Chapter 64: The Yu Family and Zhu Family Fortress [Thank you all for your support

Traveling in ancient times was far more troublesome than it is now.

Not only did one need to prepare dried food, but drinking water also had to be ready.

If the journey was long and there was no green grass or leaves, fodder for the draft animals pulling the carts also had to be prepared.

Fortunately, Xu Xu Zaijing's master was accustomed to making long journeys and had taught all this to Seeing Qingcao and the other young male and female servants.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu, looking at the items on the Xu family's carts, silently praised their thoroughness in his heart.

For this funeral journey, Sun Shi and the Xu family sons all rode horses, while the female servants sat inside the carts, which were driven by the male servants.

Within the city, where the crowd was dense, the caravan's speed was somewhat slow; once they exited the New Cao Gate, the caravan's pace quickened.

As the weather gradually warmed, there were many more travelers on the road.

Seeing this procession of several fine horses, with riders clad in expensive cloaks, carrying long sabers and strong bows with feathered arrows at their sides, and carts flying banners, passersby hastily moved aside to the roadside.

From Bianjing to Xiangzhou was approximately four hundred li; Sun Shi's party did not overexert their horses, traveling only seventy or eighty li each day before finding a relay station to rest.

On the afternoon of the third day, the party entered the courtyard of a roadside relay station.

In the relay station courtyard, a caravan belonging to an official's family was unloading bedding, tea sets, and other items for their masters.

The relay station's minor officials and runners were diligently helping to move the goods.

As the sun set behind Mount Riluoxi, the light grew much dimmer.

When that official's family saw so many horses entering, armed with sabers and arrows, the maids and women servants immediately became panicked, fearing they were rogue soldiers or bandits.

There were faint cries calling for the relay station's minor officials and runners.

It was only after the veteran steward scolded them in a low voice a few times that the maids and women servants slowly quieted down.

The old steward gave a few instructions to the maids, then approached the Xu family party with hands hanging respectfully, bowing and saying:

"Greetings to you all; my family belongs to Grand Secretary Yu of Bianjing, and the Department Magistrate of Xiangzhou is our Gu Dalang. May I ask how you should be addressed?"

The horses snorted, and the entire Xu family group dismounted.

Seeing Qingcao announced loudly, "Old Steward, we are from Marquis Marquis Yongyi's Xu family; please do not worry."

"Oh? That is good then; if there is anything we can help with, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, Old Steward."

After hearing the conversation, the relay station's minor officials approached the Xu family even more diligently.

After dismounting, Sun Shi's complexion was not good; after all, she was used to a life of luxury, and although she could play polo, it was different from such long-distance horseback riding.

The servants on the carts carried out basins, foot-washing tubs, and other utensils, going to the relay station's kitchen to fetch water.

Xu Xu Zaijing soothed his own black horse, but the black horse showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, it seemed somewhat excited, snorting repeatedly as if it hadn't run enough yet.

When entering the side room assigned by the relay station, Xu Xu Zaijing's excellent eyesight spotted the maids of Grand Secretary Yu's family all holding precious wooden boxes.

Presumably, the contents inside were nothing cheap; one maid with a wart on the corner of her mouth even opened hers to take a look.

This scene was also seen by the old steward, who, watching the passing Xu family members, uttered a few angry rebukes in a low voice.

That maid retorted with a sidelong glance and some argument, looking around with complete indifference, clearly not holding this old steward in any regard.

However, in the next moment she saw Zhu Zhu Qinghu staring at her; Zhu Zhu Qinghu had spent several years in the military and hated this kind of behavior that disregarded hierarchy and ignored orders above all else.

The gaze of someone who had emerged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood seemed to flay that Guan Guan Pozi alive, frightening her into a shudder.

Having no interaction with the Yu family, Xu Xu Zaijing got up in the middle of the night to add a few handfuls of fodder for his own horses; seeing Xu Xu Zaijing, Zhu Zhu Qinghu smiled.

After dawn broke, the Xu family continued their journey.

