Chapter 14: The Younger Sister’s Turmoil

Qi Chuyao sat in the lower seat, kicking her feet out of boredom.

The fleeting sense of pride she felt moments ago had already vanished, replaced by a wave of stifled frustration.

In the Great Qian, the children of high-ranking officials had many channels to enter the civil service, even if they failed the imperial examinations.

As the daughter of a Second-Rank Minister of War, she could easily secure a spot in the Imperial Academy. If she were lucky, she might even aim higher.

She had long wanted to join the court like her mother. Even if it wasn’t a position in the capital, she was willing to accept being sent out as a county magistrate.

At that distance, where the mountains were high and the Emperor was far away, her mother wouldn’t be able to control her.

It would be like a fish entering the ocean or a bird soaring into the blue sky.

Unfortunately, it was all a fantasy.

Mother Qi did not agree with her obtaining a government post yet.

She insisted on following the path of the older generation of martial artists, requiring Qi Chuyao to first become a Martial Artist who had successfully Entering the Ranks—specifically reaching the Fourth Rank—before training in the Capital Camp and following the same path as Qin Junyue.

But Qin Junyue was exceptionally gifted. She had entered the ranks early on, and her cultivation had progressed even further by now.

As for Qi Chuyao? Her progress was nowhere in sight. To this day, she hadn’t even touched the threshold of Entering the Ranks.

Even Song Ning’s sister had already entered the ranks and gone to the Frontier for training.

The more Qi Chuyao thought about it, the more annoyed she became.

“Her? Become an official?” Mother Qi picked up the tea bowl from the table and took a slow sip.

She didn’t even raise her eyelids, only glancing at her daughter from the corner of her eye as if looking at a spoiled child.

“After she becomes an official, will she still have the energy to temper her bones and Enter the Ranks?” Mother Qi set the tea bowl down.

The lid hit the bowl with a dull thud. “No. As long as your cultivation hasn’t entered the ranks, I will not let you become an official.”

Qi Chuyao’s eyes dimmed. She let out a soft huff, pursed her lips, and kicked her feet aimlessly. She turned her head away, no longer looking at her mother or Song Ning.

Song Ning smiled faintly.

“Don’t say that, Mother-in-law,” his voice was gentle as he tried to mediate. “Even without Entering the Ranks, it doesn’t mean one cannot be an official.”

“A general doesn’t necessarily have to be a solo hero. I recall General Li in Liaodong doesn’t possess particularly high martial arts skills either.”

He paused before continuing, “Chuyao is about to be married, and most of her peers have already entered service. How can we just leave her at home? It would be good for her to gain some experience in an official capacity.”

“I ask Mother-in-law to grant this request.”

He turned his face slightly toward Mother Qi, his clouded white eyes appearing unusually sincere.

In this regard, Mother Qi was indeed a bit biased. As a Second-Rank Martial Artist, she placed great importance on martial prowess.

In this world, martial arts were certainly important, especially in the Chaotic Era that was likely approaching.

However, that was only one aspect. Song Ning felt that a leader needed courage, but didn’t necessarily need to be at the front lines every single moment.

Moreover, the fact that all her peers were already officials created a massive psychological gap for Qi Chuyao.

Mother Qi fell silent for a moment. She looked at Song Ning, her gaze filled with complicated emotions.

“If you’re putting it that way…” She sighed, her tone softening. “I’ll look around tomorrow to see if there’s a suitable position for her. However, it must be after the wedding.”

She suddenly turned her head and shot a fierce glare at Qi Chuyao.

“If you dare to behave recklessly or treat Ning’er poorly, see how I deal with you!”

That look made Qi Chuyao’s heart, which had been starting to rejoice, tremble violently.

‘No way, right?’

‘Mother, he says one or two words and you just listen?’

Qi Chuyao widened her eyes, watching the scene in disbelief. She truly had reason to suspect that Song Ning had cast some sort of spell on her mother. Otherwise, why would she be like this?

‘Could it be that my blind husband really has the power to bewitch people?’

She studied Song Ning once more. He sat there properly in his white robes, his expression serene, with a faint smile on his lips.

Those eyes…

Qi Chuyao stared at his eyes for a long time. White pupils, without focus, gazing blankly into the distance.

Qin Junyue sat quietly to the side, her gaze fixed on Song Ning.

Her eyes carried an irrepressible admiration, and the corners of her mouth were slightly curled as if she were looking at something exquisite.

Then, something even more incredible happened in front of Qi Chuyao.

Mother Qi stopped paying attention to her daughter. Instead, she pulled several documents from a thick stack of papers and slowly opened them.

“Ning’er, listen to this.” Her voice dropped an octave. “This is an urgent report regarding the famine in Bingzhou and the mutiny of the border army.”

Song Ning listened for a while, and his expression shifted slightly.

“Mother-in-law,” he began, his tone much more serious than before. “This must be handled with caution. Extreme caution. This is no ordinary famine or mutiny.”

He knit his brows slightly. “The chaos in Bingzhou will only grow the more it is suppressed. We must be careful.”

That place was where King Chuang had once risen. He had to treat it with gravity.

Even if they could only suppress it temporarily, it was better than doing nothing and risking being surrounded by enemies on two sides in the future.

Mother Qi smiled. “Then what do you think?”

Song Ning thought for a moment, and his speech suddenly quickened.

“Immediately issue an urgent order from the Ministry of War to the Supreme Commander of the Three Borders of Bingzhou and the Governor of Yansui: punish only the ringleaders and do not pardon their core accomplices, but do not allow a wholesale slaughter of the gathered refugees.”

