Chapter 314

Empress's bedchamber

The Empress held her hands in front of her abdomen, pacing back and forth at the entrance, occasionally looking outside.

Inside the room, the Emperor was watching Zhao Fang copy calligraphy, while the little Princess was lying on the bed playing.

After a while,

"How is it? They didn't quarrel, did they?"

Hearing the Empress's question,

The Emperor raised his head, and Zhao Fang in front of him also stopped copying calligraphy.

On the father and son's very similar faces, they both glared and looked outside with the same expression.

"Reporting to the Empress, Young Master Jing has been sincere in his attitude the whole time. When this servant came, he was just admitting his mistake to the Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo!"

The Empress sighed and said:

"Sigh! Good child! You have been wronged!"

The Emperor lowered his head, signaling Zhao Fang to continue writing, and said:

"I have said long ago that the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family has grown up and will definitely be sensible!"

"Empress, do not worry! Tomorrow, give the Xu family many rewards. This year, when the Fourth Daughter of the Xu family gets married, you can add some more dowry."

The Empress nodded and said somewhat annoyedly: "I should have stayed there just now. The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo has high seniority; I don't know how much grievance Young Master Jing had to suffer."

The Emperor shook his head and said:

"If you stayed there, whatever you said or whoever you favored would not be good! It is better to let them argue it out themselves. I think this kid, Young Master Jing, handled it quite well!"

Hearing the Emperor's words, Zhao Fang nodded while copying.

After a while,

Another eunuch walked over with hurried steps.

The Empress smiled and said: "How is it? Has it already ended?"

The eunuch bowed and said: "Reporting to the Empress, the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family admitted his mistake, but he said..."

The Empress asked urgently: "Said what?"

"Han Wulang Young Master of the Xu family said that before admitting his mistake and apologizing, there is one thing that must be done first!"

"He said that the healthy young masters of the Tan family should all come to the palace to have a fight with him and beat him up; only then would his apology be proper."

"He also said later..."

Listening to the eunuch's retelling, the Emperor's expression slowly sank.

The exchange at the polo field outside the Xinzheng Gate was no less in scale than the archery activity with the Northern Liao envoys outside the Nanxun Gate.

After the military exchange ended, the Emperor had not yet had time to hear the report before he came to the Empress's palace because of the matter concerning the Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo.

"The descendants of the Tan family of the Duke of Anguo did not leave early because of injuries?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, according to the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family, they exited together with the descendants of the Marquis of Jinxiang's family."

The brush in the hand of the Imperial Prince Zhao Fang in front of the Emperor also stopped, and he said: "Father, is this being afraid before the battle starts?"

The Emperor nodded slowly and said:

"Go, call the Gu Dalang of the Gu family here."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The eunuch retreated.

The Emperor looked at the Empress and said: "I will not interfere in the matter of the Duke of Anguo's family; Empress, you decide it yourself."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As he spoke, the Emperor walked out from behind the desk, and Zhao Fang said: "Father, your son..."

The Emperor reached out, Zhao Fang took it, and then the father and son walked toward the outside of the palace hall.

After the Emperor left, the Empress pondered for a while and also brought people to the room she had just left.

The Empress wore a smile and waved her hand to signal everyone who stood up to salute to sit down.

After sitting down, the Empress said:

"Old Madam, what do you think of what the young master of the Xu family said just now?"

The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo just wanted to speak.

The Empress continued:

"Speaking of which, the young master of the Tan family being able to go to the Liang family's polo field was because several Dukes begged His Majesty."

Xu Zaijing and Zhang Fangling on the side nodded incessantly.

The Empress said again:

"Before, His Majesty thought it was because your young master was injured that he left early. But after listening to the eunuch's retelling of the Fifth Young Master of the Xu family's version, His Majesty said..."

"This is being afraid before the battle starts, so he will not come over."

The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo's expression became anxious:

"This..."

"Empress, then what about justice for my grandson?"

