Chapter 417: Character Array

After a while, Yin Zhong finally got used to being in the same room as a talking fox, and the child’s novelty quickly took over.

Now, he was no longer afraid of Hu Yun. He even dragged a chair to sit next to Yin Qing, looking at the red fox that was so close by with an expression of wanting to touch it but not daring to.

Then, Yin Zhong belatedly realized something and turned to Yin Qing.

“Brother, I remember you told me a few stories when I was little, about a friend of yours who lived in the mountains. Is this him?”

“When you were little? You talk like you’re all grown up now, you little rascal.”

Yin Qing smiled and pinched Yin Zhong’s little face.

“I clearly stated before that it was a little fox named Hu Yun, who played and studied with me. How can your memory be so bad?”

Yin Chong ducked left and right but couldn’t dodge his older brother’s hand. His little face was still pinched painfully. Even though his older brother had never practiced martial arts, his strength was considerable.

“Hmm, I forgot. It was a story you told me when I was four or five years old. How could I remember it so clearly? I thought you had a dog.”

Hu Yun turned to look at Yin Zhong almost immediately; he was far too sensitive to the word “dog.”

“Alright, Tiger, I know you really want to have a dog, but the Yin family still doesn’t allow dogs.”

Hu Yun patted Yin Qing’s hand with his paw.

“Great!”

Ji Yuan and Yin Zhaoxian sat at the other side of the room, with a chessboard on the coffee table. It was the very same chessboard that Yin Zhaoxian had given Ji Yuan all those years ago. The two sat together to play chess for the first time in a long time.

There was still some time before dinner, so they chatted, drank tea, played chess, and enjoyed this moment of tranquility.

Ji Yuan’s chess skills were, of course, far superior to what they used to be, but Yin Zhaoxian’s chess skills had also improved over the years. Although he and Ji Yuan weren’t exactly evenly matched, they could still play back and forth even when Ji Yuan gave him a handicap.

Yin Zhong glanced at Ji Yuan for what felt like the hundredth time, then looked at the red fox who was keeping its head down and hiding behind his bushy tail, seemingly fiddling with something. He leaned close to Yin Qing’s ear and whispered.

“Brother, is Mr. Ji a god?”

Yin Qing took a piece of candied fruit, chewed it, and then handed another one to Hu Yun and his younger brother before answering in a low voice.

“What do you think?”

“I’m sure he is!”

Yin Qing glanced at the two men playing chess before continuing.

“Mr. Ji is certainly not an ordinary person, but it’s more appropriate to treat him as an elder. Of course, you can ask him to tell some interesting supernatural stories, hmm…”

Yin Qing lowered his voice even further, speaking to his younger brother in an almost whispered tone.

“Those stories are very likely true!”

Yin Zhong nodded subconsciously, his eyes full of anticipation.

After pondering for a long time, Yin Zhaoxian placed his chess piece down. Ji Yuan’s gaze lingered on the chessboard as he calculated the next few moves, and then he spoke to Yin Zhaoxian.

“Does Mr. Yin advocate that girls should also be allowed to attend school? Is there no opposition in the court?”

Yin Zhaoxian smiled.

“No opposition? Heh, even now, it’s difficult to implement. When I first proposed it, many officials whom I previously thought were enlightened ministers directly opposed it in court.”

“Oh? How did Mr. Yin handle it?”

Yin Zhaoxian glanced at Yin Qing and Yin Zhong over to the side.

“Qing’er said something very true: some political arguments, if you just argue with the other side in court, they may not yield any results even after months. The key is to address the root cause.

“All the high-ranking officials in the court have wives and daughters…”

Yin Zhaoxian said with a smile, and Ji Yuan understood everything.

Ji Yuan also greed with Yin Zhaoxian’s later words about wanting to revitalize the literary and military spirit of Dazhen. Yin Zhaoxian and Yin Qing envisioned a path that would not neglect neither civil administration nor military affairs.

Although the road ahead was long, if they made progress step by step in everything, from governing the people to managing officials to economic development, Dazhen would only grow stronger in the future. Yin Zhaoxian was very confident about this.

But Ji Yuan and Yin Zhaoxian both understood that there were important prerequisites: that Emperor of Dazhen’s ability to implement this policy, and the officials ensuring its proper execution.

…

In addition to the dishes prepared by the head chef of the Yin family, the dinner also included dishes with distinctive characteristics of Ji Province, and especially of Ning’an County, all cooked by Mrs. Yin herself.

Whether it was truly delicious or not, everyone praised the food at the table, which made Mrs. Yin beam with joy.

At the end of the twelfth lunar month, Ji Yuan settled down at the Yin residence.

The New Year arrived in Dazhen amidst the increasingly festive atmosphere. As Ji Yuan and the Yin family stayed up to welcome the New Year, a sword light rose from the Yin family residence, ushering in the spring at the turn of the year.

At first, Yin Zhong was cautious, respectful, and curious about Ji Yuan, but later he grew familiar with Ji Yuan and would try to find ways to make Ji Yuan tell stories whenever he had free time.

Those magical stories would always captivate children, or rather anyone within hearing distance, as Yin Qing and Yin Zhaoxian often listened to them together.

