Chapter 101
The dark sky was filled with layer upon layer of clouds, and sparse raindrops were floating down.
Wang Shuhuai stood under the dark corridor, feeling stuffy and bloated in his heart.
It was past midnight, the night was deep, the candle in the lamp had gone out, and the world was so quiet that it seemed as if he was the only one left.
Something small was broken and scattered all over the floor, and there was no way to pick it up.
Wang Shuhuai's emotions had never fluctuated as much as they did tonight in his life.
When Xie Yunchu heard him leave, he sat on the bed in a daze.
Wang Shuhuai was a man of such a strong character that she believed he would remain calm even if she was in a life-and-death situation, let alone remarrying. It was precisely because she knew this man's indestructible character that she told him the truth.
Besides, if you make him angry a few times, he will be more careful about his life when he goes to the battlefield.
But I didn't expect that I could really make him angry and leave.
Xie Yunchu had no experience in coaxing a man, and had no intention of doing so, so he just fell asleep.
Just as she was falling asleep again, Wang Shuhuai came back, covered in dampness. As soon as he came back, he grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go. "Xie Yunchu, get up and explain yourself clearly."
The deep voice drove Xie Yunchu's sleepiness away. Xie Yunchu had never been so speechless in his life. He turned over and sat up, wrapped in a quilt and stood there like a wandering soul, staring at him boredly, "Do you really need to do that?"
"If I die now, won't you remarry in a year?"
"I can't!" The man said in a firm tone, his eyes were sinister and dark, and his eyes were unfathomable.
The moist water vapor mixed with the crisp scent of pine poured into Xie Yunchu's nose. Xie Yunchu shuddered and looked at him seriously.
Then there was a slight hissing sound,
In his previous life, he kept silent and did not refute, but now he is more loyal than anyone else.
No matter how nice this kind of thing sounds, it's just talk.
Take herself for example, she might not be able to remain faithful to Wang Shuhuai. Wang Shuhuai might be able to hold out for one or two years, but not five or ten years. He would have trouble sleeping alone, and who wouldn't like to have someone to keep him company?
In her previous life, what she cared about was not Wang Shuhuai's remarriage, but she was annoyed that the Wang family arranged a remarriage before she died. However, these things seem unimportant now.
Xie Yunchu didn't want to continue this topic with him, so he said in a good temper, "I was just trying to piss you off. I wanted you to take care of yourself and not put yourself in danger. Why did you take it so seriously?"
The more gently Xie Yunchu handled him, the more unreasonable he seemed, and it also showed that she was not worried about him.
Other women are jealous and get angry, but his woman is very generous.
It was impossible for Wang Shuhuai to find a woman to test whether his wife would be jealous, so he could only sulk here by himself.
His handsome face was gloomy as he sat motionless on the bed, his figure as lonely as a solitary mountain.
Seeing him like this, Xie Yunchu found it funny again. She slowly moved behind him and coaxed him, "Without you, where can I find such an outstanding husband? Look, you are a cabinet elder at a young age, and you can protect me. Don't I want you to get into trouble?"
The more Xie Yunchu comforted him, the more Wang Shuhuai felt upset. He turned around and glared at her coldly.
"So, if you meet another elder who can protect you at such a young age, you will remarry?"
Xie Yunchu grabbed his waist unhappily and raised his voice, "You can't get over this hurdle, right?"
She spoke in a hateful tone, her face was extremely tense, and she stared at him fiercely.
Wang Shuhuai looked at her angry expression, his brows were stunned, and the blank space in his heart was suddenly filled.
Xie Yunchu thought he was still fighting, and got angry. He suddenly grabbed his chest and pushed him back, pressing on him.
"Wang Shuhuai, you big bastard, you want to keep me awake in the middle of the night, right?"
Xie Yunchu was filled with bitterness, and he scolded her while beating her, "Don't be so hypocritical in front of me. You can say nice things, but you will marry me faster than anyone else."
"When I'm alive, Xie Yunxiu is watching me. When I die, won't they all swarm over me?"
"By then, you'll be busy chasing butterflies and picking flowers, so how can you remember what I look like?"
“Go ask your grandfather if he remembers what your grandmother looked like?”
"I tell you, if you dare to die, I will remarry!"
Wang Shuhuai had never seen Xie Yunchu lose her temper with him. He just looked at her calmly and let her do whatever she wanted.
But as Xie Yunchu spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, like crystal pearls, falling one by one.
Wang Shuhuai panicked and immediately sat up and hugged her tighter.
"Okay, I won't die. Don't be afraid. I will cherish my life."
Xie Yunchu thought of the past and felt sad for a moment. After the fuss, she didn't want to argue with him anymore, so she wiped away her tears and tried to struggle to get up, but Wang Shuhuai held her tighter with his long arms, as if he wanted to hold her in his arms.
Xie Yunchu pushed him, but he was like a rock and could not be moved.
"Chu'er, I'm not here, take care of yourself..."
"The academy is gradually getting back on track. If you can hire someone, do so. Don't do everything yourself."
"I've already asked someone to watch over the Caoyun Wharf, and I've also informed the Municipal Office, so don't worry."
"After I left, Qi Wei and Ming Lan stayed behind to obey your orders..."
The feeling of parting ferments in the dark night.
Xie Yunchu's eyes were red, he lowered his eyes and said nothing.
