With the knowledge that the letter was from Qin Xiao, Bai Lihong became restless.

He pushed off the chair with his calves and slid down, then ran on his short legs to stand in front of Chu Jiubian.

“Xiansheng, I want to read it too,” the young boy said. Standing on tiptoe, he used his hands to support himself on Chu Jiubian’s knees and tried to climb into his lap.

Chu Jiubian lifted him up and settled him on his lap.

Bai Lihong looked at the envelope with bright eyes: “Xiansheng, what did Jiujiu say?”

“Let’s have a look.” Chu Jiubian unfolded the letter.

The first thing to catch his eye was the familiar handwriting. Flowing and vigorous, the powerful strokes seemed to perforate the paper, possessing a unique and distinctive style.

Having left the capital a month ago, we have now arrived in the Northwest…..

In a businesslike tone, he briefly recounted everything that had transpired along the way.

In addition, on the day they arrived in the Northwest, Moba Zanpu changed his mind and prepared to massacre the city that very day, but was stopped by Dingbei-wang.

The people of Shanxi and Gansu were now spreading stories of Dingbei-wang’s heroic deeds, and his previous reputation as “incompetent” after being captured had been completely overshadowed.

Although the tone was entirely professional, Chu Jiubian still detected a hint of mockery in Qin Xiao’s words, particularly in the phrase, “Dingbei-wang is in the enemy camp, yet his name is still associated with Great Ning.”

It seemed that this matter was not as the rumors suggested.

It was a foregone conclusion that Dingbei-wang and Moba Zanpu had conspired together. All this talk of “shielding the common people from harm” and showing fearless courage in the face of death was likely just a show that the vassal king had staged for himself.

He himself had constructed the stage, then drew both Great Ning’s Imperial Court and the Western Regions onto it. He had included Qin Xiao and Moba Zanpu, and even the common people of Shanxi and Gansu into his calculations.

Not only did he successfully lure Qin Xiao over, but he even made a name for himself in the process.

He was truly a clever tactician.

Chu Jiubian’s eyes darkened slightly. He had never truly paid attention to this Dingbei-wang Bai Liyu before.

He was the youngest prince from the reign of Emperor Chengzong, and at twenty-five years old, he was the same age as Qin Xiao.

During the succession struggle under Emperor Yingzong’s reign, this Dingbei-wang was still young, and his maternal family’s influence was not particularly strong. Therefore, a fiefdom was hastily arranged for him and he was sent away, which let him avoid competing in the political power struggle.

During the eight years of Emperor Yingzong’s reign that followed, he behaved himself and kept a low profile, making himself stand out even less than Nanjiang-wang, who was far away in the south.

But now, it seemed that this was no simple person.

On the contrary, he was strategic, daring, and willing to take risks. This was a very difficult person to deal with.

These vassal kings were very adept at keeping their heads down, but now that the political situation was unstable, they were all beginning to stir.

Chu Jiubian lowered his gaze and continued to read the contents of the letter.

Envoys were sent tonight for negotiations. The army will rest for three days before the battle begins. Wish me luck.

Qin Xiao had never intended to negotiate, and had only sent the envoys as a formality. Sooner or later, war was inevitable.

But when Qin Xiao wrote it out like that, Chu Jiubian couldn’t help but smile.

However, the smile on his face quickly faded, and a furrow appeared on his brow.

It had taken four days for the letter to reach him, which meant that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Qin Xiao would have already engaged the Sai Kingdom Army in battle yesterday.

He had no idea what the situation was like, or if Qin Xiao had been injured.

He probably hadn’t.

Had Qin Xiao been injured on the very first day, it would be very difficult for him to “decisively defeat the Sai Kingdom” as he had in the novel, so he must still be safe for now.

Chu Jiubian composed himself and continued reading.

He had reached the last two sentences of the letter.

Please inform His Majesty that I am doing well, and that I will strive to return to the capital before the end of the year.

Before Chu Jiubian could relay the message, the child had already read the sentence and immediately hugged Chu Jiubian’s arm, saying: “Xiansheng, Jiujiu said he’ll be back before the New Year!”

