The carriages and horses head south, one person heads north

Seven days later.

The Golden Palace.

The seating arrangement changed during the morning court session.

Li Youchan sat at the head of the table, while Yang Qinghe returned to the first chair on the left.

No one mentioned the proper etiquette for the reinstatement of the Grand Secretary anymore. The imperial edict had been issued five days earlier, and those who were supposed to kneel had already done so, and those who were supposed to receive the decree had already done so. The officials would occasionally glance at the back of the person at the front, having found a familiar pillar of support.

When Grand Secretary Yang sat there, he was like a pillar of stability.

Suhe stood at the back.

He had only been wearing the official robes of a fourth-rank military commissioner for a few days. He lowered his head slightly as he listened to the Minister of War report to His Majesty and the Grand Secretaries on the military situation at Hanmen Pass.

"The investigation has been completed, and it is indeed as the Grand Secretary said: the military reports were three days apart."

The Minister of War explained: "Two post stations outside Hanmen Pass were destroyed, and snow blocked the mountain pass. The latter two were blocked, so the goods were sent back by detour, which is why the time was disrupted."

"I'm not asking why it's so slow," Li Youchan said. "I'm asking what to do next time."

The Minister of War glanced to his left.

Yang Qinghe reached out and laid out the three military reports according to the time: "Continue to use the old routes, and add another waterway and a trade route down the mountain."

Li Youchan asked, "Where will the silver come from?"

"The Ministry of Revenue will transfer the funds."

"Military spending is already tight."

"Then we should halt the repair of several official post stations that are not in urgent need of repair this year, and prioritize ensuring military communications."

Li Youchan pressed his finger against the map, then turned to look at the Ministry of Revenue: "Can you spare the funds?"

The Minister of Revenue flipped through the account books at hand. "It can be moved out."

"So, what should we do?"

"Can."

Yang Qinghe nodded, then pushed one of the missing documents to the side of the table. "Su He."

"Your subject is here."

"Investigate back along the three-day error line. Don't just investigate the post stations. Record who handled the military reports as they came out of the pass, in which segment they were late and in which segment they were fast. If you find any hidden agents, seal the news first. Don't take it upon yourself to fish deeper."

"Your subject understands."

Suhe stepped forward and bowed.

Yang Qinghe didn't fight for more authority for him, but simply handed him another book: "There's also the list of escaped households and wounded soldiers from the northern border. You'll have to copy it again."

"Yes."

After receiving the order, Suhe returned to the ranks.

During this time, some officials looked at this new face. They were curious about what talents Suhe had that made him so important to the Prime Minister and even become his student.

The arrangements just made were all important matters. Could Suhe handle them well? This was a concern for many officials. If Grand Secretary Yang hadn't spoken up personally, the court ministers would have already stood up to oppose it.

Su He ignored the gazes of those around him, and simply looked down at the booklet in his arms.

When he was working at Xun Jinsi, he copied old files. If he made a single mistake, he would usually only get a scolding.

It's different now.

Every word he says is related to the future of a family.

If someone is recorded as killed in action, their family will receive compensation; if they are recorded as missing, the compensation will be delayed; if there is one less household among the deserters, the family will receive one less ration at the resettlement site...

Suhe hugged the booklet tighter.

The court discussion continued.

Li Youchan wanted all military intelligence to be copied and sent to the emperor, and Yang Qinghe did not stop him; Yang Qinghe also quickly agreed to the requests for grain, post stations, and personnel.

The two men still maintained boundaries in their conversation, but the efforts exerted by the ruler and his minister were already directed in the same direction.

This is a battle that Yan cannot afford to lose.

……

Beiyang Mansion, Zhaoye Sect.

The herb-drying area at the foot of the mountain is twice as busy as it was in previous winters.

Normally, many medicinal herbs should be stored away after winter sets in, but this year we are still busy.

Several disciples squatted by the field tying hemp ropes, their hands red from the cold, while the drivers next to them registered each vehicle one by one with the requisition documents.

"This two-axle truck can carry twelve boxes."

"The wheels are too old to reach the border."

"Then change the wheels. There are carpenters at the carpenter's shop down the mountain. Take the slip of paper to get them, and the money will be recorded in the sect's account."

The person speaking didn't stop; he crossed out another broken car in the register.

The price of medicinal herbs has also increased.

Yesterday it was one number, but today the number delivered up the mountain is 20% more. Herb gatherers dare not go further north, so there are fewer caravans and naturally fewer herbs to collect.

The sect did not suspend classes.

The morning bell rang as usual, and the disciples from the outer mountain continued their training as before. However, after training, they had some extra tasks: some disciples carried medicine, some repaired vehicles, and some were responsible for delivering wound medicine to the front lines at the border.

