Chapter 101 101 The Second-Rank Minister of Revenue!
Late May of the ninth year of the Xianping era.
The light drizzle started falling last night and showed no signs of stopping by dusk.
Four-year-old Cheng'er stood obediently in front of the main room door, letting her mother help her tie her raincoat, then lifting her little feet to take off her soft-soled embroidered shoes and slip her clean little feet into wooden clogs. Once ready, Cheng'er waved her little hand to her mother: "Mom, wait at home, I'm going to pick up my brother."
Luo Fu smiled as she saw the little girl out, habitually instructing her, "Don't deliberately step in the water."
Cheng-jie looked down at her feet and obediently said, "Okay, let Granny carry me to the place with water."
Is Luo Fu really that well-behaved, treating her like a daughter?
The wet nurse held an umbrella and saw the second daughter off to the main courtyard. Luo Fu watched her daughter walk away and couldn't help but think that when Hong Ge'er was about the same age, he also liked to go to the main courtyard to pick up his three cousins after school.
As soon as Chengjie left Shensi Hall, she abandoned her wet nurse, who insisted on sheltering her under an umbrella, and deliberately walked through the puddles, making a clattering sound with her wooden clogs. In the summer heat, the cool rainwater felt refreshing on her feet, and Chengjie waded through the water all the way to the main gate of the Marquis's mansion. She crossed the threshold and stood in front of the gate, looking towards the end of the alley.
Manager Zhao walked over with a smile, bent down and teased, "Is the Second Miss here to wait for the Eldest Young Master, the Second Young Master, or the Third Young Master?"
Cheng-jie: "I'll wait for my brother."
Steward Zhao: "Young lady has four older brothers. Which one are you waiting for?"
Cheng-jie tilted her head back and looked at Steward Zhao with a "you're so stupid" look in her eyes: "Of course we're waiting for my brother, the Fourth Young Master Xiao Hong!"
Manager Zhao stroked his gray beard and smiled. He thought to himself how annoying Third Master was when he was a child. Back then, he never imagined that Third Master would have such an adorable little lady.
Suddenly, a slightly hurried sound of hooves came from the alley entrance. Steward Zhao, the wet nurse, and Cheng'er, who were holding umbrellas, all turned their heads to look. They saw a fast horse coming towards them through the misty rain. The closer it got, the slower the horse became. Soon the horse stopped in front of the Marquis's mansion. The person on the horse was wearing a raincoat and a straw hat. Raindrops dripped from the wide brim of the hat, blurring the person's face.
Just as the wet nurse was about to pick up the second daughter who was standing next to the horse, Cheng'er, who was looking up at the person on the horse, suddenly jumped up happily and stretched out her little hand to the person: "Daddy, Daddy, hold me!"
Steward Zhao and the wet nurse: "..."
Seeing that his daughter recognized him, Xiao Yu dismounted, grabbed her armpits, and lifted her high into the air: "How did Tuan'er know that Father was coming back today?"
Cheng'er blinked and said, "Mother said Father will be back soon, so I come out every day to wait for Father."
Steward Zhao and the wet nurse: "..."
Xiao Yu was naturally aware of his daughter's habit of waiting for her brother, but even her little lies were sweet. He didn't expose her, glanced into the Marquis's residence, and asked, "Father is going to pay his respects to Grandfather and Grandmother. Is Tuan'er going?"
Cheng'er thought for a moment and said, "Go!" She can see her brother every day, but she hasn't seen her father for a long time. She wants to be with her father more now.
The children were fascinated by their father's return from his long journey. Xiao Rong and Deng Shi had long been accustomed to their youngest son's occasional business trips over the years, and once they got used to it, they didn't think about it too much. They only asked how the canal in Zhuojun was being repaired, and when there was no trouble, they told the father and daughter to hurry back to Shensi Hall and come over for dinner in the evening.
Luo Fu treated Xiao Yu in a similar manner to the two elders. However, while Cheng Jie'er was washing her feet and changing her shoes, Xiao Yu, who had taken off his raincoat and revealed his dark purple official robes, pressed his wife tightly against the door and kissed her thoroughly in one go.
