In the fifteenth year of Jinghan in the Wu Dynasty, on April 15th, on the grasslands outside Jiangning City, a cage containing a kitten was attached to a large kite and flown far away. Search: \(?Complete?Book?God?Station) to read fine literature for free. Xiao Junwu looked at the kite and made a resolution.
It is a gratifying thing for a young man to aspire high and aim far. If someone with foresight were here, they might say that this child is bound to achieve great things in the future. However, for Ning Yi, success would be gratifying, and even if he failed, he would at least have found something he could do. The possibility of failure was, in fact, higher. Just as Xigua wanted "Great Harmony," Junwu wanted "Gewu" (investigation of things). He planted the seeds, but he was unwilling to be too attached unless it was absolutely necessary.
Junwu was still developing at this time, and he was still short. He excitedly talked to Ning Yi about Gewu. Zhou Pei, who came with him, used to always lecture her younger brother. Today, however, she was quite quiet. Perhaps she realized that if Junwu wanted to realize his ambitions, he had to be a good little prince first. The girl was now dignified and had the feeling of being a graceful young woman.
She didn't say much. It was said that the Kang Prince's Mansion had made up its mind to find a suitable consort for her, and several talented young men from Jiangning were vying for the position. There were even rumors that several noble scholars had set up competitions in certain establishments, comparing their literary and martial skills for the sake of the young princess. This news had spread throughout Jiangning Prefecture in just a few days, becoming a popular story. However, Ning Yi was preoccupied with family matters and could only hear snippets and pieces, not very clear, but it seemed quite exciting.
The cat cage carried by the kite broke its line shortly after being launched into the sky. The kitten should have fallen and died. On the grasslands outside the city, several servants of the Kang Prince's Mansion followed Junwu, shouting and cheering, as they went to search. The girl then gave Ning Yi a blessing: "Teacher, my family has been pressing me to recruit a consort. What does the teacher think...?"
"Parents' orders and matchmakers' words, what can I say? You're so smart, you must have some thoughts in your heart to say this, right?"
Zhou Pei lowered her head: "I thought the teacher would have some different opinions... I'm afraid I can't avoid it this time."
Ning Yi looked at her with some sympathy: "I got married like this too, and it turned out not so bad. Everyone goes through these things, don't say it's hard to avoid, avoiding it is even more troublesome. At your age now, you can choose whoever you want to be your consort. If you were older, they would be choosing you, and some people might even stab you in the back. I heard that those young gentlemen who are vying to be your consort, although not from the top families, are all quite capable. You probably know them all to some extent and can choose whoever you want. What else are you thinking about?"
"I... I'm still not reconciled," Zhou Pei said softly. "When I was young, I thought that even women could do many things. Later, I found out that it wasn't possible. I also hope that my younger brother can be successful, at least to be a useful prince in the future. Although he can't manage the world and benefit the people now, at least he's studying that Gewu thing, which will be useful in the future. But... but in the end, I'm still not reconciled. Why can't I do what men can do? Those consorts being chosen, I know them... they're all half-baked guys, one by one... they don't have any real talent."
In fact, whether it's a prince consort or a son-in-law, once they marry into the royal family, they are cut off from a career in officialdom for life. Young people with real ideals and ambitions would not choose this path. If princesses who have been raised in the palace and never seen by anyone were choosing consorts, some people would even avoid it. But Zhou Pei's selection of a spouse this time attracted many talented young men in Jiangning, because she often had the opportunity to appear in public. The little princess had been beautiful since she was a child, and at the age of fifteen, she had become even more dignified and beautiful. In addition to her beauty, she had also received Kang Xian's education and was proficient in classics, history, philosophy, literature, calligraphy, and painting. She was also a well-known talented woman among the younger generation in Jiangning.
In the past, Ning Yi's lectures often provided thought-provoking viewpoints, which was due to his advantage as a modern person. But from a traditional point of view, Ning Yi's achievements in this area were probably far inferior to those of the little princess. Therefore, although Ning Yi did not often get involved in the affairs of these talented scholars and beautiful women, he knew that after the news of the little princess's search for a spouse spread, many young literary talents were willing to bet their futures to win Zhou Pei's favor. As long as they were not the eldest son who needed to inherit the family business, they could live a life of wealth and leisure, and be harmonious with the talented princess, which would be better than being immortals.
