Mo Junyang was so capable. Even if he hadn't done anything, he could know what the other side was thinking.

His few words made all the generals believe that he had the ability to break the array and lead the s.h.i.+ Army to eliminate the bandits on the Qingluo Mountain before returning to the capital city with victory.

s.h.i.+ Qingxue witnessed that and couldn't help but express her surprise. No wonder in the previous life, Mo Junyang was a hostage trapped in the imperial palace in the beginning and then became King Rui's heir in name only, but he could step on the dead bodies of all his enemies and become the emperor at last.

Even she, who couldn't understand anything about the military affairs, thought this man was reliable after hearing that. Of course, he was always the one she trusted most.

And the truth was that Mo Junyang didn't brag. According to the route he offered, the array with five elements which had confused the s.h.i.+ Army was clear at a glance like the dewdrop exposed to the sun.

Without the array, the ambushes on the way were like toys in front of the s.h.i.+ Army. They went out smoothly. When the bandits attacked the camp with the help of the array, they found that the s.h.i.+ Army had used the array with five elements to hide themselves. Then the soldiers surrounded them and killed all of them.

The bandits on the Qingluo Mountain, who had made trouble for nearly ten years and harmed nearly one thousand soldiers of the s.h.i.+ Army, were eliminated in less than half a day. It was so easy that even the generals of the s.h.i.+ Army couldn't believe it.

“His Excellency is really awesome. He has seen through the weird array and could even surround the bandits. You didn't see how scared they were when they found that they were encircled. I almost laughed to death.” Yan Ji was selected by Mo Junyang as the leader and fought in the forefront with him all the way. He was deeply impressed by the young man's calmness and wisdom.

Liu Caishu was not convinced and questioned on purpose, “I heard from General s.h.i.+ that he admitted that he doesn't know the strange array. How could he have broken it easily? Was it a coincidence?”

“Pah. You are incapable, so you think everyone is good for nothing?” Yan Ji defended Mo Junyang determinedly. “His Excellency is modest. He is low-key and doesn't like to show off. He is not like you. You just know how to use a broadsword but you want everybody to know that.”

Liu Caishu bared his teeth in anger. “If you are capable, don't ask me to teach you.”

Yan Ji did the same. “If you are capable, don't learn swordsmans.h.i.+p from me.”

Liu Caishu and Yan Ji continued arguing.

The two generals were more than thirty years old but they quarreled like children and talked nonsense. Others could hardly stand it.

s.h.i.+ Junhe was unable either to cry or to laugh and could do nothing to them. But they just won the battle and he didn't interfere. He just looked at Mo Junyang.

Unfortunately, Mo Junyang was not talkative. Everybody celebrated the victory, but he remained silent. If it weren't for his powerful imposing manner that n.o.body could ignore, it was safe to say that there was a statue here.

No, it couldn't be said like this.

At that time, Qingxue ran to Mo Junyang joyfully and asked in surprise, “I remember that you don't know any strange defense and armor. How did you break the array this time?”

The man's cold eyes became softer. He had no expression but answered her question. “Not long ago, I came to the Qingluo Mountain and got familiar with the terrain.”

“You know how to break the array only in this way?” s.h.i.+ Junhe could hardly believe it.

n.o.body but s.h.i.+ Qingxue knew how familiar he was with it. He didn't only know the ways, but perhaps kept the terrain of the Qingluo Mountain in mind.

The question was why Mo Junyang came to get familiar with the terrain in advance, just several days before s.h.i.+ Junhe led the army here, as if he had it planned purposely.

However, after all, Mo Junyang had helped him get out of danger. No matter what his purpose was, s.h.i.+ Junhe owed him a favor.

Of course, it would be better if the young man's eyes didn't focus on his loved daughter all the time.

The father gritted his teeth secretly.

The news that s.h.i.+ Junhe succeeded in suppressing the bandits on the Qingluo Mountain and solved a hidden trouble of Mo Country spread to the capital city soon and caused an uproar.

All people who had been local officials knew that the main reason of the bandits was the local official's indulgence, but s.h.i.+ Junhe could easily kill those bandits. The help of Mo Junyang to break the array was kept inside the army. At least, on the surface, all people thought that the s.h.i.+ Army had defeated the bandits on the Qingluo Mountain. s.h.i.+ Junhe got more popularity in the capital city.

Even Mo Xiangbin had to grant the marriage of s.h.i.+ Baoning and Wenren Chi. The wedding date was decided, on lunar December 3rd.

Happy events came one after another. The second young master of the s.h.i.+ Family, s.h.i.+ Baozhao came back from another city after finis.h.i.+ng schooling. He was recommended by the princ.i.p.al of the Lingshan School and would take part in the selection of officials which was held once three years.

As for s.h.i.+ Baozhao, he was s.h.i.+ Juncai's eldest legitimate son. Before Wenren Chi came to Duke s.h.i.+'s mansion, he had been the first young master in the mansion and got much favor. Especially s.h.i.+ Junhe didn't have a son, so a lot of people thought if s.h.i.+ Junhe didn't want to divorce his wife and remarry, he would adopt a son of one brother to inherit the t.i.tle of n.o.bility.

s.h.i.+ Baozhao had always expected that, but after Wenren Chi came, Baozhao became the second young master and his qualification to inherit the t.i.tle was deprived.

