Chapter 363: With a Wife Like This

"I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you to tour Mount Xiang, to see the temples of the Xiang Lord and the Lady Xiang."

In late January of the twenty-seventh year of the First Emperor, inside the family home in Anlu, Heifu stroked his wife's hand, his face full of apology.

Heifu was newly married, and once the snowstorm ceased, he had taken wedding leave to bring his new bride back to Anlu to pay respects to his mother and eldest brother.

His return stirred the entire Anlu County as usual. Now an indisputably prominent figure, Heifu received reverence from the county magistrate above down to the convict laborers below. Those wishing to become his retainers formed a long line outside his gate, but Heifu turned them all away one by one.

He kept a very low profile in Anlu. Even when he did take on retainers, he sent them all to places like Nanchang and Poyang to manage his fields and estates and look after his sugarcane and brown sugar enterprises.

Besides these, former subordinates and disciples of Neishi Teng also came from neighboring counties, vying to pay their respects to Heifu and Lady Heifu. Neishi Teng had served as Governor of Nan Commandery for seven or eight years, and the influence he left behind was immense. Previously, Heifu only had some old comrades among the newly risen military-merit nobility in various places, but now he had also forged connections with the senior and junior officials of the commanderies and counties, giving him a very solid political foundation.

Heifu did not want his rare holiday to be consumed by social obligations. After sending away some visitors and politely declining overly lavish gifts, he planned a spontaneous trip with his wife.

They would leave Xiakou, head south to Yunmeng and Dongting, visit the famous scenic spot Mount Xiang, and pay homage at the temples of the Xiang Lord and the Lady Xiang, whom Ye Zijin was so fond of. If time permitted, they would then sail down the river to see the beautiful scenery of Mount Lu in Jiujiang—Heifu knew the area well and could act as a guide.

But just on the eve of their departure, an imperial edict from the First Emperor turned the couple's honeymoon trip into a fleeting dream.

Ye Zijin, newly a wife, felt somewhat dejected as well. Though Heifu came from humble origins, he was not coarse, and with their harmonious marital life, the two were in the thick of deep affection.

Still, she composed herself and said, "The ancients said, 'When the ruler summons, one does not wait for the carriage to be harnessed but departs at once.' It means that when the ruler has business summoning you, the moment the summons arrives, you rush out the door before the carriage is even ready. Hastening to answer the ruler's summons is a matter of propriety. My husband, you should return to Xianyang at once!"

She placed her fair, white hand over Heifu's dark paw and smiled. "Besides, what difference does it make where we are?"

"But His Majesty summoning me back this time, I'm afraid it means I must accompany him on a long journey." Heifu shook his head helplessly. What could he do? He just happened to have an emperor who loved to travel...

When Heifu had left Xianyang, the Governor of Longxi Commandery had just delivered a piece of great news to the palace: the express highway from Xianyang to Lintao was completed!

The express highways were another of the First Emperor's grand projects, following the Six Kings' Palaces and the Twelve Metal Colossi, and took priority over the concurrently ongoing Mount Li Mausoleum and the Guanzhong palaces and gardens.

Heifu wholeheartedly supported this project. A state's governing territory is limited by its military and transportation capabilities. After Qin unified the realm, although many passes and bridges were leveled, dispatching officials and mobilizing troops to many places still took months or even over half a year, which was extremely inconvenient.

Therefore, starting the previous year, the First Emperor had ordered the commanderies and counties to repair and construct roads, turning the formerly muddy, narrow footpaths into "high-speed highways" capable of accommodating several chariots racing side by side!

At that time, Heifu had just proposed a "Five-Year Plan" to promote Qin seal script, clerical script, and paper within five years, which the First Emperor later shortened to three years.

The Emperor then included the express highways in the three-year plan as well, demanding that within three years, they must complete the "Western Road" from Xianyang and Yongcheng to Longxi and Beidi Commanderies; the "Eastern Road" from Hangu Pass, through Luoyang, Xingyang, and Chenliu, straight to the coast of Qi; and the "Wuguan Road" from Wuguan Pass to Nan Commandery.

Among the three roads, the Western Road was the shortest with the fewest obstacles, so it was finished first. Thus, the First Emperor began making arrangements for his first long-distance journey after unifying the realm, planning an inspection tour westward in the third month.

"His Majesty destroyed the six kingdoms, unified the realm, and consolidated all under heaven. For such monumental achievements, he must of course report to the past rulers in the ancestral temple at the old capital, Yongcheng. After that, he may continue westward to see Xichui and Quanqiu, the very origins of the Qin state, or perhaps even go to Lintao, ascend the Great Wall, and gaze far out at the lands beyond the frontier..."

At this point, Heifu sank into deep thought.

When the couple had returned to Nan Commandery, the newly appointed Commandant of Changsha Commandery, Tu Sui, had also been heading south with several thousand garrison soldiers, and Zhao Tuo was among the ranks. In the sixth month of the previous year, the Yue people of Dongting Commandery had rebelled, and the Yue people of Changsha Commandery were also restless. All sorts of evidence pointed to the Western Ou and Southern Yue in Lingnan, as well as the Chu remnants who had fled there. This undoubtedly gave the Emperor a reason to use military force in Lingnan. Building the Wuguan Nan Commandery Road and sending Tu Sui as Commandant of Changsha Commandery were very likely harbingers of a large-scale war.

