"Jiang Shisen, you're going too far!"
"In short, I absolutely do not agree!"
Xu struggled desperately, lunging forward and grabbing her son's arm. Anxious and restless, she urged him, "Cheng'er, you must listen to your mother's advice. Don't go to Xicang or Yongzhou. These are poor, cold, and harsh places on the northwest frontier. What can you learn by studying there? You're just asking for trouble. Besides, everyone says the borderlands are unstable, constantly plagued by war and chaos. It's dangerous!"
Jiang Mingcheng remained on his knees, swaying from side to side as his mother jostled him. He managed to steady himself, repeatedly trying to comfort her: "War and chaos? Who said that? The war is over. The Gan Kingdom has won a resounding victory. My brother-in-law and his men have returned in triumph—"
"Oh, brother-in-law? You're calling him so affectionately. I'm afraid he won't be happy to accept you as a relative." Xu sneered, disappointedly interrupting her eldest son. She had been suffering for nearly ten years, and after her beloved daughter's death, she felt particularly angry and resentful, depressed, and sobbing. "It seems you've completely forgotten your second sister."
"I haven't forgotten." Jiang Mingcheng frowned, unable to bear it any longer. He asked sadly, "Eldest sister is eldest sister, and second sister is second sister. Second sister's death has nothing to do with eldest sister. Why do you still blame eldest sister? Back then, I never said anything about my sisters' marriages, but I knew about it. It was clearly you who favored second sister and made eldest sister suffer, but you keep blaming her. What was her fault? What's the logic behind this?"
“You, you—”
When questioned by her eldest son, Mrs. Xu was shocked and embarrassed. She was so ashamed and angry that she raised her hand and slapped her son with a loud and crisp slap, breaking the corner of his mouth.
Jiang Shisen hurriedly dismissed the maids and servants, and when he returned to see the situation, his face turned pale. He hurriedly pulled his step-wife away and angrily scolded her, "The child is about to go on a long journey. How can you hit him at this time?"
"A son is the flesh and blood of his mother. If he doesn't respect his mother, shouldn't he be taught a lesson?" Mrs. Xu was so angry that she burst into tears.
Jiang Mingcheng opened his mouth, his face filled with helplessness, and said dejectedly, "Please calm down, mother. I dare not disrespect you."
"Then why didn't you listen to me?" Mrs. Xu slumped down and slapped the floor anxiously. "I don't agree with you going to the frontier to study!"
Jiang Mingcheng remained silent, raised his head, and looked at his father pleadingly.
Jiang Shisen brooked no objection and said coldly, "Mingcheng and Mingkang have grown up and understood the situation. They respected you so much that they kept their mouth shut. But you didn't know how to reflect on yourself. You were unreasonable and forced the children to expose the truth. Who can you blame? You know the reason why Yushu married into the Guo family, and so do we. You keep confusing right and wrong. Don't you feel guilty?"
"Everything I did was for the child!" Xu didn't think she was wrong.
"Isn't Yushu a child of the Jiang family?"
Xu replied without thinking, "Humph, she's not my daughter."
Jiang Shisen was extremely disappointed and sighed, "Thanks to my daughter and son-in-law who worked hard and gradually made their lives better, all the hardship finally paid off. I was also lucky that my daughter and son-in-law were magnanimous and never took their anger out on my brothers, so I dared to arrange for Mingcheng to study at the frontier." After saying this, he no longer paid any attention to his step-wife and earnestly admonished his son:
"Young people must study hard, but knowledge gained from books is always shallow. Cheng'er, I'm afraid you'll become a bookworm. After careful consideration, I've decided to send you abroad to study and gain experience. This will broaden your horizons, increase your knowledge, and allow you to experience the ways of the world. Then, you can return to take the imperial examination. If you're experienced and steady, I'll be able to safely hand over our family to you in the future."
Jiang Mingcheng's cheek burned from the slap, and he was furious. He let his mother slap him, then kowtowed upright and solemnly declared, "Father, your intentions are good. I understand, and I will never let you down! After I depart, I will write home often to let you know I'm safe."
"Okay, that's right." Jiang Shisen nodded with satisfaction, signaling his son to be quiet. Then he forcibly pulled his step-wife up, dragged her out of the house, and handed her to the maids and old women, and ordered:
"Send her back to her room to rest! If you don't serve her well, you will be punished."
"Yes." The servants understood and, stepping up to hold Xu down, ignored her struggles and scolding, and forcibly sent her back to the bedroom to be confined there.
Afterwards, Jiang Shisen returned to the study and sat down tiredly, "Get up and talk."
Jiang Mingcheng stood up, lowered his head to straighten his mother's messed-up clothes, and carefully advised: "Mother is just worried about her son. Please calm down and don't bother with her."
"Hmph, if I were to take this too seriously, I wouldn't be able to live like this!" Jiang Shisen was furious and waved his hand irritably. "Forget it, let's not talk about her! Your future is still uncertain, so right now you should focus on your studies and exams. I'll take care of the family, so you don't have to worry about anything. Just make sure you study hard, understand?"
