Chapter 166

After washing up, Yingxiang dressed very warmly. As soon as she opened the door, she saw her two sons playing in the yard.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, red paper-cut window decorations and couplets have already been pasted up, filling the house with a festive atmosphere.

A cold wind blew by, and she shivered involuntarily; it was truly cold that day.

The two children were wearing the same clothes except for size. Yingxiang had them specially made for them before the New Year. Wenshi also had a set.

She didn't like black, so she made herself a purple one.

The matter at the government office had been completely resolved two days ago. Wen Shi was most likely studying Go in his study. When he saw Yingxiang come out, Wen Yixin stood in front of the snowman that was not yet finished and rubbed his hands together.

"I don't mind the cold."

Medical conditions were poor in ancient times, so Yingxiang paid close attention to this, fearing that her young child would suffer greatly if he got sick.

"It's not cold."

She said she wasn't cold, but her little face was red from the cold, and upon closer inspection, there was some frost on her eyelashes.

"mother."

Wen Leqian stood up; he was already much taller than Yingxiang. Yingxiang looked up at him.

Have you eaten yet?

"I ate. I had mutton noodles with my father."

"Go inside and play chess with your dad, or do something else. It's too cold outside."

Yingxiang helped her youngest son adjust his hat.

After watching her leave, the two brothers continued playing in the snow. Wen Leqian wasn't particularly interested in this; he was simply keeping his younger brother company.

With Lunar New Year's Eve fast approaching, he could only hope that the weather would be better when he went to the capital.

Yingxiang doesn't eat mutton; she ate pork noodle soup instead. After eating and drinking her fill, she returned to the courtyard, where only the servants were cleaning. The snowman that had already taken shape in the courtyard was particularly eye-catching. The servants avoided it while cleaning, and she didn't look at it much, heading straight for Wenshi's study.

Inside, Wen Shi and Wen Leqian sat on one side, one holding a black chess piece and the other a white one, playing very seriously.

Not far away, Wen Yixin was holding a picture book, flipping through it every now and then, his little eyes constantly glancing in that direction, though he didn't quite understand it.

The room was warm and cozy. Yingxiang pushed open the door and came in. After a while, she took off her cloak and went towards her youngest son.

During this time, both the father and son glanced at her.

"Yixin, go get a chessboard, Mom will show you something fun to play."

"I don't know how to play."

"I'll teach you, it'll be quick."

Yingxiang sat in the chair, looking quite pleased. This was the only time of year that the family of four could reunite, and how wonderful it all was.

Some things can't be rushed, mainly because rushing won't help.

When her youngest son brought over another Go set and board, Yingxiang gestured for him to sit opposite her.

"Watch closely, Xinxin, you're black. You move one piece, then Mom moves one piece, and Mom is white. If five pieces are connected, then you win."

Yingxiang spoke softly. Her youngest son glanced at her, as if he understood, and the two of them began to play Connect Four.

This is a good way to pass the time, and most importantly, it's not difficult.

"No, it's the lower left."

Wen Yixin immediately obeyed and did as instructed.

Wen Leqian suddenly said something, and the mother and son looked up. They didn't know when, but he and Wen Shi had come over and were watching them play Gomoku. They didn't know how long they had been watching.

The kids definitely can't beat Yingxiang.

"This is quite simple."

Wen Shi stroked his beard, and Wen Yixin looked at his father, feeling a little itchy to touch him. Of course, he didn't dare to do it now, so he imitated him by touching his own chin.

"Then you come with Xinxin."

Wen Shi wasn't very interested in this and directly called his eldest son over to play.

Snowflakes danced outside. Inside, Yingxiang stood up and watched her eldest and second eldest brothers play chess. She and Wenshi stood to the side, both in high spirits.

Leqian knows how to love his younger brother. He will let his brother have his way and will even deliberately make mistakes. The little guy doesn't understand why and thinks he's very clever, so he has a lot of fun.

"I'm better than my older brother, I'm sure I'll become the top scholar in the imperial examination."

