In the third month, the victorious reports of the bandit suppression campaign kept coming. Although Yun Qing looked a bit gloomy, he remained calm. But the same couldn't be said for Huo Changqing.
Huo Changqing went to find Yuxi and asked, "We won't be making a wedding dress1 for Chen Yu, will we?" At this rate, Chen Yu's achievements would continue to grow, and he would surely return with a full load2. Meanwhile, they would be the ones who truly lost out.
Yuxi frowned as she wondered, "Uncle Huo, don't you think Chen Yu's bandit suppression campaign is a bit too smooth?" A resounding victory was what every general leading troops hoped for. However, Chen Yu's success was far too smooth. If the bandit suppression were as easy for everyone as it was for Chen Yu, the bandits would have been completely eradicated much earlier.
Huo Changqing questioned, "Are you saying that there's something deceitful going on here?"
Yuxi nodded gently. "Something fishy. I refuse to believe that Ji Xuan has such a generous heart to watch Chen Yu achieve greatness without being moved." Over this period, she gathered quite a bit of information about Ji Xuan, and the more she learned, the more she realised that he had a black heart3. How could someone like him willingly become a stepping stone for Chen Yu?
Huo Changqing felt it would be wise to send someone to investigate, just to be on the safe side. Otherwise, their previous plans would fall apart.
Yuxi firmly refused, "Uncle Huo, we cannot get involved in this matter. If we do, the people secretly watching us will find out. At that time, the Imperial Court would never allow Yun Qing to leave Yu City." Anyone could kill Chen Yu except for them.
Huo Changqing asked, "What if Chen Yu returns safely to the capital?" Chen Yu's return to the capital would be like adding another achievement to his life record.
Yuxi replied, "If Chen Yu completely eliminates the bandits and returns safely to the capital, we can only say he is lucky. As for us, we will look for another opportunity in the future." Yun Qing was a great general and the Commander-in-Chief guarding the border city. He could do whatever he wanted within his jurisdiction, even be tyrannical and greedy, but he could not show excessive ambition. Otherwise, the Emperor would be the first to disapprove of him remaining in his position. They were not yet strong enough to confront the Imperial Court, so they could only remain dormant. As long as they had enough power, they had nothing to fear.
Huo Changqing also realised that he had been impatient and said, "My health is almost back to normal. In a few days, I will go to the school to select a group of promising students and bring them to the estate for training." The children over the age of five from the Charity Home were currently studying at Qingming Hall. There were over 800 children available, enough for him to choose from.
Yuxi eagerly hoped that Huo Changqing would train more useful individuals. These children had all received favours from her and her husband, and with this connection, the chances of betrayal in the future would be greatly reduced.
In the capital city, Han Jianming received a letter from Yuxi. When he read the part of the letter where she mentioned that Yun Qing had already submitted a memorial expressing his willingness to be loyal to the Emperor, his expression changed slightly. He immediately summoned Mr Zhao and asked, "Yun Qing has submitted a memorial to the Emperor, expressing his willingness to be loyal to him? Why haven't we heard a single word about this?"🦊
After reading the letter, Mr Zhao pondered momentarily and said, "Either the memorial has been lost, or someone has suppressed it."
Han Jianming was more concerned about the play that Yuxi and Yun Qing were performing. "As soon as the Emperor ascends the throne, Yun Qing expresses his loyalty to the new Emperor. That doesn't seem like something Yun Qing and Yuxi would do." But the problem was, he was sure that Yuxi had written the letter!
Mr Zhao thought for a long time before responding, "My Lord, shall we inform the Emperor about this?" Si Gunainai5 was becoming increasingly difficult to understand.
Han Jianming didn't believe that Yuxi would be loyal to the Emperor because being loyal to the Emperor meant being loyal and subservient to Song Guifei6. No, now she should be called Empress Dowager Song. With Yuxi's personality, this would never be possible unless she was forced to do so. Han Jianming muttered, "What is this girl planning?"
Unable to understand, Han Jianming decided to stop thinking about it.