“En,” Chu Jiubian replied with a smile.

Bai Lihong squirmed and wriggled in Chu Jiubian’s arms, saying with a grin: “Xiansheng, this emperor needs to continue his calculations.”

He needed to work hard so that when his Jiujiu returned, he would see a much-improved version of himself!

“Go ahead,” said Chu Jiubian.

The child returned to his seat, where he continued to sit upright and solve the math problems Chu Jiubian had given him. He displayed no impatience at all – only a strong sense of determination.

Chu Jiubian withdrew his gaze and read the last line of text on the letter.

I miss the jasmine in the courtyard. I wonder if it is still doing well?

He stared at it fixedly for some time before putting the letter away. Then he turned to Qin Chaoyang and said: “Fighting has likely already broken out in the Northeast. Keep a close eye on the news.”

Qin Chaoyang gave a respectful affirmative reply.

“Preparations should also be started on the residences of the vassal kings. Please monitor the arrangements for the banquet and the New Year’s festivities, along with Eunuch Hong,” Chu Jiubian said.

Qin Chaoyang bowed and said: “This subordinate accepts the order.”

The New Year Festival was approaching.

In the first year of the new emperor’s reign, all of the vassal kings were required to come to the capital to pay their respects, and it was expected that they would bring their families and retinues with them.

With there being so many people, it was naturally impossible to accommodate all of them in the Imperial Palace.

Fortunately, the Imperial Court had already bestowed residences upon these princes when they were granted their titles. Now, all that was needed was to send people to prepare those residences; there was no need to build new ones.

In addition, these manors all had servants who were left there to “look after the house,” which meant that they were not abandoned properties. This would save a lot of time when it came to cleaning them up.

There were many details to oversee regarding the New Year’s palace banquet, and it was fortunate that officials from the Ministry of Rites were responsible for coordinating it. Otherwise, Chu Jiubian’s staff would have been even more overwhelmed.

And the Ministry of Personnel was experiencing an uptick in memorials lately.

During this period of annual performance reviews for officials, and with many of them seeking transfers to new positions, there was a flurry of activity. Memorials piled up in stacks, and Chu Jiubian worked late into the night each day to review them.

Whenever he found himself unable to straighten his back at night, he thought of Qin Xiao.

If he were here, they could split the workload and make things much easier.

But Qin Xiao wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon.

Chu Jiubian spread out a new sheet of paper, dipped his brush in ink, and began writing a reply to Qin Xiao.

His letter was even simpler.

He began with recounting the recent news and events in court.

Firstly, the household registration records of the people in Hexi Prefecture had all been properly organized, and Prefect Han Yuandao had exercised his authority to suppress local forces, preventing the local nobles and other various factions from seizing the common people’s land again.

However, the Imperial Court’s four great families seemed to have guessed their intention to reform the land taxation system, and had secretly begun to take countermeasures.

Secondly, Xiao Yao, the head of the Xiao family, had recently begun to appear in public again.

Although he was slightly thinner than before, he was in a healthy mental state. Chu Jiubian had observed that the other party seemed to have already managed to suppress his addiction to mandala.

On the contrary, although Minister of Personnel Xiao Huaiguan seemed to be in good spirits, he had also started to lose weight. His already aged face had become even more gaunt, with his cheeks now visibly sunken.

Chu Jiubian subtly informed Qin Xiao that the old bastard was likely not going to live much longer.

The Xiao family had previously possessed a large quantity of mandala, and after the Imperial Court banned them, Xiao Yao had ordered everyone in his household to stay away from this substance. 

However, just one glance at Xiao Huaiguan’s condition was enough for Chu Jiubian to grasp what was going on.

That old bastard Xiao Huaiguan must be partaking in the Xiao family’s remaining mandala.

Chu Jiubian even understood why he was taking it. He must be thinking that he was already old and frail, with limited time left to live, so he might as well live more freely even if it meant resorting to drugs.

Thirdly, there was the Wang family.

Chu Jiubian felt that since he had sent Wang Pengyi to deliver the military supplies, Minister of Rites Wang Zhiyuan had changed somewhat.

