"Don't be impatient." Guo Honglei sighed in compromise. He didn't want to see her depressed because of the recall, so he said sternly:
"I've been investigating your impeachment since the end of last year. Recently, I've been to the county government several times and discussed it with Magistrate Liu and Deputy Envoy Wei. They all agree that there's still hope for a turnaround."
Jiang Yushu's eyes lit up. Holding her breath, she asked expectantly, "The order to dismiss has been officially issued. What else can be done?"
"The dismissal order did come, but it wasn't issued by the Ministry of Personnel, but by the Ministry of Revenue. It was considered a 'household matter', not a dismissal," Guo Honglei explained. "Xipingcang was under the Ministry of Revenue. Although your rank was low, you were the only female official in the court, and you were highly regarded. The Ministry of Revenue probably saw the impeachment as a thorny matter involving high-ranking officials, and fearing responsibility for oversight, they hastily suspended you without waiting for further investigation."
Jiang Yushu frowned in thought, then asked in confusion, "I've never really considered the relevant regulations... So, then, am I being dismissed? Removed from my position? Or suspended pending investigation?"
Guo Honglei replied sternly, "They should be suspended pending investigation. The country has its own laws, and the six ministries each have their own responsibilities. Every action is governed by rules. Only officials who are proven to have violated the law will be dismissed and held accountable. The Ministry of Personnel will be responsible for removing the offending official from office, and then the Ministry of Justice will be responsible for investigating and punishing them. However, you haven't committed corruption or abuse of power. Without any evidence or relevant documents, the Ministry of Personnel will not hastily remove you from office, and the Ministry of Justice has no right to investigate without authorization."
"Heaven and earth, the sun and the moon can bear witness that I have absolutely never committed corruption or abuse of power!" The wronged young female official was furious and wanted to rush to her superiors and swear to the sky.
Guo Honglei comforted her and held her hand, "I believe you."
"Besides, your position was recommended by His Majesty the Ninth Prince, approved by His Majesty the Crown Prince, and granted by His Majesty. No one dares to dismiss you lightly, as that would be openly questioning the royal family's judgment. It's just that the current court officials are arguing with each other, and you've been caught in the crossfire. As expected, the court has already sent someone down, and they'll have to investigate before they can draw a conclusion. That's why I said 'there's still hope.'"
Jiang Yushu nodded repeatedly, and her frustration gradually dissipated. "Yeah, yes, that makes sense!" She raised her head, slammed the table lightly, and spoke excitedly:
"I'm not obsessed with power, nor am I greedy for money. When I was a special envoy, I traveled a lot and worked tirelessly. My annual salary was equivalent to more than 400 taels of silver. Although it was better than that of ordinary people, it was all hard-earned money. If I hadn't been an official, I would probably have gone into business. I would have picked one thing that I was best at, such as ginger, potato vermicelli, leather spices, etc., and devoted myself to studying it. I don't believe I couldn't earn 400 taels a year!"
"But I'm an official now, and I can't have my cake and eat it too. According to the law, officials can't engage in business. Fearing I'd betray the court's trust, I diligently worked, but what was the result? The censors spread rumors and reported things, and the superiors issued dismissal and suspension orders without any verification. It's truly disappointing and heartbreaking!"
Jiang Yushu was both indignant and disappointed with her boss. She said solemnly, "I am angry and dissatisfied, not only because I lost my job, but also because I was wronged."
Guo Honglei was silent for a while after listening to this. Then he asked in disbelief, "What did you just say? You want to go into business instead of being an official? You actually want to be a businessman?"
"Ah?" Jiang Yushu came back to her senses, brushed her hair sideways, and thought to herself in regret: Oops, I blurted out something in anger... He grew up in a noble family, and he believed since childhood that he and merchants were "not the same kind of people"; and Miss Jiang was the daughter of a minister, and the dowry and shops of a lady of a noble family were managed by designated people, and they only collected and spent money.
According to common sense, Miss Jiang would not be interested in business unless she had no other choice, and he would never allow his wife to do business.
Thinking of this, Jiang Yushu decisively changed the subject and denied it: "How is that possible? It was just an angry remark. I won't go into business."
"real?"
