I maxed out the Scholar talent at the start, but I want to be a Warrior.

Zhang Lie's residence is in the north of the city, not far from here.

It wasn't big, but it was very clean. Two horses were tethered in the yard, and several spears and broadswords were mounted on the weapon rack.

A typical warrior's residence, nothing fancy.

Zhang Lie led Gu Cheng to the main hall, arranged for Gu Chang'an and Gu Cheng to sit down, and then turned around and called for wine and dishes to be prepared.

Gu Cheng sat down next to Gu Chang'an and looked around the room.

A painting of a tiger descending a mountain hangs on the wall; its majestic and imposing appearance clearly indicates that it was created by a master.

A mat was laid on the ground, and two sets of tables and chairs were placed on each side of the main table.

There were several empty wine jars piled up in the four corners of the room, which showed that Zhang Lie had a serious drinking problem.

Zhang Lie brought in a wine jar, broke the mud seal, poured a bowl for Gu Chang'an, and was about to pour one for Gu Cheng when Gu Chang'an stopped him.

"Xiao Cheng is still young, wait until he comes of age before drinking."

"Hey, what's the big deal? When we were kids, we started stealing alcohol when we were about Cheng's age."

Zhang Lie shook his head and poured himself a bowl.

"drink."

Gu Chang'an picked up the bowl and took a sip.

Zhang Lie also took a sip, then stared at him for a long time.

"Ten years," he said, his voice suddenly lowering. "Where have you been?"

Gu Chang'an put down the bowl.

"We went north, back to our hometown," he said. "We settled down here with Cheng'er."

Zhang Lie waited for him to continue.

"During this barbarian invasion, Cheng'er awakened as a chosen one of heaven. That's why we brought him back to study under a master."

"Become an apprentice? Aren't you the best teacher? But if you really want to introduce a teacher to Cheng'er, I think Cheng'er can try going to Shuofang Academy."

Gu Chang'an was somewhat surprised: "Shuofang Academy?"

"Yes, the academy. A few years after you left, the court introduced something new—the academy," Zhang Lie said. "The academy is divided into three sections: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity, which are further divided into two departments: Civil and Military. Students study together and discuss things with each other. If they graduate successfully, they will be assigned to serve the court directly, depending on whether they are in the Civil or Military department."

Gu Cheng secretly chirped to himself, thinking, "Isn't this just another world version of a guaranteed job? You're assigned a job right after graduation."

Gu Chang'an frowned. "Study together?"

"Yes, we usually attend classes together. We study literature in the morning and practice martial arts in the afternoon," Zhang Lie said. "The imperial court's intention is that many people are unaware of their own talents and are prone to going down the wrong path. If they study both literature and martial arts, they can more directly understand their talents and whether they are suited to studying literature or martial arts."

Zhang Lie took a sip of wine and continued, "The academy holds a major exam every six months. Those who pass the exam can advance to the next level. New students start from the Renzi Zhai. You know what, since this academy was promoted, a lot of talented people have indeed emerged."

Gu Chang'an was somewhat tempted. He had originally come to Shuofang City to take Gu Cheng to the Shen family and ask his maternal grandfather to help him find a scholar to study under. Now it seemed that this academy was more suitable for his nephew.

This would satisfy his interest in martial arts without neglecting the scholar's studies.

"How is the academy in Shuofang City?" Gu Chang'an asked.

"The imperial court divides all the academies in the country into four grades: A, B, C, and D. All the headmasters are selected and dispatched by the court. There are two top-tier Grade A academies, both located in Xijing City, and their headmasters are all first-rate experts. There are nine Grade B academies, and their headmasters are all second-rate experts. Our Shuofang Academy is a Grade B academy, and it ranks quite high among the nine Grade B academies, so the strength of Shuofang Academy is definitely not weak."

Gu Chang'an was unaware that so much had changed outside.

Ten years ago, there were no academies. Those favored by heaven either inherited their knowledge from their families, apprenticed under a master, or studied on their own; it all depended on fate.

Now the imperial court manages schools in a unified manner, with a system, rankings, and resources.

It was definitely more reliable than his idea of ​​"finding a scholar to be his apprentice".

"Alright, after I take Cheng'er to visit his maternal grandfather, we'll go to the academy to register."

Gu Cheng listened from the side, his mind racing.

The academy's curriculum perfectly suited his needs, allowing him to learn both literature and martial arts, enabling him to develop in two areas simultaneously.

"Yes, yes, it's time to see Registrar Shen. Back then, when you left without saying goodbye, he was furious, thinking that you had abducted his grandson. You can stay here with me today, and tomorrow I'll have someone prepare a small gift for you to visit him first thing in the morning."

Gu Chang'an didn't stand on ceremony with Zhang Lie and nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about yourself. How have these past ten years been?"

Zhang Lie seemed to have found someone to confide in, and poured out his experiences from the past ten years like beans being poured out.

"The battle ten years ago caused great losses to our Shuofang City. After the war, almost every family was in mourning, and several centuries-old families were wiped out because of that battle."

Zhang Lie sounded a little thirsty, so he poured himself another bowl of wine, tilted his head back, and gulped it down. He then wiped his mouth with his hand.

"Over the years, I have been cultivating diligently, and finally, five years ago, I successfully broke through to the second-rate level." Zhang Lie patted his chest. "Two years later, Lord Wang retired, and I took over the position of garrison commander of Shuofang City."

Gu Chang'an nodded, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "The events of that year were a bit strange. For the past ten years, I've been thinking about it. The appearance of the barbarians was too sudden."

Gu Cheng noticed a hint of hesitation in Zhang Lie's eyes.

"You're overthinking it. I had my suspicions too, but it turned out that it was the barbarian spies who got the intelligence, which led to the collision." Zhang Lie added, "Shen, the registrar, also knew about this. He and I investigated that battle back then."

Gu Chang'an didn't ask any more questions. He turned to Zhang Lie and asked, "By the way, do you have any news about Qin Zheng? How has he been these past ten years?"

"The year after the battle with the barbarians, Qin Zheng was transferred away. It was said that there was a rebellion in the south, and the court ordered him to suppress it. The most recent news was seen in the court's official gazette. This lad has repeatedly made meritorious contributions in the south, and the court appointed him as the governor of Yunzhou, making him a powerful regional official."

Gu Chang'an's expression changed slightly, but then returned to calm.

He picked up the bowl and took a sip of wine.

I originally wanted to introduce Gu Cheng to my future father-in-law and wife.

Unexpectedly, things have changed.

In just ten years, Qin Zheng went from a minor military officer to a powerful regional official.

It seems unlikely that my nephew will get married.

So be it.

Zhang Lie drank until midnight, becoming completely drunk.

He lay on the table and mumbled, "Changping...you brat...how could you..." before falling silent.

Zhang Lie was unmarried and left alone.

Gu Chang'an and Gu Cheng helped him to bed and covered him with a blanket.

Guided by the servants, the two rested in the guest room.

Gu Cheng couldn't sleep, so he went to the courtyard, sat on the steps, looked up at the moon, and processed the information from the dinner party.

Gu Chang'an sat down next to him.

After a while, Gu Cheng spoke.

"Uncle, I want to go to the academy to study."

Gu Chang'an turned his head to look at him.

"Have you thought it through?"

"I've made up my mind."

"good!"