Luo Fu touched his official robes, which were slightly damp from the rain, and also felt the muscles beneath them that looked thin but were actually unusually strong. This touch rekindled the fire that had been dormant in her for a long time. Even though she knew her daughter might return at any moment, she couldn't bear to push him away.
Finally, just before Cheng-jie, who had just returned from washing her feet, was about to step into the inner room, Xiao Yu released his wife, whose clothes were disheveled and revealed half of her shoulder, and quickly walked out, picking up his daughter and taking her to the main hall.
Separated by a wall, Luo Fu continued to lean against it, her face flushed and her eyes brimming with tears. It was not something that could be calmed down in a short time. Moreover, the thrill of taking the opportunity to be intimate with the children behind their backs was even more intoxicating than when the couple were alone in Shensi Hall.
When Luo Fu finished tidying her clothes and went out, nine-year-old Hong Ge'er also returned from the Imperial Academy. He was initially disappointed not to see his younger sister at the gate, but after being told by Steward Zhao that his father had returned, Hong Ge'er ran back as fast as he could.
The brother and sister clung to their father, one on each side, while Luo Fu could only sit and watch. It must be said that although Xiao Yu was thirty-six years old this year, ever since Gu Xi passed away at the beginning of the year, Emperor Xianping promoted Xiao Yu, who had served as a vice minister for a year, directly to the position of Minister of Revenue, a second-rank official. In Luo Fu's eyes, Xiao Yu was even more handsome and pleasing to the eye than when he first became the top scholar.
The two little ones occupied all of Xiao Yu's time before dinner. After the family of four returned from Wanhetang for a reunion dinner that was no longer so special, Hong Ge'er and Cheng Jie'er finally got sleepy. One walked by himself, while the other begged her father to carry her back to her room.
After settling his children in, Xiao Yu quickly took a bath and rushed back to the central courtyard to reunite with his wife.
Perhaps due to his frequent horseback riding trips between the capital and other places in recent years, Xiao Yu, who is getting older, still maintains a young and robust physique, and his shoulders and chest are even more solid than when he was in his twenties.
Luo Fu couldn't run as fast as him, but as before, she couldn't withstand his relentless charge. She tried to push and grab his shoulders, but he forcefully held her down on either side.
The first time after a short separation is always special. When Xiao Yu stopped, the couple remained silent for a long time.
"The canal is expected to be completed in September. I will go there again before the canal is completed, so I won't have to go back and forth anymore."
After his breathing calmed down, Xiao Yu embraced his wife. He was in charge of the finances, and the accounts for salaries and provisions had been accurate over the past five years. The final section of the canal was more than halfway complete, with only three months left. With Chen Wenqi and Xu Lian closely monitoring the situation in the local area, he figured there wouldn't be any major problems.
Luo Fu touched his face and laughed, "That's good. If you don't cover it up properly, it will probably stay this dark forever, just like when you first came back from Loujiang."
Looking at his wife's flushed and delicate face, Xiao Yu said sincerely, "Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye. I have aged, but my wife is still as beautiful as ever."
Luo Fu pointed to the corner of her eye: "No fine lines?"
Xiao Yu lowered his head and kissed him: "No."
Luo Fu felt very happy. Thanks to the Empress and the Princess, she had received a constant supply of beauty products and dietary supplements from the palace over the years. Sometimes, when Luo Fu looked in the mirror, she felt that she still looked like she was in her early twenties.
"You know how to talk. After you finish your last trip, I'll give you a box of the beauty cream that the Empress gave me."
Xiao Yu was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't that he liked the beauty cream that much, but rather that his wife cherished it so much. Once, he had used some of it casually and his wife had scolded him severely. Now, his wife had given it to him on her own initiative, and it was a whole box of it. This showed that he had become much more important to his wife!
"Speaking of which, you came back quite timely this time. The Emperor just issued an edict in the middle of the month that we should go to the West Garden to escape the summer heat this year. We will be leaving in five days. The Empress asked me to bring Man'er and Tuan'er with me. My eldest sister-in-law has to take care of Aunt Xu, so she won't be going. My second sister-in-law doesn't like such lively places and said she would stay at home to keep her mother company."