"Of course!" Jiang Yushu, feeling guilty, suddenly had an idea. She quickly pulled out a thin booklet from the account book, shook it, and interrupted, "I've been looking at the account book all morning. This is the harvest of Liucun Village last year. It's surprisingly good. I made a good choice by appointing Lao Zhou as the manager! What do you think? Should he be given an extra reward?"
When the account book was handed to him, Guo Honglei took it subconsciously, flipped through it briefly, and placed it on the table. "Give it as a reward, it's up to you."
"Well, I'm thinking about it." Jiang Yushu breathed a sigh of relief, mistakenly thinking that she had successfully changed the subject.
Unexpectedly, the next moment, Guo Honglei said with a headache: "Being an official means being in the spotlight, and being a businessman means being in the spotlight even more. It's not decent. Comparing the two, I'd rather you be an official."
Jiang Yushu's eyes flashed, and she said hesitantly, "I, I can do something else."
Guo Honglei slowly leaned back in his chair, his brows sharp and his eyes bright, handsome and majestic. "Alright, no need to deny it. How could I not understand you?"
"Oh, oh." Jiang Yushu took a sip of tea awkwardly and asked tentatively, "Hey, you clearly heard the news, but you wanted to hide it. What did you intend to do?"
Guo Honglei answered frankly: "I originally thought: This is a God-given opportunity, and I can resign at the same time."
"Resign?" Jiang Yushu opened her eyes wide in surprise.
Guo Honglei nodded. "I had already planned it all: if a female official is impeached, because of her special status, the court will definitely send someone to investigate. Then, based on the truth and to save the royal family's reputation, the only possible outcome is 'not guilty.'"
"You happen to be pregnant with twins. You suffered injustice during this pregnancy, and the anxiety has weakened your body. You deserve to rest for a few years. Once the truth is revealed, I will submit your resignation on your behalf, and it will most likely be approved."
"No matter who it is, no matter how much they appreciate talent, as long as they care about their reputation, they will never force a pregnant woman or a weak woman who has just given birth to serve the country."
Jiang Yushu was stunned. "You're going to resign for me? Can you do something like this for me?"
"As a husband, I can ask my father-in-law for help. It's a logical and sure thing." Guo Honglei was confident. He slapped the armrest and sighed, "But you've been so sullen all day, even starting to think about business. It's scared me and I'm hesitant to take action yet."
Jiang Yushu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She raised her hand and twisted his arm, blurting out angrily: "Even if I wasn't depressed and had no intention of doing business, you couldn't quietly resign for me!"
"Everything should be discussed. If you dare to act first and ask for your permission later, don't blame me for being angry. I might even retaliate!"
Guo Honglei scowled, "So, you're just feeling down and thinking about doing business. You just refused to admit it."
"I--" Jiang Yushu was speechless and simply pinched him a few more times.
Guo Honglei didn't seem to mind her, letting her twist him. He calmly asked, "What's wrong? Are you angry out of shame?"
"Yes, I'm angry out of shame! Humph, I'm angry because I want you to understand: from now on, no matter what, you are not allowed to hide anything, and don't make me anxious."
Guo Honglei said frankly, "When have I ever concealed anything? Even though I wanted to take this opportunity to resign for you, I couldn't bring myself to do it."
"Thank you so much!"
Jiang Yushu learned that there was still hope for a turnaround in the impeachment case, and that she wouldn't have to endure the unjustifiable consequences. Her mood naturally brightened as the situation took a turn for the better. She pinched him affectionately a few times, then poured him some tea, saying courteously, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hit you. I hope you'll forgive me for any impoliteness. Here, drink this cup of tea quickly and accept this apology."
"How dare I refuse?" Guo Honglei smiled helplessly and took the tea as an apology.
Jiang Yushu was nervous, yet inexplicably filled with fighting spirit. She humbly asked for advice, "So, what should I do now? What should I do when the court sends people to investigate?"
Guo Honglei put down his teacup and hugged her. "You don't have to do anything now! Don't be afraid. When the investigation is carried out, no matter which imperial envoy is sent, I believe they will not deliberately make things difficult for pregnant women. At most, they will ask about the situation. Then, as long as there is nothing else to do in the army, I will definitely come back to accompany you."
