Qin Fang opened the letter from Du Ke.

The paper inside was numerous, but it wasn’t as thick as what he had written to Du Ke.

Du Ke mentioned three things in the letter:

The first thing: Regarding Qin Fang’s discovery of the sulfur and nitrate(saltpeter) mines, his contributions were enough to promote him to a higher rank.

However, as a low-born scholar who had just been promoted to a fifth-rank official in March, rising too quickly wouldn’t be good for him.

Therefore, after discussing it with the Emperor, they decided to bestow noble titles on his mother and grandmother instead.

After inquiring with Tao Shan, he learned that the elderly women were still in their hometown, so the decree was sent directly to them.

Upon reading this, Qin Fang felt happy.

Compared to his own promotion, having his mother and grandmother granted titles brought him even greater joy.

With titles, they would truly have honor. When they met other noble ladies with titles, they wouldn’t have to bow humbly anymore.

Even if they came to Yunxiang County, without titles, they would still have to pay respects to the wives of the county magistrate, but with titles, it would be different.

So, for this, he needed to thank Du Ke and the Emperor.

At the same time, he understood that although Du Ke had subtly mentioned his discussion with the Emperor, ultimately, it was the Emperor who had made the decision.

As a mere subject, Du Ke couldn’t dictate the Emperor’s will.

It was likely that the Emperor didn’t want Qin Fang to rise too quickly and attract attention.

Regardless of the Emperor’s intentions, it was undeniable that the titles granted to his mother and grandmother were genuinely a reward that touched Qin Fang’s heart.

For this, he felt grateful to the Emperor and to Lord Du.

The second thing: Regarding Yang Haiyan’s advocacy for military land policies and her contributions to discovering how to produce ice from nitrate.

If Qin Fang’s merits were tied to the state, then Yang Haiyan’s merits were tied to the common people.

For the Emperor, the state and the people were equally important.

While Qin Fang’s merits were bestowed upon his mother and grandmother, Yang Haiyan’s contributions were still recognized.

Thus, the Emperor appointed Yang Haiyan as a “Xiang Jun,” a third-rank noble title. The title of “Xiang Jun” has different levels, ranging from first to fifth rank.

Currently, Yang Haiyan held a fifth-rank title, and at just twenty-two, Qin Fang realized that it was only a matter of time before she received a proper noble title, making the Emperor’s bestowal of the third-rank “Xiang Jun” a balanced decision.

However, for Yang Haiyan, the true significance lay not in the rank but in the title.

Although the title of “Xiang Jun” could not be passed on to her children, for a woman, this honor was extraordinary.

For instance, if Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan were to divorce, she would lose the title granted through her husband.

But now, as the Emperor had granted her the title of a third-rank “Xiang Jun,” this honor belonged solely to her.

Even if she separated from a man, her rank and title would remain, allowing her to enjoy the salary associated with a third-rank noble title.

Moreover, the salary associated with her title was different from the salary of a wife following her husband’s rank, which was only half of her husband’s; instead, it was the full salary of a proper third-rank official.

One must admit that while the Emperor could be stingy in some matters, he wouldn’t take advantage of others.

In certain aspects, he compensated generously.

The Emperor suppressed Qin Fang’s opportunity for promotion but compensated handsomely on Yang Haiyan’s behalf, effectively recognizing the contributions of both Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan.

That being said, the distinction between a man’s promotion and a woman’s title was clear.

In feudal society, a woman’s honor could easily be overlooked, as they were often not in positions of real power, while a man’s honor was directly tied to authority.

However, for a low-born family like the Qin family, this level of honor was sufficient.

Qin Fang felt that his wife would surely be pleased.

From now on, he would have to respectfully pay his wife the proper courtesies.

Lord Du’s message was clear; Qin Fang harbored no complaints or anger in his heart.

Why did men strive for advancement? It was for family, for children, wives, and parents.

Now, the Emperor had granted his honor to his wife and his parents.

What could he possibly complain about?

Qin Fang was very grateful to Lord Du for his analysis of the matter.

Even if he received the imperial decree and wouldn’t get angry or care about credit, Lord Du taking the time to write to him and analyze the situation held a different significance for Qin Fang.

Someone like Lord Du, if it weren’t for Qin Fang giving him a bit more respect, why would Lord Du bother to inform him of these matters?

Out of this friendship, Lord Du could be considered a mentor to Qin Fang.

Some teachers impart knowledge, while others teach how to navigate life.

For Qin Fang, understanding how to interact with others and the workings of officialdom was far more important than the knowledge found in books.

The third matter concerned the identity of the envoy and the eunuch.

The envoy was none other than Wei Wu’s older brother, Wei Ting.

Wei Ting was Wei Wu’s direct elder brother and held the position of Langzhong in the Ministry of Works, a fifth-rank official.

Although his position wasn’t as high as Qin Fang’s, there was a difference between officials in the capital and local officials.

The Langzhong in the Ministry of Works was responsible for various affairs related to construction and the production of gunpowder from sulfur and saltpeter.

As for the envoy who came to proclaim the imperial decree, he was the Grand Steward close to the Emperor, responsible for all matters pertaining to the Emperor.

