Chapter 33 [VIP]

The Zhao family's affair caused quite a stir in Yizhou before the New Year. Once the turmoil subsided, the various prefectures realized that they had neglected to prepare for the New Year because they were watching the excitement. They then came to their senses and began to busily prepare for the New Year.

The same was true for the Xiao family. Mi Yao was willing to spend money, while Shuang Hua, as the new steward of the Xiao family, wanted to manage this major event in the first year. One was willing to spend money and the other wanted to make a big splash. When Xiao Chuan returned to the mansion, he felt a sense of unfamiliarity when he looked at the gate of the Xiao mansion.

The gate of the mansion, which he had neglected since moving in, had been repainted. Only when he saw that the reddish-brown gate had turned vermilion did he realize that this was the original color of the gate.

As soon as the gates opened, colorful lanterns adorned with auspicious patterns came into view. Apart from the flowers and plants already in the flowerbeds, every few steps along the corridor, one could see a bronze pot on a wooden frame, filled mostly with flower arrangements featuring plum blossoms.

After admiring the plum blossoms along the way, he finally understood why Pu Qing had sent a special message saying that Mi Yao had asked Fang Shi for plum branches.

Judging from the quantity displayed in the mansion, Mi Yao must have plucked quite a lot from the plum garden, leaving the Fang family with a bare trunk.

"May Father be well."

Upon hearing the servants announce Xiao Chuan's return, Xiao Yi hurriedly brought his younger siblings to greet him and offer their respects.

Xiao Chuan looked at the three of them. In less than ten days, all three of them had gained weight.

Especially Xiao Liang and Xiao Shan, whose faces were round like plates and so chubby they looked like two piglets.

"What happened while I was away? How have you all been? Is there anything you want to tell me?"

The first question was fine, but when asked the last one, Xiao Chuan frowned slightly, clearly not used to being asked this kind of question.

Xiao Yi was also surprised to hear this. His father would never ask them this before. Usually, after they paid their respects, his father would glance at them a few times and then tell them to leave, saying they would see each other again at mealtime.

And during meals, their father would say very little to them.

Xiao Liang wasn't as perceptive as his older brother. When his father asked if anything had happened, he immediately said excitedly, "A few days ago, Mother took us out to buy snacks, and we also went to a jewelry shop."

Xiao Shan pulled out the lotus gourd hanging around her neck, said nothing, and looked at Xiao Chuan with a smug expression.

“Mother let us choose three different styles, mine is a Qilin gourd, Father, look!”

Xiao Liang also showed off the gourd around his neck. Seeing that his elder brother didn't move, he urged, "Brother, show it to Father too. Don't be reluctant to part with it."

Xiao Yi: ...

It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with it; he just felt that his father wouldn't be interested in it.

Despite these thoughts, Xiao Yi still revealed the golden gourd with the lotus flower design around his neck.

"The workmanship is good."

Xiao Chuan glanced at the three small pieces of gold, not finding them particularly attractive, but when he met Xiao Liang's bright eyes, he still gave a perfunctory reply.

"oops!"

Xiao Liang suddenly remembered something, looked at Xiao Chuan's empty neck, and explained to Mi Yao, "Mother didn't forget Father, it's just that this is something for us children to wear, Father doesn't want it."

Xiao Liang had little experience and didn't know what to say to make the person who didn't get the good stuff feel less upset, so he could only offer some perfunctory comfort to Xiao Chuan and then put the gourd back into his clothes.

"Don't be envious of ours!"

Xiao Shan and his second brother were of one mind, and Xiao Shan uttered words he couldn't describe, while also hiding his gourd.

"Shan'er, you shouldn't talk about your father like that."

Although Xiao Liang scolded his sister, he felt that her words were very accurate, so he looked embarrassed and his tender face wrinkled up.

Without saying a word, he was labeled a useless adult who was jealous of his child.

Xiao Chuan narrowed his eyes. He knew that Xiao Shan's personality was becoming more and more difficult to deal with, but he did not expect that Xiao Liang's personality would become more and more unique after he became close to Yu Nu.

He's become a bit annoying.

"Why would I take your things?"

Xiao Chuan replied indifferently. After being interrupted like that, he had lost interest in hearing what had happened to them in the past few days.

It all boils down to what Yu Nu said to them, what she did with them, and how she ended up turning them into silly piglets.

As they walked to the main courtyard, Xiao Chuan glanced at the room with the door tightly closed. It was neither early nor late at this hour. Could she still be sleeping? He wondered where she got so much sleepiness every day.