He no longer participated in court affairs, only occasionally speaking up. And even then, he sided with Chu Jiubian and Bai Lihong.

Chu Jiubian informed Qin Xiao in his letter: Surnamed Wang may be considering retiring while he’s ahead, depending on the success of the military campaign in the Northwest.

If there was anyone in the Imperial Court who understood the situation the best, it was Minister Wang.

Wang family members had held official positions and served as ministers during the previous dynasty, but once Great Ning overthrew the previous regime, the high-ranking and powerful figures in the court were all weakened – with the exception of the Wang family. Because of a secret deal they made with Great Ning’s founding emperor, they were able to preserve their wealth and power.

This ability to assess the situation and react accordingly had clearly been passed down to Wang Zhiyuan. 

However, there was another very important factor that Chu Jiubian would not tell Qin Xiao.

He had obtained some inside information from Wang Qichen that the Wang family was currently experiencing serious internal conflict, and that Wang Qichen was already laying the groundwork for the release of “Yaotai Green Paper,” which would likely be available soon.

At that time, the Wang family’s monopoly on papermaking would be shattered, and if the family head couldn’t figure out a way to reverse their decline, he would very soon be overshadowed by Wang Qichen’s rising popularity.

And under these circumstances, Wang Zhiyuan, an elder in the family who held an even higher position than family head Wang Huanzhi, remained completely silent and didn’t even restrict his own grandson Wang Pengyi’s interactions with Wang Qichen. This already revealed a clear bias.

If Wang Qichen were truly to inherit the position of family head, then the Wang family would become a force that was under Chu Jiubian’s control.

The four great families’ strong alliance and mutual animosity against him would thus be dismantled from within.

Lastly, regarding the Imperial Examinations, the first round of preliminary examinations had been completed.

Chu Jiubian had established the examination system with procedures similar to those in later time periods. First came the preliminary exams, followed by the prefectural and regional exams, and finally the palace exam, for a total of four rounds.

The preliminary exam was taken by students in their respective locales. This stage tested basic knowledge, and anyone with a solid foundation would be able to pass.

For the prefectural exam, students would travel to a prefectural city depending on their place of residence. This round was more difficult, and would weed out most of those who were trying to muddle through or lacked adaptability. 

Since this was the first time the Imperial Examinations were being held, Chu Jiubian had not set a limit on the number of candidates.

So long as students achieved a passing score at each stage, with their total score exceeding 85 points, they would be able to advance to the next round.

The third round of exams was the regional exam, which also took place in a prefectural city. 

The scope of the questions was broader and more difficult, and Chu Jiubian had even added some debate-style topics.

Besides the candidates for classical subjects, other subjects such as math and embroidery were included as well. Exceptional writing skills were not required when the answers were graded. As long as the candidates possessed sound moral values, or were only slightly old-fashioned but had the potential for correction, Chu Jiubian would consider them to have passed.

And those students who passed their exams would have secured their spots in the Imperial Academy.

These students would then come to the capital to participate in the final round of Imperial Examinations.

Bai Lihong would serve as the chief examiner in this exam, while other civil and military offiials would act as his assistants.

The final exam paper was not divided into different specialties – everyone would receive the same set of questions, which numbered ten in total. 

These ten questions would not take into account professional skills, but instead would ask about the students’ reasons for entering public service, methods for improving the lives of the common people and how best to ensure their well-being, and how they would carry out their duties in their respective positions. 

Bai Lihong and Chu Jiubian had created all of these questions between the two of them, and two of the questions were matters that the child himself wanted to know the answer to.

The purpose of including these questions in the Imperial Examinations was not only to select the most outstanding students among the candidates and find the most suitable talents who aligned with Chu Jiubian’s governing philosophy, but to help these students gain recognition.

When presented in front of all those civil and military officials, the students’ answers, whether good or bad, would have a certain level of impact.

After the examinations, Chu Jiubian would have his people record these questions, as well as the students’ answers, and disseminate them.

