Chapter 68: Chapter 64: Dusk Gives Way to Dawn, the Snow Clears on a Cold Night

More than a month passed quickly, and Lu Mingyuan had now been in this world for over half a year.

The spring rains and clear skies had passed, and early summer was fast approaching.

On a typical day, aside from diligently practicing his martial arts under Zhao Xuanwu’s guidance, Lu Mingyuan would occasionally learn the zither and practice calligraphy with Qi Muxue to cultivate his sensibilities. He would also visit Princess Consort Zhao from time to time for a good meal and a chat.

Whenever Qi Muxue played the zither in the palace, she would be surrounded by a large number of Consorts and Palace Maids, listening intently. Even many officials and Confucian Scholars would come, drawn by her reputation.

A major event had also occurred recently: Qi Xingyan was reinstated.

Although Qi Xingyan was far from the Imperial Court and held no official post, his devotion to the nation and its people never wavered. During this time, he submitted numerous memorials to discuss matters of state.

The Third Prince’s campaign to suppress the rebellion had gone smoothly, but the army’s supply lines were becoming difficult to sustain. The Court wished to establish a new military supply bureau to manage logistics from a local base. However, Qi Xingyan argued against it. He believed it would be a massive construction project that would waste resources and exhaust the populace. Furthermore, he warned of the risk that arrogant soldiers could turn it into an autonomous military garrison, and he advised that the project be halted.

In matters of official administration, Qi Xingyan proposed streamlining the bureaucracy and reducing expenditures, targeting the noble clans who advocated for reducing the number of commanderies and counties and shrinking hereditary privileges. He suggested reallocating these savings to defending the Great Wall and resisting the Demon Race. He also repeatedly submitted memorials outlining the dangers of the central government directly bestowing official posts by imperial edict. He argued this was not a policy suited for an era of peace and prosperity. To fill temporary vacancies, he believed the Court should not promote too many from the noble clans, but should instead employ more scholars from the Lower Class. Only then, he asserted, would officials truly focus on substantive work.

Although not all of Qi Xingyan’s memorials were adopted by the Court, his fervent loyalty moved Emperor Yong’an.

Thus, he summoned Qi Xingyan to the Imperial Court and appointed him Advisor of the Imperial Censorate, tasking him with rectifying the conduct of the officialdom.

Once the imperial edict was issued, the rumors of Master Qi’s involvement in a rebellion instantly vanished, collapsing without any need for a defense.

「On this day.」

As usual, Qi Muxue was heading to the palace’s private academy to teach her class when she happened to see Lu Mingyuan basking in the sun under a pavilion in Bihu Garden. She hesitated for a moment, clutching the book she was carrying in front of her.

Then she walked toward him.

Lu Mingyuan saw a woman in a turquoise gown approaching and recognized her at a glance. He greeted her with a smile.

“Good afternoon, Miss Qi. Off to teach again?”

“Yes.”

Qi Muxue nodded lightly, then took a small object from her wide sleeve and handed it to Lu Mingyuan.

Lu Mingyuan took it and saw it was an exquisite little Red Mud Seal.

A line of small words was carved on the seal.

“This is…”

“You gave me a gift a while ago,” Qi Muxue said softly. “This is in return. You must have helped quite a bit for my father to be reinstated so quickly.”

“Not really,” Lu Mingyuan said honestly. “I just mentioned to my maternal grandfather that Elder Mr. Qi is a man of integrity and righteousness. I said, ’He is the first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.’ It would be a shame for him to remain idle at home.”

“’The first to worry about the world’s troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures…’”

Hearing this, Qi Muxue pondered for a moment before commenting, “That is a very fine sentiment.”

“In any case, I must thank you, Your Highness.”

“I have other matters to attend to, so I cannot stay.”

Qi Muxue gave Lu Mingyuan a slight bow and departed.

Only then did Lu Mingyuan pick up the Red Mud Seal and examine the characters on its base.

’There are eight words on it.’

The words were tiny yet elegant, imbued with Confucian Taoist Literary Energy. Though just a single line, it emanated a faint, refreshing coolness.

Lu Mingyuan read the words one by one, from left to right: “Dusk flees, dawn nears; snow clears, cold night ends.”