But Heifu did not want Qin to rush into military action in Lingnan. Once war broke out, his old comrades and personal troops from Nan Commandery, with whom his fortunes were closely tied, would certainly bear the brunt. Jiangxi was already hard enough to endure; venturing deep into Lingnan to fight the Yue people in the jungles, with tropical diseases breaking out, who knew how many would die.

So Heifu had been constantly planning how to dissuade the Emperor from the idea of conquering the Hundred Yue, or at least delay it for a few more years, allowing his old comrades to farm in peace for a while.

But after a year as a close guard official, Heifu had gradually figured out the Emperor's temperament. Direct remonstration had an extremely low success rate; he had to find another way.

This time, the First Emperor's western inspection tour of Longxi, summoning Heifu to accompany him, had given him an idea.

"The world west of Lintao is far vaster than the lands south of the Five Ridges, and it's not too far from Guanzhong. With the express highway, deploying troops and generals is very convenient."

Most importantly, if trouble arose in Longxi or Beidi, it would be impossible to transfer Heifu's own core troops north.

"Why don't I try the stratagem of substituting the peach for the plum?"

Therefore, Heifu very much hoped to participate in this western tour to see if there was an opportunity to shift the Emperor's attention.

The only thing he could not bear to leave behind was his wife, who had just recently married him and accompanied him home.

Heifu was thoroughly satisfied with Ye Zijin. Not only was she fair-skinned and beautiful, but she was also a well-bred lady from a distinguished family with a solid cultural foundation. More importantly, she was the first noblewoman he had met since arriving in this era who did not discriminate against his origins...

Other women, upon hearing that Heifu had no clan name, would either mock him covertly, show disdain, or snicker. Only Ye Zijin had publicly told him, "Take pride in establishing merit and achievements; do not be ashamed of lacking a clan name."

These words struck a chord deep in Heifu's heart and made him remember this young woman profoundly.

Mutual respect was Heifu's first prerequisite in seeking a partner.

After the wedding, when they returned to Anlu, Heifu had also quietly observed. When Ye Zijin paid respects to Heifu's flustered old mother, she showed not the slightest disrespect. Though she did not go so far as to personally wash her feet, she did everything a daughter-in-law should, treating her with the utmost respect, and even chatted idly with his mother in simple, plain language.

Toward Heifu's elder brother and sister-in-law, whose hands were covered in calluses and who still carried the air of peasants, she was also courteous and refined. She even personally taught Heifu's niece, Xiaoyue, weaving and needlework. The little girl, just over ten years old, had stars in her eyes, feeling that this aunt was exactly the kind of person she wanted to become.

This allowed Heifu to breathe a sigh of relief. Although he was a transmigrator, he had also inherited Heifu's body and bonds, and he placed great importance on family. That his new bride could respect his mother, brother, and sister-in-law, and care for his niece, was his most basic requirement.

And so he grew even more tender toward his young wife. Somewhat hesitantly, he said, "I will be accompanying His Majesty on the western journey, two months at the shortest, half a year at the longest..."

Ye Zijin knew her husband feared that separating for so long right after their wedding would leave her feeling neglected, so she smiled and said, "Then I shall not return to Xianyang. I will stay right here in Anlu."

Seeing Heifu's surprise, she began counting off the benefits of staying in Anlu on her fingers.

"Though my hometown is in Han, I followed my father and lived in Nan Commandery for seven or eight years and have long since become a southerner. I love eating rice and like places with water. Staying in Anlu is just perfect."

"Furthermore, Xianyang is noisy, and people's hearts are unfathomable. When associating with those noblewomen, every single word must be weighed and considered thrice. Rather than walking on eggshells in the capital, it's better to stay in Anlu and live freely as a wealthy wife undisturbed by anyone."

A flicker of loneliness that flashed briefly between her brows was soon replaced by hopeful anticipation.

"In the second month of mid-spring, I can take Xiaoyue to pick peach blossoms and make peach blossom cakes. In the third month of late spring, after the thunderstorms, I can go to the edge of Yunmeng Marsh to watch the rainbow, gather fragrant herbs, and make sachets to send to my husband. In the fourth month of early summer, I can follow Mother and Elder Sister-in-law in raising silkworms and weaving silk to make clothes for my husband..."

After hearing this, Heifu let out a relieved breath. "With a wife like this, what more could a husband ask for?"

The newly married daughter of the Ye clan seemed to want to say something but hesitated, and in the end, it turned into a sigh accompanied by a faint smile.

"Who told my husband to have the ambition of being enfeoffed as a marquis? If I were to hinder you at every turn, I would be far too insensible."

Although Ye Zijin had imagined that life in Anlu would be very peaceful, on the fifth day after Heifu's departure, as she was teaching Xiaoyue to read, she heard waves of shouting coming from outside the residence...

"What has happened?" Ye Zijin frowned and sent a maidservant out to look.

The old matron brought from the Ye residence in Xianyang walked in with a dark expression, leaned close to her ear, and told her a shocking piece of news!

"Madam, a woman has come outside, weeping and wailing without end..."

"Did you ask clearly why she is weeping and wailing?" Ye Zijin assumed it was a family member of one of Heifu's old subordinates coming to cry out a grievance.

The matron hesitated, wanting to speak but stopping. Ye Zijin understood, so she had the maidservant take Xiaoyue out. Her expression turned stern, and she placed her hands on her knees, telling the matron to speak plainly.

The matron gritted her teeth and said, "Madam, that woman is also leading a dark-skinned little boy by the hand, claiming he is the son she bore to the Right Chief of the Masses!"

(End of Chapter)