Chapter 37 037 "Alright, Madam, bite a few more times, lest I..."
When Luo Fu was born, Emperor Yongcheng already ruled over the nine provinces, and the country had been at peace for many years. Yangzhou was a prosperous place where people lived in peace and contentment.
When Emperor Yongcheng launched his first northern expedition, Luo Fu was only six years old, and the battlefield was far away in Liaozhou, so it had little impact on the people of Yangzhou, let alone the mischievous children in the family.
By the time Emperor Yongcheng launched his second northern expedition, Luo Fu was nine years old. She vaguely remembered that during those two years, the court increased taxes, and the villagers looked worried. More people came to borrow money and grain, and her parents often argued about it. The following year, the court's northern expedition failed again, and soldiers were conscripted to replenish the wounded troops. A group of young men were taken away from the village, and many of Luo Fu's playmates cried over the departure of their fathers, uncles, or brothers.
Luo Fu's family consisted of only her father, who had an injured leg, and her brother was far from being conscripted. The family had enough grain and silver to spare and was not greatly affected by the increased taxes. Therefore, the failure of the second campaign against Yin by the imperial court did not leave a deep impression on Luo Fu, who was only ten years old at the time. She was more excited about her sister marrying into the Pei family in the county town, excited that her brother-in-law was a gentle and handsome scholar, and excited that her sister had taken her out to broaden her horizons.
When the conscription was carried out again in Yangzhou, five years had passed since the second Northern Expedition. The Guangling area was relatively peaceful, but bandits and highwaymen were appearing in the surrounding counties to rob merchants and travelers. The conscription notice in Guangling said that it was to expand the local militia to meet the needs of bandit suppression. The new recruits would train in their spare time and go home to farm during busy farming seasons, which sounded like a safe and secure job.
Luo Song volunteered to apply, and he was overjoyed after being selected, so Luo Fu didn't think too much about it.
In March, Xiao Yu was imprisoned for his crimes. Luo Fu was terrified, thinking that her foolish husband was not only courting death but also implicating her and her family. So many high-ranking officials in the court supported the emperor's northern expedition. Why did Xiao Yu, a mere Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), think he was smarter than everyone else? She did not connect the court's upcoming third northern expedition with her brother.
Because she didn't think the Northern Expedition was related to her brother, when Emperor Yongcheng issued an edict to suspend the Northern Expedition, Luo Fu was only glad that Xiao Yu had survived this calamity. She didn't think deeply about Xiao Yu's significance to the Great Zhou Dynasty and the people of the world. Those were too important to worry about, and it was up to the emperor and powerful ministers. She and other ordinary people just needed to take care of their own food and clothing.
It wasn't until he received this letter from his mother that he suddenly learned that his brother's so-called militia were also being sent to prepare for the Third Northern Expedition.
It turns out that her brother was also almost sent to the Northern Expedition battlefield. It turns out that her brother was one of the tens of thousands of soldiers who were spared from being wounded and killed on the battlefield because of Xiao Yu's advice. As a result, she, her parents and sister avoided a year and a half of worry, anxiety and even heartbreak.
Indeed, she was just an ordinary citizen, and since she couldn't interfere in officialdom, she didn't need to worry about such things.
But today, Luo Fu truly realized that the joys and sorrows of ordinary people were completely controlled by emperors and nobles. If these people wanted young men from the common people to fight on the battlefield, the young men had to go, unless someone who could reach the ears of the emperor was willing to stand up for them.
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The days were getting longer and longer. When Xiao Yu returned from the Censorate at dusk, it was still quite bright outside.
After he finished bathing, Luo Fu brewed him a pot of tea and said with a smile, "My family and Uncle Pei sent letters and local specialties over. This is spring tea that Uncle Pei personally picked from tea farmers in Yangzhou this spring. It's not very famous, but the locals really like to drink it. Why don't you give it a try?"
Xiao Yu sensed the lady's joy, took the teacup with both hands, and saw that the tea soup in the bowl was bright green and clear, and the aroma of the tea was quite elegant. He nodded, put it in front of him and tasted it carefully, praising, "The tea is as fragrant as orchids, fresh and sweet, and that slight sweetness is just to my liking. Did Uncle Pei give you a lot? If so, I will only drink this Yangzhou spring tea from now on."
