Chapter 152

Chapter 152

The silk Xiao Zhen chose was a deep red, about four feet wide, and he laid it horizontally in the center of the kang. When Xiao Zhen tried to fold it back over to the other side, Tong Sui firmly stopped him.

Though she was reluctant, when she lay down, Tong Sui found the silk cool and smooth everywhere, and she couldn't resist touching it again and again.

Her shoulders, her arms, her waist, her legs—all were pressed against this fine material, as if in a dream.

Xiao Zhen wrapped his arms around her from behind, watching her hands caress the silk. He smiled, "You were just complaining that I was wasting it, but now you seem to like it."

Tong Sui: "Just lying on it for a while is fine, but we should put it away later. It could make a whole set of clothes."

Xiao Zhen: "I'll earn even better materials for you in the future."

Even among silks, there were differences in quality.

Tong Sui couldn't imagine how much more comfortable better silk would feel.

Xiao Zhen kissed her shoulder, "No matter how good, nothing can compare to you." The warmth and softness were intoxicating.

After a night of revelry, as dawn broke, Tong Sui woke up to find herself not only lying on a red silk but also covered with a layer of pink silk. Xiao Zhen sat beside her, having watched her for who knows how long.

Feeling the coolness on her body, she couldn't pull off the peony-pink silk and could only glare at him.

Xiao Zhen said, "If you dressed up, you'd be even more beautiful than any lady in the palace."

Tong Sui's face flushed with pleasure from his sweet words, but she muttered, "As if you've ever seen a lady in the palace."

Xiao Zhen: "I haven't, but the ladies in the palace are chosen from the common folk. In recent years, conditions haven't allowed it, but otherwise, someone like you would definitely have been sent to the Liu family."

Tong Sui didn't want to listen to his nonsense and asked him to bring her clothes.

Dressed, Tong Sui first put away the barely used pink silk, then checked the red silk they had used as a mattress. Everywhere they had rolled, there were wrinkles, like corn stalks ravaged by a storm, making her both angry and heartbroken.

Xiao Zhen: "Cut out this part, wash it, and use it again tonight. It can't be made into clothes anyway."

Tong Sui hit him.

---

In Shuozhou, things were peaceful, and each of Tong Sui's group had their own tasks. She and Xiao Zhen only spent time together at night. During the day, she followed the old man to the Shuozhou Prefecture Office, where she worked with a group of civil officials on accounts, while Xiao Zhen and his brothers oversaw the military camp outside the city. Of the 110,000 newly surrendered soldiers, 20,000 were assigned to guard various passes and counties in Shuozhou, and the remaining 90,000 would join the three armies. The right army alone received 30,000 new soldiers.

These 30,000 new soldiers were divided into five units, and Xiao Zhen had to select five new commanders.

Qi Yun was one of them, along with Xiao She and Tong Gui, who took two positions. The remaining two went to Pan Yong and a senior brother recommended by Qi Yun from the lion dance troupe.

Qi Heng and Qi Ling were assigned to the left and center armies, respectively, to handle land distribution in Ping County before joining the main force heading south.

When Xiao Zhen reported the selections to the old man, Tong Sui, standing nearby, asked, "Isn't Fifth Younger Brother and my second brother too young?"

Xiao Zhen replied, "Fifth Younger Brother is nineteen. Though young, he is obedient and suitable for leading charges. Ah Gui is twenty-one, the same age as Wen Gong, and has always been meticulous. After a year of training, he can try commanding."

The old man teased the young couple, "Aman is worried you're favoring your relatives."

Xiao Zhen looked at Tong Sui, "If I could really favor my relatives, I would have assigned you to work with me."

Tong Sui shot him a glare; the old man was still there!

Xiao Mu smiled and spoke seriously to his grandson, "The general said he will leave for Da Tong on the twelfth, and he wants us to accompany him."

The "general" the old man referred to was naturally Han Zongping.

Xiao Zhen: "Who else is going?"

Xiao Mu: "Han Zongping, General Fan, and Little General Luo. The two scholars will continue handling Shuozhou's affairs, while Generals Feng and Lu will guard the main camp."

Xiao Zhen: "How many troops?"

Xiao Mu: "Three thousand cavalry."

Xiao Zhen: "Understood."

At night, the couple whispered in bed.

Tong Sui: "The general really trusts General Zhao, bringing only three thousand cavalry. Isn't he afraid something might happen there?"

