Cui Shi glanced at the sixth son sleeping on the bed, and then at the young daughter sitting beside her. Having gone through that life-and-death experience, she felt that nothing was more important than her family's safety.
Cui Jiulang remained silent. It was precisely because the burden on his shoulders was too heavy that he had been away from home for so many years under the guise of traveling.
But as a member of the Cui family, he could not solely enjoy the convenience and honor that the Cui family provided.
Yu Mingyue did not speak, sitting quietly beside Cui Shi, like a child who could not leave her mother.
Until Cui Jiulang, somewhat dejected, bowed to Cui Shi and left.
"Mother, if elder brother is unwilling to stay in the capital in the future, will you stop him?" Yu Mingyue raised her small face and asked.
Cui Shi was taken aback. She had not stopped worrying about her son since he went to war.
But if it were to go back to how it was before, would she stop him?
She remembered that before he went to war, he had come to her courtyard to bid farewell. He had said that he had studied scriptures diligently and practiced martial arts since childhood, not to be confined to a manor, to be a young lord who always hid his talents.
He would rather die on the battlefield in a lifelong campaign than pretend to be foolish and hide his abilities, wasting his life.
Cui Shi had an answer in her heart, and she smiled, "Mother will be proud of your brother. He is indeed my son, a true scion of a military family."
"Really?"
"Of course, would Mother lie to you?" Cui Shi lightly tapped her daughter's forehead.
"Mother is so good." Yu Mingyue leaned into Cui Shi's embrace, her uneasy heart finding a place to rest.
The sixth son beside them woke up at some unknown time, babbling and smiling foolishly at his mother and sister.
Yu Mingyue reached out to tease him. He held onto his sister's finger and refused to let go. Using the leverage, he climbed up and burrowed into Cui Shi's embrace.
"Mother, look at Sixth Brother, he's so little yet he's already fighting Mother with me." Yu Mingyue pretended to be jealous and deliberately hugged Cui Shi.
Sixth Brother was over eight months old. He held his sister's hand, calling out "Mother" indistinctly, truly seeming to be vying for attention.
Cui Shi watched the siblings play, and the room was filled with laughter.
She had not forgotten her family's mission, nor did she not wish for the long-lasting glory of her maternal clan. However, she wished even more for her family's peace.
She had not returned to her maiden home for years. Perhaps it was time to go back to Qinghe.
Taiji Hall
"The Sage has won." Xie Jia Yan placed the chess piece in his hand back into the box.
The Sage smiled, "You seem a bit absent-minded today, are you troubled by something?"
Xie Jia Yan quickly stood up, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Your humble servant was discussing the feasibility of establishing official schools with colleagues yesterday and slept rather late."
The Sage put down his chess piece and nodded, "I remember. I also remember you saying that if Great Wei wishes to promote the imperial examination system and replace the prestige of the noble families, it must vigorously establish national academies in various prefectures."
"Precisely."
The Sage nodded, pondered for a moment, and stroked his beard, "In your humble opinion, has the time come to establish national academies?"
Xie Jia Yan looked up at the Sage, "Your humble servant believes the time has come."
"How so?"
"The Khitans have submitted, and it is precisely the time when all the people of the world are returning to their hearts. To enrich the nation, one must first enrich the people. To enrich the people, one must first enlighten them. The imperial court establishing national academies in various prefectures will break the irreplaceable position of the noble families in those regions and reserve talent for Great Wei's imperial examinations."
"At the same time, dispatch officials from the Ministry of Works to the various prefectures to teach the local people farming and irrigation techniques. Benefiting the people and caring for them is how one wins their hearts. When the people are grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world."
The Sage looked at the young man standing against the light. The pale golden sunset fell upon him, as if cloaking him in armor, invisible yet invincible.
He spoke words that others dared not utter. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. In other words, the imperial court could not replace the position of the noble families now because it had not won the hearts of the people.