Chapter 22: Can I Decline the Tribute Tonight…

Chapter 22: Can I Decline the Tribute Tonight...

Cheng Mingyu was ultimately unable to join Cheng Yian for dinner. A deputy censor from the Censorate caught up with him outside the Donghua Gate, reporting a disruption in the grain transport that had resulted in several deaths, needing his immediate oversight. Coincidentally, Cheng Yian was also quite tired and wished to return early to rest, thus, the father and daughter parted ways at the Donghua Gate.

From Qionghua Island to the Donghua Gate, beyond a few polite words, there was little conversation between them. Cheng Yian was still adjusting to her new identity. While she could easily call her siblings, addressing her father was different for reasons she couldn't quite articulate. Having grown up without a mother and lacking paternal affection, her unmet desires had deepened like a collapsing cave, growing ever deeper and not easily filled.

She couldn't muster the word "Father."

She had never learned to.

Standing on the carriage step, she waved at him with a smile,

"Please go ahead with your work, I'll head back now."

Cheng Mingyu naturally hoped she would call him "Father," but he knew it couldn't be rushed.

Fortunately, he had earlier instructed the Cheng family steward to send over a meal box, which he personally took and handed to her,

"Eat well, and rest properly when you get back."

"Alright!" Cheng Yian bent down and entered the carriage.

Opening the meal box, she found five or six dishes, including her favorite turnip cake, marinated goose breast, and a small bowl of wild duck and mushroom soup. It was clear he had inquired about her preferences. Cheng Yian gently lifted the curtain; he was still standing there, not having moved. The father and daughter gazed at each other for a long time before finally looking away.

The Cheng family chef's cooking suited her taste better. With her worries eased, she could now enjoy the meal.

Lu Xusheng, occupied until evening, entered the city via the west gate. As he approached the Meridian Gate, a loyal servant was waiting there to inform him about the day's events at the palace.

Lu Xusheng's expression turned serious. After a moment of silence, he handed the reins to the servant and stood under the city gate for a while.

The servant quickly took the reins and told him,

"Second Mistress harshly scolded the young lady from the Yao family, saying that you and the border soldiers had sealed the breach with your very lives, allowing her the opportunity to boast..."

This statement kept echoing in Lu Xusheng's ears. He began to imagine her tone and demeanor as she spoke, and couldn't help but smile. Looking up, a crow cawed deeply overhead, gradually disappearing into the sea of clouds. The long, imposing palace road rose majestically on both sides, offering him a sliver of sky, where a patch of dark clouds hung, reminding him of the dark, sunless years at Silver Mountain.

The young faces, once full of vigor, now struggling on the brink of death. Even in the most perilous times, the thousand soldiers never thought of giving up. The commander's corpse falling into enemy hands was a disgrace to the entire army. Repelling the Prince of Nankang's advance didn't change the declining fortunes of the Great Jin Dynasty. Since the loss of hundreds of thousands of troops in the Jinshan Fort battle during the previous emperor's reign, the name "Prince of Nankang" had become a dark cloud hanging over Great Jin. Without eliminating the Prince of Nankang, there could be no redemption.

This was a battle for the nation's fate.

A duty-bound charge.

From a thousand men, maneuvering through the mountains in ambushes, their numbers dwindled—five hundred, then three hundred, two hundred, until only a hundred remained...

A young man, about his age, with necrotic legs, lay motionless under a deep rock, emaciated to the bone. Yet, with great difficulty, he used a sharp stone to cut his wrist, letting the blood drip into a dried sheepskin spoon, which he then handed to Lu Xusheng, his eyes filled with a desperate will to live,

"Young General, you must live on... you must live on..."

Carry on the mission for all of them.

Yes, it was this blood that sustained the lives of the remaining hundred soldiers. It was this belief that kept them going day after day, until they finally broke through the encirclement at Silver Mountain, infiltrated the Northern Qi camp, and turned the name "Prince of Nankang" into history.

A great fire spread from the Prince of Nankang's tent all the way to Silver Mountain, reducing everything to ashes. Later, he couldn't even find their remains.

