Chapter 45

"Master…." Qianqian wanted to speak but held back.

"Don’t overthink it, I’ll handle it!" Ye Qing smiled, his gaze somewhat dim.

In a past life, it was heard that the magistrate of Fengtai County in the western district and a fellow scholar climbed a tower to drink wine and talk about the world, eventually mentioning Yu Fan.

Yu Fan, who had not passed the imperial examination, traveled through desolate wilderness, inland areas, grasslands, and snow mountains.

Once, while traveling near the border, he encountered a pack of fierce wolves, and was in mortal danger. Fortunately, he was saved by a hunter, and in gratitude, Yu Fan gave half of his gold to the hunter to repay his life-saving favor.

By then, it was already late, and the hunter took Yu Fan back to his dwelling. The hunter had a young son, a child with simple clothing, but the wolf tooth pendant around his neck revealed his identity as the son of a Northern Wei noble.

The Northern Wei was founded by descendants of the Great Wei, essentially a nomadic khanate that worshipped the White Emperor and followed the law of the jungle.

In a world where Daoist principles were prevalent, these nomadic khanates were not entirely out of control. Their role was to create pressure through war, driving progress and maintaining the warrior spirit.

In Western terms, they were the "Scourge of God," playing the role of the black face to prevent long-term peace from weakening the warrior spirit.

But this was the vision of the imperial and Daoist lords. How could ordinary people accept such a cycle of heaven?

Although they had never established a dynasty, every autumn, after the harvest, the grassland armies would prepare for winter and attempt to raid the south for supplies. Over the centuries, this had led to a bitter enmity between the two sides.

Moreover, the rules on the grasslands were different. Even the children of the nobility had to pass several trials to survive until adulthood.

Those who survived were strong, with the blood of the wolf god flowing in their veins, granting them special privileges.

This brutal and effective elimination system was feared by the court.

When the lights were turned off for rest, Yu Fan asked, "Where is your wife?"

The hunter was taken aback and answered in broken Dazhao language, "I don’t have one!"

This confirmed Yu Fan’s suspicions. The hunter became wary, looking at Yu Fan without saying another word.

Yu Fan remained calm, and the next morning, he bid farewell to the hunter and hurried back to the county office to inform the magistrate. The magistrate and Yu Fan, along with the soldiers, rushed to the place where they had stayed the previous day, only to find that the people were gone.

Yu Fan carefully examined the area, feeling the warmth of the child’s bedding in the tent, and immediately gave chase. The magistrate and the soldiers followed.

After traveling for about ten miles, they saw the hunter riding a horse with a quiver of arrows, but the sound of hooves and the sight of thirty armored cavalry surrounding him revealed the situation. The leader was the scholar Yu Fan had saved the previous day.

The hunter was furious, his hair standing on end, and he pointed at Yu Fan, shouting in anger. Yu Fan just sneered and ordered the soldiers, "These are bandits, kill them all."

Instantly, the sound of arrows filled the air, and the father and son were killed after a brief resistance.

The magistrate of Fengtai County, recounting this, looked disdainful and said, "Capturing the nobles of an enemy country is a meritorious deed, and the court will reward it. But to treat a benefactor this way, I find it despicable and shameful to be in the same company."

This was because, during the imperial examination, Yu Fan had outperformed him, leading to his resentment, which he expressed after drinking.

At the time, it felt good to vent, but the fellow scholar, who was secretly trying to join the Yu family, reported it to Yu Fan.

At that time, the great calamity had just begun, and the Daoist court was still in order. Nothing much happened, and it was at most considered a slight to a superior, a privilege of the scholar class.

But Yu Fan remembered it and suppressed the magistrate’s evaluation, preventing his promotion or transfer, which was the maximum extent of his power.

A few years later, when the Daoist court lost its order and the world fell into chaos, the magistrate of Fengtai County was dismissed from his post and assassinated on the way.

"Everyone says I have a harsh face, but the truly harsh ones don’t show it on their faces. This is a man of fleeting fortune!" Ye Qing sighed.

It wasn’t that he found it despicable; more absurd results were common in history. But given this man’s nature, he had to be cautious.

Qianqian watched quietly, not fully understanding the background, but combining her experiences, a secret dream in her heart made her gaze somewhat distant. She came back to her senses and said softly, "Master is not harsh… if being good to a maid is considered harsh, then the world is full of cold-hearted people."

Ye Qing laughed, reaching out to gently tap Qianqian’s nose, "Whether truly harsh or just pretending, when I stole the limelight at the Dragon Lord’s banquet, I took what was originally his. For him, this must have created a grudge."

He stood up and paced around the room, thinking. If one side could back down, there might be a way to resolve the conflict. He didn’t believe that Yu Fan, who had achieved success, had no tolerance at all.

Perhaps if he backed down, Yu Fan would save face and let it go. But with the great calamity approaching and the world in turmoil, it would be difficult to find room for compromise.

"Preparation is key… now that I’ve passed the scholar examination, what other opportunities can I seize with my current strength?" Ye Qing murmured.