’As expected of a true scholar,’ he thought with admiration. ’Even her gifts are so refined.’

He had passed the civil service exam in his previous life, after all, and hadn’t forgotten everything he’d been taught. He understood the meaning of the phrase.

The general meaning was that when dusk passes, dawn arrives. The snow will cease, and the cold of the night will pass with it. It was a message of hope.

’Is she hoping that I’ll remain optimistic, hold on to hope, and safely get through these next thirty years?’

It was truly a wonderful sentiment.

Staring at it for a moment, Lu Mingyuan noticed something else. The first word of each four-word phrase could be combined.

’Put them together and you get… Mu Xue?!’

He was stunned.

These days, the two of them often practiced the zither and calligraphy together. They would occasionally sit and discuss philosophy or talk about poetry. Their bond had grown stronger with each passing day, but he was sure it was still friendship, not yet romantic love.

’But as for the future… who could say?’

…

「Jingxin Studio.」

“For us Confucian Cultivators, if we wish to enter the ranks of cultivation, we must do so by cultivating our character and accumulating Literary Qi. Afterward, by clarifying our purpose and establishing our destiny, we can receive the blessing of the world’s literary fate. All of you, remember this well.”

Qi Muxue taught patiently from the lectern.

A student in the audience quickly raised a question.

“Teacher, can a person enter the ranks just by writing poetry? I heard my father say that while the poems written in the brothels are excellent, they’re completely useless for cultivation.”

Qi Muxue shook her head. “As I’ve said, you must first accumulate Literary Qi. Without it, such poems lack its blessing and cannot resonate with the world. Everything requires accumulation. It’s impossible to soar to greatness on the back of a single poem.”

“Teacher, is it useful to read many books? Why do those Martial Artists always call us scholars ’bookworms’?”

Qi Muxue glanced at the young man, who was dressed in a brocade robe with a white jade circlet at his waist, and recognized him as the eldest son from a Duke’s Mansion.

“Merely reading many books will, at best, allow you to linger within the Third Realm. You must also understand the principles within those books. Only then can you establish your destiny, cultivate Vast Energy, and refine the Thousand Gold Bone.”

“A Saint once said, ’Read ten thousand scrolls, travel ten thousand miles.’ Putting knowledge into practice is crucial. If you only read without understanding the principles within the books, you will be nothing more than a bookworm.”

“That is all for today.”

After dismissing the class, Qi Muxue walked out of the studio and came face to face with several other royal ladies: Princess Pingyang, Princess Ning Le, and Princess Jia Rou.

“Muxue, what have you been up to these days? You haven’t had any time to spend with us,” Princess Ning Le asked curiously.

Princess Pingyang smiled knowingly. “She’s been spending all her time with Lu Mingyuan.”

“Not *every* day,” Qi Muxue replied, feeling uncomfortable but only able to offer a weak protest.

Princess Jia Rou advised her in a low voice, “The Sixth Prince has likely taken a liking to you. You shouldn’t get too close to him. I heard from my mother, the Consort, that he’s always running over to Princess Consort Zhao’s residence. Who knows what he’s plotting?”

Qi Muxue smiled faintly. “You are overthinking things, Princess. My relationship with the Sixth Prince is merely one of friendship, a bond between like-minded individuals. As for Princess Consort Zhao, her affairs are not for me to manage.”

Princess Ning Le was completely bewildered. “Muxue, why would you befriend the Sixth Prince? He’s a lecherous good-for-nothing with a terrible reputation at Court. He’s definitely not a good person.”

“They say you should judge a person by their actions, not their intentions. A person’s true character is what you see with your own eyes. While the Sixth Prince’s reputation is indeed poor, some of the things he is blamed for were not his fault.”

Hearing this, the two princesses exchanged a look of disbelief, shocked that Qi Muxue would defend Lu Mingyuan.

“Forget it. Let’s not talk about him.”

“Muxue, the Rouge Workshop is getting a new shipment tonight. Do you want to go take a look with us?”

Qi Muxue looked apologetic. “My father isn’t feeling well, so I need to go back and look after him. I’ll have to pass.”

“If Your Highnesses have nothing else, I will take my leave.”

Princess Ning Le watched her retreating figure, still processing what had happened. After a moment, she turned to the other two.