Ahead, following the vast Danxi upwards, 108 stone steps led to the solemn Hall of Supreme Harmony. Lu Xusheng walked slowly, as if each step he took was on the backbone of a comrade.

Halfway up, an endless cold wind surged from behind. Lu Xusheng thought he heard someone calling him and couldn't help but turn around.

It was as if countless spirits stood behind him, but upon closer look, no faces or voices were discernible, only the distant mountains and the fading clouds.

The emperor summoned Lu Xusheng to his study.

As usual, Lu Xusheng began by reporting on military matters, and the emperor, as always, personally poured him a cup of tea and slid it over to him.

"I'm sure you've heard about what happened today."

Lu Xusheng's expression didn't change as he nodded, "I have. I just want to ask one thing: was An An hurt?"

The emperor glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, "And what if she was?"

Lu Xusheng looked at him quietly, saying nothing.

Only this bold young man dared to look the emperor straight in the eye without flinching. The emperor snorted, annoyed.

"She's fine. She took down three people all by herself—pretty satisfying, actually."

Lu Xusheng smiled, proud. "That's my wife."

The emperor glared at him and cautiously asked, "What are you going to do about that Yao woman?"

Lu Xusheng's expression was indifferent, "Your Majesty can handle her as you see fit. Didn't my wife already teach her a lesson for me?"

The emperor looked at Lu Xusheng's calm face and suddenly let out a deep sigh.

Though Lu Xusheng seemed steady and detached, he was rebellious at heart. The emperor had thought Lu Xusheng would surely want her dead after the Yao woman insulted him. Yet, he let it go easily.

"Why?"

The emperor seemed determined to get an answer.

Lu Xusheng suddenly looked out the window, his gaze falling on the palace buildings scattered like stars on either side.

Not far off, the official district was brightly lit, bustling all night, with palace servants and officials moving about in an orderly manner. Under the seemingly peaceful imperial city, who knew how many bones lay buried? The bustling crowd was just a fleeting presence in this vast world.

At that moment, the emperor heard him say,

"Your Majesty, we fought so hard to survive, not to kill..."

The emperor's body shook violently. This seemingly ordinary sentence suddenly filled the emperor's heart with boundless sorrow.

Three years, a full three years, and this was the first time Lu Xusheng had addressed the events of Silver Mountain.

We survived not for the sake of killing.

When the emperor looked again, that heroic figure had already left long ago, disappearing into the night.

The emperor's heart was overwhelmed with countless emotions, leaving only one thought in his mind: he must not let those soldiers be disgraced.

"Summon someone."

This emperor, known for his leniency, now wore a stern face and coldly commanded,

"Issue an edict: confine the Yao woman to the Ye Ting, to serve a lifelong sentence."

Ye Ting, located in the northwest corner of the palace, was a cold palace where many offending palace servants or female relatives of officials were confined, also known privately as the inner prison.

When Lu Xusheng returned to his residence, Cheng Yian was already asleep.

He glanced curiously towards the east chamber, "Sleeping so early?"

It was just past 8:45 PM.

Ru Lan, holding a pot of freshly picked evening chrysanthemums, came down the hallway and whispered, "Second Master, the Second Mistress came back furious and ended up falling asleep from all the anger."

She worked herself up so much that she passed out?

Impressive.

Lu Xusheng remained silent and entered the bathroom, took a slow bath, and then draped a dark green robe over himself before lying down on the bed.

A glass lamp was still lit on the dressing table. Lu Xusheng used the light to see her face clearly. Her full oval face was softly sinking into the pillow, her thick eyelashes neatly spread under her eyes. Her skin was as soft as snow, and she looked very peaceful in her sleep.

It seemed like he had never really looked at her this closely before.

Lu Xusheng leaned over, raised his hand to stroke her hair, tucked some stray strands behind her ear, fully revealing her face, and watched her quietly for a long time.

Looking at her like this, her face was truly flawless, as if it had been perfectly crafted by Nüwa herself.

Could someone so delicate and soft really fight?

His rough fingertips couldn't help but caress her cheek, her tender skin made it hard for him to stop, and the movement probably woke her up. Cheng Yian opened her sleepy eyes.