After changing out of his clothes, which were covered in snowflakes and dust, and taking a bath, Xiao Chuan opened the wardrobe and saw several new clothes. He scoffed and took out some old clothes from the side.

"Is Madam Yu not in the manor?"

After tying her hair back up, Xiao Chuan summoned Pu Qing and asked a question before listening to his report on city affairs.

Pu Qing was taken aback: "Madam should be in the mansion. I didn't hear the gatekeeper say that Madam went out."

It's been cold lately, and after Mi Yao went out shopping last time, she said she wouldn't go out again before spring. Now that it's snowing, how could she possibly be interested in going out for a stroll?

"Does the garrison commander need to see the lady?" Pu Qing realized what was going on and immediately said, "I will go and fetch the lady right away."

"No need."

Xiao Chuan said calmly, "He said she wasn't there, but it turns out she was. She just doesn't know proper etiquette and doesn't show herself even though she knows he's returned to the manor."

?

"Instruct the embroiderers to prepare; if anything is unsuitable, the garrison commander should simply inform his subordinates."

Satisfied with his thoughtfulness, Pu Qing's smile held a hint of pride.

Xiao Chuan glanced at him, paused for a moment, and then said, "Well done."

"This is all I should do."

Having already noticed Yu Nu's lethargy, Xiao Chuan didn't say anything. However, when it was time to eat, he unusually went to the small hall.

He glanced at Mi Yao, who was full of energy and had a healthy complexion, and then walked out of the room to greet him, and sat down opposite her.

Upon seeing Xiao Chuan, Mi Yao lifted her eyelids. Strangely enough, Xiao Chuan, having been away for so many days, looked even more handsome despite the weariness in his eyes.

"Tell the head kitchen to send the prepared dishes here."

Mi Yao instructed the maid, then looked at Xiao Chuan, "We've been eating chestnut rice for the past two days. If you don't like it, have the servants serve you regular white rice."

"No need for that trouble, I'm just like you."

Hearing Xiao Chuan say that, Mi Yao said nothing more.

When the meal was served, Xiao Chuan glanced at it and realized that the chestnut rice that Yu Nu had mentioned was rice with chestnuts and sweet potatoes added.

He ate this kind of food a lot when he was a child, but back then the rice used was brown rice, and a lot of water was added to it. A bowl of rice would only contain a whole sweet potato and rice water with very few grains of rice.

Seeing that the others were enjoying their food, Xiao Chuan finished his bowl and switched to regular rice.

After giving instructions to the servants, he seemed to remember something and looked at Mi Yao: "I got tired of eating these things when I was little."

Realizing that Xiao Chuan was explaining to her, Mi Yao replied, "Then I'll eat less from now on."

Xiao Chuan's tone was indifferent, and Mi Yao was not enthusiastic either. This brief exchange did not warm up the atmosphere at the table.

Xiao Shan and Xiao Liang were unaware of this, but Xiao Yi, who was a little older, looked at Xiao Chuan and then at Mi Yao, feeling conflicted. Could it be that their father was really jealous of them, just as his second brother had said, and that's why he had quarreled with their mother?

Not wanting to talk to anyone who made her lose her appetite, Mi Yao focused on eating, and ended up eating more after putting down her chopsticks.

She still felt full after lying down for a while, so she simply put on a cloak and decided to walk around to digest her food.

Where to?

As Mi Yao left the courtyard, she happened to run into Xiao Chuan, who was returning to the courtyard. Their eyes met, and Xiao Chuan spoke first.

"Take a walk around to digest your food."

"Did you eat a lot tonight?"

Xiao Chuan glanced down at her stomach and remembered that she had only eaten half a bowl of rice, using the same small bowl as Xiao Shan.

Because of the cloak, he couldn't see her lower abdomen at a glance, but recalling her slender waist, it certainly didn't seem like it could hold much.

"I am not as strong as you, so naturally my appetite is much worse than yours."

"Um."

After Xiao Chuan nodded, Mi Yao thought he would shut up and walk away, but to her surprise, he turned around and walked out of the courtyard with her.

It looks like I'm going to take a walk with her?

This speculation sent chills down Mi Yao's spine, giving her goosebumps all over. Could Xiao Chuan have been possessed as well?

Not only was he more tactful than usual in the dining room, but he even knew how to please the beauty and accompany her for a walk.

Fortunately, Xiao Chuan didn't let Mi Yao be frightened for too long. After taking a few steps, he asked, "What's the meaning of the second letter you wrote to me?"

His cold voice was like the winter night wind; Xiao Chuan hadn't come to accompany her for a walk, but rather to interrogate her.