That morning, Yin Qing took Hu Yun for a stroll through the streets during the Spring Festival, while Yin Zhaoxian stayed alone in his study reviewing official documents. After categorizing and summarizing them, he would send them to the palace. Yin Zhong went alone to the courtyard where Ji Yuan was staying, waiting for Ji Yuan to get up.

Indeed, Ji Yuan always managed to sleep until noon whenever he got the chance.

Hearing the noise outside, Ji Yuan woke up, sat up, and looked in the direction of the door. He could hear Yin Zhong’s breathing and see his intense vital energy.

After putting on his over-robe, Ji Yuan went over to open the door for him.

“Creak…”

As soon as the door opened, Yin Zhong saw Ji Yuan, who had just put on his over-robe. His hair hadn’t even been tied up, letting it fall freely.

“Good morning, Mr. Ji. Why aren’t you dressed more warmly?”

“Come in, you really do look just like your brother back in the day!”

“Yes!”

Yin Chong excitedly entered the room, then closed the door and sat obediently at the table. He even poured tea for himself and Ji Yuan, waiting to hear the story.

The tea in this courtyard was always hot. It was impossible for any servant to bring hot water while Mr. Ji was still asleep; the teapot simply hadn’t cooled down all night. Yin Zhong knew this was unusual, but he never asked any questions.

His gaze swept over the black jade hairpin on the bedside table and noticed that under the sunlight streaming through the window, the hairpin seemed to be radiating a faint glow, making it look quite beautiful.

However, Ji Yuan quickly grabbed the jade hairpin and tucked it into his hair bun.

“Tiger, what do you want to do in the future?”

“Of course, I will read ten thousand books and then pass the imperial examinations…”

Ji Yuan smiled and interrupted him before he could finish speaking.

“I’m asking what you want to do, not what your parents want you to do. You’re quite skilled in martial arts for your age!”

Yin Zhong was stunned. He subconsciously shrank his neck back and looked up again. He lowered his voice and said to Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, how did you know? Oh right, you’re a god, of course you know! Please don’t tell Father and Brother…”

Ji Yuan smiled and sat down at the table. He found Yin Zhong’s nervous expression amusing. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke.

“Tiger, haven’t you wondered? Your father and your brother are the smartest people in the world. Do you think your little tricks can fool them?”

After hearing what Ji Yuan said, Yin Chong finally understood.

“I didn’t think I could keep it a secret forever, but A-Yuan and I have only been learning martial arts for a few months now. In such a short time, and with Father and my brother both so busy, they should…”

“They shouldn’t know?”

Yin Zhong nodded, only to see Ji Yuan smile again.

“Chen A-Yuan is extremely loyal to Mr. Yin. He wouldn’t dare to teach you martial arts directly without Mr. Yin’s approval. It would only have been possible if your father and brother agreed, silly child!

“Alright, I’ll ask you again, what do you want to do in the future?”

Yin Zhong looked at the teacup in his hand, shook it slightly, but didn’t drink. He muttered under his breath.

“I don’t really want to serve as an official in local government, nor do I want to constantly argue with people in the courts. I don’t want to spend all my time reading books or writing articles…”

Yin Zhong raised his head and looked at Ji Yuan.

“I don’t want that many worries. I want to be a wandering warrior, or if that doesn’t work, I want to be a great general!”

“To have achieved such skill in just a few months is truly remarkable!”

Hearing Ji Yuan’s praise, Yin Zhong smiled shyly.

“Sir, I’ve always been strong since I was a child. This period has just been to build up the foundation; I’m still far from being proficient!”

“Well, given your situation, becoming a wandering warrior is unlikely, which is a bit of a pity. But if you want to join the army, your family probably wouldn’t object. However, becoming a great general is not easy either.”

“Oh, why?”

Ji Yuan looked at Yin Zhong and said very seriously.

“Think about why yourself.”

Looking into Ji Yuan’s pale eyes, Yin Zhong felt as if he were looking into an ancient well, with the moon’s reflection gleaming in it.

“Because of my father? I don’t mean that my father would object, but others might, because of my father…”

“Haha, not bad. Even if the Emperor of Dazhen trusts your Yin family, he would not allow the Yin family to hold the top official position in civil service and the top military position in military service. Otherwise, they would truly have absolute power in the court.”

“Then what about me?”

Ji Yuan patted Yin Zhong on the shoulder.

“Study literature diligently, learn martial arts well, be pure of heart, and have a clear conscience!”

Yin nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite, and then Ji Yuan took out a book.

“I’m giving this book to you. Actually, the contents are a bit messy, but I think it’s better if you can glean something from it yourself. Take this book with you wherever you go.”

The book in Ji Yuan’s hand had the words “Character Array” written on the cover. Ji Yuan had written it in his spare time at night after observing Yin Zhong these past few days. He had been inspired by his observations of the little calligraphy spirits arranging themselves and debating with each other.

The contents of the book contained some intricacies, but Ji Yuan didn’t know much about military affairs, so he left it to Yin Zhong to organize. Of course, this book could ward off evil spirits, so it was also a protective talisman given to him by his elder.

In fact, the “Character Array” in Yin Zhong’s possession was not complete. Ji Yuan was also using it to deduce some strange and unorthodox methods, but these had little to do with Yin Zhong.