09. Enemy Attack (1)
Yu Wenjun had always been uninterested in cultivating relationships with fellow officials and superiors, and he had no interest in using the methods commonly employed by people of the day to advance his official career.
So how had the Inspector of Yanzhou suddenly taken notice of him and even promoted him to Secretary of State?
If there had been no one behind this, Yu Wenjun simply could not believe it.
He thought of the sprawling Yu family residence in Yanzhou, his domineering grandmother, and the deeply rooted influence of the family and its connections.
He let out a long, heavy sigh.
He had expected his insistence on going his own way to displease his elders. But he was already in his thirties, and his daughter was fourteen. He had never imagined that his family would disregard his wishes so completely that they would interfere with his official career without even asking him.
Yet at this point, Yu Wenjun's resentment toward his family's interference had become almost insignificant.
All his thoughts were on the Prince of Langya.
The Prince of Langya had come to Guangling County in the first place to stay out of sight. If Yu Wenjun were transferred back to Yanzhou, the ancestral residence would be filled with people coming and going.
hat would happen to the Young Master's disguise?
Yu Wenjun had spent a long time writing to friends and old acquaintances, asking them to make inquiries, but the replies were far from encouraging.
If they had acted before the transfer order was issued, they might still have been able to use their connections to intervene. But now that the court had formally issued the order and it had already been registered with the Ministry of Personnel in the capital, there was probably no way to change it.
His friends couldn't understand why he was so troubled. Being transferred from Governor of a remote middle-ranking county to Secretary of State in a superior province was obviously a promotion.
Why was he so worried?
Yu Qingjia knelt on the couch, listening to her father sigh heavily.
“I truly never expected Old matriarch to be this overbearing. She made such a major decision without even asking me. I'm already in my thirties, yet I'm still being manipulated by my grandmother. I have no face to show anyone.”
Yu Wenjun sighed again and again.
Seeing how troubled he was, Yu Qingjia couldn't bear it.
“Father, the family disregarded your political ambitions and abused their influence. You're a victim of this too. You don't need to blame yourself.”
Yu Wenjun shook his head.
He was already over thirty. He wasn't worried about himself.
He only felt that he had failed his daughter and the Young Master.
“Father, the family disregarded your political ambitions and abused their power. You are a victim too. You don't need to blame yourself.”
Yu Wenjun shook his head.
He was already over thirty. He didn't care about himself anymore.
He only felt that he had failed his daughter and the young master.
Murong Yan was there as well. He slowly poured himself a cup of fermented milk and said,
“The transfer order has already been issued. Refusing it outright would only arouse suspicion. Yanzhou has more prominent families and political figures, after all. Sometimes, it is easier to remain hidden in a crowded place. Perhaps this is for the best.”
Yu Wenjun understood what Murong Yan meant.
Things had already reached this point, so they could only continue down this path.
Perhaps the Prince of Langya was right.
Yanzhou had deep roots and was filled with prominent families. Moving there with them would actually make it easier for the young master to cultivate his influence and accumulate strength.
But this also meant that Murong Yan's disguise would have to be even more carefully maintained.
For the Prince of Langya, who hated nothing more than people commenting on his appearance, this was undoubtedly a form of torturous restraint.
In that instant, Yu Wenjun thought of many things.
He looked at Murong Yan with deep emotion.
A person capable of enduring what ordinary people could not endure would one day either become a ruler remembered throughout history—or a tyrant who would bring disaster for generations.
Yu Wenjun let out a long sigh.
“Things have come to this. We can only proceed this way.”
He looked at his obedient and considerate daughter.
His daughter had only just turned fourteen, fresh and lively like a willow shoot stretching toward the sky.
And now she would soon have to return to that deep household where people devoured one another without leaving a trace.
“Jia-jia, I have failed you and your mother. When A-Zi passed away, I promised her that I would protect you properly. Yet now I'm going to make you return and face the Main Branch and the old matriarch again.”
Yu Qingjia shook her head.
When she had first heard that her father was being transferred back to Yanzhou, she had been shocked and resistant.
But after the initial surprise faded, she accepted it surprisingly calmly.
There was even a sense of dust finally settling in her heart.
As expected, what was meant to come would eventually come.
Yu Qingya was still running rampant in the ancestral residence.
For the sake of her reborn cousin and that mysterious system, Yu Qingjia had to return.
