Chapter 99: Your Majesty, the Yuan Family Has Fallen Ill

“When the Northern Liao come marching in, can’t you tell their soldiers to let you have a good New Year?”

“You’re twisting the truth!”

Thus, the high officials of the court began quarreling again, hurling sharp words at one another.

The Emperor said nothing; when the bickering had worn itself out, he glanced at the censor and said:

“Minister Ruan, your impeachment of Minister Xu has nothing to do with your younger son’s betrothal, does it?”

“Your Majesty! No.”

The censor’s face went slack—he knew full well his younger son’s betrothal had nothing to do with it, but his relative’s younger son’s betrothal had been affected!

“Good. Where is the official from the Imperial Pasture Supervision?” the Emperor asked.

“Your servant, Yuan Bing, is here.”

“Good! Oh! There you are! How is the imperial horse supply?”

“Your Majesty—”

The court session ended peacefully amid the Emperor’s inquiries.

After court, Marquis Yuan Bing returned home, sat in his carriage, and pondered his official duties.

As a child, he had witnessed the Yuan family stripped of its title and reduced to commoners.

Back then, soldiers as fierce as tigers and wolves stormed the Yuan estate, leaving an indelible mark on his soul.

When he was a teenager, the Yuan family was still a noble house, and he himself a noble youth—never once had he needed to lift a hand for food or clothing.

But when the family fell from grace, it was as if they had tumbled from the clouds straight into the mud.

His father’s concubine, who had once doted on him, used her beauty to climb higher again.

And the Yuan family suffered.

The ancients said: it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but hard to return from luxury to frugality!

The entire Yuan household struggled to survive in Bianjing, enduring endless hardship.

Later, when Yuan Bing came of age and married, his wife was a sharp-tongued, short-sighted, selfish daughter of a noble house.

Fortunately, the current Emperor ascended the throne, and in his magnanimity, restored the Yuan family’s title; Yuan Bing, leveraging his family’s ancestral skills, secured a post in the Horse Administration.

He became a nobleman, an official, a man above others once more.

Though the lofty titles and high offices were held by favored noble ministers, the actual work fell to Yuan Bing—he toiled tirelessly, day and night.

He was content; compared to his youth, this was a good life.

At the gate of his home, he stepped down from his carriage and saw the carriage of the Marquis of Shoushan’s family—he knew his sister had come.

Entering the main hall of his courtyard, he found not only his sister and the Lady of Yongping Marquisate, but also a young, unfamiliar woman.

After a cup of tea, Yuan Bing’s sister stormed out, pulling back the curtain in anger, followed by the Lady of Yongping.

“Hmph! Wretched trash.”

“Sister, calm yourself—you’re married now; you shouldn’t meddle so much.”

“My sister-in-law! A short-sighted sparrow!”

He walked to the carriage.

At that moment, Yuan Wenshao, returning from outside, saw his aunt and hurried to bow.

“Aunt!”

“Hmm.”

The two ladies departed the Yuan household without further word.

Three days later.

It was the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month.

In court.

Officials began debating which horse breeds were superior.

Then they veered off-topic, raising whether the horses of noble envoys from Northern Liao and Bai Gao should be charged for when they arrived in the capital.

The Emperor asked: “Where is Minister Yuan of the Horse Administration?”

An official from the Censorate replied: “Your Majesty, Minister Yuan Bing submitted a leave request yesterday, claiming illness.”

“Oh? Then note this down. Next—who has a memorial to present?”

The one who actually did the work had fallen ill; now the tasks piled up on the desks of those above. After court, officials from the Horse Administration, still in their robes, went straight to Yuan’s home to visit.

After warm inquiries, they found the matter was not serious—merely exhaustion from year-end duties.

Superior and subordinate spoke for half an hour.

Yuan Bing clearly explained every detail the superior needed to know.

After urging Marquis Yuan to rest well, the official took his leave.

As he stepped out of Yuan’s modest courtyard,

the official’s personal steward whispered as they walked past the gate:

“Master, their second son has also fallen ill!”

As the master and servant exited, they happened upon the Lady of Shoushan Marquisate hastily alighting from her carriage.

Seeing the official’s robe, the Lady of Shoushan paused briefly to bow.

The two parties exchanged no words and passed by each other.

“That’s the Lady of the Shoushan Marquisate, come to see her brother.”

“Hmm. Let’s go. Send some tonic gifts later.”

