The son-in-law of a prosperous family

Just as Zhao Yunchuan and Fang Huai were immersed in this warm daily life, the sound of steady and powerful footsteps was heard outside the yard.

Soon, there was a knock on the door.

Zhao Yunchuan put down the documents in his hand, stood up and went to open the door.

The door opened, and Zhao Yunchuan saw Sima Zhen, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, standing at the door in a solemn marquis's uniform, with several guards following behind him. Zhao Yunchuan was slightly startled, and then he bowed and saluted: "Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, how come you have time to come to my humble abode today? Please come in."

Zhao Yunchuan brought the person into the study. Just now, he and Huai Ge'er were in the bedroom, and Fang Huai did not come out.

He is a stranger and a man, so it is not good for him to go out.

Sima Zhen walked into the room with a smile, and after sweeping his eyes around the room, he said straight to the point, "Young man from the Zhao family, I came here today to discuss an important matter with you."

Zhao Yunchuan asked Sima Zhen to sit down and poured him a cup of tea. He was confused but did not dare to ask too much.

Sima Zhen picked up the teacup, took a sip, put it down, and looked at Zhao Yunchuan seriously: "I know you are devoted to the imperial examination and want to take the path of a civil official. But I have seen that you have excellent physical fitness and some martial arts skills. It would be a pity if you don't take the path of a military official."

Zhao Yunchuan frowned slightly and was about to speak, but Sima Zhen raised his hand to signal him to listen to him first: "I have already registered you for the martial arts exam."

Zhao Yunchuan was surprised when he heard this: "My Lord, this... I have never thought about participating in the military examination. I am determined to govern the country with culture, really..."

He doesn't like fighting and killing.

Sima Zhen waved his hand and advised earnestly: "Don't rush to refuse. This military examination is just another way out for you. It doesn't matter if you fail, just treat it as an experience. But if you pass, it will be a completely different and vast world. Nowadays, the border is turbulent from time to time, and the court is in urgent need of people who are good at fighting. You have the ability, why don't you give it a try?"

Zhao Yunchuan looked embarrassed. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "My Lord, I appreciate your kindness. But as for me, I have always preferred civil governance over military governance. I hope to pass the imperial examination, use my pen as a sword, seek welfare for the people of this world, and use government orders and regulations to relieve the people's difficulties. And... I really don't dare to kill people."

He was born in a modern, peaceful country ruled by law and has never killed anyone.

After listening to Zhao Yunchuan's words, Sima Zhen frowned slightly and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a rhythmic sound, breaking the brief silence in the study.

"Zhao boy, don't be confused. This opportunity to take the military examination is rare. Once you pass, you will be promoted to a high position and enjoy endless wealth and glory. You can also serve the court and defend your country. This is the dream of many people." Sima Zhen's voice was filled with anxiety and anticipation.

Before Zhao Yunchuan could say anything, the door of the study was quietly pushed open and Fang Huai walked in with a worried look on his face.

He first bowed respectfully to Sima Zhen, then locked his eyes on Zhao Yunchuan, his eyes full of uneasiness and reluctance.

"My Lord, my husband is not interested in this. I hope you can take back your decision." Fang Huai mustered up the courage to speak, his voice trembling slightly. "We are just ordinary people, and we just hope to live a peaceful and stable life. This road of fighting and killing is too dangerous, and we don't want to get involved."

Sima Zhen's face darkened, and he looked at Fang Huai with a hint of displeasure in his eyes: "What do you know, little brother! A real man should put his country first, how can he only seek personal comfort?"

Fang Huai did not back down. He walked to Zhao Yunchuan and held his hand tightly. "My husband, this martial arts exam is too sudden and not what you want. Isn't it good for us to stay in this small yard and live our own lives?"

Zhao Yunchuan gently patted Fang Huai's hand to comfort him, and then looked at Sima Zhen: "My Lord, what Huai said is also what I think in my heart. I know your good intentions, but I really don't want to give up literature and join the military. The imperial examination is what I have always pursued. I want to use what I have learned to do something practical for the world in the way of a scholar."

Sima Zhen stood up and paced back and forth in the study, with a changeable expression on his face.

After a long while, he stopped and looked at Zhao Yunchuan deeply: "Young man from the Zhao family, you must think it over carefully. If you fail the imperial examination, this is a way out for you."

Zhao Yunchuan also had a hint of hesitation, he felt that what Sima Zhen said made sense.

Sima Zhen saw his hesitation and said, "Just give it a try. It won't cost you anything. If you pass the imperial examination, you can still pursue a career as a civil servant. You won't lose anything."

Zhao Yunchuan fell into deep thought. Sima Zhen's words were like a key that opened the door to his deep worries about the uncertainty of the future.

The competition in the Spring Examination is so fierce. Even though I am full of knowledge, who can guarantee that everything will go well?

The martial arts examination is indeed a way out. If I can pass it, it will add a guarantee to the future of myself and Huai Ge'er.

He looked out the window, the sunlight shone through the mottled shadows of the trees onto the ground, forming patches of light and shadow. At this moment, his heart was as complex as these patches of light and shadow.

The path of imperial examinations was the path he had always wanted to take, but the military examination, an option he had never thought of, now stood before him like a sudden mountain.

"My Lord," Zhao Yunchuan retracted his gaze and said slowly, "Let me think about it again. This matter is of great importance, and I don't want to make a hasty decision."

Sima Zhen nodded slightly, his expression softened a little: "Okay, I'll give you three days. You have to understand that this is not only for yourself, but also for the country."

Zhao Yunchuan bowed again and said, "I understand your intentions, Lord, and will consider this carefully."

After seeing Sima Zhen off, the study returned to silence. Zhao Yunchuan turned around and looked at Fang Huai, who had been quietly standing beside him, with a thoughtful look on his face.

"Brother Huai," Zhao Yunchuan spoke slowly, his voice steady but unable to conceal the turmoil in his heart, "I have thought about it for a long time and decided to try the martial arts exam. Although the imperial examination is my ambition, it seems that the martial arts exam can indeed be a way out."

Fang Huai heard this, and a trace of worry flashed across his originally calm eyes. He raised his eyes to look at Zhao Yunchuan and asked anxiously: "If you pass the military examination, will you have to go to war in the future?"

The battlefield is a place full of blood and danger, and Zhao Yunchuan really doesn't want to get involved in it.

Zhao Yunchuan shook his head slightly and explained gently, "That's not necessarily true."

His eyes were firm and deep, as if he was sorting out his inner thoughts, trying to give Fang Huai a clear answer.

"If you pass the military examination and enter the court as an official, you can have many career options. In the court, the Ministry of War needs people to plan military affairs, coordinate food and grass, and formulate strategies; in the local areas, there are also military officers responsible for maintaining public order and training soldiers, but not all of them go to the front lines to fight." As he spoke, he paced in the room with his hands behind his back, analyzing clearly.

"Besides, although the situation is turbulent now, the court is also actively seeking peace strategies, and it is not necessary to go to war all the time. Even if there is a war, with my ability, I may not be sent to the most dangerous front line."

What's more, one doesn't necessarily have to become a military officer if he passes the military examination. He even has to change his major in college.