Chapter 55: Falling Ill

Chapter 55: Illness

Three days later, the citizens watched as the executioner beheaded the condemned in the market. Mrs. Cheng left Xinfeng County with her two sons. The Qi and Cheng families had completely fallen into ruin in Xinfeng County, while the Xia and Gao families were in dire straits, with half their members imprisoned. On the other hand, the Xu family came out on top from the purge and took over many shops that the four families had sold in the chaos. The wealthy merchants of Xinfeng County also took the opportunity to purchase the estates the four families had put up for sale, though most of their assets ended up in the county yamen's coffers.

Cheng Wen carried his belongings. Mrs. Cheng hurriedly sold off some of the family's furniture, managing to fetch twenty taels of silver in total. Combined with their own savings, they had enough to settle down in Xuzhou. Their relatives were all pragmatic, and without power or money, they would have been bullied to death.

"Let's go, Second Son," Mrs. Cheng called softly.

None of his former classmates who had been close to him came to see him off. Since the Cheng family's downfall, no one had offered help or even sent a word of concern. Cheng Wen responded to Mrs. Cheng's call and left without looking back.

...

Whether it was business, herb cultivation, or road construction, the county government had sufficient funds. The zeal for road construction grew even stronger, and a third of the project had already been completed.

"When this road reaches Lan County, we might even marry girls from there," a bare-chested man joked.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. Without money or skills, even if you reach Lan County, no respectable family would want to marry their daughters or sons to you," a middle-aged man carrying stones said to a few young men.

"That's true. I don't ask for much in a wife, just someone to live a steady life with," a young man quickened his pace.

"This lad is honest. He earned some money from road construction and spent it all consorting with the courtesans."

While working on the road, they chatted during breaks to make the labor less monotonous. The Yamen Runners overseeing them were less harsh than before. Even if they slowed down, the runners didn't use sticks or whips on them, showing some leniency.

Zheng Shanci walked on the concrete road, content, waiting for the road to reach Lan County.

"Lord Zheng, look at how well the licorice in the fields is growing," Tan He said.

With compost and fertilizer, and the county yamen's assurance that they would find buyers, the peasants were more driven. They weren't skilled in business, focusing only on farming, so having the county yamen handle these matters put their minds at ease.

The county yamen had acquired many houses and lands from the four major families. With too many houses, Zheng Shanci put half of them on the market. The other half, he planned to either convert into shops or reward to diligent officials or Yamen Runners with a house. The lands couldn't be sold arbitrarily. Zheng Shanci used half of the fields as official estates, hiring some farmers to work on them. These estates were tax-exempt, and the produce could directly supply the canteen, achieving self-sufficiency.

The other half of the land was to be registered by the household registry office. When there were displaced persons or when citizens of Xinfeng County came of age, the household registry office would allocate land to them.

The Great Yan Dynasty stipulated that men would receive thirty mu of land upon reaching adulthood, while women and male children would receive fifteen mu. This land would remain with them until their death, after which it would be reclaimed by the government. In rural areas with many children, they often had to support several children, which was a significant burden. Children in rural areas could handle chores like washing and cooking by the age of seven or eight, but families still preferred to have sons.

Sons, being stronger, could help with heavy labor, and families typically remained intact, so men were valued as the main labor force. Women and male children would soon be married off, at most receiving some dowry. After the Great Yan Dynasty's law allocated land to women and male children, their status improved.

Indeed, the laws of the Great Yan Dynasty were more progressive than those of previous dynasties. Women and male children could take their allocated land with them if they divorced, and the land would remain with them until their death, after which it would be reclaimed by the government.

Seeing Tan He dutifully following him around, Zheng Shanci patted his shoulder, "Alright, you can go back now."

Tan He watched Zheng Shanci leave before heading home himself.

He was the son-in-law of Deputy Magistrate Qi. After the Qi family's downfall, the house he lived in with Qi's son was also confiscated. Tan He now worked under Zheng Shanci, discussing road construction matters with the household registry office and representing Zheng Shanci, gaining a good reputation in the county yamen. Over the years, he had saved some money and bought a small house. Though the location was a bit remote, it came with a courtyard.

Returning home, he eased up a bit. He went to the bedroom, where Qi's son was sleeping soundly, bound with iron chains. He had considered abandoning him, as their marriage had been forced, and he had already prepared a divorce letter. But when Qi's son attempted to assassinate Lord Zheng, Tan He had no choice but to tie him up.

Tan He didn't hire anyone for his courtyard and prepared his own meals.

Qi's son had woken up and glared at Tan He with a look that could kill. Tan He simply said, "Deputy Magistrate Qi got what he deserved. You married me, and Lord Zheng exempted the children of the accused from punishment. Yet you still tried to assassinate him. Do you really want to die that badly?"

"Tan He, you hypocrite! Let me go! If you have the guts, don't interfere with me!" Qi's son's chains rattled.

...

The chili sauce from the chili sauce workshop sold well. Zheng Shanci left the management to the stewards and checked in occasionally. With two restaurants at home, they had some income. Recently, Yu Lanyi wanted to open a wine shop and had just finalized the deal with Xu Geer for a shop.

As soon as he returned, he heard Yu Lanyi waving his hand impatiently, "Why are they sending invitations again? Don't bother telling me next time."

Jin Yun bowed and stepped back: "Understood, young master."

"Second Sister-in-law, you’ve got this wrong," Zheng Qingyin's soft voice came from the courtyard.

Zheng Shanci walked over, wondering what his younger brother and Yu Lanyi were talking about. As he entered the courtyard, the attendants bowed, but Zheng Shanci gestured for them to remain silent as he approached.

Yu Lanyi: "This embroidery is just not my thing. I only wanted to embroider a pouch for Zheng Shanci, but now I’ve given up."

He had called Jin Yun early in the morning to invite Zheng Qingyin, hoping to learn how to embroider a pouch. After a whole day of effort, the pouch was barely done, and he was left with an aching back. It seemed he just couldn’t handle such delicate work. Zheng Shanci would never get to wear a pouch I made.

Yu Lanyi, resigned, tossed the pouch into a basket, picked up a teacup, and took a sip, then grabbed a piece of pastry. He saw Zheng Shanci approaching, still in his official robe, tall and handsome.

"Lan Yi, what’s going on with you and Qing Yin?" Zheng Shanci asked softly.

"I asked your younger brother to teach me how to embroider a pouch. I’ve been at it all day, but I gave up—I just couldn’t get it right," Yu Lanyi replied without hesitation.

Zheng Qingyin called out, "Second Brother." He wore a purple robe, his hair held up with a silver pin, his eyes like peach blossoms, his features like a painting. He was quite different from when he first arrived in Xinfeng County.

Zheng Shanci smiled, "What matters most is that you’re happy. If you don’t want to embroider, then don’t."

Yu Lanyi was pleased to hear this. He tugged at Zheng Shanci’s sleeve, "Qing Yin, your second brother is so indifferent about these things. That’s what I like about him."

Hearing Yu Lanyi’s straightforward words, both Zheng Shanci and Zheng Qingyin blushed.

Zheng Qingyin stood up, "I’ll head back now." He thought it best to leave.

After Zheng Qingyin left the courtyard, Yu Lanyi let loose even more. He tilted his head, pulled Zheng Shanci to sit down, and asked him to massage his shoulders, complaining, "I just can’t get the hang of this. Even when my father locked me in a room in the capital to learn, I couldn’t do it. Asking Qing Yin to teach me didn’t work either. Guess I’ll never manage to make you a pouch."

The implication was that he had gone through all this trouble today for Zheng Shanci, trying something he had never been able to master before. Zheng Shanci chuckled, massaging Yu Lanyi’s shoulders.

"You’ve put in the effort. You’re perfect as you are—no need to change."

Yu Lanyi’s heart warmed upon hearing Zheng Shanci’s words. He had always known that Zheng Shanci didn’t care about these things. In the past, whether it was the nanny or the tutor, they all thought reading "The Admonitions for Men" was of utmost importance, as were embroidery and cooking. But they were from a marquis’s household; these tasks weren’t necessary for him, so he had been lazy about learning them and serving others.

"Uncle is coming back, probably tomorrow. We’ll go together in the morning," Yu Lanyi said, pushing Zheng Shanci away and telling him to go change his clothes.

His sudden urge to embroider a pouch today was because Lv Jin had written to him from the capital, saying that his family was arranging a marriage for him. They’d agreed that even after marrying, they’d stay in touch, have children, and arrange a marriage between them, becoming in-laws.

There were plenty of good men in the capital, but Yu Lanyi was still uneasy. After changing his clothes, Zheng Shanci noticed Yu Lanyi lost in thought and asked, "What’s on your mind?"

"Lv Jin wrote that his father’s arranging a match for him."

Zheng Shanci remembered Lv Jin and smiled, "He’s clever. Lv Da Ren’s well-established in the court and sharp as a tack. Nothing will go wrong."

Yu Lanyi: "When I head back to the capital for New Year’s, I’ll meet Lv Jin’s husband."

By the time the letter got here, Lv Jin was likely already married.

Zheng Shanci nodded with a smile.

"Didn’t you mention wanting to open a wine shop? I have a recipe for brewing wine." Zheng Shanci’s recipe had improvements in the distillation process, making the wine more mellow. Due to the limitations of Xinfeng County’s land, fruits were not abundant, but liquor was doable, and medicinal wines, like those with goji berries, were even more lucrative. Once the concrete road was completed, fruits and grains could be purchased from Lan County, and it wouldn’t take much time.

Yu Lanyi skimmed the recipe but didn’t give it much thought. He just wanted to be the boss, running the shop or gleefully counting cash.

The county office had enough funds, and Zheng Shanci had increased the manpower for road construction. The road to Lan County was expected to be completed by the sixth month of this year. The maturation periods of medicinal herbs and crops varied. For example, goji berries matured from June to October, while licorice matured from August to October, mostly during the summer and autumn seasons.

It would be good for Lan Yi to find something to do, lest he get bored staying at home for too long. He had been busy recently but was now relaxed. On his days off, he could go riding with Lan Yi and even camp out in the countryside.

Yu Lanyi looked a bit down. He ate little during dinner. Lin Geer asked, "Lan Yi, what’s going on?"

"Maybe it’s the weather. I just feel kinda sluggish."

Zheng Shanci said, "Let’s get Dr. Song to take a look."

"Don’t bother, I’m okay." Yu Lanyi returned to bed after finishing his meal.

"Second brother, go see how he’s doing," Zheng Shancheng said.

Zheng Shanci stood up, took his leave, and went to Yu Lanyi's room.

After dinner, Zheng Shancheng and Zheng Qingyin went out for a walk with Lin Geer. Outside the mansion, it was much more open. They bought three sachets that smelled of osmanthus, which could be used to freshen up clothes in the closet or worn as waist accessories.

"Qing Yin, your brother and I have been married for so long, we’re both healthy, but why haven’t we had a child yet?" Lin Geer sighed as she thought about it.

"Sister-in-law, maybe it’s just not the right time yet. You're both still young, you’ll definitely have one in the future," Zheng Qingyin quickly comforted Lin Geer.

"I just wanted to talk about it. Don’t worry about it," Lin Geer laughed heartily, "Let’s check out another place."

Zheng Qingyin replied, "Alright."

Elsewhere, Zheng Shanci told Wang Fu to get Dr. Song. Although Yu Lanyi said he was fine, Zheng Shanci was still worried. Wang Fu took the order and left, and only then did Zheng Shanci enter the room.

The room was filled with new stuff. The dressing table was packed, and Zheng Shanci noticed several identical small boxes used for storing pearl powder. Yu Lanyi had used them up but instead of throwing them away, he lined them up neatly on the dressing table.

Zheng Shanci pulled back the bed curtain and had Jin Yun leave first. Yu Lanyi had his eyes closed, as if asleep. Zheng Shanci reached out to touch his forehead, felt no fever and relaxed. Seeing that he was asleep, he didn’t disturb him.

When Dr. Song arrived, Yu Lanyi vaguely heard something about poor appetite and physical weakness. He opened his eyes, still feeling uncomfortable in his stomach, with flashes of light jumping in his eyes. He saw Zheng Shanci in a green robe talking to Dr. Song.

"It’s likely just a cold, now with some fever, take a dose of medicine first. See if there’s a fever tonight, if so, use a warm towel to wipe. It’s not serious, Lord Zheng, no need to worry."

Yu Lanyi listened to these words and fell back into a deep sleep. Did he catch a cold? He thought he hadn’t been exposed to the wind, how did he catch a cold?

Jin Yun brought the brewed medicine. Zheng Shanci helped Yu Lanyi up and fed him the medicine before letting him sleep again.

Yu Lanyi only felt bitterness in his mouth. He took a few sips and then turned away. A hand gently opened his lips, the voice soft and coaxing, "Drink the medicine first, after you finish, you can have some preserved fruit."

Zheng Shanci fed Yu Lanyi the medicine. Some of the broth spilled on him, but he didn’t show any impatience. He wiped Yu Lanyi with a handkerchief, and after the medicine was finished, he fed Yu Lanyi the preserved fruit.

Jin Yun silently retreated with the empty medicine bowl.

He carried the tray to the kitchen, thinking to himself, the lord is really kind to the young master, full of tenderness, even personally feeding the medicine without a hint of impatience. Before the young master was married, Jin Yun also wondered what the future husband would be like.

Now he thinks, it would be good if he were like the lord.

In the middle of the night, Yu Lanyi woke up startled. His back was drenched in cold sweat, and he felt a tightness around his waist. Zheng Shanci was holding him, sleeping soundly, seemingly affected by his movements. Zheng Shanci vaguely reached out to touch Yu Lanyi's forehead.

Not hot.

"What’s wrong?" Zheng Shanci's voice was hoarse, half-asleep.

"Go back to sleep," Yu Lanyi nuzzled Zheng Shanci's chest and hugged him.

There was a rustling sound from the bed. Zheng Shanci responded with an "alright," and tucked the bedding to prevent drafts and avoid catching a cold.

...

The next morning, Yu Lanyi had some porridge and took his medicine. Zheng Shanci, having packed up, said, "Stay home and rest today. I’ll go pick up uncle and the others."

Yu Lanyi remained silent, gazing at Zheng Shanci with eager eyes.

Zheng Shanci sighed, "Then ride along in the carriage."

Second Master Yu and his entourage had returned from the capital. They typically returned to the capital once every three years, and only if Emperor Wuming issued a decree. Otherwise, as border generals, they were forbidden from returning to the capital without a summons. Besides, the journey there and back took over five months. Returning every year would jeopardize border security.

Upon arriving at Xinfeng County and spotting Zheng Shanci waiting, Second Master Yu halted the carriages and dismounted.

"Uncle," Zheng Shanci greeted respectfully.

"Uncle," Yu Lanyi peeked out from behind the carriage curtain at Second Master Yu.

Second Master Yu instantly noticed Yu Lanyi's frail appearance, his face still pale. His face darkened, "Lan Yi, what's the matter?"

Yu Lanyi replied, "Just a cold, nothing serious."

Hearing this, Second Master Yu was reassured; it was a trivial matter. Zheng Shanci instructed Wang Fu to bring the liquor he had prepared, "Uncle, this liquor will be useful in the army. Please accept this token of our gratitude from Lan Yi and me. Don't refuse."

Zheng Shanci's gift was spot on. As a military man and member of the Marquis's household, Second Master Yu had seen all sorts of gold and jewels and didn't place much value on them. Gifts from others were typically handled by the household's lady or steward, nothing extraordinary. Annually, they would reciprocate with gifts of comparable value, based on the names.

Though this cart of liquor couldn't match the value of gold and jewels, Second Master Yu appreciated the sentiment. Only family would consider the gift's utility; others would merely focus on appearances and saving face.

Second Master Yu patted Zheng Shanci's shoulder, "Well, I'll take this cart of fine liquor."

Zheng Shanci managed a smile, "...As long as it pleases you, Uncle."

