Chapter 151: Plotting for the Locusts

Floodwaters raged, inundating fields and destroying houses.

The populace was displaced, and many died in the wilderness.

Can the imperial court and prefecture send half a person? Can they send half a grain of rice?

Since there is none, why not let others help?

Chinu could not hide the coldness in her eyes, and she asked again:

"Who gave you this letter?"

Normally, an imperial envoy's inspection is a major affair; ordinary scouts cannot uncover it.

He has been busy these two days with the Wife Master's wedding, having no spare attention.

Moreover, Afang's old friends are not by her side; logically speaking......

"Someone specially delivered a sealed letter to the county office this morning."

Indeed, in the next breath Chen Weifang gave the answer that was hardly surprising:

"The messenger came in haste; although he tried to conceal his tracks, when leaving the city he happened to be noticed by a few scouts convalescing in tents outside the city, who identified his carriage from the wheel ruts as belonging to the Ruan clan and reported it to the county office."

"Therefore, the contents of this letter can be trusted."

This remark came out of the blue; Chinu initially thought she had misheard.

Ruansizong is old and crafty, harboring opportunistic intentions—nothing strange about that.

But 'identifying the Ruan clan from wheel-rut traces'—what does that mean?

Even though he is well‑versed and has seen many talented people, he has never heard of anyone being able to discern tracks in this way.

Could it be that among those scouts outside the city lies a hidden gem?

Chinu unconsciously twiddled her fingers, but before she could think further, she heard Chen Weifang let out another long sigh:

"Chinu, has the Wise Lord discussed with you how you are to be settled?"

"Now that she has chosen the Young Emperor, you can't just follow her nameless and status‑less, indulging in secret pleasure for a lifetime, can you?"

"You may be on good terms with her today and tomorrow, but what will you do if she takes another lover someday?"

The words Chen Weifang spoke today were all somewhat abrupt.

Perhaps it is because he fears that the character 'three' will hurt Chinu's feelings, or perhaps......

Or perhaps he finally realized that Chinu is indeed truly 'foolish'.

Since he learned that Du Shanü wanted to enjoy the blessings of Qi, he has also stopped calling Chinu 'Saner'.

Chinu's already weary brows and eyes grew yet more gloomy; she refused to accept this, muttering under her breath:

"It won't happen. I am the Wife Master's first man; even without a title, I will certainly not be forgotten."

Chen Weifang's temperament is usually good, but hearing this she could not help but twitch the corner of her mouth:

"Just go ahead and be muddle‑headed in love affairs!"

I have never seen such a foolish person in this lifetime!

When will Chinu finally realize that, without name or status, even in death she cannot share a grave!

On tombstones husbands and wives have their names carved upright—what then is her place in the Chinu household?!

Chen Weifang, having brooded over this matter these past days, involuntarily spoke more harshly.

This morning Chinu had been secretly pleased with her own little maneuver, and her mood was quite good when she arrived.

Now, however, she is like a person slumped in a long‑drunk chair, her expression vacant, and she no longer speaks.

Chen Weifang immediately felt a twinge of regret, but his former epithet of 'Poison Strategist' was not earned without cause.

In a single breath he hardened his resolve, striking while the iron was hot, and laid out the scheme he had long contemplated:

"...... I have procured some fish bladders, sheep intestines, and medicines that do not harm the body."

"Since we now need to plot a great undertaking, the Wise Lord should not conceive; as long as we prevent the Wise Lord and the Young Emperor from having offspring first, you still have a chance."

Whose child is loved, whose parents are filial.

If in the future Chinu can first bear a child, raise it well, then father relies on son for honor.

After a hundred years, at the very least we ought to secure a position for Chinu, shouldn't we?

Of course, he dare not say this outright.

But left unsaid, given Chinu's intelligence, one can guess it amounts to much the same.

Chinu naturally understands this, yet making that decision is not easy.

He leans against the chair back, legs crossed, spine straight, head slightly tilted back, revealing that pallid Adam's apple.

