Chapter 107 "Shut up, shut up, you're the one I dislike the most..."
Xiao Yu hadn't felt guilty in front of his wife for a long time, but tonight, upon returning to the manor, he didn't dare to look directly into her eyes.
Luo Fu quickly noticed Xiao Yu's unusual behavior. Usually, Xiao Yu was too clingy to her, and even when he was with the two children, he would often glance in her direction. But tonight, Xiao Yu's head seemed to be tied up with an invisible rope and wouldn't turn towards her. It would be strange if nothing was wrong!
However, since everyone had returned, and even if they had caused trouble in the palace, it wasn't a serious matter that they would be imprisoned, Luo Fu remained relatively calm.
Winter days are short, and it was already pitch black outside after dinner, so Hongge and Chengjie didn't stay with their parents for long.
The children left, and Luo Fu continued to play dumb, waiting to see how long Xiao Yu could hold out.
After washing her hands and face, Luo Fu sat down at the dressing table. She saw a figure flash in the bronze mirror. It was Xiao Yu who snatched the comb from the head maid Cai Xia's hand, told Cai Xia to leave, and said he would personally deliver it to Luo Fu.
Luo Fu stared at him through the bronze mirror.
Xiao Yu glanced quickly at the lady, then praised the long hair he held in his hand, "Lady's hair is as black as satin. It is a pleasure for me to comb your hair."
Luo Fu smirked, "You weren't demoted, were you? You have to leave tomorrow morning?"
Xiao Yu: "...Madam is overthinking it. His Majesty has valued me highly these past few years. How could he demote me without reason?"
Luo Fu: "Then why do you look so guilty?"
Xiao Yu: "...If I say it, please don't be angry, Madam."
Luo Fu placed her clenched right fist on the dressing table, glared at the person in the mirror, and said, "I'm already angry, and the more you dawdle, the angrier I get."
Xiao Yu paused in his hand holding the comb, and said helplessly, "Actually, it's a good thing. Other officials would love to be valued by the Emperor like that, but I have always been favored by the Emperor. So today at court, the Emperor said that he would personally lead an expedition after the New Year and specially appointed me to accompany him. Among all the civil officials, I was the only one... Ah, why did you hit me, Madam?"
Because Luo Fu got up too quickly, Xiao Yu didn't have time to remove the comb stuck in her hair before he was pinched on the arm, causing him to instinctively dodge to the side. Luo Fu chased after him, ignoring the sound of the comb slipping to the ground, and cornered Xiao Yu behind a bedpost of the canopy bed, delivering three consecutive slaps to his chest: "The night you came back, I was just relieved that you were a civil official and didn't have to go to the battlefield, and now you come to tell me this is a good thing?"
If Xiao Yu really wanted to hide, the inner room alone would have been enough for him and his wife to run around several times. But he wanted his wife to vent her anger, so he huddled behind the bedpost with nowhere to escape, tilting his head back and letting his wife lash out at him: "Going to the battlefield means leaving my wife, which is certainly not a good thing. But the Emperor values me so highly, isn't my wife happy?"
Luo Fu was overjoyed, so overjoyed that her eyes turned red. She stopped hitting him, picked up the comb, sat back down at the dressing table and styled her hair herself. She stared at the figure that reappeared in the mirror and was getting closer and closer, and said, "I am happy, but you don't need to miss me. I miss you very much. You can go with the Emperor on his personal expedition. The three of us are waiting for you to come back with even greater achievements."
Xiao Yu supported his wife's shoulders and sighed, "I don't want to go to the battlefield either, but the Emperor insists that I go. If I disobey the imperial decree, my wife will be even angrier."
When Luo Fu met the lingering look in his eyes, and thought of Emperor Xianping, she suddenly couldn't bear to blame Xiao Yu anymore.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiao Yu took the lady's comb and continued to comb her hair.
Luo Fu was no longer angry, but she was still upset. In recent years, Xiao Yu had often gone to supervise the canal. Although it was hard to travel back and forth to the capital, the job was not dangerous, so Luo Fu could wait for him calmly. What kind of place was the battlefield?
Xiao Yu explained the Emperor's military arrangements to his wife: "The generals are leading their soldiers to fight on the front lines. I will keep my distance from the Emperor and follow them. If we encounter any danger, we can retreat in time. You really don't need to worry about my safety. At most, the march will be tiring, but it is far less comfortable and convenient than staying at the mansion. You can be more considerate of me in this regard."
Luo Fu: "Stop talking nonsense. I just don't understand. Even if the Emperor wants to lead the expedition in person, you, as the Minister of Revenue, are in charge of money. It would be more convenient for you to stay in the capital to allocate military funds and supplies to the front lines. You have never shown any strategic planning skills to win battles from afar. Why would the Emperor want you to accompany him? If you bring Yan Zhuang along, at least he can write a few good poems to please the Emperor."
