"...If that's true, the second son of the Gu family has really made progress." The old man said slowly.
"My son has inquired carefully, and it's indeed true." A slightly plump middle-aged man standing beside the bench replied in a low voice, "General Gu burned a box full of IOUs and loan notes, and the shouting from the farm could be heard miles away. Best of all, the general gave those bastards a generous severance pay."
In the square armory, which was ten feet wide, tall beechwood racks were erected on the three walls, on which hung various weapons such as swords, spears, halberds, axes, hooks and forks. The bright sunlight outside shone into the house through the high windows, reflecting the dazzling brilliance of the blades of the weapons in the room.
Bo Tianzhou is sixty-seven years old this year, but he is still tall and strong with muscles and bones. He developed a habit in his youth and feels uncomfortable if he doesn't touch a weapon for a day. At this moment, he is sitting on a bench by the window, wiping a two-foot-long steel horse-slaying sword repeatedly with clear oil and velvet cloth. Beside him stands a slightly fat middle-aged man.
"He's been reviewing for three days, and he hasn't revealed a single murmur. He's truly patient." Bo Tianzhou put down the velvet cloth, stroked his beard, and sighed, "No wonder he's managed to rise to prominence from such a humble background! If so, it would be a good idea to have you two under his command. At my age, I don't ask for much, I just hope my children and grandchildren are safe. If I can leave you a title before I die, even death will be worth it."
"Father, please don't say that!" Bo Jun knelt down with tears in his eyes. "It's all because of my incompetence. I'm not good at either literature or martial arts. I have to worry about my children and grandchildren at such an old age! Now that the world is at peace, father should just stay at home and enjoy his life. Don't work so hard! Father, if you say that, you will hurt your son. Son, son..." He lowered his head and shed tears.
"Forget it, forget it, get up!" Bo Tianzhou couldn't help but glare at his elderly son, who was crying and wiping his tears. "You didn't pass the imperial examination, but you learned a lot of sour rules. Everyone in this world dies, and your father is not a human being, so he won't die? What's wrong with getting some benefits for your own flesh and blood before you die? You're a grown man, and you still talk nonsense. Shut up! Get up! Wipe your face dry!"
Bo Jun barely managed to hold back his tears, took a deep breath, and lowered his voice to say, "...My father has been in the sea of blood and swords for over fifty years, and my second and third brothers died at the border before they even got married. If our family's merits were considered, they should have been granted a hereditary title long ago..."
Bo Tianzhou thought of his two sons who had died young, and his heart ached. He ignored his eldest son and picked up the velvet cloth to carefully wipe his sword, muttering to himself: "The late emperor was kind and benevolent. Serving under him, although I didn't receive great rewards, I was safe. Even some mistakes could be brushed aside. But the current emperor is different..."
Bo Jun stared at his father in amazement, and murmured, "So, father retreated at the right time and handed over the military seal to the Emperor early on."
"Why are you so anxious? Why are you so brave as to retreat? If you really retire, how can you fight for the title? The other day, Prime Minister Shen wanted to retire. His children, grandchildren, and sons-in-law are all capable. What do I have? I only have a son as young and foolish as you!"
Bo Tianzhou puffed his beard and glared, but saw that his honest and dull son couldn't even utter a flattering excuse, just stood there stupidly and took the scolding. The old man looked at him and sighed helplessly, "You have to remember that sometimes retreat is not a real retreat, there are also retreats to advance, such as Gu Erlang's actions this time, which is an excellent example."
Bo Jun was an honest man. He didn't understand, and he wouldn't pretend. Seeing his son's puzzled expression, the old man sighed deeply and patiently taught him, "That kid Gu, it seems, not only suffered a great loss, but also looked like a coward. Don't you think so too?"
"That's right." Bo Jun nodded, dragged a small stool over to his father's side and sat down, gently rubbing his father's legs, which had been suffering from years of cold. "The late emperor was merciful and issued a clear order to all the imperial farms not to increase taxes. Yet, those farm heads dared to act so recklessly. Farms that pay annual taxes of three to five thousand taels have only been taxed for about ten years. Not only have they made it difficult for the tenant farmers to make a living, but they've also owed them thirty to forty thousand taels in rent and loans. How can such a thing be so absurd? It's unacceptable both by heaven and by law!"
"Nonsense!" Bo Tianzhou sighed inwardly. Although his son wasn't bright, he wasn't stupid either. He simply said, "If you can figure this out, how could the Gu family kid not understand it? He's quite clever!"