Xiao Zhen: "They have fought the Hu enemies together for over twenty years; their bond is extraordinary. Besides, the general has ten thousand loyal troops in Jizhou, and Generals Feng Ji and Lu Gong command over two hundred thousand troops here. Even if General Zhao had ill intentions, he wouldn't dare act rashly."

Tong Sui: "The general is truly remarkable. He left Jizhou with only fifty thousand troops and now has over two hundred thousand. I understand why Grandfather insisted on temporarily managing seven counties. If we had rashly declared ourselves kings, even if we acted with righteousness, we would have ended up under the general's command like the Qi family. It's better to remain humble and follow the rules from the start."

Xiao Zhen: "Grandfather never had ambitions of becoming a king. Stability in Wei County ensures our family's safety. Uniting the seven counties helps deter the surrounding rebel kings. All these efforts ultimately aim to survive. Only after joining the general did Grandfather pursue his ambition to achieve glory and honor for the family. Think about it, our family has always been hereditary thousand-households, but that lineage was broken with Grandfather. Even if it wasn't his fault, it must have been hard for him to accept."

Tong Sui: "Now it's all better. Grandfather is a right general, and even you and your brothers have become commanders, which is better than being thousand-households."

Xiao Zhen stroked her face, "These ranks are still nominal. Once the general becomes emperor, those titles will truly count."

Tong Sui lifted her head in shock from his embrace.

Xiao Zhen laughed and gently pushed her back down, "Think about it. The late emperor is dead, and there's only a one-year-old prince in the palace. A slight cold could end his life. Even if the prince is still alive when we arrive, someone will ensure he 'catches a cold.' At that point, who else but the general should become emperor? This is similar to how Mr. Song and Wei Qi pressured General Han to march and eliminate the traitors."

Tong Sui was speechless for a long time.

Han Zongping is a loyal and upright person, but if he were to follow orders and march to the capital, he would only become another loyalist for the treacherous Imperial Uncle Dou to plot against. So, Song Lan and Wei Qi were right to stop him.

Once Han Zongping reaches the capital and eliminates the traitors like Imperial Uncle Dou, even if he tries to support a one-year-old prince, would the civil and military officials who helped him conquer the northern territories agree? They would demand rewards for capturing a state, and occupying the capital means controlling all the counties and prefectures in the north. Expecting a one-year-old prince to rule over them?

The prince wouldn't, and he might fall under the control of another traitor.

Therefore, ensuring the prince 'catches a cold' is the best solution.

Is the young emperor pitiful?

Just because the royal family is incompetent, how many innocent civilians have been wronged and killed in recent years? Why should the common people die in batches while a mere child of the royal family must live well?

Tong Sui could not muster much sympathy for that unseen royal bloodline. This was not something she and Xiao Zhen should get involved in. The Xiao family was merely a small military household beginning to show its prowess beside Han Zongping. Matters as significant as making the young emperor "catch a cold" would naturally be taken up by other more loyal civil and military officials.

---

On the morning of May 12th, Xiao Mu and Xiao Zhen set out with Han Zongping. Da Tong was three hundred miles from Shuozhou; unless Han Zongping's group galloped non-stop like Xiao Yan did when returning to Wei County, the round trip would take four or five days.

Once the old man left, Song Lan took over the management of the counties.

Since Song Lan and Tong Sui had a teacher-student relationship, the old man instructed Tong Sui to stay at the government office without any worries.

This was the first time Song Lan had the opportunity to be alone with Tong Sui since their reunion.

The door to the government office was naturally open, with maids and servants on duty outside, including the four guards Tong Sui brought along.

Song Lan looked through the land register Tong Sui handed over and praised, "After a year, Aman has truly surprised me. Not only can you fight and establish merit on the battlefield, but you also handle these administrative tasks with ease."

Tong Sui humbly replied, "When we first took over Wei County, Grandfather didn't know which clerks were reliable, so he asked me to help. It's all thanks to his meticulous teaching that I've learned anything at all."

Song Lan said, "A rotten tree cannot be carved, but a teachable child can be nurtured. Still, it's your intelligence that allows the Right General to teach you effectively."

Tong Sui smiled, "That's also because I studied under Mr. Song for a few years, which made me a bit smarter than the average student taught by ordinary teachers."

Song Lan laughed, "You, my child, are even more intelligent than before, and your personality is livelier too."

Another clerk then delivered a batch of account books.

Tong Sui sat at the table to the right of the main desk, carefully checking them.

Song Lan watched this young lady's focused expression and nodded inwardly.

At this moment, a servant reported, "Sir Song, your son has come and says he has something to ask."