Wang Shuhuai covered her eyes, and the wet tears seeped coolly into his fingertips. She twitched and her almond-shaped eyes were washed by tears, with a hint of confusion. When had his girl ever been so confused? Wang Shuhuai was lost in her coquettishness at first sight, and the first thing he kissed was her wet eyelashes, sucking them one by one with the tip of his tongue. Xie Yunchuxin shuddered violently, but this time she did not push him away.
The mellow scent lingered everywhere around her nose, eyebrows and eyes, and her breathing gradually became anxious and wandered around.
Xie Yunchu could feel that slight change and took a deep breath.
Wang Shuhuai held her tightly, not letting her move. He wrapped the red earlobe between his lips and asked cautiously in a deep voice, "Is it okay?"
Xie Yunchu's lips were trembling, and he didn't say a word.
Wang Shuhuai took her as her agreement and held her in his arms as she sat down.
That night she was like a boat swaying in the cold wind.
The next day, all the tribes were preparing for the expedition. The Duke summoned Wang Shuhuai to the attic again and again. No one knew what the grandfather and grandson were discussing. As the cold frost of late autumn fell, the whole Duke's Mansion felt the solemn atmosphere.
Xie Yunchu spent the whole morning preparing a bag for Wang Shuhuai. In the afternoon, Chen Yi came to see her. As soon as he came in, he threw himself into her arms and hugged her and cried.
"Chu'er, my husband is accompanying Lord Wang on this expedition. Please help me tell Lord Wang to help take care of him and not send him to dangerous battles. He has a dull personality and will do whatever his superiors assign him to do. He is not at the mercy of others..."
Shen Yi burst into tears of worry at the end.
Xie Yunchu's eyes also turned red because of her.
Helping her to sit down on the Arhat bed, Shen Yi couldn't stop crying and Xie Yunchu wiped her tears.
Chen Yi took a deep breath, slowly calmed down, and looked at Xie Yunchu with envy, "After all, your husband is a civil official, sitting in the tent and making plans, but my husband has to go to the battlefield to fight, and the swords on the battlefield are blind... I can't sleep just thinking about it." Chen Yi choked up, and all the makeup on her face was smudged by tears, "If there is an afterlife, I will definitely not choose a military general as my husband."
Xie Yunchu recalled that in his previous life, Li Chengji followed Wang Shuhuai and made great contributions. He told her firmly,
"I promise you, I'll ask my husband to look after him. He'll be fine, okay?"
This is the best comfort for Shen Yi.
With someone to back him up, Shen Yi felt at ease.
Influenced by Chen Yi, when Wang Shuhuai came back that day, Xie Yunchu took the initiative to get into his arms. His chest was firm and hot. Xie Yunchu circled his waist, feeling a hint of softness from that thin waist, and his hot and humid breath pressed against his chest.
It was not yet dark, and they would leave Beijing tomorrow, so Wang Shuhuai came back early to accompany her. He lay in a rattan chair padded with a mink blanket, holding the warm and soft beauty in his arms, his Adam's apple rolling back and forth, and he did not speak for a long time.
He could feel Xie Yunchu's reluctance.
He didn't know how to comfort her, so he just carried her to the bed and did it. At this time, this was the only way to relieve his reluctance and even uneasiness in his heart.
Rub all the tender bonds into her body.
At daybreak, Wang Shuhuai went to the palace to receive the military orders. When he came back, it was almost noon. Everyone in the Wang family was seeing him off in the main hall. Xie Yunchu was standing at the bottom of the stairs holding their two children.
Ke Jie'er was sensible enough to know what it meant to go to war. When she saw Wang Shuhuai appear at the doorstep, she could not wait to run over.
“Daddy!”
Wang Shuhuai bent down and held her in his arms.
"I can't bear to leave Daddy..." Sister Ke buried her head in his shoulder and cried.
Wang Shuhuai laughed, stroked her head and came in front of the crowd.
Jiang had already burst into tears, sobbing on the second master's shoulder.
The second master was cursing.
"Hey, it's not your first time going out to fight, why are you crying?"
Jiang hit the second master with a hammer.
The Duke smiled and consoled him, "Shu Huai is only the commander of the army, it is not his turn to go to the battlefield yet, don't worry."
The third and fourth masters were also present and gave a few instructions. The rest of the people also exchanged pleasantries to some extent.
Finally it was Xie Yunchu's turn. Xie Yunchu lifted his son up and put him in his arms, "Hurry up and hug him, so you won't forget him when you come back."
Wang Shuhuai caught his son firmly. In his arms, the boy raised his eyes, scratched the back of his head, and looked at his father with a frown.
Wang Shuhuai pinched his cheek, his expression gentle, "Daddy is not at home, you have to listen to mother. If mother is unhappy about anything, remember it in your heart, and daddy will come back to ask you, how about it?"
Er Ge'er's face was calmer than Xie Yunchu's. He pinched his ears with his little hands, looked at Wang Shuhuai fearlessly, and said, "Daddy hasn't taught me how to write yet."
These naive and immature words diluted the sadness of parting.
Everyone started laughing.
It was getting late, so Wang Shuhuai didn't dare to stay for long. His eyes finally fell on Xie Yunchu.
Xie Yunchu received his signal and followed him out the door.
Outside the gate, there were rows of armored soldiers and guards like clouds. They were the imperial guards who were in charge of guarding the central army camp. They all looked solemn and mighty.
At this time, Minggui and Qi Wei brought the silver armor that the emperor had bestowed on Wang Shuhuai. Wang Shuhuai was standing under the corridor wearing a snow-white shirt. Minggui and Qi Wei stepped forward one after another to put on the armor for him.