Thus, this proclamation of the decree was secondary; the true purpose of his visit was to inspect the sulfur and saltpeter mines.

Given the importance of the sulfur and saltpeter mines, it was unlikely the Emperor would send only Wei Ting.

Oh, besides these three important matters, Lord Du added one more thing at the end: he hoped that in future letters, Qin Fang would be less verbose and not so long-winded, preferring brevity instead.

Qin Fang couldn’t help but smile when he read this; he could imagine Lord Du’s serious expression when he pointed this out.

Next, Qin Fang walked over to the fire pit and burned the letter. “Tao Shan, we’re heading down the mountain. Old Yang, I leave this place to you. If the chained man wakes up, have someone come and notify me immediately.”

“Understood, General,” replied Officer Yang.

An hour later, Qin Fang and Tao Shan arrived at the entrance of the East Suburb Military Camp.

Wei Ting and Steward Chi were admiring every detail of the East Suburb Military Camp.

The camp covered a vast area, leading to a large construction that was primarily designed as a training ground for soldiers.

Apart from the training grounds, the martial arts arena of the East Suburb Military Camp was also quite prominent.

It must be said that it was much better than the military camp on the outskirts of the capital.

This was mainly because the military camp outside the capital had limited space, whereas the East Suburb Military Camp had the advantage of size.

Although Wei Ting wasn’t very familiar with military matters, he could tell that this was a good place.

Although he didn’t know how impoverished Yunxiang County was since he hadn’t entered the county seat, he could accept the idea of spending a year or so here; after all, the mountains were high, the waters deep, and the scenery beautiful.

Especially when standing on the lookout mountain and gazing toward the Beast Mountain, he found the tall mountains particularly interesting.

Steward Chi, in his early thirties, had served the Emperor since the time he was still a prince, so even the imperial concubine had to show him some respect within the palace.

His primary purpose for coming to Yunxiang County this time was indeed to inspect the sulfur and saltpeter mines, though proclaiming the imperial decree was secondary.

Although Wei Ting was secretly working on the production of gunpowder, the Emperor had ordered him to inspect the sulfur and saltpeter mines.

At the same time, he was also to observe Qin Fang.

Seeing Wei Ting display a sense of satisfaction with the place, Steward Chi couldn’t help but smile and say, “I didn’t expect General Qin to be so young, coming from a humble background, and still have such fortune.”

The Emperor valued fortune, and he had even privately mentioned to him that Qin Fang might be the opportunity sent by heaven for him to achieve eternal fame.

When Steward Chi heard this, he was quite shocked; he understood very well what this meant.

Wei Ting smiled slightly, saying, “General Qin has worked hard to reach this point; it’s not easy.”

However, it was indeed a matter of fortune.

A twenty-two-year-old fifth-rank general was quite rare to see climb so quickly in the capital.

Yet upon closer inspection of Qin Fang’s experiences, it seemed quite normal.

He had started his military career at sixteen, became a centurion at nineteen through his efforts, and at twenty, he seized the opportunity to become a thousand-man commander.

At twenty-two, he proposed a plan to break down units and accommodate the surrendered barbarians, catching the Emperor’s attention and becoming a military general responsible for accommodating the surrendered barbarians.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at Yunxiang County, he discovered the sulfur and saltpeter mines.

Shortly thereafter, his wife proposed a land policy for the military camp and even discovered the use of saltpeter for ice production.

Speaking of which… Wei Ting paused, wondering if it was Qin Fang’s good fortune or if it was his wife who brought him this fortune?

When Qin Fang became a thousand-man commander, hadn’t he just gotten married?

As he thought of this, Wei Ting suddenly had an idea: could it be that his wife was the one with real fortune?

When he recalled Qin Fang’s wife, he thought of the Yang family.

The Yang Taifu had been executed, and Yang Haiyan was promised to the frontier, later hearing from Wei Wu about her acknowledging some adopted sister.

Wei Ting unconsciously crossed his hands behind his back.

Steward Chi laughed along.

“Gentlemen, the general has returned,” a soldier announced.

Wei Ting and Steward Chi exchanged glances and said in unison, “Lead the way.”

The soldier led them to meet Qin Fang, who was also coming over with the soldier.

The three of them approached each other, sizing one another up.

Wei Ting and Steward Chi shared the same feeling: the young man walking toward them was indeed very tall.

Such a towering stature was that of a born warrior.

People often like to analyze others based on appearance; for example, those who looked refined are often seen as scholars, while those like Qin Fang, who appeared strong and imposing, were generally considered to be military material.

Thus, when Wei Ting and Steward Chi saw Qin Fang for the first time, this was their thought.

As they drew closer, they also noticed that this person had clear eyes and a somewhat straightforward demeanor.

His appearance was stern and unyielding, making him seem like a man of iron and steel.

Facing Wei Ting and Steward Chi, Qin Fang felt a bit nervous, but upon seeing them, he relaxed.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t nervous anymore, but having met someone like Lord Du made meeting others seem less intimidating.

In terms of official authority and capability, how could Wei Ting and Steward Chi compare to Lord Du?