Skirting around the prefectural city of Xiangzhou, they arrived to the north of the city.

Just barely on the evening of the fifth day, they entered Zhu Family Fortress; surrounding the fortress were earthen walls two men high, and there was only one gate tunnel for entering the village.

At this time, inside the village, several clan elders were sitting in a room deliberating.

"Tiger Brother has been gone for so many days; I wonder who Hou Fu will send," an old man said.

"Perhaps they will send Duan Brother; he is the eldest legitimate son and has already established a household; his coming would be sufficient," another clan elder said, looking at his tea cup.

"Fifth Grandfather, Sixth Grandfather, a cavalry unit has arrived outside the village!" a younger villager came into the room and said.

"Order the able-bodied men to take up their sabers and crossbows and go up onto the walls to look."

The commotion of a group of horses startled the common people of Zhu Family Fortress who had not yet slept, especially since the north was currently in a standoff.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu shouted a few times at the gate tunnel before the door inside was finally opened.

Everyone welcomed the cavalry unit into the village.

Upon entering the village, Xu Xu Zaijing discovered that it was not just his uncle's family hanging white mourning banners; along a wide road in the center of the village, he roughly counted six or seven other households also hanging white.

Xu Xu Zaijing's heart tightened; of course, how could Uncle Zhu have gone to the Western Army alone? He must have taken his own brothers, sons, and nephews with him.

In a bloody battle that occurred on the border, how many fine young men from a single village had been lost?

Xu Xu Zaijing looked toward his mother, Sun Shi Da Da Niangzi; Sun Shi's face showed little surprise, as she had heard of such matters many times before.

After the wives of the Zhu clan elders learned of Sun Shi's arrival, they all came out to welcome her, and Xu Xu Zaijing also saw his Yu Yu Dagu, whom he was not very familiar with.

Her features bore some resemblance to Xu Minghua, with a few strands of hair loose by her cheeks, and her clothes seemed not to have been changed for several days, covered in stains.

Seeing Sun Shi, her face showed little grief; she appeared entirely wooden.

"Sister has come? Come inside."

After arranging for everyone, Sun Shi, unconcerned by the smell on her sister-in-law, sat with her on the couch.

"You have traveled so many days; go rest quickly," Xu Shi said.

"Sister, sleep with me."

"I am not sleepy."

"For my sake, could you not close your eyes for a while?" Sun Shi said, looking at her sister-in-law's somewhat swollen eyes, then glancing at Xiao Dan.

Xiao Dan understood immediately, went out to find a water basin, boiled some hot water in the kitchen, and carried it into the room.

Sun Shi wrung out the Mao Jin in the basin and, imitating her own natal family's relatives, began to wipe Xu Shi's face, doing so with great care.

She wiped Xu Shi's somewhat dirty hands again.

Then, Sun Shi undid Xu Shi's hair bun and combed it anew for her.

Finally, she added some hot water to the basin; Xiao Dan wanted to lend a hand, but Sun Shi waved her off.

Sun Shi squatted down to remove Xu Shi's shoes and socks, while Xu Shi, sitting on the couch, looked at her and said:

"Is everything well at home?"

Not knowing what had crossed Sun Shi's mind, she realized this elder sister-in-law was so grief-stricken that her sense of time had become disordered; after a moment of silence, she said, "It is well; everything is well."

"Oh."

After wiping Xu Shi's feet clean, Sun Shi dressed her in new shoes and socks.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu stood outside the room; looking through the door curtain, he witnessed the scene, and his eyes, no longer dull as before, filled with glistening tears.

"In the future, Tiger Brother will still need to find a wife. You have met my daughter-in-law; what do you think of her?"

"She is a good child who understands propriety."

"I wonder what kind of young lady Tiger Brother's wife will be."

Xu Shi said nothing, her gaze vacant as she lost herself in thought.

Zhu Zhu Qinghu withdrew from the room and looked at his three male cousins outside.

Xu Xu Zaiduan patted his shoulder, while the usually lively Xu Xu Zaizhang put an arm around his cousin.