Seven or eight days have passed since she wrote that letter, and Mi Yao can't remember what she wrote. Now, when she thinks back, all she remembers is the unpleasant feeling she had at the time.

"I have a bad memory. My lord asked me that question so suddenly, and I can't remember it for a moment. I don't think I wrote anything offensive to my lord, do I? If I did, please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

Meeting Mi Yao's gentle eyes, Xiao Chuan helped her recall: "You wrote, 'Xiao Lang is so smart. I never thought there was such a smart person as Xiao Lang in the world. If everyone in the world were as smart as Xiao Lang, I would be so lucky to marry him.'"

Hearing Xiao Chuan recite what she had written in a flat and expressionless manner, Mi Yao blinked.

When she wrote those words, she felt that she was being a bit sarcastic, but now that Xiao Chuan recited them, they sounded like she was openly cursing someone.

“How could you mention the private note I wrote to you in such a tone, Xiao Lang? A woman’s tone is different from a man’s. I clearly said, ‘Xiao Lang is so clever!’”

Mi Yao became a little more coy, placing her fists under her neck. Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and said with a look of surprise, "My lord, look, this is how I wrote the letter, not with that contemptuous attitude of yours."

Even though he started learning to read late, Xiao Chuan didn't think he was so stupid as to not be able to distinguish the attitudes conveyed in other people's writing.

After he returned home, she initially avoided seeing him, and later, in the small dining hall, her attitude was completely perfunctory.

Having witnessed her coldness earlier, he now saw the smile plastered on her face and realized that she had deliberately ignored him before.

She didn't want to talk to him; he should have thought it was easier for her.

But when he thought of the letter she wrote to him, which Pu Qing said was to thank him, he didn't want her to be so willful and do whatever she wanted. He wanted to expose her hidden emotions and see her panic in front of him.

"What exactly are you angry about? Pu Qing said you didn't interfere in the Zhao family's affairs, but handed the booklet over to the Wang family to handle, that's all. Don't tell me you're tired and that's why you're writing me a sarcastic letter."

Seeing that Xiao Chuan not only didn't let her off the hook after she had acted coquettishly, but also seemed determined to dig deeper, Mi Yao's smile faded.

“If my husband thinks I’m being stubborn, then I am being stubborn.”

Once she calmed down, she regretted writing that letter to Xiao Chuan in a fit of anger. She felt relieved and vented at that moment, but Xiao Chuan would inevitably be annoyed with her after reading the letter.

See? Now she's bothering her.

"So what are you dissatisfied with?"

Seeing her hunch her shoulders in the wind, Xiao Chuan grabbed the pom-pom hanging from her clothes and pulled her under the sheltered corridor. "Talk here. If you still feel cold, go back inside and talk. Don't make excuses like it's too cold to open your mouth."

He won't admit he's smart, but he's figured out all the excuses she'd come up with.

Since Xiao Chuan insisted on an answer, Mi Yao looked at him and said, "I'm dissatisfied that you're not as good as I thought."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Xiao Chuan frowned: "What do you mean?"

“When we were in the bridal chamber, I complained to my husband, but he didn’t comfort me. Instead, he said that Zhao Wulang had stolen me. I knew that my husband was dissatisfied because I had stopped him too many times, so he said such things to vent his anger. Therefore, I didn’t feel angry because I trusted my husband’s character and knew that he was not that kind of person.”

Upon hearing Mi Yao say that she believed in his character, Xiao Chuan scoffed lightly.

Mi Yao pretended not to hear: "Then my lord proved my trust and explained to me that it was not that he did not care about what I said, but that Zhao Wulang's identity was special and we had to proceed slowly."

"My lord probably felt he had done enough, so he went to collect evidence for me to deal with the Zhao siblings, and also instructed Pu Qing to let me use people as I pleased."

Mi Yao paused, trying to force herself to have tears in her eyes, but at most her eyes became a little hot; she really didn't have the ability to cry on cue.

“My lord asked me what I was angry about. I was angry that my lord clearly had evidence all along, but waited for the right opportunity. Because the other party was a member of the Zhao family, he was afraid that others would suspect him, so he pushed me to the forefront. I was angry that my lord was different from what I thought and was not as upright as I thought.”

These words were, of course, embellished and re-embellished by her.

Realizing that Xiao Chuan was treating her as a tool to be used, she had no time to argue with him; she just found Xiao Chuan repulsive.

Thinking deeper, she even wondered whether Xiao Chuan's decision to deal with the Zhao siblings so late in the book was truly a case of Zhao Wulang's covert planning, or whether he was simply waiting for Yan Yun to have an accident so he could act as a savior and gain a powerful general in return.

