Although Chang Sui'an wanted to know what his sister said in the letter, he still retained a great deal of respect for Cui Jing, the top leader.
Therefore, he could only shake his head: "No, no more..."
Cui Jing nodded: "Now that the patrol is over, go back and rest early. Come with me to patrol the border tomorrow."
Chang Sui'an agreed, holding the letter in his hand, and left the tent.
The lights were just turned on in the tent. Next to the small table where official documents were piled, an oil lamp was quietly burning. The warm light reflected by the flame sprinkled on the young man's slender fingers. Those fingers slowly opened and unfolded the letter. The simple movements seemed to have some kind of orderly rules, and this rule came from the fact that he did not dare to be impatient for fear of damaging the letter.
The light from the oil lamp also reflected on the young man's lowered eyebrows. His brow bones were naturally superior, and his originally dark and deep eyebrows were now stained with a faint golden glow by the lamp. This scene made the young man look like an unreal glow in the sky, and also like a masterpiece that a master of calligraphy and painting had put countless preferences and carefully smudged, thus giving him such accurate beauty that all the world can imagine.
The letter was written in a familiar handwriting, and the fluent handwriting almost filled the entire piece of paper.
She must have been in high spirits when she wrote the letter. Although there was nothing important worth mentioning in it, it showed her great interest and strong desire to share.
She will always be vigorous. Jiangdu will surely recover its vigor soon under her leadership, Cui Jing thought to himself when he saw the words.
And he was honored, even though he was thousands of miles away, he could still be the one with whom she shared this flourishing thought.
In the letter, she also told him that if he had time in the future, he could write more, as she believed that even with more words, the horse delivering the letter would be able to carry it.
Cui Jing curled up the corners of his mouth as if he had received some kind of permission.
She seemed to set an example, showing him how to write a letter long enough. She wrote whatever came to her mind, not following the strict letter format. She had already signed her name, but added two lines of slightly crowded small characters - [Tonight, the city of Jiangdu is setting off fireworks. I first learned about this thing in Dengtai Tower last year. It is very good and I like it very much. I like it because it is really grand and beautiful. I like it even more because although it is made of gunpowder, it is used to please people and celebrate, rather than just bring casualties from war.]
Finally, he added: [There is another happy thing. The happy thing is that all the fireworks tonight were sponsored by the Grand Princess Xuan'an, and I didn't spend a penny.]
Cui Jing couldn't help but smile, and then he seemed to think of something and read the letter from beginning to end again. He not only read the letter, but also counted the number of words in the letter.
Including the signature, there are a total of 367 words.
Cui Jing found a piece of white paper and wrote a line of words.
At this moment, Deputy General Yu came to the tent to report on official business. Cui Jing put down his pen and listened carefully. All he heard were some daily routine reports and nothing unusual happened.
After Deputy General Yu finished his report, Cui Jing pushed the folded paper with a line of words on it to the edge of the table, with half a bronze talisman pressed on the paper.
Deputy General Yu stepped forward and picked it up.
"When you return to the capital, please help me with another private matter." Cui Jing said, "Return to the Xuan Ce Army in the capital, use this copper token to open my private vault, take the amount above, and secretly send it to the Jiangdu Governor's Mansion."
Upon hearing this, Lieutenant General Yu subconsciously opened the piece of paper, and was slightly stunned when he saw the number written on it.
"Grand Commander, you are..." Deputy General Yu said without thinking: "Are you planning to propose marriage?"
"..." Cui Jing raised his eyes and looked at him.
Deputy General Yu forced out a complicated smile: "What I mean is... you are alone now, so you must leave enough money for your wife."
Although they were not the Grand Commander's adopted sons, they were already one family in their hearts, so shouldn't they help and worry about it? Cui Jing obviously didn't care about it. He just spread out another piece of letter paper, smoothed the paper with a paperweight, and said, "It's rare that she can use it, so go ahead and do it."
Deputy General Yu couldn't help but tremble and grit his teeth after hearing this. He just wanted to give away all his family property after reading a letter. He gave it away, but he also said, "It's rare that she can use it"... Listen carefully, the Grand Commander even used the word "rarely"! At this moment, Deputy General Yu suddenly had an ominous intuition. If Madam Chang needed the Grand Commander to die, would the Grand Commander treat his own life with the mentality of "rarely she can use it"? Forgive his short-sightedness... What's the difference between this and being possessed? Deputy General Yu couldn't understand this state, so he could only pretend to bless and respect.
Deputy General Yu put away the paper and the bronze talisman and smiled: "Don't worry, Grand Commander, I will handle this matter properly."
