Cai Yan was well aware that it was impossible for her to return to the pure and flawless era she once knew. Wisdom is the root of all troubles, yet wisdom is also the ans to resolve all troubles. Cai Yan was no longer the naive scholar she once was; she truly understood the world now.
However, guilt remained guilt, yet Li Youu truly could not et with Lady Tang.
"Lady Tang..." Chen Xi gazed up at the sky. He had heard this na in Xuu Shao’s official announcent; she was the Young Emperor’s Empress, and her na was right before Chen Yun’s.
"It’s her. I have a past with her. If Zichuan has so free ti, he can go visit her for . With Zichuan’s abilities, accomplishing this is just a piece of cake," Cai Yan sighed and said. After all, being a woman has its inconveniences.
Even for Cai Yan, talents like Wang Yi needed to be sheltered beneath the wings of others in the early years.
"That’s simple. A quick greeting will do," Chen Xi nodded in agreent. He understood why Cai Yan personally wrote to invite him over.
"Thank you very much," Cai Yan bowed solemnly, expressing everything she wanted to say and couldn’t say with this gesture.
"By the way, I’ll leave my disciple to you. Teach her when you have ti; Xianying is very smart," Chen Xi beckoned to Xin Xianying. Honestly, knowledge can be taught to Xin Xianying by anyone, but there are so things Chen Xi can’t teach.
"Hmm," Cai Yan responded softly and then beckoned to Xin Xianying.
Watching the obedient Xin Xianying stand beside Cai Yan, Chen Xi was quite satisfied. He was most worried that teaching her himself would turn Xin Xianying into a wild girl.
"Study well, I’ll test you when I return. If you answer well, I’ll reward you," Chen Xi said with a smile. "Then... I won’t disturb you any longer, I’ll take my leave first."
Cai Yan escorted Chen Xi out of the Zither Room and then instructed the maid to see Chen Xi out of the Cai Family. As for the matter of propriety, it would truly be disrespectful if Cai Yan wore only silk clothing to see Chen Xi off.
After Chen Xi left, Cai Yan turned around to look at her sister, who was pinching Yangg Fa’s cheeks. "Zhenn Ji, stop ssing around. Fortunately, today it’s still chilly amidst the warmth; if I were wearing gauze today, I would certainly teach you a lesson. Xianying is immature, and so are you?"
Cai Zhenji glanced sideways at her sister, "If Weii Zhongdao hadn’t died back then, your child would have been as old as Xianying."
Instantly, Cai Yan felt awkward, then after a long while, she ca to her senses and sighed, "I regret his passing, and I am no longer the ignorant girl."
"That’s why you need to hurry and find soone to marry," Cai Zhenji persuaded again.
Cai Yan shot a sideways glance at her sister, "You’ve said this many tis already, and I’ve replied many tis as well. So don’t think about it anymore."
"Speaking of which, sister, if you were wearing gauze today, would you still be playing the zither?" Cai Zhenji asked quickly as she saw her sister about to walk away.
"Chen Zichuan knows the ’see no evil’ principle," Cai Yan pondered before answering.
Cai Zhenji pouted; she didn’t believe that Chen Xi could rember not to ’see no evil’ upon seeing Cai Yan’s flustered expression, but...
Cai Zhenji suddenly found that Cai Yan’s reply seed problematic, and imdiately chased after Cai Yan, who had already walked into the Zither Room, "Sister, your reply..."
Chen Xi was escorted out by the maid, only then realizing that he truly hadn’t seen any expression from Cai Yan other than calmness. He recalled once catching Cai Yan reading "Plain Girl Sutra," and afterwards, Cai Yan rely glanced up at Chen Xi before indifferently continuing to turn the pages.
[Perhaps Cai Yan doesn’t even consider herself a young girl.] Chen Xi thought strangely as he gazed at the sky.
"Huh, what’s that..." As Chen Xi was contemplating while looking at the sky, he happened to see an eagle gliding across the sky, landing sowhere west of the city.
"Red Eagle, it seems that the Observer originally not involved in information transmission brought the news; has the North already reached this point?" Chen Xi’s expression showed slight surprise. Honestly, the number of tis Observers who don’t engage in intelligence transmission have forcibly sent ssages over the years doesn’t exceed the fingers of both hands.
If Chen Xi’s arrangents had made it extrely difficult for Liu Bei’s spies to be caught, then the Observers equipped with the spies were virtually impossible to capture. However, anything can happen unexpectedly, even seamless plans occasionally encounter surprises.
Overall, every piece of information directly delivered by an Observer is of significant importance, which also implies that the Observer’s life in the region is about to end.
Before Chen Xi returned ho, Jia Xu had already galloped over from the west of the city.
"Has sothing big happened?" Chen Xi asked as Jia Xu reined in his horse five paces ahead.
"The battle opportunity has arrived," Jia Xu said to Chen Xi.
"Xianbei defeated the northern defenses of Yuan Tan? Impossible. Even if Yuan Tan only left a few thousand troops in the north, Xianbei wouldn’t be able to conquer them quickly," Chen Xi raised his eyebrows.
"Sheni Pei pulled out all the troops from the north, allowing Xianbei into Youzhou. Xianbei has already entered the Great Wall, galloped through, and crossed Jundu Mountain," Jia Xu said in a low voice to Chen Xi.
Chen Xi was stunned; Sheni Pei was truly ruthless. Jundu Mountain is Juyong, and the famous Juyong Pass is there. If the foreign clan can’t pass there, it’s just a skirmish; pass it, and it’s a wide, open plain. Simply put, it’s like rcury flooding, impossible to gather back.
"Does this an Sheni Pei might have allied with Xianbei? Making a deal with the tiger?" Chen Xi pondered silently for a mont before speaking. He suddenly realized how terrifying the ministers of the Late Han era can be when pushed to their limits, without any bottom lines.
"Making a deal with the tiger?" Jia Xu sneered, "Who the tiger actually is remains uncertain. At most, Yuan Tan is tied up for now. Once freed, Xianbei will surely have no return."
"We are just too weak; otherwise, there wouldn’t be such necessity. Although anticipated early on, now seeing it truly happening makes it hard to accept," Chen Xi said after so silence. "Perhaps I have been too lax, hence the situation."
"Seeing your expression reminds of when I first encountered Lord Xuande," Jia Xu said with a smile. "It was all the Lord’s fault; had he been stronger, the realm wouldn’t be as it is. Thinking back, it indeed makes much sense."
"Yes, we’re just not strong enough. Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to employ such ans. The northern affairs are left to you. Even if Sheni Pei lets Xianbei into the pass intending to leverage Xianbei, they certainly won’t leave Xianbei unchecked; conflict between the two is inevitable," Chen Xi said, trying to remain calm.
However, no matter how hard he tried to cover it, he couldn’t hide the disappointnt in Chen Xi’s eyes. Even with the strongest Feudal Lords pressing down, even with the constant influence of public opinion and moral guidance, unchangeable is the inherent thinking of so in the higher echelons—common folk are not considered people!
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