Luo Fu: "...Do you really like it, or is it just to please me?"
Xiao Yu looked at her and smiled: "Of course I really like it. I wouldn't lie to Madam."
Luo Fu glared at him, and Xiao Yu realized what was happening. His smile froze slightly as he added, "I wouldn't lie to Madam about serious matters."
At night, when husband and wife are tenderly intimate, they are inseparable; there is no need to be too attached to the way of the gentleman.
Luo Fu wasn't as shameless as him. She said to the courtyard outside the door, "I sent a portion to the two elders, my sister-in-law, and my second sister-in-law. You can keep the rest. If you really like it, I'll write to Uncle Pei next year and ask him to buy a few more pounds for us."
Xiao Yu asked happily, "Your father-in-law and mother-in-law have agreed to move here?" Otherwise, his wife would not have asked Master Pei to help procure spring tea.
Luo Fu then said to him, "Yes, they were unwilling to take advantage of the Marquis's mansion before, but now the house and land were bought by us sisters as a way of showing filial piety to them, and living in town is easy and comfortable, so of course they are willing to come. By the way, my brother was dismissed by the county and will come along too."
Xiao Yu put down his teacup and pondered, "My brother is twenty years old. If he is interested in working in the government, I'll see if I can arrange a job for him."
Looking at his serious expression, Luo Fu couldn't help but laugh: "He's three years younger than you, yet you call him 'brother' so naturally."
Looking into his wife's bright black eyes, Xiao Yu said frankly, "Husband and wife are one. Even if my brother is three years younger than me, or even if he were the same age as you, I would still call him brother."
Luo Fu snorted, complaining that the wooden chairs in the main room were too hard. After Xiao Yu finished his tea, she called him to the side room. Xiao Yu sat by the window on the south side of the tatami mat, letting the setting sun dry his hair. Luo Fu leaned against him, hooked her arm around his, and asked, "What kind of job can you arrange for my brother?"
Luo Furuo's father-in-law is very snobbish. If she asks him for help, she will lose her confidence if she wants to argue with him in the future. Xiao Yu is different. She should ask him for help when she needs it. Otherwise, what's the point of marrying him?
Xiao Yu: "The Censorate is divided into the Inner Censorate and the Outer Censorate. The Inner Censorate is the government office within the Imperial City, while the Outer Censorate is located in Xuanyang Ward near the East Market. It is responsible for handling complaints from the people and detaining and interrogating prisoners in the Censorate prison. The Outer Censorate has some low-ranking yamen runners who are responsible for guarding prisoners and may be taken out by the Censorate to perform duties at any time. These yamen runners are usually young and strong and are required to know some martial arts. I will inquire about any vacancies for yamen runners in the Outer Censorate the day after tomorrow. If there are any, I will ask them to reserve a spot for you, brother."
Luo Fu remained silent for the time being.
The yamen runners of the Censorate sounded similar to those of the county yamen runners. Being a nobody meant that their salaries were meager, they had no chance of promotion, and when they went to investigate cases with the censors, they were likely to encounter fights. It was far more secure for them to be a lowly gate guard in Jianchun Guard, one of the nine guards under their father-in-law's Imperial Guard.
When the soldiers of the three major capital garrisons need to go to war, the upper four guards of the Imperial Guards will protect the emperor closely, while the lower nine guards will be responsible for guarding the capital and maintaining order within the city. Unless the enemy troops attack the capital, the lower nine guards of the Imperial Guards basically do not need to fight. So my father-in-law served as the commander of the Jianchun Guard for more than 20 years. It may sound like he had no ambition, but he was truly secure. No wonder he kept my mother-in-law healthy and well-fed, only worrying a little more about his youngest son, Xiao Yu.
Having gone through so much, Luo Fu wanted to find her brother a stable job, even if the salary was low. After all, the twenty acres of fertile land in their hometown and the savings they had accumulated were enough to ensure the family's well-being.
"Don't rush. When my brother arrives, I'll ask him what he thinks. Maybe he's unambitious and just wants to stay home and farm. If that's the case, even if we send him to work at the TV station, he won't be able to do a good job. He'll just be a disgrace to you."
