Chapter 77: The He Family and the Ministry of Personnel Bestow Rewards [Heartfelt Thanks to the Readers for Your Support!]

It was night once again.

At the Marquis Yongyi Marquis's Hou Fu in Bianjing, when Xu Xu Zaijing returned home from the academy, Old Lady He had already departed.

He was summoned by his own mother.

Under the candlelight, Sun Shi fanned Xu Xu Zaijing with a fan; after glancing at him, she seemed lost in thought.

The maids and Guan Guan Pozi were all outside the door.

Xu Xu Zaiduan, Xu Xu Zaizhang, and the others were not in the room; it was better that the children remain unaware of what Xu Xu Zaijing had done, lest they grow arrogant from favor and invite disaster.

Sun Shi spoke in a low voice:

"Han Wulang, do you know why Old Lady He came to our residence?"

"Mother, I know; it must be for Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law."

"No, your eldest brother is still young, and your eldest sister-in-law can conceive at any time; Old Lady He came to thank us."

"Why?"

"The Imperial Physician."

"Is that so? Is Old Lady He's son...?"

"After your father and I married, Old Lady He, entrusted by your Great Aunt from the Sheng family, came to examine me; thereafter, you children arrived one after another like eggs hatching."

Sun Shi said with a smile.

"The Great Aunt from the Sheng family?"

"How many Great Aunts do you have? As fate would have it, you actually saved her son's life; naturally, Old Lady He had to come to the residence to express her gratitude."

"Then, how did Imperial Physician He dare tell his mother? Would that not be dangerous?"

"This Old Lady acts with meticulous care and keeps her mouth shut; after all these years, do you know how many illegitimate sons and daughters Lord He currently has?"

Xu Xu Zaijing feigned ignorance and asked: "Two?"

Sun Shi shook her head and said: "Not a single one, yet in his youth, Lord He was notoriously flirtatious."

Xu Zaijing thought to himself: Poisoning, of course; even Miss Qin Er, who knows nothing of medical principles, managed to harm Gu Yankai and Gu Tingyu.

Who could compare in medical knowledge to Old Lady He, who is an expert in medical principles?

"Does Mother mean that Old Lady He...?"

"It is enough that you understand." Sun Shi looked at her son, who was deep in thought, her eyes filled with satisfaction.

Xu Xu Zaijing had sharp eyes; having caught a distant glimpse of Old Lady He today, he saw an elderly woman with fair skin, a plump figure, and a ready smile.

One could not tell at all that she was a ruthless person with lives on her hands.

For most of her life, Old Lady He truly embodied the principle that if anyone made her even slightly uncomfortable, she would ensure they found no comfort at all, eliminating every potential threat in its budding stage.

She possessed a fierce rutheness akin to seizing destiny firmly in her own hands.

Did Old Lady He act with her own hands?

There was no need; she only needed to inadvertently reveal a few harmful prescriptions to the concubines in the household, letting them fight among themselves; once one died, the murderer would hardly escape death either.

As the saying goes, when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits.

What? You refuse to fight? If Old Lady He, the main wife, says you are fighting, then you are fighting.

Old Lady He's visit brought not only gratitude but also a small booklet gifted to Sun Shi, containing prescriptions for regulating one's health.

Teaching through words never compares to teaching through experience.

Sun Shi also hoped her children would observe more and think more, so they would not suffer great losses in the future.

The next day.

In summer, the sky brightens early.

Qi Sheng approached Gu Yankai, who was practicing with his spear.

"My Lord, the father of Miss Mei has passed away; the mother and daughter have delivered the remaining silver to the outer courtyard."

Gu Yankai stopped, walked over to the weapon rack, and vertically inserted his long spear into it.

He lowered his head, wiping his hands with a handkerchief, and after ten or so breaths, said:

"Find a courtyard and settle them there."