While registering the people to deliver the medicine, a young sheep demon stood in front of the table and watched for a long time.

Its demon registration had been completed less than half a year ago, and the wooden identity plaque on its waist was still very new, with the edges polished to a shine from being touched so many times.

The disciple in charge of registration pointed along the list with his finger, and finally looked up and said, "Your name is on this list."

The sheep demon asked first, "I'm a demon, so I'm considered a citizen of Yan Kingdom. Do you want to go?"

The person behind the table glanced at it, then looked down and flipped through the book again: "Whether we go to see you or not, the sect won't force us."

The sheep demon stood still.

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There was the sound of wheels at the foot of the mountain. A cart loaded with medicine for injuries was heading out. A small wooden sign of the Zhaoye Sect was hanging on the side of the cart, along with a seal from the government.

It looked down at its own demon register.

You need to see this sign when you enter the city, you need to see it when you check into a hotel, and you need it to prove to yourself that you are not some unknown monster from the mountains.

The sect protected it and allowed it to live in peace. Every time it returned to the clan, it felt very proud.

After struggling for a moment, the young demon cultivator picked up the pen with his hoof and signed his name.

It's not very well written; the final stroke is crooked.

But it was written very carefully.

It considers itself a part of the Yan Kingdom.

……

Mingyu City.

On the day Yujiapu closed down, Yu Fu kept the stove fire extinguished for a long time.

There were still a few unfinished orders in the shop, and three farm tools that were half-repaired were hanging on the wall. The small hammer that Zhaoyue used to use was also left on the shelf.

Yu Fu packed the items into the box one by one, and finally only put the account book and shop deed into the package.

Although the small country is now on the offensive, it is more affected by the war than the Yan country.

Regardless of the final outcome, the people will be the first to be affected.

The trade routes were interrupted, iron materials from the north could not get through, and goods being delivered were often blocked by the army. Continuing to operate would only make customers wait in vain.

Yu Fu stuck a piece of paper on the door panel.

[Avoid fighting and rest until the roads are open, then reopen.]

The next morning, he boarded the bus back to Yujia Village.

The official road was much sparser than before. There were fewer merchant carts heading to Mingyu City, but carts heading south came one after another. Some were pulling boxes and baskets, while others were just covered with a layer of straw, with their families crammed on top.

Yu Fu's car was a single-horse carriage with a Chengjiangmen license plate, so the journey was relatively smooth.

On the second day, after entering the territory of Yan Kingdom, he took down the sign and replaced it with the genealogy belonging to Yu Family Village.

To avoid trouble, he bypassed the passes and outposts and took a back road to Yujia Village.

After walking for half a day, we arrived at a county road, where we heard the sound of orderly footsteps ahead.

A Yan army marched in from the south, their armor plates covered in mud, their military flags rolled up on poles, the ranks vast and imposing.

Yu Fu drove the carriage to the side of the road, jumped down, and led the horse to make way.

The line was long, with people coming and going, and others watching quietly from the roadside.

Just as the rear guard was about to pass, someone came running from a distance.

The man was carrying a bundle and was covered in sweat from running so fast. His leather armor was clearly not new.

"My name is Yan Ci. I was originally a soldier in the Guifeng Battalion, but after the 'Evil Realm Incident' in the Northern Three Battalions, I was ordered to retire. Now that the country is in trouble, I voluntarily wish to rejoin the army. Please approve my application!"

The commanding general took the military tag, looked at the front, and then turned it over.

Are you injured?

"I can draw a bow, I can wield a knife, and I can run fifty miles without a problem."

"Do you still remember the Yan Kingdom's military orders?"

"Of course! I'll never forget it!"

The general threw the dog tag back.

"Good lad, follow behind!"

"Yes!" Yan Ci caught the military tag.

He turned and ran to the back of the line.

The soldiers in front were still marching, and the grain carts behind were still pressing down on the muddy road. Yan Ci ran to the end of the column, tied his pack tightly, took the spare armor plates handed to him by someone else, and went to the battlefield.

Yu Fu stood by the roadside and watched for a while.

He didn't know the young man.

Yan Ci didn't see him either.

The two passed each other across an official road; one went home to stay with his family, while the other bid farewell to his family and headed north to protect the country.

That winter, everyone had their own path to follow.

……

Outside the north gate of Chengtian Prefecture.

Shen Gui changed into a blue robe.

The garment was well-tailored, and the fabric didn't look cheap. There were also two light gold cloud patterns pressed into the cuffs.

This attire should have transformed him from a down-on-his-luck man into a dashing young gentleman from a wealthy family.

However, the unbound black hair and the wine gourd hanging from his waist somewhat ruined the image of a wealthy family.

Shen Gui didn't care much about appearances, so he didn't bother to pay much attention to it.