Lu Xusheng withdrew his hand, sat beside her, and asked her, still groggy,

"Which hand did you hit with?"

His tone was very serious.

Cheng Yian, probably still not fully awake, obediently held out her right hand to him,

"This one. What, are you going to punish me?"

Lu Xusheng said he wouldn't and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"

This time, Cheng Yian didn't hold back and said, sounding very upset,

"Of course it hurts. It's still stinging."

At first, she didn't feel it, but after coming back to the mansion and eating dinner, her palm turned red.

Lu Xusheng held her palm and gently rubbed it, saying, "Next time, don't defend me."

Cheng Yian shot him a look, "Why?"

"So the soldiers in the camp don't think Lu Xusheng is a kept man."

Cheng Yian couldn't help but laugh.

That night, seeing that Cheng Yian had slept enough, Lu Xusheng insisted on giving her a reward.

Cheng Yian was pressed into the bedding by him, her clothes already undone, and she felt a chill from the draft outside,

"Do I really have to take this reward?"

Lu Xusheng's eyes were deep, "When have you ever seen an arrow that can be taken back once shot?"

"But I'm cold..."

The man at the head of the bed paused, changed his position while holding her, and now with the quilt pressing down on her, she wasn’t cold anymore, but...

Cheng Yian’s face turned red, and she hit him, "Can’t you just take a break for one night?"

The man steadied her firmly, "You’ve already handled three by yourself, what’s the big deal about this?"

Cheng Yian gritted her teeth in anger.

Men are really no good, taking advantage and still playing innocent.

She would never defend him again.

Cheng Yian complained and scolded him all night.

The next day, Lu Xusheng was on a day off and didn’t go to the office, instead accompanying Cheng Yian in the study for reading.

Cheng Yian read a few volumes of poetry in the morning, and in the afternoon, she told Nanny Li to bring Lu Xusheng’s ledger.

Previously, Lu Xusheng’s assets were all managed by Second Mistress Wang Shi, and the shops and estates were also under her control. As the year-end accounting period was approaching, she needed to review the accounts to get a clear picture, deciding who to keep and who to let go, based on evidence.

Soon, someone came from outside to call for Lu Xusheng, saying that the elder master wanted to see him.

He returned in less than fifteen minutes, and Cheng Yian, who was busy calculating with the abacus, saw him drinking tea alone and asked,

"What happened?"

Lu Xusheng set down the teacup he was about to drink from, "Uncle asked to borrow money from me."

Cheng Yian was shocked, "The Duke’s household is managed by the elder master and his wife, why doesn’t he take money from the public funds and instead asks you for a loan?"

Lu Xusheng’s expression remained calm,

"Recently, he befriended a South Sea merchant through a palace eunuch, spending a lot of money in the process. Now, that eunuch seems to be in some trouble and urgently needs money, so he turned to me."

Cheng Yian sat up straight and asked, "You didn’t agree, did you?"

In their past life, Lu Xusheng was very macho and didn’t care much about money. His brothers, whose families were strict, often borrowed from him whenever they saw him, and he would lend whatever he had, which infuriated Cheng Yian.

Seeing his wife’s brows furrow, Lu Xusheng quickly replied, "No, I refused outright. Besides, how could I lend money to others without consulting you?"

Receiving Cheng Yian’s sharp gaze, Lu Xusheng looked embarrassed, "I was wrong in the past, I’ll change."

Cheng Yian said irritably, "What’s really going on with the elder master? Is there no money in the public funds? Or is he deliberately trying to trick you?"

Lu Xusheng analyzed, "The public accounts probably aren’t looking too good either."

Cheng Yian was stunned for a moment, then understood.

In her past life, she was forced by the Second Mistress to learn accounting from the elder mistress, who complained to her daily. She then realized that even a prestigious family like the Lu family had its difficulties. The elder master loved pomp, cared about face, and liked to show off in front of the clan. He would take on any family’s troubles, but unlike the Cheng family, the Lu family lacked the foundation. The main branch of the Cheng family was capable of managing all the clan’s needs, and the clan members were highly cohesive, proud to be part of the Cheng family. The Lu family was different; those from the Lu family’s old residence always liked to freeload off the elder master, taking advantage and then slipping back to the countryside to enjoy their gains, with no one to manage the clan affairs.