The old man felt thirsty. He looked up and picked up a shimmering purple clay teapot from the small flat table beside him. He took a long sip of tea from the spout before continuing, "This matter really doesn't stand up to scrutiny. It's impossible to deceive anyone. Gu can certainly expose this matter and ask the Inspection Bureau or the provincial government to investigate, or ask the eunuch in charge of the manor to question him. But that would put the problem on the emperor. There are so many manors in the royal family, and how many of them have their hands in them, relying on the late emperor's generosity? If other manors also make trouble, what will the emperor do? A thorough investigation? Severe punishment? There are so many people involved. It's too early now!"
Bo Jun took the teapot from his father's hand and gently put it aside, listening to the old man continue: "The emperor cannot fight this lawsuit openly, so he can only slowly replace the previous personnel one by one. A new emperor has new ministers, from the front court to the harem, and then to other areas. The emperor has his own people to place, and the previous people should also move on."
"Gu brat told those clueless guys to report their crimes right there and then, and then he carried off another thirty or forty thousand taels of silver in one go. People from Shuntian Prefecture, the local inspection office, and even the palace saw it all." Bo Tianzhou stroked the longsword in his hand, the blade gleaming greenly, and a strange smile crossed his wrinkled face. "Firstly, once this gets out and people start to settle accounts, everyone will know how shady the village was. How could a village head have the guts to do that? He'll have someone behind him. Secondly, this will stop the matter, and those behind the scenes won't be offended. Thirdly, he'll earn a reputation for being compassionate and kind. It really kills three birds with one stone."
"After the review a few days ago, the emperor, after the routine awarding of rewards, secretly rewarded General Gu with 50,000 taels of silver. I think the emperor understood it in his heart, so he gave some relief to the Gu family." Bo Jun finally understood a little.
Bo Tianzhou laughed heartily, his majestic, heavy eyebrows unfurling. "Gu boy quietly exposed the dirty deeds of those imperial farm managers. The emperor must be very pleased right now! It will also make it easier for the emperor to lay off staff in the future."
Bo Jun understood everything and secretly felt ashamed of his own foolishness. After a while, he couldn't help but say, "It only benefited those vicious village heads. They just let them go like that! Alas... But those tenant farmers finally got through it. I heard that Governor Gu's wife is very kind. She said that the elderly people in the village have worked hard all their lives and they can't be left without support in their old age. So she ordered that from now on, all direct relatives of the tenant farmers over the age of 60 will receive some silver, rice and clothes every year."
"Erlang's young wife's character is impeccable. Your mother has praised her several times. However, I heard that despite her young age, she is a bit lazy and doesn't like to move around much." Bo Tianzhou remembered his wife's words and nodded slightly. With a flicker in his eyes, he murmured, "Did those guys get away with it? I'm afraid not."
…
Xishan is not just one mountain, but a range of mountains stretching for thousands of miles. In spring, the mountains are covered with green, in summer nights, lotus flowers are seen under the moon, in autumn, red maples are admired, and in winter, there is clear snow. However, not everyone can enjoy such beautiful scenery in spring. A summer palace is built on the best hilltop in the east of Xishan, and a few farms are scattered among the other hills and ridges. Only those prominent royal relatives or dignitaries can settle here.
After discussing with Gu Tingye that day, he asked Minglan to come to the hot spring villa first.
Along the way, Minglan lifted the curtain of the carriage and took a few secret glances. Her eyes were filled with beautiful scenery, and she was already intoxicated. When she entered the farm, she saw beautiful scenery everywhere. In the distance, the hills in front and behind rose and fell gently, as if she had suddenly arrived in a paradise. The interior decoration of the house was also quite elegant and exquisite. Minglan liked it very much and praised the manager of the farm a lot.
This manager was originally an old handyman in Gu Tingye's military tent. He had been with the army for many years and had always been thorough, loyal and diligent. Later, he became disabled in the chaos of the army. His family had no permanent property and the whole house was full of sick and weak children. With no way to support his family, he simply surrendered to Gu Tingye.
Since entering the hot spring villa, Minglan has broken away from her usual restraints for the first time in her life. She either rides in a cool bamboo sedan chair to enjoy the scenery around the villa, or wears a veil hat to pick new oranges at the back village. Her daily diet consists of freshly picked fruits and vegetables and freshly harvested wild food. Various forest mushrooms, whose names are not even fully known, are used in various dishes. The key point is that there are three or four springs in the villa, which bubble up hot springs all year round. A wooden tray floats on the warm water, on which are placed fruits and honey wine rinsed with ice-cold well water. She goes there to soak for half an hour every day, and feels completely relaxed.
There was no need for a housekeeper, no need to put on a show, and no noble ladies and relatives visiting from time to time. After a few days, Minglan felt like she was in heaven, and all the bones in her body relaxed. She thought that it would be nice to live like this.
