Daily life in the academy

Yan Qingchen said firmly, "Your Majesty, I understand your concerns. I have already persuaded my father before entering the palace."

"Even if your father agrees, I don't agree." Yan Yunrui rejected Yan Qingchen's proposal without thinking, and even coughed several times because of anger.

Yan Qingchen looked at Yan Yunrui worriedly, his straight spine bent as his thoughts raced. He knelt in front of him and softened his tone, "Uncle Emperor, please don't be angry. If you get angry, your father will scold me."

"You still remember that I am your uncle, and that there is no one else who can go to the vast Yan Kingdom except you?"

"Uncle Emperor, please don't be impatient. Let me explain slowly. My eldest and fourth brothers have been demoted to commoners, but their former allies are still around. People in the court cannot be trusted. My second brother is a businessman, so he's not suited to military service. The Di Kingdom has 80,000 soldiers approaching the border. The Northern Army can hold off some of them for now, but without reinforcements, the Nine Gates or Yishui cities will collapse within a month. The people of the Northern Border will then be humiliated by the Di Kingdom. Millions of Yan Kingdom people support our Yan family, so naturally, we must protect them from harm."

"I know that my uncle has just experienced the tragedy at Taiji Palace, so it's natural for him to have doubts. But I swear to heaven that if I harbor any rebellious thoughts, I will be punished by heaven and will be condemned by the world."

Yan Qingchen's oath echoed in the Purple Palace. Yan Yunrui sighed and said slowly, "I'll ask you one last time. Have you really thought it through?"

"Your Majesty, I, the Prince of Ning's Mansion, Yan Qingchen, am determined to rush to the northern border and join the northern army in resisting the barbarians of the Di Kingdom. I hope Your Majesty will grant me permission." Yan Qingchen straightened his back and kowtowed again.

Yan Yunrui didn't say anything, but just quietly looked at the younger generation below him. Although he was in a submissive posture, his ears were filled with his firm and unyielding answers word by word.

Maybe he was wrong..

"That's all, let it go."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your permission." Yan Qingchen spoke with some joy.

Yan Yunrui's long-suppressed heart finally relaxed. He emphasized in a deep voice, "Don't be too happy yet. You have to promise me one thing."

Yan Qingchen stood ready, "Your Majesty, please speak, and I will obey."

"Okay, I want you to return to Sheng'an City in one piece."

Yan Qingchen was slightly startled. After meeting the kind eyes of the man above him, he smiled unconsciously and said, "Uncle Emperor, I will definitely pay attention to this."

...

After parting with Yan Qingchen, Bai Zhi returned to the Mu Mansion and kept thinking about the scene in her dream. She asked Bishui to find her various geographical maps of the Yan Kingdom. However, these maps were either too abstract or many descriptions were difficult to understand. Bai Zhi locked herself in the house to study for two days, but she couldn't come to a conclusion.

Although Bishui didn't know why her young lady had suddenly become so keen on studying topography, she saw that she looked so worried and advised, "Young lady, why don't you ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Perhaps he knows something?"

Bai Zhi immediately retorted, "No, you can't ask him." Seeing Bi Shui nodded hesitantly, Bai Zhi looked at her seriously and emphasized, "Bi Shui, you must not let Brother Yan know about this. Remember?"

"Remember, miss, I will make the people below shut up too."

"very good."

Bai Zhi was calculating the terrain so that she could follow behind and secretly observe which spies might harm Yan Qingchen. If he knew about it, he would definitely kill her plan in the cradle, which would be very unpleasant.

However, Bishui reminded her that to study geography, one must find a professional. Isn't there a suitable candidate now?

The demotion of King Qi did not affect the work in the research institute. After all, it was just one less boss to report to, and the officials who actually did the work had not been implicated for the time being. However, those officials with guilty consciences might be suffering in the dead of night, worried that His Majesty would one day settle accounts with them.

But Wenzhe had no such concerns. He was immersed in the tedious tasks of looking up classics and correcting errors every day. When a clerk informed him that the second young lady of the Mu family was looking for him outside the library, he was dazed for a moment before realizing it was Azhi and quickly got up.

I haven't seen Wenzhe for a long time. He has a stronger scholarly air and more of a pedantic demeanor. The way he looks at people seems as if he is studying and considering them.

Bai Zhi, however, didn't feel any strangeness towards his appearance. She just chuckled, "Azhe, I think you're almost turning into an old man. How come you're getting more and more unkempt as you get older?"

The familiar teasing brought Wenzhe back to reality. He smiled and shook his head, "Every day when I open my eyes, all I think about is looking up ancient books and catching up on the progress I made yesterday. I'm actually being laughed at by you."

Bai Zhi shrugged. "It's okay if I saw it, but if Youyou saw it, wouldn't it affect your image as a gentle and graceful person in her heart?"

"You..." Wenzhe glanced around, fortunately there was no one he knew, so he quickly explained in a low voice: "I just did it casually that day. If Miss Chu has any misunderstandings, Ah Zhi... please help me explain it later."

"What do you want to explain?" Bai Zhi asked knowingly.

Wenzhe glared at her and said, "I don't know how long I'll have to waste in this research center. It would be a sin if I delayed Miss Chu."

Bai Zhi spread her hands. "Some people have ulterior motives. I just said that it affected your image in her heart, not that she had any other thoughts about you. But..." She clicked her tongue twice and looked Wen Zhe up and down. "Even if you have any improper thoughts about her, she might not look down on you with the way you are now. You should think about it carefully. You are not a child anymore."

"You..." Wenzhe was furious. The feeling of powerlessness he had in the academy came back again. Even after changing back into women's clothes, he was still the familiar 'Bai Zhi'.

Wenzhe paused, then asked helplessly, "Do you have anything else to talk to me about today? You can't be here just to tease me."

"Why not?"

Bai Zhi looked at Wen Zhe teasingly, and when he turned around and left without hesitation, she quickly followed him and stopped him.

"Oh, don't be angry, I'm just teasing you." Bai Zhi said softly, annoyed, "I came to you today for something serious, and you're the only one who can help me with this."

Wenzhe then looked at her again and asked, "Can we talk in the research center?"

"Perhaps you need to consult a classic text. The Research Center is perfect for that. However...it would be best if no outsiders were present."

"Okay, come with me."

Wenzhe led the three of them into the research center. This was Baizhi's first time entering the center, but she didn't feel unfamiliar at all. The scenes here coincided with her memories in her dream, and every blade of grass and tree here confirmed the authenticity of the dream in the cave.

This made Bai Zhi even more determined to follow Yan Qingchen's army heading north and observe secretly. As long as she could ensure that she was not discovered, she might be able to play an unexpected role.

"We're here. This is a quiet room. I'm usually the only one here."