How can I bow my head and serve the powerful officials?

The poisoning of the prince was no small matter. Xie Jinyu kept the imperial physician silent. As for whether the news would get out and when it would get out, Xie Chengze believed that Xie Jinyu knew it well and he didn't need to worry about it.

After asking the palace servants for directions, Xie Chengze went to the study room in Wude Hall, which had been simply cleaned. He found some paper and ink and planned to continue writing some science textbooks. Suddenly, he bumped into something under his feet and found it was a wooden box.

The wooden box was placed next to the desk. The red paint that had been knocked off and the rough wood that had been worn made it look very old. However, it was not covered with dust in the Wude Hall which had not been occupied for a long time. It did not look like something originally owned by the Wude Hall, but rather like something that had been deliberately placed there by someone else.

Was it Xie Shoujun who put it there?

The wooden box was not locked and did not look like anything that needed to be kept secret.

Although he was curious, Xie Chengze also knew that he shouldn't just rummage through other people's things, so he retracted his gaze, sat on the cushion and began to draft his biology textbook.

Although the Jian'an Dynasty was not patriarchal, because the labor force was mainly male, most of the lower-class people were willing to have sons. In addition, many fields such as business were not willing to allow women to enter. Therefore, in Jian'an, the value of women was mostly to take care of their husbands and children and work on the farm.

He wanted to change this situation. With Jian'an's population base, it would not be difficult to develop rapidly in the future. The difficulty was that more than half of the women did not play their true value. Many girls got married as soon as they reached the age of 15. Because they were too young and their bodies were not fully developed, many of them died in childbirth.

Xie Chengze wants to avoid this situation as much as possible by extending the marriage leave age for women in Jian'an, allowing them to participate in science studies in the twenty years before marriage and make a contribution to the construction of Jian'an.

Although it is somewhat difficult to implement, we cannot give up on it just because it is difficult. We can first try out the effect in cities near the capital, and open an Imperial College in the palace to allow princesses and daughters of officials to study, thus leading a trend of female learning.

Xie Chengze rubbed his chin. Even if the court did not allow women to be officials, so what? He could let them shine in other fields. As for whether this decision was right or not, it was not important in Xie Chengze's mind. He had to try it to know.

After calling Wuhen to light a candle, Xie Chengze picked up his pen and began to draft an outline for a biology textbook, explaining the dangers of early childbearing and the correct ways to deal with various hygiene issues. He also wrote some knowledge points about grafting and hybridization, intending to let them research new agricultural varieties.

Letting the girls learn this knowledge that can improve Jian'an's agricultural output can also shut up some good-for-nothings, lest they think that what the girls are learning is too abstruse and has no value to Jian'an at all.

However, it is not an easy task to write down this knowledge into a lesson plan. Xie Chengze leaned over the desk, recalling what he had learned in his previous life and writing it down on paper bit by bit. Occasionally, when his train of thought was interrupted, he would stare into the air in a daze.

And the night gradually fell.

Xie Chengze held the slender brush between his philtrum and swung it from side to side, supporting his chin with both hands as he thought about what else he could write.

At some point, his legs gradually became numb, probably because he had been crossed for too long. Xie Chengze stretched his legs and moved them a few times. Unexpectedly, he accidentally kicked the old wooden box next to the desk. The wooden box was very light and was kicked over by him, and the things inside fell out.

It's a pile of letters.

No... to be precise, it was a large pile of letters that poured out of the box like a tide.

Xie Chengze opened his eyes slightly, feeling a little confused.

This should be Xie Shoujun's box, but as far as he knows, there seems to be no friend in the palace with whom Xie Shoujun can exchange letters. Who can he write to?

In political novels, letters that are suddenly discovered often have the color of "treason". Xie Chengze swallowed slightly and his heart began to beat fast.

Xie Shoujun has been guarding the border for many years. If he is associated with treason, the first thing that comes to mind is probably treason.

It seems unlikely, but...

He was definitely not curious about who these letters were written to! He just wanted to confirm whether Xie Shoujun was absolutely loyal to Jianan!

Reaching out tentatively and touching the edge of a letter, Xie Chengze deliberately glanced at the door of the study to confirm that no one would suddenly appear to disturb him. Then he suddenly retracted his hand and placed the letter on the desk.

The back of the envelope was facing up. Xie Chengze rubbed his hands and turned the front of the envelope over very solemnly. However, when he saw the personal address on it, he was suddenly stunned.

Letter from Chengze himself.

Was it...written for him?

The memory was inadvertently mobilized. It was still a snowy day. A cold-faced young man in armor was about to leave Beijing for a long journey. "I" held the hand of the young Xie Shoujun and said with red eyes that he must write a letter to me.

The two of them had a very good relationship when they were young.

Xie Chengze hesitated for a moment, but finally chose to open the letter.

The handwriting on the letter was calm and measured, which was consistent with Xie Chengze's impression of Xie Shoujun.

[February 27, the 70th year of Jian'an.]

I am writing to you. I heard from the soldiers who returned to Beijing for the New Year that you are not feeling well and have become much quieter. I don't know why. Is that why you didn't reply to my letter before? If so, I will not send you this letter. I am expressing my feelings in this letter. I wish you good health.

Also, it’s snowing at the border again, and your birthday is coming soon, I hope you’ll like the birthday gift I’m sending you this time.]

This is...a letter from ten years ago.

The envelopes and letter papers were well preserved. Xie Chengze couldn't help but look at the countless letters on the ground, and an incredible thought came to his mind.

These...can't all be written to the original owner?

He put down the letter in his hand, crawled to the wooden box, and randomly picked another one from the pile of letters.

[August 7, the 72nd year of Jian’an.

I am glad to hear from you. Three days ago, the Huns attacked us aggressively. Today, the fighting has temporarily stopped at noon, so I am able to write to you.

Yesterday I killed two Huns on the battlefield. The general said that my martial arts have improved greatly and I will be able to recover the prairie in due time. But I doubt it because I am seriously injured. If you can see this letter, you should be able to see that my handwriting is shaking. Haha.

But fortunately you can't see this letter, otherwise you would cry again, or... I don't know whether you want to receive my letter or not, and why you don't want to write to me.

Don’t you like the birthday gift I gave you? If that’s the reason, I won’t give you any more in the future, so don’t be angry.]

On this letter, dark red snow plum blossoms are blooming, all of which are drops of blood that fell when the letter was injured. As if to avoid scaring the recipient, the blood was used to paint them into red plum blossoms with a brush, which is sad, beautiful and clean.