Upon hearing this, Yingxiang was taken aback. What a grand dream! Wen Leqian smiled, while Wen Shi thought that children speak without restraint and that kids dare to say anything.

"Leqian, take your younger brother to the next room. Your mother has something to say to your father."

The two brothers stopped playing after a while. Yingxiang sat to the side and looked directly at her. She didn't know what was wrong, but her wife looked serious, so it must be something important.

After watching the two brothers leave, Yingxiang looked at Wenshi with a serious expression.

“My husband, when Yueqian goes back this time, I plan to have him take the money with him and buy a house in the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Shi calmly poured his wife a cup of hot tea.

He understands his wife and naturally knows what she's thinking.

Secondly, their son is growing up year by year, and if they wait until he is ready to get married, their family will not even have a residence in the capital, which would be a huge disadvantage.

The one in Ping'an Village, although registered under his name, is not enough to support him in his marriage, and it's also unsuitable because his brothers live there.

In the countryside, people consider how many acres of land and how big a yard your family owns when you get married; in the capital, the requirements are even greater.

“I think we’ll have to buy it sooner or later. Leqian isn’t young anymore, he can handle this.”

It's not realistic for the couple to go back.

“My wife, I know what you’re thinking. We definitely need to buy a house, but this is no small matter.”

Buying property in Beijing was something the two of them had always tacitly agreed upon.

Hearing this, he thought of the affairs of the court again, and his expression became even more solemn. If there were no special circumstances, he would follow the Ministry of Personnel, but things were different now.

With the crown prince already established, Emperor Jingyuan will inevitably grant him some power, some veteran officials will retire, and a new batch of young officials will certainly be selected to take his place.

Some of the ministers who previously depended on other princes will be marginalized; this is how the struggle for the throne works—the winner becomes king.

He had compiled court records for several years, and although he didn't know much about emperors, he could roughly guess their style of doing things.

Wen Shi didn't think he was so outstanding that no one could replace him, but he still left his mark before the emperor.

In recent years, he has never done anything wrong, nor has he been impeached. He has also genuinely accomplished some practical things.

Therefore, he wasn't blindly confident; he felt that he was very likely to return to Beijing ahead of schedule.

"I think the best option would be to buy two houses of similar size on the same street, so they can be combined or separated easily."

This is no small matter. Yingxiang can't make the decision on her own; she must have discussed it with Wenshi first.

Wen Shi glanced at his wife and then said, "How about this, you go to the capital with Le Qian after the New Year, take all the money with you, and you can make the decision."

“We have shops and farms in the capital, and we’ve been away for many years. It would be good to go back and take a look. We can also settle the house matter while we’re at it. Communication is inconvenient right now. You can let Leqian handle this. He can do it, but his most important thing right now is his studies. He can’t be distracted too much. This is no small matter.”

Yingxiang looked at Wenshi; she hadn't thought of it that way before.

If you were to buy a very large house in a prime location, the money would definitely not be enough.

After her youngest son was born, Yingxiang changed her mind. It was impossible to treat both children equally, so she could only do her best.

"Xinxin is still young."

He was very busy during the day.

“Studying in the capital is better than studying in other places. If he studies here, the school will give him special treatment to some extent, which is not good.”

Wen Shi leaned back in his chair; he had considered this matter before.

"Once this year is over, it will be my third year in Jiangzhou. My wife, I know you prefer the capital. Take the children and go back first."

"Maybe I'll be able to return to Beijing soon."

Upon hearing this, Yingxiang's feelings became somewhat complicated.

She knew that Wen Shi was thinking of her and the children.

“Wife, listen to me. Leqian has grown up. I can see that he doesn’t care much about his marriage. He only focuses on his studies. You are his mother. We don’t want him to get married too early, but we can’t delay his marriage either. We still need to help him find a wife.”

"It would be better for Xinxin to study in Beijing."

I didn't want to separate before, and I was reluctant to part with you, but now I have to consider reality more.

Wen Shi made this decision so that the family could have a better future.

"If your parents are willing to live there, find them a small courtyard. You don't need to take care of them; just hire two people to look after them. They wander around the streets every day, so you don't need to worry too much."