Just as he was leaving, he heard a soldier report through the curtain: "General, Doctor Cao is here."
With Cui Jing's permission, Doctor Cao entered the tent and paid his respects.
Previously, Cui Jing was whipped in Xingyang. When he returned to the northern border, his injuries had not yet fully recovered. Doctor Cao, who had been responsible for treating Cui Jing's injuries, took this opportunity to recommend himself again and again, and finally came to the northern border as he wished.
Cui Jing's injuries have basically healed now, but Doctor Cao is determined to give him further treatment, so he has to check Cui Jing's pulse every half a decade.
Cui Jing himself didn't care much about these things, but since he was expelled from the clan, his subordinates treated him with great care, and such things as taking care of his health were not uncommon.
Seeing Doctor Cao coming in, Deputy General Yu was not in a hurry to leave. He was ordered by the Grand Commander to return to the capital for business and would be leaving soon. Before leaving, he wanted to hear about the Grand Commander's physical recovery.
Doctor Cao, who was checking Cui Jing's pulse, raised his eyebrows and said with a look of surprise, "This is a happy pulse."
Cui Jing: “?”
Deputy General Yu stared: "What pulse do you like?"
This statement was undoubtedly absurd, but Deputy General Yu could not help but think of a time when Doctor Cao had smiled and said to him during a pulse diagnosis: "It's rare. If someone marries a new bride in the future, they can ask the Grand Commander to press the bed the night before."
At that time, apart from the Grand Commander and Doctor Cao, there were only him and a soldier in the tent. He and the soldier briefly reacted - what does it mean to ask the Grand Commander to press the bed? Oh! In many places, before marrying a new bride, they would ask a boy to press the bed...
So... the Grand Commander?!
Deputy General Yu didn't believe it at first, but when he turned around, he saw that the commander-in-chief also understood the situation and looked uncomfortable.
At that moment, Deputy General Yu couldn't help but stand in awe - not only for the chaste commander-in-chief, but also for the skilled doctor Cao.
Therefore, when he suddenly heard the word "happy pulse" from Doctor Cao's mouth, Deputy General Yu's first reaction was not to question it, but to think seriously subconsciously... But he got the answer in a moment. What is there to think about? Where did the boy come from... Bah, where did the man come from? "This happy pulse is not that happy pulse." Doctor Cao stroked his beard with a smile and said, "The pulse of the Grand Commander is not stable at this time, but there is happiness in the chaos, which can be seen as a result of the ups and downs of his mood."
Deputy General Yu was surprised: "Can this be seen from the pulse?"
"That's natural. The pulse can indicate the heart pulse. When a person is happy, his heart pulse is smooth..." Doctor Cao looked at Cui Jing with a smile, "It's rare to see the Grand Commander so happy."
Cui Jing: “…”
After having his pulse checked several times by this man, he no longer had any secrets in front of his subordinates.
Soon, Doctor Cao and Deputy General Yu were driven out together.
"Doctor Cao, you don't know..." After leaving the tent, Deputy General Yu put his hand on Doctor Cao's shoulder and whispered, "The Grand Commander has always been a man of few words, and doesn't like others to talk too much. In the future, don't say more about this kind of thing that has nothing to do with the injury or illness in front of the Grand Commander..."
Then, his voice lowered a little: "Next time, just tell me in private."
Doctor Cao was in self-reflection for a moment. Since it was really about the Grand Commander's injury, he would not say much in front of others. When it came to protecting the privacy of the injured, he had a strong sense of professional ethics...
What he always talked about were just insignificant anecdotes... Isn't it his humor that the Grand Commander values besides his medical skills? While Doctor Cao was reflecting, he heard Deputy General Yu ask worriedly, "But then again, our Grand Commander is so slow to get wise, and once he gets wise, he becomes a different person, not smart at all, and willing to risk his life... In terms of medicine, what kind of illness is this?"
"Well..." Doctor Cao pondered for a moment: "The same spring madness may have the same effect."
"... Spring madness?" Deputy General Yu was puzzled: "Is it easy to cure?"
Doctor Cao shook his head regretfully.
The two walked away while talking. Inside the tent, a young man who was initially diagnosed with sexual madness was writing a reply carefully.
Although he was allowed to write longer, Cui Jing still consciously controlled his pen. After writing two pages of letter paper intermittently, he put it down.
Even so, this was the longest letter he had ever written in his life, of course, not counting the previous discarded letters.
After the letter paper dried, it was sealed in an envelope and placed in a wooden box by Cui Jing. There were also folded drawings and other items in the box. Those drawings were either drawn by him himself or collected by him. It took more than a month to complete.
