I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

Lu Yuan first pressed down on the scabbard before pulling Liang San Niang into his arms.

She had been holding herself upright, but when he hugged her like that, her grip on the knife loosened.

"Want to be an empress? Then die! I'll prepare a dowry for you from Northern Liang. Who dares to laugh at you?"

Liang San Niang looked up, tears still streaming down her face.

"Aren't you afraid I'll cause trouble? You promised to help me become empress, but I didn't really take it to heart. If you can't do it, I won't blame you."

"Haven't I caused enough trouble? Adding this one makes it a round number."

She wanted to laugh, but the tears fell even more fiercely, so she quickly buried her face in his arms.

The thought that his great-uncle might not live to see him dissipated the fierce determination he had just mustered.

After a long while, she finally loosened her grip on the knife handle.

"Save them first. I can wait at that spot."

Lu Yuan picked up her luggage and led her into the study.

As the map of Northern Liang was laid out, Liang San Niang did not immediately look for the location of the Prince's Mansion, but instead held onto his hand tightly.

Lu Yuan brushed the stray hairs from the side of her face.

The man who usually drew his sword faster than he spoke was now standing obediently until he laughed, at which point he punched the man on the shoulder.

"Don't tell anyone, I still need to lead troops!"

"Alright, the army is your responsibility, but if they cry, it's my responsibility."

Outside the door, Shen Xiyao, holding the neatly organized travel guide, stopped in her tracks.

She wanted to make a name for herself through her talent, but she couldn't help but find fault with him.

When faced with real difficulties, this man neither put on airs like a prince nor made fun of a woman's tears.

She glanced down at the booklet in her arms, pulled out the page with its erudite and comforting quotes, and rechecked the mileage of the northern post stations.

When He Shen was summoned to enter, Lu Yuan had already marked out two roads leading north.

"Select the best and brightest to accompany the doctors north to pick up the patients."

He Shen did not immediately accept the order, but first turned the map towards Liang San Niang.

"The Prince's residence is guarded, and we are outnumbered. We might not be able to force our way in. If we bring too many, the Northern Liang troops stationed along the way will definitely stop us."

He wasn't afraid of fighting; he was worried that if war broke out outside, the first to suffer would be the bedridden old man.

Liang San Niang took out paper and pen.

"My old subordinates recognized the retainers of the Prince's mansion, so I wrote a letter. I first asked my great-uncle if it was possible to move it."

Lu Yuan ordered the elite musketeers to go to the border city to provide support, while the physician was escorted north by the princess's former troops.

The patient's condition, the number of family members, and the evacuation route are all factors that must be considered before moving people.

He Shen glanced at the bag.

"Your Highness, this time we cannot go after them with only a few men."

"I'm going to pick up the old man, not to be buried with him, so you don't need to worry about that."

Liang San Niang understood his meaning, so she also placed her sword on the table.

She could wait for news, but she would never entrust her great-uncle's life to those people in Liangdu.

The military order was issued that day, and He Shen remained in the capital to prepare for the subsequent troop deployment.

Rescue efforts and preparations for war cannot be delayed.

The next day, with bruises all over his face, Young Master Liu delivered several notices from the academy to the East Palace.

Many scholars left the capital before the city gates closed last night, and when the city gates opened this morning, long queues formed again as people carrying book boxes and carrying bedding.

Eighty percent of the academies that caused the most trouble left, and one academy only had teachers and seven or eight students left.

Some people worried that there would be new disputes, while others followed their fellow villagers to make a living. But the leader left behind a single sentence.

The Shilin Academy no longer exists; look at how the Royal Academy maintains its civility.

After reading it, Lu Yuan rolled up the notice.

Going to the college would avoid the problem of crowds at the entrance.

When we arrived at the long street, there were indeed many people already on the roadside.

But it doesn't mean I want to keep them.

The scholar carrying his book box, mistaking them for commoners seeing him off, cupped his hands and said, "There's no need for you to see us off. Our literary talents have been somewhat wasted today, we..."

