Chapter 731: The Grand Preceptor Urges the Birth of the Hidden Emperor

Night fell like a huge black silk draping Xiazhou City, and in the flower hall of the rear residence of the Zongguan Fu, several oil‑red candles as thick as a baby's arm were lit, dispelling the bitter cold and desolation unique to the northern lands.

On a wide round table lay steaming dishes; there were no extravagantly luxurious sea delicacies, mostly freshly slaughtered roast lamb leg, large chunks of stewed beef, and a few jars of West‑Phoenix wine sealed tightly with mud.

Qingyu lifted the thin silk sleeves of her robe, revealing half an arm of skin as white as snow, and held a sharp little silver knife, carefully slicing the oil‑sizzling lamb leg meat.

She carefully trimmed away the charred parts, and placed the fattest, most tender slices into the celadon bowl before Chen Yan.

After finishing, she set down the silver knife, lifted the jar of West‑Phoenix wine warming in hot water, broke the mud seal, and poured it to seven‑tenths full into the white‑jade wine cup before Chen Yan.

The liquid glimmered amber under the candlelight, and its rich aroma instantly filled the entire flower hall.

Qingyu set the wine jar down, folded her knees obediently beside Chen Yan, and spoke in a voice as gentle as a March spring breeze in Jiangnan.

"Husband, before you left, Sister Pei Suiwan specifically called me into her chambers and gave many instructions, asking me to convey every word to you without omission......"

Chen Yan's hand paused mid‑air as he lifted the cup, his fingertip grazing the warm jade rim, his gaze falling on Qingyu's gentle, pretty face.

"How is Sister Suiwan faring in Chang'an? Have those two mischievous Qiuzi made her angry?"

A soft watery light shimmered in Qingyu's eyes; she turned her head slightly, watching the flickering candle flame.

"She said the Jin Wang Fu in Chang'an is all well, that Lord Ji'an and Miss Shuying have both put on some weight and can now run around catching butterflies, and that the Grand Preceptor frequently sends fresh gifts over......"

She turned back, looking at Chen Yan with a gaze full of reverence and deep affection.

"She also said that with her handling things behind the scenes at home, the estate will be managed as tightly as an iron barrel, never letting those petty, greasy affairs reach your ears."

Qingyu extended her cool fingers, lightly covering Chen Yan's left shoulder that rested on his knee, her tone growing more resolute.

"Sister tells you to build your merits safely in the Northern Border, to do what you wish; everything at home, she will guard for you!"

Hearing these words, a strong warm current surged uncontrollably in Chen Yan's heart, which had been forged hard as steel amid deceit and seas of corpses.

He raised his head and drank the warm, sweet wine in the cup in one gulp; the spicy liquid rushed down his throat, scorching his stomach with heat.

Pei Suiwan's virtue, broad‑mindedness, and the composure that remains unchanged even as Mount Tai collapses before her are the perfect, irreplaceable sheath for his deadly blade of judgment on the battlefield.

Wei Yingxue, sensing the atmosphere had grown too heavy, immediately swallowed the plump piece of beef in her mouth, grabbed a handkerchief from the table and wiped her mouth haphazardly.

"Husband, you don't know, after you left, a huge joke broke out in Chang'an city!"

Chen Yan set down the cup, pinched her chubby cheek, and, with interest, prompted the conversation.

"Oh, the one who can turn you into a joke must be some pampered scion who fell on hard luck again."

Wei Yingxue's eyes sparkled, and she waved her chopsticks excitedly, nodding repeatedly.

"It's that official Qin Zhao who succeeded you as Jingzhao Prefect; the day he took office, he led several hundred soldiers and tied the heir of the Marquis of Wuyang, who spent his days fighting cockfights and chasing dogs, to a flagpole on Zhuque Avenue."

Wei Yingxue laughed uproariously, her twin buns shaking with each laugh.

"Because that brat rode his horse and knocked over a candied‑hawthorn stall, Lord Qin not only struck him with a thirty‑kill whip but also forced his family to pay a thousand taels of silver as compensation, scaring the fashionable youths of Chang'an into refusing to ride horses, switching to carts pulled by cattle instead."

Chen Yan, after listening, tapped the table rhythmically with his fingertip, producing a hearty laugh.

That old dog Qin Zhao, when he bites, truly leaves no bone scraps for anyone; with him guarding Chang'an's internal affairs, the Grand Preceptor's rear is as solid as a golden soup tureen.

Ye Zhuxi, who had been silent until now, lifted a sea‑sized bowl even larger than a man's, clinked it against Chen Yan's, then boldly tipped back a huge gulp of strong wine.

She set the bowl down, wiped the wine stain from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and her previously casual gaze turned serious.

"Chen Zhuguo, although you won against the Qi State in Gancao City, the scenery along the way is far from peaceful in my view."

Ye Zhuxi pushed an empty plate to the center of the table, then placed a few peanuts on its edge, using them as a simple military sand table.

"When we passed the border of Suizhou, we found a large number of Liuren gathered near an abandoned military town; if we let them wander aimlessly, come winter they will have to turn to banditry to survive, threatening Xiazhou's defenses."

Chen Yan looked at the peanuts on the table, his admiration unmasked, and picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, popped it into his mouth and chewed.

"Commander Ye's military sense remains sharp; I have already ordered men to start handling this matter......"

Chen Yan lifted the wine jar, personally poured the large sea bowl for Ye Zhuxi; the splash of wine pouring was clearly heard throughout the flower hall.

"In chaotic times, land and grain are the tools that soothe the people; I will forcibly measure all ownerless good fields within the Seven Prefectures and distribute them to Liuren and the families of fallen militia."

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhuxi's fingers tightened around the sea bowl; the rough ceramic surface gave a gritty feel.

"Seizing ownerless fields, you are digging up the lifeblood of the great families; when the war settles, the impeachment petitions from Chang'an could drown the Zongguan Fu!"

Chen Yan leaned back in his chair, his long legs casually crossed, a hint of disdainful wildness flashing across his cold visage.

"This Northern Border I took with my sword and forty‑thousand heads; here, my Horizontal Blade is the ultimate rule—if they want to sue, they must first survive the iron cavalry of Xiazhou."

Watching the three women of distinct temperaments who had all traveled miles for him, Chen Yan clenched his teeth, the muscles on his cheekbones subtly bulging.

A soft spot exposed to sunlight becomes a fatal weakness, but if this body can become as unbreakable as armor, those soft spots can be shielded from wind and rain.

To prevent his wife and children from becoming pawns on politicians' games, he keeps climbing upward until the whole world lies beneath his feet, leaving no retreat.

Just as Chen Yan fell into contemplation, Wei Yingxue suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" as if recalling something extremely important, slapping her thighs heavily.

"I almost forgot the most proper matter."

She rose mysteriously, circled half the round table to Chen Yan's side, her small face flushed with a tempting pink from the wine.

"Husband, the day we were about to leave Chang'an, the Grand Preceptor called Xue'er alone into the Ya Ge of the study, dismissed all the servants, and said he had a secret private remark that only Xue'er could deliver to you personally."

Chen Yan's expression instantly turned ice‑cold, his back straight, his deep eyes fixed on Wei Yingxue's, ready to receive the military‑state plan concerning the nation's destiny.

Wei Yingxue leaned close to Chen Yan's ear, covered her mouth with both hands, whispered in a very low voice, yet each word rang clearly into the ears of everyone present.