However, they only knew about the little princess's talent, but they didn't necessarily understand her personality. At this time, after her whispers, none of those suitors could catch her eye. Ning Yi shook his head, feeling that this little girl was too ambitious: "Who isn't half-baked at first? At your age, a teenager, as long as their character is good, they will slowly become a full bucket of water. You've learned too much from Kang Prince, and you're using his standards to measure people. That's too unfair. Kang Xian was probably not as good as these kids when he was young."
Ning Yi couldn't offer much advice on such matters at this time. If he had a daughter, he certainly wouldn't choose a husband for her at the age of fifteen. But there was no way to change the little princess's situation. If her standards were so high now, she might be able to find a good one. Wouldn't it be even more tragic if she dragged it out until she was twenty? Seeing her still pouting with her head lowered, knowing that he couldn't persuade her, he didn't say anything more.
On this day, he said goodbye to Zhou Pei and her brother, and visited Kang Xian once more.
When he returned home and entered the courtyard, he heard Tan'er talking to someone in the room.
"...At this time, with so many things going on at home, why are you joining in the fun!"
"It's precisely at this time that we want to be more useful. Second Sister, this is a matter for the Su family. If we all hide behind, what kind of situation is that..."
"What Su family matter? If this family takes the name Ning in the future, are you going to rebel?"
"I... we're not saying that. We respect Second Brother-in-law, but after all, it's about revenge... We also want to be more useful. We can at least learn what we don't understand..."
"Your Second Brother-in-law is going to risk his life, and people die at every turn. You want to learn? Fine, I'll give each of you a knife. If you dare to say that if you encounter danger, you'll be willing to commit suicide at any time and not be a burden to your Second Brother-in-law, then I'll let you go!"
The people talking to Su Tan'er inside at this time were the young people of the Su family, led by Wen Ding and Wen Fang. After the family split, they were on the side of the main branch. This time, knowing the significance of Ning Yi's trip to the capital, they asked to go along. Su Tan'er was certainly gentle and lovely in front of Ning Yi, but at this time she was stern, and the few people were speechless for a moment. They certainly had temporary enthusiasm, but to say that they wouldn't be a hindrance just because they had enthusiasm was purely wishful thinking.
Ning Yi stood outside the window and listened with interest for a while, feeling that his wife was getting better and better at scolding people. Xiao Chan came from behind, saw Ning Yi standing outside the window, wanted to say hello, but Ning Yi raised a finger to "hush" her, and then put his arm around her and hugged her. Xiao Chan's face turned red. Although she realized what Ning Yi was doing, she stood with him outside the window, eavesdropping on Tan'er scolding people.
"Husband, I don't want to be separated from Miss..." After listening for a while, Xiao Chan muttered softly.
"I don't want to either," Ning Yi said, hugging her and shaking her with a smile. "But some things are better a month earlier than a month later. Anyway, we're going to establish a foothold first. When I go to Liangshan, you'll still have to wait for Tan'er in the capital. You'll see her soon."
"Mm." Xiao Chan nodded. Ning Yi said softly, "Do you know what we're going there to do this time?"
This time, Xiao Chan nodded vigorously: "To establish a foothold, and for revenge!"
"No, we're going there to have a baby."
They had been intimate for a long time, so these words were not too outrageous. Ning Yi was hugging Xiao Chan from behind at this time, and Xiao Chan was holding his hand. She blushed shyly and "hehe" laughed, like a shy little beauty in a cartoon.
"How bloody, I'll go in and help say something." After a while, feeling that they had said almost everything, Ning Yi smiled and let go of Xiao Chan. When he entered from the door, everyone in the room stopped talking. The young men called out "Second Brother-in-law." Ning Yi waved his hand and said, "Go out first, don't make your Second Sister angry." As they ran away, he patted Wen Ding on the shoulder: "Don't worry, you will definitely have something to do this time, it just depends on whether you can do it. After all, the Su family will still rely on you in the future, so study hard."