"Excuse me, lift your foot up, you're pressing on my carrying pole."

The man carrying firewood pulled out his carrying pole, turned around, and walked towards the college.

An old woman selling melon seeds next to her also put some into her mouth.

This is for you. My son went to register today, and I came to check the enrollment list.

The scholar had only performed half of the ceremony; stopping was not an option, nor was continuing.

Those traveling with him complained, "Without scholars, you won't even be able to understand the account books!"

A person dressed as an accountant is holding a calculated bill in his hand.

"Yesterday you said I, someone who uses an abacus, wasn't fit to be an official, and today you're afraid I don't understand accounting?"

The crowd immediately burst into laughter.

The scholars leaving the capital clutched their books tightly, quickened their pace, and refused to stop.

The prepared article was never read aloud.

They thought that once they left, the whole city would be filled with unease.

But what the people were eager to see was the newly hung registration board of the Royal Academy.

Lu Yuan didn't join in the commotion; he went straight into the academy.

Inside the courtyard gate, several queues had already formed in front of the long table for supplementary recruitment registration.

The carpenter carried a measuring tape, the accountant held an account book, and a boy in a short brown robe tucked a piece of paper filled with math problems into his pocket. After rummaging around for a while, he could only pull out three copper coins.

Young Master Liu immediately reached out to block it.

"Take the money back, registration is free, and if you fail the exam, even bribing someone with gold won't help."

The boy didn't leave, his face flushed red.

He used to help his father repair canals and could calculate the amount of earthwork, but he couldn't afford to buy many books.

Hearing that the academy was recruiting commoners, he rushed over faster than anyone else, but now he dares not move forward.

"If you pass the exam, you will receive tuition..."

Lu Yuan glanced at the new regulations and pointed to the bottom, "Those who are poor but have satisfactory grades can apply for a scholarship. After completing their studies, they shall perform their duties as agreed. Just don't try to deceive me with a false claim of poverty."

The boy read it over twice, then suddenly, holding the manuscript, he bowed respectfully to him.

He doesn't want anyone to give him an official robe for free.

Just give him an exam paper.

Young Master Liu picked up his pen and added his name. Just as he finished writing, he caught a glimpse of a problem on the boy's arithmetic draft.

He got the calculation wrong three times last night, but the kid wrote down two solutions next to it.

Young Master Liu's smug expression immediately froze.

Lu Yuan found it amusing.

"You're laughing at others for running away? If you don't study, you'll be the one carrying the bedding next time."

Young Master Liu memorized the name even more diligently.

If someone who knows how to calculate comes along, then you have one more opponent.

But instead of taking the registration form away, he pushed Mo towards the boy.

"Write it clearly. In the exam hall, I won't let you have your way!"

The boy finally smiled, took the pen, and filled in his place of origin word by word.

Upon seeing this, the craftsmen waiting behind all took out the receipts they had hidden in their sleeves.

They hadn't believed it before, fearing that the so-called recruitment was just a formality to accompany the sons of Xun Gui.

Now that even Young Master Liu has been publicly reprimanded, those doubts have finally dissipated.

Before noon, two of the prepared registration books were used up.

The manager came running over with the new booklet, his heels worn down, and was still asking if two more tables could be added.

Lu Yuan immediately had his chair moved away.

"Make room for people to register."

Several academies are now empty.

The Royal Academy, however, is almost out of places to stay.

Looking at the ever-growing queue, Young Master Liu swallowed back all the sarcastic remarks he had prepared for those arrogant students.

All he wants to do right now is get back to his homework.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to look at the entrance exam papers, He Shen strode across the courtyard gate and handed over a secret letter marked "800-li urgent".

The postmark on the cover indicates it comes from Runan.

"Your Highness, Shen Chongli has returned to his ancestral home in Runan, and he has indeed brought out all the ancestral land deeds of the Shen family!"