"Yeah." Jiang Yushu felt relieved and secretly thanked herself for marrying a man who was willing to respect and tolerate his wife.
At night, the whole family chats harmoniously.
The three children played for a long time and were tired and sleepy. They were taken back to their rooms to sleep by their nanny one after another. The hall suddenly became much quieter.
Wang was anxious and worried, lamenting, "Alas, Zhe and Xuan'er are only two months apart in age. They're already quite old, but they still haven't gotten married. It's really worrying! I've looked around at all the girls in the county who are similar in age, but I haven't found anything suitable."
Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan felt awkward and sipped their tea in silence.
"None of them are suitable?" Guo Honglei frowned and thought for a moment before asking, "The daughter of the local Magistrate Liu is not suitable?"
Wang shook her head firmly, "Too lively, not steady enough."
"Then, the current governor of Yongzhou, the niece of Lord Pan, is not acceptable either?"
Wang shook her head again. "I've seen Miss Pan before. She's rather thin and seems a bit gloomy."
Guo Honglei asked six questions in a row, following their previous conversation, but Wang shook her head at each one. "Not appropriate, not appropriate at all."
Lively ones are not allowed, dull ones are not allowed, smart ones are not allowed, and spoiled ones are not allowed...
Guo Honglei weighed his words carefully and said slowly, "Marriage requires a good match of social status. The Guo family is no longer what it used to be. I'm afraid that the ladies from high-class families would not be willing to marry down. Mother will choose a beautiful girl from a young family for each of my third and fourth brothers. As long as she is virtuous—"
"You misunderstood. Mother is not dissatisfied with their family background."
Wang sighed and said solemnly, "Poor family background, family background, and appearance are all fine. What matters is character. A filial, virtuous, and law-abiding girl is suitable to be a wife. Those who are overly sharp-tongued, picky, selfish, greedy, and lazy must not be married into the family! Marry a virtuous wife, and it is better to be without than to marry someone of poor character."
Guo Honglei nodded, "Of course we can't be hasty." After a pause, he gently reminded, "But no one is perfect. If you are too picky, who would dare to marry their daughter to my third and fourth brothers?"
"T-T-T-there are too few candidates, not much room to choose from, I'm not picky at all." Wang frowned and sighed, "Actually, I've figured it out a long time ago. While marriage emphasizes matching social status, it often leads to marrying up and marrying down. So, I simply rejected the girl from my relative's family in the capital."
Jiang Yushu knew it very well and thought to herself: In the past, my mother-in-law liked those who were smart and sweet-talking like my sister-in-law and Liao Xiaodie, but now she likes those who are honest and dutiful. It is clear that "once bitten by a snake, one will be afraid of ropes for ten years."
She calmed herself down and agreed, saying, "Old Madam is right. A girl from the capital would be hard-pressed to adapt to life in a remote northwestern frontier town, as she's far from home. It's better to find someone from the local area." She smiled and asked, "Third and Fourth Brothers, what do you think?"
Guo Hongzhe blushed slightly and replied shyly, "I, I don't understand. It's all up to my mother. It's also okay for my brother and sister-in-law to decide."
Wang nodded with satisfaction.
"Ahem." Guo Hongxuan cleared his throat and couldn't help but make a request. "Family background and financial situation don't matter. No matter how incompetent my third brother and I are, we don't expect to be reduced to relying on our wives' dowries for a living. But, but as for appearance, can you pick someone a little more attractive? If she's too ugly, I really, really... can't accept her."
Jiang Yushu couldn't help laughing, "Don't worry! The old lady will take care of it herself and will never let you down."
Guo Honglei gazed at his beautiful wife and swallowed the words "You shouldn't judge people by their appearance" in time, which were about to come out of his mouth.
"Hmph, you little brat." Wang snorted and feigned anger, "Even if I don't consider you, I still have to think about my grandchildren! I don't require my daughter-in-law to be as beautiful as a fairy, but at least she has to be pretty, so that my grandchildren won't be disliked by others when they are looking for a marriage partner."
"Hehehe~" Guo Hongxuan was obviously relieved, "With mother's words, your son feels relieved."
