Chapter 240

Chapter 240

When there were no urgent military or government affairs, the court would start the winter break from the 20th of La Yue, lasting until the 5th of Zheng Yue.

Local schools and children studying at home also followed this tradition.

Therefore, on the 19th of La Yue, Mr. Cen and Old Master Ma finished their afternoon classes and bid farewell to Tong Sui, leaving with a generous New Year gift she had given them.

Qi Yao cheered as he returned to the neighboring Duke's residence, while Mianmian, accompanied by her maid, went to the West Court of the Marquis’s residence.

Tong Sui sat in the main hall of the inner courtyard, spending time with Tong Shan, Zhang Chao, Eldest Son, and Er Lang.

In the past, these four were just children in Tong Sui's eyes. Now, sixteen-year-old Tong Shan and fourteen-year-old Zhang Chao had grown into tall young men, one taller than her and the other matching her height.

"Mr. Cen has assigned you coursework. Don’t let your studies fall behind during the holidays. Anyone who doesn’t complete their assignments won’t receive any New Year’s money."

She said this while looking directly at Eldest Son.

Eldest Son, eleven years old, looked like Sun Dian and had a similar temperament. He was only relatively well-behaved while staying with the Xiao Family.

Eldest Son: "Madam, don't worry. I'll make sure Er Lang finishes his work."

Er Lang: "..."

Tong Sui: "I've arranged a carriage to send you all back."

The Tong family, Sun family, and Zhang family all lived in southern Luoyang and were relatively close to each other.

After the children left, it took another hour for the sky to darken. Soon after, Xiao Zhen returned. The cold wind had whipped against Xiao Zhen's face for over ten miles despite him being wrapped in a large cloak. When he leaned in to kiss Tong Sui, she could feel the cold radiating from him.

"We'll be eating soon." Tong Sui pressed down on his hand and lightly chided him.

Xiao Zhen: "Alright, I'll come back later tonight. Tomorrow, we don't need to get up early."

He went to bathe in the western side room, while Tong Sui went to the front courtyard first, just in time to meet Liu Chu and her daughter coming together.

The three of them had just started chatting when the gatekeeper reported that Sun Dian had arrived.

Even Mianmian couldn’t help but smile and glance at her mother, while Liu Chu felt her face heat up. She lowered her head and pretended to drink tea.

Tong Sui smiled: "He must not know that Eldest Son and Er Lang have already gone back. He’s here to pick up the children again. Please bring him in."

Since Sun Dian was a familiar face, the gatekeeper directly led him to Xianhe Manor.

Sun Dian reached the door of the main hall and was momentarily stunned to see only Liu Chu and her daughter there.

Mianmian: "Second Aunt has gone to urge Second Master, and I'm going to check if Fourth Master and the others are almost here."

With that, the little girl ran off too.

The maids were all standing outside, leaving only the two of them in the main hall. Sun Dian's heart burned with desire, and he scooped up Liu Chu, who hadn’t had time to dodge, and strode into the side room, lowering his head to kiss her.

At that moment, Sun Dian was like a man on fire. Liu Chu could avoid his mouth but not his hands.

"Don't, we're about to eat, and Second Master and Fourth Master will be here soon."

Sun Dian, breathing heavily, said: "Since they’ve given us this moment alone, they won’t interrupt us."

He had waited for this moment for over a decade, and it hadn’t been easy. Today, he finally had her in his arms.

Liu Chu was forced to tilt her head back, weakly grasping his neck. Her eyes were moist: "They just wanted me to keep you company, not for this, Sun Dian. If I really marry you one day, you can do as you please. But in the Xiao Family, I can't, and neither can you dishonor the family's reputation."

The memory of the family elder flashed through Sun Dian's mind, and he had no choice but to let go, though he continued to lean on her. He whispered into her ear, "Xiao Zhen is the commander in the Eastern Camp, and I'm the deputy commander in the Southern Camp. The Emperor is failing again. It's still not the right time to marry. I'll wait and see. You shouldn't worry or overthink. I will only marry you."

Liu Chu: "I'm not in a hurry. Take care of your own matters first."

With that, she pushed Sun Dian away with all her strength and returned to the main room.