Later, in order to maintain Wenren Chi's position in the s.h.i.+ Family, s.h.i.+ Junhe took Wenren Chi to the military camp and sent Baozhao to the Lingshan School. Whether he was partial was evident.

Of course, these secrets were hardly worth mentioning now. Zhou Ruyu's son came back in safety and was promising. She put on airs in the mansion recently and would talk with anybody about her dear son who had won credit for the family.

These days, Duke s.h.i.+'s mansion was bustling with noise and excitement. s.h.i.+ Baoning's wedding made everyone in the mansion busy and twice more guests came to visit than before.

But after three tests, s.h.i.+ Baozhao was selected as an insignificant official of Rank-7 and didn't even need to go to the imperial court. He wasn't sent to another city, but he had to work far away from the center of the capital city, and it would be difficult for him to go back home.

Zhou Ruyu was not happy to see that her son would come back home from work after a long trip every day, nor did she want him to be such a hopeless low-rank official. Before s.h.i.+ Baozhao got the order to work, she came to see s.h.i.+ Junhe.

At first, she naturally cried and told her brother-in-law how wonderful Baozhao was but he was pitiful when he was excluded because he didn't want to go along with the officials in their evil deeds.

s.h.i.+ Junhe had a headache and rubbed his forehead, stopping Zhou Ruyu from complaining. “Ruyu, stop. I have read Baozhao's writing. The claims examiner evaluated him properly. And he is impatient, eager for quick success and instant benefits. He truly needs to be trained before accomplis.h.i.+ng some achievements.”

Zhou Ruyu wanted to ask for help, but hearing that he gave her son some negative comments, she got angry. “Brother, what are you talking about? Baozhao was recommended by the princ.i.p.al of the Lingshan School, so he must be capable. Why is he average in the eyes of the claims examiner? I don't believe that. There must be someone who aims at harming my son intentionally.”

Seeing that s.h.i.+ Junhe frowned and got unhappy obviously, Zhou Ruyu kept her mouth shut with displeasure and thought, “Now I want to ask him to help us. I can't make him angry.”

So she said, trying to please him, “Brother, to be frank, if Baozhao is successful, wouldn't he win glory for our family? How can you not help him when he is in need?”

“The environs of the capital city are not as good as the city, but it is the area of the capital and suitable for Baozhao to toughen himself. If he can work there for four or five years patiently, it would be natural for him to enter one of the six ministries in the future. Don't be anxious.”

“Four or five years!” Zhou Ruyu screamed furiously.

She couldn't bear to see her son work there even for four or five days, let alone four or five years.

The selection of officials in Mo Country depended on tests but mostly recommendation. As long as a powerful official recommended, many people could work in one of the six ministries, not to mention being an official in the capital.

Duke s.h.i.+ was a big name, but he didn't contact anyone to help his nephew yet showed that he was just and stern. The people from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs were good at acting in front of different people, so they wouldn't help s.h.i.+ Baozhao a lot.

“Brother, Lord Chen's legitimate son is a playboy, but he works in the Ministry of Rite. You have seen Baozhao grow up from childhood. Can you bear to see that he is inferior to a playboy?”

The other day, the imperial censor, Lord Chen's wife came to visit the s.h.i.+ Family in name, but she showed off her son all the time and irritated Zhou Ruyu, so Ruyu came to see her brother-in-law, expecting him to arrange a good job for s.h.i.+ Baozhao.

s.h.i.+ Junhe interrupted her coldly, “Our family never has the custom to bribe and we can't have a start. Ruyu, no more words. Since Baozhao has a job offer, he should work hard. If he does a good job, I will recommend him in the future.” After saying, he waved his hand, indicating that she should leave.

Zhou Ruyu was in a rage, but she knew s.h.i.+ Junhe well and stopped speaking. Then she turned to the Shou'an Hall.

After all, s.h.i.+ Baozhao was the official eldest legitimate son of the s.h.i.+ Family. She couldn't get s.h.i.+ Junhe's help, but she didn't believe that the old madam would stand by.

The next day, Mo Shujun was in a good mood and got every member together to have a family dinner. Even Wenren Chi who had moved out and left home was told to come back.

The whole family sat around the table while eating, drinking, talking and laughing. It was harmonious.

“Baozhao, I heard from your mother that you have got the job offer as an official,” Mo Shujun said all of a sudden after taking a sip of tea.

s.h.i.+ Baozhao replied in a hurry, “Yes, I have got it. I am appointed as the right leader of the repairing department under the Ministry of Revenue and temporarily in charge of the construction and maintenance of the flood-control dam for rivers in the capital's environs.”

Mo Shujun frowned and asked unhappily, “What official position is it? Why have I never heard of it before?”

“A local low-rank official. Uncle cares for me and promised me to stay in the capital's environs.” s.h.i.+ Baozhao showed his respect and grat.i.tude to s.h.i.+ Junhe.

But Mo Shujun turned to s.h.i.+ Junhe. “So you arranged Baozhao's position?”

s.h.i.+ Junhe smiled bitterly in secret and thought, “Here comes the climax of the play. I can't escape.”

He had to answer obscurely, “Mother, Baozhao's appointment was decided by the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. I don't have the right, nor can I interfere. Please forgive me.”

Mo Shujun was not as stupid as Zhou Ruyu and was clear about her eldest son's character. It was impossible to tell him to openly gain personal profits from work, so she didn't bother about this subject.

She said casually, “In this case, I can't force you, but…”