Thus, with little income and much expenditure, over time, they had to rob Peter to pay Paul.

Although the Lu family’s finances weren’t as dire as the elder mistress made them out to be, they were indeed showing signs of decline.

"What do you plan to do?"

Lu Xusheng pondered, "We can’t let them continue to decline."

It seems he’s planning to take action.

After sitting for some time, Lu Xusheng remembered the widows of his comrades and said he needed to go to the south of the city. Cheng Yian didn’t interfere.

Unable to find Lu Xusheng, the elder master had no choice but to swallow his pride and go to the mistress.

"Take out three thousand taels of silver from the treasury for me to use."

The mistress, clutching her box, sat at her dressing table and sneered at him.

"You still want to trick me? Last time you conned two thousand taels out of me, saying it was a sure profit, that with an investment of two thousand, you could reap twenty thousand. And now? Converting rice paddies to mulberry fields takes time, and you haven’t even recouped your investment yet, and now you’re asking for more silver..."

The elder master was in a tough spot. "Isn’t this just a loan from the palace eunuch?"

"Bah," the mistress scoffed, standing up. "Every time it’s just a loan! Has he ever paid it back? I’ve told you before, greed has no limits. If you just managed our family’s finances properly, we could live comfortably without worry. But no, you insist on meddling, always wanting more, never satisfied. Every year you dig a new hole, and you won’t stop until it’s deep enough."

At this point, the mistress suddenly felt a surge of sadness and began to cry. "I’m not as lucky as Wang Shi, who has a good son to back her up. Otherwise, I’d be like her, living in luxury with a mountain of gold and silver."

Seeing the mistress upset, the elder master awkwardly tried to console her. "She’s not faring well either. I heard that Xusheng’s portion has been taken away, and now she only has my second brother’s share. She still has a good-for-nothing son and an unmarried daughter to take care of."

"Oh, so now you pity her?" The mistress spat in his direction.

The elder master was forced to back up to the window, stammering, "Am I that foolish?"

"Haven’t you been foolish enough? You don’t have Cheng Mingyu’s skills, yet you want to put on his act? Have you even considered who we are? Do we have the resources to support the clan? Their clan is flourishing, with exceptional talents everywhere. I heard that the two young masters from the second and third branches, staying with the main branch, have passed the provincial exams and are waiting for the spring exams next year. They are truly a talented family. And you? Leading the clan in drinking, gambling, and womanizing. Among so many young masters in our family, only Xusheng passed the imperial exams, and only two others passed the provincial exams. And you call yourself the Duke of the State? I’m embarrassed for you!"

The elder master hated it when his wife compared him to other men. His face immediately darkened, and he stormed out, angrily flicking his sleeve.

"If you won’t give it, then don’t. No need to humiliate me like this..."

Seeing that she had driven him away, the mistress felt uneasy, fearing he might cause trouble behind her back. She quickly called out,

"Come back!"

Thinking his wife had changed her mind, the elder master slowly peeked back through the window, deliberately keeping a stern face. "What do you want to say?"

The mistress put down her box and approached, whispering, "The old lady still has some valuable things. Go to her first for an emergency."

The third son is from a concubine, and the second son is dead. What the old lady has must belong to the main branch.

The elder master thought for a moment and said, "Alright, I’ll go to her room."

In the afternoon, Cheng Yian woke from her nap and, remembering the elder master’s lack of silver, worried that the monthly allowance from the public funds might be short. She asked Ru Hui if the monthly allowance had been distributed.

"It’s actually been delayed for a few days. We just received it this morning. Your and the Second Master’s forty taels are here. Do you want to see it?"

Cheng Yian was about to say no when she saw Lu Xusheng lift the curtain and enter.

"Have you been to the south of the city?"

"Yes, I’ve been."

Lu Xusheng clearly had something on his mind. Cheng Yian gave a look, signaling Ru Hui to leave.

"What’s the matter?" she asked with a smile.

Lu Xusheng rarely looked like this, as if a hero had been humbled by a small matter.