Qianqian watched silently, finding it hard to understand his occasional strange remarks. Was it because he read too much? But she had read all the books he read, and none of them mentioned such things.

This might be a mystery she would never solve, but she liked the look on his face, as if he could unravel any problem, which always captivated her.

The next morning, the spring snow had not melted, and icicles hung from the eaves. People’s breaths were white in the cold air.

As dawn broke, the scholars in the inn gradually woke up, put on thick clothes, and hurried out, ignoring the cold.

The Dazhao imperial examination was stricter for scholars. After the initial registration, there was a second check to ensure the safety of the candidates and prevent impersonation. Today was the day of the second check, and Ye Qing knew it well.

The inn was mostly empty when Ye Qing reached the door. He suddenly stopped, returned to the second-floor room, and made a gesture to Qianqian.

Qianqian, surprised but clever, didn’t make a sound. She watched as Ye Qing moved to the window, slightly lifting the curtain, and a cold wind rushed in, rustling the books on the table.

She realized something and held her hands tightly, not disturbing Ye Qing’s observation. After a moment, Ye Qing’s face turned grim.

"Master?" Qianqian asked, worried.

"It’s nothing," Ye Qing reassured her, but he didn’t rush out. He ordered breakfast and continued studying, only leaving at noon, holding Qianqian’s hand and sitting in a cart.

When they arrived at the county office, the复查 was almost over, and the scholars had dispersed.

Ye Qing told Qianqian to wait in the cart, went in quickly to handle some matters, and returned to find her clutching a dagger in her sleeve.

"Someone came?" Ye Qing looked at her, seeing her clear and composed, and breathed a sigh of relief.

"A constable came to ask, and I told him what Master said, that I was waiting for family," Qianqian frowned. Master’s prediction was right; there were indeed people watching, but they didn’t take any action.

She thought to herself, "I am Master’s maid, and I should be taking care of him, but now I’m just a burden."

Thinking this, her expression turned gloomy.

Ye Qing noticed and thought she was still scared, so he comforted her, "Actually, this place is as strict as a prison, a key surveillance area of the Daoist court. There are spirits patrolling continuously. To deceive them, one would need not only corrupt officials but also the power to cover the sky. You don’t need to worry."

The surveillance started after Yu Fan’s appearance, and Ye Qing realized this.

But Yu Fan’s fortune had not yet fully blossomed, and he had been thwarted by Ye Qing in the Dragon Palace. Currently, he was far from influencing the spirits.

Still, the risk of losing control was too great, and any mistake could be irreparable. Ye Qing took a deep breath, his expression serious.

He looked into the distance and smiled, his voice cold and clear, "Let’s take a walk."

Since they were under surveillance at the inn, Ye Qing didn’t return with Qianqian. They wandered the snack street in front of the county office, finding a dumpling stand.

Qianqian wiped the bench with a handkerchief and ordered, "Two bowls of dumplings."

"Sure, young scholar, please wait," the middle-aged owner said, seeing Ye Qing come from the county office with a beautiful maid, and deliberately raised his tone for good luck.

He quickly put the pre-made dumplings in the pot, and soon, two steaming, fragrant bowls of dumplings were served.

"Please enjoy, sir. I’ve been running this stall for over ten years, and my skills are quite good," the man said, placing the dumplings and smiling at Ye Qing, but not daring to look at Qianqian. After a moment, he couldn’t resist stealing glances at her.

Ye Qing took a bite of a dumpling, finding it thin-skinned and full of flavor, but he wasn’t in the mood, watching everything closely.

"Qianqian is growing up, and her beauty is hard to hide. Even the dumpling seller knows how beautiful she is. No wonder she had many troubles in my past life. This is another source of trouble."

"But in my past life, many of my enemies had beautiful women in their households, not necessarily because of their beauty, but because they saw Qianqian as my weakness and attacked me."

"Struggle for fortune, jealousy of talent, and the allure of beauty—these three troubles are all on me." Thinking this, he felt a heavy burden but remained clear-minded.

Looking at Qianqian, he smiled gently, "No matter what, I must protect her."

There are not many people with such beauty, but there are some. How many can truly grow into it?

Any mistake in upbringing or growth can greatly diminish their beauty. Even if they reach a certain level of beauty, they can be targeted and their beauty lost.

As he thought, his spiritual senses suddenly alerted him.

He saw Yu Fan, accompanied by several servants, heading to the back door of the county office, along with a few fellow scholars.

As they passed, Yu Fan glanced over, but quickly looked away and continued on.

Ye Qing pondered for a moment, knowing he was under surveillance, and smiled coldly, reciting, "The difficulty of the Shu path is greater than ascending to the blue sky, looking westward, I sigh long and deep."

"It seems I can’t just focus on myself. If I don’t grow, I might be destroyed. I need allies and support," Ye Qing thought.

But then he was startled, "Isn’t this the way of the carp?"

Thinking this, he felt a chill, and his anger gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of helplessness.