Xu Xu Zaijing, meanwhile, lifted his head to gaze at the night sky and sniffled.

The next day, seeing Xu Shi looking completely refreshed, the elders of the Zhu family understood in their hearts that the Xu family had not come to merely go through the motions.

Relatives from villages within ten li and eight xiang who had ties to Zhu Family Fortress also arrived in the village, learning that the Da Da Niangzi of the Hou Fu in the capital had come to this place.

Seven days later, the Zhu family's funeral rites concluded, with only clothing and cap tombs established.

Watching the grieving villagers, Xu Xu Zaijing deeply understood the four words 'war is perilous,' realizing that if he ever stepped onto a battlefield and failed to be extremely cautious, it might be his own family who would be left weeping.

Before departing, Sun Shi discussed matters with the Zhu family elders; given Xu Shi's condition, it was certainly not good for her to remain at Zhu Family Fortress, so the Xu family would take her back to Bianjing to seek medical treatment.

They also left behind five hundred taels of silver, stating plainly that should any difficulties arise, one need only go to Bianjing and seek out the Hou Fu.

With Xu Shi somewhat dazed, the caravan's speed naturally could not match that of their outward journey.

The party entered Xiangzhou city in the afternoon.

Upon entering the city, the soldiers guarding the gate naturally focused their attention on this group.

Since tensions with the Northern Liao were currently high, strict inspections were mandatory.

However, after inspecting the Hou Fu De Yin and learning that a carriage contained the widow of a general who had sacrificed his life for the country, the soldiers granted them passage.

News of the Marquis Marquis Yongyi's family members entering the city was also reported to the Department Magistrate's office in Xiangzhou.

At the Department Magistrate's residence, Yu Zhi, whose wife had died merely two months prior, showed not a trace of sorrow on his face as he spoke in the study with a woman dressed in rather splendid attire.

"Husband, although the Xu family previously suffered setbacks, their Third Son now enjoys considerable imperial favor and has formed a marriage alliance with the Lady Ningyuan Marquis; we ought to pay them a visit."

"Wife speaks rightly; I shall immediately send someone to deliver a calling card. These past few years have been hard on you; once we return to Bianjing, you shall be my rightful Da Da Niangzi."

"This humble wife is fine; it is only our two children who have suffered."

That very evening, the Department Magistrate's calling card was delivered to the postal station where the Xu family was staying.

The conditions at the city's postal station were naturally far superior to those outside the city walls.

Sun Shi pondered over the card in her hand for a moment before deciding to send her three sons.

After all, Zhu Family Fortress fell under the Department Magistrate's jurisdiction; cultivating a good relationship with him would make him aware of the ties between the Hou Fu and Zhu Family Fortress, demonstrating on one hand that the Zhu family was not to be bullied, and on the other, securing more care for them in the future.

The next day, the three Xu brothers—Xu Xu Zaijing and his siblings—along with Zhu Zhu Qinghu, arrived at Yu Zhi's residence.

After presenting their visiting cards, the group entered the front hall of the mansion.

At the banquet in the front hall, the sons of other officials, including the Assistant Prefect of Xiangzhou, were present to accompany them.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty valued civil officials above all, this did not extend to ignoring the noble houses.

If one slighted a noble house, who could say which of their in-laws might not place an obstacle in one's official career?

The Xu brothers, including Xu Xu Zaijing, also intended to secure a patron for Zhu Family Fortress, so both host and guests enjoyed the banquet thoroughly.

When Xu Xu Zaijing and Zhu Zhu Qinghu went to change their clothes before returning to the front hall, Zhu Zhu Qinghu's eyes flashed, and he nudged his chin toward Xu Xu Zaijing as a signal.

Xu Xu Zaijing looked and saw that it was the Guan Guan Pozi from the roadside postal station that afternoon, the one with a wart on the corner of her mouth.

Many thanks for everyone's support! Bowing again!

Readers who wish to make a cameo appearance may leave a comment; I cannot guarantee whether you will be cast as a protagonist or antagonist (hehe).





(End of Chapter)