Rouluo and Three Rivers, Driving Wolves to Devour Tigers

"Being vigilant against spies and not giving them an opportunity is not only beneficial to the country, but also helpful to your career in the government. This mission will become an important political asset for you."

"Going on a mission to the Hu Lands carries both danger and opportunity. You are currently a probationary official in the Hanlin Academy and will soon be granted an official rank. Even if you achieve something in the future, others will still associate your success with Qiao Qi's support. However, this mission allows you to express your true feelings, which no one can deny."

"Of course, the most important point is that you can use this to show your loyalty to the Emperor. In officialdom, especially in the capital, the Emperor's trust is sometimes more important than any achievement. And the Emperor's current focus is on resisting foreign aggression. If you can align yourself with him, you can win his favor."

Di Ai sat in the carriage, his body swaying with the movement, but his thoughts flowed smoothly as he recalled what Yang She had said to him that day.

Yang She probably thought that it was his persuasive words that swayed me to come, but in reality, my true purpose was not like that.

As he was thinking, he looked down and his gaze fell on a book beside him, which contained a few bamboo skewers.

"He asked me to use this notebook to record Qiu Yan's words and actions. There are definitely problems in it, and we can't be careless. However, recording words and actions is not necessarily wrong, but we need to use a different notebook."

Thinking about all this, Di Ai opened the book and glanced at a few pages, all of which were blank. It looked no different from an ordinary book, but he did not let his guard down because of this.

"That day in the Book Repository, I witnessed Qiu Yan's Literary Thought talent. In that respect alone, I am inferior to him. However, in this world, one cannot judge success solely by scholarship, nor can an official's achievements be determined by the level of their learning. This mission is an opportunity to prove this point. I have high hopes for Qiu Yan, but if I can stand out, the difference in ability will be clear."

Lost in thought, Di Ai moved to the window, lifted the curtain, and peered outside. He looked at the several carriages ahead, one of which was twice the size of the one he was in. "Both are envoys, yet Qiu Yan is being treated differently, simply because the Emperor has decreed that he compile a military treatise. This shows the power of imperial favor. However, whether he can actually complete it is another matter. Qiu Yan's ostentatious display will only lead to embarrassment if he fails to achieve anything in the end."

At the edge of Di Ai's line of sight, inside the carriage, Qiu Yan was talking to a burly man.

At this time, half a month had passed since Qiu Yan met with the emperor.

In the past two weeks, many trivial matters have occurred, and news of Qiu Yan compiling a military treatise has spread throughout the Imperial City, seemingly orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. Even ordinary people have heard of it, and there's much discussion. Some are optimistic, some are pessimistic, and some think Qiu Yan is simply restless and unwilling to remain unknown.

Ever since the Imperial Examinations, Qiu Yan's name has been widely circulated every so often.

It started with his debate with the Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio, in which he defeated Grand Confucian scholar, and he began to show Qi Manifestation becoming a future Grand Confucian.

The Master of Nine-Rhyme Studio fell into a coma and has not recovered to this day. This has given the matter a legendary quality. Not long after, Nine Rhyme Study scattered like birds and beasts. Apart from a few students, the remaining disciples left on their own.

This series of events almost elevated Qiu Yan's reputation to a new level.

Just at this time, Qiu Yan entered the Military Pavilion to analyze and organize, and remained silent for a period of time. However, just when others were about to forget about him, a set of classification and organization methods that had been passed down from the Hanlin Academy began to circulate among the Aristocratic Clan and academies. Even the Great Brahma Temple and several Daoist temples in Prosperity Capital took action and learned the organization method.

Consequently, the name of the creator of this organization method also became widely known.

It was Qiu Yan.

It is worth mentioning that, after recognizing the value and significance of this classification method, the major Aristocratic Clan and academies, as usual, unanimously controlled its dissemination, confining it to the upper class and Scholar Forest, and preventing it from reaching the common people.

In this world, the methods for acquiring information are not abundant, and similar incidents are commonplace. It is precisely because Aristocratic Clan families far surpass ordinary people in the acquisition of resources and knowledge that they can enjoy astonishing benefits. Therefore, they understand its importance more than ordinary people and will continuously widen the gap between the two. Controlling the dissemination of knowledge is one such method.

In fact, even in Qiu Yan's previous life, this situation remained unchanged, only somewhat embellished.

That's why Qiu Yan mentioned these things in his conversation with Li Kun.

This method of categorization revived Qiu Yan's reputation, which had been quiet for several months, and spread among the upper class, Scholar Forest, and common people, until now, news has emerged that he is going to compile a military treatise.

Several times, some people suspected that Qiu Yan did this deliberately in order to maintain his reputation, but whether this was true or not is a matter of differing opinions.

However, regardless of the circumstances, Qiu Yan's reputation and status were gradually established before he even began his official career. Now, he was ordered by the emperor to accompany the envoy north to the Three Rivers in the Northern Desert.

He served as the deputy envoy in this delegation; although his position was not high, it involved a great deal of influence.

The man sitting in front of him was none other than Duolu, whom Eastern Capital.

