Chapter 23: The Man Chen Yi from Yingwu County

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees."

"Currently, Duke Wuan's son, Chen Yi, despite his young age, exhibits unwavering determination, intelligence, and remarkable bravery on multiple occasions, truly a valuable asset to the nation."

"Chen Yi is hereby granted the title of Lord of Yingwu County, in recognition of his courageous disposition. He is awarded a fief of three hundred households to sustain his livelihood, as an encouragement."

"Additionally, due to Duke Wuan's ongoing service on the frontier and not yet returned, fearing that a worthy talent might go to waste, Chen Yi is specially permitted to join Xingwu Academy, so that in the future he can participate in examinations of The Path of the Grand Void alongside various Princes and Princely Heirs."

The words echoed in the hall.

The eunuch, Liu, with a gentle look and slightly graying temples, paced forward to Chen Yi and smiled:

"Receive the decree, little lord."

Chen Yi blinked, glancing at Xia Wanwan, Chen Taixing, and others; seeing their nod, he then accepted the imperial decree.

"Thank you for His Majesty's gracious favor."

As he stood up, Chen Yi's mind was a bit muddled.

He was ennobled just like that?

He was just over three years old, hadn't achieved any notable merits, nor was he eligible to inherit the dukedom of Duke Wuan.

Was it solely because of that one appearance on the city tower that he received this title? It felt as if His Majesty had some deeper intention.

And that so-called "Xingwu Academy," was it meaning for him to study alongside a host of Princes and Princely Heirs?

Was this reward somewhat...

Wait a moment!

Chen Yi suddenly realized something—Chen Yuan, the direct son of Chen Taiping, had not received any titles or joined Xingwu Academy!

He glanced at Zhou Wanyi sitting not far away, and frowned secretly.

Was this a deliberate act by His Majesty, or...

"Little lord, this is a token for entering and exiting the Imperial City; please come to Qingzheng Hall by the appointed time two days from now."

At this moment, Mr. Liu handed over a palm-sized token, smiling and advising, "That master does not like students who are late."

Chen Yi came back to his senses, carefully put away the token, thanked him, and stood next to Xia Wanwan.

Today's events were somewhat strange; he needed to observe further.

After he received the token, Mr. Liu, clad in a blue brocade, didn't leave right away but approached the Old Lady to whisper.

Chen Yi, while caressing the heavy, purple-gold token, listened intently.

He faintly heard the Old Lady reply softly, "...Appreciate the Holy Emperor's concern, I will consult with Taiping and then make a decision."

Receiving a response, Mr. Liu's face showed a flattering smile: "Then I shall return and report to His Majesty."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I take my leave."

Once the Imperial Eunuch left, the entire hall suddenly became lively.

Some praised the Emperor's magnanimous grace, complimented Yi Er, and others sourly commented on his good fortune.

Chen Yi turned a deaf ear; his focus was partly on the Old Lady and mostly on observing Zhou Wanyi's expressions.

Yet from beginning to end, the older lady maintained a calm demeanor, neither joyful nor angry, continuously twirling her prayer beads in her hands.

Has she truly taken refuge in Buddhism?

It wasn't until everyone dispersed and Chen Yi returned to Fanghua Garden with Xia Wanwan that he could not grasp the situation.

"Yi Er, I am happy for you for receiving His Majesty's favor, yet I also feel apprehensive. Do you know why?"

Xia Wanwan led him into the garden pavilion, speaking earnestly.

"I don't know," Chen Yi shook his head.

His mind was full of the reasons and consequences surrounding the event, not paying attention to his mother's worries.

"The Imperial City is not like home; its rules are stricter, and there are many from the Royal Family. I worry you might be bullied, and I fear you making mistakes and being punished..."

Xia Wanwan didn't care whether he understood or not, repeatedly cautioning him to be extra careful and not behave recklessly.

"Mother, don't worry, Yi Er will follow the rules," Chen Yi managed a small smile on his face.

As an adult, how could he be bullied by anyone?

And as for causing trouble...

As long as those troublesome children didn't provoke him, he couldn't care less about them.

After a moment, Xia Wanwan left, and Chen Yi returned to his room and sighed.

He lay on his bed, hands behind his head, eyes fixed on the light veil above him, his little face full of contemplation.

Reflecting on the earlier scenes, he could be sure of one thing.

The Chen Family was not informed about the Holy Emperor's favor beforehand.

This was evident from Chen Lide's behavior within the Imperial City.

Moreover, Chen Yi was certain of another thing—Emperor Wei's actions were not without aim; they must carry a particular purpose.

"Granting me a title and not Big Brother, it must be for more reasons than just that incident on the city tower..."

Apart from this point, all he could think of was the Zhou Family and Zhou Wanyi.

Chen Yi furrowed his brows, then thought of the "Xingwu Academy."

This was the first time he had heard this name.

The teacher who previously enlightened him had only mentioned the Kyoto Academy.

It seemed that the "Xingwu Academy" must have been established exclusively for the entrance assessment of the Path of the Grand Void during the Mid-Autumn festival.

Such a place should be fine for him to go to.

But not allowing Chen Yuan, who had a higher Foundation Establishment evaluation, to go was...

Very suspicious!

And, extremely deliberate!

He knew that the Chen Family had been very peaceful recently, so it must be due to the Zhou Family!

"Is the problem with the old lady or the eldest grandpa?"

It seemed necessary to learn more about the Zhou Family now...

With this thought in mind, Chen Yi turned over, preparing to turn off the lights, when he heard the door being pushed open.

A small figure quietly sneaked in.

"Big brother?"

Chen Yi recognized it was Chen Yuan and was momentarily stunned.

"Shh!"

Chen Yuan raised his index finger to signal him to be quiet, closed the door, and then ran over with a small embroidered pillow.

After swiftly climbing onto the bed, he came closer, wearing a delighted smile, and asked Chen Yi, "Second brother, I heard you became a noble lord?"

"Mm." Chen Yi looked at him, puzzled.

"Are you also going to accompany those nobles of the Imperial Family to practice Martial Arts?"

"Yeah, did aunt tell you?"

Chen Yuan nodded, his small face still smiling: "Yes, mother told me to learn more from you."

"What else did she say?" Chen Yi was taken aback, hardly believing these words could come from Zhou Wanyi.

"She told me to work even harder, saying our home has enough herbs and elixirs, and even if I don't go to that academy, I can definitely join the Grand Void."

Saying this, Chen Yuan lay on his side, supporting his head with his small hand, looking at him.

"I'm sleeping here tonight, not going back."

Chen Yi chuckled softly, without refusing, and pulled the blanket over him.

"Big brother, you didn't sneak over here, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Really?!"

"This," Chen Yuan scratched his head, embarrassed, "You became a lord, I thought you might need someone to share it."

"Isn't that what you told me? Sharing happy things makes everyone happy."

"Yes," Chen Yi also grinned, "I was thinking of sharing with our eldest brother tomorrow."

"Hehe, I knew..."

Without realizing it, their conversation shifted to the starry sky outside the window.

Chen Yuan pointed to the night sky outside the window, to each twinkling star, "Nanny said immortals live on the stars, second brother, are there really immortals in the world?"

"Maybe."

Chen Yi replied ambiguously.

How would he know if there were immortals?

Even if there really were, they would probably just be powerful individuals, like those depicted in the literary works he had seen in his previous life.

"Big brother, let me teach you a song."

"Alright."

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are..."

That night, they lay side by side, chatting line after line for a long while.

Finally, Chen Yi asked him a question: what did he want to become in the future.

Xiao Chenyuan answered, "I want to protect our home and country with my second brother, and best to stay happy forever like now."

After hearing this answer, Chen Yi remained silent for a long time, before softly responding, "Sleep now."

He couldn't make a promise against his heart, nor could he ensure such a promise would be effective.

However...

If possible, he hoped his eldest brother could achieve his wish...