Chapter 56 056 Family Letters - Part 1
Xiao Yu left the capital on the seventh day of the first lunar month and did not arrive in Loujiang County until the end of February. That evening, in addition to writing a letter of arrival to the Ministry of Personnel, he also wrote a letter to his mother and wife, which he then handed over to the messenger along with the official documents so that he could travel faster.
The letter that Deng received was only two pages long, and the second page was only half-written. In the letter, her youngest son first informed her that he was safe and sound, briefly described the journey, then gave a detailed account of the situation in Loujiang County and the county government, and finally expressed his longing for his parents, brothers, nephews and nieces. That was it, as bland and tasteless as drinking plain water.
Before her youngest daughter-in-law returned, Deng clutched the thick envelope tightly, her heart pounding with anxiety. She desperately wanted to know what her youngest son and wife had discussed. Deng was certainly not curious about intimate conversations between husband and wife, but she wanted to know more about her youngest son, even if he mentioned eating an extra bowl of rice one day.
"Come, Fu'er, go inside and take a look. When you're looking, put the things that are easy for your mother to see aside, and then bring them all out for me to see at the end." Madam Deng, both amused and exasperated, pushed her youngest daughter-in-law into the side room, while she waited in the main room.
Luo Fu could understand her mother-in-law's feelings. If the two letters were switched, she would also wonder how Xiao Yu could write so many to her mother-in-law.
Xiao Rong was still working at Jianchun Guard. Wanhe Hall was quiet. The warm afternoon sun illuminated most of the couch at the east end of the side room. It would get hot if it basked in the sun for a while.
But Luo Fu still sat on the eastern side of the couch, further away from the door, so that if someone came in and she was looking at something inappropriate, she could put it away in time.
She carefully opened the envelope, and inside was indeed a thick stack of single sheets of paper. Luo Fu took them all out first, and then started reading from the top page. As she flipped through the pages, Luo Fu discovered that Xiao Yu had started writing to her on the way there. Sometimes he wrote a little every day, and sometimes he wrote a page every few days.
Omitting the beginnings and endings of each letter, the contents of Xiao Yu's letters, in chronological order, are roughly as follows:
On the seventh day of the first lunar month: Madam, we have checked into the post station. We have been traveling on horseback all day, and my face and hands are almost frozen by the wind. My legs are also very sore. Perhaps I shouldn't have chosen to ride a horse because I would have to abandon the carriage and travel on mountain roads sooner or later... The pillow and blanket are a bit damp and dirty. I went to the post station manager to complain, and he readily gave me a new one. Chaosheng said that was because the post station manager knew that I had once served as an imperial censor and was afraid that I would impeach him... It's getting dark, I want to sleep now, I miss my madam.
On the eighth day of the first lunar month: I wonder if my wife will find my writing too frequent and trivial, but I'm also afraid that if too much time passes, she'll think I haven't been thinking of you. The wind is strong today, so I wore a straw hat to protect myself from the wind and dust. Pang Xin (the guard my second brother hired for me; although he doesn't look like a good person, he treats me very well) seemed to glance at me a few times, but I didn't care, because he, Qingchuan, and Chaosheng were all covered in dust. If I were in such a sorry state, my wife would definitely dislike me... It's getting dark. I wonder if my wife is thinking of me. I miss my wife very much.
The Lantern Festival, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month: Did you eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls), my lady? I remember last year on this day, you specially asked the kitchen to cook four kinds of tangyuan, each bowl containing sesame, walnut, red bean paste, and fresh meat fillings. To show my appreciation, I ate three bowls. Actually, I only like the sesame filling. I hope that next time we celebrate the Lantern Festival together, you can just scoop me the sesame filling. Marrying you is already the greatest joy of my life; there's no need for three kinds of tangyuan to add to my happiness... The night is deep again, and I miss you, my lady. A few words are not enough to express the pain of longing. You know my heart.