"Yes, My Lord. Also, the Xu family of the Marquis Yongyi Marquis's residence has been promoted; they are now the Commandant of the Tianwu Army. The Eldest Lady says our household should go to offer congratulations."

"Just follow Da Da Niangzi's instructions."

As the master and servant spoke and walked away, at the corner of the corridor in the courtyard, Gu Gu Tingyu slowly emerged, holding an unsharpened long sword.

He had originally intended to come here to practice swordplay for exercise, but who could have known he would overhear this conversation.

Accompanying him was his young attendant, Youqing; seeing the terrifyingly bright eyes of his young master, Youqing dared not look directly at him.

"Hmph! Another trick to harm people."

Having spoken, Gu Gu Tingyu proceeded alone into the courtyard, performing sword movements gently and slowly; the sword blade remained perfectly steady, no longer resembling his childhood self who could not even hold a wooden sword without trembling.

Time flew swiftly.

When the weather began to turn cool, Xu Minghua was ordered to return to the capital from the front lines of the Western Army.

Traveling dust-laden all the way, he brought back numerous descendants of the Xu family from Daizhou, along with relatives from the Sun family.

Personal soldiers had long informed the Xu family; on this day, the entire household gathered at the main gate to welcome them.

Xu Minghua dismounted at the entrance of the Marquis's Residence on Quyuan Street.

Sun Shi looked at her lord and husband, tears welling in her eyes.

Once war broke out, though the days were not long, for Sun Shi it truly felt like enduring years in a single day.

Xu Minghua looked at the family members gathered at the main gate, his eyes full of warmth.

As Xu Minghua approached, the family members one by one offered greetings and addressed him.

"Father, you have worked hard on your journey."

"Father, your daughter misses you so much."

"Father."

Xu Minghua patted Xu Zaizhang and Xu Zaijing, who had grown taller again, then, after glancing at his eldest son, took Sun Shi's hand and entered the courtyard.

There is no need to describe the celebration within the Fu.

That evening, after the banquet dispersed,

On the couch in the main mistress's courtyard, Sun Shi recounted in detail to her husband everything that had happened during this period.

Especially regarding matters in the palace, there was no need to hide anything from Xu Minghua.

After listening to his Lady finish speaking, Xu Minghua said:

"I was wondering; based on military merit, Elder Brother Cao actually has more than I do, so why was it me who came to Bianjing? It turns out my virtuous wife gave me a boost."

Full of lingering fear, Sun Shi said:

"It was your son, not me. Truly, disaster and fortune depend on each other; if anything had actually happened to the Imperial Prince, even the slightest implication for our family would have been an unimaginable catastrophe."

Xu Minghua comforted his Eldest Lady, thinking silently, Yes, disaster and fortune do depend on each other.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Minghua continued:

"With such an incident occurring, Han Wulang can now be said to hold a place in the Emperor's heart. As for official positions, rewards, and the future careers of the young men in our family, they may well rely on the blessing of their younger brother."

"The Empress has too few children," Sun Shi said with some sighing.

"Nowadays, the Empress is simply too old. By the way, when I went to the government office this time, the attitude of those superiors toward me changed. These shrewds, when they want to treat you well, truly make you feel as if bathed in spring breeze; they praise people right down to the marrow of their bones."

"How did they praise you?"

"Too much, far too much; I cannot even bring myself to say it. I heard from the office staff that because the additional taxes levied in Yang Zhou during this campaign were collected so well and so quickly, the Ministry of Personnel issued a commendation, and Hong-ge'er will be entering the capital in a few days to receive his reward."

"When the time comes, our Fu will host a banquet; since they are all military officers, should we send an invitation to the Sheng family?"

"Send it; whether they come is their affair, but whether we send it is ours."

By the second day, the young servants guarding the gate of the Fu had received numerous invitations and congratulatory gifts, and the accompanying reward money was naturally much greater than on ordinary days.

Most of the invitations and gifts came from families of nobles and military generals, their purpose naturally being to curry favor with this newly appointed high-ranking military official.

