"Impeach?"
Song Jikun was stunned for a moment, then bluntly asked in surprise, "Impeaching a female official? That's bizarre. Who would openly go against a woman? Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed and bullied?"
Guo Honglei calmly replied, "The Censor, Luo Heng. He has the right to report on matters based on hearsay. He seized on the rumors about my wife and submitted them to the court."
"What rumor?" Song Jikun couldn't help but be curious.
The Runhe River channel was a collaboration between us and the Tuning County government… Thinking of this, Guo Honglei evaded the main point. "It's too far away, and the imperial decree hasn't been issued yet, so I'm not entirely clear. But I heard that Censor Luo seems to have impeached my wife for 'making friends with imperial merchants' and for 'abusing her power for personal gain.'"
Song Jikun's eyes shifted, thoughtfully asking, "Which imperial merchant are we impeaching her for associating with?"
"The Wen family of Xicang." Guo Honglei briefly explained, "Actually, she was persuaded by County Magistrate Sun's repeated requests. Firstly, she couldn't refuse, and secondly, out of goodwill for the people, she was eager to help the magistrate with his advice. She successfully persuaded the Wen family to come to Tuning and establish military farms."
Song Jikun nodded in understanding. "I know about this. Alas, Sun Jie is indeed, indeed... Not to mention Special Envoy Jiang, there have been times when even this general couldn't refuse his requests. He's so persistent."
"Tsk, impeaching someone just for a trivial matter, the censor is really too bored!"
Guo Honglei suppressed his anger and spoke slowly, "It's well known that, apart from official business, my wife rarely socializes with strangers. She always declines social engagements whenever possible. After all, it's not convenient for a woman to be in the spotlight. Censor Luo's rumors and comments are damaging to my wife's reputation. I'm worried she can't handle it, so I want to go home and check on her."
"It's my duty. Besides, you only visited your family once last year, while most generals of the same rank only visit them two or three times." Song Jikun knew what was going on. With a generous wave of his hand, he urged, "Arrange your affairs as soon as possible and go home."
Guo Honglei breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and said, "Thank you, General."
"Actually, I think it's really inconvenient for women to show up in public. It's better for them not to be officials. They can take care of their husbands and children and the household chores, which will relieve you of your worries."
I do want to, but she has her own ambitions. I'm afraid she wouldn't be happy if I forced her to stay at home... Guo Honglei hesitated and finally said, "General, you are right."
The border guards were busy and hard-working. Although he started making arrangements overnight, it was already early February when he set out to visit his family.
That afternoon, Wang visited her daughter-in-law.
The wind and snow did not stop, the incense burner was burning day and night, and the bedroom was warm.
Fang Sheng held his breath and concentrated carefully behind the curtain, checking Jiang Yushu's pulse seriously. After a long time, he stopped and stood up with a smile on his face.
Wang sat nearby, full of anticipation, and asked nervously, "Doctor Fang, how are things? Are the babies okay? How many are you pregnant with?"
"Twins, definitely! Congratulations, old lady."
Fang Sheng bowed, confident in his intention, and said, "The pulse is becoming increasingly strong. I'm certain she's carrying twins this time."
"Oh, hahaha, good, good!" Wang was delighted, her brows gleaming with laughter, excited and proud. "See, I told you so! The new house has a new look and great feng shui. We just moved in, and my daughter-in-law is pregnant with twins!"
The maids and servants all joined in the fun and complimented her, saying, "Yes, the old lady is wise!"
"The family must be having another baby, congratulations, old lady."
"This house is really nice. You have good taste."
…
In fact, she was five months pregnant and had lived in the new house for less than four months. The child was conceived when she went to Tuning to visit relatives.
Inside the tent, Jiang Yushu lay on her side, bare-faced and pale. Listening to the flurry of flattering words, she carefully felt her belly and couldn't help but raise an objection, asking doubtfully, "Doctor, are there really two heads? But I've only felt one. I even asked the midwife to come a few days ago, and she didn't feel two either."
Wang's smile froze, her heart instantly hanging in the air. She hurriedly asked, "Yes, what's going on? Her belly looks big, but I've touched it several times, and I've definitely never felt two heads at the same time."
Fang Sheng remained calm and patiently explained, "Two babies in the womb might be on the left and right, or above and below, or in front and behind. They might be about the same size, or they might be quite different. In short, it's hard to tell right now, probably because it's blocked."
"Also, due to the crowded space, the baby can't stretch out and move freely like a single fetus. This is unavoidable. As long as the pulse is normal, Madam, there is no need to worry too much."
Jiang Yushu was uneasy, "Okay, I understand."
When her daughter-in-law became pregnant with twins, the mother-in-law quickly cheered up and gradually stopped lamenting the "bad family fortune" caused by the removal of her title and the confiscation of property, Wang Qiaozhen and Liao Xiaodie, etc. She recovered from her illness, ate well, slept well, and had a rosy complexion.
"Twins require extra care," Wang repeatedly instructed the doctor. "Be sure to check her pulse regularly. Don't be careless." Immediately, she instructed the servants, "Take good care of her. Once the babies are born, everyone will be rewarded!"
Fang Sheng bowed and said, "As you wish."
"We will serve you with all our heart." The maids and old women agreed in unison, vying with each other to flatter her, saying one auspicious word after another, making Wang smile from ear to ear.
The room was filled with laughter and was very lively.
But inside the tent, Jiang Yushu was feeling mixed emotions, with a lot on her mind, a calm expression and no smile on her face.
After a while, the crowd dispersed, Cuimei and Xiaotao returned home to work, and quickly hung up the curtains.
Wang sat in front of the couch and asked with concern, "Has your father's problem been resolved? Has his official position been affected?"
Jiang Yushu leaned back, pulled her pillow, and talked to her mother-in-law with a cheerful spirit. "It's settled. Throughout the dynasties, officials of higher rank were rarely impeached by the censor. Fortunately, my father has always been cautious. The censor had no evidence, only hearsay. The emperor did not believe it, so my father's official position remains the same."
Wang nodded happily, "I'm glad everything's fine."
"But I was just a small official with little experience and was a soft persimmon. I couldn't withstand the pressure and was dismissed." Jiang Yushu laughed at herself, feeling indignant inside. She had no way to appeal for justice and felt depressed.
Wang looked at her daughter-in-law's bulging belly, patted the back of her hand affectionately, and said happily, "Oh, this is a good thing, be happy!"
"Women aren't suited to being officials. How many female officials have there been since ancient times? Now that you're pregnant with twins, the children are important. You absolutely can't run around like you used to. Rest and recuperate, and add to the Guo family. It's much more leisurely than being an official."
Wang rambled on, "Anyway, Honglei is capable of supporting the family, and with the future of Liucun Farm, while we can't be called 'rich and powerful,' we'll have enough food and clothing and no worries about making a living! A woman's happiness is when her husband provides for her. Making a living on her own is hard work, and she'll be ridiculed by others for being incompetent and her husband incompetent. How miserable and embarrassing!"
"You said so?"
To earn a living on your own is to be ridiculed, miserable, and embarrassed? It's ridiculous.
Jiang Yushu was speechless. She had debated with her mother-in-law several times but failed to convince her. She had no choice but to answer: "Well, my body is heavy and not flexible. I need to rest for a while." She would make plans after the baby was born.
Wang didn't think too much about it and nodded with satisfaction, "That's right!"
A few days later, the sun is shining
"Whoa!"
Guo Honglei reined in his horse, looked up at the plaque on his new home, and said aloud, "We should have moved here."
The group dismounted and took a few steps when the doorman came running out to greet them, "Second Master!" He bowed and greeted them politely.
"The Second Master is back, hurry up and report to the old lady!"
After a while, Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan, along with several stewards, came to greet them quickly, "Second brother!"
Guo Honglei looked exhausted and patted his two younger brothers on the shoulders. "Is everything okay at home?"
"This... there are both good news and bad news." Guo Hongxuan didn't know where to start for a moment.
Guo Honglei strode with his head held high, observing his new home as he walked, "Let's talk about the happy events first."
"Congratulations, second brother!" Guo Hongzhe smiled, "Sister-in-law is pregnant with twins, and it's already five months."
"What?"
Guo Honglei stopped abruptly, surprised and delighted, his words incoherent. "Pregnant? Five months—twins? Why didn't you tell me in time? You're telling me now, it's already five months!"
"Alas, this is related to bad news." Guo Hongxuan sighed. "At the end of last year, my sister-in-law was impeached by the Censor, and she spent the New Year in fear. A few days ago, the news came that she had lost her official position. I was anxious, worried, and depressed. I couldn't sleep or eat. My body was very weak. The fetus was unstable in the first few months. I didn't dare tell my family because I didn't want you to worry."
"But don't worry, everything's stable lately. I was just about to write a letter to announce the good news." Guo Hongzhe led the way quickly, revealing, "Doctor Fang said that the gender can't be determined at the moment. We'll know after the baby is born."
Guo Honglei strode forward, excited and cheerful, his lips and eyebrows full of smiles, "It doesn't matter, as long as she and the child are safe, I love my son and daughter equally!"
"Haha, second brother already has Ye'er, the rest are just icing on the cake."
"That's right."
Surrounded by servants, the three brothers walked and chatted. After a while, Guo Honglei barely suppressed his joy and asked seriously, "What's the bad news? Tell me."
The two brothers looked at each other and said one after another: "On the winter solstice last year, Baozhu's mother hanged herself."
Guo Honglei continued walking, "I know about this. Brother Gong Shi mentioned it a few words in his letter. Anything else?"
"My cousin wrote to me saying that my aunt had caught a cold and had been bedridden for six months. She was probably in danger."
Guo Honglei paused and sighed, "I wrote a few letters to express my regards, hoping she would gradually recover."
"There's one more thing." Guo Hongxuan's face turned grim. "My sister has been married for many years and has given birth to four daughters, but still no son. The Feng family is wicked, and seeing that the Guo family's power is declining, they've become increasingly mean to my sister. That bastard Feng Han has women everywhere and neglects his wife... Sigh, I wonder what my sister is going through!"
Guo Honglei stopped and asked in a deep voice, "Does mother know?"
"Well, she said, a daughter who is married off is like water spilled."
Guo Honglei was silent for a moment, then sighed, "I'll think of a way. Let's go and pay our respects to Mother first."
soon
There were more than a dozen people in the hall, all harmonious and happy.
Wang hugged her little grandson, beaming with joy, and urged him, "It's rare for you to come back. Take a good rest. Wash up quickly. We'll have dinner together later!"
"yes."
After seeing his mother, Guo Honglei quickly washed and changed his clothes and couldn't wait to visit his wife.
Unexpectedly, when he rushed to the door like a gust of wind, he was stopped by the servants.
Cuimei was worried. She pointed at the door curtain and whispered, "Madam said she wants to be alone for a while and no one should disturb her."
"She started to get angry after reading two letters. She doesn't know who wrote them." Xiaotao whispered.
"Let me go in and take a look!"
Guo Honglei lifted the door curtain and walked lightly. As soon as he entered the room, he heard sobbing. He hurriedly quickened his pace and stepped into the inner room to take a closer look.
There were two paper balls on the ground. Jiang Yushu was half lying and half sitting, with her eyes closed. She was slapping her forehead with her hand, crying with a pale face.
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