"yes."
Jiang Mingcheng changed the subject and asked worriedly, "However, I heard that there are some rumors about my brother-in-law in the court. An imperial censor has impeached him. If I interrupt him now, isn't it... inappropriate?"
"How can you call visiting your sister 'disturbing'? Don't worry, I've made all the arrangements. You can embark on your journey boldly. Don't be afraid of hardship, and be brave enough to experience it." Jiang Shisen was confident, twirling his beard and saying, "As for the impeachment, it's pure groundless speculation. His Majesty has not accepted it. It's just a routine inquiry, and it's over."
"That's good."
Jiang Mingcheng was indignant. "My brother-in-law defended the frontier, risking his life and blood, and won a hard-fought victory. Yet, before he even received any honors or commendations, he was impeached for 'colluding with foreign enemies'? How can this be justified?"
"There are so many things in the officialdom that you don't understand." Jiang Shisen sighed and revealed, "That censor is from the Minister of War's side. There's been some conflict between the old minister and the Marquis of Jingyang. Back then, when the late emperor was seriously ill, the crown prince temporarily took charge of government affairs. His proposal to pardon the Guo family's exile was nearly refuted by the old minister's faction."
"So that's how it is?" Jiang Mingcheng's expression was filled with emotion as he said disdainfully, "Alas, the Marquis has been dead for almost ten years now. The wrongs have been settled, and the debts should have been forgiven. Yet, the old minister is still pursuing a personal vendetta. How narrow-minded and despicable! He clearly can't stand the Marquis's son having any success."
"Just keep these things in mind and don't spread them. Speaking without restraint is a big taboo."
"I'll remember it, kid."
Jiang Shisen urged, "It's getting late, let's get going. Be careful when you're out."
"Yes." Jiang Mingcheng knelt again, bid farewell to his father, and then the father and son walked out of the study together.
Outside the courtyard gate
Jiang Mingkang, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Jiang family and her daughter, and the illegitimate sons of the Jiang family had been waiting for a long time.
"Dad!" A six-year-old boy named Mingrui, born to a concubine, trotted towards his father.
Jiang Shisen, who had a son in his old age, naturally doted on him. He smiled and told his youngest son, "My brother is going on a long journey. Please see him off."
"Oh." The boy nodded obediently.
Jiang Mingcheng chatted with his brother and half-brother for a few words, then approached his wife and daughter and whispered, "You're pregnant, why did you come out? Go back to your room and rest!"
"I heard that my mother lost her temper again. She was worried, so she came to see you." The wife stared at the slap mark on her husband's face, feeling very distressed, but she did not dare to blame her mother-in-law.
The son was not in a position to blame his mother and said lightly: "It's okay, I've persuaded him to stop."
"Daddy." The two-year-old girl said in a baby voice, "I want to go too, to see my aunt."
Jiang Mingcheng smiled, patted his daughter's head, and coaxed her, "Next time, I'll take you there next time. Be good and obedient, and your aunt will love you."
So Jiang Mingcheng bid farewell to his family and set off north, carrying his father's earnest expectations and the determination to endure hardships and temper his will, and went to the northwest to study.
The day after he left home, Xu fell ill. Her condition fluctuated. She felt guilty, worried, and angry, believing that her stepdaughter would take revenge on her son. She was in a constant state of panic and even became delirious.
Jiang Shisen ordered a doctor to prescribe medicine, but he rarely visited his wife and ordered her not to tell her eldest son. The love between the couple had long been worn out by countless quarrels.
Lying on the sickbed, Xu's eyes were sunken, and with no relatives to take care of her, she murmured in a delirium: "If anything happens to Cheng'er, I will fight to the death with Shu! That damn girl deliberately tricked my father into sending my brother away. It's obvious that she had bad intentions. Alas, I really regret it. If I had known earlier, I would have coughed, coughed, coughed—"
The two maids stood by with their heads bowed, neither daring to speak.
Despite being so far away, the letter had not yet been delivered and Jiang Yushu and her husband were completely unaware of the situation.
Tuningwei
That day, after breakfast, Guo Honglei and Zuo Zhen were called over by the commander.
At the entrance to the meeting room, the guard announced, "The general has ordered us to see Lord Zuo first. Captain Guo, please wait a moment."
Zuo Zhen was stunned. Guo Honglei walked towards the bench in the corridor and said slowly, "You go in first."
"Okay! I'll call you later." Zuo Zhen strode into the meeting room. After two cups of tea, he walked out with an angry look on his face and sat down on the bench. "It's your turn."
Guo Honglei stood up with a calm expression and walked into the hall. When he saw the commander, he found three unfamiliar officials beside him.
He understood, and as usual, he saluted respectfully, "Greetings, General."