The cold silver armor glowed.
Xie Yunchu's gaze fell from the silver armor to his cheek. Last night, this body wrapped her warmly. It was not cold armor, but hot... a body of flesh and blood, just a body of flesh and blood. Tears welled up in her eyes in an instant, and she froze there.
No matter in the past or present life, when it is most dangerous, the first one to stand up is always him, Wang Shuhuai.
Standing behind such a brave and fearless minister of the country, she suddenly realized that she should be more tolerant of him and his great love.
After a moment, he put on the silver armor and stood facing Xie Yunchu. In front of so many armored warriors, his expression was as calm and composed as ever. He just stretched out his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes, said nothing, turned around, walked down the stairs, and walked towards the red rabbit horse led by Lengshan.
Seeing his resolute look, Xie Yunchu suddenly called him,
"Shu Huai..."
Wang Shuhuai stood under the scorching midday sun and looked back at her.
Xie Yunchu clasped his hands together, stood dignified and quiet in the autumn wind, and said softly, "You must be well. I will wait for you to come back home."
The word "Shu Huai" seeped into his ears along with the lingering autumn breeze, and wrapped around his heart like a vine, almost pulling his heart out. He followed the "vine" and strode back, facing the astonished gazes of everyone. The future head of the Wang family, who was of clear temperament, elegant spirit, never made a mistake and regarded rules as his life, embraced his wife in his arms in full view of everyone.
"wait for me."
Wang Shuhuai hugged her tightly, his chin clearly rubbing against the tip of her forehead. She could feel his sharp Adam's apple rolling back and forth. She couldn't help but take a breath, and when she opened her eyes again, the cold temperature was gone, and he had turned around, walked down the stairs, jumped on his horse, and galloped away.
Half a month after Wang Shuhuai left, the Fourth Madam finally let go of her prejudice and decided to let Wang Shuya meet Li Chengyu, the third son of Ninghou Mansion. On the day of the meeting, Xie Yunchu was preparing to go to Xiangshan Temple outside the city to ask for a peace amulet for Wang Shuhuai. The Fourth Madam took this as an excuse to follow him, and Wang Shuya met Li Chengyu at Xiangshan Temple.
Both of them were very shy. Wang Shuya had a baby face and seemed very well-behaved when she didn't speak. Li Chengyu had a fair and clean complexion and looked like an ordinary scholar. Wang Shuya was not good at speaking in front of outsiders and almost didn't like to speak actively, so Li Chengyu had to struggle to find topics to talk about.
Finally, when talking about the academy, Wang Shuya gradually opened up. Matters of the heart are tacitly understood. If there is something to talk about and if you are willing to talk about it, the more and deeper the conversation, the more interested you are.
In fact, the Li family was eager to marry into the Wang family. The decision was up to Wang Shuya. When she returned, the fourth wife asked Wang Shuya what she thought. Wang Shuya recalled Li Chengyu's appearance and finally nodded.
The wedding was arranged in full swing.
Chen Yi was the second young lady of the Ning Marquis's Mansion, and Wang Shuya would be her sister-in-law in the future. After the marriage was completed, Chen Yi became the happiest person. She spent the whole day in the academy talking to Wang Shuya about all kinds of things. Before Wang Shuya got married, she had already become related to her sister-in-law.
Everything was going smoothly until something went wrong when the engagement was being proposed.
"What do you mean? Postpone the engagement for one day? I think there's no need to come. Just reject the engagement letter!"
The fourth wife is not someone you can easily mess with. Wang Shuya married Li Chengyu as a step down, so the fourth wife held her head high.
Although it was the eldest wife who acted as matchmaker, they later hired an official matchmaker.
The matchmaker stood in front of the fourth wife with an embarrassed look on her face, smiling and saying,
"It was just one day's work. Something went wrong. Please bear with me."
The fourth wife sneered and said, "Tomorrow either you see the betrothal gift or return the engagement letter, otherwise there is no need to discuss anything."
The eldest wife acted as the middleman in this matter. How could she bear to see her niece's marriage fall through? She immediately sent people to the Ninghou Mansion to inquire about the details. Little did she know that the Ninghou Mansion was in an uproar.
The wife of the prince of Ninghou Mansion, Yang Xihuan, Yang Xiyan's elder sister, sat in the main hall and cried.
"I was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family. My dowry was a full 120 pieces, which was ranked first in the whole capital. How come the betrothal gift of my third brother's wife is larger than mine? How can the youngest son be compared with the eldest son? If you don't give me an explanation for what happened today, I will divorce you and go home tomorrow."
The Marquis's wife complained bitterly and kept trying to persuade him.
"My dear wife, you are a very reasonable person. This happened for a reason. I married you seven or eight years ago. Silver was more valuable then than it is now. In the past, ten taels of silver were enough for the whole family of our mansion to eat and drink for a day. Now, the food and drink alone cost no less than forty taels a day. What's the point of comparing the betrothal gifts then with those now?"
Yang Xihuan said angrily, "That's too big of a difference!"
Lord Ning looked at the eldest daughter-in-law coldly. She always made trouble every now and then. He was quite angry and scolded her immediately, "The title of the Marquis' Mansion was given to the eldest daughter-in-law. Can't the betrothal gift be a little more generous to the third daughter? You come from a good family of Yangge, but she is also the granddaughter of the eldest princess. I heard that the eldest princess wants to give her a dowry. How can we justify it if our betrothal gift is not more impressive?"