The Empress looked at the old woman and said:

"Old Madam, it was a matter of mutual consent from the start! Not to mention anything else, the method the Xu family child suggested is indeed a bit unfair to him."

"If even this cannot be accepted, as an elder, I cannot tie them both up and beat them with a board, can I?"

The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo: "They shouldn't have suggested it in the first place..."

The Empress stopped smiling and said lightly:

"Old Madam, I am also tired!"

"A good medicine for healing injuries has just been made in the palace; it will be sent to the Duke of Anguo's mansion later."

The Duke of Yingguo's wife on the side stood up and said: "Empress, we shall take our leave."

The Empress nodded with a smile.

The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo stood up, saluted, and also walked outside.

When they arrived at the corridor, the relatives of the Duke of Anguo saw that Xu Zaijing and Zhang Fangling had already been invited away by the eunuch.

Leaving the Imperial Palace,

The relatives of the Duke of Anguo all boarded the carriage. The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo was still angry and said in a low voice with hatred:

"Hmph! I am His Majesty's aunt, yet he actually favors outsiders like this!"

The daughter-in-law in the carriage changed her expression and said: "Mother-in-law, mind your words!"

"Shut up!"

There was silence in the carriage.

Followed by the servants of the Duke of Anguo outside the carriage, the carriage went far away.

The relatives of the Duke of Anguo were still on the way out of the palace.

Inside the Imperial Palace,

Gu Tingyu, who had been waiting in the side hall for a long time, followed the eunuch into the room.

Gu Tingyu arched his hands and bowed: "Greetings, Your Majesty, Imperial Prince."

"Rise!"

The Gu Dalang of the Gu family straightened up, looked at the Emperor sitting behind the imperial desk reading the calligraphy, and smiled and nodded at Zhao Fang, who was looking at him with great interest.

The Emperor read the calligraphy at a glance, put it down, and said:

"Gu Dalang, why did the descendants of the Duke of Anguo, Duke of Hanguo, Marquis of Jinxiang, and other families leave early? Why didn't you write it down?"

Gu Tingyu bowed: "Reporting to Your Majesty, those matters should be reported by colleagues from the Ministry of Rites."

The Emperor nodded: "Gu Dalang, you come from a military noble family and are also my Jinshi; how do those Jin warriors compare to the soldiers of my Great Zhou?"

Although it was already written in the report, Gu Tingyu still said:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this subject has asked several people, and they all say that these Jin warriors are very strong and do not fall behind when facing the Great Zhou Imperial Guard."

"However, the few young masters who went down to practice combat with the Jin warriors have not yet written their reports for this subject; specifically how they are still needs to be asked of them."

Zhao Fang on the side blinked and said: "Father, isn't Young Master Jing right here in the palace!"

The Emperor smiled and said: "Go, call them both here."

Soon,

Xu Zaijing and Zhang Fangling arrived in the palace hall.

"Your Majesty! Imperial Prince!"

Xu and Zhang bowed in a salute.

"Mm, how did you two feel practicing with the Jin warriors today? Cao Si Lang Zhang, you speak first."

Zhang Fangling said:

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

"This humble person learned through inquiry that before the Jin Kingdom was founded, they caught bears and tigers for the Northern Liao royal family and mostly lived by fishing and hunting, having patience. Decades ago, they paid tribute to Northern Liao with tens of thousands of good horses. The bitter cold of the north made them extremely resilient..."

"The generals personally braved arrows and stones... their food was also the same!"

The Emperor nodded after listening.

"Fifth Young Master, what do you think?"

Xu Zaijing bowed and said: "Your Majesty, Fourth Brother said it very comprehensively; this humble person will fill in the gaps."

"Just as Fourth Brother said, the Jin Kingdom mostly consists of tribes. When hunting, they must listen to orders and be quiet, otherwise, they will only let the prey escape. Life is training; it aligns with military strategy."

"Moreover, one tribe is one team; the soldiers and generals know each other, and they are as obedient as an arm."

