The Compiler Travels Along the Border, the Disheveled Gather Beneath the Hill

Back at the Privy Council, Wang Jing said to Geng Chi with a somewhat reproachful tone, "Brother Geng, you received the news but didn't tell me beforehand. I almost lost my composure before His Majesty."

Wang Jing couldn't answer Li Kun's question in time, which inevitably left a bad impression. It's impossible for it to have no impact at all. Now that he's come to his senses, he naturally has to make some kind of response.

Logically speaking, Qiu Yan's information wasn't his responsibility, but if there were any clues, he should have informed him.

Upon hearing this, Geng Chi replied somewhat apologetically, "Brother, please calm down. I didn't mean to hide anything; there's actually more to the story." When Geng Chi was leading troops, he traversed the north and south, winning several victories and displaying an impressive momentum. However, since joining the Privy Council, he has gradually become more low-key, rarely arguing with others, and always greeting those of lower rank with a smile.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the court's instruction to "unify the military with the civil officials." After all, he was a military officer by origin, and although he held the position of a prime minister, many scholars still disliked him and would easily find fault with him, so he naturally had to be more careful. Now that he heard Wang Jing's complaint, he naturally had to explain things clearly.

"Oh? There's more to it than meets the eye?" Wang Jing was also puzzled, thinking it was just an excuse, but he still followed Geng Chi to his office and watched him pull a drawer out of a cabinet.

The room was large, filled with rows of cabinets, somewhat like medicine cabinets, divided into small drawers. The drawer doors had labels with text, mostly place names and regions.

The drawer that Geng Chi opened had the words "Beyond-the-Pass Circuit, Great Boundary Mountain" written on it. He took out a slip of paper from it and handed it over.

"It's just news? If Qiu Yan is found, we must arrange for someone to bring him back?" Wang Jing looked puzzled. After taking the note and unfolding it, his eyelids twitched again. "What's going on?"

Geng Chi smiled wryly, "That's precisely why I didn't inform Brother Wang. Qiu Yan's movements are too bizarre. The information is also very vague and difficult to verify, so I sent my spies to investigate further and find out the truth before making any further statements."

"I see," Wang Jing said, having calmed down after his initial surprise. "This kind of news needs to be verified before it can be reported. Your approach was prudent. I misunderstood you."

Geng Chi sighed, "I didn't expect His Majesty to fall ill so suddenly. This matter was too unexpected, so it was not handled properly."

"Actually, it wasn't exactly sudden," Wang Jing said, then fell silent and didn't mention the matter again, but Geng Chi already understood the meaning in his heart.

Li Kun was extremely meticulous and diligent in everything he did. While this behavior was praised by later generations in historical records, it was not a good thing for contemporary court officials. No one wanted a workaholic as their boss, who not only worked tirelessly but also interfered in everything. It was difficult not to be exhausted under such circumstances.

Moreover, many ministers had already noticed Li Kun's forgetfulness. After all, he frequently submitted memorials and was repeatedly questioned on a certain issue. Once or twice was fine, but if it happened too often, it would inevitably arouse suspicion and lead to speculation.

However, it was inappropriate for a subject to discuss the ruler's affairs according to etiquette, so Wang Jing could only hint at it without explicitly stating it.

As they talked, the topic returned to the intelligence report. After exchanging a few words, the two privy councilors decided not to report the matter yet, but to find out Qiu Yan's purpose first. Of course, they also had to carry out Li Kun's instructions at the same time, and it would be best to bring the Original Edition of that Military Canon to the Imperial City first.

After the discussion was completed, Wang Jing left. He still had many things to do. Now that Rouluo was in turmoil and Zuo Xian had been beheaded, with his head on its way to the Imperial City, this would surely enrage the Rouluo. Even if there were still forces in the court opposing war, those of them in charge of military and political affairs could not pin their hopes on seeking peace. They needed to prepare for war in advance. In addition, the emperor was already determined to fight, and there were many complicated matters to attend to.

If war breaks out, we certainly can't do what Xiao Lan did, carrying enough rations for several days and launching a cavalry charge, moving like the wind. Instead, we need to be prepared for a protracted war. Whether it's war or peace, we must have military force as the final weapon.

The Ministry of Ministry of War was responsible for the allocation of equipment and logistical supplies, but the Privy Council, as the top military and political authority, could not ignore it. Moreover, the Privy Council was also involved in the overall strategic planning and the deployment of troops in military garrisons. Wang Jing and another deputy Privy Councilor would be busy with this matter in the coming days, and even Geng Chi would have to be involved.

However, he still had some free time, so after seeing Wang Jing off, Geng Chi pondered for a moment, went to the corner of the room, tapped three times on a copper pipe, took out a piece of paper, crumpled it into a ball, lifted the cap off the pipe, and threw it down.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

A crisp sound rang out, and a complex system was bustling about underground. Someone took out the crumpled paper, marked its urgency, and passed it around, finally delivering it to the main camp outside the city.

As the Privy Councilor was in charge of military and political affairs, direct contact with the military was actually something to be wary of. However, matters of great importance could not be taken lightly, and unless there was a special promotion involved, Geng Chi would not act rashly.

In the main tent of the Capital Camp, a valiant man sat in the head seat, conversing with his generals, when a messenger brought a message from the Privy Council and handed it to him. After reading it, he tore the note to shreds.

