Cousin! Cousin!
Cousin Pei is still alive, but the real cousin Jiang has long passed away.
It's her cousin, not mine.
Jiang Yushu's heart was instantly in turmoil, a headache amplifying. She frowned and said, "I know my cousin passed the imperial examination last year. Father hadn't mentioned it at first, but he mentioned it a little in a letter earlier this year. He said that my cousin had achieved top marks in the imperial examination, but refused to study hard to become a Hanlin Academy student. Instead, he insisted on seeking a posting outside the capital, causing an argument with the elders."
"Alas." Cuimei frowned, wanting to say something but stopping herself, and whispered, "The capital is good, peaceful and stable. There's nothing good about being sent out, especially to the frontier. Most of them are exiled officials, right?" @Infinite good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
"That's right. The borderlands are bitterly cold, and wars are frequent. People tend to seek higher ground. County officials often try their best to move elsewhere, and rarely come here on their own initiative."
Jiang Yushu pounded her forehead, hunched over the table with her head in her hands, and said anxiously, "When I replied to your letter at the beginning of the year, I was already worried. I repeatedly asked my father to persuade my cousin to take the imperial examination. Now it seems that no one has been able to persuade him."
Cuimei also slumped over the table with her head in her hands, at a loss. "What should I do? My cousin has already come to Xicang to take up his post and is now in the county. I wonder what he's thinking?"
Jiang Yushu shook her head, feeling anxious. "Frankly, I can't guess. It's really hard to predict."
"Ahem, hiss, this, this—" Cuimei was tongue-tied and whispered, "Honestly, I don't dare to imagine it. But I can be sure that my cousin's insistence on coming to Xicang is most likely related to you! Otherwise, he could have settled in the capital, why would he come to such a chaotic place? It simply doesn't make sense."
Jiang Yushu was silent for a moment, then suddenly sat up straight, her expression solemn and serious. "I've let my cousin down, and I'm deeply sorry! But I didn't mean to betray his feelings. It was fate that played such a trick on me. I encountered an unexpected change, and I was powerless at the time, unable to reverse the situation." She sighed and said word by word:
"Now, everything is a foregone conclusion. Cousin is just cousin, just a cousin."
Childhood sweethearts, in love with each other. Cousins met, got to know each other, got engaged, exchanged tokens of love... Cuimei, as their personal maid, saw it all clearly from beginning to end. Overwhelmed with emotion, she murmured, "After the engagement, everyone in the mansion treated my cousin as their eldest brother-in-law, and the master took care of his nephew like a son-in-law from the very beginning. Everything was harmonious and harmonious, everything was ready, and we were just waiting for the auspicious day to get married. But who would have thought—" She bit her lip awkwardly and stopped talking.
Jiang Yushu stared at the maid who came with her dowry, her eyes fixed on her. She sternly instructed, "Let the past be the past. Don't mention it again. My cousin and I are not destined to be together. I've already found my home. I hope he finds a better woman. Remember that?"
"Yes!" Cuimei sat up straight, nodding her head like crazy, and patting her chest, she replied, "Don't worry, I understand. I must remember this: my cousin is just a cousin!"
Jiang Yushu nodded in satisfaction. "Very good, that's right." After a pause, she was still uneasy and asked doubtfully, "What position does he hold? What is he doing in Heqin?"
"I'm not sure." Cuimei picked up her embroidery needle, but couldn't sew a single stitch. She explained, "Today, the village chief and the official were chatting casually. When I heard 'Jiangnan Pei Rui, a new official's three major changes upon taking office', I was startled. When I tried to get closer, they changed the topic and I didn't dare to ask."
Jiang Yushu held her chin in her hand, pondered for a while, and then slowly said, "My cousin is a gentle man with no martial arts skills. He is a newly-minted Jinshi, and he has just entered the officialdom and has become a frontier official. The people of Xicang are tough, so if he wants to gain a foothold, it will probably be difficult."
"Hmm." Cuimei yawned, covering her mouth. After all, they knew each other well, and she was worried, guessing, "As the saying goes, 'A scholar encounters a soldier, and even if he's right, he can't explain himself.' My cousin is too polite. Will the officials at the government and county offices pick on him?"
Jiang Yushu was unsure and answered hesitantly, "I don't understand the officialdom, but my cousin has always been smart. He shouldn't be a soft persimmon and let others bully him, right? However, he is new here, so it will be difficult at first. He will get through it after a while."
"I hope so."
Jiang Yushu opened her mouth but said nothing.
Later, when they went to bed, Cuimei fell asleep as soon as she touched her pillow. Jiang Yushu, however, was preoccupied with thoughts, tossing and turning, thinking to herself:
@Unlimited good articles, all in Jinjiang Literature City
The cousin was truly devoted to his cousin, and the two had made vows to each other, seemingly forming a loving couple. However, fate suddenly struck a blow and shattered their relationship. The cousin committed suicide, her soul passing away, separated from her beloved.
Now the body is hers, but the soul is mine.
The person is the soul. Oh, it's a mess.
No one can afford to compensate for a marriage, so I can only hope that Mr. Pei will let it go as soon as possible, otherwise what should I do?
The spring breeze is gentle, the weather is getting warmer, the grass and trees are sprouting new buds, the orioles are singing and the swallows are dancing, and the banks of the Cangjiang River are covered with endless green.
In mid-April, Heqinwei fought with the enemy again and won a narrow victory.
When the weather was warm, the soldiers who were not injured would wash off the blood and dust in a shallow bay outside the camp.
"Splash, splash~" "Splash, splash~", the sound of water and the sounds of talking and laughing merge into one.
Pan Kui soaked in the river for a while, feeling refreshed. He shouldered his long sword and shouted, "Brothers, let's go back to the camp!"