As soon as he said this, the faces of the few people suddenly lit up, but Su Tan'er, who was still angry over there, narrowed her eyes and looked over. After the few people left the room, she asked aggrievedly: "Husband, are you really planning to take them with you?"
Ning Yi sat down on the edge of the bed: "What do you think?"
"How can we take them with us for this kind of thing? There must be many veterans in that Secret Intelligence Division who are familiar with everything. If we take Wen Ding and Wen Fang with us, things might go wrong, and in the end, you'll have to save them. What should we do then!" She was a little aggrieved, staring at Ning Yi. Ning Yi smiled.
"I've thought about this too, for a long time, but I've already told you what the Secret Intelligence Division does, and you have a good idea in your mind, right?"
"Mm." Tan'er nodded.
"For a plan to be well-laid out, the most important thing is intelligence. I agreed to join them for this reason, and it will be much easier to get revenge on the people of Liangshan. But people who play with intelligence are not necessarily reliable. People who know too much are like toilets, very necessary when you need them, but everyone wants to avoid them when they're not needed..."
He became serious here, Su Tan'er listened carefully, and frowned, "Husband, are you worried about... Prime Minister Qin and Kang Prince?"
Ning Yi shook his head: "I'm more familiar with them after all, but I'm worried about... those even higher up." He gestured, Tan'er fell silent, and then looked at him worriedly: "Can't you... withdraw after solving the Liangshan matter?"
"I have some other things I want to do." Ning Yi smiled. He had actually set a goal at this time, which was to help Qin Siyuan and others prevent the "Jingkang Incident." If things continued to develop like this, and the Wu Dynasty's army was so weak, the Jin troops would definitely come south in the future. When he separated from Xigua, he had already made such preparations in his heart. As long as such a large-scale disaster didn't happen in the future, the Jurchens who occupied the northern lands would soon be corrupted. At that time, the Wu Dynasty would have a hundred years of peace, and he wouldn't ask for more. People can't guarantee what will happen after death, and the so-called opening up a peaceful world for all ages is just a nice-sounding ideal. But one thing is certain, everyone must fight for their own lives. Those who only hope for help or
those who expect to be saved will die, and he will have no sympathy for them.
He naturally couldn't tell Tan'er about things like the "Jingkang Incident." He paused slightly and said, "This time, since the family has separated, if we want to do business again, we might as well do it a little bigger. I'll mention some things to Prime Minister Qin. If he agrees, the Secret Intelligence Division won't be like it is now. But I'm afraid there will be accidents, and I want to have something in my own hands. I'll bring two people from home with me, and Wen Ding and Wen Fang can stay at home. Also, I want... Tan'er to help with some things, and only you can do it."
Tan'er smiled and held his hand: "Your life is my life. If there are such important things, and you don't think of me... I'll divorce you."
Ning Yi couldn't help but laugh, then he held her hands in his: "I don't know what will happen in the end, no one will know you, but if something really goes wrong in the future, maybe you can get me... and our family out of trouble."
Since ancient times, those who reform the law have never had good endings. This is because the effect of force between people is actually mutual. If you want to make big changes, you will inevitably encounter a big backlash. And it's the same if you want to stop any trends. Ning Yi understood this, and that was why he had to prepare from now on.
That evening, he chatted with Wen Ding, Wen Fang, and others for a while. Naturally, he didn't tell them too much about his thoughts, but chose two people from them to go north with him. These two were also close relatives of the main branch, one called Su Wenyu and the other called Su Yanping. As for Wen Ding, Wen Fang, and others, they stayed here to cooperate with Tan'er. In fact, the difference between people is usually not much. The Su family's disciples were just not trained enough and performed mediocrely.
At this time, when Confucianism was in power, it was generally advocated to change the world with one's own strength. Heaven is strong, and a gentleman strives for self-improvement. A gentleman is like a dragon, and so on. Therefore, when the young people of the Su family were not capable enough, they were always ambitious, wanting to steer big ships and control the overall situation, so they were at a loss. But if everyone could recognize the distance between themselves and the world, do their own thing first and then consider other things, they might not become successful.