"Gentlemen," the imposing man cleared his throat and said, "Just now, the Grand Marshal sent word."

Everyone else immediately fell silent and listened.

"The news is related to Qiu Xiuzhuan."

After the valiant man finished speaking, the tent became lively again.

"Qiu Xiuzhuan? The top scholar?"

"Is the top scholar and the classics going back to the capital? I've been wanting to see those Military Canon for ages!"

"Old Li, what are you doing getting involved? You can't even read!"

"Why are you in such a hurry? Even though you've had a few years of schooling, you're not Xiucai, and your knowledge is limited. Do you know that those classic Original Edition are originally imbued with Divine Ability? Just by looking at them, even someone who can't read can understand the principles within!"

"Such a thing is true?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense. Our Military School classics are also Human Dao Canon. How could they be blessed with Divine Ability? What are Divine Ability? Once our Military Momentum arrives, any supernatural Divine Ability will crumble. How can they be compared to the Original Edition of Military Canon?"

The valiant man observed the reactions of everyone in the tent and nodded secretly. He already knew Qiu Yan's life story and that he leaned more towards Confucianism. However, the civil officials had recently shown some resistance towards him, creating a rift between them. Now that the Military School was showing goodwill, it was the easiest way to win them over. So he allowed the generals' goodwill towards Qiu Yan to spread.

After the discussion had subsided somewhat, the man continued, "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Compiler Qiu did not return to the capital. He went to Dingchang first, and then went to the Northern Frontier region along the way, saying that he wanted to refine and perfect the classics."

Immediately, someone praised, "He is indeed a learned man, able to read Military Canon. His ambition is lofty, yet he is not complacent! He is quite different from those arrogant and weak civil officials!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say," the imposing man continued. "Some of you have connections in the Northern Frontier. You should use those connections to send a message over there and get their attention."

This meant they would have to utilize their personal connections, and upon hearing this, all the generals became alert and curious.

Such things are not uncommon. The treatment of the Capital Camp is higher than that of the border troops, but they are not subordinate to each other. However, apart from the sons of noble families, most of those who can come to the Capital Camp garrison as commanders are generals who have made military achievements on the frontier. When these people come to the Imperial City, they tend to have closer ties with their comrades on the frontier, and their personal friendships become stronger. It is an open secret that they support each other.

Whenever such connections are needed, the orders are usually not convenient to issue publicly. Otherwise, wouldn't it be safer to go through official channels?

The valiant man continued, "The information I received says that after leaving Dingchang, Qiu Xiuzhuan traveled eastward along the Northern Frontier border. In the past two days, he has clashed with three Hu Tribes, released the captured Central Plains people, and some of them escaped into Great Rui. That's how I got this news."

"Traveling along the border? Conflicting with the three tribes? Could it be that the top scholar is fighting against the tribes all by himself? Even a master of Life Cultivation would likely be suppressed by the tribe's Qi and Blood."

Many of those present are experienced in Sand Battlefield, some of whom have spent many years in Northern Frontier, and they immediately grasped the key points.

The valiant man spoke up at the opportune moment, "It is precisely because of your connections that we need to verify the truth of this matter. It is of great importance. If we do not understand Qiu Xiuzhuan's purpose and rashly summon him in the name of the Privy Council and the Ministry of War, we may end up making things worse and causing him unnecessary trouble. Do you understand this?"

The generals looked at each other, and finally nodded in agreement, but they all began to have doubts.

"It seems that this top scholar, though a remarkable figure, is not one to be easily subdued. With the death of the Left Wise King, Rouluo is now in a difficult position. If the Grasslands are stirred up again, even if it's just a small ripple, the sheer number of such ripples will eventually create a storm! However, it would be presumptuous for him to act alone. Even a cultivator cannot fight against overwhelming odds. How could someone who is well-versed in classical texts not have considered this?"

Qiu Yan, whom everyone was saying was brewing a storm, was now standing atop a hill, gazing intently into the distance. At the edge of his vision, a cloud of people was gathering.

These clouds are invisible to those without spiritual cultivation; they represent places where people gather. On the Grasslands, such a sight indicates the presence of a tribal settlement.

Below the hill, a group of ragged people had gathered. There were quite a few of them, roughly several hundred, including the old and the young, men and women. They were sitting around a table, sharing cooked food. Many of them were wolfing down their food, eating in an unrefined manner, as if they hadn't eaten for days.

Between meals, people would occasionally look up at the hill, carefully observing Qiu Yan.

"Ran Lian, what did this person mean by rescuing us and saying those things? Do you think people like us can fight against the Hu people? Isn't that just suicide?"

Soon, someone started whispering among themselves.

As soon as the voice fell, a man who looked to be around thirty years old squinted and shook his head.

"It's hard to say for sure right now, but if he hadn't saved us, our lives would have been miserable." (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thanks to "Spending Money Is Great" and "Kunlun Nine Heavens" for the monthly votes!

These past two days have been exhausting, I need to rest properly, and I hope you all can continue to support me! That's the motivation for me to explode!

Finally, I recommend a great book by a friend:

<Glimpse into Realms>, Author: Yan Yu Yijian

Synopsis: A flower is a world, a leaf is a Bodhi tree; stars are sacrificed, heaven and earth collapse, and the Dao fruit is stolen.