Unfortunately, such good days only lasted for four days, and then Gu Tingye came.
The man, fresh from handling foreign affairs and internal affairs, was exhausted. A military parade was no small undertaking, and there were no Red Flag sedans. Furthermore, the emperor was determined to review the entire army, so even a single day of inspection would require riding over a hundred miles. Not to mention that Commander-in-Chief Gu, who was serving as deputy commander-in-chief, would have to ride around three hundred miles a day. Not to mention the patience required to test a group of seasoned soldiers. The military was no less complex than the officialdom, with its open and covert tactics and maneuvers, and it was incredibly tiring.
Minglan looked at the tiredness on the man's face and pointed at her fingers: A good man is not something you can just talk about. He is so busy all day long, but he still insists on going back to the manor to spend the night... Although she felt distressed, she also cheered up and served him well.
Seeing that the man was tired and stiff, Minglan volunteered to give him a massage.
Back then, Yao Yiyi had a close friend who was a SPA massage enthusiast. Not only did she frequently visit beauty salons, she also studied it herself. Minglan, influenced by her, also became somewhat proficient. In her opinion, the traditional massage techniques of ancient inner chambers, such as small fists, hammers, or beauty hammers, were merely scratching the surface and had no real effect on relieving fatigue. The true essence of massage lies in the fingers and palms, using basic movements like poking, pressing, kneading, pushing, rubbing, and pulling. The hammering and tapping movements were merely supplementary.
Later, after learning some human body positions from Old Madam He, Minglan became more confident. Old Madam Sheng praised her granddaughter's skills highly. However, when she came to Gu Tingye, an accident happened.
It goes without saying that men have thicker skin and flesh than women. After years of martial arts training, their muscles from shoulders and arms to abdomen and slender legs are all strong and firm light brown. Their bodies are well-proportioned without a trace of fat, with high density and strong hardness. Minglan was sweating profusely from massaging and didn't care about the technical content. She hit and pounded with all her might, but Gu Tingye still had an unchanged brow, indicating that he "didn't feel any better."
Minglan is at her wit's end.
At this time, the man suddenly said that he had seen children on boats in Lingnan region stepping on the backs of adults for massage.
Minglan wiped her sweat with a handkerchief and said unhappily, "Your daughter is in the capital, but I don't know where your son is."
Gu Tingye silently lay back in the pile of pillows. After a while, he said that Minglan could do it for him.
"How can this be?" Minglan objected in astonishment, and earnestly stated that she was a good wife who strictly adhered to the code of conduct for women. Why was she supposed to step on her husband? If the old lady knew about this, she would be punished by being made to copy the "Instructions for Women".
"Let's just step on it secretly and don't let others know."
"I'm not a child, aren't you afraid of being stepped on to death?" Minglan narrowed her eyes and threatened.
Gu Tingye immediately stood up and hugged Minglan, weighing her to show that he had no problem at all; while urging her, he also helped Minglan take off her shoes and socks, revealing two plump white and pink little feet and ten fleshy little toes. Minglan gritted her teeth, held onto the railing on the top of the bed, and stepped tremblingly onto the man's back.
At first, Minglan only dared to put one foot up, and the man told her to be gentle. Minglan was so embarrassed that she put both feet up. She thought that if he kept shouting that it was not strong enough, she would do the rabbit dance on his back and stomp him to death!
The man's back was very broad, and his back muscles were flat and strong. Minglan stepped very steadily, poking with her toes, pressing with her soles, and rubbing with her heels. Gu Tingye squinted his eyes, looking very comfortable.
Herbal baths, hot spring baths, various warming stews suitable for early summer, and refreshing fruits made with wild honey and fresh fruit pulp. Three meals a day are carefully prepared, such as stewed pigeon with ginseng, angelica and red dates, Longjing tea with shrimp and fish skin, bamboo fungus, bird's nest and chicken soup, jellyfish and lettuce salad, cabbage and beef tripe soup... The taste is either light or rich, and it makes your tongue salivate at the mere smell of them.
But within two or three days, the man was fully recovered. All the fatigue he had suffered in the past few days was gone. He was vigorous and energetic again, even more energetic than usual. Then his eyes glowed green, and he looked at Minglan, who was now listless again, with a suggestive look.
Minglan's ears twitched three times for no reason.
Gu Tingye was in his prime and had been a vegetarian for a long time. Now he started eating meat again without restraint. He rushed Minglan to bed before it was completely dark. At first, Minglan was enthusiastic for a few days, but the man's reaction was shocking. She deeply felt that if it was not for the purpose of recycling, he would probably swallow her whole. Then she said she could not bear it anymore and began to cry and beg for mercy again.
