Old Man Xu and Old Lady Xu looked at each other, quickly stood up and walked out hand in hand.
As they walked out of the courtyard, they saw a group of villagers surrounding a large man walking towards them. The man was tall and strong, dressed in an imposing official uniform. Who else could it be but their long-missing son Xu Qingyan?
The old couple cried with joy and shouted, "Er'er, it really is you..."
Xu Qingyan also saw the old couple. He handed the horse reins to Xu Lanzhou, ran forward, knelt down and cried, "Dad, Mom, I am an unfilial son and have made you suffer!"
Several people hugged each other and cried for a while, and were persuaded to go back into the house.
Xu Lizheng, accompanied by his father and several clan elders, hurried to the Xu family and anxiously asked Xu Qingyan how he became an official and what position he held.
Xu Qingyan explained how he had been sent to the Western Xia Kingdom to gather intelligence, and upon his return, he was commended by the Emperor and appointed a fourth-rank, second-class guard of the royal palace. He also said that he would bring back the Emperor's edict awarding him the next day and present it to the ancestral temple, but he didn't mention anything about Zhou Xin.
When several clan elders heard that Xu Qingyan had the ability to enter the Golden Palace to meet the emperor and received the emperor's reward, and that the imperial edict would be presented to the ancestral hall, and that his future job would be to protect the high and mighty prince, they were so excited that their bodies were shaking.
Old Man Xu and Old Lady Xu started crying again.
Among the many members of the Xu family, the most glorious one is that an ancestor three generations ago was a seventh-rank official. Not to mention seeing the emperor, he had only seen the prefect a few times.
Patriarch Xu also cried bitterly, holding Xu Qingyan's hand and saying, "This is the glory of our Xu family. May our ancestors bless us. We have a good son..."
Several other elders also chattered, "God's grace, glory, smoke is rising from our ancestral tombs..."
Xu Qingming, who was working in the fields, hurried back, hugged Xu Qingyan, and burst into tears. He then sent someone to the town to find Gu, asking her to buy more food and come back quickly to lead the cooking. He also sent someone to Xu Zhiniang and Xu Daya's homes to tell them to return with their husbands and children.
Old Man Xu sent someone to the government office to call Xu Ershi back. "Tell him that his second uncle is a high-ranking official, a fourth-rank military officer protecting the prince, and has even met the emperor..."
What he said was powerful and passionate.
He just wanted to let the people in the yamen know that Ershi had such a noble relative and that he had a backer, so they should stop complaining about his ugly handwriting.
Xu Jindou was smart and was the first to change the name of Old Man Xu to "Old Master." The others followed suit. The old man was so happy that he agreed loudly, "Hey, hey, good boy, I'll treat you to a meal tomorrow. It's all for you, it's all for you."
Xu Qingyan took out another ten taels of silver and asked Xu Lizheng to find some people to prepare for tomorrow's banquet.
Old Man Xu's eyes narrowed with joy. He then opened his voice and said, "My son is paying for the banquet. Don't be stingy. Buy the delicious fish and meat."
There was a constant stream of people coming to the Xu family to congratulate them. Not only was the house full of people sitting, but the yard was also full of people standing outside.
Gu hired a donkey cart and returned, leading several of her relatives' wives to work in the kitchen. She smiled happily, yet deep down she was filled with regret. If she had known Xu Qingyan would return, and become such a high-ranking official, she should have agreed to give more money to the second wife, even if it meant selling two acres of land. The old lady was right; she had been stingy after all. She also felt a little resentful of Xu Qingming. If he had insisted any longer, she wouldn't have dared to disobey a man...
After a busy and noisy time, it was already noon. Xu Zhiniang's family, Xu Daya's family, and Xu Ershi all came back.
Xu Ershi also said, "Today the government office has an important matter, and tomorrow the county magistrate, the county magistrate, and the county lieutenant will all come to visit my second uncle at home."
After hearing this, everyone congratulated him and expressed envy and jealousy.
Xu Zhiniang had a good relationship with her younger brother, and she pulled Xu Qingyan's sleeve and cried.
For lunch, Xu Lizheng, along with four people from three generations of his family, several clan elders, and his fifth grandfather and his son, were invited to his home to drink and eat.
After dinner, the guests left and took away the things Xu Qingyan had given them. The room finally became quiet.
On the kang, Xu Qingyan sat in the middle, with Old Man Xu on his left and Old Lady Xu on his right, one of their hands still held by the old lady. The others, the elders, sat on chairs beside the kang, while the younger generation stood to one side, still crammed the room full.
Xu Qingyan coughed softly and said, "I have something to tell my parents."
Ever since welcoming his son, dressed in his official uniform, into his home, Old Man Xu has been acting very arrogantly. After hearing what his son said, he said with a stern face, "We have important matters to discuss. You two can go down first."
After everyone left, Xu Qingyan stood up and closed the door. He whispered about Zhou Xin and Xu Lanyue, but still didn't dare mention Zhou Xin's title. Finally, he said, "...Little Niuniu will come home tomorrow. Please ask the clan leader to record her name in the family tree."
Old Man Xu's eyes widened as he shouted, "That woman was also a spy. Did she die protecting you?" Seeing his son nod, he added, "She was a heroine. Don't fool me into thinking the emperor only gave you the reward and not her."
Xu Qingyan had no choice but to say, "It's closed."
Old Man Xu asked again, "What was sealed?"
Xu Qingyan said what the emperor had been given.
When the old man heard that his other daughter-in-law had been conferred the title of Fourth-Rank Lady of Loyalty and Bravery by the Emperor, his eyes were red with joy. He laughed heartily a few times before saying, "Ms. Zhou died with honor. Why didn't you tell this story to the elders and fellow villagers? Such honor doesn't need to be hidden. I, an old man, knew I wanted to return home in glory. That daughter-in-law died like that, so everyone would know and envy them to death."
The old man was beaming with joy, and almost said that Zhou "died a good death".
Xu Qingyan's temples throbbed with anger. He said, "Father, Xin Niang suffered so much with me. She was only 23 when she died, and her death was so tragic. How can you laugh like that when talking about her death? As for the glory of our Xu family, it is those two imperial edicts and the official title I hold. In the future, my son will continue to earn it, and so will his son's son. Our Xu family does not need to use a woman's death to gain glory."
Old man Xu choked and felt that he was being inappropriate, so he quickly closed his wide-open mouth.
Old Lady Xu also scolded him, "Old bastard, you're so happy about someone's death. You've lived such a long life in vain." She then said to Xu Qingyan, "Zhou followed you and died like that. She was a good child. You must treat the daughter she left behind well in the future."
Xu Qingyan nodded and said, "Little Niuniu is very good and sensible. Mother will love her more in the future."
Old Lady Xu said, "Of course. I love my granddaughter. That child, having lost her mother, is even more pitiful." She then asked, "Since Zhou's imperial decree has been issued, why don't we invite them to the ancestral hall together tomorrow?"
Xu Qingyan said, "Wait a moment. I've already submitted the petition requesting that Qin be granted the title of Fourth Rank Consort. Once Qin's title is announced, please enter the ancestral hall first, and then invite Zhou in."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
