Chapter 302
"I hope so." As a woman from a poor background, Madam Fan understood best the suffering that war brought to the lives of ordinary people.
...
...
A month later, Fan Xiaoxiao's prediction came true.
When Lady Fan heard that the imperial army was about to retreat, she was so happy that she almost cried.
"There couldn't be better news."
At that time, Madam Fan was a guest at Fan Xiaoxiao's residence.
On the surface, Qingzhou City was entrusted to Gu Zhongtai, so any battle reports were sent here first.
"I'll go back and tell Xiaobao and the others right now."
"Sister, it's almost lunchtime. Even if you don't eat, you should still pack some pastries to take with you."
Madam Fan was very pleased and waved her hand, saying, "No, I'll go back first."
“Okay!” Fan Xiaoxiao followed to the door: “I’ll have someone pack some and send them to you and Xiaobao later.”
After the person left, she let out a soft sigh.
However, today is different from usual.
If someone sighs like this, Gu Zhongtai will definitely come over to comfort them.
But he didn't make a sound at this moment.
Fan Xiaoxiao turned her head to look, puzzled.
But I saw him leaning against the window, his long eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"What's wrong?" Fan Xiaoxiao walked over to the side with concern.
Gu Zhongtai looked up and pulled her into his lap: "It's nothing."
Fan Xiaoxiao wanted to ask more, but she felt his arm tighten around her.
After a moment's thought, she shut her mouth.
Sometimes, if you ask him directly, he doesn't know how to answer.
Once he has thought it through, he will naturally not hide anything from her.
"Is there something Xiahou and his brother-in-law are hiding from us?"
"Is it a woman?" That was the first thing Fan Xiaoxiao thought of.
Gu Chongtai was taken aback for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Madam, you should look forward to your elder sister's future."
"..."
Fan Xiaoxiao raised her hand and poked his forehead: "You've gotten bolder?"
"Yes, yes, I was wrong." He turned her face to face with him.
His expression and tone became much more serious: "Madam, if I were to say, I would soon be going to war with the army." He lowered his eyes and touched her belly.
"You might not see the baby born, will you be angry?"
Fan Xiaoxiao felt a tightness in her chest: "What's wrong?"
She looked deeply into the man's eyes, then cupped his cheeks in her hands: "Chongtai? What do you mean? I don't understand."
"Didn't they say the imperial court had already withdrawn its troops? Why is there another war?"
Gu Zhongtai shook his head.
“Not this.” He raised his hand and pressed down on one of her hands, the temperature of which was just right, cool and refreshing: “The court has temporarily withdrawn its troops, naturally because of the shortage of food supplies.”
"But even a centipede with a hundred legs does not die easily. Xiahou said in his secret letter that we should discuss going south to Zhili when we return, and it would be best if we could take the capital region or the surrounding prefectures and counties."
"..."
He stopped there and didn't continue.
But Fan Xiaoxiao already understood.
Gu Lang killed his father, mother, and sister, and he could not let the hatred go unavenged.
This is also Gu Zhongtai's obsession in both his lifetimes.
The news that the emperor is an imposter will surely be announced to the world when the Qingzhou army returns in triumph.
They confronted the imperial court head-on and didn't lose.
Such an opportunity will not come again! It's a normal person's judgment to press their advantage.
"I understand." Fan Xiaoxiao nodded.
She clutched her stomach with one hand.
Although it was indeed a bit inappropriate that her husband wasn't present when the child was born, and she felt wronged.
But at this moment, she chose to support him.
He has waited for two lifetimes; if he cannot avenge his enemy, his obsession and resentment will only deepen.
"Go with peace of mind, I will be waiting for you to come back in Qingzhou!"
"Be good." Gu Zhongtai breathed a sigh of relief, and the smile on his face was more beautiful than ever before.
"You have to be good too." Fan Xiaoxiao pressed her forehead against his. "If you dare bring a woman back, I'll punish you severely!"
"Yes, ma'am!" He smiled and picked her up, his gaze slowly falling on her lips.
Fan Xiaoxiao quickly raised her hand and pressed it against his handsome, thin lips as he leaned in: "What are you doing? I just ate something sour!"
“I know that Madam is prone to jealousy.”
"I like it too."
He blinked and kissed her through her fair hand.
No matter how many times Fan Xiaoxiao looks at such an impeccably handsome face, she will blush with embarrassment.
But his next words made her blush all the way to the roots of her neck.
Gu Zhongtai said softly, "The doctor who examined the lady's pulse earlier said that her pulse was stable."
"It wouldn't be wrong to get a little closer."
The words were spoken cryptically, and Fan Xiaoxiao raised her hand to strike.
His smile remained unchanged, and he didn't flinch; his steps back into the house became even more resolute.
...
...
Mid-July.
The army returned in triumph.
The Gan family and other prominent clans were all dumbfounded.
I thought the Qingzhou army was doomed to defeat.
I never expected it to end like this.
These people were all filled with unease and dared not act recklessly.
Not only did they dare not reclaim the grain that Gu Zhongtai had taken to appease the people of Qingzhou, but they also donated all the remaining grain, except for their own food, free of charge.
I considered the bigger picture and gladly accepted the offer.
From then on, the hidden dangers in Qingzhou were eliminated, and most of the commerce was brought under the control of Fanji Trading Company.
Because they were about to go to war again, in order to comfort Fan Xiaoxiao, who had been wronged and frightened in the previous chaos, Yu Cheng specially asked Fan to bring a lot of jewelry and other items to visit her.
Fan Xiaoxiao's appetite has improved a lot now.
There were originally chefs in the manor, but Fan Xiaoxiao herself was practically the undisputed culinary goddess, considered the pinnacle of all chefs in Qingzhou City.
Most of the time, she has to take care of everything herself.
On this day, Madam Fan happened to catch her making braised pork.
It smells delicious and goes well with rice.
If it weren't for the rule against eating too much cold food, Fan Xiaoxiao would have already made ice cubes to chill the fruit syrup.
"Sister, you should try it."
Gu Zhongtai has official business to attend to today and doesn't have time to have dinner with her at home.
Madam Fan took a bite with her chopsticks, having already decided what she was going to say before she arrived.
But the girl was busy in the small kitchen, so it wasn't appropriate to disturb her.
"This fruit syrup is very sweet, you should try it." Fan Xiaoxiao poured her some fresh fruit syrup from the glass bottle.
Madam Fan quickly raised her hand to press it down and asked, "Er Ya, aren't you unhappy?"
"?" Fan Xiaoxiao asked in surprise, "What do you mean? What's bothering you?"
“Your brother-in-law,” Madam Fan paused for a second, “didn’t deal with the Gan family matter severely…”
"You know, when they were causing trouble, Fan's Shop was the one that got the worst damage."
Fan Xiaoxiao stopped picking up the meat with her chopsticks.
"Thinking about it, it took a long time to repair the damaged items, and some shops took two or three days to reopen."
"It is truly despicable."
“So,” Madam Fan said, “your brother-in-law called me here to make it up to you.”
"After all, as you know, the army needs provisions and supplies to fight, and the local powerful families are also involved. If the punishment is too severe, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."
To put it bluntly, this era was still dominated by the aristocratic class.
Even though Qingzhou, under Xiahou's leadership, prioritizes talent and the influence of local powerful clans is lower than in other places, it is still a difficult place to manage.
(End of this chapter)
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