Chapter 335 Trouble Comes
The eunuch who delivered the reward was a familiar face. When he left at noon, Sui Yu generously gave him five hundred coins. When he returned to the palace to report, he deliberately mentioned Zhao Xiaozai's request for reward to please Emperor Xuanping. Now, he came to the post station again with the reward.
Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping dressed and went out. When she saw the eunuch, she smiled and said, "Thank you, eunuch, for speaking well of us to His Majesty. My son will go to Chang'an City to join in the fun after lunch. When he comes back, I will have him face the palace and kowtow to His Majesty."
"The young master's childish words are endearing, and His Majesty even praised him for his charisma." The eunuch stood up and said, "Excuse me for disturbing the Madam and the General of the Household. Now that the things have been delivered, I will return to the palace."
"Thank you for your haste, eunuch. I came back in a hurry at noon and forgot to bring a little gift." Sui Yu took the bundle from Xiao Chunhong and said, "It's going to snow soon, and the weather is getting colder. I want to give you a few pairs of cashmere socks and a few hand warmers. I hope you don't mind."
The eunuch took the bundle and shook it. It was heavy, and there must be copper coins stuffed inside. He smiled and bowed, then led the five eunuchs away with satisfaction.
Xiao Chunhong called a few people over, and they moved the rewards into the backyard.
"What was the reward? Is this a food box?" Zhao Xiping entered the room and opened the food box. He saw a plate of sweet and fragrant cakes. He glanced at Sui Yu and said, "The news that your son brought cakes back to His Majesty has reached his ears."
"That's good to know." Sui Yu leaned over and pinched a piece of cake into his mouth, saying, "Close the food box. Let's not move. Wait for the kid to come back and tell us what the reward is. This is for the child, he should be the first to open it."
"You're so picky." Although he said that, Zhao Xiping didn't stop moving. He put the lid of the lunch box back in place and didn't touch anything else.
"Still sleeping?" he asked.
Sui Yu nodded. There was nothing else to do. It was still very cold outside, and he would feel more comfortable lying in bed.
When I woke up, I heard rustling sounds outside the screen. The oil lamp was moved away, and the place where I had been sleeping was pitch black.
"Is the mouse coming?" Sui Yu said.
"Mom, are you awake?" The little cub peeked out from behind the screen and said happily, "Xiao Chunhong told me that these were given to me by His Majesty."
"Yes, where's your uncle?"
"Here." Sui Liang's voice came from outside the screen.
"It's getting dark?" Zhao Xiping sat up, hugging the quilt. He asked curiously, "What did His Majesty give you as a reward?"
"Six plates of sweet cakes, two gold collars, a gold shovel, two jade pendants, and two bows. One big bow, one small. The big one is definitely for my uncle." The kid came over holding up the oil cup and said, "One jade pendant for me and one for my uncle. I wanted to give my uncle a gold collar too, but he didn't want it."
Sui Yu dressed and went to the fields. She had already spotted the two bows, one large and one small. They were indeed Sui Liang's. She picked up the golden shovel and examined it again and again, wondering, "Why are there golden shovels in the palace? Could it be that the princes and princesses use them to dig the soil and plant flowers?"
Zhao Xiping took a quick look, then opened the door and went out. It was already dark, and the sound of knocking clappers could be heard in the wind. He turned around and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I'll wait for you and my sister. My little bacon and I bought five pickled ducks and some roasted donkey meat from the city. Let's heat them up in the kitchen and then we can start eating," said Sui Liang.
"Okay, I'll go over there. You don't have to go out. It's dark and you can't see the road." As soon as he finished speaking, the person outside the door had already rushed into the night.
Sui Liangduo lit two oil lamps, and the flames soared, making the room much brighter. The golden color became even more dazzling under the candlelight.
The little cub sat on the box and stuffed a piece of chestnut cake into his mouth, mumbling, "Your Majesty is such a good man. The sweet cakes in the palace are so delicious... Mother, have you eaten?"
"……No."
"Serve it on the table later and we'll eat together."
"Send a plate to your sister Lu Yaer as well." Sui Yu instructed.
"All right."
Sui Yu gathered up the things on the floor and said, "Move these things back to your rooms and put them away."
The kid let out a "hmm" and picked out two pieces of each pastry and took them out to give to Lu Yaer. Sui Liang stacked the boxes on the ground together, slung two bows over his shoulders, and carried them all out the door and into the room where he and the kid slept.
When the uncle and nephew came back, Zhao Xiping also came with a food box, followed by a postman who was delivering the food.
Sui Yu grabbed a handful of copper coins and stuffed them into his pocket. The postman happily accepted them and said politely, "Madam, after dinner, please leave your bowls and chopsticks in the basin outside the door. I will come and collect them."
"Okay, in half an hour, please bring us two buckets of hot water."
The postman let out an "Ai" and walked away happily.
