Chapter 72

Lunch had already been served in the flower hall. After Zhan Yue left the palace, he went all the way to the south of the city and bought a basket of freshly baked steamed buns.

The sauce of that xiaolongbao is unique, the filling is very fresh, and the dough is crispy. It is famous in Beijing.

Jiashan tasted one and found it delicious, so he shared the rest with him.

After the meal, Jiashan regained some of her spirits and finally stopped being so dazed. Thinking back to what Zhan Yue had said earlier, he was going to take her to meet Fu Xiao today, so Jiashan hurriedly asked the maid to help her dress up.

"I didn't sleep well last night, and I still have two dark circles on my face." Jiashan looked in the mirror and said angrily, "I must not be too rude when I see my uncle later."

Zhan Yue walked up to her, gently touched her face, and whispered, "My uncle is a humorous person, not an elder, and won't bother with you about this."

"I just want to take you out for a walk, don't be shy." Zhan Yue said.

Jiashan knew that Zhan Yue had good intentions, and was afraid that she would think too much and get caught up in the mystery. Although she still had a frown on her face, she finally nodded and said, "I think my aunt is an open-minded person, and I think my uncle is similar."

Zhan Yue said: "Yes."

When he saw Jiashan had finished dressing, he helped her put on her coat, took her hand and said, "Let's go, Princess."

Zhan Yue's tone was relaxed and cheerful, as if he was going out for an outing, which somewhat affected Jia Shan. He was wearing a bamboo green silk dress today, which was not bright, but not as dark as his usual style, and looked pleasing to the eye.

Even my mood became more open.

Jiashan was held tightly by him, and the haze in her heart gradually dissipated a little, and a smile appeared on her face again.

The Fu family’s house is located in a corner of the capital.

After the accident of Marquis Yongding, many people with evil intentions took the opportunity to write a petition to the late emperor, hoping that he would take back the ancestral home of Marquis Yongding.

It was only after repeated requests from Crown Prince Xiaohuai and Princess Ruyang that the late emperor left the Fu family a place to shelter from the wind and rain. The old house of the Fu family was finally preserved.

After decades of ups and downs, the Fu family has long disappeared, but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.

Zhan Yue helped Jia Shan get off the carriage and saw Jia Shan looking around the old house of the Fu family. He pursed his lips, his eyes calm, and explained in a low voice: "There are not many people serving my uncle. There are still many people in the house who followed my aunt from Shaanxi."

He said slowly: "Don't be disgusted."

Jiashan grew up in luxury, and marrying into the Duke of Anguo's mansion was considered a low marriage. The current situation of the Fu family was even worse than that of the Duke of Anguo's mansion.

Afraid that Jiashan was not mentally prepared, Zhan Yue had to say this.

Jiashan looked at him deeply and said with a smile: "How could I dislike it?"

"It's not the number of people that counts, but the quality." Jiashan had a faint smile on his face. "I guess those who stayed are all old people who have feelings for the Fu family. I should be jealous of them."

She made a double entendre and returned to the old topic of last night.

Zhan Yue held her hand tightly and did not let go until he met Fu Xiao and Song.

Song was packing up Fu Xiao's luggage, as he would soon be traveling to the northwest with Marquis Anding. When they saw the old housekeeper leading Zhan Yue and Jia Shan, the couple were both surprised.

Song quickly put down her bag and bowed to Jiashan. Jiashan could not refuse, so he went forward and helped Song up, saying, "Auntie, you are so polite to me again."

"How can I have the nerve to ask Yanqing to accompany me again in the future?" Her tone was natural, and she called out Zhan Yue's name in a very casual manner, as if she was used to calling him like this in private.

Hearing Jiashan call Zhan Yue "Yanqing", Fu Xiao and the housekeeper of the Fu Mansion were stunned.

Nowadays, wives rarely address their husbands by their given names, as it seems too disrespectful. But Jiashan and Zhanyue's marriage is different. In this couple's relationship, Jiashan is the respected one, and as long as it is not excessive, she can call him whatever she wants.

However, they all thought that Jiashan would only address Zhan Yue as "Prince Consort", but they did not expect that he would address him as such an intimate "Yan Qing".

Song smiled and said, "Since you just got married, I didn't bother you with his uncle, but I didn't expect you to come in person."

"Yanqing is the same," Song rolled her eyes slightly and scolded softly, "Why didn't you tell us in advance? You made us so busy and confused, and made the princess laugh at you."

Zhan Yue smiled and said, "It's a temporary decision. My uncle is going to the northwest. Since we are the younger generation, we must see him off."

Fu Xiao looks a bit like Zhan Yue. It is said that "nephews resemble their uncles", which must be true. But compared with the young and handsome Zhan Yue, Fu Xiao's face is marked by the traces of time, which makes his temperament unique.

At first glance, this uncle and nephew don't look like warriors.

Fu Xiao looked more elegant and calm than Zhan Yue. He was slightly shorter than Zhan Yue, and just as Zhan Yue said, he was humorous and easy-going. After greeting Jia Shan, he said, "In that case, why don't we go out for dinner tonight?"

He smiled and said, "My uncle is the host."

