Chapter 18 Preparations Before Returning Home: Sending Her a Box of Fragrant Hills Red Leaves

Upon waking up in the morning, Mu Chuan presented his credentials to the palace and first asked the Emperor Emeritus for leave, saying that he wanted to return to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors.

Even if someone wanted to make things difficult for someone, they wouldn't choose something like ancestor worship, especially since the Emperor Emeritus was extremely satisfied with Mu Chuan and even somewhat dependent on him.

After discussing filial piety, Mu Chuan went to the imperial study to bid farewell to the emperor.

The emperor also said a lot of things like "don't rush" and "stay a few more days after returning home in glory," which made it hard not to suspect that he didn't want Mu Chuan to get close to the retired emperor.

Mu Chuan then asked, "Does His Majesty still have the beauty cream he sent last time? It's been quite good after using it a few times."

To be honest, Mu Chuan has only been back for less than half a month, and even if he had cosmetic surgery, he's still in the recovery period.

The emperor smiled and looked at his weathered face, saying, "Yes. There are not only face wipes, but also hand wipes and body wipes. Tell them to give you more so that your mother and sisters can use them when you get back."

Mu Chuan thanked him, said a few more words, and then took his leave.

The emperor sighed with emotion and said to Quan Furen, the eunuch serving him, "I like his straightforward manner."

Following the emperor's lead, Quan Furen said, "Lord Mu is simple in character, has the heart of a child, yet is honest and not wild."

That's what they say, but Quan Furen couldn't help but recall what the Emperor had said when Grand Secretary Zuo of the Cabinet came yesterday.

...relying on seniority, bullying others, incompetent, and clueless...

Ministers are not allowed to leave the palace alone. This time, the person who escorted Mu Chuan out was none other than Bai Zhong, the eunuch who had accepted the olive branch last time.

The two started chatting naturally on the way.

"His Majesty is quite anxious about your marriage, sir. Just two days ago, he summoned two of the Empress's nieces." Bai Zhong said with a smile, "Those two young ladies are quite pretty. His Majesty was worried that they might delay your marriage, so he gave each of them gifts and had them sent back."

Mu Chuan touched his face, thinking that he was anxious too.

“Father-in-law, look at my face. I need to rest, otherwise I’m afraid I’ll be rejected as soon as we meet. I’m too embarrassed to see her. Not to mention the girl, even her father and brother wouldn’t want to see her. If His Majesty brings this up again, please put in a good word for me. There’s no rush.”

Mu Chuan's face was dignified, yet his demeanor was deceptive, and his voice was deep and magnetic, making Bai Zhong feel somewhat embarrassed.

"Ahem. His Majesty is just taking a look first. The lord's residence is not yet completed, so marriage can only be discussed after the house is finished." Since he had decided to form a closer partnership with this Marquis Zhongyong, Bai Zhong lowered his voice and said another sentence.

"At the beginning of autumn, Commander Ning of the Northern Camp contracted the plague. However, due to his advanced age, it took him almost three months to recover. Now, he coughs even when he walks quickly. His Majesty wants to replace the commander of the Northern Camp."

This is indeed good news. The fact that the eunuch said this proves that Mu Chuan is ranked first among the candidates for succession.

Mu Chuan cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "It's alright to see you off here, Father-in-law. It's cold and windy, you should go back soon."

After the two said goodbye, Bai Zhong looked at the red envelope in his hand and thought to himself that although the Earl of Zhongyong was honest and kind, he was not completely ignorant.

Especially the action of stuffing the red seal; before he could even react, he already had something in his hand.

Bai Zhong tried to imitate Mu Chuan's movements twice, but made no progress. He laughed at himself first.

In general, if a minister wants to rise to power, it's best to have a eunuch speak on his behalf at all times. Although a eunuch's rise to power mostly depends on the emperor's favor, who wouldn't want to collude with a favored minister?

So when he returned, Bai Zhong said to the emperor, "The Earl of Zhongyong is very upset, saying that his face might tarnish Your Majesty's reputation."

The emperor burst into laughter: "I told you he was a simpleton! Go and deliver the face cream, and tell him to relax, it will be fine after a winter."

As they left the palace, it was almost noon. Mu Chuan turned his horse around and said with a smile, "Let's go see the chieftain and have a meal with him. It's been almost half a month; I wonder if he misses us."

Of course, I'd love to die for it.

On the way back to the capital, Mu Chuan asked many questions, such as which chieftain of Beili or Nanli was more martial, whether they had any private grudges, which place was rich in resources, and whether there were any little-known paths, etc.

At that time, Hua Azan ignored Mu Chuan. Firstly, he didn't know whether he was alive or dead, and secondly, even if he survived, the journey back to the capital would be the most comfortable period of his future. So, taking advantage of this, he acted recklessly all the way.

Now that they've arrived in the capital, half a month has passed, and that valiant general seems to have forgotten about him altogether.