"Anyway, the betrothal gifts have been decided, and we will go to the palace to propose tomorrow. If you are not happy, you can divorce. Your sister has already divorced and is at home. I wonder if there will be anyone who wants a girl from your Yang family in the future!"
When the old marquis said this, Yang Xihuan was dumbfounded. In the past, whenever she talked about divorce, her parents-in-law and husband always gave in to her. But now that a more distinguished brother-in-law and sister-in-law had come, they no longer took her seriously. She cried all day long. The old marquis was furious and thought her crying was unlucky, so he asked his eldest son to send her back to her parents' home to rest for two days before returning. Yang Xihuan was completely humiliated.
Shen Yi watched the excitement for most of the day and felt quite relieved. She had suffered so much in front of this sister-in-law in the past, and now she had finally put a damper on her arrogance.
The betrothal gifts were delivered to the palace in full, the Marquis's wife apologized in person, and the Fourth Wife also gave her face.
However, the feud between Wang Shuya and Yang Xihuan has finally been settled.
On the wedding day, Yang Xihuan, as the eldest sister-in-law, did not show up, so Chen Yi took the initiative to support Wang Shuya. With Chen Yi as her sister-in-law, Wang Shuya no longer felt lonely in Ninghou Mansion. After getting married, her husband did not restrict her, and her parents-in-law also loved her. Wang Shuya actually felt that it was better than staying at home. On the day of her return home, everyone saw that she was in high spirits, and they felt relieved, thinking that she had finally married the right person.
By the beginning of February of the following year, half a year had passed since Wang Shuhuai set out on the expedition, and the war was in full swing.
Years ago, he used a tactic of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. He first asked one of the main commanders, Cao Hong, the right commander of the Fifth Army, to pretend to attack Hanzhong. He secretly attacked Liangzhou with Duke Gao, cutting off the connection between Western Chu and Menggu, and occupied the Longxi Highlands. After the spring, he took advantage of the exhaustion of the Yizhou army and sent three armies to the south, where they occupied Hanzhong with great force.
In this battle, Wang Shuhuai personally killed Meng Luchuan with his sword.
When the good news came, Xie Yunchu was swinging on the swing with Ke Jie'er in Chunjing Hall.
Ke Jie'er was about to turn six years old. She was smart, lively and active. She followed Xie Yunchu to the Women's Academy every day and was already the leader of the girls in the lower school. The mother and daughter were humming a little song on the swing when Xia An came in with a letter from Qi Wei. She was overjoyed and walked into the courtyard.
"My Lord, the Second Master has won the battle. I heard that the Emperor of Western Chu sent a letter asking for peace."
Sister Ke jumped off the swing happily and danced.
Xie Yunchu smiled but said nothing.
Upon hearing the news, Nanny Lin poked her head out of the main room.
"Really? That's a double blessing."
Wang Shuqin also heard the news and was just coming in from outside, intending to congratulate Xie Yunchu. After hearing what Nanny Lin said, she asked Xie Yunchu, "What do you mean by double happiness? What else is there to be happy about?"
Xie Yunchu smiled and said, "My sister is getting married tomorrow, and I have to go there early tomorrow morning to see her off."
"Are you talking about Yunshuang? She got married so soon?" Wang Shuqin has been running between the academy and the polo field recently and has not been able to take care of her family.
Xie Yunchu pulled her into the house and talked, "The engagement was arranged three months ago. The one I arranged was the son of my stepmother's cousin's family. It was considered a close relationship. The wedding was originally scheduled for the second half of the year, but my future mother-in-law was critically ill. In order to prevent the wedding from being delayed, she begged to marry my sister off as soon as possible. My stepmother naturally agreed, so the wedding was moved up to tomorrow."
Wang Shuqin said sadly, "Alas, we have a polo match tomorrow. It's a women's three-to-two match. I can't miss it. I'll give you a gift later. Please help me pass it to Yunshuang, sister-in-law."
Xie Yunchu naturally agreed.
Wang Shuqin teased Ke Jie'er again. It was getting late when Xie Yunchu met her, so she asked the wet nurse to go to Ninghe Hall to bring back Wei Ge'er. They didn't talk all night. At dawn the next day, Xie Yunchu took the two children to Xie Mansion to attend the wedding banquet.
Although Xie Hui has retired, Xie Yunyou has now emerged in the court. Half a year ago, during the selection process of the Ministry of Personnel, Xie Yunyou inadvertently helped the Censorate to solve an unsolved case, and caught the eye of Mr. Miao, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate. When Mr. Miao saw that Xie Yunyou was dressed in a sword sheath and was full of righteousness, just like himself when he was young, he introduced him to the emperor. The emperor specially ordered that Xie Yunyou be appointed as a seventh-rank censor and take turns to report to the emperor. During his time on duty at the Censorate, Xie Yunyou treated the people like his own children, acted meticulously, and wrote good petitions. Gradually, he gained some reputation in the court, and countless young officials interacted with him.
In addition, Xie Hui's students and former officials are all over the world, so today's wedding banquet is also crowded with people of all ranks.
After lunch, Xie Yunshuang was picked up by the groom, and the Xie family sat in the main hall to rest.
Old Mrs. Xie was still wiping tears from her eyes. "Shuang'er has been my beloved daughter for many years. Now that she's gone, I feel so empty inside."
The girls have all been married off one after another, but there are still no great-grandchildren in the family, and the old lady is worried.