Those who were familiar with him agreed one after another, their armor dripping with water, and they chatted and laughed as they strode back to the camp.
Guo Honglei gripped the hilt of the knife, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Oh? Tian Bo got punished again? Last time, it was for delaying the order. What's the reason this time?"
"He was addicted to alcohol and gambling, and he was in debt. He used to cheat new recruits out of their pay, claiming it was a loan, but he never paid it back. He was eventually reported, and Captain Wu was embarrassed and ordered him to be punished with thirty sticks!" Peng Changrong gloated over his misfortune, feeling completely relieved. He lowered his voice and said happily, "He was beaten to pieces, and his face was covered in tears and snot. Hahahaha."
Lin Qin sneered, "Serves them right! In my opinion, why keep such a cunning and shameless person around? Just kick him out as soon as possible."
"The grandson surnamed Tian is sarcastic and always makes roundabout sarcastic remarks to others. God has finally opened his eyes and made him unlucky!" Peng Changxing hooked his arm around his brother's shoulder, and the two brothers gloated together.
Peng Changrong was indignant. "Humph, how could he have been 'too busy and forgetful' about what happened last month? He was clearly jealous and deliberately obstructed the young master's promotion, even Wu Qianhu—"
Guo Honglei cleared his throat and said, "Ahem!"
"Hehe." Peng Changrong touched his nose and said knowingly, "Well, I won't say anything more."
Guo Honglei whispered, "Don't discuss the generals' rights and wrongdoings in public, or you might get caught by outsiders."
"Oh, yes!" Peng Changrong and the other three were still unsatisfied.
Pan Kui led the way. As he walked, he suddenly jumped onto a steep slope, looked into the distance, and stared at Yongzhou on the opposite bank in a trance.
"Sir?" Guo Honglei also climbed up the steep slope.
Pan Kui frowned and said anxiously, "Your Majesty has issued an order to recapture Yongzhou within this year. If we fail to do so, no one will be happy."
Guo Honglei stared at the opposite bank for a while, then looked down at the surging river and whispered, "The general has issued a military order. If he fails to do it, he will be in trouble." Not only will he lose his official position, he will probably lose his head.
"Alas!" Pan Kui stared at the other side of the river, his eyes wide with anger, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "The Beiqi people have always been raw meat eaters and blood drinkers, barbaric and cunning. There are numerous tribes, large and small. We wipe out one group after another, and I really don't know when we can completely wipe them out."
Guo Honglei pointed to the vast river and said helplessly, "The Cangjiang and Muhe rivers are natural barriers. During the twelfth lunar month, we joined forces with Xinyang and Silu to launch three attacks, suffering heavy casualties but failing to recapture the lost territory. Dozens of Beijiao tribes have joined forces, so they shouldn't be underestimated."
"No matter what, we swear to drive the enemy out of Dagan!" Pan Kui sighed in frustration, holding his long sword. "Otherwise, how will the Heqin Guards maintain their dignity? We won't even be able to recover the lost territory. It's shameful."
Guo Honglei's eyes shone brightly as he gazed intently at the mountains on the other side. He speculated, "The food and fodder on the other side has long been exhausted. We are guarding Xicang, so the enemy won't be able to burn, kill, or plunder as they please. Beijiao is short of food and fodder, and the men and horses are exhausted. We should be able to recover the lost territory within this year."
"Well, fight until you win!"
"Let's go back to the camp and get something to eat in the kitchen." Pan Kui jumped down the steep slope and asked with concern, "How have you been staying with the general lately? Have you been given any trouble?"
Guo Honglei shook his head. "Everyone does their job and fulfills their responsibilities. No one is deliberately making things difficult for me."
"That's good." Pan Kui was relieved and encouraged, "Boy, the general has always been clear about rewards and punishments. You must be diligent and work hard to accumulate more merits. You will not be treated unfairly in the future!"
Guo Honglei nodded and replied, "I understand. Thank you for your guidance, sir."
In a blink of an eye, April 25th was Jiang Yushu's birthday.
On this day last year, the whole family was on their way north and was in a very miserable state.
Now that they have settled down this year, Nanny Pan is planning to celebrate.
Since they were working in the fields, prisoners had to work in the fields during the day and were not allowed to take leave without reason.
Rows of potato seedlings swayed in the wind. People were busy watering and weeding until noon, and then they went home one after another for lunch.
"Mee~" The flock of sheep bleated one after another, and there were six more lambs among them.
Cuimei suddenly had an idea and pinched her throat to say, "Mee-mee, mee-hee." She looked closely and was overjoyed. She shouted, "Look, the little one has turned around. How silly!"
"Didn't you see it grinning?" Xiao Tao smiled with two dimples and teased, "It's probably laughing at you."
His companions burst into laughter.
"No, it's not." Cuimei ran forward, happily picked up the lamb and petted it.
Jiang Yushu said jokingly, "You, you keep rubbing it every day, and you've rubbed the wool until it's bald."
Everyone burst into laughter again. Guo Hongzhe also found it novel and would occasionally approach to tease the lamb, enjoying himself.
Cuimei happily carried the baby for a while, and only let go when she was tired and sweating.
Liu Dong was alone, carrying a hoe, following closely with a dazed look in his eyes.
The next moment, the sound of horse hooves suddenly came from the canal road, causing everyone to stop, their hearts hanging in fear, and looking at each other in confusion.
Guo Honglei had some time off to visit his family, and it happened to be his wife's birthday. His military robe fluttered as he spurred his horse and shouted, "Go!"
Peng Changrong was overjoyed and shouted from a distance: "Xiao Cui'er, I'm here to pick you up!"
The author has something to say:
Pei Wenfeng: The whole thing is unclear. I won’t be able to rest in peace until I figure it out!
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