Chapter 345: The Grand Commander's Unrequited Brother-in-Law
"You damn child, can you breathe properly?"
"Why is your breath not so good..." Armand rubbed his head, unwilling to accept the injustice: "I said a hundred years later, a hundred years, isn't this just wishing you a long life!"
"You are really good at giving congratulations!" Shen Sanmao praised him, "When your elders celebrate their birthdays in the future, you must remember..."
Having said this, he paused and didn't say anything else.
Armand smiled, put his hands on his hips and said proudly: "My father, mother and grandfather must be very happy to see me living such a good life with Uncle Mao in the afterlife!"
Shen Sanmao also imitated his movements, put his hands on his hips, looked at the layers of walls outside the courtyard, and said contentedly: "Thank goodness I have a good eye and chose the right master."
Armand turned to look at him: "But Uncle Mao, weren't you knocked unconscious and put into a sack and carried away?"
Armand curled his lips, thinking that the word "choose" was too much of a compliment to himself.
Shen Sanmao wanted to beat the child again: "That was at the beginning, but later on I chose to keep him!"
He added, "Besides, what kind of vision does the girl have? Do you really think that anyone can be put into a sack and taken back by the girl?"
The girl's sack has a threshold, not everyone can enter!
While the two of them were joking around, someone soon came to deliver food. They were also He Wuhu's men, and they treated Shen Sanmao very warmly. Not long after the meal, He Wuhu also came to say hello, and before leaving, he repeatedly told him: "If there is anything you don't know, or if you need someone to run errands, just give us a shout! We live next door, and we are brothers from now on, so don't be so formal!"
Shen Sanmao bowed and thanked him again and again, and personally escorted them out of the courtyard with Amun. After watching the group of murderous men walk away, Amun said with a look of curiosity: "Uncle Mao, they used to be bandits. It turns out that bandits are not as scary as others say. Instead, they are quite easy to get along with."
"Easy to get along with?" Shen Sanmao turned and walked towards the courtyard. "You think they are easy to get along with, that's because they are willing to get along well with you and me... In the final analysis, it's just because the girl can control them. If it were someone who couldn't control them, they might not be so kind and naive."
Of course, these people may sincerely want to mend their ways, but in order for them to do so, apart from having a clear conscience, they must also be suppressed by the powerful. To deal with such people, absolute suppression is necessary before they can be successfully guided.
Shen Sanmao said: "It's like raising a werewolf. The wolf becomes as docile as a dog under their control... This is not just a deep affection between the master and the servant."
Xiao Mang was a little scared after hearing this. He looked towards the courtyard where He Wuhu and the others were staying and whispered, "Uncle Cat, after hearing what you said, I feel like there's a wolf's den next door..."
"He has his wolf den, and I have my cat den." Shen Sanmao swung his sleeves leisurely and walked towards the bedroom, saying nonchalantly, "As long as the girl doesn't want to take my cat life, the wolf naturally can't take it away."
Xiao Mang followed him with bright eyes: "Uncle Mao, Governor Chang said today that he has something important for you to do. What is it?"
Shen Sanmao thought about it seriously and said, "At least you should give me a farm or a warehouse to manage, and three or five people to serve me, right?"
Xiao Mang exclaimed "Wow" excitedly, his eyes full of anticipation.
That night, Xiao Mang was so excited that he could hardly close his eyes, and rolled back and forth holding the clean quilt.
Shen Sanmao rested his head on his arm, and also hadn't fallen asleep for a long time. There were cicada sounds outside the window, but he didn't find it noisy, but rather pleasant and soothing.
For the first half of his life, he had been hiding from debts, accomplishing nothing, and even having enough food and clothing was a problem, not to mention the word "ambition" -
In a hurry, he had already reached middle age in the blink of an eye. He thought that things would only get worse in the future, and that this was the end of his life...
Until that day, he met a rich young man on the street who looked very gullible and bought a basket of duck eggs from him...
I'm lucky this time, I made a lot of money! -- He thought to himself with great joy.
Little did he know that the real big money was yet to come.
Shen Sanmao's eyes were filled with emotion and gratitude. Perhaps, from the moment he sold the basket of duck eggs, his life could be said to have just begun.
…
The next day, all the important figures in Jiangdu City were invited to the Governor's Mansion to admire the twin lotus flowers.
The so-called twin lotus has two flowers on one stem. Each flower has its own stalk, and the two flowers bloom together, which is called twin lotus.
Since this elephant is rare, it is also called Ruilian, a symbol of auspiciousness, and often appears in calligraphy, painting and embroidery.