Sun Dian glanced at his clothes, pinched himself several times, then lifted the curtain to look at Liu Chu, who was sitting primly on a chair. As he walked out, he said, "Since they've already gone back, I'll be leaving too. Please tell Second Master that I'll visit him another day to ask for a drink."

By the time Xiao Zhen and Tong Sui arrived, estimating the time, they only saw Liu Chu and her daughter sitting together again.

---

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Qiao Changshun returned to the capital from Liaozhou to report on his duties. Without any reunion with his family, he asked Xiao Zhen and his brothers to accompany him to their late father's grave, where they cried together. It was not until evening that they returned to the Xiao family's residence. Qiao Changshun's clothes were covered in dirt, and his eyes were swollen like walnuts.

The dead are gone. Xiao Gumu handed her son a warm cloth to wipe his face and joked, "The last time you returned from Liaozhou, they said you were about to become as fat as a steamed bun. I don't see much change, though."

After the crying, Qiao Changshun had calmed down, though his voice was still hoarse. He glared at Xiao Yan and the others and said, "During the campaign against the Wu country, we ran across the grasslands for hundreds of miles every day, and I lost a lot of weight then. After dealing with the Chen family and taking over the Liaozhou troops, I trained with the soldiers, naturally restoring my handsome appearance."

Xiao Ye: "There are two new sisters-in-law in the family. Can't you be a little less shameless?"

Yan Mingxiu and Qiao Changan's wife exchanged glances and smiled.

Qiao Changshun looked at his sisters-in-law and said meaningfully, "I am the first in filial piety, and Third Brother is second. The rest are no good."

Xiao Zhen ignored him, while Xiao Ye and Xiao She rushed over to beat him up. Qiao Changshun defended himself while shouting, "Stinky fifth, I wasn't talking about you. What are you butting in for?"

Xiao She: "I heard you say I'm no good!"

Qiao Changshun: "You don't even have a wife. What's there to be good for!"

Xiao She punched him in the chest.

Xiao Gumu: "Alright, alright, the children are all here. You're not acting like proper elders. By the way, why didn't you bring back your eldest daughter-in-law and my eldest granddaughter?"

Qiao Changshun: "My eldest granddaughter had just recovered from a cold, so I didn't want to trouble her. Besides, I was in a rush to report for duty. I rode a horse all the way, and bringing them would have meant taking a carriage, which would have delayed me."

Xiao Gumu: "Then you're just troubling yourself. My eldest granddaughter's health is the most important."

After dinner, everyone went back to their rooms. Xiao Zhen called Qiao Changshun to the study, where Tong Sui was also present.

Qiao Changshun: "During the campaign against the Wu country, more than 20,000 soldiers from the Jizhou troops were killed. The Emperor transferred the 30,000 private soldiers that the Chen family had recruited to Jizhou, exactly replenishing the Jizhou troops to 150,000. I still have 70,000 troops."

Xiao Zhen: "You're not yet thirty, and the Emperor has appointed you as the Liaozhou commander. Although you have to follow Duke Feng's orders, it's still a great imperial favor."

Previously, Jizhou and Liaozhou each had a general. After Chen Wang was exiled, Feng Ji became the general for both Jizhou and Liaozhou.

Qiao Changshun: "Yes, the Emperor trusts me, and I will do my best to guard Liaozhou for him. However, I don't know what tomorrow's imperial audience will bring. Perhaps the Emperor will recall me and assign me a new post."

Xiao Zhen shook his head.

Qiao Changshun: "What do you mean?"

Tong Sui whispered, "The Emperor's health is deteriorating. This time, he summoned several frontier generals back to the capital to report on their duties, likely to arrange his final affairs."

Feng Ji from Jizhou, Zhao Liangchen from Jinzhou, Yuan Loushan from Chang'an, and Xie Jian and Wang Dingxian from Jinghe and four other states had already arrived in the capital before Qiao Changshun.

Liaozhou had just had its military power reclaimed from the Chen family, and Qiao Changshun had been there for three years, familiarizing himself with the military officers of Liaozhou and establishing his authority within the Liaozhou troops. Given the Xingping Emperor's character, it was unlikely he would replace Qiao Changshun at this crucial moment.

