Chapter 197

Chapter 197

Sun Dian would receive a lecture from the old master, while Tong Sui escorted Liu Chu back to the Marquis’s mansion. As they were still in the corridor, Tong Sui suddenly saw a kite rising above the garden.

The two sisters-in-law made their way to the garden.

They were Mianmian and Qi Yao.

The Zhang family held a wedding yesterday and invited Mr. Cen, giving the children a day off. Today was also a day of rest, letting the siblings enjoy a full day of play.

Spring was approaching, and the garden's plants and trees were reviving. Several peach trees were in full bloom, and the peony buds were growing larger.

Mianmian, wearing a peach-pink satin blouse, looked up with a radiant smile, flying her butterfly kite, now ten years old.

Liu Chu stayed back and sat with Tong Sui on a nearby wooden bench, watching her daughter. She said to Tong Sui, "Actually, even without Sun Dian, I would be willing to stay in the Xiao Family and remain a widow for the rest of my life."

Her daughter would grow up and marry, but as long as she, the mother, remained in the Xiao Family, her daughter could come back often, instead of becoming estranged from her second and fourth uncles due to the lack of a mother to hold up the household.

Tong Sui asked, "Do you like Sun Dian, or is it just that you can’t bear to reject his years of devotion?"

In Lingshui Village, Sun Dian, the eldest son of the Village Headman’s wealthy family, could have easily married a young and beautiful woman if he had wanted to. But he chose to stay with Liu Chu, even though she spent most of the year within the Xiao Family’s inner chambers and rarely appeared. How many women could remain unmoved by such persistence?

Liu Chu lowered her head and, after a moment, whispered softly, "It’s not just that I can’t bring myself to reject him. As for how much I like him, I can’t really say."

She could no longer clearly recall her husband’s face, but she remembered how flustered she would feel whenever he passed by her door on some pretext during her youth. She remembered the shy joy and sweetness when others teased her about him, and the nervousness and anticipation when she put on her wedding dress to marry him.

Back then, the world was still relatively peaceful, and she was just a carefree young girl.

Then everything changed. The world became chaotic, her husband died, and she became a widow who had lost her family and had to rely on the Xiao Family.

As a widow, Liu Chu had two things on her mind: taking good care of her daughter and working hard so that the Xiao Family wouldn’t look down on her.

It wasn’t until Tong Sui married into the family and took her along to cut grass, and until Lin Ningfang joined them and told her many stories and poems, that Liu Chu finally felt alive again. She felt both comforted and envious when she saw how good Xiao Zhen was to Tong Sui, and she felt a difficult-to-admit flutter in her heart when she met Sun Dian’s fiery gaze.

It was likely love, different from the love she had for her husband in her youth. It was more like someone who had been lonely for too long was suddenly stirred by another person...

Her face began to flush, and she turned away, fearing Tong Sui would notice.

Tong Sui could see that Liu Chu truly wanted to marry Sun Dian. She smiled and leaned against Liu Chu’s shoulder. "It’s probably for the best. It allows you to stay with Mianmian for a few more years and gives Sun Dian more time to consider whether he really can’t live without you or if his persistence will eventually be swayed by the beautiful new maids around him."

As a widow, Liu Chu had far more concerns about remarriage than Xiao Yuchan.

Consider Sun Dian’s proposal, for instance. If it were Xiao Yuchan marrying him, they would live a happy life as a couple. If Sun Dian ever got restless, Xiao Yuchan could scold and beat him while dealing with the other women, or if she didn’t want to be with him anymore, she could leave a letter of divorce and return home to be her parents’ cherished daughter.

For Liu Chu, remarrying Sun Dian would come with gossip. If Sun Dian ever mistreated her, given her nature, she would probably rather suffer in silence than confide in the Xiao Family or risk being ridiculed by neighbors.

So, it’s only natural that Liu Chu is being extra cautious about this matter.

After parting with Liu Chu, Tong Sui returned to the couple’s courtyard and learned that Xiao Zhen was in her study.

Tong Sui went to find him.

