Xie Ying felt that every time he met Qi Yuan, he came fully prepared, convinced that nothing could happen that would surprise him further.
But in reality, he realized he had been far too confident in himself.
Setting down his teacup, he said: “Miss Qi, when one’s parents are alive, one should not travel far from home.”
Even men needed their parents’ permission before embarking on a distant journey, let alone an unmarried young woman.
Xie Ying was not the sort of person who rigidly clung to old conventions.
But considering Qi Yuan’s relationship with Xiao Yunting, it was practically certain they would marry in the future.
Being the Imperial Grandson Consort was very different from being an ordinary person.
Every action and every word would be magnified and scrutinized.
If those pedantic scholar-officials discovered that Qi Yuan behaved so unconventionally, it would do her no good.
Qi Yuan remained completely calm. “My parents won’t object. They can simply announce to the public that I’ve returned to my hometown to recuperate, or that I’ve gone into the mountains to accompany Liu Wangfei.”
Xie Ying was left speechless.
After coughing lightly, he continued: “But men and women should avoid improper contact. If the two of us travel together, I’m afraid it would be rather inconvenient.”
At once, Liujin, Babao, and Han Ding emerged from nowhere.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow and smiled at him. “Does it still count as improper contact between men and women now?”
Xie Ying became even more confused.
“Miss Qi has money if she needs money, and people if she needs people. That makes it even stranger. Why insist on bringing me along?”
Liujin felt that Young Master Xie was being far too long-winded.
Babao even more so. He had become quite familiar with Xie Ying during their time at Longhu Mountain and immediately said: “Oh, come on, Young Master Xie! If Miss Qi wants you to go, she naturally has her reasons! Just go with her!”
Why all the nonsense?
Miss Qi had never been this polite and reasonable when asking someone for help before.
Xie Ying was almost amused into anger.
He had never realized before that Babao was such a shameless bootlicker.
Qi Yuan then explained: “You spent a long time around Wen Mingfeng. You should know many things about him. Bringing you along is simply a precaution.”
That was a reasonable explanation.
Xie Ying sighed inwardly.
He knew he couldn’t refuse.
Although Miss Qi’s martial arts appeared far superior to his own, she was still a young woman.
Could he really stand by and watch her venture into danger alone?
What he couldn’t understand was how Old Marquis Qi and Qi Zhen could possibly be so unconcerned.
At that very moment, Old Marquis Qi and Qi Zhen simultaneously sneezed.
Father and son exchanged puzzled looks in the study.
After finishing his sneeze, Old Marquis Qi stroked his beard. “The New Year is almost here. The closer we get, the less we can afford to relax. Pay closer attention to your duties at the Five Military Commands. I’ve heard that Oirat has become restless again recently?”
Lately, one shocking matter after another had erupted within the court.
So many, in fact, that truly important state affairs, such as instability along the Oirat frontier, had almost been overlooked.
Qi Zhen nodded solemnly. “If you ask us and the Ministry of War, we’d say fight! The Oirats are always like this. Leave them alone for three days and they’ll start tearing the roof off the house. This time, for some reason, they’ve gone completely mad. They broke through Zijing Pass, killed several thousand people, and carried off five or six thousand civilians along with countless valuables before fleeing.”
Emperor Yongchang had been furious. He had angrily denounced the Minister of War for incompetence and demanded military retaliation.
But now the court had split into two factions.
One faction advocated war.
The other advocated peace.
Those favoring war were primarily led by the Minister of War and the noble military families.
Those favoring peace were led by Minister of Revenue Chen Biliang and his allies.
No matter what Emperor Yongchang said, Chen Biliang had only one answer: There was no money.
The court’s finances were strained.
If another war broke out, the common people would suffer.
Furthermore, unrest was also brewing in Yunnan, where several native chieftains were becoming increasingly restless.
In short, both sides had their arguments.
The hawks had reasons to fight.
The doves had reasons to avoid war.
Old Marquis Qi frowned. “The New Year is approaching. Even if His Majesty wants to fight, he won’t launch a campaign during the holiday season. But once the New Year passes, I believe there will be war.”
Qi Zhen immediately understood. “You mean… His Majesty intends to give this opportunity to the Imperial Grandson?”
“Isn’t it already obvious?” Old Marquis Qi sounded extremely certain. “The previous disaster relief effort was His Majesty’s test for the Imperial Grandson. He has already passed the test of public support and proven that he can govern. Now it’s time to build military merit for him.”
No emperor could ascend the throne without controlling the military.
Of course, most emperors would never personally lead armies into battle. After all, the saying went: A noble son does not sit beneath a crumbling wall.
But among the emperors who achieved greatness and left their names in history, which of them had not earned military glory through war?
Emperor Yongchang had high hopes for Xiao Yunting and the empire currently faced dangers on every side. Pirates harassed the coast. Yunnan and Annan were unstable in the southwest. And there was always their longstanding enemy, the Oirats.
In Old Marquis Qi’s opinion, this was also one of the main reasons Emperor Yongchang had never liked the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince was simply too weak.
Qi Zhen’s heart shook.
He immediately declared: “Then I must seize a chance to serve in the vanguard!”
He was only a marquis. In terms of rank and seniority, there were many others ahead of him who would command armies and serve as generals.
He would be fortunate just to obtain a combat assignment.
But even that would be enough!
Old Marquis Qi glanced at him and smiled, his expression softening. “Hmph. At least you’re finally showing some spirit. You haven’t disgraced the Qi family. If you were afraid of death, then you truly wouldn’t be a member of our family.”
Being praised by his father was a rare event. Qi Zhen immediately grinned from ear to ear, scratching his head. “Father, what are you saying? I have such an incredible daughter. How could I possibly be a coward?”
The Qi family would never rely on a woman to climb higher.
Qi Yuan might become the Imperial Grandson Consort.
She might one day stand alongside Xiao Yunting as one of the most powerful figures in the realm.
But they would never drag her down.
They would only become her support.
Old Marquis Qi nodded with satisfaction.
After father and son spent some time discussing the current situation with the Oirats, Liu Zhong came to report that Qi Yuan had returned.
Speak of the devil, and she appeared.
Old Marquis Qi asked: “Did the eldest miss go to Mingyue Tower or to the Old Madam’s courtyard?”
Liu Zhong hurried after him while answering: “Reporting to Old Marquis, the eldest miss went to the Old Madam’s courtyard.”
Old Marquis Qi immediately headed there.
At that moment, Old Madam Qi was also questioning Qi Yuan. “Rong Jie’er’s husband, what did you think of him?”
Ordinarily, asking an unmarried young lady such a question would have been rather inappropriate.
But Qi Yuan was hardly an ordinary young lady. Old Madam Qi felt that Qi Yuan’s mind was clearer than that of most married women.
She sincerely hoped Qi Yuan could maintain that clarity forever. For a woman, possessing such clear-headedness was one of the greatest blessings in the world.
Sunlight streamed into the room.
A faint smile lingered on Qi Yuan’s face.
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