"Today, the Tan family descendant used underhanded tricks to seriously injure a Jin warrior. Although this group of warriors was extremely angry, the leader gave an order, and not a single person acted."

Zhang Fangling on the side nodded.

Xu Zaijing continued:

"In the past year or two, the Jin Kingdom's soldiers have continuously won with fewer numbers without a single defeat, and they have even crushed the heartland of Northern Liao head-on; their morale is extremely high."

"Also, this humble person thinks the Jin warriors are very greedy?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the few people on the side looked over suspiciously.

Xu Zaijing said:

"After the Jin warriors came to the tent this morning, their eyes would always look at the gold ornaments on us."

"The north is bitterly cold, and the Jin warriors originally had no property! But one victory in battle could allow them to obtain many spoils of war."

"And the Jin warriors said that their distribution of spoils is extremely fair."

Gu Tingyu on the side arched his hands and said: "Your Majesty! Although the Jin Kingdom is located in the wilderness, listening to the actions of their soldiers, they secretly align with the strong army described in military strategy! They really cannot be underestimated!"

The Emperor nodded with a serious expression.

Xu Zaijing arched his hands on the side and said: "Your Majesty, the reason Northern Liao has been defeated repeatedly, besides the Jin soldiers being fierce and risking their lives, there is also one most important reason."

The Emperor was stunned behind the imperial desk, then smiled and pointed at Xu Zaijing with his finger.

Zhao Fang beside the Emperor looked suspiciously at his father, whose expression had turned from cloudy to sunny, and asked: "Father?"

"Fifth Young Master, you kid, say it yourself!"

Zhao Fang turned his head to look at Xu Zaijing: "Young Master Jing?"

Xu Zaijing bowed and said: "Imperial Prince, the most important reason is the Northern Liao main general! If the general is afraid before the battle starts, no matter how brave the soldiers are, they cannot win."

Zhao Fang nodded as if he understood.

Zhang Fangling on the side looked at Xu Zaijing and secretly gave him a thumbs up. Young Master Jing, you really are good at fanning the flames and adding fuel to the fire!

Xu Zaijing thought to himself, I am not talking nonsense; Yelu Sun told him quite a bit when he returned from the Yanzhou fiefdom.

"Alright, the day is getting late! I will not keep you for a meal."

As he spoke, the Emperor stood up and left the room with Zhao Fang, who looked back at Xu Zaijing with every step.

"Lord Gu, two young masters, please this way."

The eunuch bowed at the entrance and said.

The three of them left the palace gate.

The Duke of Yingguo's wife's carriage was not there; perhaps she had gone home.

Gu Tingyu looked at Xu Zaijing beside him and said:

"Young Master Jing, with your words just now, the official positions of the Tan family descendants of the Duke of Anguo might have changes."

Xu Zaijing smiled slightly: "That is not a bad thing either."

Gu Tingyu smiled.

Xu Zaijing looked at Gu Tingyu, who was preparing to board the carriage, and said:

"By the way, brother-in-law, today in the palace I saw a woman beside the Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo..."

Gu Tingyu nodded and said: "Right, that is my aunt. The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo is His Majesty's... cousin."

Xu Zaijing said "Oh."

"Have time to come see your sister and nephew."

As he spoke, Gu Tingyu entered the carriage.

Xu Zaijing shouted: "Understood, brother-in-law."

Subsequently, Zhang Fangling and Gu Tingyu went together to return to Xingguo Lane, while Xu Zaijing and Qingyun rode their horses to rush toward Quyuanjie.

At this time, the sun was about to set,

And the sky was rapidly darkening.

Today was only the third day; there were no old acquaintances of the Marquis's mansion setting up stalls on Quyuanjie.

Entering the main gate of the Marquis's mansion under the light of the large lanterns at the entrance,

Still not having changed his clothes, Xu Zaijing went straight into the main mother's courtyard.