The more I think about it, the more nauseous I feel.

Of course, she couldn't tell Xiao Chuan these truths.

"My lord may find it amusing, thinking that I am lazy and indulgent, and what right do I have to stand on high and criticize your character? I also think I am wrong, but I am just unhappy and dissatisfied that my lord has ruined my image of you as a great man."

Understanding the meaning behind Mi Yao's letter, Xiao Chuan found it laughable, but upon seeing her reddened eyes, he pursed his lips.

"You're overthinking it. I'm not exactly an honest person."

If he were a saint, he wouldn't have tried to capture her who eloped with her lover, nor would he have turned a blind eye to the grievances of Xiao Liang and the others. He only knows how to live, not how to be upright.

Upon hearing Xiao Chuan's words, Mi Yao stared at him for a moment, but ultimately, unable to hold back her tears, she turned and left.

Xiao Chuan ignored her and left with her.

*

Xiao Chuan had only been back in Yizhou for a few days when Zhao Wulang was also about to leave.

Zhao Tianyang's tactic of having Wu's father belittle his own daughter in order to reduce Zhao Wulang's punishment was a foolish move.

After the coffin was opened and the body examined, it was confirmed that Wu Xiaoniangzi was pregnant before her death. Zhao Tianhe heard Wu's father say that the pregnancy had nothing to do with Zhao Wulang, but that his daughter had been having illicit affairs with many men in private.

Without saying a word, Zhao Tianhe immediately locked Wu's father in jail for interrogation.

Zhao Wulang felt like he was about to die after being whipped sixty times, and everything in his body collapsed. Wu's father was a bit more severe than Zhao Wulang. He only lost consciousness after being whipped sixty-six times and said that he had misremembered.

It is said that his daughter was chaste and never associated with men outside the family, and that she lost her life because she was coerced by Zhao Wulang.

Having obtained such testimony, Zhao Tianhe did not take his life, but stripped him of his official position, confiscated his property, and left him without a job so that he could take good care of his memory and not easily forget what kind of person his daughter was.

Zhao Wulang had a life on his hands, and Zhao Tianhe originally intended to make him pay with his life. However, the other members of the Zhao family usually enjoyed watching the third branch of the Zhao family make a fool of themselves, but when it came to the life and death of someone with the surname Zhao, they united together.

They feared that Zhao Wulang's death would reveal to the world that Zhao Tianhe was not of one mind with them, thus damaging their clan's prestige.

After repeated pleas from his clansmen, Zhao Tianhe spared Zhao Wulang's life. However, he was spared the death penalty but not the punishment. When the Zhao family saw Zhao Wulang again, he had already been castrated and would soon be expelled from Yizhou, never to set foot in Jiannan again in this life.

Compared to his fate, it's hard to say whether Zhao Qiniang's fate was good or bad. Zhao Tianhe only punished Zhao Qiniang with fifty lashes and didn't mention expelling her from the family.

Even if she could stay in the Zhao family, given Zhao's mother's hatred for her, her life probably wouldn't be easy.

“The wicked have all received their due retribution. I went to see Zhao Wulang the day he was forced out of the city gate. He was so thin that he was just skin and bones, and his expression was one of fear and timidity. He must have just escaped with his life and would never dare to do evil again.”

Yan Yun spoke excitedly about the scene that day. The people knew that Zhao Wulang had been driven away that day, and many of them spontaneously threw rotten eggs and stones at him. The Wang family also made up for the excrement they hadn't managed to throw at Zhao Wulang when they came to the Zhao family.

Everything was very gratifying.

"The cowardice of the wicked is merely a matter of having to bow down to power. If he doesn't die, who knows who will suffer next?"

After Mi Yao finished speaking, Yan Yun's excitement faded, and she frowned, asking, "Then what should we do?"

"What else can we do but wait for him to die?"

This way, Zhao Wulang might behave himself for a while. But once Yizhou changes hands, the Zhao family will be too busy to take care of themselves, and even if he wants to be unruly again, there will be no way to stop him.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before Yan Yun's husband came to pick her up. Before leaving, she sighed and said, "I don't know if you understand, but when I saw Zhao Wulang's appearance yesterday, and thought about how smoothly Madam Wang avenged her daughter, I felt a bit strange. Of course, I don't pity Zhao Wulang, but everything went too smoothly, so smoothly that I wondered why it was just this man who made so many young women in Yizhou suffer."

Even with the booklet written by Wu Yingying before her death, she was still worried that the Zhao family might have some countermeasures and that Zhao Wulang might escape unscathed.

