Daughter-in-law of a Noble House

Leaving the City

Two days before I left the city, the Emperor summoned me unexpectedly.

We met in a side hall, and the Emperor's demeanour was devoid of the sternness and formality he displayed in formal audiences. When he saw me, a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

"Zhen heard that Furen is going to Huainan for jisao?" he said. "I also have some offerings. Please take them along." With that, he had his attendant bring two lacquer boxes* filled with dried fruits and preserved meats, as well as a bronze wine vessel.

There isn't much, but it is a gift from the Emperor. I hurriedly thanked him.

The Emperor sighed and said, "Fu Situ once served as the TaiFu. His teachings were strict and kind at the same time, Zhen still feels grateful ." His expression was somewhat melancholy as he spoke.

His face was fuller compared to when I first met him in Yongdu. It was evident that although Wei Jue had the Emperor in his grasp, he did not neglect his duties. However, every time I saw the Emperor, there was always a hint of melancholy between his brows and his face was pale.

I looked at him and also understood that some words could not be spoken aloud. Thinking back to the past, I sighed in my heart.

"The deceased have passed on. Your Majesty’s kindness and grace are profound. The ancestors of the Fu family must be aware of it in the afterlife." I bowed to him and said respectfully.

The Emperor smiled bitterly. He talked to me about some old stories, bringing up interesting things we experienced when we were young, and couldn't help but laugh. However, he did not mention a word about the present or the Wei family.

I knew the intricacies and subtleties behind our conversation, but I just chatted along with him, and we both enjoyed ourselves as host and guest.

As I was leaving, unfortunately, I ran into Empress Xu in the courtyard.

She was sitting under a flowering tree, as if enjoying the coolness. Two palace maids were standing behind her.

I was taken aback and quickly went forward to bow in greeting.

"Furen, please rise. No need for too many formalities." Her voice was gentle and soft. It occurred to me that this was the first time she had spoken to me in the Imperial Palace.

I stood up and Empress Xu instructed her palace maid to bring a low couch and offered me a seat.

"Furen is going to Huainan?"

"That is exactly so," I replied. But in my heart, I wondered how this news had spread so quickly, to the point where even the Emperor and Empress Xu knew about it.

She glanced at the lacquered box and bronze wine vessel carried by the palace maids behind me, and her lips curved slightly.

The courtyard was quiet, but I felt a strange atmosphere. The woman who had a secret meeting with Wei Tan a few days ago was now looking at his wife with a friendly expression. Although I didn't consider myself a rival in love, I still felt uncomfortable.

The sunlight penetrated through the leaves, and Empress Xu held a silk fan. Peonies were blooming in the courtyard, surrounding her. Looking closely at her, there was no denying that she was beautiful. This kind of beauty was different from that of Ruochan's bright and dazzling beauty. Her gentle and noble eyebrows and eyes were unforgettable.

The palace maid poured tea for me, and no one spoke. Rather than speaking, Empress Xu seemed to prefer silently scrutinising others. The calm gaze behind her made it unclear what she was thinking. As for me, I didn't care. In terms of status, she was higher than me, so it was natural for her to speak first.

"Furen, how do you like these flowers?" After sipping the tea soup, Empress Xu finally spoke, "Last time ChengXiang visited the palace, he praised the beauty of the flowers and plants. His Majesty wanted to give them to the Wei family. I think that peonies are the most appropriate for this season."

I smiled and looked at those gorgeous peonies, "Peonies are beautiful and elegant, not for ordinary people to possess. ChengXiang likes orchids and bamboo, perhaps Your Majesty could change the gift." A said in a joking tone. In Chang'an before, peonies were a symbol of the palace(the royal family). The late Emperor even forbade people from planting them without permission. If the Emperor bestows the peonies to Wei Jue, it could be interpreted differently by some people, and Wei Jue would be punished instead of rewarded, so I dare not accept it. I was a little puzzled. Empress Xu wasn't a fool, so why did she ask such a simple question?

Empress Xu smiled but didn't say anything more. Perhaps we both had our own thoughts. The tea was neither salty nor weak, and I didn't intend to talk about the past with her. After one cup of tea, I excused myself, saying that I needed to report to my in-laws, and left.

*******

After all, there was still a journey of nearly ten days to Huainan. When I returned to the residence, I hurriedly went to see Guo Furen and counted the sacrificial items, preparing my luggage.

The next day, someone from the palace came to deliver flowers and trees. 

Empress Xu had indeed sent some flowers and trees such as orchids, bamboo, and cassia trees, which were arranged by the manager and planted in various courtyards. However, many of the flowers that were sent to my courtyard were the beautiful Yu Mei Ren.

 “ The Yu Mei Ren likes light, and Furen's courtyard is open without shade, which is perfect for planting,” The gardener who brought the flowers said respectfully. I thought it made sense, so I let them go and plant them.

*****

On the fifth day of the seventh lunar month, I set out on the road to Huainan with a cart full of sacrificial offerings.

The road leading east was straight, the very same one I had travelled when I married into Yongdu.