Second wife Li comforted her, "Yun Shuo's wife is pregnant, you can have a great-grandson this year."
In the past two years, Xie Yunchu's cousins have married one after another, and there have been many new people in the mansion. As soon as Li finished speaking, the young woman in the apricot-colored long coat lowered her eyes shyly.
After all, Xie Yunshuo was the second wife's son, so the old lady was still worried about Xie Yunyou. She looked at Xie Hui and Madam Ming with a serious look, "Isn't Brother You's marriage yet?"
After Xie Yunyou got into trouble, Xie Yunzhou was sent back to his hometown.
It is Xie Yunyou who makes the decisions in the mansion now.
Xie Hui and his wife looked at each other without saying anything.
Xie Yunyou, who was sitting next to Xie Yunchu, could no longer bear it. He slowly stood up from the brocade stool and bowed to Li, "Second Aunt, it's windy outside. Please help grandma go back to her room to rest."
Li saw through his thoughts and glared at him, "You actually ordered your aunt to come here."
Xie Yunyou quickly poured her a cup of tea and apologized with a smile.
Li understood his temper, which was even more stubborn than Xie Hui's in the past, so she persuaded the old lady to get up.
After the people from the second house left, the only people left in the hall were Madam Ming, Xie Hui and Xie Yunchu, a brother and sister, and two children playing with snails in the yard.
Xie Hui was still not in good health. He barely showed up today for the banquet. After the old lady left, his frail condition was revealed. He sat there coughing for a long time. Xie Yunchu hurriedly asked Madam Ming what medicine his father had taken and why it was not working. At this time, a man ran in from the direction of the gate, dusty and brisk. It was Qi Wei.
Seeing his serious expression, Xie Yunchu immediately stopped talking and asked loudly, "What happened?"
Qi Wei stepped forward with a serious face and saluted Xie Hui and his wife, then reported to Xie Yunchu,
"Young Madam, something big has happened. Western Chu has sent people to Great Jin to ask for peace. The letter was delivered to Your Majesty this morning. It clearly states that they will pay tribute to Great Jin and send their princess to Great Jin as a marriage partner. The person to be married is none other than our Second Master, the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Expedition."
"How dare you!" Xie Hui slammed the table in anger upon hearing this, his pale cheeks covered with a noticeable blue aura due to his rage.
When Xie Yunchu heard this, her face suddenly turned gloomy. She was still sitting here alive and well, so how would Wang Shuhuai marry someone? Would he marry the princess of Western Chu as his co-wife, or would he force Wang Shuhuai to divorce his wife and remarry?
No matter which one, she would never agree.
Xie Yunchu was furious, but he remained calm. "What is the attitude of the court?"
Qi Wei said, "Several cabinet ministers and officials above the third rank are discussing this. Recently, in the spring, Mengwu saw that the Great Jin was ready to pacify Western Chu, and immediately increased its troops on the border. A war was imminent. In order to avoid fighting on two fronts, many officials have written to the emperor to agree to Western Chu's request for a truce and peace talks."
Xie Yunchu was so angry that he laughed.
Madam Ming and others looked at each other.
Xie Yunyou was a man of bad temper. He stood up and was about to walk out. "I will go back to the Censorate right now. Even if we negotiate, the princess can marry a relative of the emperor. Why are you staring at my brother-in-law?"
Xie Yunyou had already stepped out of the hall when he heard Xie Hui shouting from behind him.
"Come back. You are so young and you are fighting alone. No one will take you seriously. Come back and sit down. Leave this matter to your father."
Everyone's eyes fell on Xie Hui.
"Father, do you have any ideas?" Xie Yunchu asked him seriously.
At this time, Xie Hui showed the calmness of a great priest and the responsibility of a head of the family.
He covered his mouth and coughed a few times, then calmed down and said with a clear face, "Don't worry about what your father wants to do. It's just one thing. Yunyou will not go anywhere. No matter what rumors there are outside, you will stay at home to guard your mother. Do you understand?"
Xie Yunyou frowned and said, "Please tell me the answer, otherwise how can my son feel at ease?"
Xie Hui didn't say anything, he just took Madam Ming's hand and shook it tightly, "The court only cares about the overall situation, no one will care about Chu'er's feelings, but I can't watch my daughter being humiliated. Madam, you have worked hard to stay at home. No matter what happens, don't go anywhere."
Madam Ming looked at Xie Hui's serious expression, her eyes were filled with moisture, and she tried to hold back her tears and said, "Master, you must be careful..."
Xie Hui shifted his gaze to Xie Yunchu. Xie Yunchu frowned, clasped his hands together and hung them in front of his abdomen. He looked dazed as if he had realized something. Xie Hui looked at this daughter who looked like Qiao with complicated eyes, thinking of how she had been moved and patient when she was young, shouldering things that ordinary people could not shoulder, and striving to do everything to perfection. He felt half pity and half pride in his heart, and said with a sense of melancholy,
"You have always been steady and well-behaved, and never made Daddy worry. Because you are obedient and sensible, Daddy is serious about you and also less concerned about you. Daddy is sorry for you."
"But this time, Daddy will make the decision for you even at the risk of his life."
Xie Hui's old-fashioned and stubborn nature determines that he adheres to dogma, is strict with his children, and values face more than life. It is precisely because of this stubbornness that he will never accept his daughter being insulted.
Xie Yunchu's eyebrows trembled and he choked with sobs.
