Chapter 737

Chapter 744: Homecoming (Part 1)

Seeing his mother shed tears, Xu Sijin’s eyes also grew moist.

But he was no longer a child; it was no longer appropriate for him to express his emotions through crying.

He pretended to be displeased, putting on a stern face and jumping excitedly: “Who else could it be? I missed you day and night while I was in the military camp, and when I returned home, you didn’t even recognize me!” He hoped to cheer his mother up.

Watching her son’s lively expression, Lady Eleven finally felt it was real.

“Jin’er!” Her heart filled with boundless joy, and she couldn’t help but smile through her tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” She hugged her son tightly. “I heard you wouldn’t arrive in the capital until the 29th. I thought you might find time to come back on the 30th at the earliest, but I never expected you to return home several days early.” She added, “It’s also because you disguised yourself so well—I didn’t think it could be you.”

As his mother laughed, Xu Sijin’s anxious heart settled. He smiled with a hint of pride: “I sneaked back secretly!”

Lady Eleven’s heart sank: “What happened? Why did you sneak back?” She looked very nervous.

“Don’t worry!” Xu Sijin hurriedly reassured his mother. “Lord Gong knows about my return. Not only does he know, but he’s the one who told me to come back!”

Lady Eleven was somewhat puzzled.

“It’s like this…” Xu Sijin explained. “In principle, the Emperor should reward the generals during the prisoner presentation at the Meridian Gate. But now, the Emperor has already named Lord Gong as the Marquis of Xining and me as the Earl of Wujin. By the time of the prisoner presentation, the Emperor can only promote Lord Gong and me further. Given Lord Gong’s merits, he will at least become a commander of the Right Military Governor’s Office, if not the Vice Minister of War. He definitely won’t return to Guizhou. Don’t we have a private mine in Guizhou? A high-ranking official far away isn't as useful as a local manager. If Lord Gong is promoted, we must find someone trustworthy to take over as the Guizhou Commander. Otherwise, wouldn’t we have worked in vain for someone else’s benefit? Lord Gong suggested I come to the capital to discuss with Father and Prince Yong on how to secure the position of Guizhou Commander.”

As he spoke, Amber brought in tea, exclaiming emotionally, “Sixth Young Master.”

Only then did Lady Eleven realize she and her son were standing in the hallway talking somewhat inappropriately. She quickly pulled Xu Sijin to sit by the window on the large heated brick bed (kang): “When did you return? Have you eaten?” She asked while unable to resist looking him up and down.

Xu Sijin had grown taller since leaving home. His skin was still fair, but he had lost a lot of weight, his face now sharply defined. If not for his bright, spirited eyes, Lady Eleven would have suspected he hadn’t eaten well during his time away.

“What happened with Duoyan?” she asked with concern. “Were you injured?” Seeing him dusty and tired, it was clear he hadn’t dressed as a servant just to amuse her. “Did you enter the capital disguised as a servant? What about Chang’an and Master Pang? Did they come back with you?” She also remembered he mentioned Lord Gong had sent him to discuss matters with Lord Xu and Prince Yong, indicating Xu Sijin didn’t want others to know he had returned. “How did you get into the mansion? Should I send a message to your father?”

Xu Sijin quickly stopped Amber, who was about to act on hearing this, and said to Lady Eleven, “Chang’an came back with me. If he hadn’t sought Steward Wan’s help, I wouldn’t have been able to enter!” He added, “Father and Grand Secretary Dou are in the study. It’s better not to disturb them. I’ll wait here for Father to return and then leave.”

Lady Eleven naturally wanted to help her son.

Knowing Xu Sijin had sneaked into the mansion, she lowered her voice: “Alright, you can wash up here, have a proper meal, and rest. Wait for your father to return!” She also asked him, “What about Chang’an? Does he have a place to stay?”

“He went home with Steward Wan,” Xu Sijin said. “We agreed to meet in the back alleyway in three days…” As he spoke, he smiled at Amber and said, “Tell the kitchen to make me a bowl of Braised Lion's Head. Those camp cooks only know how to stew pork with cabbage. After finally capturing Duoyan, Lord Gong treated me to a meal at Chunjiang Tower and ordered Braised Lion's Head, but it turned out more like Four Happiness Meatballs.”

“Alright, alright,” Amber’s heart softened, her voice slightly choked. “I’ll go instruct the kitchen right away.” She then called Leng Xiang in, telling her and Han Xiao to fetch water to help Xu Sijin change clothes, and hurried off to the kitchen.

Lady Eleven went to the warming room and soon returned with a stack of clothes.

“Luckily, the clothes I made haven’t been sent to you yet,” she said with a smile, entering the bathroom. “Otherwise, we might have alerted A Jin and Sui Feng!”

Xu Sijin exclaimed in surprise, ducking down until only his head remained above the water.

“Mother, how could you barge in without warning?” he said displeased. “I’ve grown up; I’m even old enough to get married!”

Leng Xiang, who was rolling up her sleeves to wash Xu Sijin’s hair, was taken aback by his sudden movement and couldn’t help but smile at his words.

Lady Eleven teased her son: “Oh my, I had no idea our Jin’er is thinking about getting married!” She placed the clothes on a small stool nearby. “What, is the wife not even here yet, and you’re already complaining about your mother for meddling?”

“When did I say you were meddling?” Xu Sijin muttered. “I’m just not used to it.”

Lady Eleven glanced around the bathroom without attendants and said meaningfully, “After being away for years, you’ve really changed your habits. Without someone to help you wash your hair, can you get it clean?”