Yang Sheng died of illness at the end of the second year after he arrived in Liangzhou. Perhaps it was because his death had settled his debts, Emperor Xianping gave this important official of two dynasties a dignified honor by posthumously granting him the title of Duke and allowing him to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. In the following years, whenever there were banquets in the palace, Empress Xie would summon Xu Shi to the palace. However, Xu Shi was often ill this year, and her sister-in-law often went to take care of her.
In times of peace, military generals rarely have the opportunity to make meritorious contributions. Xiao Hu is still serving as a commander in the Western Camp, while Xiao Lin was promoted to commander of the Vermilion Bird Guard two years ago and is highly regarded by Emperor Xianping. If it weren't for his second sister-in-law Li Huaiyun's dislike of socializing, her banquets as an official's wife would certainly not be less frequent than Luo Fu's.
Needless to say, my mother-in-law used to avoid the noblewomen of the capital when she was young. Now that she has celebrated her sixtieth birthday, she is qualified to go to the West Garden, but she is too lazy to do anything.
Luo Fu accompanied the emperor to Xiyuan three years ago, only bringing Hong Ge'er with her. This year, she'll bring Cheng Jie'er to broaden her horizons.
The Western Garden is only a little over a hundred miles from the capital, and the emperor's journey there would not cost the national treasury much silver. Therefore, Xiao Yu had no objection to Emperor Xianping's move. After all, he was the ruler of a country and could not be without any enjoyment.
The couple chatted casually, talking about whatever came to mind. When the topic turned to the children of the Marquis's family, Luo Fu whispered, "My sister told me the other day that Ying'er and Yi'er seem to have some feelings for each other. She asked me to sound out my second brother and sister-in-law. If they approve of Yi'er as their son-in-law, my sister and brother-in-law will formally ask a matchmaker to propose marriage. If they don't approve, she can advise Yi'er to avoid suspicion."
Ying'er is sixteen this year, and her nephew Pei Yi is nineteen. Because the two families are related by marriage, when her nephew and niece come to visit, Ying'er will call Pei Yi "cousin" according to their relationship. After seeing each other so often, some feelings may have developed between the young man and woman. In terms of family background, Ying'er is definitely superior. Her grandfather is Xiao Rong, a marquis in name only but with an indefinite hereditary title. Her maternal grandfather is Li Wei, the Duke of Dingguo, who has made great military achievements and whose fame is far-reaching. Her father is also highly regarded by Emperor Xianping. Therefore, her older sister does not dare to rashly aspire to marry into such a family and asked her to test the waters first, so as not to misunderstand her sister's intentions.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu, as the uncle, immediately scrutinized Pei Yi from head to toe. In terms of appearance, both Pei Xingshu and his wife were exceptional individuals, and Pei Yi was also handsome. In terms of demeanor, after arriving in the capital, Pei Yi entered the Imperial Academy and passed the provincial examination at the age of seventeen, only missing the previous year's spring examination because Pei Xingshu wanted him to study for two more years. As for family background, the Pei family was merely a minor scholarly family in Guangling, but Pei Xingshu had risen through the ranks, becoming the third-rank Left Vice Minister of War at the age of forty-one, his promotions both rapid and steady.
Luo Fu nudged him: "Second sister-in-law listens to second brother. Whether this matter succeeds or not depends on second brother. If you think Yi-ge'er is good, then you can try to find out what second brother thinks."
Judging by appearance is a flaw, but Xiao Lin looks cunning and likely to look down on people. Luo Fu has been married into the Xiao family for fourteen years and doesn't want to provoke Xiao Lin unless necessary.
Xiao Yu: "Hmm, I'll ask about it tomorrow."
-----------------------
A note from the author: I've been out these past two days, and I only got back to the hotel half an hour ago!
I probably won't have time to write during the day on Friday, but I'll try to write a chapter late at night to keep you all company. 100 little red envelopes, goodnight~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com