That's right, their family's treasure trove, accumulated over five generations, did indeed fall into the hands of this great general. However, the distribution of spoils by the Great Wei was different from that of their Beili village. This great general could only receive a maximum of 30%.

He was satisfied with less than a million taels of gold and silver after all the calculations?

Hua Azan longed for Mu Chuan to come to him day and night. He had to find him a few more companions from Bei Li or Nan Li. He, Hua Azan, was neither the richest nor owned the most land. What merit did he have to stay in the capital alone to enjoy the Emperor's grace of the Great Wei?

Just as he was sighing, a servant outside reported: "A man named Jia Zhen, a hereditary third-rank general of the Ningguo Mansion, has come to visit."

"Please come in," said Hua Azan. Ever since he became a prisoner, officials from the Ministry of Rites had come to teach him principles on the third, sixth, and ninth days of each month.

Of course, the chieftains could speak Chinese, though their intonation was a bit strange. This was because all the advanced textbooks in this land were written in Chinese, such as history books and military treatises.

The servants quickly brought Jia Zhen in.

Jia Zhen bowed, and the servants behind him placed the gift box on the table, opened the lid, and then took their leave.

Jia Zhen smiled and said, "I heard that the chieftain is a Buddhist, so I specially found a few strings of Buddhist beads for him, as well as some other local gifts. I hope the chieftain will accept them."

Hua Ajarn glanced at it sideways; several strings of amber prayer beads were quite valuable, but the offerings below... were actually silver notes.

"General, you're too kind," Hua Azan chuckled.

Jia Zhen then began exchanging pleasantries.

Jia Zhen knew that the Buddhists of Beili had considerable expertise in health preservation and the ways of men and women, and that was why he came here.

He originally intended to visit the Earl of Zhongyong. They were both officials in the same court and nobles, so it would be convenient for them to talk. He didn't know what the Rongguo Mansion had said, but the Earl of Zhongyong actually rejected his invitation. It was too undignified.

It's understandable that his son, Jia Rong, didn't have any children with his first wife. But this new wife has been married for several years and still hasn't given birth, which is abnormal.

In addition, the Rongguo Mansion next door has also been childless for several years.

It's normal that there was no movement in Baoyu's room in the second wife's house. After all, Baoyu has never been married, and his age... at least in the eyes of his master and mistress, is still young. Moreover, the old lady dotes on him like a child. What maid would dare to openly get pregnant? They must have taken medicine.

It's strange that Jia Lian, the eldest son's wife, hasn't made any moves, since he has quite a few women.

Perhaps it is because their ancestors committed too many killings in their early years that they are now being punished. If they can obtain the supreme Buddha Dharma, perhaps they can resolve this calamity.

Jia Zhen, using a plausible excuse, asked with an increasingly lewd smile, "I would like to request a lotus flower. If there is a Mingfei Thangka, that would be even better."

"Get out! Get out!" The chieftain, who had just been all smiles, suddenly widened his eyes. "Don't get me! Get out of here!"

He grabbed the gift box from the table, slammed the lid shut, and threw it into Jia Zhen's arms: "Zaximu! Zaximu, come here right now and kick him out!"

That general hated this kind of thing the most; he dared not touch it even slightly, otherwise he wouldn't be alive—

Hua Ajarn gasped and subconsciously looked at the back of his hand.

From the back of his hand to his arm, there was a long scar, the skin that the general had personally peeled off, so that he would know: "Is making a drum out of human skin painful or an honor?"

And: "If you want to see your Buddha, I can peel off another piece for you."

Just thinking about this gave Hua Azan goosebumps all over his body. Even though the climate in the capital was warm and there was no strong wind, he felt a sense of despair, as if he were sitting at the foot of a snowy mountain during the heavy snow season.

Zaximu quickly entered and whispered in the chieftain's ear, "The Great General has arrived."

Hua Azan hurriedly got up, his physique, which was pointed at both ends and round in the middle, showed unprecedented agility: "I will go to greet the General. You chase him out and don't disturb the General."

In his haste, Hua Azan, speaking directly to Zaximu, inevitably uttered a few words in his local dialect. Jia Zhen didn't understand a word, but he understood the attitude of chasing him away.

"Chieftain, Chieftain, what's wrong? Why are you all so happy—"

But when faced with a burly warrior whose arm, bulging with muscles, was still showing even in the dead of winter, Jia Zhen suddenly understood.

"I'll walk by myself."

Zaximu led him out through the side door. Jia Zhen could tell that this meant there were more guests. Given his attitude towards him, and his utmost respect towards the new guest, anyone would want to know who the new guest was.

Jia Zhen deliberately walked slowly. When he heard a noise over there, he turned around and looked back. Although he had never met Mu Chuan, there was no one else in the capital who was so tall and had connections with the chieftain except for the Earl of Zhongyong.

"Hmph." Jia Zhen sneered, "You're really shameless. They captured you and treated you like a little chick, and you still fawned over them."

But no amount of sour talk could cover up the truth; Jia Zhen slunk away through the side door.