The weather had been clear for many days, and the road was smooth without potholes or standing water.

The guards accompanying me were the ones Wei Tan had left behind before he left. There were about ten of them, in addition to Ah Yuan, Li Shang, and his son, and Gongyang Gui. The procession, with carts and horses, looked quite imposing.

Gongyang Gui was dressed in a neat and tidy robe, with a sword at his waist and riding a horse, looking every bit the dashing hero.

Li Shang had recovered enough to be able to ride a horse. He wore a plain cloth robe that billowed in the wind, and his frame was lean and slender.

It was scorching hot in the summer, and the grains in the vast fields along the way were growing well, with a lush, oily green colour filling the eyes.

"If Wei ChengXiang wins and the soldiers return in time, they will be just in time for the autumn harvest." As they rested by the roadside, Li Shang looked around and said, "The wind and rain have been well-balanced this year, so the harvest should be good."

With wars raging and people fleeing, farmland in various regions was left barren, leading to a sharp decrease in grain production. Regardless of the powerful forces, feeding soldiers required food, and settling down required even more food. Thus, plundering food became the specialised occupation of bandits and tyrants throughout the land.

In this regard, however, Wei Jue was doing exceptionally well.

In my eyes, although he was a bandit wearing the attire of a prime minister, he had a good understanding of management. He took over the unowned land of the states and counties he controlled and turned them into official fields. He had soldiers farm during their free time, and the harvest was used to supply the military. After several years, the granaries in Yongzhou were full, and this was attributed to his actions. Nowadays, as soldiers have to go to war and the court has issued new orders, allowing the refugees who came to Yongzhou to cultivate and harvest the land and pay taxes every year.

I don't really understand politics, but I can tell from the conversations of Ah Yuan and the people that most of them are satisfied with Wei Jue's governance.

"What are the chances of success for ChengXiang to defeat Tan Xi in this battle?"

After pondering for a moment, I asked Li Shang in a low voice. Li Shang strokes his beard and answers, "Mou is of little knowledge and ability, but One believes that ChengXiang has about an 80% chance of winning."

I was surprised and said, “That high? Tan Xi has twice the number of troops as ChengXiang!"

 Li Shang laughs and shakes his head, saying, "Furen, victory or defeat cannot be judged solely by the number of troops. Having many soldiers but no good generals, or having good weapons but no good strategy, is of no use."

I listened, but still had doubts.

At that moment, suddenly, there was a 'thud' sound from a nearby ox cart, as if something had hit the cart board. The ox cart was carrying sacrificial offerings, including those prepared by me and Li Shang's family.

A soldier rushes over in a fluster, and covers the grass mat that was concealing the offerings, apologising with a smile, "Furen, the cart wasn't quite still, and a jar of wine spilled, but fortunately it didn't overflow."

"How can that happen?" I asked sceptically, lifting the grass mat that covered it.

"Furen….” The young soldier's face turned pale.

At the same time, I was stunned when I saw the boy sitting in those frames and jars.

Wei An rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at me, caught off guard.

******

The sun shone overhead, and under the shade of the trees, Wei An ate his qiǔliáng and dried meat. He looked refined, but it was clear he was very hungry, as the food made a crunching sound as he chewed.

"Why did Si Shu follow along?" I asked without wasting any time, as he slowed his eating.

"I don't want to stay in the mansion." Wei An said briefly and confidently.

“Run away secretly because you didn't want to stay in the mansion?”  I frowned and said, "Have Si Shu ever thought about how worried everyone in the mansion would be if Si Shu leave? I will have the sergeant send Si Shu back later."

"I'm not going back," Wei An interrupted, wiping his mouth and looking up at me. "If ZhangSao sends me back, I'll tell MuQin that ZhangSao won't come back."

My face changed, luckily he spoke in a low voice and there was nobody around.

"What nonsense is Si Shu talking about," I said in a low voice, as if squeezing it out of my teeth. When Wei Tan spoke those words to me that day, there were only the two of us in the room. How could Wei An know? Did Wei Tan tell the people in the household?..

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," said Wei An, his face turning slightly red and looking embarrassed. "I was looking for XiongZhang at the time, and since there was no one in the courtyard, I overheard what was being said."

My mouth twitched. What is going on here….

Although this was the case, I would not easily admit it. 

"What is Si Shu saying," I forced myself to remain calm. "I am carrying the Emperor’s sacrificial offerings, and I must naturally go to Huainan to do the jisi. Si Shu said that I want to leave, but where am I going?" 

Wei An was stunned and seemed to be at a loss for words. He thought about it for a moment, then said, "Maybe I misheard it, but XiongZhang also said that there is gold in the side room. If you send me back, I'll tell MuQin about it.”

I stared at him, biting my lip. I didn't expect this little brat to threaten me with gold!

I glared at him, my lips tightening.

Wei An also looked at me, his eyes calm and still.

"Zhang Sao, I really don't want to go back," Wei An said seriously.

I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples with my fingers, feeling a slight soreness.