Mr Zhao asked, "My Lord, is there anything else in this letter?" He was asking if the letter had any hidden meaning. When Mr Zhao saw Han Jianming shake his head, he understood that Yuxi really knew that the secret of their letter had been deciphered.
That night, Han Jianming stayed in the study and pondered most of the night. Finally, he decided to inform the Emperor about this matter. No matter what game Yuxi played, he had to support her as her older brother. Han Jianming also realised that if he got involved in the current situation in the capital, he would be risking his life. He would rather be an ordinary person just to ensure his family's safety.
The following day, Han Jianming went to pay his respects to Qiu Shi and brought up an old topic: "Mother, I want to send Er Dimei7 to Yu City. Even if Yuxi can take good care of my Er Di8 since she lives there, it's not the same as having his own wife by his side." Of course, these were just excuses; only Han Jianming knew the real reason.
A mother knows her child well, and as soon as Qiu Shi heard his words, she knew something was wrong. She asked, "Why do you insist on sending Lu Xiu and Little Boy Chang to Yu City? Are you hiding something from me?" Seeing Han Jianming's furrowed brow and hesitant expression, Qiu Shi questioned him, "I'm your mother. Is there anything I can't know?"
After considering in his heart, Han Jianming explained, "Mother, the waters in the capital are too murky and deep now. I'm worried that the Han family will be implicated. Sending Dimei9 with Lil Boy Shun and the others to Yu City is also a way to leave a retreat for the Han family." Although Han Jianming couldn't find out where Yan Wushuang was, he could sense that he had done something. Although the Han family had been considered a prominent family for centuries, they no longer had any military power. If any trouble arose, they wouldn't be able to protect themselves. As for the influence of the Han Residence, he had been aware of it since the night of the late Crown Prince's palace rebellion.
The prayer beads in Qiu Shi's hands fell to the floor. "What? You're getting involved, too?" Despite Qiu Shi's devotion to Buddhism, she was aware of the current situation in the Imperial Court.
Han Jianming shook his head but said, "In the capital, no family can truly stay out of it." They were all pawns on the chessboard, and the Han family was no exception.
Qiu Shi lowered her body and picked up the fallen prayer beads. Her emotions calmed down as she asked, "Is Yu City really safe?" She had previously believed that the capital was safer than Yu City. However, today's situation had completely overturned that notion.
A noob translator, きつね, translated this noob translation. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.site. If you read this in another location other than the site stated, it has been taken without the translator's permission. Please don't support this kind of act.
Han Jianming replied, "Meifu10 is a skilled warrior. With him stationed at the northwest border, it is very safe." Even if there were any problems, Yun Qing was a powerful, great general, and his capabilities were enough to ensure the safety of his wife, children, and family.
After pondering for a while, Qiu Shi said, "Since you think Yu City is safer than the capital, then go ahead and send Lu Xiu and Lil Boy Shun there!"
Han Jianming replied, "If we are to send them to Yu City, we must first find a suitable justification." Sending Lu Xiu and the children there abruptly would surely arouse suspicion, so this matter required careful planning.
The memorial expressing Yun Qing's loyalty to the Emperor had been suppressed by the Emperor's subordinates. When the Emperor received the news from Han Jianming, he immediately ordered the report to be retrieved. However, after reading the report, he showed no sign of happiness. Although Yun Qing showed his loyalty, the problem was that he requested money from the Emperor. Yun Qing did not make exorbitant demands; he simply asked the Emperor to allocate the military funds for the first half of the year.
The Emperor placed the report on the imperial desk and asked the respected Jing Wang11 and Marquis Chiang, who sat at the head of the table, "Do you think Yun Qing is genuinely willing to be loyal to me?" He always felt that there was a problem with the memorial.🦊
Marquis Chiang drew blood at the first prick13, "The main purpose of Yun Qing writing this memorial is undoubtedly to request money." The Chiang family had consistently portrayed themselves as loyal and patriotic subjects of the Emperor. The Emperor was the rightful ruler, and his actions were always justified. When the Emperor appointed Jing Wang11 as a mediator, Marquis Chiang agreed without hesitation.
The Emperor responded, "Even if we know it's mainly about the money, we still have to allocate the funds." Without any benefits, it was unrealistic to expect others to willingly pledge their loyalty.