This content would then be presented in colloquial language by professional storytellers or in crowded places such as inns and restaurants, and then spread further to various marketplaces.

This would let the common people know that the ones in charge now were Bai Lihong, Chu Jiubian, and Qin Xiao, and that those who would govern them in the future and ensure the betterment of their livelihoods were students from ordinary families who were selected by the Imperial Academy.

Unlike those from powerful and influential families, the students of the Imperial Academy would naturally be less distant from the common people.

Once their reputations spread, the common people would place their trust in the Imperial Academy, which would make a more convincing case for sending students into the Imperial Court.

He who wins the hearts of the common people wins the world.

Chu Jiubian was well-aware of this principle, and so were the officials in the Imperial Court.

These powerful and influential figures, who were accustomed to holding themselves above the masses, did not genuinely take the common people’s demands into account. They simply used their “good reputations” to use the common people like tools.

When the time came for them to charge into battle, just like what had happened with the drought in the southern regions, a minor incitement from officials could turn them into a sharp weapon pointed toward Qin Xiao and Bai Lihong.

But to them, the common people were like ants, a disorganized and powerless mass.

Even a mere county official was able to command troops to throw them into a raging river.

For another example, the recent Sai Kingdom invasion.

The common people of Gansu had become bargaining chips to be traded, and Dingbei-wang had put them in a dangerous situation without their knowledge. 

Yet he also needed the support of these common people. He intended to gain renown through this matter and gain more acceptance from them.

For this reason, he dragged many others into his scheme, using his reputation as a fearless hero who single-handedly faced off against danger to manipulate the admiration and resentment of the common people.

To him, and to those in power, the common people were merely tools to be used.

Therefore, it wouldn’t even enter their minds to “enlighten the common people.” On the contrary, they would oppress the common people to such an extreme degree that just having enough food to eat and clothing to wear would be considered good fortune.

Once the common people became a little wealthier, they would begin to pursue other endeavors and would have the time and inclination to contemplate deeper principles.

They would become less prone to manipulation, and would no longer be tools to be used.

This was not good news for those in power.

Even in newer generations, the common people naturally remained trapped in information bubbles, seeing and hearing only what certain people wanted them to see and hear.

However, there would always be people who thought more deeply, as well as those who would search for ways to transcend their social class.

Progress was inevitable in a society, and this was a good thing.

Chu Jiubian had never naively imagined that every single common person would become a talent. He simply wanted them all to have better lives, and wished to give them the opportunity to think for themselves, to grow, and to understand their ultimate purpose.

After rambling on and on, Chu Jiubian raised his head in surprise to find that he had unknowingly written an entire page.

The confidential letter would be kept safe, and if anything unexpected happened, the messenger would immediately destroy it. So there was no issue with Chu Jiubian writing such things, and no need to worry about outsiders reading it.

He was just a little bewildered.

When Qin Xiao was with him before, he never noticed how much they communicated. But now that he was writing things down, he realized that he and Qin Xiao actually talked quite a lot.

Keeping in mind that Qin Xiao’s letter only amounted to one page, Chu Jiubian didn’t say anything further, and simply wrote at the end: His Majesty is perfectly well. Court affairs are so numerous and demanding that this god even dreams of reviewing memorials. I hope you will return soon to share some of my burdens.

After a moment’s thought, he added one last sentence: The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

It was already nearly mid-October, and the jasmine was beginning to show signs of wilting.

Qin Xiao received the reply on the evening of October 15th.

The setting sun painted the sky red, and rain mixed with a few snowflakes melted into water the instant it met the ground, blending with the dirt to become mud.

Tall boots tramped through it, stirring up filth.

There was still a trace of ferocity to Qin Xiao’s expression. Blood was splattered across his chin, and his dark armor gleamed with a cold, hard light.

He strode to the entrance of the tent, tossed his spear to a guard, and opened the tent flap before entering.

Just as he reached the washbasin and was about to wash his hands, a secret guard landed silently a few steps away. Holding up a confidential letter, he said: “My Lord, a reply has arrived from the capital.”