Qiao Changshun exclaimed in surprise, "Unwell?"

Xiao Zhen said, "Tomorrow when you enter the palace, you'll see for yourself."

On the twenty-ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Xingping Emperor summoned the assembled frontier generals to the palace. The Crown Prince, the Second Chancellor, and several meritorious generals were also called in.

"Your Majesty, you must take care of your health!"

Feng Ji knelt before the Xingping Emperor, tears streaming down his face in distress. Though he had learned from Lu Gong's letters that the emperor had been deeply affected by the campaign against Liang, seeing the emperor's sickly appearance with his own eyes, Feng Ji could not help but cry uncontrollably.

The Xingping Emperor smiled and patted the shoulder of this minister who was also an old friend. He then looked at the others kneeling behind, from Zhao Liangchen, whom he had known since youth, to Xie Jian, the renowned naval general from the previous dynasty, and the newly promoted generals after his ascension, Qiao Changshun and Pan Yong. Each of them was a general renowned for both wisdom and bravery.

The Xingping Emperor said, "All of you are the great generals of our Great Yu Dynasty, guarding various regions. Without any one of you, the Great Yu would be like a house with a missing door, inevitably invaded by foreign enemies."

Zhao Liangchen said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, as long as I am here, the northern border will be as solid as a rock."

The other generals also pledged their loyalty.

The Xingping Emperor nodded with a smile and said, "I trust all of you. The reason I called you here today is to introduce you to my Crown Prince."

He waved to his son.

Han Bao walked to his father's side.

The Xingping Emperor held his son's hand and said to the generals, "I am afraid I cannot last until this summer. After I am gone, the Crown Prince will ascend the throne. I hope you will support him as loyally as you have supported me. If the Crown Prince has ambitions, help him expand the empire and unify the land. If he is content with maintaining what we have, then assist him in guarding the borders, ensuring the people of the Great Yu live in peace without the worry of war. Do you agree?"

Wei Qi, Xiao Zhen, and Fan Zhao, along with the other generals, knelt and pledged their loyalty alongside the frontier generals.

The Xingping Emperor then turned to the Crown Prince and said, "Crown Prince, these are my most trusted ministers. I trust their abilities and loyalty as I trust my own. After I am gone, you must value them as I have. Do you understand?"

Han Bao knelt and said with red eyes, "I will remember your words in my heart."

After spending the New Year with the Xingping Emperor in the capital, the frontier generals were to return to their respective regions.

Pan Yuerou, along with her two-year-old son, returned to the Pan family residence in Sishun Fang to say goodbye to her father.

Pan Yong asked his wife to entertain their grandson while he had a private conversation with his daughter.

Pan Yong said, "Although I currently hold the important position of governor of Hezhou, if I carefully calculate, I have met the emperor and the crown prince only a handful of times. I have some understanding of the emperor, but I can only rely on hearsay regarding the crown prince's temperament. Since you have been married to Marquis Fan for a while, have you heard him mention the Crown Prince?"

Pan Yuerou nodded and lowered her voice, "The Marquis treats the Crown Prince like a younger brother. Whenever he gets something good, he always thinks of the Crown Prince. However, he also criticizes him, saying that the Crown Prince is too frail for martial training and not as wise and insightful as the emperor."

Pan Yong frowned, "Did he say this only to you in private, or does he say it indiscriminately?"

Pan Yuerou replied, "He has said it in front of me, the elder lady, and the heir. As for whether he says it in front of his concubines or outside, I have no way of knowing."

Pan Yong sighed, "Loose lips sink ships. If the Crown Prince hears about this, he won't be pleased. By the way, do you know how the Crown Prince feels about the Marquis?"

Pan Yuerou shook her head, "The Crown Prince rarely ventures out of the Eastern Palace, so I don't have many chances to meet him. From the Marquis' occasional remarks, it seems that the Crown Prince has some childish tendencies."

Pan Yong said, "Since he treats the Crown Prince like a younger brother, he sees him as a child. But once the emperor is gone and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he will be the new emperor. The Marquis' temperament is something the emperor is willing to indulge, but the Crown Prince may not be."

Pan Yuerou's heart tightened, "Don't worry, Father. When the time comes, I'll make sure to remind the Marquis to be careful."