“Listen to me on this matter. Xinxin is still young. You take him back first. When he’s older, Leqian might have entered officialdom, and I’ll go back too. Our family will still be together.”

"Why don't you close all the shops here? You can go back to the capital, buy a house, and start over there."

Hearing her gentle words, he was also reluctant to part with her, but he couldn't let his emotions get the better of him. He got up and sat down next to Yingxiang, taking her hand in his.

"Don't worry about me."

It is undeniable that the capital city is better than Jiangzhou.

Thinking back to when he first left, Wen Shi felt that his wife had also made sacrifices for him. He thought it would be better to use the excuse of buying a house and having children to send her back to Beijing, since she could settle down there.

"Even if I have to work until the end of my term, it won't be many years. If I can go back early, I can take office directly. I can bring all the servants with me, leave a servant boy, a cook, and a horse. I can take the rest back with me."

Wen Shi looked around the room and realized that he would naturally settle down in the capital.

Yingxiang remained silent for a long time before finally nodding.

When evening came, the two children learned about it. One was somewhat surprised, while the other, being too young, didn't quite understand.

"Father, Mother."

Wen Leqian looked at his parents.

“Take your mother and younger brother back with you. Take good care of them on the way. After you get back, studying is important, but so is life. You should attend more gatherings and such. You’re not a child anymore. I know you’re a good kid, but you can’t let that hold you back.”

Wen Leqian nodded; it seemed his parents had already discussed it.

The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat somber this New Year, and the servants began to prepare the incense offerings, as those who had been preparing them elsewhere would be more readily available.

Closing the shop isn't difficult; the hired workers can find new jobs. Although we lost more than half a month's rent, there's nothing we can do about it.

After returning to Beijing, she bought a house and was able to open new shops.

Yingxiang had originally planned to hold a literary gathering after the spring, but now it seemed unnecessary. She told the two mothers, settled the bill, and they left.

When Yang Man found out, she was a little reluctant, but going to the capital was ultimately a good thing, so she still wore a smile on her face.

On the morning of the seventh day, the heavy snow stopped. Yingxiang got into the carriage. In the past, she would accompany Wenshi and Xinxin to see Leqian off, but now only Wenshi was left to see the mother and her two children off.

However, she trusted her husband; he was decisive.

As it turned out, Wen Shi's judgment was correct.

Wen Leqian had been traveling back to the capital for two years and was very familiar with the route. There were inns along the way where he could rest. Although he had a lot of things to carry, they were all packed. He kept the silver and incense close to his body.

"I hope Father can come back soon."

"It definitely will."

Yingxiang firmly believed this.

In the blink of an eye, spring has arrived.

The mother and her two sons have not yet returned to the capital. It would be faster for Wen Leqian to travel alone with light luggage. However, it is not realistic to travel day and night with his mother and younger brother, especially since they are also accompanied by servants.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the Ministry of Personnel, following the emperor's wishes, actually selected some young officials.

Inside the imperial study, the emperor leaned back on his dragon throne, carefully examining the names on the list.

Wen Shi's name was prominently displayed among them, and the current title was Prefect of Jiangzhou. The Emperor picked up a brush and circled several of the names.

These were all relatively young officials serving in other places. He knew that Wen Shi was diligent and willing to work. In recent years, he had received more and more memorials from Wen Shi from the local areas, showing that Wen Shi took them very seriously.

The students taught by Huang Li are truly outstanding. Even after being promoted, they did not slack off or stop progressing; they continued to work diligently.

He also cared deeply about the suffering of the people and did not crave pleasure, which was truly rare. Such a person is also useful, as he is not greedy and has ambitions.

On the other hand, since they don't have any family connections behind them, people feel more at ease using their services.

"Transfer them all back and assign them to the Six Ministries. Promote them all one level, and fill the vacancies in the local areas."

"yes."

The official below received it and carefully withdrew.

After returning to the Ministry of Personnel, the group began to discuss and arrange some vacant positions. Once the arrangements were made, the appointment documents, stamped with the imperial seal, would be sent directly to the local authorities.