Song Lan glanced at Tong Sui, seeing her usual calm demeanor, not feigning it. He sighed inwardly and ordered someone to bring his son in.

But Song Lan also left this side and waited for his son at the courtyard gate.

Song Zhishi carried a food box. Seeing his father at the gate, he felt guilty and said, "Father, why did you come out?"

Song Lan pointed at the food box, "Is this what you wanted to tell me?"

Song Zhishi: "... Recently, you've been busy with official duties, leaving early and returning late. I specially asked someone to cook mung bean soup to cool you down and relieve the heat."

Song Lan took the food box, "Alright, I'll take the soup. You can go back now."

Song Zhishi looked inside the government office.

Song Lan said coldly, "Do you want Second Lady to order the guards to beat you out?"

Song Zhishi then noticed several imposing guards standing in the courtyard, realizing he had no chance and had to leave.

Song Lan watched his son walk away. Just as he was about to go in, he saw Wei Qi coming.

Wei Qi first encountered the dejected Song Zhishi, then saw Song Lan standing at the gate with the food box, immediately guessing the situation. He teased Song Lan in a low voice, "Nephew, haven't you given up yet?"

Song Lan kept a straight face, "Speak not of impropriety. What brings you here?"

Wei Qi: "I've long heard of Second Lady's virtue and came today to pay my respects."

Song Lan: "She's just a young girl. Don't bully her."

Wei Qi: "Am I the kind of person who would do such a thing?"

Song Lan then led him inside.

Tong Sui recognized Wei Qi and stood up to greet him.

Wei Qi, like Song Lan, had the demeanor of a scholar, looking a few years younger, but he was nearly forty and had a beard.

He chatted with Tong Sui for a few moments, then sat at the opposite desk to help, only listening attentively when Tong Sui and Song Lan spoke.

After half an hour, Wei Qi was ready to leave.

Tong Sui followed Song Lan to see him off.

As Wei Qi walked a few steps away, Tong Sui suddenly noticed a crack about half an inch long on the sole of his left shoe. Looking at the heel, it was also worn down badly.

She looked at Song Lan in surprise.

Song Lan only noticed because of Tong Sui's gaze. On the way back, he explained to her, "Mr. Wei's family has quite a bit of property, but the Wei family is frugal. The general often rewards him with silk and brocade, but he never wears them, always eating simple meals."

Tong Sui: "Shouldn't someone remind him about the shoes?"

Song Lan: "Maybe he knows and doesn't want to throw them away. If I remind him, he might think I'm meddling."

Tong Sui fell silent.

But she couldn't help wondering if it was because Wei Qi didn't have a woman to take care of him, and others thought like Song Lan, so no one reminded him?

Frugality is a virtue, but what if his shoes break in public, hindering his movement and damaging his dignity?

At dusk, Tong Gui came to pick up his sister.

Tong Sui thought for a moment and gave her brother a task.

At Wei's residence.

Wei Qi had just finished his dinner and was about to take a stroll to aid digestion when the gatekeeper came to report that someone named Tong Gui was here to see him.

There were only two people surnamed Tong in the Xiao family, and Wei Qi had already inquired about them. He raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked for Tong Gui to be shown in.

Tong Gui held scholars like Song Lan and Wei Qi in high regard. After paying his respects, he said, "I have come at my sister's request. When Mr. Song went to the government office today to assist, my sister happened to notice that the sole of his shoe was worn out. Worried that Mr. Song might be too busy with official duties to attend to such trivial matters, she asked me to buy a pair of cloth shoes as a gift for him. I hope Mr. Song will not be offended by this sudden gesture."

Wei Qi: "..."

He glanced at the black cloth shoes that Tong Gui took out from his chest and then looked down at his own feet, indeed finding one of the soles cracked.

Wei Qi chuckled, "Thankfully, Second Lady reminded me; otherwise, I wouldn't have known how long I would have been walking around in this state."

Tong Gui said, "Mr. Song is highly esteemed by the General yet remains as simple as ever, which only makes us respect you more. If you don't mind, please try on these shoes and see if they fit."

Wei Qi sat down on the nearby steps, changed into the new shoes, and took a few steps, even more surprised, "Second Lady has a keen eye; these shoes fit me perfectly."

Tong Gui smiled, "My sister has always had good eyesight and often makes shoes for our uncle and me. She can tell at a glance what size clothes and shoes others wear."

Wei Qi nodded and returned the courtesy, "Please convey my thanks to Second Lady on my behalf, Little General."