Chapter 630 - 351: The Wind Rises!
Chapter 630: Chapter 351: The Wind Rises!
A hint of shyness colored Xiao Wan’er’s slightly pale face. "I don’t deserve Little Sister Qingwu’s praise, I was just, just..."
Before she could finish, Chen Yunfan came bustling in from outside.
As he walked, he shouted, "Chun Ying, where on earth are you? Hurry up and bring me some tea!"
Though Chun Ying in the middle courtyard didn’t hear him, Lin Zhong did. After a quick reminder from him, Chun Ying called back, "Please have a seat, Young Master. I’ll go prepare it right away."
Chen Yunfan was about to continue swearing, but when he turned his head and saw Xiao Wan’er, Cui Qingwu, and the others, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
"Miss Xiao is here too? Qingwu, it’s getting so late. Why didn’t you ask Miss Xiao to stay for dinner?"
Cui Qingwu shot him a reproachful glare, her eyes carrying a hint of affection as she said, "Sister Wan’er is afraid her family will worry, so she insists on going back."
Xiao Wan’er chimed in, "Assistant Governor Chen doesn’t need to be so polite."
Chen Yunfan nodded and said no more on the subject, exchanging a few pleasantries with them instead.
During their conversation, the topic naturally shifted to the Annual Examination.
Xiao Wan’er’s heart stirred, and she asked, "I wonder... has there been any news from inside the examination venue?"
Chen Yunfan looked at her, guessing that she was actually asking about Chen Yi. With a heavy sigh, he said, "There has indeed been some news.
"You might not know this, Miss Xiao, but today in the examination hall, someone showed off their skills and ended up being reprimanded by the Lord Academic Administrator."
Xiao Wan’er’s heart tightened. "Who... who was so careless?"
"Who else could it be?
"Of course, it’s... Ma Guan from Guiyun Academy. After achieving Minor Success in his Calligraphy Dao, it completely went to his head. He... Hey?"
Before Chen Yunfan could continue his nonsense, Cui Qingwu, knowing his playful nature, reached out and pinched his waist, cutting off the rest of his words.
"Sister Wan’er, don’t listen to Brother Yunfan’s nonsense. I’m sure nothing happened at the examination venue."
Xiao Wan’er had also realized he was joking. She felt like laughing but couldn’t help worrying about Chen Yi anyway.
It wasn’t that she feared Chen Yi would act rashly or inappropriately, but she knew his temperament well.
Though he seemed laid-back and indifferent to worldly affairs, Chen Yi could actually be quite stubborn at times.
If something displeased him, he would likely speak his mind without holding back.
Unexpectedly, after bickering and fooling around with Cui Qingwu for a moment, Chen Yunfan changed the subject and said, "There really was one thing that caused quite a stir among the Scholars."
"Oh?"
"I heard there was a policy essay question in today’s Annual Examination: If our Great Wei Dynasty were to wage war, should we choose to conquer the south or march north?"
Cui Qingwu’s expression relaxed slightly. "What’s so special about that?"
"The current Holy Emperor is exceptional in both civil and military governance. If adequately prepared, he might just choose to wage war on both fronts and sweep across the world."
Xiao Wan’er nodded in agreement, also not thinking a single question would have much impact.
Seeing their reactions, Chen Yunfan didn’t elaborate further.
For one, scholars always kept the world in mind. They often learned about people’s livelihoods and military affairs, and the more they knew, the more they overthought things.
Never mind the Scholars participating in the Annual Examination—even that guy Li Huai’gu had pulled him aside to discuss it after hearing the news.
They talked about the pros and cons of conquering the Barbarian Race in the south, the comparison of strength between the enemy and themselves, and what preparations needed to be made.
Chen Yunfan remained noncommittal, but his mind wandered to another matter, wondering if he could have been targeted by the White Tiger Guard because of such a scheme. If so, he was in grave danger.
"Scholars’ affairs have nothing to do with us. I’ll go back and rest first. After Midnight, I still have to swap shifts with Brother Huai’gu."
"Take care, Assistant Governor Chen..."
Not long after, Xiao Wan’er boarded her carriage, escorted back to the Xiao Family by Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang.
After watching them leave, Cui Qingwu was about to return to the backyard when she suddenly remembered something. "Huan’er, did Mr. Song go out today?"
"Yes, Miss. He said the master had some tasks for him."
"I see. Since it’s my father’s orders, we’ll leave him be..."
Meanwhile, in the middle courtyard not far from them, Lin Zhong remained hidden in a corner of the corridor, his brows furrowed.
He thought, "Was it an accident, or intentional? To think someone actually exposed the Holy Emperor’s true intentions... I must inform the master of this immediately..."
Midnight.
A full moon hung high in the sky. Inside the Prefecture City’s Annual Examination venue, the candlelight in the examination cells shone brightly, and most of the Scholars were still writing furiously.
Those who were frailer had even wrapped themselves in cotton quilts, sniffing and wiping away tears as they wrote out tiny characters.
Chen Yi, however, had turned in early. He lay half-reclined on the wooden bed deep inside his cell, resting with his eyes closed.
He thought, "There will likely be some complications in this Annual Examination. If nothing unexpected happens, Ma Shuhan’s days are numbered..."