The family affairs were thus arranged. That night, Ning Yi and Tan'er lay in bed, the child was gently rocking in the cradle by the bed, and the moonlight shone in from the window. The couple were not asleep, but they were quietly nestled together. In the middle of the night, the child wet the bed and cried. Ning Yi got up to change his diaper, held him in his arms and coaxed him, and sat in the chair by the bed and sang softly. The song was like this:
"The wild cattle herd has disappeared without a trace from the grasslands, it knows that humans are coming, the earth is waiting for people to reclaim it, come to this most beautiful new world..."
Tan'er lay in bed, quietly watching him, listening to the melody that did not belong to this era with the stars, the moon, the small courtyard, and the bamboo forest outside the window. Three years ago, a soul came to this world, looking at everything in this era in a tourist and vacation attitude. Now, he has seen and felt many things, and has finally decided to do something about this era. When it dawns, he will wake up from his dream and enter a new world that belongs to him.
On the same night, in the warehouse of the side room of Kang Prince's Mansion, there was also a figure, holding a lamp, cruising between one large box after another. When it dawns, these boxes will be transported onto cargo ships and taken all the way to the capital, sent to the palace as tribute and birthday gifts to the royal family. The things were already prepared, and numbers had already been assigned to them. That figure calculated the position of each box due to its number, then opened it and moved out the gold and silver jewelry inside. She then lay down in it and tried it out, and laboriously dug a small hole in the box with a small knife.
Everything was ready.
After digging the hole, the graceful figure holding the lamp took a long breath in front of the box and nodded.
Life and worldly affairs are like a game of chess, a true man never regrets his moves. Although she was not a true man, she was confident that the world also had the saying that women were not inferior to men. She was going to a new place to see a wider world.
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That night, the couple didn't sleep too long.
After waking up in the morning, Tan'er put on his clothes for him. After breakfast, the family went to the Jiangning wharf together. Several large official ships were already waiting there. In addition to Kang Xian, Princess Chengguo Zhou Xuan herself had also come. Many officials from Jiangning Prefecture also came, because these ships were to transport things to the capital to celebrate the Empress Dowager's 50th birthday.
Due to certain considerations, Kang Xian only waved to Ning Yi from a distance and did not come over to talk to him much, but Wen Ren Buer also came and boarded the ship early, also not disturbing the Su family's farewells.
"You must remember home and come back safe and sound."
She had already said enough on weekdays, so Tan'er only said this sentence to Ning Yi softly, then told Su Wenyu and the others not to mess around and drag her brother-in-law down, and also told Xiao Chan to take good care of her husband.
"It's best to get pregnant with her husband's child." She whispered in Xiao Chan's ear, softly and playfully. Xiao Chan blushed and didn't dare to nod.
From a distance, Yunzhu and Jin'er boarded a large ship in the back under the guidance of the Prince Consort's Mansion servants. When Jin'er looked over from there, she stuck her tongue out at Tan'er's back and made a big face, before jumping and skipping onto the ship with Yunzhu.
Su Tan'er smiled and glanced intentionally or unintentionally towards the ship over there. The wind blew over, messing up her hair. The servants of Kang Prince's Mansion and Princess' Mansion carried boxes one by one onto the ship. In one of the boxes, a girl looked out through a small hole. The noise and excitement of the wharf and the farewells of the crowd fell into her eyes. At one moment, she almost brushed shoulders with Ning Yi, Su Tan'er, and the others. The girl blinked in the box, watching Ning Yi's figure flash across her field of vision.
The boxes were carried into the cabin one by one. With a bang, the girl felt her box being put down. She lay in the box and waited for a while. Suddenly, with another bang, a box landed on top of her box. She was stunned for a moment, and carefully pushed upwards, but the lid was extremely heavy and did not move under her strength.
She hurriedly looked out from the small hole, unsure whether to speak out or not. She didn't know how long it had been, when with another bang, a box landed in front of her field of vision, blocking her view...
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Five thousand character chapter ^_^ (To be continued.) Vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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