At the front gate, Hua Azan had already gone to greet him, his tone tinged with a hint of resentment: "General, you really have a bad memory. In the entire capital, the two of us are the closest of friends. But you've left me here for over ten days."

Mu Chuan laughed heartily: "The capital is a blessed land. Has the chieftain gotten used to it after staying here for so long?"

Hua Azan pointed the way and ushered him in. The two sat down, and Hua Azan ordered salted oil tea. Mu Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and asked directly, "Has the chieftain decided which of your sons to come to the capital?"

The imperial decree issued that day ordered that one person be selected to come to the capital, without specifying who it would be, which was one of the few acts of respect shown to the people.

Hua Ajarn wasn't surprised. Everyone used the same textbook for their political maneuvering lessons, and he knew exactly what kind of hostage to send and what role it could play.

Mu Chuan continued, “Think about it, the people of Beili don’t live long. Even the nobles can only live to be fifty at most. If you choose a son and have a grandson who is close to the Great Wei, he might be able to go back and become a chieftain in the future. It’s only about twenty years. I will definitely still be around then. If you take good care of him, you might even be able to see him and return to your roots.”

Hua Azan was able to submit to Mu Chuan for two reasons: firstly, he was brave and ruthless enough; secondly, if he still wanted to contact Bei Li, the best way was through Mu Chuan.

Now there is another reason. Although Mu Chuan has forced him to stop openly practicing religion, he can still go back to be buried in Beili and be buried with the most traditional rites!

“Sigh…” Hua Azan sighed: “My sixth son, Tso Gana, is not doing well. His mother is a female slave and is often bullied by his brothers and sisters. Let him take over.”

"Isn't that settled?" Mu Chuan said with a smile. "Write a letter and I'll have them send it to Pingnan Town."

Hua Azan sighed and pulled another scroll from under the table, handing it to Mu Chuan.

Mu Chuan first squeezed it, and Hua Azan said irritably, "There's no dagger inside. I wouldn't dare to assassinate you."

Mu Chuan opened it and laughed, "It really is a map."

It is a map of the entire Li territory, marking the territories of various chieftains, what each mountain produces, and everything from grains, medicinal herbs, fruits to minerals.

The map also included details about the intermarriages of various chieftains and the military strength he knew.

Mu Chuan rolled up the map and said slowly, "Isn't this good enough? Don't worry, since you've offered this, I certainly won't let you suffer any loss."

At noon, Mu Chuan and his men had a very exotic lunch at the chieftain's place, which was also very much in line with the local customs of Pingnan Town. After resting for a while, they took their leave.

Back at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, Mu Chuan handed the map to Zhao Jingcheng: "Compare it with the map we found ourselves and see if there's anything that's misleading me. If not, make a good copy and send one to Pingnan Town. Make two more copies, just the map, and make them more exquisite. I'll present them to the palace when I return."

Next, Mu Chuan set aside a portion of the beauty cream bestowed by the emperor and said, "Send this to Miss Lin."

But that wasn't all. He then picked out a set of seven rattles of varying sizes, a set of four cloth tigers, and a revolving lantern covered with an ivory openwork cover.

“Every three or four days, I would send something to Miss Lin. I would also inquire about what she likes to eat, what she likes to play, or what kind of books she likes.”

Mu Chuan paused slightly, then chuckled mischievously, "Even if you don't like it, you still have to find out the details."

Making a girl angry can sometimes be fun.

Suddenly, Mu Chuan remembered Lin Daiyu's longing tone and expectant eyes when she talked about the red leaves of Fragrant Hills last time, so he went to the study and found a box of bookmarks.

At this time, bookmarks were made of approximately four different materials.

First came the most precious materials, such as ivory, gold, or silver. Next were thin slices of wood that were then carved open. Then came items made from letter paper, with a small drawing or a couple of lines of poetry on them. Finally, there were items made from tree leaves, with red leaves from Fragrant Hills and ginkgo leaves being the most common.

Mu Chuan picked out all the red leaves from Fragrant Hills from the box.

At that time, there was no plastic sealing technology, so the leaves could not be preserved for long. Moreover, he did not want Lin Daiyu to have any sorrow or regret over a leaf, such as "it has finally gone bad" or "it will not last long".

Since we can't take her to see the mountains, are we only going to give her one leaf as well?

"Send this whole box over," Mu Chuan said with a smile. Then he stood up and said, "Pack your things, we'll head back home tomorrow."

When he returned home in glory, he also insisted on implementing the four essential measures that have remained unchanged since ancient times: ancestral hall, ancestral graves, road construction, and private school. In addition, there were a series of other benefits, such as exemption from land tax and other taxes.

With such excellent infrastructure, which was also free, it was natural not to let Wang Gou'er benefit from it. So the first thing to do when they got back was to get Wang Gou'er to leave Linjia Village voluntarily, just like the Mu family had voluntarily sold 35 mu of good paddy fields for 30 taels of silver.

A note from the author:

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