Zhaoyue has watched it more than a dozen times, and keeps expressing her feelings:

"Young master, I told you that cyan looked better."

"good."

"It's more than just okay. I noticed that Miss Xia was completely mesmerized that day. I asked her about it later, and she said, 'Young master, you looked so listless in that outfit before.'"

Zhaoyue spoke with great pride, recounting the details with great familiarity. "The fabric for this outfit was also purchased with my help by Miss Xia. It was made by the best tailor shop in Kyoto. I was there the whole time, and they didn't cut off a single thread."

Shen Gui asked, "How much did it cost?"

Zhaoyue immediately shut up.

After walking a few dozen steps, it couldn't help but say, "Actually, it's not much, just these two lines on the cuffs. The tailor insisted it was some kind of old craftsmanship and charged me three extra coins."

Shen Gui asked, "Steward, how much silver do we have left?"

Zhaoyue stopped walking.

The little demon, who had been talking nonstop just moments before, immediately slung the package over her chest.

It looked left and then right, making sure no one was watching it before opening the package and carefully counting the silver.

"Quack... This one is two ounces, this one is one ounce and seven mace, this one is chipped, so it's one ounce and three mace..."

Shen Gui stood to the side and waited.

Zhao Yue was halfway through her count when she suddenly looked up. "Young master, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"What?"

"I was a little reluctant to leave Kyoto just now."

Zhaoyue wasn't lying.

A few days ago, the man in the straw hat left in a hurry, saying he was going to pursue some kind of half-step realm. Zhaoyue didn't understand, but Miss Xia sincerely saw him off for a long time. In addition, there was the Yangchun noodles from the restaurant in the west of the city and the fried cakes from the east of the city. She missed these things very much.

But right now...

Zhaoyue counted the money in her bag:

"Quack, things in Kyoto are so expensive, I don't want to come anymore."

"Good."

"Oh no! We don't have much money left, and the young master still has such a long way to go. We can't be extravagant."

Zhaoyue quickly put the silver back and hugged the package tightly. "You have to tell me in advance if you want to buy wine in the future."

"I'll listen to you."

Shen Gui told Zhao Yue to put away the money and check if anything had been forgotten.

Zhao Yue lowered her head and searched.

The map of the journey north and the new customs clearance documents are both there; Yang Qinghe sent them to us yesterday.

The city gate receded further and further behind us.

After walking for a while, Zhaoyue asked, "Young master, where is our next destination?"

"Just head north."

"The north is so big, where to go?"

"First, find Nie Chenzhou's whereabouts."

Shen Gui looked north and said, "Following him, we should be able to find out how to make the Fiend Realm intelligent, and also find out where Yin Ling's lineage is."

He didn't explain too much to Zhaoyue. The more he talked, the more wildly it would overthink, and the more it thought, the more it would talk, sometimes for a whole day and night without stopping.

Shen Gui has many things to do on this trip to Beiche.

Besides finding the method to generate wisdom in the realm of evil spirits, as mentioned earlier, I also need to fulfill my agreement with Bai Xingjian.

Speaking of the agreement, I promised Cang Jun that I would help it find a disciple, but there has been no progress yet. I will have to keep a close eye on things along the way.

Besides that, the most important thing is to go to the far north to see the root cause of the hidden dangers in the Northern Trid Continent, and at the same time, to find the second Dao trace.

With too many things piling up, Shen Gui decided to take things as they come, believing that there's always a way out and there's no need to rush.

The official road ahead gradually became crowded.

With more merchants heading south, there were also more people dragging their luggage. Several empty carts were crowded on the side of the road, and one of them got stuck in a mud pit. Two men tried to lift it out for a long time but couldn't.

Shen Gui walked over and grabbed the carriage shaft.

Zhaoyue panicked as soon as she saw it.

"Young master, the sleeves! New clothes!"

Shen Gui raised his hand, and the wheel lifted off the mud pit.

Zhaoyue rushed over to support him on the other side, mainly because she was afraid that the young master's new clothes would get dirty, and hurriedly rolled up Shen Gui's sleeves.

The car owner was stunned for a moment, then quickly came over to thank them, and looked in the direction the two were walking.

"Are you two heading north?"

"Um."

"Don't go."

The driver wiped the mud off his handles. "Further north, several prefectures are requisitioning grain and horses. The fighting is still raging beyond the Great Wall, and caravans are all retreating. If you two wish to travel, it's not too late to wait until spring."

Shen Gui lowered his sleeve: "Thank you."

The two sides quickly separated.

Zhaoyue hugged the picture book tightly, and Qingshan walked ahead, with Zhaoyue trotting a few steps to catch up.

More and more people were on the official road.

The carts went south, the horses went south, and the people carrying bundles also went south.

Only one human and one demon met them as they continued north.