"Honglei is here? Sit down." Song Jikun, with a pleasant expression, did not introduce the unfamiliar official to his capable general. Instead, he said sternly, "During this attack on Beijiao, you remained fearless and handled the situation effectively. It was not easy to achieve victory despite being alone in deep territory. Your ability and hard work are obvious to all, and you should be credited with the greatest achievement."
Guo Honglei humbly said, "General, you are too kind. Without your strategic planning, I and my men would never have survived. It was the unity of all of us, along with the support of the external guards, that enabled our army to return victorious. Therefore, I dare not claim the primary credit."
"Credit belongs to whoever deserves it. There's no need to be so modest. I've already submitted a memorial to the court, requesting your contributions." Song Jikun then changed the subject and slowly said, "By the way, the court wants to know the details of our victory over the Northern Qi army, so they've sent these three gentlemen to investigate. Please share your combat experience in detail."
"Yes." Guo Honglei stood up on his own initiative, neither humble nor arrogant, and reported his combat experience in detail.
During this time, the three officials appointed by the court listened attentively with a serious expression. The leader asked sternly, "Captain Guo, there have been rumors outside that you have 'colluded with foreign enemies'. Do you have any explanation?"
Song Jikun looked at his capable subordinate and worried secretly that he might lose control of his temper.
Guo Honglei suppressed his anger and replied in a resounding voice, "These rumors are truly heartbreaking! I did not march alone deep into enemy territory. I led over two thousand soldiers, working together day and night, united in our hatred of the enemy. We braved every danger, yet only over three hundred returned alive, and the vanguard suffered heavy casualties. This absurd rumor not only slanders the living but also defames the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for our country. I implore the court to thoroughly investigate and severely punish the rumormongers, and to provide justice to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for their country!"
The three officials exchanged glances, whispering for a moment. The leader then said sternly, "We've fully understood the entire situation and will report the facts to the court as soon as possible. The court will handle the matter impartially."
Guo Honglei took a deep breath and said, "I have no regrets. The reputation of a martyr must not be slandered."
"Hmm." Song Jikun nodded in agreement.
Then, the three officials continued questioning for a full half hour before nodding to the commander.
Song Jikun also suppressed his anger and said gently, "Alright, you go down first."
"Yes." Guo Honglei's jaw tightened, he bowed slightly, clasped his fists, and turned to leave.
It won't take a moment
As soon as he went out, he saw Zuo Zhen, Tong Jing and others, who came up to him and asked about the news with concern.
Guo Honglei said calmly, "Let's go and talk while we walk."
"You've been in there for so long, what did they ask you?" Zuo Zhen's face darkened as he grumbled softly, "Just now, they suspected me of colluding with foreign enemies. That's sheer nonsense! Bah! I risked my life to kill the enemy, but the court—"
"Be careful what you say." Guo Honglei kindly interrupted his friend, "I was also questioned, just like you."
Tong Jing and the others also looked unhappy. "We also went on the expedition, why weren't we investigated?"
"We're the vanguard, and you're the backup." Zuo Zhen was seething with anger. "We worked so hard to lead the charge, only to be suspected by the court when we return. What bad luck!"
"Calm down, don't worry! I believe the general will protect us."
After they had been gone for a while, Guo Honglei whispered, "I've been suspended."
"What?"
"W-why did you suspend your duties?"
Guo Honglei smiled faintly, "Some people outside suspect that I won by colluding with the enemy. The imperial envoy ordered me to be suspended and wait for the court's decision."
"Humph, damn it, a bunch of troublemakers!" Although Tong Jing had always regarded Guo Honglei as a strong opponent, he was instantly furious when his colleague was wronged and wronged. "We fought hard on the battlefield, and this is what we get in return? It's really, really chilling!"
Zuo Zhen asked in confusion, "Why didn't you suspend my duties?"
Because my enemies want to mess with me, not you. Guo Honglei laughed and replied helplessly: "Are you looking forward to being suspended? Just suspending me is enough."
"Then...what are you going to do?" Before he knew it, Tong Jing was walking closely next to him.
Guo Honglei brushed his sleeves and replied calmly, "What else can I do? The imperial envoy has instructed me to wait for information, so I can only wait patiently."
Noon Camp Gate
"arrive!"
Jiang Yushu, who still didn't know her husband had been questioned and suspended, got out first and walked quickly towards the car in front with a smile, "Slow down."
Pei Wenfeng supported his father-in-law, and the three of them walked towards the camp gate. The clerk ran to hand the title to the guard and asked him to report.
Not long after, Song Jikun led a group of his men to personally welcome the elderly prefect.
Under the scorching sun, Jiang Yushu looked carefully and spotted her husband at a glance - not only because Guo Honglei was tall, handsome and eye-catching, but also because he was wearing casual clothes and stood out among his companions in neat military uniforms.
Having been married for many years, she knew her husband very well. She was stunned and keenly sensed that something was wrong. She thought to herself: He always pays attention to etiquette. Why doesn't he wear military uniform for such an occasion?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