The hot and humid room, with a low-hanging stone-blue gauze curtain, was filled with erotic panting and soft crying sounds, not sure if they were begging or moaning. The bed was in a mess, and bodies were still entangled.
The man leaned over her, one hand gripping her slender waist while the other wiped the tears from her face, lifting her hips and tossing her harder. Minglan felt like she was on fire, her hands covering her eyes and sobbing softly. When the man pulled her hands away, he saw her charming eyes moist and her face flushed. Little did he know that this was only adding fuel to the fire.
The man's eyes turned red as he held one of her legs tightly and thrust hard into her. Minglan cried out in pain, and he rubbed her body gently, hoping that she would feel better.
She was trembling violently, and the two spots on her chest were bright red like cherries. He leaned over to kiss them and sucked them as if he wanted to melt them. Her delicate body was covered with layers of red waves, and she was as attractive as if she had put on rouge. Her legs were limp and hung on his waist without any strength. He pretended to lift her legs onto his shoulders. She knew how serious it was and trembled with fear. She quickly wrapped her arms around his strong waist. This time, her insides contracted, and he roared softly in reaction. He sucked and bit her neck like crazy, and rubbed her breasts hard with his big hands.
In the chaos of heaven and earth, Minglan held the head leaning against her chest. The man's thick black hair had long been wet with sweat. Both of them were panting and her body was numb, as if it had turned into a pool of water. She cried out in a tender voice over and over again, begging for mercy, "good brother, good second uncle", saying all the nice things, just hoping that he would finish quickly.
The panting gradually stopped, and Gu Tingye exhaled heavily. He hugged her hot body and kissed her non-stop, clinging to her cheek ambiguously, panting hoarsely: "Silly child, why are you crying? Don't you know how happy this is?"
Minglan collapsed on the bed, feeling weak and exhausted. She said sadly and intermittently, "... Come less often, my waist is sore..."
"Let's go soak in the hot spring, then you won't feel sore." Gu Tingye rubbed the soft snow ball on her chest, which was smooth and warm like fresh goat's milk.
Minglan's face was burning again. She shook her head and buried her head in the thin satin bedding. Ever since the last time he blocked her in the hot spring and pressed her naked body against the water stone by the spring, and they went in and out of the pool for two hours, she never dared to go in the spring again.
Fortunately, the vacation he got from the emperor was not long. After a few days, the two of them returned home.
Strictly speaking, this time they saw mountains, rivers, flowers and birds, including domestic ones, and climbed half a small dirt slope, which were from Houzhuang. Gu Tingye's promise to take her to see the sunrise on the top of the mountain was also ruined, but at least they had a trip together hand in hand, uh, it could be considered a honeymoon.
Minglan suddenly thought of her cousin in her previous life. Before her wedding, she excitedly planned a luxurious and perfect six-day honeymoon in Hainan Island, but after returning, she hurriedly asked Yao Yiyi to help her Photoshop a set of photos. During the honeymoon, they were so "busy" that they hardly visited any tourist attractions.
I guess most honeymoons are like this; Minglan finally understood.
Along the way, Gu Tingye rode on his horse with a cheerful face, pointing at the scenery along the way and saying a few words from time to time. Minglan hid in the carriage and pretended to be dead, lying on the mattress, not wanting to say a word; until the carriage passed through the gate of Chengyuan and changed to a sedan chair, Minglan looked up and saw him standing under the hanging flower gate, looking at her with a smile. She felt inexplicably guilty and her face suddenly turned red, as if blood was dripping.
Not long after returning to the house, Minglan had not yet taken off the gold-inlaid jade crown for Gu Tingye when someone came to the door in a hurry to report that it was Xiang's mother. She looked a little anxious, but still calm. She just said that the Ningyuan Marquis' Mansion wanted to invite them to come over for a chat, and it was urgent, so please go quickly.
Minglan looked puzzled, but Gu Tingye beside her didn't ask a single question. He just said steadily, "I think it's urgent. I won't ask any more questions. Please go back first, Mom. We'll change our clothes and go."
He bowed to his mother and went out.
As Minglan turned to go into the inner room to change her underwear, Qin Sang quietly entered the room, her face filled with anxiety. She leaned close to Minglan's ear and said, "Madam, do you know that within two days of your absence, the officials came to the Marquis' Mansion to question you!"
Minglan's forehead jumped and her heart tightened; her first reaction was to look at Gu Tingye. Through the gap in the bamboo curtain, she saw him sitting steadily on the edge of the bed, looking calm, and raised his feet to let Xia He and Xia Zhu take off his boots for him.
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