Chapter 59, Letter Home – The End.
Another Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived in the blink of an eye.
Taking advantage of the bright autumn sunshine, Luo Fu moved a box of letters sent by Xiao Yu into the courtyard. She dismissed the maids and took out the letters from each envelope in order, laying them out on the mat to dry. To prevent the letters from being blown away by the breeze, Luo Fu also prepared a box of clean pebbles, which she placed on top of each stack of letters.
From March of last year to last month, Luo Fu has received a total of seventeen family letters and eight scroll paintings from Xiao Yu.
Of the eight paintings, three were portraits of Xiao Yu, one was painted by an artist, and two were self-portraits of him in front of a mirror. He had also carefully mixed the paints to depict his tanned face. Perhaps due to his naturally good physique, Luo Fu felt that Xiao Yu, even tanned, still possessed outstanding charm and a touch more heroic spirit.
The other five paintings included a picture of students reading in a school, a picture of Qingchuan and Chaosheng setting off firecrackers for the New Year, a picture of people plowing in spring outside the city, a picture of the mountain scenery overlooking Loujiang City from a high place, and a picture of Pang Xin and his wife holding their baby. Through the last painting, Luo Fu finally met the renowned Pang Xin, but she didn't know if he was really that dark-skinned or if Xiao Yu had deliberately painted him that way. Pang Xin's barbarian wife, on the other hand, wore a silver hat and a barbarian long skirt, and looked quite pretty.
In his letter, Xiao Yu wrote that Pang Xin's wife valued this painting opportunity very much and had specially borrowed a silver hat from the chief's wife.
Luo Fu could feel the love between Pang Xin and his wife and the joyful atmosphere they had while painting from this painting.
At the request of Empress Gao, Princess Kangping, and Princess Fu, these eight paintings were toured around Princess Kangping's residence, Prince Fu's residence, and the palace. It is said that Emperor Yongcheng and Prince Fu also took the opportunity to admire the paintings. Emperor Yongcheng even affixed his personal seal to the paintings of students reading, landscapes of Loujiang, people plowing in spring, and the portrait painted by the painter for Xiao Yu, which was cryptic in nature.
After discussing it with her mother-in-law, Luo Fu and her mother-in-law agreed that the emperor was still angry with Xiao Yu and deliberately used the emperor's private seal to prove that the ugliest painting was actually of Xiao Yu himself.
After the framed scrolls were hung under the shade of the trees, Luo Fu began to sort through Xiao Yu's family letters, sometimes glancing at them absentmindedly.
Last year, on the 27th of the twelfth lunar month: My dear wife, the New Year's atmosphere in the city is even stronger today. Pang Xin and his wife have gone to the Abao tribe with the village chief to celebrate the New Year. I wonder if you still remember, my dear wife, there are seven tribes in total. The Abao tribe is settled in the deep mountains of this county, the Awei tribe is settled in the deep mountains of Panxian County north of Loujiang, the Alu tribe is settled in the deep mountains of Xinglong County south of Loujiang, and there are also the Ayu, Ameng, Amo, and Axiang tribes living in the northeast of Dian Kingdom, bordering Da Zhou. Each major tribe has about three thousand people. The village where Pang Xin's wife lives is only a branch of the Abao tribe. The chief can only be called the village chief, but I will still respectfully call him chief in front of him to please him... I brought Qingchuan to the market to buy New Year's goods. Whenever we see young couples, we can't help but stop and stare. Qingchuan laughs at me for being too silly, little does he know that I am thinking of my wife all the time... I miss my wife.
On the Lantern Festival this year: Madam, it's the Lantern Festival again. Chaosheng asked me what filling I wanted for the glutinous rice balls. Please remember, I only like sesame filling. But I really miss you, so I asked Chaosheng to teach Chef Yang from the county office how to make Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Balls. Chef Yang's skills are far inferior to yours; his Four Happiness Glutinous Rice Balls should really be called Four Sorrows Glutinous Rice Balls. But I still ate three bowls. When Chaosheng saw me crying, he thought it was because the glutinous rice balls were bad. I couldn't say it was because I missed you, so I had to let Chef Yang suffer Chaosheng's scolding... I miss you, Madam.
