple depended on his own efforts.
He felt a sense of relief.
It seems that even though the King is easy to talk to, he doesn't really value Ling Xun that much.
Ling Xun, however, didn't mind and, unusually, showed a happy expression as he thanked the Prince of Zhenbei.
Because of this incident, the atmosphere at breakfast afterwards became somewhat awkward.
Ling Zheng managed to remain composed, but Ling Chong couldn't help but show his hostility towards Ling Xun.
The Ling brothers secretly thought that Ling Chong was a fool who couldn't even hide his thoughts and still complained about his father's neglect.
However, his current foolishness is exactly what his brothers wanted, so they were all happy to see it happen.
Although the person Zhenbei Wang values most right now is Ling Zheng, who can say for sure? Maybe they will win his favor someday.
Everyone has ambition. With so many brothers, there can only be one position as the Prince of Zhenbei. Who wouldn't want it?
After a breakfast filled with different thoughts and feelings, everyone dispersed.
Madam Wu kept Bai Xuerou behind to talk, and during their conversation, she couldn't help but mention Ling Xun, saying, "You and that child seem to get along quite well."
Since Consort Ge fell seriously ill and the Prince of Zhenbei showed unusual behavior, Madam Wu couldn't help but pay more attention to anything related to the mother and son. Even Bai Xuerou, who had promised to take care of Ling Xun, became slightly distant.
This is something that Wu herself may not have realized, but Bai Xuerou did.
"That child is beautiful, just looking at him is comforting, and he's so well-behaved, it's hard not to like him," Bai Xuerou said gently, pretending not to notice.
“That’s true.” Madam Wu recalled Ling Xun’s face.
The child inherited his mother's beauty, especially her eyebrows and eyes, which were very similar. She had thick, dark eyebrows and deep-set eyes that were full of affection even when she wasn't smiling. If she were dressed as a girl, no one would doubt that she was a pretty young girl.
It's only because he's still young that it's hard to tell. But in a few more years, who knows how many girls he'll attract.
Then her thoughts drifted to Aunt Ge.
The person is gone, and any amount of resentment can only torment oneself. Sometimes, Lady Wu wished she were still alive, rather than dying like this, yet forever living in the heart of the Prince of Zhenbei.
There are countless kinds of women in the world. Some love talented men, some love scholars, but Ms. Wu loves heroes.
She still remembers the heart-fluttering moment when she saw the Prince of Zhenbei return victoriously, riding his army through the streets of Yandu when she was young.
At that time, she even thought about becoming a concubine of the Prince of Zhenbei, and was punished by her grandmother to kneel in the Buddhist hall.
Although the Prince of Zhenbei is powerful, he is not the emperor. The Wu family is of noble lineage. If she becomes his concubine, what will become of her sisters?
I'm afraid that if anyone mentions the unmarried daughters of the Wu family again, they'll say it's the Wu family whose elder sister was a concubine in the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion.
Fortunately, Heaven smiled upon them, and not long after, the wife of the Prince of Zhenbei passed away, allowing Lady Wu to marry the Prince of Zhenbei and become his third wife.
After seven years of marriage, the two remained deeply in love. The Prince of Zhenbei treated his concubines indifferently, and even the previously favored Concubine Ge was largely ignored. Gradually, she became content and immersed herself in their love.
But who would have thought that when Aunt Ge fell seriously ill, the Prince of Zhenbei, who had always neglected her, would show such an unusual behavior, shattering her previous beautiful dream.
These days, Ms. Wu has been suffering in her heart, yet she is at a loss for what to do.
What can she do with a dead person?
Bai Xuerou quietly observed the slight resentment in Wu Shi's expression and the slight opening and closing of her lips, but ultimately said nothing.
What could she say—
It is said that the Prince of Zhenbei did not particularly like Consort Ge.
He likes the person he can't have.
When Aunt Ge was alive, he wanted her to submit and was dissatisfied with her unruly nature. Now that she's gone, even that unruly nature has become something to savor.
Even if she said those words, would Madam Wu really listen to them?
Furthermore, the Prince of Zhenbei was her father-in-law, and Lady Wu was her mother-in-law; how could she possibly bring up such matters?
Enough, enough.
Let's see when Mr. Wu comes to his senses.
After chatting for a while, Bai Xuerou wrote a letter and sent it back to the Bai family. The next day, she went back in person and told her father about Ling Xun.
Bai Hanwen readily agreed.
Bai Xuerou smiled, opened her mouth, but swallowed the words she was about to say.
She wanted her father to teach Ling Xun more, but ultimately decided against it. If she did, Bai Hanwen would likely ask many questions, and she wouldn't know what to say. Ling Xun was smart; he should know what to do. If all else failed, she could simply offer some pointers.
After finalizing Ling Xun's enrollment, Bai Xuerou returned home. The servant she had sent out earlier had already brought back information about Wei Yi.
After the Prince of Zhenbei invited General Wei Yi back, he attached great importance to him, providing him with a residence and servants on a street near the Prince's home, an area inhabited by generals of the Zhenbei Army, making it easy to find. General Wei was said to have a good temper, disliked pleasure, and often stayed in his residence when not in use.
These things are easy to find out; you can find out just by asking.
Bai Xuerou naturally knew this; after so many years together, she knew far more than she could learn from these inquiries.
But she shouldn't have known, so she sent people to continue investigating.
Bian ordered someone to deliver the message to Ling Xun, only to learn that Ling Xun had already gone to General Wei's residence.
"He went there already?" Bai Xuerou asked, slightly surprised.
The servant bowed his head. After finishing his morning lessons, Dao Lingxun went straight out of the mansion and headed towards General Wei's residence.
Bai Xuerou thought for a moment, smiled slightly, and dismissed the servant.
Ling Xun's actions were likely intended to move people with sincerity, rather than to be a calculated scheme, which is for the best.
Sure enough, when Ling Xun returned and told Bai Xuerou about his thoughts, it was just as she had guessed.
Bai Xuerou expressed her support, listening to Ling Xun happily recount how Wei Yi had tested him and how his attitude had softened, and she planned to visit him every day thereafter.
“Very well, since you are so sincere, General Wei will surely be moved. However, I have already spoken with my family about your studies, so you can't go in the morning. You should also inform General Wei.” Bai Xuerou reminded him.
"Shall we go tomorrow?"
Bai Xuerou smiled and said, "There's no rush. After my father and the family school teacher have spoken, they will send a letter. It will be at least the day after tomorrow."
“Then I will tell him when I visit General Wei tomorrow,” Ling Xun said with a sigh of relief.
He was usually quiet and rarely showed any interest or longing for anything, but now he repeatedly expressed his happiness about Wei Yi's matter, which made Bai Xuerou smile every time she saw it.
"good."
A note from the author:
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Writing this was a natural progression, but then it suddenly occurred to me that if A Bao were to become Wei Yi's apprentice, wouldn't both master and apprentice be in love with Chun Niang? Things suddenly become subtly (interesting).
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