At this moment, Xie Hui slowly stood up with the help of the table. He had not yet stood firmly, so Xie Yunyou and Qi Wei hurried forward to help him. He waved to Xie Yunyou, took Qi Wei's arm, and walked out staggeringly but firmly.
Xie Yunchu stood up and stared at his father's back for a long time. For the first time, he felt the security of being protected on that tall, thin and proud back.
Xie Yunyou saw Xie Hui off and came back to ask Madam Ming,
"Mother, do you know what father is going to do?"
Madam Ming wiped the tears from her eyes and said, "No matter what he does, you must remember to obey his orders and stay here. Even if you only listen to him once, okay?"
The corners of Xie Yunyou's taut lips slightly flattened, and he said nothing more.
Xie Yunchu sat down and thought about the matter of Western Chu, and sighed deeply. This had never happened in his previous life. In his previous life, Meng Luchuan was so arrogant that he didn't take Wang Shuhuai seriously at all. He designed a plan for Wang Shuhuai to besiege and kill him. After Meng Luchuan's death, Wang Shuhuai took advantage of the victory and pursued the Western Chu. Even though Western Chu asked for peace, he didn't take it seriously. But in this life, there is an additional matter of the princess' marriage.
Madam Ming said worriedly, "In the face of the interests of the court, personal grudges and gains and losses are not important. My child, even though Duke Wang Guo is very cunning and is not someone who can be manipulated by others, he may not stand on your side in this matter in the face of national crisis. You must prepare for the worst."
Xie Yunchu had thought of this a long time ago. Her face was cold and she said, "Duke Wang Guo himself suffered humiliation and was trapped in the palace for forty years, let alone me. For the sake of the court, it is really nothing to wrong me."
As for Wang Shuhuai, even if he was no longer as cold to her as in his previous life, Xie Yunchu had no idea what choice he would make in the face of the overall situation.
Don't pin your hopes on others. Xie Yunchu really needs to prepare for the worst.
Xie Yunyou returned to the hall and sat down, his face determined, "Sister, once the emperor issues an order to agree to the marriage, whether it is a co-wife or a concubine, we will not accept it. You take the two children back to the Xie family, and I will take care of you from now on."
Madam Ming also nodded firmly, "This is the last step. If the Wang family cannot protect you, you must divorce and return home immediately. You still have a family behind you."
Xie Yunchu looked at his resolute brother and gentle Madam Ming, and the anger in his heart slowly subsided, gradually revealing a peaceful smile.
"Okay, I understand."
Compared to her previous life when she took a gamble, she does have more options in this life.
In addition to being the wife of Lord Wang, she was also the principal of a women's academy and owned a shop in Nowhere, so she would never have to worry about food and clothing.
What is she afraid of!
But hiding in Xie's house was not her nature. Xie Yunchu sat for a while and then stood up, "I will take the two children home."
Madam Ming and Xie Yunyou stood up together to see her off. Xie Yunyou was worried and asked Madam Ming for permission, "Mother, I'd better go to the Wang family with my sister. I'm afraid the Wang family will bully her."
Madam Ming laughed and said, "I won't bully you, but more importantly, your father asked you to stay here, so you stay here and don't lose your composure."
After all, Xie Yunyou is no longer the reckless boy who acted on his own in the past. He has become more and more steady in his actions. After Xie Hui left, he would be the head of the Xie family, and all the women in the mansion would rely on him for protection. After hesitating for a moment, he did not insist any more.
Xie Yunchu patted his brother's shoulder gently and said, "I'm going back. Take care of the Xie family."
Xie Yunchu immediately took the two children and got on the carriage back to the Wang family. At that time, many people gathered outside the main gate of the palace to watch the fun, so the carriage could only turn to the hanging flower gate and stop. Xie Yunchu took the two children back to Chunjing Hall, asked Nanny Lin to take good care of the children, and went into the inner room to take two things from the eight-treasure inlaid cabinet. Then he strode to the main hall of the palace with the two things.
Inside the large entrance hall with five rooms, a large crowd of people gathered. The second, third and fourth wives and several daughters-in-law of the Wang family were waiting at the entrance of the hall.
Xie Yunchu walked in with a normal look on her face. Everyone looked at her with pity. Second Madam Jiang spoke first, "Your grandfather went to the palace. He told you not to worry and wait for his news."
Xie Yunchu knelt down and said yes.
The Third Madam pointed to a chair beside her and said, "Sit down first. No matter what, we are all on your side."
State affairs are not family affairs. Even if the Third Madam and others are willing to help, it is of no avail. They can only support Xie Yunchu in this way.
The three ladies sat at the top, while Xie Yunchu sat alone at the table at the bottom. After sitting down, she slowly took out her marriage certificate with Wang Shuhuai from her sleeve, along with a dagger, and looked straight ahead with a sonorous tone,
"I will just sit here and see how the court will deal with me."
Everyone looked at Xie Yunchu's upright demeanor, and while they admired her, they also felt worried for her.
At that time, Xie Hui was also supported by Qi Wei and came to the imperial road in front of Zhengyang Gate. Entering Zhengyang Gate and crossing Qipan Street is Daming Gate where the government office area is located. Starting from Daming Gate, the vast white jade relief imperial road extends all the way to the foot of Fengtian Hall.
Although Xie Hui had retired, he still had the fish token on his body, which allowed him to enter and leave the government office area. After entering the Zhengyang Gate, he shook his robe and gently waved Qi Wei aside.