Jing Wang11 frowned and remarked, "I'm afraid the Ministry of Revenue will complain about being poor again, claiming they have no money." Anyway, the Ministry of Revenue always complained about being broke every day. He never heard the Ministry of Revenue say anything pleasant.
The Emperor replied, "Even if there isn't any money, we still have to give it." He might be the Emperor but was not universally adored because he had money. Those who pledged allegiance and joined him were undoubtedly seeking fame and fortune.
Grand Chancellor Yu understood that the Emperor intended to allocate funds to the northwest. He didn't object, knowing that it would be pointless to resist. He suggested that the Emperor allocate 500,000 taels of silver first and the rest after a couple of months.
Upon hearing these words, the Crown Prince14's expression noticeably softened.
That evening, Jing Wang11 finally found some time to return to his wangfu15. As soon as he entered his bedroom, he saw two little ones lying on the bed. He asked, "How did the children end up sleeping here?" Over the past few months, Jing Wang11 had returned only a few times, and even on those rare occasions, his visits were always short.
Yuchen noticed the joy in Jing Wang11's eyes and knew that something good had happened. She explained, "Yan-er and Xia-er weren't feeling quite well recently, so I brought them here to look after them. I didn't expect them to stay for this long." No wonder they were twins; when one got sick, the other would too. It had been quite a handful for her.
Jing Wang11 became anxious when he heard that the children had a fever and asked, "How are they now? Are they better?"
Yuchen smiled and replied, "They're better after taking some medicine. But I've got used to them sleeping with me, and I can't bear to send them back." When Jing Wang11 wasn't around, she was alone in the empty room and felt a little lonely. But with the children sleeping beside her, that sense of loneliness disappeared.
Jing Wang11 felt that Yuchen was spoiling the children too much.
Yuchen didn't argue with him and asked, "When Wangye16 came in, there was a smile on Wangye16's face. I wonder what Wangye16 was thinking?"
Without thinking, Jing Wang11 blurted out, " I was thinking about your Si Mei17." Seeing Yuchen's puzzled expression, he quickly explained, "Yun Qing has submitted a memorial, expressing his willingness to submit to the Emperor." With the Emperor in a good mood, Jing Wang11's workload as his right-hand man became much easier. As for Yun Qing's request for money, he just left it out.
Yuchen didn't know much about Yun Qing, but she knew Yuxi very well. With Yuxi's vengeful nature, there was no way she would let her husband submit to their enemy. However, Yuchen didn't want to tear down Yuxi's stage18, so she just smiled and said, "Meifu10 is also a straightforward person. He refused to be swayed before, but as soon as the Emperor ascended the throne, he was willing to submit."
Those words struck a chord with Jing Wang11. Many in the capital claimed to be neutral, loyal only to the late Emperor. However, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne and became the new Emperor, they didn't make any moves; they simply shrunk their heads and acted like a turtle19.
Footnotes Full List
- (metaphor) something that someone has worked hard for but in the end benefits someone else. This meaning stems from the idea that a bride's wedding dress is traditionally made by her family, but she ultimately wears them for the benefit of her husband and his family.
- (fig.) describing someone who has achieved success or accomplished a goal.
- (metaphor), someone who is evil, malicious, or cruel
- Why didn't I read that part, Ms June?
- si=fourth, gunainai=(a respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
- noble consort
- er=second, dimei=younger sibling / younger brother's wife
- er=second, di=younger brother, short form for Didi
- younger sibling / younger brother's wife
- younger sister's husband
- king
- Um... Yun Qing is merely requesting something that his soldiers will use, and what he has asked for is the responsibility of the Imperial Court. If you can't even fulfil your commitment towards your people, how can you expect them to be loyal to you?
- Chinese idiom: to get straight to the point
- Miss June, the author, has forgotten that the Crown Prince has just been enthroned as the new Emperor.
- wang=king, fu=residence
- wang=king, ye=lord
- si=fourth, mei=younger sister, short form for Meimei
- (fig) to throw a wrench in someone's works
- (fig) act cowardly
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi