Chapter 168

Chapter 168

At dinner, Wang Ying informed the two elders about the outbreak of war in the northwest.

Li Shi put down her chopsticks and asked, "Is the Marquis leading troops to battle?"

Lin Sui nodded, "He said he’d be leaving in a few days and wants Qing Er to acknowledge me as her adoptive father first."

Chen Rong worriedly asked, "What about your marriage? What if the date gets delayed…"

"The Marquis said if it’s delayed, we’ll set a new date after he returns."

"Why would a war break out so suddenly…"

Wang Ying was also deeply concerned. As someone from a later era, he knew all too well how many dynasties had been destroyed by war.

Once war begins, people plummet from a peaceful and prosperous age into a turbulent world of suffering.

A speck of dust in history becomes a mountain on the shoulders of ordinary people.

Two days later, a carriage from the Marquis’s residence arrived to pick up Chen Rong’s family and Lin Sui’s family. Many of Li Mu’s relatives were also invited; almost all of them attended, except for Li Mu’s father and the matriarch.

Li Mu’s intention was to entrust his daughter to Lin Sui's care in the presence of relatives and friends. He feared that if something were to happen to him in the northwest, Qing Er would have no one to rely on.

His mother was old and soft-hearted. A few kind words from her father or a few tears from the matriarch would sway her, and she might even hand over the entire Marquisate to others.

As for the Li family, aside from his eldest brother, who showed some familial affection, the rest were practically eager for him to die so they could seize his property.

With wolves and tigers circling, how could he rest easy leaving behind an orphaned child and an elderly mother? So he decided to make things formal.

He had thought this through carefully. First, Lin Sui could not have children, which meant he would never have a child of his own. If Qing Er acknowledged him as her adoptive father, he would surely treat her as his own.

Second, he trusted the character of the Chen family. Lord Chen Jing was widely known for his integrity, and Chen Qingyan was also of upright character. With his husband helping his cousin run a shop, they were kind-hearted and clever—such a family was worthy of entrusting his child to.

Of course, Li Mu wasn’t entirely without precautions. After all, money can tempt anyone, and if he really died on the battlefield, such a vast fortune might change someone.

So he left two personal guards in the army. If news of his death came, these two would go to the Marquis’s residence to protect Qing Er. If Lin Sui treated Qing Er well, he could have the wealth without issue. But if he mistreated the child, the guards would deal with him.

There was actually a more reliable way: to marry Lin Sui directly.

But Li Mu couldn’t bear to rush it. The young man had not been treated well by his previous husband, so how could he hastily arrange a wedding? If Li Mu really died on the battlefield, he would leave Lin Sui a widower.

Once everything was prepared, they brought the child and both families to the Li family ancestral hall. In the presence of the clan elders, Qing Er offered tea and acknowledged Lin Sui as her adoptive father.

Qing Er was the happiest. She didn’t yet know her father was going to war, only that from today on, she too had a dad. The little girl held Lin Sui’s hand tightly as they left the ancestral hall, reluctant to let go.

At the main gate, Li Mu stopped. Everyone knew the two had something to say to each other. Wang Ying stepped forward and picked up Qing Er, saying, "Come, come with your uncle. Later, we’ll go home and play with Yuanbao."

Qing Er nodded happily and followed him to the carriage.

"I’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow," Li Mu lowered his head and coughed lightly. "After I leave, I’ll entrust Qing Er to your care."

"Rest assured, Marquis. I will treat her as my own child. You know… I never thought I’d be able to become a father in this lifetime. I never expected to meet Qing Er…" Lin Sui’s eyes welled with tears, filled with genuine joy and gratitude.

Li Mu took a deep breath. The bitter cold wind filled his chest, stirring a hard-to-express sense of connection.

Before, going to battle, he wasn’t afraid of death. He felt that if he died, his mother might even have a better life, because his father said the facial mole on his face was unlucky and had brought shame upon his mother.

But since Qing Er came into his life, he had gained a reason to live. And now, there was one more.

"If anyone from the Li family gives you trouble, go to the military camp and find General Zheng. He’ll help you handle it."

"Alright, I understand."

Li Mu took out a jade token from his pocket. "With this, you can withdraw five thousand taels of silver from the bank. Hold onto this for me. If there’s an emergency, you can use it to withdraw money."

Lin Sui declined, "This… you should keep it yourself… It’s too valuable, I’m afraid I might lose it…"

"It’s fine. Even if it’s lost, I can still withdraw money from the bank. Please, keep it."

Li Mu reached out, drew Lin Sui into a quick hug, and then let go. Only the faint scent of iron on him reminded Lin Sui that the hug had really happened.

"I’m leaving. For the next few days, keep Qing Er with you. If she asks, tell her I’ve gone for training exercises and won’t be back for a long time."

Lin Sui nodded.

Li Mu waved, and his subordinate brought over his horse. He mounted and rode away without looking back.

Lin Sui stood in the cold wind, his heart warm with emotion. Pressing a hand to his racing chest, he silently prayed for this man’s safe return.

News of the war in the northwest spread with the bitter cold wind to Jizhou Prefecture.

In just a few days, the streets and alleys were filled with talk of the war. The Wu Dynasty had enjoyed peace for too long—over a hundred years without any major conflicts—so the common people treated it as casual dinner conversation, completely unaware that danger was quietly approaching.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the Jizhou army received orders. Led by Wuping Marquis, over thirteen thousand soldiers marched toward the northwest. How many would never return, buried in a distant land…

*

On the twenty-fourth day of the first lunar month, Chen Qingyan and his group arrived in the capital. Thanks to advance arrangements by Lord Liu, their journey was almost seamless.

