On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was clear and boundless, and the weather was exceptionally good. The Yun household was buzzing with activity from early in the morning, with door gods📹 being changed and spring couplets📹 being pasted, creating a lively atmosphere.
Lying in bed, Yuxi heard the cheerful laughter of the maids outside and said regretfully, "I wonder how the General is doing now?" With Yun Qing gone, this New Year felt dull and flavourless.
Mama Qu smiled and said, "Madam, at this time, the General might just be celebrating the New Year in Lanzhou City!" When Mama Qu first heard about Yun Qing's rebellion, she was so frightened that she almost fainted. If the master of the house rebelled and failed, the servants would have no way to survive either. However, seeing Yuxi remain so calm and receiving only good news from the front lines, she gradually calmed down.
Yuxi shook her head, "It may not be that fast. Lanzhou City must have strong defences, and it will take some effort to bring it down. But once Lanzhou is taken, all of Gansu will be in our hands."
Mama Qu smiled, "Madam, the General is the most valiant in battle. Even if he hasn't taken Lanzhou yet, it won't be long now." With the situation looking promising, the household servants also felt reassured.
Yuxi responded with a hum, "I'm not worried about Lanzhou. With the General's capabilities, it won't take him long to conquer it. But Haocheng... that's more troublesome." Haocheng had served as the capital for several dynasties, and its defences were incredibly strong. A direct attack would not be easy.
Seeing Yuxi lost in thought again, Mama Qu quickly suggested, "Madam, would you like me to bring the Eldest and Second Young Misses over?" To allow Yuxi to rest and recover, Zaozao had been placed in the side chamber while Liu-er remained in the adjoining room.
Yuxi nodded, "Bring them over." In Yun Qing's absence, only the sight of her two children could bring her peace of mind.
As soon as Zaozao saw Yuxi, she called out happily, "Mom." Today, she was dressed in a bright red outfit embroidered with tigers and a matching tiger hat on her head, making her look just like a little tiger.
Having rested for over twenty days, Yuxi was not as weak as before. She reached out to hold Zaozao in her arms and smiled, "You look so energetic in this outfit." This outfit had been made by Qiu Shi and was big enough for Zaozao to wear until she was three.
Mama Qu also thought the outfit looked great, but she couldn't help feeling that even though the Eldest Young Miss was born in the Year of the Tiger, she was still a girl. The tiger outfit made her look like a little boy.
Soon, Mama Lan arrived carrying Liu-er.
Liu-er looked much better than when she was first born. She had gained some weight and no longer looked so frail. Her cries were also louder than before, making it clear she would survive. All of this was due to Mama Lan's tireless efforts. Mama Lan had gone to great lengths to take good care of Liu-er. From the time Liu-er was born until now, she has lost sixteen jin1.
Yuxi sat Zaozao beside her and took Liu-er from Mama Lan's arms.
Zaozao reached out to grab Liu-er, but Yuxi stopped her. The little girl was too young to understand how to be gentle. If she accidentally hurt her baby sister, Liu-er would cry again.
Zaozao didn't get upset. She just lay next to Yuxi and grinned as she called happily, "Liu Liu, Liu Liu..." She still couldn't quite say what she wanted to say.
It was often said that a child's nature could be seen from an early age. From the way Zaozao treated Liu-er, it was clear that she was not a petty or jealous child.
Yuxi happily patted Zaozao's head, "This little girl has such a great memory! She even remembers Liu-er's name." Her memory was even better than Yuxi's.
Zaozao was displeased and insisted, "Meimei2, Liu Liu, Liu Liu." She meant that her little sister shouldn't be called Liu-er but Liu Liu instead.
Yuxi laughed, "This girl..."
Seeing Yuxi smile, Liu-er, who was lying in her arms, also grinned. Although her laughter was soft, her little expression was incredibly adorable.
Yuxi looked at her and asked Mama Qu and Mama Lan, "Who do you think Liu-er takes after?" Although Liu-er was still small and thin, her features were becoming more defined—big eyes and a delicate, pointed chin. She didn't look like either Yuxi or Yun Qing.
Mama Lan shook her head. "We'll have to wait for the General's return to find out." The Second Young Miss definitely didn't look like the Han family; she probably took after someone from the General's side.
Yuxi shook her head. "I already asked Uncle Huo, but he said he doesn't know either." Initially, she thought Liu-er might resemble her mother-in-law, but Huo Changqing had shaken his head, saying Yun Qing's mother didn't look like this at all. That left Yuxi puzzled—who exactly did this little girl take after?
Mama Qu laughed and said, "Madam, it doesn't matter who the Second Young Miss looks like. What matters is that she'll be a great beauty when she grows up."
Yuxi chuckled and decided not to dwell on the matter.
Shortly after lunch, Xu Wu arrived. He didn't enter the room but called out from outside, "Madam, the General has sent a letter back." With that, he handed the letter to Gancao.
Yuxi couldn't hide the joy on her face, but her expression froze as soon as she opened the letter. Yun Qing's reply was a single sentence: 'Everything is fine. Do not worry.'
Her own letter had been more than ten pages long, yet his reply was only six words. Yuxi felt utterly frustrated. Clutching the letter, she asked, "Is this all?"