Jiashan glanced at Zhan Yue, who smiled and said, "Just stay at home. When the princess comes back, I want to take her around the Fu family."

The Anguo Mansion occupies a larger area than the Fu Family's, but Zhan Yue has no intention of taking Jia Shan around, and neither does Jia Shan. The Fu Family means a lot to Zhan Yue, and he also wants to follow the footsteps of his ancestors and appreciate the splendor of the mountains and rivers with Jia Shan.

After hearing what Zhan Yue said, Fu Xiao and Song looked at each other. Song said, "Let's listen to Yan Qing. I'll ask them to go to Shu Xiang Yuan and buy another portion of steamed deer tail and roasted duck. Shu Xiang Yuan's steamed deer tail is the best, even the other restaurants can't compare."

After a pause, Song smiled and said, "Don't refuse again."

Song had good intentions, and Jiashan and the other man couldn't say no, so they agreed with a smile.

Jiashan said with a cheerful face, "Yanqing said a few days ago that he would take me to Shuxiang Garden for dinner later. I didn't expect that I couldn't wait for him, but I had to feast at my uncle and aunt's place first."

Knowing that Jiashan was giving them face, Song's expression became a little more friendly. She followed Jiashan's words and said with a smile: "Don't be polite tonight, and you must eat more."

Jiashan said "OK", she walked forward, took Song's wrist, and said affectionately: "Aunt, take me to see Ting'er. Yanqing will definitely discuss the art of war with my uncle later, and I probably won't understand."

These words touched the hearts of several people.

Zhan Yue came before Fu Xiao left, probably because he wanted to discuss the situation of the war in the northwest with him. Jiashan and Song were women, so it was not appropriate for them to listen to too much.

But Jiashan was a guest, so Song and Fu Xiao were not in a position to speak. Now that Jiashan had taken the initiative to bring it up, Song also responded amiably, saying, "Yes. Every time he talks like a mystery, I don't understand."

The two of them covered their mouths and laughed together, then walked to Ting'er's backyard.

Seeing them leaving in a hurry, Fu Xiao couldn't help but raise his eyes and put on a faint smile, looking very warm.

He drank a sip of tea to moisten his throat, smiled and nodded, saying: "The princess is a good person, you will be blessed in the future."

Several elders of the Fu family, whether it was Fu Xiao, Mrs. Song, or Princess Ruyang who had become a nun, all had a good impression of Jiashan.

Zhan Yue was also happy in his heart. His face was refreshing and handsome, and he nodded softly: "Yes."

Zhan Yue responded disrespectfully, and Fu Xiao couldn't help but feel more satisfied, knowing that they were truly in love. He casually threw an apple over and said with a smile, "You are so shameless, can't you be a little humble?"

Zhan Yue looked as if he was saying, "Everyone in the world should know how good my wife is." He raised his eyebrows, and replied with his thin lips curled slightly, "If I was humble and caused my uncle to misunderstand me, it would not be my fault."

"Get lost." Fu Xiao was a little angry when he saw Zhan Yue's face flushed, as if he came to show off. It felt like this guy knew that he was going to travel far away, and deliberately wanted to tell him how wonderful the days of "a wife, children and a warm bed" were.

Fu Xiao is a humble person. Although he has watched Zhan Yue grow up, the way he interacts with Zhan Yue is not like that of elders and juniors, but rather like a game between peers.

Fu Xiao muttered, "I used to feel sorry for you being alone, but now I think you're better when you're alone."

Zhan Yue smiled gently, finally putting away his temper. His voice was a little deeper than usual, but still very pleasant to the ear, and he talked about business: "A few years ago, Ashina of the Turks was seriously ill, and the northwest was temporarily peaceful. This year, their Yeli Khan ascended the throne, and I'm afraid there will be some action."

"When we get to the northwest, my uncle needs to be careful." Zhan Yue's eyes turned slightly sharp, but his words remained nonchalant.

The Fu family made their fortune in the northwest, and they were old rivals of the Turks. After the death of Marquis Yongding, the Turks tried to take advantage of the situation several times. At that time, it was Marquis Anding who was guarding the northwest, and it was Duke Han who was guarding the city.

Duke Han was old, and although he had experience fighting on the battlefield in the past, he was ultimately no match for the young and vigorous Turkic Ashina Khan.

After several clashes, Duke Han died in battle and sacrificed his life for his country.

The late emperor sent another general, Marquis Anding. Although he failed to recapture the city lost by Duke Han after a desperate battle, he finally stabilized the situation in the northwest.

Now that Ashina has passed away and Marquis Anding is old, the newly-appointed Turkic khan will most likely take the opportunity to invade.

It was for this reason that Marquis Anding returned to Beijing to recruit soldiers.

Fu Xiao wanted to make military achievements, so this was a good opportunity, but it was very dangerous.

Fu Xiao knew it very well. He said calmly, "I understand."

"Although I am not as experienced as your uncles, I am also a descendant of the Fu family and will not embarrass myself on the battlefield." Fu Xiao raised his eyes and glanced at Zhan Yue, then said thoughtfully, "You have already married a master, and you are also the commander and the official of the Five Armies Command. It is the time for you to stand out. You must be cautious in doing things."