“It’s not like I have lice in my hair!” Xu Sijin said dismissively.

Lady Eleven smiled and left the bathroom. Amber came to ask: “Has Sixth Young Master finished washing up? If so, we can serve the meal.”

"Not yet!" Elevenniang said with a smile, shooting Amber a look.

Amber caught on and tiptoed a few steps closer.

Elevenniang whispered quietly, "I plan to have Jin Geer stay overnight in my heated room these next few days. Find a way to have someone check him over... I suspect he might be injured."

The battles during the pursuit of Duoyan were brutal. Besides, just two years ago, he was still changing clothes shirtless in front of her. How could it be that in such a short time, he now won't even show his shoulders?

Amber was startled but quickly caught on, nodding repeatedly. "Don’t worry, Madam, I understand."

"Send someone to keep an eye on the main compound, and find an opportunity to inform the Marquis about Jin Geer’s return." Elevenniang pondered, "With the army returning to the capital in just four or five days, we must act quickly regarding Jin Geer’s matters."

Amber acknowledged the order.

Xu Sijin walked out, his hair still dripping wet.

"The weather may be hot, but you still shouldn’t be so careless." Elevenniang hurriedly got down from the heated bed. Leng Xiang promptly handed over a towel, and Elevenniang pressed Xu Sijin onto a nearby stool, drying his hair for him. Leng Xiang and Han Xiao went to bring in the dining table.

Xu Sijin ate three full bowls of rice before putting down his chopsticks.

"So comfortable!" He rubbed his belly, lazily leaning against a large cushion covered in ginger-yellow linen, looking pleased as a cat that got the cream. "Mother, what do you think about me going to Sichuan?"

Elevenniang sat beside her son, her gaze fixed on him, unable to get enough of looking at him.

"Why do you want to go to Sichuan?"

"Isn’t Ding Zhi back in the capital? The Sichuan Commander spot will surely need to be filled." He analyzed, "In suppressing the northwest unrest, the soldiers of the Guizhou Regional Military Commission played a major role. The next Sichuan Commander will definitely be chosen from among them. I’m familiar with everyone in the Guizhou Regional Military Commission. Handling matters would naturally get twice as much done with half the work. What do you think?"

"What matters do you need to handle?" Elevenniang dotingly patted her son’s head. "Twice the result with half the effort, you say?"

"You wouldn’t understand this!" Xu Sijin leaned closer to his mother’s ear and whispered, "Sichuan has salt fields. Chengdu, Xuzhou, Shunqing, Baoning, Kuizhou, Tongzhou, Jiading, and Guang’an all rely on Sichuan salt. They pay over seventy thousand taels of silver in taxes to the Shaanxi Garrison each year!"

"Who told you this?" Elevenniang was both amused and exasperated. "Are you going to guard the border or go into business?"

"Without money, who would follow you?" Xu Sijin said with a shrug. "These outside matters—even if I explain them to you, you wouldn’t understand. Just don’t worry about it. I’m only afraid that if I go to Sichuan, you’ll miss me too much!"

"So you do know your mother would miss you!" Elevenniang brought the conversation around to what concerned her. "When you went after Duoyan single-handed, did you even think of me then? How could you be so reckless? Even Lord Ouyang gave up, yet you got troops from the Yulin Guard without considering the consequences. Don’t forget, you only had three thousand men, while Duoyan had over ten thousand. And that commander of the Yulin Guard—how could he just listen to you...?"

Xu Sijin quickly interrupted Elevenniang. "Mother, didn’t I return in one piece? And I even earned great merit." As he spoke, he cheekily threw an arm around Elevenniang’s shoulder. "Mother, how many young heroes like your son do you think there are in the entire Da Zhou dynasty?"

Elevenniang had to laugh, but remembering she was supposed to be lecturing her son, she immediately put on a serious face and said solemnly, "I’m being serious with you. Stop messing around. Calm down and think carefully: didn’t luck had a lot to do with your capture of Duoyan this time?" Before she could finish, Xu Sijin said with an awkward laugh, "Mother, I understand. Your son is now, you know, the Earl of Wujin. Even if you want to big up Father, you should still show some respect to me, an earl!"

Elevenniang had intended to say that without the Emperor and Gong Dongning, even if he had found Duoyan, he could never have captured him. But she hadn’t expected him to bring up Lord Xu.

"What does this have to do with your father?"

Doesn’t Father tell Mother everything?

Xu Sijin widened his eyes. "You... you didn’t know?" She hadn’t really looked Lord Xu in the eye for some time.

For a moment, Elevenniang’s mind was racing.

"Your father didn’t tell me!" she said vaguely.

Father said that some matters are men’s responsibilities and there’s no need for women to know and worry. But since Father didn’t tell Mother, he must have felt it unnecessary for her to know.

Xu Sijin’s expression showed slight hesitation.

"Quick, tell me, what exactly happened?" Elevenniang had also been away from home and understood the tendency of children to share only good news with their parents, hiding their troubles. She part serious, part joking urged Xu Sijin, "Weren’t you fighting for your life back then?"

Xu Sijin immediately relaxed and said with a smile, "Father said that if we waited for Lord Gong to get his troops together, it would’ve been too late. Father sent word to the Wang family in Liaoyuan—it was the Wang family’s horse caravan that brought us supplies and helped me find Duoyan."

Elevenniang couldn't hide her shock.

"The Wang family? Zhang Shun’s family?"