On the 27th of the first lunar month: My lady, last December, out of pity for the two hundred Yunnan soldiers and civilians separated from their families for so long (do not do to others what you would not have them do to you; I am a true gentleman), I personally wrote an official document and sent it to Xining County in the Dian Kingdom across the border. The magistrate of Xining, whether fearing my intention to denounce the Dian Kingdom on behalf of the Great Zhou, or unwilling to pay the ransom, falsely claimed that the Yunnan soldiers and civilians under my control were all members of the local Ameng tribe, and told me to do with them as I pleased. I first read his official document to the Yunnan people who had returned from repairing the road. The Yunnan people were outraged; those without ties begged to settle in the county, while those with parents, wives, and children wanted to return home and bring their families to join me. Considering that the road in the county was almost finished, I agreed to their requests. Afterwards, I read the magistrate's document to the leader of the Abao tribe in the county. The leader was furious and immediately sent someone to inform the leader of the Ameng tribe, who had settled deep in the mountains of Xining County. I wonder what the outcome will be… I miss my lady.
April 16th: My lady, a terrible thing has happened. The leader of the Ameng tribe in Xining County of the Dian Kingdom, dissatisfied with the magistrate of Xining County wrongly accusing his people, gathered more than two thousand able-bodied men from four tribes of the Dian Kingdom and launched a surprise attack on Xining County. The magistrate of Xining County was executed on the spot. Fearing that the barbarians would continue to cause trouble in the future, more than a hundred families from Xining have come to surrender to our Great Zhou. I may be busy for a while... I miss my lady.
June 3rd: Madam, today Pang Xin's wife had a difficult childbirth. The mountain village doctor's sacrifices were useless. After divining with chicken bones, he said that the child was of Han blood and was not tolerated by the barbarian shaman. Pang Xin was furious and, disregarding the objections of the mountain village barbarians, invited a famous doctor from the city to help. The doctor's skillful hands helped the couple to have a son, and both mother and child are safe... Although the Abao tribe in this county has begun farming, the tribespeople still rely on witchcraft to treat illnesses. Often, some people die unjustly because of delayed treatment or the use of the wrong witchcraft medicine. I want to discuss with the Abao tribe leader so that he can arrange for a suitable tribesperson to go to the city to study medicine. A black goat can be used as tuition... Thinking of Madam.
July 8th: Madam, since April, more than two hundred households from Xining have come to surrender, totaling over a thousand people. The newly appointed magistrate of Xining sent a document demanding that I return the people of Dian Kingdom. I replied that those who came to surrender were all members of the Ameng tribe, and the Ameng chieftain had already agreed. If the other party did not agree, they could confirm with the Ameng chieftain... Thinking of you, Madam.
July 29th: My lady, today the leaders of the Awei tribe in Panxian County and the Alu tribe in Xinglong County brought their people to inspect the autumn harvest of the Abao tribe in our county, showing a strong intention to follow suit. I will send an official document to the magistrates of the two counties, hoping they will provide the two tribes with agricultural tools, seeds, and agricultural support... I believe that whether it is the Han people or the local barbarians and native tribes, all they seek is to be well-fed and clothed. As long as the Great Zhou government can guarantee their basic needs, in time, the local people, native tribes, and barbarians will all be grateful for the court's benevolence and will no longer cause trouble... By the time this letter arrives in the capital, it should be autumn there. I hope my lady will add some clothes in time... When I left the capital, my lady was still wearing winter clothes. Seventeen months have passed in a flash, and I have almost forgotten what my lady looks like in autumn clothes. I hope my lady will take pity on me and send me a portrait in return... I miss my lady.
This is the last page of the letter that Röhne has edited.
She looked at the three all-too-familiar words "Madam Xiang," and unconsciously stroked the three characters lightly with the pad of her index finger.
How about a portrait? I'll ask my brother-in-law to paint one for me during my time off.
After the holiday, as Luo Fu had expected, Empress Gao summoned her to the palace again. After some deliberation, Luo Fu took out several pages from Xiao Yu's writings expressing his longing, including one that seemed to be filled with the words "I miss my wife" as if he were practicing calligraphy. And so she set off.
Upon arriving outside the imperial city, Luo Fu had just alighted from the carriage when she saw several figures emerge from the city gate. The leader, dressed in a brocade robe embroidered with pythons and wearing a golden crown, was a man in his early forties and the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, who had been released from confinement earlier this year.