This former Imperial College chief academic officer, who was in his forties and still in his prime, stood alone on the white jade relief stone arch bridge inside the Daming Gate in a washed-out plain long gown.
He had a thin face, high cheekbones, and a tall spine like a piece of lonely and proud bamboo, standing upright between heaven and earth. The sun was setting in the west, and beautiful clouds of color burst out, and the bright light enveloped his body like sprinkled gold.
He opened his arms, his sleeves billowing, facing the long wind, and slowly knelt down.
"Your Majesty... your humble servant Xie Hui, the chief priest of the Imperial College, has something to report!"
This loud cry tore through the dense wind and spread between heaven and earth with a hoarse tone.
In an instant, all the officials coming and going stopped to watch. Outside the Zhengyang Gate behind him, countless students from the Imperial Academy and ordinary scholars gathered on the Imperial Road one after another. They all wore white shirts and knelt facing the direction of the Fengtian Hall. The sound of their knees was deafening.
"Your Majesty, I implore you to reject the peace talks with Western Chu!"
Xie Hui was skinny, with his left arm propped up on the ground, trying to support his body. He stared at the Fengtian Palace in the distance with a sharp gaze and continued to shout loudly,
"In the past, the Emperor Qin and Emperor Wu of Han swept across the world and made great achievements. They were all good at fighting and daring. Even if the powerful enemy Mengwu is at our side, the unification of the world is just around the corner. Why are we hesitating?"
"We must fight once, twice, and three times. If we stop here, the battle of Western Chu will be in vain. How can we explain this to the people of the world?"
The minister who was in charge of the peace talks came and confronted him.
"Master Xie, you are also a scholar-official. Scholar-officials should take the world as their responsibility. Why do you ignore the safety of the people for the sake of your daughter?"
Xie Hui stood up and threw his robe angrily, "I'm telling you clearly, my Xie family doesn't have a daughter who can be a concubine. Even if Your Majesty wants to negotiate peace, please choose another person for the marriage. Otherwise, I will die in front of the Zhengyang Gate!"
The Minister of Rites saw that he was furious and followed by a group of students. He did not dare to underestimate him and stamped his feet, saying,
"Okay, then tell me, what should we do if the Mongols march south? What about the millions of people in the capital?"
Xie Hui covered his wide robe behind him and said proudly, "Mengwu has repeatedly threatened our Great Jin. Rather than being held hostage by them, we might as well fight them with all our strength. Mengwu has concluded that our Great Jin dares not fight on two fronts, and may not have made sufficient preparations for the battle. If we stop fighting, the national treasury will be wasted, and tens of thousands of soldiers will die in vain."
"Besides, the Five Barbarians invaded China, and the Sima family fled south. The country's prosperity lasted only a hundred years. The last emperor was tyrannical and the people were in turmoil. The Western Chu took advantage of the chaos to plunder the palace, and the imperial seal disappeared. Our Great Jin has been established for a hundred and eighty years, and the emperor is still a blank slate. Why don't we take advantage of the situation to attack the Western Chu, take back the imperial seal, and pass it on!"
When these words were spoken, the officials around were all shocked.
After Taizu established the empire, he sent people to search for the whereabouts of the imperial seal, but there has been no news to this day. Some people said that the last emperor threw it into the river when he followed the Langya Wang family to the north of the capital, while others said that it was looted by the Western Chu people and taken to Yizhou. For many years, there have been many different opinions, but no conclusion has been reached.
However, after so many years since the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, the emperor has used a self-made jade seal instead of the imperial seal passed down by the First Emperor. It is rumored that a corner of this jade seal was cut off and later repaired by someone. Anyone who obtained this jade seal was praised as being appointed by heaven, while anyone who ascended the throne without this jade seal was ridiculed as a blank emperor.
The White Emperor could discuss it in private, but Xie Hui was the first one to speak it out in public.
It seems that Xie Hui is willing to give up his life for his daughter.
Xie Hui really had no intention of leaving Zhengyang Gate alive.
Without a convincing reason, the emperor could not be persuaded to refuse peace talks, so Xie Hui misled the people and said that the imperial seal was stolen by Western Chu. This tricked the emperor and gave Wang Shuhuai a legitimate reason to attack, killing two birds with one stone.
If she directly rejected the emperor's marriage to Wang Shuhuai, it would be considered as disobeying the emperor's order. If she joined the scholars in petitioning the emperor to pacify Western Chu and unify the world, there would be nothing wrong with that.
Although the Blank Emperor touched the emperor's sore spot, it was a fact and not illegal.
The emperor couldn't do anything about Xie Hui.
The guards on duty quickly reported the news to the Fengtian Palace. The emperor was so angry that he almost vomited blood, and shouted that Xie Hui should be captured and imprisoned and torn into pieces.
Zheng Ge Lao, who had just been promoted to the Minister of Rites, quickly advised,
"Your Majesty, you must not do that. Xie Jijiu has many students all over the world. Although his words are a bit rash, they are reasonable. If Your Majesty kills him, people all over the world will be dissatisfied and scholars will riot, which will be very unfavorable to the situation."
Not only Lord Zheng, but other ministers also rejected this proposal. Wang Shuhuai was fighting on the border of Western Chu. Killing his father-in-law at this time would not only discourage the meritorious officials, but also what if the soldiers were furious.
With scholars in front and soldiers behind, the emperor was like a fish caught on a sticky board, unable to move.
"What should we do? Reject the peace talks and fight against the Mongols?"