Qin Xiao abruptly turned his head and took a couple of steps toward him. But then he stopped, turning to thoroughly wash his hands before going back to take the letter.

The secret guard disappeared in a flash.

Qin Xiao took a seat on the only stone stool in the tent, and without even taking the time to pour himself a cup of water, he opened the letter.

The young man’s handwriting was strong and vigorous, with powerful, elegant strokes.

The fierceness slowly faded from Qin Xiao’s face as his gaze moved unhurriedly across the letter.

The language in the letter was sometimes concise and formal, and at other times quite colloquial, which was very much Chu Jiubian’s style.

Upon reading “that old bastard Xiao Huaiguan doesn’t have much longer to live,” Qin Xiao let out a low chuckle.

He was relieved to read “His Majesty is perfectly well,” but he still felt a sense that something was missing.

For a long while, his gaze remained unwaveringly fixed on the last sentence:

The jasmine in the courtyard is in full bloom.

By this time, the jasmine in the courtyard was probably withering.

But it wasn’t the jasmine flowers that were on Qin Xiao’s mind, and Chu Jiubian’s response was not referring to the state of their blooms.

After a while, Qin Xiao placed the letter on the table and gently tore it in half.

The first half of the letter, which detailed various matters in the capital, Qin Xiao burned completely. 

The second half contained only the last two sentences of the letter.

Qin Xiao stood and placed the thin piece of paper into a small box, then hid it beneath his pillow.

Without bothering to tidy himself up after getting to his feet, he proceeded to walk straight out of the tent.

Someone in the capital was waiting for him to return and help review memorials, so he needed to speed things up.

*

*

Inside the Sai Kingdom commander’s tent, a subordinate rushed in and reported: “Sovereign, Ning-wang is attacking again!”

“He only just left a short while ago, why is he back again?!” Such was Moba Zanpu’s fury that he smashed down the wine cup in his hand.

Fortunately, it was made of bronze and didn’t shatter.

He glared at Bai Liyu, who was sitting at the far end of the table, and said in a temper: “This sovereign has already lost five of his top commanders. You never mentioned that Ning-wang is this formidable!”

Bai Liyu’s eyes darkened slightly, and he said in a low voice: “The sovereign should understand that nothing comes for free in this world.”

Driven by his desire to seize the territory of Gansu, he had initially been eager to collaborate with Bai Liyu – but now that Ning-wang was on the offensive, he had become anxious.

How could Moba Zanpu not know by now that he had been utterly manipulated by Dingbei-wang and these Central Plains people?

He was being used by Dingbei-wang as a sharp weapon to oppose Qin Xiao.

But at this moment in time, Moba Zanpu was truly in a dilemma.

If he were to retreat now, not only would he not retain control of Gansu, but the morale of his troops would collapse, which would have a significant impact on his rule within their country.

But if he didn’t retreat, he would have no choice but to fight Qin Xiao.

With his 130,000 soldiers facing off against Great Ning’s 110,000-strong army, it was truly uncertain which side would prevail.

But they were within Great Ning’s territory, and Qin Xiao possessed a supply train extending from the capital that ensured ample provisions. Furthermore, the terrain of the Central Plains was more suitable for the Great Ning Army’s tactics. 

At present, the only advantage Moba Zanpu seemed to possess was a position that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, he directed his murderous gaze toward Bai Liyu: “Since we must confront Ning-wang directly in order to take full control of Gansu, the deal between you and I is useless.”

“And you—” He sneered, “You are useless too.”

Since he was no longer useful, it was better to kill him.

What did it matter how clever this person was? Wasn’t he still in Moba Zanpu’s hands?

“What’s the rush?” Bai Liyu spoke unhurriedly, sipping his tea. “In warfare, provisions are paramount.”

He looked up at the sovereign sitting upon his throne: “My men have located Great Ning’s provisions, which are being stockpiled at the Ganying Post Station fifty li away. Asking the Sovereign to hold out for two more days. Once the weather clears up, we can set fire to Ning-wang’s supplies, and won’t the initiative then be in our hands?”