After the door was closed, Sui Liang said, "Sister, let Xiao Chunhong bring water and food here from now on, so that we don't have to give tips to the postman every time."
"It's a small amount of money, but it's worth it to buy some comfort. We still have to stay at the post station for three or four months. If we stay for too long, people will dislike us. If we make it unprofitable for the postmen, they will get tired of us and find any little trouble to bother us for a long time." Sui Yu sat down to eat and said, "Just think of it as renting a house in a farmer's house. Besides, the conditions at the post station are much better than those at a farmer's house. Living at the post station, Zhang Shun and his men don't have to keep watch at night. This money is worth it."
Sui Liang took note of it silently.
After dinner, the postman brought hot water and took away the dishes.
Sui Yu watched Xiaozai and Sui Liang wash and scrub clean, then sent them back to their rooms to sleep. After that, she and Zhao Xiping lay on the couch and chatted until midnight before falling asleep contentedly.
The next day, the Grand Minister of Agriculture brought up cotton planting and the fact that the four Hexi counties had owners but no manpower to cultivate the land. The six scrolls of bamboo slips presented by Sui Yu to Emperor Xuanping were passed back and forth among the ministers. When the ministers saw the line "Release the prostitutes in the camp and convert them to good women, and hire them to cultivate the wasteland and plant cotton", the court began to boil like water dropped into a frying pan.
Sui Yu, who lived in the outer city, had no idea about this. She and Sui Liang took Zhao Xiping and the little boy in through Xuanping Gate. The four of them went for a stroll in the East Market, and in the afternoon they went to the music house in the West Market to listen to music. They played until the city gate was about to close before returning to the post station.
"Madam, several families came to visit you today. They didn't want to see the servants and wanted to see you in person. They waited until it was almost dark before leaving their visiting cards and leaving." The gatekeeper saw Sui Yu and hurriedly reported.
Sui Yu took the visiting card and glanced at it from the lantern light. It was signed by the Imperial Counselor. She lifted the bamboo slips and looked at it again. She was not seeing things, it was really a visiting card sent from the Imperial Counselor's residence.
Sui Yu took two steps back and glanced outside the post station before saying, "Let's go back to the house."
Sui Liang was the last one to walk. He handed the remaining money in his pocket to the postman guarding the gate and said, "Brother, please pass on the message."
"It's just a small matter." The postman took the money bag swiftly. He squeezed it and found that there were at least three coins in the pocket, enough for him to drink a bowl of wine.
"Wait a minute." The postman called out to Sui Liang, and he approached and said, "Go back and tell your sister that the people who came here today are not friendly, and they all have dark faces."
Sui Liang thanked her and hurried after her. He went into the house and said, "Sister, the postman said that the people who came today had bad intentions."
"I already know." Sui Yu waved the three bamboo slips in his hand and said, "The Imperial Counselor, the Land Commissioner, and the Minister of the Imperial Court are probably here to discuss cotton planting or the release of prostitutes from the camp."
"Release a prostitute from the camp? What does this have to do with you?" Sui Liang was puzzled. "Did you propose this?"
"That's right." Sui Yu was a little proud. "If it wasn't me who suggested it, why would they come to me?"
"What do I want to see you for?" Zhao Xiping interrupted.
"Maybe he was scolding me, like a hen crowing at dawn." Sui Yu smiled.
"We'll curse back," the kid said. "We're many in number, so we're not afraid of them."
Zhao Xiping looked at him and signaled him to shut up.
"What are you going to do? It's a pity that it's winter now, otherwise we could leave Chang'an and return to Dunhuang tomorrow." he asked.
Sui Yu placed the three bamboo slips on the table and said, "I'm sick tonight and won't see anyone. Liang'er, you'll take care of the business. Go into the city more often and try to sell our blankets and quilts for a good price before the New Year. Then, look for good things in Chang'an, like dyes, donkey hides, street performers who can play musical instruments, leather boots, patterns, and so on. Buy anything you think can make money, and we'll carry it back to Dunhuang to sell next year."
Sui Liang nodded, "Okay, leave the business matters to me. I just happened to be going to the Hua family. I wonder if they've returned from shipping goods along the coast."
"Remember to bring some gifts when you visit. Don't come empty-handed. The Hua family took good care of you when you spent the winter in Chang'an. I don't expect to sell the hand warmer I brought from Dunhuang. Take it as a gift." Sui Yu instructed.
"Okay." Sui Liang nodded.
Sui Yu looked at the little boy and said, "Go play with your uncle, and bring your father along."
"I'm not a child. I won't go out. I'll stay home with you." Zhao Xiping was unhappy. "Is it okay not to see them?"
"Anyway, they can't come to my bedside and curse me. Don't worry about offending them. We don't need to ask for anything from them." Sui Yu said shamelessly, "Go get me a doctor tomorrow. We'll see a doctor in Chang'an and he'll help me get better. We'll try to have another child in our family next year."