“They're my elders. Avoiding them isn't a solution. Since I'll have to face them sooner or later, perhaps it's better to go back sooner.”
Her daughter was so understanding that Yu Wenjun didn't feel comforted.
Instead, a deep ache filled his heart.
If a child had never suffered hardship or mistreatment, what family would have a child who understood the ways of the world at such a young age?
Murong Yan was also thinking about Yanzhou.
Was this transfer order really nothing more than the Yu family's doing?
After hearing the conversation between Yu Wenjun and Yu Qingjia, his eyes shifted slightly.
He glanced at Yu Qingjia.
He had never paid much attention to it before, but it seemed that the Yu family's internal situation was rather complicated.
Judging from their conversation, Yu Qingjia's relationship with the Main Branch and Old matriarch was clearly poor.
Murong Yan withdrew his gaze.
With Yu Qingjia's personality, he wasn't surprised in the slightest that she would be bullied.
Still, he found himself somewhat displeased.
It was like having a toy that belonged exclusively to him, one he was always tormenting, suddenly attracting someone else's attention.
Yu Wenjun's return home had become inevitable.
The new Governor of Guangling County was still on his way, but Yu Wenjun had to pack first, leaving the Governor's residence and all related handover matters to the incoming governor.
He took only a modest number of servants, along with his daughter and beautiful concubine, and set out on the long journey home.
Ever since the end of the Han dynasty, the world had been in chaos for more than two hundred years.
During that time, the north and south had each briefly achieved unity, but before people could even catch their breath, the world would once again break...
Warlords would spring up everywhere, and endless campaigns would plunge the land back into chaos.
After nearly three hundred years of turmoil, the population had sharply declined and farmland had fallen into ruin.
Even traveling from place to place had become exceptionally dangerous.
To travel from Qingzhou to Yanzhou, they had to cross two mountain ranges and countless stretches of wilderness and forest.
The journey was nearly a thousand miles in total.
Yu Wenjun didn't dare take even the slightest risk. He would rather take a longer route along the official roads.
But in this chaotic age, where were there any proper official roads?
The roads had gone unattended for years, leaving them full of potholes.
Because they had limited manpower, Yu Qingjia and Murong Yan shared a carriage.
One of Yu Qingjia's two maids stayed beside her to care for her, while the other remained toward the rear to watch over her belongings and luggage.
Traveling was hardly an easy task.
The carriage jolted and swayed the entire way, leaving Yu Qingjia with a sore back and aching waist.
She wanted to ask Bai Zhi to massage her waist, but Murong Yan had closed his eyes to rest the moment he entered the carriage.
No matter how violently the carriage shook, his back remained perfectly straight.
If she collapsed into a limp heap while he remained so composed, wouldn't she lose face?
So Yu Qingjia gritted her teeth and endured it, refusing to lose to the vixen.
Fortunately, Yu Wenjun knew how terrible the roads were.
He was traveling with his daughter and the Prince of Langya, so naturally he was more afraid than anyone of encountering bandits.
Even though the convoy was protected by numerous guards, Yu Wenjun prioritized caution in everything.
He would rather travel slowly than take dangerous shortcuts or travel at night.
When it was time to stop and rest again, everyone in the convoy breathed a sigh of relief.
Some stretched their arms and legs beneath the trees along the roadside, while others went into the woods to attend to personal matters.
Yu Qingjia had been sitting in the carriage since early morning, and by now her face was pale.
Bai Zhi felt terrible seeing her like this.
“Young lady, how about I clear the area of unnecessary people so you can get down and stretch your legs?”
Yu Qingjia shook her head.
“No need. The carriage has finally stopped shaking. I'll lie down for a while.”
Bai Zhi agreed.
She helped Yu Qingjia loosen the cumbersome silk sash around her waist.
Just as she was about to pour her some water, she discovered that the water jug was empty.
She picked up the teapot and bent down to lift the carriage curtain.
“Young lady, I'll go get another pot of water. Rest here for a moment.”
“Mm.”
Yu Qingjia nodded.
After Bai Zhi left, only Yu Qingjia and Murong Yan remained inside the carriage.
The two had always sat opposite each other without speaking.
They were the same way during lessons, and there was even less reason to speak during an exhausting journey.
Yu Qingjia was completely accustomed to the silence and felt no awkwardness whatsoever.
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