Chapter 9: Preparing to Depart

Damn, another snag! Li Yuxuan pinched the transcript, looked at the "49th place" label, and his mouth twitched involuntarily. This ranking was exactly the same as when he last entered the academy, precise as if Heaven deliberately arranged it.

He stole a glance at Jiang Ruiyuan beside him and saw him staring at his own transcript and grinning foolishly—32nd place, not top tier but solidly on the study‑abroad list. Li Yuxuan thought to himself: last time he entered the academy, he scraped through with later‑generation knowledge and even fooled Jiang Ruiyuan by saying a stomachache before the exam hampered his performance; what to do this time? He couldn't have another stomachache, could he?

Sure enough, Jiang Ruiyuan was in high spirits, turned his head and noticed Li Yuxuan's transcript, raising an eyebrow: "Yuxuan, finally you can go abroad! But why is your ranking so low again? It's exactly the same as when you first got in; your luck is downright uncanny."

Li Yuxuan cleared his throat twice and quickly made an excuse: "Young Master, I didn't want this either. Maybe the last question I wrote was too radical, and the instructor didn't like it, so I got a low score."

The excuse wasn't entirely false. The essay he wrote on the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese and Japanese armies indeed lambasted the Imperial Court's flaws, and even getting a passing grade was lucky. Jiang Ruiyuan, unsurprised, waved his hand: "Hey, who cares! As long as you can go, that's enough. This time abroad, I'll make a name for myself and show those who say the Jiang Family can only do business."

He grew more excited, paced a few steps in place, and added: "When I get to Japan, I want to see how their army trains, to listen to the study‑abroad students discuss revolutionary ideas, and maybe even meet someone like Sun Wen…"

Li Yuxuan listened to his daydreams about the future.

Never mind, never mind, we'll talk about the future later. He shook his head, pushing these worries aside. At least for now, going to Japan is better than staying in Baoding.

With half a month left before departure, the academy gave the study‑abroad students a holiday to return home and pack. Li Yuxuan and Jiang Ruiyuan traveled together back to Xikou, and as soon as they entered the Jiang Family Courtyard, Wang Caiyu grabbed them and peppered them with questions.

"Ruiyuan, I heard you're going to Japan to study abroad?" Wang Caiyu held her son's hand, her eyes full of reluctance; that place is across the ocean, and I've heard Japanese pirates cause trouble there, so be careful.

"Mother, don't worry, I'm grown enough." Jiang Ruiyuan pounded his chest, saying, "I'm going to Japan to learn skills; once I've mastered them, I can protect the family, protect you."

Wang Caiyu sighed, then looked at Li Yuxuan: "Little Yuxuan, are you going too?"

"Yes, madam." Li Yuxuan quickly nodded, "I will take good care of the Young Master."

"That's good, that's good." Wang Caiyu finally relaxed, turned and sent Mao Fumei to fetch the silver money, saying, "This is for your journey. When you get to Japan, don't hold back; spend what you need, and if it's truly insufficient, send a letter home."

Jiang Ruiyuan was still assuring Wang Caiyu that he would study diligently, while Li Yuxuan was pulled aside by Zhou Guixiang.

"Xuan'er, when you get to Japan, be more tolerant in everything and avoid conflicts." Zhou Guixiang's eyes were red, and she slipped a cloth sack into his hand, saying, "Inside are close‑fitting clothes I sewed for you, plus some wound medicine; if you get bruised, remember to apply it."

She paused, then lowered her voice: "Don't get mixed up with the Young Master in those reckless revolutionary or rebellious activities. We're servants; just keep to our duties. Staying safe is the most important, understand?"

Li Yuxuan's nose tinged with sourness, he nodded, "Mother, I understand, don't worry."

He took the cloth sack back to his small side room, opened it, and found, besides clothes and medicine, several crumpled silver notes totaling ten taels—almost half a year's household expenses. Li Yuxuan clutched the sack tightly, silently vowing: no matter what I face, I must return alive and not make Mother worry in vain.

In the following days, as news spread in Xikou Town that the Jiang Family heir was going to Japan to study abroad, people came to congratulate him. The Jiang Family set up several banquet tables, bustling as if it were New Year. Li Yuxuan helped busy back and forth, yet his heart remained uneasy.

That night, while he was helping Jiang Ruiyuan pack luggage, Gu Qinglian suddenly arrived at the academy. The old man still wore a long robe, his hair a bit whiter than before, and he carried a wooden box.

"Mr. Qinglian? What brings you here?" Jiang Ruiyuan was both surprised and delighted.

Gu Qinglian smiled, opened the wooden box, and inside were stacks of books and several oil‑printed pamphlets: "I heard you're going to Japan, so I brought you some things. These are notes I took while in Japan before, plus some bound copies of the Minbao Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper; they might be useful to you."

He pointed to the books, explaining one by one: "This Japanese Army Manual is the latest edition, more detailed than what your academy teaches. These volumes discuss constitutional government; read them in Japan and you'll understand what a Republic is, and also this…"

He took out a palm‑sized wooden plaque engraved with the character Ming, handed it to Jiang Ruiyuan: "If you encounter danger in Japan, look for those bearing the same plaque; they'll help you."

Jiang Ruiyuan took the plaque, bowed solemnly, and said, "Sir, rest assured, we will study diligently and not disappoint your expectations."

Gu Qinglian glanced again at Li Yuxuan, his eyes carrying a hint of meaning: "Yuxuan, though you seem gentle, your mind is sharper than Ruiyuan's. When you get to Japan, keep a close eye on him and don't let him cause trouble. In these chaotic times, preserving yourself is the prerequisite for any future."

Li Yuxuan felt a stir inside, sensing hidden meaning in Gu Qinglian's words, yet he replied earnestly, "Yes, sir, I have noted it."

After seeing Gu Qinglian off, Jiang Ruiyuan leafed through the books, too excited to sleep. Li Yuxuan sat by the window, staring blankly at the moon in the sky.

He touched the transcript in his chest, glanced at the books Gu Qinglian gave on the table, and suddenly realized this trip to Japan might not be as simple as imagined. Revolutionary parties, Imperial Court spies, Japanese military… all factions intertwined.

Never mind, the boat will straighten itself at the bridge. He yawned; after all, it's only April 1906, and those world‑shaking events are still years away, giving plenty of time to ponder.

Moonlight filtered through the window lattice onto the pages, the script of the Japanese Army Manual shimmering coldly in the night. Li Yuxuan's fingertip brushed the bound Minbao Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper, its pages brittle, the ink scent mingling with the aura of bygone days. He suddenly recalled Gu Qinglian's gaze when handing over the plaque, that hint spreading ripples in his heart like a stone dropped into a lake.

Jiang Ruiyuan was still excitedly planning to visit a bookshop in Tokyo's Kanda District after arriving, to attend lectures by fellow students, unaware of how many hidden reefs lay ahead. Li Yuxuan carefully slipped the ten‑tael silver notes into the inner pocket of his cloth sack and tucked Gu Qinglian's pamphlets into the box bottom—those writings on civil rights and the Republic could, in the eyes of the current Imperial Court, invite a death sentence with every word.

The insects outside fell silent, and he touched the wound medicine Zhou Guixiang gave him at his waist, the porcelain bottle cold. The 1906 wind seemed already tinged with the scent of an approaching mountain storm. He inhaled deeply, suppressing stray thoughts: "Whatever happens, first get on the ship." Yet the Ming‑inscribed wooden plaque was quietly tied to his close‑strapped rope, a heavy omen hanging over his heart.