He thought that this might help her fight against the Japanese invaders.
After closing the box, Cui Jing handed it to his subordinates and asked them to send it to Jiangdu.
…
Tutor Chu, who was far away in the capital, was finally able to open and read the letter from his student.
Chang Suining's reply to his teacher was earlier than the one to Cui Jing, and the capital was closer to Jiangdu, so Taifu Chu should have read the letter long ago.
Thinking of this, Master Chu was filled with resentment - the court was becoming more and more chaotic in unseen places, and the officials were changing frequently. He had been too busy these days, with official duties as numerous as silk and hemp, and his subordinates as stupid as chickens. He was entangled in this silk and hemp called official duties, and was tied tightly to the Ministry of Rites. He had not even been able to return home for many days.
In the past, he could make some noise and it was still of some use, but now it is of no use. After all, he is not the only one who is about to be driven crazy by official duties.
Seeing that "I'm going to make a fuss" didn't work, the Grand Tutor had no choice but to go a step further and use his killer move "I'm going to die". He lay groaning in the Ministry of Rites for half a day. After being examined by the imperial physician, who confirmed that "it was probably caused by overwork", he was finally helped into the sedan chair and was able to return home.
After returning home, the tutor actually slept until dark. He was really tired, but his age was there.
Sitting up from the couch with slow and stiff movements, the Grand Tutor started to curse: "This group of people, the little ink in their stomachs has all been stained with their hearts, and each one is more evil than the other..."
Although he seemed to be slacking off at work, the reason was that he had never delayed his official duties. There was nothing he could do about it; he had outstanding abilities.
But he hated the phrase "the more capable, the more work" the most. Everyone was paid the same salary, so why should all the work be done by him alone? The tutor stood up and put on his clothes, cursing. The old servant came forward to serve him, occasionally giving him a few words of comfort, or scolding him, but more often he sighed: "... the current situation is like this, and no one is at peace."
The peasants in Daozhou revolted, and the imperial court sent troops to suppress the uprising. However, the army sent to suppress the uprising brought back news of defeat a few days ago... More than 100,000 rebel troops have now occupied Dongting Lake, their morale is extremely high, and they are about to attack Jingzhou.
When this matter was mentioned, Master Chu said in an old voice, "At the morning court today, an official proposed to recruit the bandit leader, but the saint sternly rejected it."
In the eyes of the saint, this group of rebels acted brutally. If the imperial court surrendered and offered amnesty, wouldn't it be equivalent to telling the world that the current imperial court was weak and could be bullied? This would surely make more villains follow suit! Therefore, the Emperor of the Holy Ce has ordered Li Xian to lead his troops to Dongting as soon as possible to provide support and make sure to stop this group of rebels outside Jingzhou.
At the morning court today, the emperor said these words to calm people and shock them: [The so-called 100,000-strong army is just a mob. The bandit leader Bian Chunliang is just a salt dealer. In terms of his family background, brain strategy and ability to lead troops, is he really better than Xu Zhengye? He is just a moth flying into the flame of what Xu Zhengye has not accomplished! ]
"Xu Zhengye is just unlucky..." Master Chu muttered without any reason, and then suddenly asked, "Have you received any news recently?"
The old servant nodded and placed all the letters he had saved over the past few days on the small table by the window.
The Grand Tutor held the armrest of the chair, sat down in the chair, and picked out the letters one by one. Finally, he picked out two. He opened one of them first, and saw a striking word "Ha" on it. He was so angry that he blew his beard.
Soon, the little man who was kowtowing in the lower corner, with his gray beard blown up by anger, fell back to its original position.
The little figure was drawn very lifelike, and he kowtowed very hard. Master Chu liked it more and more, so he asked the old servant to bring a pair of scissors and cut out the little figure neatly himself.
"Tomorrow morning, find a craftsman to frame it for me..."
The old servant took the "painting" that was no bigger than a palm and asked in surprise: "How can this be framed? Even if it is framed, what is the use of it?"
It's so small, it can't be a housewarming gift for some moving mice, right? "Just go ahead and frame it, why are you talking so much?" Master Chu glared at him and said hurriedly, "Hurry up and find a box to put it in, don't make it dirty."
The old servant replied "Yes", it is time to find a box. Although it won't get dirty, it will be difficult to find if it flies out and is lost.
The old servant went to look for the box, and the Grand Tutor then opened the second letter, which was written by Wang Changshi.
When the Grand Tutor opened the letter and saw the respectful greeting, he snorted in a good mood. It turned out that everyone was more sensible than his poor student, and did not just write the word "ha" to annoy him.
But soon, the Master no longer thought so... (End of this chapter)
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