"The Fourth Prince has just made his mark, so you shouldn't be too prominent." Fu Xiao's expression was slightly serious. He said, "Do you know?"

Zhan Yue nodded.

Although the current emperor has given face to the Fourth Prince, His Majesty is still in his prime and naturally would not want to see that any of the princes has too strong a force behind them.

In the past, Your Majesty gave him honors, firstly because he loved him, and secondly, it was also to give Jiashan and Zhao Youze a support under the prerequisite that Zhao Youze could not inherit the throne. But now that Zhao Youze has recovered, this honor will be too heavy. It doesn't matter now, but it may become a double-edged sword in the future, causing Your Majesty to be suspicious.

Zhan Yue knew what was going on. He said, "I know."

"When I get the chance, I will take the initiative to resign from the position of commander-in-chief and only serve in the Five Military Governor's Office." Zhan Yue's voice was lazy, he tapped his knee lightly with one hand, and spoke casually.

Fu Xiao was slightly stunned.

Compared with the Five Armies Judge, the Jinwu Guard Commander is naturally a higher position. Although the Five Armies Command has greater power, it has too many trivial matters and is easily checked by others.

The Jinwu Guards were the emperor's personal guards and were at the center of power.

Moreover, Zhan Yue had been developing in Jinwu Guard since he was fifteen years old. Fu Xiao originally thought that he would abandon the Five Military Commandery and stay in Jinwu Guard.

He was silent for a moment, raised his eyes and asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Zhan Yue said: "Yes."

"The position of commander is too important." Zhan Yue spoke slowly, his eyes were clear and sharp, and he said softly, "In the future, if the Fourth Prince makes further progress, it would be disadvantageous to him if I were still in his position, and it would create a father-son relationship between him and Your Majesty."

"It's better to get out of this as soon as possible." Zhan Yue said.

The commander of the Jinwu Guards has always been a position held by the emperor's most trusted confidants. Although Zhan Yue was also promoted by Emperor Zhanghe, he was already the emperor's son-in-law, which indirectly involved him in the struggle for the succession.

It didn’t matter that Zhao Youze couldn’t see at first.

But Zhao Youze recovered. If one day he was made the crown prince and Zhan Yue was still in the position of commander-in-chief, there was no guarantee that Emperor Zhanghe would not become suspicious.

The blood relationship of the royal family was as thin as a piece of paper. By then, would Emperor Zhang He start to doubt whether Zhan Yue was on his side or on Zhao Youze's side?

And Zhan Yue couldn't just sit there and watch this situation happen.

Besides, he had a reason that he couldn't tell.

Jinwu Guards often have to stay in the palace to guard the night. Before Jiashan married him, guarding the night was a good thing, but now... it is a bad thing.

He only had a limited time to stay in the princess's mansion, and if he was delayed by the night watch, when would the flowers in Jiashan bloom and bear fruit?

Fu Xiao couldn't guess Zhan Yue's second reason, but was convinced by the first one.

He sighed and said, "That does make some sense."

"But in the Five Military Commandery, you have to start all over again." Fu Xiao said.

Zhan Yue smiled and said nothing.

In fact, given his current status, no one else would offend him. But there is one thing that cannot be said:

Even if he left Jinwuwei, his people would still be his people. Nearly ten years of management would not be wasted in one day.

But these words are too sensitive and cannot be said even to the people closest to me.

Zhan Yue said: "I am still young anyway."

This brought up Fu Xiao's worries again.

Thinking that he was already over thirty, Fu Xiaohu's eyes widened. He said, "The older I get, the more irritating I become."

Zhan Yue didn't take it seriously and smiled back "shamelessly".

When it was time for dinner, Jiashan and Song came out affectionately.

Zhan Yue was delighted to see Jiashan and his aunt chatting happily. He whispered to Jiashan, "I was worried that you and your aunt wouldn't get along well."

After an afternoon, Jiashan was obviously more relaxed. She whispered, "How could that be? My aunt told me a lot of interesting folk stories. I made an appointment with my aunt that after my uncle leaves, I will come to accompany her often."

Song was a talkative person, and as long as Jiashan had someone to talk to, he wouldn't think too much about anything else.

Zhan Yue said, "As long as you are happy."

They had dinner together, and Song and Fu Xiao personally saw the two people from Jiashan out of the house.

After Jiashan got on the carriage, Song waved to her and said, "Next time you come, ask Yanqing to let me know in advance, and your aunt will prepare delicious food for you."

Jiashan nodded quickly and said with bright eyes: "Okay!"

Zhan Yue, who was sitting on the side, slowly put one hand on her shoulder.

There was steamed deer tail as a side dish, and he drank a little wine with Fu Xiao in the evening, and there was still a faint aroma of wine in his mouth.

He leaned over and whispered in Jiashan's ear: "Aunt treats you better than she treats me. Every time I come, Aunt never says that she will cook for me next time."

His voice was a little muffled, which made Jiashan burst out laughing. Her crow-wing-like eyelashes blinked quietly.

Jiashan asked timidly, "Are you jealous of your aunt or of me?"