Chapter 290: Come Constant, Come Aid

In the evening, Chen Yan returned home exhausted.

At that time, before dinner, Gao Yang sat in a chair, watching Sizi and Qing Yue play with the little tiger.

This little tiger was indeed spirited, happily playing with the two kids, not getting angry even when they roughly rubbed it, and very obedient.

"You're back?"

Seeing Chen Yan enter, Gao Yang casually greeted him.

Chen Yan said in surprise, "This is the first time I've come back from outside that you haven't hurled insults at me."

"Zhao Tang, you've changed."

Gao Yang said with a fake smile, "You shameless bastard, you actually know to come back?"

"How come you didn't die out there?"

"That's more like it." Chen Yan felt completely enlightened.

He rubbed the two girls' heads, about to pick up the little tiger to play, but the tiger seemed a bit afraid of him; as soon as he approached, it hurriedly ran to hide behind Gao Yang's feet, watching him.

"Brother, you scared Xiao Yanzi!"

Sizi shouted loudly.

"Damn it, Xiao Yanzi."

Chen Yan wore a black face, really exhausted, not wanting to argue with Sizi, and plopped down beside Gao Yang.

Finding the backrest uncomfortable, he chuckled, "I'm really tired today; let me use your leg as a pillow."

Saying that, he flopped sideways and rested his head on Gao Yang's thigh.

"Mm, this is still the most comfortable."

"You're really sick!" Gao Yang cursed, but didn't push Chen Yan away.

"Brother, shameful."

Sizi covered her eyes with her little hands, but the gaps between her fingers proved she was peeking.

Chen Yan rolled his eyes lazily and said, "What do you know, you little brat?"

"This is the life I've dreamed of, relying on the mountains and beside the water—how wonderful?"

Originally, Gao Yang saw Chen Yan's exhausted face, felt a pang of sympathy, and wanted to massage him, but as soon as he reached out, he heard Chen Yan say that.

After a moment of stunned silence, he reacted, blushed, and punched Chen Yan in the chest.

"You shameless wretch, what are you saying in front of the kids?"

"I didn't say anything wrong." Chen Yan grinned, wiggling his eyebrows at Gao Yang, feeling no pain at all.

Because Gao Yang didn't use much force.

Xiao Sizi saw the two of them flirting and arguing again, pouted, picked up the little tiger, and led Xiao Qingyue away with a series of "nie" sounds.

Gao Yang gave him a sideways glance, "Where did you go today? You vanished early this morning and didn't even come back for lunch."

Bringing this up, Chen Yan felt weary: "Forget it, today your Father Emperor and Crown Prince came, showing up at the door this morning."

"They wouldn't let your Father Emperor enter, instead dragging me out for a walk and asking me countless questions, making me feel like a tutor who constantly has to answer your queries."

"The Father Emperor and Crown Prince came?" Gao Yang startled, "How did they suddenly come? What did they ask you?"

"At first it was about the immortality pill and eternal life." Chen Yan closed his eyes, "Then... they asked me about land annexation, which is hard to explain."

"By the way, I need to organize an eight-hundred-strong army later; three hundred of them will be recruited under the pretense of guarding your, Changle's, and Sizi Princess's mansions—I'm giving you a heads-up."

"...... What?"

Gao Yang was massaging Chen Yan's temples; hearing this, he dazed for a moment before reacting loudly, "You're raising an army?"

"Are you going to war?"

"I'm not fighting any damn war." Chen Yan snapped, "You know my limits—how many catties and taels I have."

"I can't even beat you, so how could I go to war?"

"The army is being organized for someone else; explaining the details is a hassle, but you can think of it as just for treasure hunting."

Upon hearing that, Gao Yang immediately relaxed and resumed massaging him.

No matter what, it's fine as long as Chen Yan doesn't go to war.

Afterwards, she couldn't help but laugh, "You actually have some self-awareness; that should count as one of your few strengths."

"Besides, why would you need an army to look for treasure?"

"Eight hundred is no small number—back then Huo Qubing invaded the Xiongnu heartland with eight hundred, Zhang Liao routed a hundred-thousand Eastern Wu army with eight hundred, and my father emperor's Xuanwu Gate coup also used eight hundred, leaving over a hundred, including your father, to guard the Qin Prince's Mansion."

"You're using that many people just to look for a treasure—are you trying to learn tomb robbery from Cao Cao?"

Chen Yan: "......"

"Look, look at what nonsense you're spouting."

"Huo Qubing took eight hundred men into the Xiongnu heartland; Li Shimin with eight hundred men became crown prince directly."

"To him, eight hundred men are only fit for grave robbing?"

"That's a bit contemptuous of people, huh."

"You long-haired, short-sighted tiger girls, I don't want to talk to you." Chen Yan snorted, "Just watch; later you'll see what achievements these eight hundred of mine can actually achieve."

"......"

In the blink of an eye, another half month passed.

Chen Yan's library had long since opened.

Without much publicity, Chen Yan only had Du Gou post flyers in a small area of Weinan County.

However, the results were somewhat beyond Chen Yan's expectations.

The people of Weinan County were already curious about Chen Yan's library, which he had built at great expense, and on opening day a crowd gathered outside.

The news that two cash coins bought an hour of reading in the library spread quickly, and within just half a month the daily number of readers soon exceeded a hundred.

Word spreads, and if it continues like this, the number of people coming here to read will keep increasing each day.

After opening the business, Chen Yan devoted all his focus to making hydraulic looms and purchasing workshops.

That day, Chen Yan, on a whim, suddenly wanted to check the library, so he leisurely walked over with Du Gou.

"Elder brother, watch out!"

Suddenly, a startled shout rang out.

Du Gou suddenly felt a pang in his shoulder, as if someone had bumped into him.

Chen Yan and Du Gou instinctively looked over and saw a scholar‑clad man carrying a pack half a person's height, hunched as he passed by them, followed by a young man who looked similar—presumably his brother.

It was the same person who had just bumped into Du Gou.

"Sorry, sorry."

The scholar with the pack broke into a cold sweat, his lips turning pale, and only then realized, quickly bowing, he apologized: "I was absent‑minded just now, truly sorry, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Du Gou said, looking at him, and added, "But judging by your complexion, if you don't rest, you might have trouble."

"Elder brother, let me carry it!" the skinny young man behind, concerned, reached out to take his brother's pack.

The scholar exhaled, did not refuse his brother's kindness, and set the heavy pack down.

Chen Yan smiled: "Both of you, looking so travel‑worn, seem to have been on the road a long time. Are you coming to Weinan County to visit relatives?"

The scholar's younger brother waved his hand at the remark, "No, no. The two of us have no relatives in Weinan County. We came because we heard there is a library there."

"The books inside cover everything, even many extremely rare volumes, and for just two wen you can read anything at will. So my brother and I traveled all the way from Chang'an to see it."

"Oh?" Chen Yan and Du Gou exchanged glances; the former seemed interested and said, "Then it's fate. The two of us are also heading to the library; shall we go together?"

"You're also going to the library?" the two scholar brothers' eyes lit up.

It was timely; they had just arrived and were unfamiliar with the routes, so a guide would be welcome.

The scholar clasped his hands and said, "Very well, I am surnamed Lai, given name Heng. May I ask how you, sir, are addressed?"

His brother also clasped his hands and said, "I am Lai Ji."

"......"