Seeing his wife’s deep smile, Lu Xusheng touched the bridge of his nose, feeling very embarrassed.

"An An, you know that a thousand soldiers followed me to Silver Mountain back then. Nine hundred died, and only a hundred survived. Those nine hundred are like brothers to me, mostly children from poor families. With the New Year approaching, their families need to prepare clothes and New Year goods..."

The man who once dominated the battlefield now spoke with a lack of confidence for the first time, "The Emperor grants me a yearly stipend, and it's not yet the end of the year. I was thinking of borrowing some from you first, and I'll make it up to you once I receive the silver."

Cheng Yian had already made up her mind. All of Lu Xusheng's family wealth was in her hands, and as long as it was for a legitimate reason, she couldn't stop him. She couldn't let her husband lose face over a small amount of money. However, to avoid inflating his ego, Cheng Yian pretended to be reluctant.

"It's not like I can't give it to you, but there's one condition: you must discuss important matters with me and not make promises behind my back."

Lu Xusheng, having turned over a new leaf, agreed wholeheartedly.

Cheng Yian asked him how much silver he needed, and Lu Xusheng said one thousand. Cheng Yian then summoned Ru Hui and handed him the money.

A few days later, it was almost the end of October, with winter approaching. The Cheng family came to pick someone up.

This time, it was Cheng Yijun, the only son of the Second Master from the main branch, a young man as refined as orchids and jade. He seemed a bit more naive, far less seasoned than Cheng Yiyan, but very sincere.

He greeted Lu Xusheng with a bow, "Brother-in-law, Shen Zhi, grandmother sent me to bring Sister An An home for a while."

He was older than Cheng Yian but younger than Lu Xusheng in age. Although he addressed him as brother-in-law, he lacked half of Lu Xusheng's commanding presence. However, his lively eyes made him quite endearing.

Lu Xusheng greeted him in the front hall with a frown, "How long is 'a while' supposed to be?"

Cheng Yijun had been briefed by Cheng Yiyan beforehand not to give Lu Xusheng a definite answer, so he scratched the back of his head and answered, "Around half a month?"

Lu Xusheng's expression turned cold.

"Maybe seven or eight days will suffice."

Lu Xusheng remained unyielding.

Cheng Yijun then said, feeling a headache coming on, "Let's see how An An feels after a few days. If you miss her, you can come and fetch her, right?"

He didn't mention letting Lu Xusheng stay with them.

This was Cheng Yiyan's instruction. Cheng Yijun always followed his cousin's orders and dared not disobey.

Cheng Yian, listening nearby, thought to herself, "Didn't he even bother to invite Lu Xusheng along?"

Lu Xusheng knew very well that it was because of the last remark that offended his father-in-law.

"What is the matter that requires such a long stay?"

Cheng Yijun explained solemnly, "The first day of winter is the annual Yashui Banquet of our Cheng family, which lasts for half a month starting from the first day. All our clan members gather at the main branch, where my uncle distributes the annual allowances and gifts. From livestock, grain, jewelry, furs to silver, there are more than a dozen categories, and it takes several days to distribute everything. There are banquets every day, making it the grandest and most lively feast of our Cheng family."

"In the past, married women would just come home to join the fun and attend the banquet. Since my uncle took charge, even married women receive a share. An An's status is now clear, and my grandmother insisted that she must be personally fetched and stay for a while."

In short, the annual rents from all over the country have mostly been collected, and the storerooms are now filled with treasures. Naturally, the main branch gets to pick first.

Among the children of the main branch, Cheng Yian gets to pick first.

Other married women would just receive a letter, but Cheng Yian is different. They feared she might not come, and that Lu Xusheng might interfere. So, the matriarch sent the famous bookworm of the main branch to fetch her. Lu Xusheng could refuse Cheng Yiyan, but he couldn't refuse Cheng Yijun.

You can't bully an honest man.

Lu Xusheng turned to look at Cheng Yian, "Are you really going?"

"Of course, I am."

She had been waiting for this day for a long time, hoping to reclaim her mother's dowry when the main branch distributed the shares to the fourth branch.