The outer part of the study was a small reception hall, while the inner part was where the master read and practiced calligraphy. As soon as Tong Sui entered, she saw Xiao Zhen hanging a painting on the wall—the portrait she had "exchanged" for with a bundle of wildflowers from Lin Ningfang.

Tong Sui asked, "I kept it in the painting box for safekeeping. Why are you hanging it up?"

Xiao Zhen replied, "A good painting should be appreciated often. If it were to be hidden all the time, why waste the effort of painting it in the first place? Besides, this is your study. For guests you’re happy to bring here, you’d definitely want to show off your sister-in-law’s artwork."

Tong Sui said, "I’m just afraid some people will come uninvited."

Xiao Zhen smiled at the young bride in the painting. "If someone comes uninvited and insists on seeing this painting, they probably want to become your devoted admirer. That's what I should be concerned about."

Tong Sui '……'

Xiao Zhen walked over and pretended to lift her skirt. Tong Sui quickly swatted his hand away and went to sit at the desk.

Xiao Zhen pulled her up and held her as he sat down, asking, "What did the sister-in-law say?"

Tong Sui didn't mention Sun Dian's absurd remarks but only talked about their long-standing agreement.

Xiao Zhen: "Hmm, if Sun Dian can truly wait that long, it would be worth it for the sister-in-law to marry him."

Tong Sui: "Actually, it’s not too bad. The sister-in-law is twenty-six this year. If Mianmian gets married at seventeen, that would mean the sister-in-law would only be thirty-three."

Xiao Zhen: "Sun Dian is two years older than me."

Tong Sui: "So he's thirty this year. At thirty-seven, he will still be in his prime."

Xiao Zhen: "Why stress whether he’s in his prime?"

Tong Sui: '……'

——

Now that Zhang Wengong and Zhou Gui are married, the Zhang family’s elder brother and sister-in-law, along with Sun Dian's mother Du Shi, having appreciated the peonies, would return to Wei County.

They brought wealth and hired fifty former wounded soldiers from Wei County as guards. Forty of them returned before they reached Luoyang, leaving ten to accompany them to the city. Now that the two families are returning, these ten will continue to escort them to prevent encounters with mountain bandits on the way.

The six northern states, including Jinzhou and Jizhou, were relatively stable, but there was still a possibility of small groups of bandits causing trouble.

Not long after the families in Wei County saw off their relatives, in mid-March, an urgent report was sent over six hundred miles by the imperial envoy who had gone to Liangzhou on official business. It reported that the military officer Zhang Kuo, leading a local garrison to suppress mountain bandits, was killed by them. However, the imperial envoy suspected that the garrison commander, dissatisfied with the imperial court’s demand to surrender previously embezzled land and gold, had deliberately used the bandits to kill Zhang Kuo.

With Zhang Kuo dead, it would be difficult to proceed with the mission relying solely on the word of a civil official.

During the previous dynasty, corruption was rampant among officials; nine out of ten were corrupt. Now that the Xingping Emperor had ascended the throne, he had used military force to clean up corrupt officials and traitors in Jinzhou, Jizhou, and the Luoyang area. However, unless force is continuously applied, a simple decree and a lone imperial envoy could only intimidate the weaker and less powerful officials. Bold and powerful local officials were obstinate; they wouldn’t dare openly defy the imperial court but would resist secretly.

Similar situations occurred in Liaozhou, Qingzhou, and the southern regions of the capital, though the imperial envoys there were only delayed by the obstinate officials, and no lives were lost.

When the report reached the Xingping Emperor, he was enraged. "How dare Ren Xun, with only the military force of a single garrison, kill the imperial envoy I sent!"

Fan Zhao: "Your Majesty, no need to anger yourself. Give me three hundred elite soldiers, and I guarantee I will bring you his head!"

The old courtiers in the court shrank back in fear. Even the upright officials were afraid of Fan Zhao's tendency to resort to violence.