In the warm hall,

Zaihang was playing with his eldest nephew.

Xu Zaijing sat in a chair, eating the food his mother had left for him in large mouthfuls while saying:

"Mother, that is how it is! The Old Madam of the Duke of Anguo has high seniority; this son has always been respectful."

Sun Shi nodded and said: "Then how was it finally resolved?"

"This son said, let all the Tan family members come to have a fight with me; wouldn't that be more venting?"

Anmei on the side covered her mouth and chuckled.

Looking at his mother, Xu Zaijing:

"Mother, this old woman is the type who, no matter what happens, is definitely not wrong herself, and the fault must be with others."

Sun Shi said: "Jing'er, this time you did not do wrong! Next time there is such a thing, Mother will come forward for you."

Xu Zaijing nodded with his cheeks puffed out, then spat out a rib bone.

Just as he wanted to say something, a female official outside the hall announced:

"Main Mother! A post was delivered from the outer courtyard, saying it is for the Second Daughter-in-law."

Without needing Sun Shi's signal, Mama Zhu took the post from outside the door and handed it to Sheng Hualan.

Sheng Hualan gave the soup bowl in her hand to Cuichan. Now that she was pregnant, she ate less and more often every day, and with a physician present, there were no major concerns about the fetus.

Taking the post and looking at it carefully, Sheng Hualan smiled: "Mother-in-law, it is the wedding date of my cousin Sheng Shulan from the Youyang main branch of my maiden family."

Sun Shi was stunned, reached out to take the post from Sheng Hualan's hand, and said while reading:

"Hiss, could it be the one who passed the courtyard examination at twelve, surnamed...?"

Sheng Hualan smiled and nodded: "She is of the same family as you..."

Xu Zaijing raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, and Zaihang on the other side also pursed his lips.

Sun Shi nodded, looked at her two sons, and said: "Look at others, then look at you two; others were scholars at twelve, you..."

Xu Zaijing secretly rolled his eyes, swallowed his food, and said:

"Sister-in-law, have you inquired about this scholar's character?"

Sheng Hualan smiled and said:

"When I followed Grandmother and Mother to our old home in Youyang before, I heard the elders say that his widowed mother washed clothes to support his studies; he also came out of bitterness..."

"As for character, I didn't inquire. He has been studying all these years, and nothing has been spread about him."

Sun Shi tapped Xu Zaijing's head: "Others are already scholars; what could his character be like?"

"Mother, didn't you hear in the plays that most heartless people are scholars..."

Sun Shi: "Go, go, go! You really don't wish for relatives to be well."

Xu Zaijing curled his lips and said:

"Then, Mother, let us wait and see."

Anmei on the side said: "Little Five, you are also a scholar!"

After Xu Zaijing gave his sister a look, he said:

"Sister-in-law, for Sister Sheng Shulan's wedding, the dowry should not be small, right?"

Sheng Hualan nodded.

Sun Shi looked at Xu Zaijing suspiciously: "Jing'er, why do you ask this?"

Xu Zaijing sighed and said:

"Mother! This Scholar Sun has been studying for years, and his family is poor, so naturally, you can't see anything. But once he has money in his hands..."

"By the way, Sister-in-law, he passed the courtyard examination at twelve; it has been so many years, what about now?"

Sheng Hualan said: "I heard he is still a scholar; the tuition and such are being helped by the eldest uncle's family."

"Actually, before, there was a fortune teller who gave this scholar a divination, saying he was some... some..."

Sheng Hualan frowned and tried hard to recall; after becoming pregnant, she felt her memory was not good.

Xu Zaijing curled his lips: "Prime Minister material..."

Sheng Hualan smiled and pointed at Xu Zaijing:

"Right, right, right, Little Five is right."

"The eldest uncle's family also thinks he can pass the imperial examination, and the family can have more support."

Xu Zaijing put down his chopsticks and thought to himself, should I go find Big Brother Zhao?

(End of chapter)