Duolu's full name is "Duolu Baduowa," which means "as majestic as a mountain" in the Grasslands. He is the son of the chief of the Three Waters Tribe. According to him, he has always admired the culture of the Central Plains. He came here before for this reason, and through the Prince Yan, he made contact with the royal family of Great Rui, which led to his trip today.

"It is a great honor that Mr. Qiu still remembers me. I was somewhat rash in inviting you to the north, which was a miscalculation. I regretted it after returning. Later, I heard rumors that I arrived in Three Rivers and heard about your name. I learned that you became the top scholar in the imperial examination, and that your writing caused extraordinary phenomena. Everyone said that the Wenqu Star had descended to earth. It is truly amazing."

This Duolu was tall and looked rather rough, but when he spoke, he sounded like a scholar.

Qiu Yan, of course, would not refuse someone abruptly, so he said, "I have long heard of the magnificent scenery of the Northern Kingdom, and I am very much looking forward to this opportunity to visit. However, the prince said before that I could persuade the king. I wonder what he meant? After all, I have never had any contact with the king."

The "King" refers to Duolu's father, the chief of the Three Waters Tribe, who was appointed King of the Three Waters Kingdom by imperial decree by Li Kun. Duolu had previously said that Qiu Yan could persuade his father to unite the two sides, which solidified Li Kun's decision to send Qiu Yan as an envoy.

Duolu laughed heartily and said without beating around the bush, "My father unified the tribes of the Three Rivers because he was oppressed by the Rouluo Tribe, which made him angry and led him to rise up in rebellion. In the end, he established his empire. Now that he is getting older and the Rouluo are trying to appease him, his heart is wavering. In addition, my elder brother has been persuading him to give up the idea of competing with the Rouluo and is preparing to accept the Rouluo's investiture and settle down in the Northern Desert."

After listening, Qiu Yan pondered for a moment and asked, "The Three Waters Tribe has many people. The Three Waters Kingdom king must not want his people to suffer losses, which is why he decided to cease hostilities."

Duolu shook his head and laughed, "Mr. Qiu, you're testing me with your words. Great Rui is determined to attack Rouluo, and naturally hopes that Three Rivers can cooperate. Why would they advise us to cease hostilities? Besides, Rouluo is inherently cruel and plundering. Currently, it is internally unstable and threatened by the Great Rui. It is not advisable to launch a simultaneous war, hence the appeasement policy. Once its internal situation stabilizes, the tribes of Three Rivers will be its primary target!"

Finally, looking at Qiu Yan, he uttered the words of the Great Ancestor of the Great Rui: "How can one allow others to snore beside one's bed? As the saying goes, 'A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.' Even if the Three Waters Tribe submits, their numbers are still considerable, with tens of thousands of archers positioned behind Rouluo. To them, this is like a thorn in their side, and they cannot afford not to control them. Even without a direct attack, they will be gradually absorbed. Once the tribesmen scatter, it's hard to say what will happen to others, but the Three Rivers royal family will surely meet a tragic end!"

"Oh?" Qiu Yan looked into the other man's eyes, seeing a glimmer of light and faintly sensing the man's strong Fortune. He thought to himself, "This Duolu is no ordinary person. He's likely to leave a significant mark on the history of the Donghua People. His words demonstrate foresight. Although he may have considered bringing in external forces and allying with the brother regime, his urgent desire to defeat Rouluo is probably genuine. That's why he agreed to Great Rui's plan to use one enemy against another. But choosing me to step in... I'm afraid..."

From Duolu's words, Qiu Yan realized that this person was indeed very knowledgeable about Central Plains culture, but on the other hand, he also sensed the power struggle behind the words.

Without a doubt, the elder brother that Duolu mentioned has already sided with Rouluo, hoping to seize the inheritance of the Three Waters Tribe with the help of outsiders. Duolu's plan is also to find outside help, but his target is Great Rui.

After exchanging a few more words, Duolu took his leave. "When we reach the pass, I will lead my men ahead to Three Rivers to deliver the message. The tribe will await your arrival. At that time, I will make sure you see the Grasslands scenery, and it will surely have a place in your writings and be passed down to future generations!"

After saying that, he left.

Qiu Yan was left alone in the carriage. He pondered for a moment, then shook his head, walked to the table, sat down, and took out a book.

This carriage was quite large, not for show, but because Qiu Yan's compilation of military books had attracted the emperor's attention. His mission to the border regions also aimed to summarize the frontier and border defense, and he brought many books with him, which were displayed on bookshelves in the carriage.

These books were not from the Hanlin Academy's collection, but they were related to Military School. Many of them were copied by Qiu Yan himself and carried with him for reference.

Turning the pages of the book, I jot down some information I learned from today's conversation. In those strokes, there are colorful concepts flowing, but compared to half a month ago, these concepts are no longer chaotic and have shown some signs of Order.

After Qiu Yan finished writing, he suddenly frowned. The Ginseng Baby on the table was slowly rolling, savoring the Literary Thought the text, but then suddenly stopped.

Collapse!

The carriage jolted and then came to a stop.

Call!

The carriage curtain was lifted, revealing Pang Qianru's face.

"Qiu Yan, Dingchang is in sight. I came here specifically to inform you. Didn't you say you wanted to take a good look at the border and write it down in your the Essentials?"