Upon entering the city, servants from the Liu family were already waiting at the city gate. When they saw the carriage bearing the Liu family plaque, they hurried forward.

"Has the second young master arrived?" Liu Changyi was the second son in the Liu family’s birth order.

Liu Changyi opened the carriage door and recognized the familiar face. "Uncle Liu, why are you here?"

"The master estimated you’d arrive these past few days and asked me to wait at the city gate, worried you might get lost."

Liu Changyi laughed, "I remember the way!" He had visited the capital for his second sister’s wedding a few years ago and stayed at his uncle’s house for several days.

Uncle Liu sat at the front of the carriage, directing the coachman. "Was the journey smooth?"

"We encountered some snow along the way, but it stopped quickly and didn’t delay us."

"When the old mistress heard you were getting married last autumn, she wanted to return home to see, but she caught a chill and the master didn’t dare let her travel. Knowing you were coming this time, she’s been talking about it every day and saved plenty of treats for you."

The old mistress was Liu Changyi’s grandmother. Well into her seventies, she doted on her descendants, especially since the family had few descendants.

A few years earlier, Liu Yaozhi had brought her to the capital to live out her later years in comfort. The old lady missed her second son and two daughters dearly but was too old to travel back and forth; otherwise, she would have returned to Jizhou long ago.

As they spoke, the carriage arrived at Vermilion Bird Street. This was the street of the powerful in the capital. Despite its length, only five families resided here.

The Liu, Song, Zhang, Yang, and Shen families—each either related to the royal family or wielded immense political influence. But that’s a story for another time.

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Liu residence. Steward Liu Xin knocked on the gate, and the gatekeeper immediately opened the large doors, removing the threshold to allow the carriage to enter the courtyard.

Just inside stood a large screen wall, carved with guardian lions encircled by auspicious clouds. The scene was so lifelike it seemed the lions could leap off the stone at any moment.

Chen Qingyan thought to himself that his own "Wealth and Prosperity" screen wall seemed utterly vulgar in comparison.

Upon entering, three or four servants came forward to see to the carriage and belongings. Everything would later be delivered to the prearranged rooms.

Since Chen Qingyan was an outside male guest and could not casually enter the inner quarters, the two bypassed the ornamental gate and went directly to the elderly lady’s courtyard.

Along the way, Liu Changyi chatted enthusiastically as he introduced things to Chen Qingyan: “Grandmother has such a good temper. Since she can’t see Qing Yun, meeting you is just as good.”

Chen Qingyan chuckled. “Is it really the same?”

“Hey, it's close enough. Later, if Grandmother offers you food, just eat as much as you can. The more you eat, the happier she’ll be. Don’t be shy.”

“Alright, don’t worry.”

When they reached the door, Liu Changyi called out, “Grandmother!”

His voice was plenty loud—the old lady inside heard him at once. “Is that Hutou?” Hutou was Liu Changyi’s childhood nickname.

Mrs. Liu said, “It must be him. Who else has such a loud voice?”

“Ha ha ha!” The old lady clapped her hands and laughed.

Soon after, Liu Changyi and Chen Qingyan entered the room. As soon as the door opened, a wave of warmth hit their faces. The room was heated by a kang system and was very cozy. Their heavy outer robes were too much to bear, so they both took off their hats and cloaks, handing them to the maids nearby, then stepped inside to pay their respects to the old lady.

“Your unfilial grandson pays his respects to Grandmother. I bring belated New Year’s wishes—may your happiness be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your longevity as enduring as the Southern Mountains.”

“Please, rise, my dear grandson!” The old lady reached out, pulled Liu Changyi up, and hugged him dearly, utterly delighted. A mother’s youngest son and a grandmother’s eldest grandson are the treasures of her life. Though Liu Changyi wasn’t the eldest, the Liu family had few descendants—just these two only ones—so the old lady naturally doted on each of them.

Mrs. Liu, sitting nearby, asked, “And who is this young gentleman?”

Chen Qingyan hurried forward to pay his respects. “I am Chen Qingyan, Chang Yi’s brother-in-law. I’ve also come to participate in the Metropolitan Examination.”

“Oh, so you’re Chen Qingyan! I’ve heard my husband mention you several times!”

Upon learning that Chen Qingyan was Liu Changyi’s elder brother-in-law, Old Mrs. Liu couldn’t help but observe him closely. Seeing his handsome features and refined manners, she knew that Chang Yi’s wife must be quite admirable as well.

“What a shame you couldn’t bring your wife along this time. Grandmother prepared so many things for her.”

Liu Changyi whispered, “Qing Yun is pregnant and should avoid traveling, so we didn’t bring her.”

The old lady was even more delighted to hear this. “How wonderful! That girl is blessed! When you return, Grandmother will pack up even more good things for her!”

The eldest aunt sitting nearby was also pleased—adding new members to the family was always a joy, especially for a family with so few descendants like theirs.

After a while, the old lady grew somewhat tired. Mrs. Liu stood up and said, “You must be weary from the journey. Go rest now. We’ll call you for dinner when the master of the house returns.”

“Alright, Grandmother, I’ll take my leave for now.”

Chen Qingyan also cupped his hands and said, “I shall take my leave as well.”

After the two had left the room, Mrs. Liu couldn’t help remarking, “That child has really grown up. Last time he was here, he was still sneaking candies. Now he’s married and soon to have a child.”

“Isn’t that the truth? I’m getting old and frail now—I can’t even sit for long without getting tired.”

Mrs. Liu comforted her, “Mother, you’re not old. You still have to wait to hold your great-grandchildren.”

“I wonder when Chang Rui will return. I haven’t even met his child yet.”

Still, having her nephew here was good—the old lady would be happy for a long time because of it.