Most of the visitors who came to see this kind of living lotus for the first time, so they were amazed. Jiang Hai even came forward to sniff it. As a businessman, he never had too much auspicious air. Just like he kept himself so plump, wasn't it also a good omen to gather wealth?
"…Thanks to the Governor, we are fortunate enough to have this opportunity to see this and feast our eyes!"
After Jiang Hai started talking about this, everyone else echoed him.
After leaving the Governor's Mansion, everyone had a scale in their hearts, their horizons were broadened, and their eyes were satisfied. Now it was the turn of their mouths to work.
The strange story of twin lotuses blooming in the residence of the governor of Jiangdu soon spread throughout the city of Jiangdu.
People have always had a strong interest in strange stories. This interest is not only to spread, but also to explore and speculate, wondering why this auspicious sign came about, whether it represents the blessing of God on the south of the Yangtze River? And why was it opened in the governor's mansion?
For a time, various opinions emerged one after another, but all of them were positive.
There were even scholars who wrote poems to praise this event. It was one reason to express their feelings, and another reason was to try to show off in front of the governor. What if the poems were heard by the governor and he was favored? He was happy and asked them to help copy books? Speaking of the book copying event that has caused a sensation among students in Jiangnan recently, many scholars are regretting it. It is not uncommon for classmates to "fall out" because of this. The specific disagreement is that some people wanted to participate in the recruitment of the governor's mansion, but were dissuaded by their friends on the grounds that [someone secretly said that Governor Chang is a flamboyant person and may not be a good leader. We should wait and see for a while]——
The person who said the above words now felt regretful - it was not said before that anyone who passed the recruitment test would have the opportunity to copy the family's collection of books! And it was said that not only could they copy, but after copying, they could also leave their names on it!
If they had known that such a good thing was going to happen, even if the gods came to stop them, it would have been useless! But unfortunately... but unfortunately, it was they themselves who blocked the way! Therefore, they dreamed of going back to ten days ago, so that they could pick up the self at that time and slap him a hundred or eighty times until he woke up.
It is so sad and ironic. They were worried that they might get on the wrong ship and felt uncertain about the future of those on board. But now they watched the ship sail away and realized that the people on board were eating so well!
Thinking of those people closing the door and enjoying the sumptuous feast at this moment, the people outside the door were so greedy that tears were about to flow.
Some people also felt that there was still a chance and revealed a piece of gossip: "...I have a friend whose third uncle's stepmother's cousin is working in the front office of the governor's mansion..."
Before the listeners had time to digest this bizarre relationship, they were deeply attracted by the following words: "According to this yamen runner, Governor Chang collected the books for use in the Jiangdu Prefecture School! As long as we are admitted to the Prefecture School, we will have the opportunity to learn the copies of those books!"
Most of them come from poor families, and studying is their only way out. However, studying is extremely expensive for ordinary families, and most of them have to rely on the whole family to support one person. The hopes on their shoulders are very heavy.
But now they are at a critical juncture of decline of the aristocratic class, and the gates ahead are wide open, waiting for them to make a leap... Therefore, they are all alert and excited at all times, not wanting to miss any chance to get ahead.
This gossip spread quickly, and many students began to look through the examination papers of previous years' provincial school admissions, polishing them like polishing a walnut, intending to get them polished.
A tung oil carriage drove slowly, passing long and short streets, bookstores and schools. Along the way, one could hear the hawkers hawking their wares, arguments at street corners, craftsmen building walls, laborers paving roads, the sound of carriages and horses passing by, and the sound of students reading...
These sounds mixed and alternated, steaming through the summer heat and riding on the afternoon summer breeze, rising from the ground to the sky, twisting into an invisible air of revival above Jiangdu City.
The carriage stopped in front of a tall mansion. When the imperial guards guarding outside the gate saw the person getting out of the carriage, they successfully recognized the person and saluted hastily.
Without any need to be informed, Chang Suining and his men walked in with their hands behind their backs.
When Eunuch Pan heard that Chang Suining was here, he felt a dull pain in his stomach, which was very similar to the phenomenon of seeing a snake in a cup of wine.
Fortunately, this big Buddha is not here to steal things today, but to give things away.
Chang Suining brought the twin lotus with her. Historically, any auspicious signs found in various places would always be reported to the court and the emperor. Chang Suining was also very conscious of the fact that she had used it up anyway, so there was no point in keeping it.