Xu Wu, holding the letter, also sensed something was off. It was too light—he didn't need to open it to know there wasn't much written. When Xu Wu heard the displeasure in Yuxi's voice, he immediately realised that she was angry with the General. He quickly explained, "The General is very busy with military affairs. Please understand, Madam."
Yuxi huffed, "No matter how busy he is, it wouldn't take long to write a proper letter." Clearly, he hadn't given her and her daughters much thought.
Xu Wu had never heard Yuxi speak in such a tone before. Sensing the situation, he hastily added: "I heard from Ah Hui, the messenger, that the General wrote back as soon as he received your letter."
When Yuxi heard this, her expression softened a bit. She decided to let it slide this time, but if his following letter were just six words again, she wouldn't let it go so easily. "I understand. You may return to your duties."
Xu Wu hesitated for a moment before saying, "Madam, there's something I need to report to you." It wasn't something he could say outside, but for him to enter the room also felt somewhat inappropriate.
Yuxi straightened up and leaned against the bed. "Come in and speak."
One good thing about living in the northwest was that the rules regarding interactions between men and women weren't as strict as in the capital.
Xu Wu reported, "Madam, yesterday, a battalion commander surnamed Jin visited the Fu family and spoke with Old General Fu in the study for almost a shichen3. That night, General Fu had a huge argument with Old General Fu and left to stay at the military camp. He hasn't returned home since."
Yuxi's heart tightened. After a moment, she asked, "What does Uncle Huo say?"
Xu Wu replied, "Uncle Huo wants us to keep an eye on Fu Tianlei, but I don't think that's a good idea." If Fu Tianlei found out he was being watched, he might feel suspicious, which could make things worse. Therefore, Xu Wu decided to inform Yuxi—he wanted her to make the final decision.
Yuxi closed her eyes, her mind racing. After a long pause, she opened her eyes and said, "If we decide to use someone, we have to trust them. If we don't trust them, we shouldn't use them. Don't send people to spy on Fu Tianlei, and withdraw the informants from the Fu family as well." It wasn't that she trusted Fu Tianlei completely, but she did trust Yun Qing. Since Yun Qing was willing to trust Fu Tianlei, she was also willing to believe in him.
Xu Wu breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Understood."
Upon returning to the courtyard, Xu Wu went to see Huo Changqing and informed him of Yuxi's decision. "Yifu4, what do you think...?"
Huo Changqing didn't blame Xu Wu for going to Yuxi behind his back, but he wasn't entirely pleased either. "Don't you know that Zaozao's mother is in poor health? And yet you still bother her with these matters?" He had deliberately cut off the information from the inner courtyard, and this time, Zijin had learned her lesson, not mentioning a single word to Yuxi about the outside affairs.
Xu Wu lowered his head. "It was my fault, Yifu4." Even though he had his reasons, it was indeed inappropriate to make Madam worry.
Huo Changqing grunted and said, "Since Zaozao's mother thinks it is unnecessary to monitor Fu Tianlei, then you should withdraw our people. But there's no need to remove our informants from the Fu family." There was no need to make a big scene.
Xu Wu hadn't actually planted spies within the Fu family; the information they had obtained came from people they had bribed. So, technically, there was no issue of withdrawing them. "Yifu4, in the future, when we're faced with difficult decisions, I think it's best to consult with Madam. Even though she is a woman, she is extremely intelligent and has a strong strategic mind."
Huo Changqing looked at Xu Wu for a long time. When he saw that Xu Wu didn't falter, he suddenly smiled. "You've finally matured." If Xu Wu just followed orders without thinking, he would never be able to stand on his own.
Xu Wu knew he had made the right call this time. "Yifu4, I know Madam's health isn't good, but we can't afford a single misstep in times like these. But don't worry, unless it's something truly important, I won't bother Madam." One mistake could lead to many more, and eventually, they might reach an irreversible situation.
Huo Changqing nodded. "Use your own judgement. By the way, how is Han Jianye doing in the dungeon these past days? Has he stopped acting like he's on the verge of death?" When Han Jianye was first locked up, he kept shouting that he wanted to see Yuxi. But when Huo Changqing told him that Yuxi herself had ordered his imprisonment, Han Jianye looked utterly crushed.
The thought of it made Huo Changqing chuckle. Han Shi had almost died because of him, and Liu-er had nearly lost her life as well. Anyone else would have hated Han Jianye to the core by now. Not only did Han Shi not hold a grudge against him, but she had even gone out of her way to protect him from the storm. And yet, instead of understanding her efforts, Han Jianye believed that she resented him.🦊
Xu Wu replied, "Madam had me send him books, and he's been quietly reading them ever since." Han Jianming was being held in the dungeon of the Yun residence—a place so secret that very few people even knew it existed.
Huo Changqing asked, "What book?"
Xu Wu answered, 'The Art of War' and 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems'. Yifu4, Madam copied the book by hand." When he saw the familiar handwriting, he was shocked. He knew Madam was well-versed in many subjects, but he hadn't expected her to have studied military texts so thoroughly, let alone transcribe one herself.
Huo Changqing couldn't help but shake his head. "She really put her heart into this." He could only hope that Han Shi's efforts hadn't been in vain.
Footnotes Full List
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi