When he spoke, the two brothers were standing beneath the tall snow pine in the main family compound. Their conversation was completely drowned out by the crackling sound of firecrackers, but Qi Yun’s shock could not be concealed. He stared at his younger brother for a long time without speaking, finally managing to squeeze out: “…Jingchen, how could you conceive such a preposterous notion?”
He was emotionally agitated, while in contrast Qi Ying remained calm in expression. At that moment he was gazing far off at the clan children cheering and laughing, not immediately responding. The brilliant fireworks left faint shadows of light in his phoenix eyes, making him appear for an instant as if standing outside the mortal world.
He seemed somewhat wistful, then said something that seemed completely unrelated to his previous words: “Hui’er is still so young. I hope she can always remain so carefree.”
Qi Yun was stunned upon hearing this and instinctively turned to look at his daughter. She was playing with the children from their uncles’ families, running around the courtyard with great excitement. The little girl was still giggling, her little mouth missing teeth giving her a comically adorable appearance that made one smile.
Beside her were many other children and adults, all bearing the Qi surname. The adults either held positions of power in various regions or possessed boundless wealth. When they grew old, they would pass everything to their children and grandchildren.
Generation after generation in endless cycles, continuing this century-old aristocratic family’s infinite glory.
This auspicious and harmonious scene captivated Qi Yun’s attention. At that moment he heard Qi Ying call him “Elder Brother,” his voice indifferent yet serene, quite at odds with the surrounding joy.
He said: “The natural principle is that all things decline after reaching their peak. The Qi surname holds too much power, and the Privy Council is too crucial a position. At present, my existence may already be a calamity rather than a blessing for the family.”
These words came both suddenly and naturally. Upon hearing them, Qi Yun immediately turned back to look at him, feeling as if the winter wind had suddenly become bitterly cold, yanking him out of the festival’s warm atmosphere.
He found himself somewhat speechless.
At this moment, Qi Ying turned to look at him, his features like distant mountains, possessing an indescribable openness and clarity that seemed to dispel the heavy chill, making one feel settled.
He said: “I can serve as the family’s cutting edge to blaze new trails, but what the Qi family needs now is no longer a blade, but flexible silk threads to maintain connections—Elder Brother is such a thread, better able than I to maintain all of this.”
Qi Yun understood these words—Jingchen wasn’t joking. He truly intended to leave, and now he was entrusting everything to him.
The world was full of criticism, saying that Second Young Master Qi held power and stood alone in his excellence, that Left Prime Minister would surely disregard order of seniority and pass the position of family patriarch to him. At the same time, Qi Yun knew many people secretly mocked him behind his back, laughing that he had been overshadowed by his younger brother and was a pitiful creature living in Qi Ying’s shadow.
But he never cared about these things.
He knew how brilliantly talented his younger brother was, and he knew how modest and magnanimous he was. He had never harbored thoughts of competing with Jingchen. He was willing to serve as the foliage that set him off, working together with him to maintain the family’s prosperity and the nation’s stability.
He worried that Jingchen was retreating for his sake.
Qi Yun immediately said: “Where do these words come from? Setting aside the family, speaking only of the court—without you, how could it have been sustained all these years? Not to mention warfare, even the reforms couldn’t have been pushed through!—You absolutely need not consider me. Between us brothers, I absolutely have no…”
Before he could finish, he saw Qi Ying raise his hand with a smile and heard him say: “I know Elder Brother well—how could I harbor such thoughts?”
Qi Ying’s gaze was very clear, showing his trust and respect for him. Seeing this, Qi Yun’s heart relaxed and he felt faint comfort.
His younger brother had not misunderstood him—how fortunate.
At this moment he saw Qi Ying look again toward the laughing children in the courtyard, his expression vaguely somewhat desolate as he said: “I have already done everything I can do. The Northern Expedition victory can ensure ten years of peace for Jiangzuo. These ten years will be ten years of deep cultivation through reforms and recuperation. As long as we seize this opportunity, after ten years when the nation is strong and the people prosperous, we can retreat to maintain Jiangzuo’s stability or advance to plan the great restoration—truly a time when all affairs are favorable.”
“And these things no longer need me so much.”
Qi Yun’s brow furrowed deeply as he called out: “Jingchen…”
Qi Ying turned toward him with a faint smile, his gaze frank: “The Privy Council is a place of schemes and deception. My role is merely to engage in mental combat with others. Master Wang also said that this is not the righteous path of a gentleman and cannot last long—fortunately, sitting long in such a sharp position has also granted the power to break and establish. Fortunately, I’ve won some slight chance of survival for Great Liang, which can be considered fulfilling my mission.”
These words caused Qi Yun’s heart to ache, and he began to feel sorry for him—his younger brother knew everything and understood everything, yet still bore all of this alone.
All these years he had seemed to rise smoothly and advance continuously, but actually was not happy in his heart, simply because he was not intoxicated by power schemes.
He had given others the bright and upright gentleman’s path of reforms to save the people, while he himself walked a dark and muddy path of carnage, being flattered, praised, and fawned upon by the world on one hand, while being criticized and slandered behind the scenes on the other, riddled with wounds.
His younger brother…
Qi Yun’s eyes began to burn.
“And now all affairs have finally come to a conclusion,” Qi Ying’s expression relaxed, seeming to carry some meaning of relief. “I suppose I can finally rest.”
There was some faint release and joy in his eyes.
Qi Yun looked at the expression in his eyes and felt it had been long absent.
How long had it been since he’d seen such spirit in Jingchen’s eyes?
When they were young, they read together, seeing magnificent rivers and mountains and a hundred schools of thought contending in the pages. Their mother would bring them fragrant, glutinous porridge and pastries during breaks. They would play together with their third and fourth brothers, who were still babbling at the time, catching crickets in the main family’s spacious courtyards.
That truly was a joyful time.
But what about later?
Later they all entered officialdom, entangled by complex personnel matters, swept up by the imperial family’s tests, daily trapped among documents. And Jingchen was far more arduous than others because what he faced in the Privy Council were human lives and conspiracies—filthy and overwhelmingly heavy.
Gradually that kind of spirit disappeared from his eyes, replaced only by caution, coldness, indifference, and rigidity.
And… exhaustion.
Was he willing to be that way?
Of course not—he simply had no choice but to be that way.
Qi Yun suddenly understood him.
A thought suddenly arose as he looked at Qi Ying very seriously and asked: “Leaving here would make you more comfortable, wouldn’t it?”
Upon hearing this, Qi Ying was quite frank, looking at his elder brother and nodding. After thinking, he said somewhat awkwardly: “I plan to take Wenwen with me. She and I…”
He didn’t continue, but his expression was gentle, making his meaning clear without words.
Qi Yun understood. After brief bewilderment, he laughed again, patting Qi Ying’s shoulder happily: “Is that so? You two have finally settled things…”
Speaking of this, he seemed somewhat moved: “Time really passes quickly. When she first came to our family, she was still a half-grown child. When your sister-in-law said you liked her, I didn’t believe it. Who would have thought…”
Both brothers laughed, seemingly recalling that time, while Qi Ying couldn’t help but secretly reflect—had he really been so inappropriate back then…
Qi Yun didn’t have so many thoughts. His eyes were full of sincere blessings as he nodded and said to Qi Ying: “Miss Fang is very good. Since you like her so much, you’ll surely live smoothly in the future.”
Qi Ying lowered his head with a smile and agreed, his phoenix eyes lighting up slightly as he answered: “Yes, I like her very much.”
People in officialdom rarely spoke of likes and dislikes—not from affected profundity, but because only thus could they conceal their feelings for safety. Yet at this moment he said he liked her very much.
How much must he like her to be so certain? And how much must he trust his elder brother to reveal everything so frankly?
Qi Yun couldn’t help but be deeply shaken by this.
He found himself quite absurdly beginning to approve—approve of his second brother’s absurd notion to leave home, leave Jiankang, to escape like a golden cicada shedding its shell by faking his death, and from then on live under an assumed name.
But Qi Yun still worried and said to Qi Ying: “But father is stubborn and will surely not agree to your idea. If he uses the family’s power to obstruct you, what will you do then?”
Upon hearing this, Qi Ying’s expression didn’t change. He only took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Qi Yun.
Qi Yun received it, unfolding the letter while listening to Qi Ying say: “I’ve only mentioned this matter to Elder Brother alone and won’t tell father and mother. After I leave, if there are any complications, please trouble Elder Brother to give this letter to our parents.”
Qi Yun quickly read through the letter, seeing that he had briefly explained the circumstances in just a few words, especially detailing the process of faking his death. This was probably arranged in advance to comfort their mother, fearing she would be too grief-stricken at the time.
He was at a loss for words when he saw Qi Ying’s gaze look toward a slightly more distant area. Following his line of sight, Qi Yun saw their third and fourth brothers also playing with the younger generation over there.
He heard Qi Ying continue: “Third brother and fourth brother previously had disagreements with me for various reasons. But in the future, I won’t have time to compensate and care for them one by one.”
“Fourth brother is not without talent, but his temperament is unsteady and lacks tempering. Being eliminated by me in the previous spring examinations probably left him resentful. After I leave, please encourage him to continue studying, Elder Brother. If special examinations are granted next year, he can pass.”
“As for third brother,” he changed the topic with some sighing, “perhaps he’s not most suited for studying. If father insists on him becoming an official, you’ll have to support and guide him all the way in officialdom in the future. Otherwise, he’s prone to wavering, which could lead to major problems…”
He spoke calmly without a single redundant word, yet had already considered everything about this family in detail, covering all matters great and small without omission.
He had already thought everything through long ago.
Qi Yun no longer knew what else to say. When he looked up at Qi Ying again, he saw his phoenix eyes flowing with light, brighter than the brilliant fireworks that night, yet also with hidden weight as he looked at him and said: “While parents live, one should not travel far—yet I am unfilial. While the nation remains unsettled, a minister should not resign—yet I am disloyal. I only hope Elder Brother will care for our parents in my stead and restore our mountains and rivers. I would be infinitely grateful.”
After speaking, he straightened formally and bowed to Qi Yun.
At this moment the firecrackers finished, and little Hui’er, having watched the excitement, obediently ran back to her father’s side. She looked up at her tall, handsome second uncle with a grin, saying through her gap-toothed lisp: “What is Second Uncle doing? Why is he bowing to Papa?”
She didn’t know that her father’s eyes were already burning at that moment, nearly about to shed tears, only restraining his emotions because she was beside him.
She then saw her father raise his hand to help her second uncle up, saying to him: “You’ve already done more than enough—from now on, leave it to your elder brother.”
The festival was noisy, with families reuniting everywhere.
Amid the sound of firecrackers, the tumultuous seventeenth year of Qinghua finally came to its end.
The first year of Jiahe began.
Author’s Note:
I’ve always felt the brotherly relationship between Qi Yun and Qi Ying is very beautiful—mutual trust, mutual understanding, no jealousy, no suspicion. This is actually very difficult to achieve.
Next chapter they depart for Northern Wei to see General Gu! (After 500,000 words, finally wuwu)