January 17th: Madam, today we traveled by water. At noon, the boatman caught some fresh river fish, but unfortunately, the boatwoman's cooking skills were lacking, a complete waste… In the evening, the boatwoman cooked fish porridge, which tasted alright. Chaosheng choked on a fish while eating, and Qingchuan helped Pang Xin remove the bone with a lantern. I found Chaosheng's wide-open mouth quite unseemly, and I've decided to learn from this and eat fish with you less often in the future, so as not to make such an unsightly appearance… By the way, the bone for Chaosheng has been removed, so Madam doesn't need to worry about him… Thinking of you, Madam.
January 22nd: My lady, today we took a different waterway, traveling upstream from Wuling to Chenyang, about 500 li away... I'm tired of all the ways to eat fish, I want to go ashore... With nothing to do, I composed a poem, what do you think, my lady... It's late at night, but I've been lying on the boat for too long, my back aches, if only I could fall asleep standing up... I miss my lady.
February 4th: Madam, we finally landed in Chenyang today. The rest of the journey is through mountains. We've only just crossed one small hill. I already miss the leisurely and effortless boat trips we had before. Today was also the day Pang Xin visited me the most, and his expression was quite unfriendly. I suspect he wants me to increase his commission. If I don't receive any more letters after this, it's highly likely that he's harmed me. My second brother has actually associated with such a ruthless bandit, which shows that his character is also worrisome. You need to be extra careful in the Marquis's residence... Thinking of you, Madam.
February 10th: I was utterly exhausted from the arduous journey over the mountains these past few days and was unable to write. I hope you will forgive me, my wife. This mountain road was painstakingly opened up by merchants from various dynasties seeking a livelihood. They traveled between Jingzhou, Qianxi, and even Yunnan, profiting handsomely by selling goods cheaply in one place and expensively in another. These merchants braved the treacherous roads for profit, but news of their efforts also attracted bandits. Local government offices along the route have erected notices reminding merchants to travel in groups whenever possible. We rested for two days in a village and waited for a group of twelve cloth merchants… I miss you, my wife.
February 14th: Madam, today was extremely dangerous. We encountered mountain bandits... There were more than twenty bandits, all dressed in cloth and disdaining to wear masks. They were thin and bony, yet looked ferocious. Pang Xin wanted to attack directly, but I saw the bandit leader's eyes darting around and his machete trembling slightly. I deduced that this group was not repeat offenders, so I went forward to negotiate. I learned that they were all mountain people who had been forced to hunt for a living after their homes were destroyed by a landslide. Because they could not find prey and were starving, they intended to rob... After my persuasion, they all agreed to come with me to Loujiang County to settle down as ordinary people. I provided them with three meals a day on the way, in exchange for their protection of us... Thinking of you, Madam.
February 16th: My dear wife, the long journey is fraught with hardship and I have begun learning the local dialects of western, central, and eastern Guizhou from the merchants and mountain people accompanying me. By the time I reach Loujiang, I should be fluent. I imagine the people of Loujiang will find my accent familiar and will be more willing to support me, their new magistrate… My dear wife, I have already worn out two pairs of shoes, and I am especially grateful that I did not bring you with me. If you were here, I would feel sorry for you, and you would resent and hate me, which would only damage our marital bond… I miss you, my dear wife.
February 23rd: Madam, today we encountered real bandits. They blocked our path with broken trees, and there were over thirty masked men carrying knives. Fortunately, Pang Xin stepped forward and killed several bandits, boosting our morale. Merchants, guards, and mountain people from eastern Guizhou swarmed in, and the bandits were defeated and retreated. The precious sword Father gave me was not used, and Qingchuan stayed by my and Chaosheng's side the whole time... Pang Xin is truly a chivalrous man. I shouldn't have doubted him before. My second brother's friendship with such a chivalrous man shows that he also has a chivalrous heart. If Father or my eldest brother wrongs you, you can take this letter to my second brother for help... Having survived this ordeal, I miss you even more tonight.