As for whether it would have withered when it was sent back to the capital, that was not her concern. Moreover, something auspicious would still be an auspicious sign even if it withered, and it would not affect its magic power.
After meeting Eunuch Pan, Chang Suining went to where everyone was copying books, but did not disturb them. He just took a look quietly and saw that everything was in order. After a while, he took everyone away with peace of mind.
…
It takes time for various news to spread to Jiangdu. In the northern border thousands of miles away, the most hotly discussed thing is that Chang Suining was appointed as the governor of Jiangdu. The latest news that has been heard by those with ulterior motives is the donation of silver by a wealthy businessman in Jiangdu.
On this day, as the sun set in the west, a letter from Jiangdu was delivered to the camp of Xuan Ce’s army.
The soldier in the camp who was responsible for sending and receiving letters saw that there was a letter to General Cui, so he did not dare to neglect it. On the way to Cui Jing's camp, he met Chang Sui'an who had just finished his patrol.
Seeing Chang Sui'an handing over patrol matters to others, the soldier stepped forward and took out a letter with a smile: "Mr. Chang, here is your letter! It has just been delivered to the camp!"
He was very polite to Chang Sui'an in his words, or rather, everyone in the entire military camp was very polite to Chang Sui'an.
Where there are people, there are bound to be human relationships and worldly wisdom. Xuan Ce's army has strict military discipline. Although this does not give Chang Suian any special privileges worth mentioning, his attitude in private is not within the scope of military discipline.
There were certainly many children from powerful or military families in Xuan Ce's army, but in everyone's eyes, the young master of the Chang family was the most special one -
After all, his father Chang Kuo came from the Xuan Ce Army and once took over the position of General of the Xuan Ce Army from the late Crown Prince. Although he was later stripped of his position, the name Chang Kuo still has prestige in the Xuan Ce Army.
Because Chang Kuo was now conferred the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, some people in the camp privately jokingly called Chang Sui'an "the eldest son of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery."
But in comparison, this father-son relationship is only secondary. What really makes Chang Sui'an stand out in everyone's mind is the unattainable identity of "the brother-in-law that the Grand Commander has always wanted".
Chang Sui'an felt extremely uneasy about this. You know, when the Grand Commander asked Ning Ning to marry him at the Hibiscus Flower Banquet... it was just a show!
But everyone took it seriously. The commander-in-chief's trusted generals often showed him courtesy in private, which made him very helpless.
Fortunately, the Grand Admiral did not mind these rumors and told him not to take them to heart. He could just let those people go and not pay any attention to them.
Chang Sui'an felt a little relieved because of this.
At this moment, he couldn't wait to open the letter from Jiangdu. The letter was written by Li Tong. It detailed the affairs of Jiangdu, mostly revolving around Chang Suining and the Governor's Mansion, and also mentioned some matters about the Japanese army.
Chang Sui'an took the letter and went to Cui Jing's tent. His father and sister were close friends with General Cui, and they were not strangers. General Cui was also paying attention to the recent situation and war situation in Jiangdu. He should share the letter from Jiangdu with General Cui.
When Chang Sui'an arrived outside Cui Jing's tent and waited for the message, he happened to see the soldier who had delivered the letter coming out of Cui Jing's tent.
After greeting the soldier, Chang Sui'an walked into Cui Jing's tent, bowed, and asked, "General Cui, have you also received the letter sent from Jiangdu?"
Cui Jing, who was sitting cross-legged behind a desk with the letter in his hand, nodded.
Chang Sui'an was just thinking about asking if it was a letter from his father or Yuanxiang, when he heard the young man take the initiative to say in a rare clear and gentle voice: "It's Madam Chang's reply."
Chang Sui'an was a little surprised that his sister didn't even reply to his letter!
But then he looked at the letter in his hand and Chang Sui'an felt relieved. Since the letters were sent together, his sister must have known that Sister Li Tong had written to him. It was understandable that his sister did not write to him again as she was busy with official duties.
No problem, just read the one in his hand first.
Chang Sui'an was in a good mood. He read Li Tong's letter to Cui Jing, skipping the greetings that Li Tong wrote to him.
Since it concerned her and Jiangdu, Cui Jing listened very carefully.
Chang Sui'an finished reading the letter, put it away, and then looked at Cui Jing with a smile.
"Is there anything else?" Cui Jing asked.
Chang Sui'an was stunned: "?"
He looked at the letter that the young man had been holding in his hand. So, he was the only one who had a strong desire to share, right? Thank you for your monthly tickets, rewards, and messages. Good night.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