Emperor Xianping did value Xiao Yu highly, but Xiao Yu's words were not exactly pleasing to the emperor. That was years ago. Once, Emperor Xianping suddenly felt like going to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the scenery. He appointed Xiao Yu, the former top scholar, his brother-in-law, the former third-place scholar, and Yan Zhuang and other newly appointed scholars to accompany him, just to enjoy the elegance of the literary talents.
During the outing, Emperor Xianping asked several literary officials and scholars to compose poems about spring. Everyone else did, either simply praising spring or mixing in flattery of Emperor Xianping. Only Xiao Yu wrote a contrasting poem. The first two lines depicted the joy of the sons of nobles riding horses in the spring, while the last two lines directly shifted to the arduous scene of the common people exhausted from farming.
Afterwards, Xiao Yu told Luo Fu that he was simply impatient with being forced to compose poems for the sake of composing them. He felt that he should use that time to go back to his official post and busy himself with the piles of serious tasks on his desk. He had no intention of satirizing Emperor Xianping in that poem, but rather he was deliberately trying to dampen Emperor Xianping's spirits so that Emperor Xianping would never ask him to compose idle poems again.
Emperor Xianping indeed granted Xiao Yu's wish, and from then on, whether at a grand banquet or a small feast, Emperor Xianping never again asked Xiao Yu to compose a poem.
Judging from her own experience, Luo Fu believed that Emperor Xianping would entrust some important tasks to Xiao Yu. However, was Emperor Xianping confused and had forgotten the things Xiao Yu had done that were so infuriating, making Xiao Yu accompany him every day?
The lady in the mirror looked confused. Xiao Yu didn't want to deceive her and was about to explain when the maids brought in the couple's foot-washing water.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Yu instructed the two men to place the copper basin over the Luohan bed and then withdrew. He then bent down, picked up his wife, and placed her on the Luohan bed facing a copper basin. He then rolled up his sleeves, squatted down, and personally washed his wife's feet.
Luo Fu: "...Why are you being so attentive all of a sudden? What are you hiding from me?"
Xiao Yu held his wife's fair and smooth right foot, gently rubbing it while lowering his head and saying, "The old imperial brother-in-law advised the emperor to stay in the capital and not to personally lead the expedition, but the emperor did not listen. I also wanted to advise him, but the emperor preemptively appointed me as his attendant, trying to shut me up with this method."
Luo Fu stomped his hand under her foot: "So, if you hadn't intended to dissuade the Emperor, he wouldn't have chosen you to accompany him?"
Xiao Yu acquiesced.
Luo Fu's anger flared up again. She wanted to hit Xiao Yu, but seeing him bowing his head and obsequiously washing her feet, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
After a moment, Xiao Yu tried to break the silence: "Madam's feet are so good..."
Luo Fu: "Shut up, I don't want to hear you talk."
Xiao Yu immediately shut his mouth, carefully washed the lady's feet, dried each finger meticulously, and then, despite the lady's cold gaze, insisted on carrying her to the bed.
After he finished washing himself, the maids took the copper basin out, and Xiao Yu turned off all the lights before crawling into bed.
Ralph lay with her back to him.
After being pinched several times, Xiao Yu finally managed to pull the woman into his arms. He wanted to appease his wife and kissed her, but instead kissed a wet patch.
Xiao Yu's heart clenched, and he hugged his wife tightly, saying, "Don't cry, he'll be back in a year or two at most."
Luo Fu bit him: "Is a year and a half a year fast? Back then, who was it that left their hometown and shed tears while eating glutinous rice balls alone? Well, back then you were worried that I would leave you and remarry, but now that we've been together for a long time, you neither miss me nor are you afraid that I'll run away, right?"
This is such a blatant injustice! Xiao Yu immediately raised his right hand and swore to the heavens: "Let alone a year or two, I would think a thousand times over even if I were to leave my wife for just one night. If I utter a single falsehood, may I, Xiao Yu, be punished without mercy..."
Luo Fu lightly slapped him across the face: "Shut up, shut up! I hate your mouth the most!"
Xiao Yu didn't believe it; his wife clearly had times when she really liked his mouth.
To prove himself and to appease his wife, Xiao Yu lifted the covers and snuggled into her arms.
Luo Fu's crying and cursing quickly changed tone.