Are all soldiers this robust?

Noticing Yu Lanyi still poking his head out to look around, Second Master Yu reprimanded, "Keep your head inside, out of the wind. Stay in the carriage."

Yu Lanyi remained silent.

It had been a while since an elder scolded him, and Yu Lanyi felt somewhat unaccustomed.

"We're rushing back to the border, so we won't linger here today. There's my elder brother and sister-in-law, Changxing, and the Duke of Ying's household... to whom we must deliver gifts." Second Master Yu really found it troublesome and didn't want to bring so many things. He was going to the border to defend it, not to play around. Bringing so much stuff, what would it look like?

As soon as he expressed this attitude, he was scolded by the Marquis of Changyang, "There's no danger within the borders, you're just being lazy. You're not going to play, but Lan Yi is. What are you looking at? Did I say something wrong?"

Second Master Yu: "..."

Suppressed by his elder brother's authority, he swallowed his anger.

Second Master Yu brought the gifts from the capital and didn't engage in small talk, "You all go back, we'll be on our way."

Zheng Shanci: "Uncle, take care on your journey."

Second Master Yu whipped his horse and rode off.

Yu Lanyi lifted the carriage curtain and watched them go.

"Lan Yi, let's go back first."

Yu Lanyi nodded dejectedly, leaning against the carriage. His nose was red, and his face had a slight flush. Zheng Shanci held him in his arms and kissed him.

After Second Master Yu left, Lady Yu sighed, "Why didn't you chat with them a bit more?"

"Lan Yi is sick, and I'm supposed to chat? Getting to the border early is the main thing. In the capital, I had to face those smiling tigers every day, and it made me uncomfortable. I just want to go to the border and ride my horse."

Every time they returned to the capital, there were endless social obligations, some of which they couldn't avoid. It wasn't like going back for the New Year; it was more like going back for social engagements. Every day there were big and small banquets, meeting people they didn't know. Second Master Yu was overwhelmed and couldn't wait to return to the border.

Now that they had departed from Xinfeng County, Second Master Yu missed the border even more.

"Haven't seen Yu Lanyi yet. How could someone with his constitution get sick?" Cui muttered to himself.

Yu Zheng rode alongside the carriage and, upon hearing Cui's words, said gravely, "Anyone can get sick. It's inevitable that his body would struggle to adapt here. When Zheng Shanci's term is up, we shouldn't stay in this place either."

Cui: "Alright, alright, you all have his best interests at heart. I can't even say a word. Yu Zheng, you're quite the character."

Cui pulled the carriage curtain shut, leaving Yu Zheng embarrassed.

Yu Zheng: "..."

He claimed he didn't act differently in front of him, but before marriage, he acted so gentle, smiling without showing teeth, walking gracefully, making him tread carefully. After marriage, once he got what he wanted, he no longer cherished it.

He didn't even bother to pretend anymore.

Seeing his elder brother and sister-in-law bickering, Yu Yu silently guarded his husband's carriage, avoiding the argument. Seeing Yu Yu riding on horseback was tiring, Wei lifted the carriage curtain and said, "Husband, why don't you come in and sit for a while, take a break. You have many more days of riding ahead, no need to rush."

"I'm fine," Yu Yu said, but seeing his husband's concerned look, he happily dismounted: "Then I'll sit with you for a while."

Yu Zheng: "..."

That damn second brother.

...

Yu Lanyi was ill for three days before he finally recovered. He stored all the items from home, keeping only the slingshot given by Yu Zhangxing, playing with it from time to time. When Zheng Shanci returned from duty and saw Yu Lanyi full of energy again, he couldn't help but smile.

Over the past few days, Yu Lanyi hadn't caused any trouble, and Zheng Shanci felt somewhat unaccustomed to it. Now that he was better, he felt at ease.

Before the Deputy County Magistrate appointed by the court arrived, the county office's paperwork was handled by him and Scribe Jiang. With one less person, the amount of paperwork was noticeably overwhelming. Zheng Shanci spent a significant amount of time handling official duties, and with the remaining time, he went to the countryside to check on medicinal herbs and the concrete road.