n

n

nThe moon was bright and there were very little stars. All was quiet.

nWei Ci walked silently through the corridor, holding a faintly-lit oil lamp in his right hand. The moonlight elongated his shadow and reflected it on the door.

n“Master?” Seeing a figure sitting in front of him, Wei Ci stopped in his tracks.

nMaster Yuan Jing tilted his head and waved towards Wei Ci. “Zixiao, come here.”

nLooking at the coat that Master Yuan Jing had on his shoulders, Wei Ci stepped forward, sat next to Master Yuan Jing, and put the lamp beside him.

n“How long have you been waiting here?” Wei Ci did not need to ask to know that Master Yuan Jing was waiting for him.

n“It doesn’t matter,” Master Yuan Jing replied calmly with a vague smile. “You’re not a reckless person. I heard about what happened during the assessment from Youmo and Shaoyin. You wouldn’t even have hit someone with a desk when you were three or four years old.”

nWei Ci’s face was slightly flushed and he admitted his mistake with his head hung low. “I know that I was wrong. Please punish me.”

nMaster Yuan Jing shook his head and asked him rhetorically, “Why do I have to punish you? I don’t think you’ve done something wrong. You did a good job.”

nIt was not like the scholar was killed. The scholar’s actions were indeed too much. Who would not be angry at that?

nMaster Yuan Jing continued, “I didn’t come here today to scold you. I just want to tell you that it’s okay to be a little carefree. You’re too serious and you’re an overthinker. You like to keep things to yourself and hide the truth from everyone else. To be honest, other people aren’t the roundworms in your stomach. How will they know what you’re thinking?”

nWei Ci remained silent with his head hung low. It was not known if he took it in.

nMaster Yuan Jing pounded his legs, which were somewhat numb, with his hands and said casually, “Say something if you want to.”

n“I… don’t dare to say it.” Wei Ci had a lot to say, but his words were stuck in his mouth.

nMaster Yuan Jing smiled. “Zixiao, strategists have many taboos. One of them is to not judge others by oneself. I know the reason why you don’t dare to say it… In your opinion, you have an answer already, so there’s no need to say it out. Am I right?”

nWei Ci remained silent.

nMaster Yuan Jing smiled helplessly. “I don’t deny your ability to read others’ minds, but if you do it all by yourself, you may be injudicious.”

nAlthough Master Yuan Jing did not point out who the person was, Wei Ci had some tacit understanding. He knew very well in his heart about who he was talking about.

n“We can only plan very carefully with every conceivable possibility taken in account––but only if we have a thorough understanding.” Yuan Jing pouted his lips at Wei Ci and teased him, “You’ll meet her frequently in the future. If you treat her with your past prejudice towards her, I’m afraid that you’ll be exposed even sooner. Past events have faded like a puff of smoke. You should observe everything around you with a whole new attitude. Don’t be blinded by the past. If you can’t do this, you’ll still have to lose, and lose even more.”

nThere was finally a change in Wei Ci’s facial expression. He looked at Master Yuan Jing with some shock and dodged his gaze.

nMaster Yuan Jing smiled and replied, “I’m old, but I’m not blind yet.”

nAfter a long time, Wei Ci broke the silence. “Master, I want to leave for a few days.”

nMaster Yuan Jing responded, “Is it because you want to escape?”

nWei Ci shook his head and smiled bitterly. “If I’m cowardly and can’t face the reality, I would’ve followed my clan and moved to Zhongzhao. Why would I bother to stay in Langye and come to Shangjing? It’s really unexpected for me to run into her. It’s not that I can’t accept it… It’s just that when I see her in her teens, not only am I not determined, but I’m somewhat confused. It’s as if… I never knew her.”

nAs he began to talk, Wei Ci, who had always been reticent, poured out what he had suppressed in his mind for a long time like a child.

nMaster Yuan Jing had always played the role of a listener. He vaguely guessed Wei Ci’s experience, but he never thought that there was so much conflict and pain in the child’s heart. “If you feel uncomfortable, it’s good to be away for some time too to sort out your thoughts,” Master Yuan Jing said.

nWei Ci shook his head and replied, “With Master’s enlightenment, I’m… now fine. You don’t have to worry. A lot of things are different now. People are different too––especially her… You’re right. If I’m still dwelling in my past memories, I’ll probably live a worse life than before.”

nHis goal was to have a niche in history as a dignified strategist, not a person who had an unspeakable identity.

nNot only would he be taunted and criticized by the later generations, but he would even become a stain on her body.

nHe once felt that the former made him suffer, but when the blade pierced her throat, he suddenly realized that the latter was even more unacceptable for him.

nMaster Yuan Jing looked at Wei Ci for a long time and sighed. “It’s best if you can think this way. Get to know each other again. An old friend has a new look, too.”

nWei Ci clenched his fists tightly in secret. “I understand.”

n******

nIn another place, Liu She sat in the carriage and returned to the Feng residence with fatigue.

nThe rankings for the assessment had been listed out. He transcribed a copy of the list, put it in an envelope, stamped a wax seal on it, and presented it to the emperor. As for whether the emperor would see it was not something that he could control.

nThe results would be released three days later, then the Qionglin Banquet would be held after that. As a head examiner, he had to show up at the banquet. He would basically be free after that.

nThe courtyard of the guest room was brightly lit. Liu She saw that his daughter’s servant, Taxue, was holding a lamp and waiting at the door.

n“Did Lanting not come back tonight?” He gathered his coat to block the cold wind from outside.

nSeeing that Liu She had returned, Taxue was delighted and went forward. “To answer your question, I’m waiting for you here under Langjun’s order.”

nLiu She frowned and replied sternly, “Why is she looking for me?” Liu She had always valued his daughter. She must have had something important to say that could not be delayed.

n“Langjun didn’t say anything. She only asked me to inform you that she is waiting for you in your room.”

nLiu She nodded as he walked. He guessed the reason why his daughter was looking for him. He arrived at the door. A lamp was lit in the room. Jiang Pengji was reading a book attentively under the light.

n“Father.” Upon hearing the noise, Jiang Pengji lifted her head.

n“I heard from Taxue that you’re looking for me?” Liu She quickly shut the door to avoid the cold wind from taking away the heat in the room.

n“You haven’t handed in your resignation letter, right?” Jiang Pengji asked.

n“Of course I haven’t. I plan to hand it in after the Qionglin Banquet.” Liu She sat across Jiang Pengji and saw that she was actually holding the Great Universal Geographical Map in her hands. “What good advice do you have?”

n“You want to become a rich man, but I’m unfilial. Please work hard for a while more.”

nLiu She raised his eyebrows. “Am I not resigning?”

nJiang Pengji shook her head and muttered, “That’s not the case. I want you to try your best to conquer Chongzhou.”

nChongzhou? Liu She pondered until he had a better understanding. “To seize the opportunity to station troops?”

nJiang Pengji replied, “Not only that… There are a few other reasons.”

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