“Yes, Master!”

After four or five days,

the day arrived: New Year’s Eve.

The festive atmosphere in Bianjing reached its peak.

Quyuanjie,

Yongyi Marquisate,

as in past years, swept clean, pasted peach charms and couplets, replaced the new door gods.

But now Xu Zaijing was no longer merely watching—he could now complete certain tasks on his own.

After finishing, Zhaizhang amused the cat in his father’s room, while his sister Anmei played with several young maids.

His elder sister-in-law had just moved to summon the cat, but seeing her mother-in-law, she stopped, crestfallen.

Then a servant came to report on affairs in the rear courtyards; Xie Shi followed her mother-in-law, taking her younger sister along to observe and learn.

His elder brother had already gone ahead to the surrounding alleys, visiting old retainers of the Xu family—two of whose sons had perished in the west.

Night fell.

Firecrackers echoed through Bianjing.

Countless lanterns lit up, turning Bianjing into a city that never slept.

Watching the fireworks from the Xu family’s upper floor, Xu Minghua returned from the palace and joined the family for New Year’s Eve dinner.

Sun Shi directed the household stewards and maids in preparing the feast.

Xie Shi, pregnant, could not run about; Anmei stepped in, helping Sun Shi with much of the work.

It was an early lesson in the essential duties of a proper Lady of the House.

After dinner, the family played games like toss-pot, laughing and chattering merrily inside.

Xu Zai and his two younger brothers had drunk their fill, smiling broadly as they watched it all.

By the second half of the night-watch, the Xu household gradually quieted.

As Xu Zaijing grew older, he no longer needed to go out early to chant the song “Sell Your Foolishness.”

Along with his siblings and sister-in-law, he paid New Year’s respects to his parents and received red envelopes.

Watching the younger maids and servants of the Xu household go out to chant, he laughed inwardly.

Each person tapped the ash of firecrackers with bamboo poles tied with copper coins, each whispering a different wish.

Sun Shi wished her eldest daughter well in her in-laws’ home,

Xie Shi naturally wished for a son,

Qingcao murmured silently, then her eyes grew distant; she lowered her head, thinking—her family’s faces grew faint.

Yin Hour (4 to 5 a.m.)

The Zhu family arrived first at the Xu home to pay New Year’s respects.

It was their first year of marriage; the new bride, brimming with joy, had to come.

Sun Shi gave her a large red envelope.

She inquired carefully about Zhu’s daughter-in-law Ni Shi, asking after her younger sister’s condition, learning that this was Ni’s first year spending New Year’s at the Zhu household, brought by Zhu Qinghu.

Next year, Ni’s younger brother—the eldest son of the Ni family—would be taking over the household.

Ni Shi would assist him as much as she could.

Meanwhile, at the Gu household, the atmosphere had been uneasy since last night.

The fourth and fifth branches had sent word: since Gu Tingyu had spoken, they would not celebrate together.

Neglecting their own brothers, yet favoring outsiders!

Moreover,

recently, the Lord of the Bai family had returned to Yangzhou, leaving Bai Shi gloomy.

And because Gu Yan Kai had not spent the holiday in Bai Shi’s courtyard, her face had grown extremely dark.

This made both Gu Tingye and Gu Tingyi hesitant to approach their mother.

It was Gu Tingyu who had Pingmei sit beside Bai Shi and whisper something to her; upon hearing Pingmei’s words, Bai Shi’s eyes filled with astonishment.

“Ping’er, is this true?”

“Mother, it’s certainly true. My husband has promised me.”

“Good, good, good—I’ll start preparing then.”

Saying this, Bai Shi also spoke with Chang Maomao, who was equally delighted.

Just before Hai Hour, Gu Yan Kai returned from Bi Lian Courtyard to the courtyard where Bai Shi resided.

Yes, at Gu Tingyu’s strong insistence, the courtyard’s name had been changed.

Gu Tingyi saw his father and walked up happily, asking sweetly:

“Father, why are you only here now? Yì’er missed you so much!”

This left Gu Yan Kai speechless.

He couldn’t say he’d spent time with his concubine, then his brother, and only now came to his daughter—that would break her heart.

Filled with shame, he knelt down.

“Yì’er, what do you want? Tell Father, and Father will buy it for you!”

Thank you all for your support!

I slept fitfully for three hours.

I just revised the previous chapter.

There are still about six thousand characters left to revise.

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(End of Chapter)