Luo Fu curtsied from a distance, then lowered her eyes and stood quietly, waiting for the Crown Prince to go first, to show respect for his status.
The Crown Prince did not recognize Xiao Yu's wife. Seeing that the young woman beside the carriage was no more than seventeen or eighteen years old, with a beautiful face and a slender figure, the Crown Prince glanced at her a few more times and asked the Imperial Guards standing guard at the gate in a low voice, "Who is that?"
The guards respectfully reported, "Your Highness, that is the Third Madam of the Marquis of Zhongyi's residence."
The Crown Prince's mind raced for a moment before he connected the Marquis of Zhongyi with Xiao Rong, and then he realized that the beautiful young woman was actually Xiao Yu's wife, the treacherous court lady who often brought Xiao Yu's family letters into the palace to speak well of Xiao Yu in front of her mother and even her father!
Remembering his father's praise of Xiao Yu's skill in governing the people at court, the Crown Prince lost all interest in appreciating beauty. With a sullen face, he rode away to inspect the autumn harvest in the four prefectures, a task that required enduring wind and sun. This time, he could not be perfunctory, lest he further displease his father.
As the Crown Prince left, the uncomfortable gaze that had been fixed on Luo Fu disappeared. She stepped forward with Empress Gao's invitation and entered the palace with practiced ease.
After reading Xiao Yu's latest letter home, Empress Gao smiled and said to Luo Fu, "Although Xiao Yu's report on his work this year has not yet been sent to the capital, in less than two years, he has doubled the farmland in Loujiang and increased the population by more than 300 households. He has also educated the local tribes and barbarians, encouraged farming and education, built roads and facilitated trade, making them truly submit to the Great Zhou and become its people. He has even established good relations with the four barbarian tribes of Dian. Based on these achievements, I guess the Emperor will probably recall Xiao Yu to the capital after the New Year."
The unification of the seven barbarian tribes cannot be accomplished overnight. Xiao Yu has made a good start and should be rewarded, rather than having a meritorious official separated from his family for a long time.
Luo Fu knew that Empress Gao dared to say such a thing because she must have been informed by Emperor Yongcheng!
She didn't hide her surprise, but after the joy subsided, she said quipped, "Since Your Majesty says so, then I won't bother to have someone draw a portrait and send it to him. When he comes back, I'll just show him the real person."
Empress Gao: "What, Xiao Yu asked you to deliver a portrait to him?"
Luo Fu lowered her head shyly, blushing, and said, "They said they forgot what I look like in autumn clothes and wanted to see."
Empress Gao liked Luo Fu because she could keep her company and relieve her boredom, and she liked Xiao Yu even more for his meritorious service to the court. Upon hearing this, she sent someone to invite a court painter so that Xiao Yu could fulfill his longing for his wife.
Luo Fu: "...Your Majesty is so good to him. Even my mother-in-law has never spoiled him like this."
Empress Gao: "Who told me to be the Empress? You are all my children. Xiao Yu has made a contribution, so naturally I have to fulfill his little wish."
Because of Empress Gao's spur-of-the-moment decision, Luo Fu sat in the palace for an entire morning, simply because the court painter was painting with excessive focus and detail.
Empress Gao did not stay here the whole time. She reappeared when she guessed that the painting was almost finished. She stopped behind the painter, looked at the beauty in the painting that was about to be completed, and then looked at Luo Fu sitting opposite her. She joked, "I think it's better not to give this painting to Xiao Yu, lest he become even more eager to go home and have no mind to deal with official business."
Luo Fu remained still, exchanged a glance with Empress Gao, and said, "I am not afraid of Your Majesty's punishment. This painting is definitely the best painting I have ever received in my life. I will frame it and keep it safe. Xiao Yu can only see it when he comes back. Otherwise, if anything happens to this painting on the way to Loujiang, and I lose this treasure, I will definitely hold Xiao Yu responsible."
Empress Gao was very pleased with these words, and even the court painters who were focused on their paintings had a slight smile on their lips.
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Author's note: Okay, now I can say with absolute certainty that Xiao Yu will be back tonight!
100 little red envelopes, see you at midnight! [kissing emoji]
P.S.: Luo Fu is 19 and Xiao Yu is 25 in this chapter. They will both be a year older after New Year's Eve when the second update is released.
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