The thirty-six-year-old Minister of Revenue served his wife intermittently four times throughout the night. He even tried to serve her one more time before leaving in the morning, but was pushed and kicked away by Luo Fu, who was still half asleep. When Luo Fu woke up naturally after sleeping enough, the sun was already high in the sky. Although she was still saddened that Xiao Yu was going to the battlefield, as long as she thought of Xiao Yu's enthusiasm last night, which was no less than during their honeymoon, Luo Fu, who was indeed pleased, couldn't bear to give him a cold shoulder again.
Considering that the north was still cold in the first month of the lunar calendar, Luo Fu had to prepare several sets of cotton-padded clothes for Xiao Yu to wear while marching. After dressing up, Luo Fu went to Jishan Hall to find her sister-in-law.
Xiao Hu was serving in the Western Camp, but this time the Capital Garrison was to mobilize 150,000 troops, and Xiao Hu was indeed among those going on the expedition. As for the Imperial Guards, although Emperor Xianping was going to lead 5,000 Imperial Guards, it had not yet been decided which guards the troops would be drawn from.
Yang Yanzhen had experience preparing military uniforms for Xiao Hu. After Luo Fu explained her purpose, Yang Yanzhen told her not to worry, as she would arrange for the embroidery workshop to prepare uniforms for all three brothers. If Xiao Lin did not go on the expedition, his share could be given to Xiao Hu and Xiao Yu, so nothing would be wasted.
Luo Fu personally went to the embroidery workshop and paid out of her own pocket to have two more sets made according to her brother Luo Song's measurements.
Although the city patrol guards are ranked last among the four upper guards and nine lower guards of the Imperial Guards, they are still part of the Imperial Guards. Although my brother is a bit simple-minded, he is tall and strong, so he might be selected.
In late December, before the New Year holiday, Emperor Xianping finally decided on the selection of 5,000 Imperial Guards. He knew that there were some sons of nobles and officials who were just filling in the ranks in the Imperial Guards and the three major capital garrisons. Normally, Emperor Xianping could tolerate such sons receiving a salary for nothing, but for such an important matter as protecting him on a personal expedition, the 5,000 Imperial Guards had to be all brave and skilled in battle.
Emperor Xianping had already decided on the five commanders, including Xiao Lin. As for the remaining lower-ranking military officers and guards, Emperor Xianping decided to select four hundred people from each of the thirteen guards through a martial arts competition.
The patrol guard was the last guard that Emperor Xianping visited. Before he went there, Emperor Xianping summoned his sister Kangping to the palace.
Kangping never intended to hide the fact that she frequently changed male lovers, so Emperor Xianping was already aware of it, including Luo Song, the brother from a farming family who had always doted on Lady Xiao Yu.
Out of concern for his younger sister and curiosity about Lady Xiao Yu's brother, Emperor Xianping made a point of observing Luo Song when he went to inspect the city's military forces. He was handsome, strong, and imposing, exactly the kind of man his sister liked. As for his character, according to Commander Ji of the city's military forces, Luo Song was diligent and upright, even to the point of being somewhat pedantic. The reason was that Commander Ji had once wanted to recommend Luo Song for the position of commander of the city's military forces, but Luo Song refused outright, stating that he had no merit commensurate with the position.
Each Imperial Guard had three thousand men, with only three commanders of a thousand. Several commanders of a hundred in the city patrol were indeed more qualified than Luo Song, who later rose to prominence. Commander Ji only wanted to promote Luo Song because of Princess Kangping. Luo Song was tight-lipped, keeping his affair with the princess a secret, but he frequently visited her residence. The city patrol guards were the first to notice their relationship, and once they knew, Commander Ji naturally found out as well.
Emperor Xianping could certainly guess the reason why Commander Ji wanted to recommend Luo Song. What surprised him was that Luo Song did not intend to use his sister's connections to climb the ranks.
"Tomorrow I will be inspecting the city guards and selecting soldiers. My sister, what arrangements would you like me to make for Luo Song?"
If we disregard his sister, Luo Song's physique would definitely qualify him.
Kang Ping snorted and said, "I never like to force people to do things they don't want to do. I asked him a few days ago, and he said he wanted to go to the battlefield to kill the enemy."
Emperor Xianping remained silent for a moment, then gently advised, "If he truly achieves merit this time, I will promote him further and then bestow a marriage upon you..."
My sister is already thirty-eight years old. If she gets married soon, she might be able to have a son or daughter to keep her happy.
Kangping: "...I think I will naturally bring up marriage with my elder brother. If I don't, then my elder brother shouldn't try to persuade me."
Remembering that his younger sister disliked being pressured to marry by their mother, Emperor Xianping repeatedly begged for mercy.
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The author says: Don't worry, Kangping only does what she likes to do. She didn't want to have children when she was young, and she's even less likely to have them now that she's older.
100 little red envelopes, see you at midnight!
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