Left Prime Minister Wei Qi said, "Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Commander Fan, please be patient. We have no evidence yet that Ren Xun colluded with the mountain bandits. Sending troops from the capital to deal with local unrest might provoke resistance from other local officials and lead to instability. The best course of action is to send a wise and brave person to divide Ren Xun's military loyalty. As long as the garrison soldiers heed the imperial court, both the bandits and Ren Xun will be of no concern."

Xingping Emperor: "The Left Prime Minister speaks wisely. Do you have any recommendations?"

Wei Qi bowed his head and said, "I only have strategies. I'm not familiar with other generals apart from a few. Therefore, I cannot suggest anyone suitable at the moment."

The Xingping Emperor nodded and looked towards Feng Ji, Lu Gong, and Xiao Mu.

Feng Ji said with shame, "I recommended Zhang Kuo, and even he couldn't handle Ren Xun. The military officers of my rank on my side are also likely unable to succeed."

Lu Gong followed, "I have many fierce generals on my side, but they lack a bit in strategy."

Seeing this, Xiao Mu couldn't refuse anymore. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Qiao Changan is clever and skilled in martial arts. What does Your Majesty think?"

Xingping Emperor: "Qiao Changan is indeed a possibility, but Ren Xun is nearly fifty, and Qiao Changan is relatively young, so he would naturally be at a disadvantage in terms of presence."

It’s easy to judge by appearances in the barracks. Now that Zhang Kuo is dead, Ren Xun’s prestige within the garrison has increased even more. If we send a young man there, how can the soldiers believe he can outmatch Ren Xun?

Xiao Mu indeed has many young men around him. Only his son Shouyi and Pan Yong are in their forties, but Shouyi lacks strategic acumen.

Just as Xiao Mu was about to recommend Pan Yong, Fan Zhao suddenly said, “Your Majesty, I have a candidate in mind.”

The Xingping Emperor asked, “Who?”

Fan Zhao glanced at Xiao Mu and said with a smile, “Pan Yong. Elder Xiao is familiar with him. He is both brave and strategic, but because Elder Xiao has so many talented people around him, Pan Yong hasn’t had the opportunity to shine. Moreover, he is around the same age as Ren Xun and is tall and robust, so he won’t be outshone in presence.”

The Xingping Emperor then turned to Xiao Mu.

Xiao Mu said, “Commander Fan is right. I was about to recommend Pan Yong myself.”

The Xingping Emperor asked, “How does he stack up against Shouyi?”

Xiao Mu replied, “Shouyi excels in martial prowess, but Pan Yong far exceeds him in strategic thinking.”

The Xingping Emperor said, “Very well, since both of you hold him in high regard, I will dispatch Pan Yong to Liangzhou.”

——

After the court meeting, the civil and military officials left the hall.

Xiao Mu being the elder, Feng Ji and Lu Gong invited him to go first. Once Xiao Mu and Xiao Zhen had walked far enough, Feng Ji asked Fan Zhao in a low voice, “Since Pan Yong was promoted by Elder Xiao, why did you rush to recommend him earlier?”

Before Fan Zhao could answer, Lu Gong quickly said, “Keep it down.”

Fan Zhao lowered his voice and snorted, “If I didn’t recommend him, Elder Xiao would definitely recommend his son. Don’t be misled by his smooth talk.”

Feng Ji said, “If Xiao Shouyi truly had the ability to deal with Ren Xun, what would be wrong with Elder Xiao recommending his own son? Is Pan Yong worth risking a rift with Xiao Mu for?”

Fan Zhao said, “I recommend talents solely for the Emperor, regardless of whether I offend someone. Besides, others may fear the Xiao Family, but do I fear them?”

Lu Gong said, “You, by getting involved, aren’t you concerned that if Elder Xiao intended to recommend his son, your intervention might make him resent Pan Yong?”

Fan Zhao said, “Let him bear a grudge. After all, Elder Xiao doesn’t value him much. If Pan Yong truly achieves merit this time, I’ll speak to the Emperor and have him join the Imperial Guard.”

Feng Ji and Lu Gong exchanged glances and decided not to persuade him further.