Chapter 454

Chen dynasty, a quiet chamber in a separate villa.

Candlelight flickered, illuminating Chen Wen's tranquil face.

He did not, as usual, attend to state affairs or study the classics; instead, he half-closed his eyes and immersed his mind entirely in the profound depths of Shi Yong.

Since this ability was unlocked after the system reset, he has become increasingly aware of its strategic value.

It is like a pair of invisible eyes, able to perceive the flow and convergence of the intangible, substance-less yet truly existing shi.

At this moment, his perception swept past the colossal light curtain spanning east and west, like mercury pouring across the ground, spreading toward the 'script world' firmly controlled by the Iron Crow Army.

He deliberately avoided the False Song Bianjing cluster, still restless and distorted due to the 'Heavenly Book,' whose fortune-momentum core remained, and also skirted the marked or monitored 'light points,' such as Li Yuan and Zhou Huaian.

His 'gaze' turned toward a more southern, vaster region.

According to the resonance he had previously sensed, linked to the embryonic discussion of the 'Qingmiao Law,' he focused his mind on Jiangxi Circuit.

Here the literary atmosphere flourished, scholars gathered like clouds; it was an important talent nursery for the False Song civil bureaucracy.

His mind spread like ripples, passing over prefectures and counties, sensing countless 'fortune-momentum' entities, bright or dim, strong or weak.

Most were like fireflies on a summer night—faint and ordinary.

However, as his perception swept over the Jiangxi Circuit, Linchuan area, an extremely faint yet unusually pure and condensed 'Wenqu'-type light point, like a jade buried deep underground, suddenly stirred his spiritual sense!

This light point was still gestating, its glow dim, like a candle in the wind, liable to go out at any moment.

Yet its core exuded an indescribable tenacity and… sharpness!

What further shocked Chen Wen's mind was that the faint ripples of fortune-momentum emanating from this weak light point actually resonated, albeit faintly, with the thought-wave ripples he had previously sensed in the False Song court arising from the debate over the merits and demerits of 'Qingmiao money.'

It seemed that this not-yet-matured light point was innately intertwined, by countless threads, with some great future reform wave that might sweep the court and countryside, their fates woven together.

Chen Wen snapped his eyes open; a gleam flashed in his pupils and vanished.

"Another seed…"

He murmured to himself, his tone tinged with gravity and certainty.

"Although I do not know his name or his appearance, this child… will surely become a variable that cannot be ignored in the False Song court!"

He could almost certainly affirm that the importance of this sprouting light point was no less than that of Li Yuan, whom they had already noted, and might even surpass it!

A thought instantly formed in Chen Wen's mind.

Such a node figure of immense potential could never be long ignored by the Iron Crow Army.

They might not yet have noticed this sprouting light point, or perhaps they had already placed surveillance.

But regardless, this person's future growth trajectory will profoundly affect the False Song's national fortune, and will inevitably become a part of the 'history' that the Iron Crow Army focuses on preserving or distorting.

"Must be closely monitored!"

Chen Wen made the decision in his heart.

"We must not rush to make contact, nor must we reveal our intentions."

He rose, walked to the desk, spread out paper, and quickly wrote an order.

"Order: The Jing'an Office shall immediately mobilize Jiangxi Circuit, especially all usable dark posts and eyes near Linchuan."

"Objective: Closely monitor the local scholar-officials' movements, paying particular attention to young scholars who recently took the county and prefectural examinations, especially those who are naturally gifted, whose conduct deviates from the norm, or whose family learning is profound."

"Priority: Gather their name, teacher lineage, family background, and everyday statements and writings."

"Operational principle: Only distant observation, no close scrutiny; only collect public information, no proactive contact or probing."

"Above all, remain concealed, lest we startle the snake."

He set down the brush, blew dry the ink, and handed the order to the attendant standing nearby.

"Send it out immediately via the most secure channel."

"Yes!"

The attendant received the command and departed.

Chen Wen closed his eyes again, attempting to redirect his mind toward Jiangxi Circuit, Linchuan direction, locking onto that faint yet unique 'Wenqu' light point.

This time, his perception became somewhat clearer.

That light point seemed to be located where the sound of reading rang clear and pure, its aura focused and dedicated, bearing the sharp vigor and unworldly idealism characteristic of youth.

It flickered quietly, like a seed buried deep beneath frozen soil, silently accumulating strength, awaiting the day it would break through.

It does not yet know that its fate has already been entwined by invisible threads, closely linked to the struggle between the two worlds and to the grand contest over the direction of 'history.'

It also does not know that, far beyond the distant light curtain, there already stands a 'Guardian' who, across time and space, casts a gaze of scrutiny and concern.

False Song, Jiangxi Circuit, Linchuan County.

Within the county school, a group of blue-gowned scholars bent over their desks, writing swiftly; the air was filled with the scent of ink and a faint tension.

This was a mock county examination; for the many youths hoping to change their fate through the civil service exams, it was a crucial drill.

In the corner, a youth whose face still bore childishness but whose eyes were unusually calm and focused, concentrated intently on the test paper before him.

He was slow to put brush to paper, yet his strokes were thin and firm, his structure precise, possessing an air that did not follow vulgar trends.

The policy question concerned local governance; he did not merely quote the classics and speak emptily of benevolence and righteousness, but after expounding the essentials of the classics, he turned his brush to discuss the malfeasance of local clerks and the missteps of Qingmiao loans; though his words were somewhat immature due to his youth, they already revealed his concern for practical affairs and the sharp edge of his criticism.

Having written the final sentence, he gently set down his brush, blew dry the ink, and calmly reviewed his paper.

The surrounding clamor and discussion seemed unrelated to him.

What he had in mind was not merely passing the exam to gain official rank.

Moreover, there were some vague thoughts about how to change this entrenched corrupt state, quietly sprouting in his young heart.

Outside the schoolhouse, a seemingly ordinary peddler shouldered his load and walked past, his gaze apparently unintentionally sweeping over the students inside;

at the street-corner tea stall, two tea drinkers conversed in low voices, their topic occasionally turning to whether the county school harbored any outstanding talent.

These minute stirrings attracted no one's notice.

Chen Wen withdrew his mind, walked into the courtyard, and gazed up at the starry sky.

On the southern horizon, there seemed to be an inconspicuous star, emitting a faint yet steadfast light.

A child scholar's ambition can be small or great.

He whispered softly.

The Iron Crow Army seeks to win hearts with the 'Heavenly Book', yet I see that the true variable often arises in these seemingly insignificant elementary schools.

Let's see what kind of trunk and branches this seed of yours will grow into.

We will stand aside, silently watching.

Such attention is itself a form of intervention.

An important pawn concerning the future, its existence has already been factored into the calculations by the opponent at the other end of the board.