Very few came from civil official families; only the one from the family of Xu Xu Zaijing's aunt, and the one from the Sheng family of Jiying Lane.

After Marquis Yongyi Xu Minghua took command of the Heavenly Martial Army, the Xu family sent out invitations, asking those households that had sent invitations and gifts to come to the Xu Residence for a joyous gathering.

The street outside the main gate of the Xu Fu and the courtyard within were once again crowded with carriages and horses; there were more guests than even when Xu Xu Zaiduan had married.

After all, Xu Minghua's status was different now from what it had been in the past.

As Gu Tingyu and his two siblings followed behind their parents, while Gu Yankai exchanged pleasantries with Xu Minghua, Gu Tingye spotted his future sister-in-law, Xu Pingmei, who was following behind Sun Shi, learning how to organize and arrange large-scale banquets for high-ranking families.

Gu Gu Tingye playfully nudged his elder brother, then felt a gaze upon him; it turned out to be Xu Xu Zaijing looking at him.

Gu Gu Tingyu naturally also saw that noble lady standing behind Sun Shi.

Having not seen her for a long time, Xu Xu Pingmei wore a silver-white silk autumn robe; a red plum-blossom-shaped floral ornament adorned her forehead, and her jet-black coiffure made her face appear gentle and her beauty like a flower.

She was so beautiful that Gu Gu Tingyu's heart trembled.

Xu Pingmei glanced at the two brothers standing behind Marquis Gu; the younger one, Gu Gu Tingye, was looking at her with a clever, smiling expression in his eyes.

Raising her eyes slightly, Xu Pingmei saw Gu Tingyu, who had grown somewhat taller; his appearance combined the best features of Miss Qin Da and Gu Yankai, his countenance handsome and refined, his complexion having become fairer, yet his eyebrows and gaze gave him a somewhat sharp and imposing aura.

With just that one glance, Xu Pingmei lowered her head again.

Gu Gu Tingyu also found it improper to stare at Xu Pingmei; after the pleasantries were exchanged, the Gu family separated by gender, with men and women entering the courtyard.

Before the banquet had begun, the young men were talking in the courtyard; the younger ones were laughing and playing roughly, while the older ones discussed matters of the court and the imperial examinations.

Upon entering the courtyard, Gu Gu Tingye immediately spotted a figure: it was the young man from the main branch of the Lü family, Marquis of Ling, who had had some friction with him several years ago at the residence of the Duke of Qi.

Nowadays, the reputation of the Marquis of Ling's family in Bianjing had become increasingly disgraceful.

Yet their instinct to cling to power and wealth had not been lost; coming to this banquet was also meant to strengthen connections, hoping to secure positions for the younger generation of their family.

Now that the Imperial Prince was growing up strong and healthy, the Marquis of Ling's Fu naturally would not seek to attach themselves to Prince Yan, but rather to the Xu family, who maintained good relations with the Cao family, the Emperor's maternal uncles.

That young man from the Marquis of Ling's Fu was bad, but he only dared act so toward those of lower status than himself; encountering the Gu family, which had just returned from achieving merit in the north, he retracted his claws and fangs, becoming like a cat that could be teased.

Knowing that Gu Gu Tingye played pitch-pot well, he called over other noble offspring, lavishing praise on Gu Gu Tingye's skill, and stating outright that he himself had been defeated by Gu Gu Tingye back in the day.

Gu Gu Tingye, being young, became light-headed from all the flattery.

At the main gate of the Hou Fu,

Sheng Hong, who had just been commended by the Ministry of Personnel, stepped down from his carriage.

Looking at the 'BMW and luxury cars' by the roadside, Sheng Hong showed no hint of disdain in his eyes; he adjusted his appearance and, smiling, walked through the main gate of the Xu Fu.

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The snipe and the clam contend (yu, fourth tone); the author was corrected again by the typing software.

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(End of chapter)