“Submit an urgent memorial regarding border pay. Request a decree to allocate 50,000 taels of silver from the reserve funds for horses in the Changying Vault of the Court of the Imperial Stud to pay the arrears of the Shaanxi border army.”

He added, “The funds in the Court of the Imperial Stud are military supplies directly managed by the Ministry of War. They don’t need to pass through the Ministry of Revenue.”

“As long as you petition for it, even if Wei Yang doesn’t want to give it, she wouldn’t dare violate ancestral regulations by withholding military funds. Secure the money first.”

Qi Chuyao blinked. She slowly turned her head toward her best friend, Qin Junyue. Her eyes were filled with shock.

‘Did you see that? Everything he just said?’

Sensing her gaze, Qin Junyue gave an awkward, slightly embarrassed smile. She had seen it, of course. Not only had she seen it, but she had known for a long time.

Out of her own selfish reasons, she had never told Qi Chuyao about this. She wanted to keep it to herself.

In her heart, there was a dark side hidden; she didn’t want the fiancée of Song Ning to know too much. She hoped that one day…

In the beginning, Qin Junyue had even hoped the other party would break the engagement.

If that happened, she could firmly take over. Unfortunately, those little schemes of hers were shattered today.

Mother Qi nodded and pulled out another document.

“This is a memorial requesting the construction of a Living Shrine and the reimbursement of military expenses. Listen to this.”

Song Ning listened for a moment and then waved his hand.

“No. This money cannot pass through your hands. If Prince Xin settles accounts in the future, you will definitely not escape. You would be entirely at the Emperor’s mercy.”

“However, flatly rejecting it won’t work either. We can’t break ties openly yet. Simply delay the processing and use regulations to push it back.”

He cursed inwardly. ‘Requesting to build a Living Shrine using the Ministry of War’s accounts? They just want to pocket the money through phantom soldiers. This Eunuch Faction really knows how to rake in wealth.’

“The border army is facing large-scale pay arrears, the border defenses are in disrepair, and now they want to build a Living Shrine.”

“Send the memorial back to the Office of the Governor-General of Jiliao exactly as it is. Tell them they must provide three things: first, a detailed list of materials for the Living Shrine; second, a current breakdown of the Jiliao army’s payroll; and third, an on-site verification from the Regional Inspector.”

He thought it over, and after confirming there were no loopholes, he added, “Let the Regional Inspector go verify it. That requirement alone can stall them for several months.”

“By then, the political situation might have turned upside down.”

“In short, these are special times. You must not have any nominal connection with the Eunuch Faction.”

He remembered that in his previous life, after Emperor Chongzhen took the throne, he didn’t just settle scores with Wei Zhongxian.

He went on to purge the remnants of the Eunuch Faction and a large number of officials. It was a chaotic purge—anyone who even looked like a follower of the Eunuch Faction was targeted.

If the future Prince Xin was also a suspicious and opinionated emperor, there was no telling what he might do with such a memorial.

“Fine, I’ll do as you say.” Mother Qi took her brush and jotted down a few notes, then pulled out other documents.

Song Ning answered them one by one, discussing everything with her. Words like “frontier,” “famine,” “military pay,” and “Eunuch Faction” felt like heavy stones falling to the ground, creating dull thuds.

Qi Chuyao sat to the side in silence. She watched Song Ning’s profile, watching his mouth open and close as he spoke words she didn’t quite understand but instinctively felt were incredible.

She suddenly felt as if she had never truly known this man.

Only when they were finished did Mother Qi put the memorials away. She smiled and patted Song Ning on the shoulder, personally supporting him as he stood up.

“You’ve worked hard today, Ning’er.”

……

The door opened.

Light poured in, dispelling the gloom of the room.

Supported by Mother Qi, Song Ning walked out, followed by Qi Chuyao and Qin Junyue. The sunlight fell upon him, making his white robes glow slightly.

Song Youyi, Xia Ling, and the others were waiting outside. Seeing the door open, they immediately went to meet them.

The space instantly became bright. The sunlight from the open door washed away the stack of memorials and the heavy atmosphere from moments ago, as if those state affairs had never existed.

Mother Qi smiled at Song Youyi.

“I’ve already picked the wedding date,” she said in a clear, brisk voice. “There’s no time to lose. We’ll have Yao’er and Ning’er marry the day after tomorrow.”

She was now impatient to welcome Song Ning into the family.

Song Youyi froze. “The day after tomorrow?” The smile on her face stiffened. “So soon?”

“Then after that, will my brother move to the Qi family? Is that…”

‘No.’

She hadn’t bought off Xia Ling yet. She hadn’t… touched him yet.

If he moved away, what would she do? If he left the Song Mansion, how could she still have the final say in her brother’s affairs?

Then the food her brother ate, the undergarments he wore, the clothes he changed, and also… and…

Song Youyi felt her breathing grow heavy. She couldn’t help but cough a few times, shaking her head repeatedly.

‘No, I can’t let Brother move away so easily.’

Mother Qi smiled, completely unconcerned. “Regarding that, I’ll discuss it with your mother.”

“Regardless, our two houses are close. It’s the same no matter where they live.”

“If the young couple wants to live in a new place, that’s fine too.”

She wasn’t short on money. If necessary, she would just let Song Ning and Qi Chuyao live in a new house.

Song Youyi gave a forced laugh, her face showing her usual sickly expression. She raised a hand to wipe her face, her voice soft and fragile.

“Brother does have physical inconveniences, after all. It’s more convenient in the Song Mansion. Why don’t they just stay at the Song Mansion for now?”