In fact, his people had already known where the provisions were stockpiled. He had also thought that Wang Pengyi, who was escorting the provisions, would share his objective and at least delay the delivery of the supplies for a while.

Unexpectedly, the other party proved to be diligent and conscientious, purchasing grain along the way and traveling at a very rapid pace. He had now joined Qin Xiao’s army, providing support from the rear to ensure the supply of basic food and supplies.

Bai Liyu had a vague sense that the Wang family seemed to be considering pledging their allegiance to the Emperor, but now was not the time to dwell on such matters.

Since Wang Pengyi had escaped his control, he would simply order his people to burn down the supply camp.

However, it had been raining and snowing for the past two days, and starting a big fire in this weather would be too difficult and disruptive. He feared that the fire wouldn’t even have a chance to get going before they were discovered.

For this reason, he had yet to take action.

But just in case, he had prepared a contingency plan. The strategist Qian Ziming was currently in Great Ning’s military camp, and Bai Liyu still had 6,000 private troops of his own.

When Moba Zanpu heard about the military supply camp, his expression shifted slightly.

The people of the Sai Kingdom valued strength, and he had secured his position as Sovereign through forcefully subduing other military leaders.

But he wasn’t just a mindless brute; on the contrary, he possessed considerable talent in military matters.

An idea formed in his mind at that very moment, and he immediately summoned a trusted commander and whispered a few words into his ear.

Afterward, the commander accepted the order and departed. Moba Zanpu also stood and walked outside, grabbing his longsword as he went.

Bai Liyu knew upon seeing this that he planned to confront Qin Xiao in person.

This ruler possessed considerable military prowess, and even the formidable Qin Xiao was unlikely to be a match for a true general. This battle was going to be a harrowing one.

It was a shame that he was currently being “held captive,” and was unable to show his face. Otherwise, he would definitely want to go and watch.

*

*

On the battlefield, Qin Xiao sat on a tall horse at the forefront of his troops, gazing out at the vast, imposing army of the enemy kingdom in the distance.

A burly general on horseback was shouting something toward them in front of the Sai Kingdom troops.

Qin Xiao was unable to understand the language, so his advisor, Qian Ziming, translated for him: “The other party is asking, why is there only one general left in your Great Ning Army? Have all the others perished?”

Qian Ziming was Bai Liyu’s strategist. He possessed a lean, upright build, and had a somewhat subtle sense of presence, making him seem less like a strategist and more like a secret guard like Qin Chaoyang.

Having resided in Gansu for many years and traveled frequently throughout the Western Regions, he naturally understood the local languages.

Exchanging insults before battle seemed to be a customary practice, but Qin Xiao couldn’t be bothered to engage in such a thing. Upon hearing the challenge, he instructed a young deputy beside him: “You go.”

“Yes.” The deputy rushed out without another word.

Seeing this, the fierce general ceased shouting and charged forward as well.

After a dozen rounds of fighting, the deputy’s robes were torn by the enemy’s longsword, but the general was wounded in the shoulder and fled back to his troops in disarray.

Instead of returning, Qin Xiao’s deputy stood before the enemy army and taunted them, asking if they had no one left who was capable of fighting.

Another well-muscled general then emerged from the other side and confronted Qin Xiao’s deputy.

Qian Ziming’s eyes flickered, and as his gaze swept across the people around him, his heart skipped a beat.

He seemed to have overlooked one very important thing.

Since the previous night, he hadn’t seen the brave, skilled warrior Chung Shuo!

The man in question was Qin Xiao’s most trusted lieutenant. And yesterday, he single-handedly killed four enemy commanders, proving himself to be even more formidable than Qin Xiao!

With such a terrifying lieutenant at his disposal, Qin Xiao certainly wouldn’t have sent him away without good reason. There must be some important arrangements to be made.

Just then, Qian Ziming saw a middle-aged man with a long saber emerge from the enemy ranks. Who else could it be but the Sai Kingdom Sovereign?

Qian Ziming came to a sudden understanding, and his heart sank as far as it could go.

It’s over, he thought.

The prince’s plan was surely ruined.

---

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Chapter 63 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 65