Luo Fu nuzzled against Xiao Yu's chest.
Xiao Yu guessed that his wife probably looked down on the job of an ordinary yamen runner, but that was all he could do; he couldn't recommend a better place for his brother-in-law. So his wife politely declined, and Xiao Yu stopped worrying about it.
The setting sun warmed everyone, making them feel lazy. After a brief chat about Xiao Yu's duties for the day, Luo Fu finally asked about the court: "The emperor has cancelled the northern expedition, but the rampant banditry and the suffering of the people that you mentioned in your palace examination paper are still unresolved. Has the emperor issued any decrees or measures since then?"
The couple had argued about the imperial examination. Since Luo Fu didn't bring up the aftermath, Xiao Yu dared not mention it either, lest it be seen as boasting about his achievements. Xiao Rong, along with Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin, were all military officers and didn't care much about the civil administration of the court, so no one in the Marquis's household discussed these matters. Perhaps Yang Yanzhen heard about it when he returned to the Left Prime Minister's residence to visit his family, but the upbringing of noble ladies was to manage domestic affairs and not discuss politics. Why would Yang Yanzhen take the initiative to talk about state affairs with his sister-in-law?
Xiao Yu had not received the upbringing of a noble lady. As a young master of a newly wealthy family whose family had just made their fortune, Xiao Yu learned even his daily etiquette by stealing it from other people's homes when he went out to visit. Naturally, he had not yet developed the rigid requirements that some scions of century-old noble families might have for their wives, such as not allowing his wife to inquire about official affairs or court matters.
At this moment, feeling his wife's soft and relaxed body nestled against him, and hearing the genuine curiosity in her voice, Xiao Yu only wanted to satisfy her.
"Several miscellaneous taxes that were originally levied to meet military needs were abolished, and the land tax was restored to one-fifteenth of the original amount at the beginning of the founding of the country."
"Furthermore, notices will be posted throughout Kyushu to disband the officials in charge of suppressing bandits and allow bandits without any murder cases to return to civilian life. The government will provide them with farming tools and seeds to encourage farming. For bandits who commit murder, their accomplices who report them can be exempted from punishment, and those who capture and bring them to the government can receive a reward. In this way, we can both recruit ordinary bandits and sow discord among the bandit leaders who have already gained some power, causing them to kill each other."
"As long as local officials implement these two decrees, the banditry in the nine provinces will surely be eliminated within three years, and the people's agriculture and commerce will be able to recover and revive."
As Xiao Yu spoke, Luo Fu kept her head tilted back, watching the golden sunset gradually move from his clothes to his chin and nose. She watched him gaze at the distant sky as if he were envisioning a peaceful and prosperous nation, while his right hand gently stroked her back.
"Did you also suggest these to the Emperor?" Luo Fu asked.
Xiao Yu smiled and looked down at her: "I don't need to say more. The Left and Right Chancellors and other important ministers all have the talent to govern the world and are capable of assisting the Emperor in creating a new era of peace and prosperity."
Luo Fu snorted: "But they didn't dare to dissuade the emperor from the northern expedition before, so even if the Great Zhou is restored to its former glory, the greatest contributor is still you, Xiao Yu."
Xiao Yu was taken aback for a moment, then straightened the woman in his arms and sat up straight as well, his eyes filled with inquiry: "You're not mad at me anymore?"
Luo Fu turned her face away and tugged at the jade pendant at his waist, saying, "Back then I thought you were foolish. Everyone else was too bold to stand up for you, but now that I know why the Emperor's campaign against Yin failed again and again, and that so many soldiers and civilians benefited because of you, how could I bear to blame you anymore?"
Xiao Yu smiled, lifted his wife onto his lap, and hugged her tightly.
Fearing he would become complacent, Luo Fu gently bit his neck: "I don't blame you, but you're not allowed to be so bold again. If you ever cause me to lose my life, even if you save all the people of the Great Zhou, I will still blame you, resent you, and hate you."
Xiao Yu tilted his head back and said, "Alright, Madam, bite me a few more times, lest I forget the pain."
Luo Fu: "..."
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Author's Note: Here I am! The second update should be around 9 PM tonight. It's easy to get lazy when the sun is shining~
100 little red envelopes, see you tonight! [kissing emoji]
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