Wang appeared to be disdainful, but in reality she waved her hand lovingly. "Just sit quietly and listen, and don't interrupt!" Then she warned, "Honglei and Yushu, you, as brothers and sisters-in-law, must pay close attention and inquire more. It would be best if you could help the third and fourth sons find wives before the New Year."
You are so picky, let alone a single one, and there is no sign of a daughter-in-law right now. Who are you going to marry? Jiang Yushu muttered to herself, and promised: "Okay, I will continue to pay attention and keep asking around, and I will tell you as soon as I find someone suitable."
Guo Honglei pondered for a moment, "The daughter of a civil official isn't suitable. Why not look at a military commander's family? I have many good friends and seniors in the Heqin and Tuning guards. Their families—"
"Oh, that's not right?" Wang interrupted her second son before he could finish, shaking her head vigorously. "A gentler wife will bring more harmony to the couple."
Guo Honglei couldn't help but sigh, "Actually——"
Jiang Yushu knew her mother-in-law was stubborn, so she said quickly, "Old Madam, you're right. Let's pick two gentle ones!"
"Hmm." Wang smiled happily.
Seeing that their mother was doing her best, and since they themselves had no one in mind, Guo Hongzhe and Guo Hongxuan had no objection and let the family take care of the arrangements.
Three Days Later, Noon
In the south, the spring breeze in February is like a pair of scissors, while in the northwest, the ice and snow have not yet melted in February.
The incense burner in the bedroom was burning day and night, and it was too warm. Jiang Yushu specially left the bedroom and led Cuimei, Xiaotao and others to sit around the round table in the ear room.
They came closer to examine it, talking among themselves: "It's so densely packed, so many!"
“It really looks like a sesame seed.”
"I've only heard of it, never seen it, let alone raised one."
"How many pills are there in this small box?"
…
Jiang Yushu shook her head. "I can't count them all. These little things are hard to get. I asked someone to buy them from out of town. I didn't expect my friend to help me buy so many."
The next moment, Guo Ye's childish voice suddenly rang out from outside the door: "Mom!"
"Mom, where are you?"
Jiang Yushu answered loudly: "Mom is here, come in and play!"
After a while, Guo Honglei stepped through the threshold, followed closely by the wet nurse holding the child. He glanced around and asked in confusion, "This room is so cold, there's not even a charcoal basin. Why don't you go back to your room? What is that thing?"
"It's exactly what I want, cold and not warm."
Jiang Yushu pointed at the wooden box and said with a smile, "Second Master, why don't you take a guess?"
Guo Honglei approached and looked down: inside the wooden box were layers of wooden drawers covered with thick cloth, filled with densely packed small black dots.
"They look like sesame seeds." Guo Honglei guessed, picked up a few and looked at them carefully.
The servants watched with laughter, and Jiang Yushu shook her head, "It's not sesame. Guess again!"
Guo Honglei nodded. "Looking closely, it certainly doesn't look like sesame. Hmm...you usually like to think about crops, fruits and vegetables. Could this be a grain seed?"
Jiang Yushu held her chin in her hand. "It's a seed, but it's not a plant seed. I'll give you a hint: when I was choosing a house last year, I discovered that the previous owner had planted a mulberry tree on the hill in our new home's garden and made fruit wine."
Although Erye didn't know about silkworm eggs, he had read about the relationship between mulberry trees and silkworms. He suddenly realized, "Silkworms... look like this?"
"Hahaha, these are silkworm eggs!"
Jiang Yushu explained enthusiastically, "It has to be stored in the ice cellar now. We can only hatch it when the weather warms up and there are enough mulberry leaves. We have a mulberry tree at home, and although it's a fruit tree, we can also try raising silkworms to relieve boredom."
"I see. I'm glad to hear your advice."
Guo Honglei put the silkworm eggs back to their original place, his face as usual. He bent down to support her and said gently, "Come with me to meet the guests."
Jiang Yushu's smile froze, "Who's here?"
"The prefect of Yongzhou, Lord Ji. You don't know the other two."
Jiang Yushu stood up obediently and asked curiously, "Master Ji? What does he want from you?"
"He's not looking for me, he's looking for you." Guo Honglei whispered, "He was sent by the court, an imperial envoy."
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