February 28th: My dear wife, we have arrived safely in Loujiang County! This county is similar to the several counties I passed through after entering Guizhou, with mountains and forests everywhere and little arable land. Most of the people live by the mountains and rivers... Loujiang City is surrounded by mountains on all sides and is located in a strategic location. The newly built city wall is as high as four zhang (approximately 10 meters)... When we entered the city, an old man asked me where I came from. I answered in the local dialect of western Guizhou. The people around me smiled with delight, which shows how much they like me. It is a pity that after traveling through wind and rain, I have only retained a fraction of the charm I had in the capital. Otherwise, I would be even more popular with the local people... The county government office is simple, not as good as the many inns near the capital. However, the houses of the people in this county are even more humble than the county government office. As the county magistrate, it is a pleasure to share the hardships with the people... The censor supervises all officials, and the county magistrate is responsible for the livelihood of the people of the county. Starting tomorrow, I will do my duty. I plan to send a letter home to the capital once a month. I hope my wife will understand... I miss my wife.
The letter was over thirty pages long. Luo Fu read it slowly, word by word. Xiao Yu was handsome and had excellent handwriting. Even though Luo Fu had never met him, she couldn't help but feel admiration for him just by looking at his words.
On her second reading, Luo Fu took out the pages where Xiao Yu complained, recounted his harrowing encounter with bandits, and described his seemingly frivolous behavior, and put them in an envelope. She then took the rest of the pages to meet her mother-in-law. She wasn't so thin-skinned that she was even too embarrassed to show her mother-in-law the simple words "Missing Madam" that Xiao Yu mentioned on every page.
When Deng received the letter, she was overjoyed. She was amused by her youngest son's jokes one moment and felt sorry for his hardships on the way.
Finally, Deng gritted her teeth and cursed, "Whether he's a scholar or a warrior, I think it's all the same once he gets a wife. He can talk a lot with his wife, but he's just perfunctory with his own mother."
Luo Fu quickly coaxed her mother-in-law: "That's because Third Master knows that even if you, as his mother, are angry, you will still think about him. If he only writes two pages for me, I will really never talk to him again."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted for a while longer about the contents of the letter before Luo Fu took the thick letter back to Shensi Hall. She continued reading it in her room, and even when it was time to go to sleep, she couldn't bear to put it down and continued reading with great interest.
Ping An chuckled and reminded her, "Shouldn't Madam also write a reply to Third Master?"
Without looking up, Luo Fu said, "No rush, we'll talk about it tomorrow morning."
That night, Luo Fu placed the letter on Xiao Yu's empty pillow, letting those pages of "Miss Xiang" keep her company as she slept.
Sweet as it was, and longing as it was, Luo Fu didn't have that much to write to Xiao Yu. She mainly mentioned three things: First, because she had kept her demotion and departure from the capital a secret from him, her mother had slapped her, and Luo Fu would get revenge on Xiao Yu when he returned. Second, she had gone to the hot springs with Princess Kangping, and she described in detail the blissful days she had spent there. Third, Princess Kangping had given her a fine horse from the Western Regions, which made her father-in-law and two brothers so envious that they would often sneak into the stables to peek at it. They concluded: "The spring scenery in Luoyang in March is beautiful, but it's a pity you couldn't be with me to enjoy it. I'm so angry, I don't want to see you again at all."
Last year, Xiao Yu only managed to get himself imprisoned in the Dali Temple prison, but this year he traveled three thousand miles away by horse and boat.
After sealing the envelope, Luo Fu took the letter to her mother-in-law, and the two of them sent it out together.
Two days later, when Luo Fu's joy at receiving her husband's letter had faded, Empress Gao sent a royal invitation to Luo Fu and her two sisters-in-law to come to the palace the day after tomorrow to admire the peonies.
After reading the invitation, Yang Yanzhen smiled and said, "This year's event is the Peony Banquet."
The fact that the banquet was small only shows that Empress Gao liked her third brother's wife. The fact that Empress Gao still invited her to such a large banquet means that the Emperor and Empress's anger towards the Third Prince has passed!
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Author's Note: Here it is! 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow~
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