His fingers rest on the armrest edge, thumb and index finger lightly rubbing intermittently, as if turning an invisible string of beads, or measuring some intangible scale.

The noon sunlight grows ever brighter, yet the shadow of his brow bones covers half his eyes, forever shrouded in a thin gloom from which only a damp, chill breeze can be sensed.

He speaks not, the chair stays still, only those two fingers slowly, slowly, turning.

After a long while, Chinu finally said:

"...... Good."

This counts as her assent.

Chen Weifang exhaled in relief; the faint fissure hidden beneath his genteel exterior finally faded, and he smiled, saying:

"Sooner or later you will understand that all of this is worthwhile."

Chinu, however, would not assent to this again; she merely uncrossed her legs, rose, and said:

"I have been out for two quarters of an hour; I ought to go see whether the Wife Master has awakened, and meanwhile inform them of the Imperial Envoy's request."

Chen Weifang is usually placid and introverted, but now, having gained Chinu's consent, the faint smile on his lips grows richer, evidently he is in high spirits.

The years' marks on his face not only fail to detract from his appearance, but actually lend him the bearing of an elder; for a moment even the interior seems infused with the scholarly aura and ink fragrance unique to men of letters.

He nods casually, rises, and places the small wooden box he had long prepared into Chinu's hands.

Chinu's wrist sank, he stared fixedly at the palm-sized wooden box in his hand, without saying a word.

Chen Weifang smoothed his collar and said:

"Fine, I'll listen to you."

"By the way, if you go, you must also tell the Wise Lord about another matter. I heard earlier that I went out of the city to see the group of sick scouts outside; the others were ordinary, but there is a man named Liu Liu among them who is rather interesting."

"The matter of the Ruan clan's wheel tracks was discovered by this person. He claimed to be a refugee from Jiaozhou..."

Chinu finally moved his gaze away from the wooden box, showing a hint of recollection.

"If I'm not mistaken, your mother is from Jiaozhou, right?"

Chen Weifang laughed:

"Exactly, so I greeted him in Jiaozhou dialect, only to find he couldn't speak it—don't you think that's interesting?"

The refugee from Jiaozhou doesn't speak Jiaozhou slang.

That is indeed quite interesting.

Chinu narrowed his eyes, noted the matter, and was about to speak when he heard a few soft sounds from outside the study; before anyone arrived, he heard the voice:

"Bad slave slave, where's the person?"

The two inside had been plotting; hearing this, they both startled.

Chinu instinctively slipped the wooden box into his sleeve; the cuff swayed and settled in a breath, and at the same moment, Du Shanü pushed the door open and saw the two speaking face to face.

Du Shanü had been angry about this morning's affair, but upon seeing their actions, she wanted to speak yet held back.

"You two wouldn't have a cut-sleeve..."

"Nonsense!"

"To slander someone's innocence out of thin air!"

The two shouted in unison.

Chen Weifang felt as if scalded, hastily released the hand covering Chinu's neck mark, feeling her old face would be utterly disgraced:

"I think I've figured it out; even if I've done all the evil I can in this life, meeting you two has already brought me retribution."

"Even if I descend to the underworld someday, King Yama might settle the accounts, and perhaps he'd feel he's lost out in this life!"

Chinu: "......"

Du Shanü: "╭(╯^╰)╮"

"What nonsense! What nonsense! It makes it seem like meeting Chinu and Afang isn't retribution at all!"

Du Shanü never expected her words to become prophecy; she simply bent down to pick up the crumpled note Chinu had tossed aside, casually unfolded it to read, and muttered:

"The disaster of burning the city...... the Imperial Envoy is approaching......"

"Wait, the Imperial Envoy?!"

?? Cricket: another name for the cricket, can metaphorically denote prosperous offspring.

? This word rarely appears alone, but when mentioning 'gua mie mian mian', people may have some impression.

? Because the original line in the 'Cricket' chapter of the 'Zhou Nan' section of the Book of Songs is 'The crickets chirp, the melon seeds continue', symbolizing endless offspring and flourishing family.