Hearing that she was still thinking about having a child, Zhao Xiping and Sui Liang immediately stopped worrying. Even the little boy asked naively, "Who else?"
Sui Yu glanced at Zhao Xiping and said, "I don't know, ask your father."
Sui Liang pulled his nephew away and said, "Go back to your room and sleep."
The next morning, Zhao Xiping went to the city to invite a doctor. When he was seeing the doctor off, he happened to meet a counselor wearing a turban.
"General Zhao, this gentleman is looking for you." The postman was annoyed by the harassment, and when he saw Zhao Xiping coming out, he did not help to stop him.
"Send the doctor back to the city." Zhao Xiping instructed Qingshan. He walked aside and asked, "Why did you come to see me?"
"Where is Madam Xihua? How dare a woman like her interfere in the affairs of the imperial court? Why is she hiding like a rat now?"
Zhao Xiping's face darkened.
"Madam Xihua, if you have the guts to interfere in state affairs, then don't hide away. Why are you hiding..." The censor raised his voice and shouted, preparing to break in.
"You're the one I'm hiding from. You're like a crazy old rooster. Instead of crowing at home, why are you running out here crowing like crazy?" Zhao Xiping was very strong. He half-pushed, half-carried the old man, spewing feces, out of the post station gate and said, "My wife is praised by His Majesty and was personally appointed as his wife. If you have any complaints about her, go to the palace and make a complaint to His Majesty."
Zhao Xiping had lived in the village since he was a child, and had often heard the old women cursing from the east end of the village to the west end. If they were to compare who cursed the foulest, he was definitely not inferior to this old man.
The censor was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick. He cursed, "Coward, weak-footed donkey, how dare you insult the court censor!"
"A weakling? When I was on the battlefield killing the Xiongnu, you were lying in a nest hatching your eggs." Zhao Xiping pushed him away. "Get lost! The rewards and titles my husband and I have received are what we deserve. We are not like some people who have earned their wealth and status by cursing."
The postman standing by was stunned. Seeing the censor was so angry that he took off his shoes and hit someone, he hurried over to stop him. He could scold him but couldn't hit him.
The three postmen dragged and shoved the cursing official away. Zhao Xiping spat and strode into the room to complain to Sui Yu: "A mad chicken came and cursed you outside the post station."
"You can curse me all you want, I didn't hear you anyway..."
"I heard it, and I cursed back."
Sui Yu sat up suddenly in shock, "Who did you curse at? How did you curse at me?"
"An old man, a censor. I called him a mad old rooster." Zhao Xiping confessed truthfully, "Don't worry, he scolded us too. If he complains, he won't get any good results."
Sui Yu fell down, "You're done, he's going to scold you."
"It's okay, I won't scold you if I scold you."
Sui Yu: ...
She hooked his chin and leaned forward to kiss him. Before he could savor the taste, she lifted his ear and twisted it halfway, "Take it easy, General Zhonglang. Keep your position and do something practical."
"It's not like we're cursing His Majesty, so I won't be demoted." Zhao Xiping took her hand and said, "Your Majesty has a purpose for keeping us here, and he won't punish us just for cursing the censor. Also, I'm thinking if I come out and curse him, people outside will definitely think I'm a reckless person, and those who want to come will have to think twice about whether we're worth the curse. We'll be leaving in the spring of next year, but these people are different. They're going to live in Chang'an for the rest of their lives, and they want to save face. Didn't you see that censor was so angry after I cursed him? His hair stood up, and I'm sure many people will call him Old Rooster in the future."
As he was speaking, a postman came with the news: "General Zhao, the Magistrate of Jitian is here and wants to see you."
Sui Yu waved his hand and said, "Go out and continue scolding."
Zhao Xiping looked at her and said, "Are you really scolding me?"
"Then I'm out."
Ji Tianling came to investigate the issue of owned farmland turning into wasteland. Zhao Xiping explained in detail the current status of the land in the four counties of Dunhuang, and then asked Ji Tianling about cotton planting. For example, after camp prostitutes became good women, they had to pay taxes and a certain percentage of grain to their employers when renting farmland.
Just as Ji Tianling left, General Hu Zhonglang came in again. Zhao Xiping invited him in and asked, "I scolded an old censor this morning and he left. Is there anything wrong?"
General Hu laughed loudly, he had already heard the news.
"It's all right, His Majesty, you know you scolded him and he laughed. This stubborn old man deserves to be scolded, and you're not wrong to scold him. He's just a crazy old rooster, crowing at the top of his lungs at the slightest light." General Hu looked around and asked, "Where's the lady?"
"I'm sick." Zhao Xiping said seriously.
"It's good that she's sick. She can stay in the post station to recuperate, so that she won't be invited by some lady to come over and enjoy the plum blossoms or eat a feast. She will then feel so humiliated." General Hu did not expose her.
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