At this time, Prince Xin, who had been waiting for an opportunity for a long time, finally got his chance and stepped out from the crowd.
"Father, I am willing to lead the troops to resist the Mongols and buy time for Minister Wang to pacify Western Chu."
Since Wang Shuhuai's expedition to Chu, Prince Xin has been secretly looking for an opportunity to return to the battlefield. This time, the reinforcement of Mengwu gave him an opportunity. Looking at the entire Jin Dynasty, he was the commander who was most familiar with Mengwu. As long as Mengwu made any moves, the emperor would allow him to return to the border. However, when he heard about the peace talks between Western Chu and the envoys on their way to Beijing, he secretly made some moves, promised benefits for the peace talks, bribed one of them, and chose Wang Shuhuai as his wife. By the way, he used the imperial decree to force Wang Shuhuai to demote his wife to a concubine. Based on his understanding of Xie Yunchu, she would never accept the humiliation and would definitely take the initiative to divorce, but he had missed Xie Hui.
The peace talks were disrupted, and heavy troops had to be sent to the border to resist the Mongols. Prince Xin was undoubtedly the best choice.
That's how it was settled.
But Xie Hui completely offended the emperor.
The emperor first approved Xie Hui's request, then expelled Xie Hui from Zhengyang Gate, stripped Xie's earldom for disrespect, and demoted Xie Hui to a commoner. Xie Hui knelt breathlessly to thank God for his grace, not taking it seriously at all. Although this move was risky, it helped his daughter reject the arranged marriage and earned him a good reputation after his death. At this moment, he would have no regrets even if he died.
After hearing the news, Xie Yunchu sat in the hall and couldn't help crying. Her father almost lost his life. Wang Shuqin came forward and hugged her to comfort her.
"It was a false alarm, and the danger was averted. Sister-in-law can rest assured."
Xie Yunchu returned to Chunjingtang and asked Nanny Lin to go to Xie's house in person to make sure that Xie Hui was not whipped. Only then did she feel relieved.
Although the matter was settled, Xie Yunchu still had some doubts in his heart.
In the past, Wang Shuhuai would write a letter home every three days. This time, such a big thing happened, but he has no news at all. Why?
Could it be that he had abandoned her for the sake of the greater good and was too embarrassed to reply?
Then he thought, considering Wang Shuhuai's personality, he is not the kind of person who would avoid problems. Could something have happened at the border?
For the next two days, Xie Yunchu felt anxious and restless, until one night two days after Xie Hui's petition, Xie Yunchu was sleeping when she felt a cold body covering her from behind. She suddenly opened her eyes, and the next moment a strong kiss came into her. He pried open her teeth with ease and penetrated deep into her throat.
Xie Yunchu focused his attention and looked at the man. What he saw was an ordinary face with a sense of unfamiliarity. Xie Yunchu was frightened and broke out in a cold sweat. He pushed him away violently.
"Who are you!"
Xie Yunchu used a lot of force this time, and Wang Shuhuai was pushed up by her. He gasped, looked at his frightened wife, and slowly took off the mask of disguise.
"It's me."
Seeing that familiar handsome face, Xie Yunchu breathed a sigh of relief. She sat in the corner with her knees hugged, slowly calming her frightened heart, staring at him and asking, "What's going on?"
Wang Shuhuai had just taken a quick shower in the study, and his body was still wet, but he reached out without hesitation and held Xie Yunchu in his arms.
His chin rubbed the tip of her hair on her forehead, and finally moved to her delicate cheek, using a little force.
"If I don't come back after such a big mistake, you might think too much..."
Wang Shuhuai's voice was particularly hoarse, revealing a bit of fatigue from not sleeping for many days.
Xie Yunchu was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then he hugged him softly and asked, "Why did you come back like this?"
Wang Shuhuai smiled bitterly, "If I am not recalled to the capital, it will be regarded as treason. I can only disguise myself and blend into the crowd to enter the city."
Xie Yunchu was stunned for a moment, and asked stumblingly, "Is this why you came back?"
Wang Shuhuai brushed aside her messy hair and smiled gently, "Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll get angry and leave me alone."
"Chu'er, I'm sorry for making you suffer."
The worries and fears of the past few days were intertwined in her chest, along with some indescribable grievances that surged into her heart. For the first time, Xie Yunchu acted like a little girl, tears streaming down her face. She suddenly curled up her pink fist and hit him hard on the chest.
"Do you know that day, I had already taken the dagger and the marriage certificate, intending to end all ties with you!"
"Wang Shuhuai, I am not afraid of divorcing you, but what about the two children..."
"Could it be that the princess fell in love with you at first sight and would not marry anyone but you? Why are you always causing trouble for me outside?"
Wang Shuhuai could imagine the pressure Xie Yunchu was under at that time. Without him by her side, she must have been confused, helpless, and terribly worried. That was why he took the risk and insisted on returning to the capital.
He held her in his arms and let her hammer her. His rich breath penetrated her hair and neck. Xie Yunchu's heart was hot and his eyes were sore. He became more and more angry. He used both hands and feet, kicking and hammering. Unknowingly, she was sitting astride him. After he kissed her softly, she felt shy and wanted to refuse. When had she ever been so lively in front of him? She was crying and making a fuss. Her tears showed her worry and reluctance to leave him.
Wang Shuhuai felt so soft in his heart that he finally saw her taking advantage of Qiao. It was worth his three days and three nights of rushing back home.
He turned around, picked her up, and placed her on the dressing table.
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