But who would have thought that everything went too smoothly, from the Wang family coming to their door to the Zhao siblings being dealt with.

There were rumors circulating outside about the wives of various families, but no one dared to mention them anymore because of Zhao Tianhe's decisive actions.

"Because if you discover that simply revealing everything would lead to the Zhao siblings' utter ruin, you can't understand how their clumsy schemes could control so many women?"

Seeing Yan Yun nod, Mi Yao said calmly, "Because things are not as simple as they seem, because Yizhou is ruled by the Zhao family, because there aren't that many parents who love their daughters, and because women are too easily subjected to all sorts of nasty rumors."

It can only be said that having a fair and just military governor is a blessing for the people of Jiannan. Although she did not inquire about it, she knew that Daxing was now fragmented and that some rulers in power in some areas no longer valued human life and even treated people as food. To them, Zhao Wulang's matter was nothing.

“If you don’t leave soon, your husband might turn into a snowman.”

Seeing that Yan Yun was about to speak, Mi Yao reminded her.

“He’s not stupid. Luo Xue was still standing outside waiting for me.”

Yan Yun wanted to chat more, but knowing that the New Year was just around the corner, she couldn't keep delaying Mi Yao's schedule indefinitely. She agreed to meet again another day, and then Yan Yun reluctantly stood up.

The two went outside together and found that Yue Jin was indeed not standing in the open space as a snowman. However, he and Xiao Chuan were talking under the eaves. Neither of them was dressed warmly, and their hair was occasionally blown by the cold wind. They didn't look very smart.

After seeing Yan Yun off, Mi Yao didn't look at Xiao Chuan beside her and went back into the house first.

Xiao Chuan didn't chase after her. He paused for a while before starting again and walking past her back to the courtyard.

In the past, if the two masters in the manor had a disagreement and stopped talking to each other, the servants below would definitely remain silent.

But Mi Yao didn't try to please Xiao Chuan. She still spent his money with great enthusiasm, handing out red envelopes one after another. The servants in the mansion were all beaming with joy, forgetting all about the master's cold face.

Even Yu Xiu didn't notice the coldness between the two.

Knowing about Xiao Chuan's bad habits, she wished that her elder sister would treat him with respect, so that she would not be hurt again.

In the Xiao family, only Xiao Yi was worried about Xiao Chuan's mood, but his worries were useless, and he couldn't get Mi Yao to give Xiao Chuan a gourd necklace as well.

On New Year's Eve, everyone in the kitchen worked together to prepare a sumptuous New Year's feast.

Looking at the roast suckling pig on the table, Mi Yao felt sorry for it having to come out to greet guests at such a young age, while she finished a whole pork knuckle.

Everyone ate their fill at the meal. After the New Year's Eve dinner, Mi Yao went to Ting Song Courtyard to spend time with Xiao Shan and the others in the game room.

Hearing that Xiao Yi had recently added chess to his curriculum, she asked him to bring out the chessboard so she could teach him how to play Gomoku.

She played with Xiao Yi for a while, but then found that he was too focused on the rules of Go and couldn't adapt to playing Gomoku, so she sent him to teach Xiao Liang how to play. Meanwhile, she continued playing with Yu Xiu, who was eager to try.

Xiao Liang had no interest in learning Go, but fortunately, his game was disrupted by Xiao Shan before he had been learning for long.

Xiao Shan, having nothing to do, wanted to join in, but she didn't understand Gomoku or Go. She bent her thumb and forefinger, and with her chubby little hand, she made a flicking motion, sending the black pieces flying to collide with the white pieces.

After she finished playing, she looked at Xiao Liang, waiting for his response.

Xiao Liang was clearly more interested in the game than in hearing the rules of Go.

The chess pieces bounced back and forth, and Xiao Yi stood helplessly to the side, watching his younger siblings play and laugh heartily.

The Tingsong Courtyard was bustling until 9 PM. After the three children fell asleep, Mi Yao had no intention of staying up all night and went to bed with a yawn.

The next day, when she woke up at noon, Mi Yao gathered everyone in the Xiao family together and gave them New Year's red envelopes.

He scatters money in handfuls, and in return, he receives genuine smiles.

Mi Yao's mood soared, but her exhilaration vanished completely after dinner.

"Go to my room."

Xiao Chuan's voice suddenly rang in her ears. Mi Yao thought she was hallucinating. She turned to look at Xiao Chuan, and when their eyes met, she was filled with admiration for the depth in his eyes.

Even though the two of them haven't spoken for days, he still thinks about the first and fifteenth of the lunar month.

She still has to work on the first day of the Lunar New Year!