“What’s gotten into Muxue? Has she been bewitched? Who in the entire Imperial Court would say a single good thing about that profligate?”

“Oh, forget it. Let’s not worry about her.”

…

「Qi Family Mansion.」

An elderly man in a blue Confucian robe with frost-like temples sat at a tea table. He was brewing tea, his eyes fixed on a small map of the Great Yan, his expression flickering with deep thought. Qi Xingyan looked even older than he had a few months prior, but his complexion was still relatively healthy.

“Father, I’m home.”

Qi Muxue entered the house and saw her father sitting in the main hall.

Qi Xingyan broke from his thoughts and smiled, looking at the daughter who made him so incredibly proud. “You’re back? Why aren’t you out enjoying yourself today?”

Qi Muxue sighed. “I’m not in the mood.”

Qi Xingyan smiled. “You argued with the princesses, didn’t you?”

Qi Muxue looked surprised.

“Father, how did you know?”

Qi Xingyan chuckled and handed his daughter a cup of tea. “You’ve grown so close to Lu Mingyuan lately, it was only natural you would neglect them. It wasn’t hard to guess.”

Hearing this, Qi Muxue pressed her rosy lips together. “Does Father also think Lu Mingyuan is a profligate?” she asked, biting her lip.

Qi Xingyan shook his head. “A person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow; where there’s a reputation, there’s usually a reason for it. But you shouldn’t judge a person’s character by their reputation alone. You must look at their actions.”

“Regardless, I respect your judgment. I’m just curious… what is it about this Lu Mingyuan that has earned so much of your esteem?”

Qi Muxue recalled, “He speaks with uncommon refinement; he’s no ordinary profligate. He often comes up with wonderful phrases, so he must have a rich inner world. It’s only because of some bad habits that people look down on him. He’s certainly not evil, but I wouldn’t call him benevolent, either.”

Hearing this, Qi Xingyan let out a hearty laugh.

“The debate between the schools of ’inherent goodness’ and ’inherent evil’ is a point of contention even among Saints, let alone someone like you.”

Qi Muxue pondered for a moment. “So what you mean, Father, is that a person with a good nature can become wicked if not guided properly. And likewise, a person born vicious can become good if taught and reformed?”

Qi Xingyan nodded slightly. “Precisely. The disciples of those two schools of thought have argued for a thousand years with no resolution. What I want to tell you is this: just follow your own heart.”

“I understand.”

After her father’s counsel, Qi Muxue felt her mood lift considerably.

She looked at his increasingly weary face and asked worriedly, “The Eldest Prince is still in prison. Father, do you still intend to speak for Lu Changfeng? He is by no means a good man.”

Qi Xingyan chuckled reassuringly. “Of course not. I am not that foolishly dogmatic.”

“He chose his own path. I did not fail him; I gave him all the warnings I could. From now on, we have nothing to do with one another.”

“Then what are your plans for the future, Father?” Qi Muxue pressed. “Will you still involve yourself in the struggle for succession?”

Qi Xingyan sighed. “Attending to a ruler is like attending to a tiger. The words of the Saint were true indeed. The Confucian Family’s influence in the Imperial Court is not what it was a decade ago. The Holy Emperor’s own political skill has grown quite cunning. With so much power in his hands, how much counsel can he truly heed? It’s best not to wade into these muddy waters.”

“In my life, I left home to study before I even came of age. I drifted for half a lifetime, studying bitterly to pass the examinations so that I could teach, establish schools, and govern a region. Now, all I wish for is peace in the world, and for every scholar of the Lower Class to have the chance to become a dragon. If I can see that happen, I can die without regret.”

Halfway through his speech, Qi Xingyan looked at Qi Muxue. “This isn’t just my wish; it was your grandfather’s wish as well. A thousand years ago, your grandfather achieved Sainthood and was known as the third Saint in the Central Plains World. The glory of that time was boundless, with scholars from all under heaven coming to pay homage. But by the time the legacy reached our branch of the family, the flame has dwindled to a flicker.”

“That is why the matter of your marriage must be considered with the utmost care. It cannot be taken lightly.”

“As for this Lu Mingyuan… I will test him myself.”

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep