Chapter 100 Return safely, Grandmother, I have a reward for you: In April of the thirty-third year of Kangxi's reign, an imperial edict was issued to personally lead an expedition against Galdan. This expedition was divided into three routes…
In April of the thirty-third year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, he issued an imperial edict to personally lead an expedition against Galdan.
This expedition was launched in three routes to encircle Galdan's forces entrenched in northern Mongolia. Preparations for supplies and strategies began last year, and it wasn't until April of this year that the army was officially ready to set off.
Along with the newly built firearms battalion, Emperor Kangxi also brought along his eldest son Yinzhi, third son Yinzhi, fourth son Yinzhen, fifth son Yinqi, and seventh son Yinyou.
As the Crown Prince, Yinreng remained in the capital to oversee the country. All matters, large and small, were first discussed by the Crown Prince and the ministers and heads of the six ministries who remained in the capital.
Following the old method, the Crown Prince would attach a small note to the memorial, writing down the results he and the officials had agreed upon. If Emperor Kangxi agreed, the Crown Prince would approve it directly; if he disagreed, the Emperor's decision would prevail.
Yu Lang, as a Zuo Ling of the Plain Yellow Banner, temporarily relinquished his duties as a First-Class Imperial Guard and was temporarily appointed as the Commander of the Firearms Battalion to accompany the Western Route Army in its campaign against Galdan.
"So, this time, all the cavalry and infantry under your command will be temporarily under Van Gogh's command?"
“Yes, I don’t usually manage the affairs under the command of the Zuo Ling. When Akdun was here, he was in charge. But these past two years, Akdun has gone to the firearms battalion, so Van Gogh has been in charge. With him leading the infantry and cavalry under our Zuo Ling, they are no worse than when I was in charge.”
"Of course I know I'm no worse than you. I was thinking that his wife, Fang Jia, is due to give birth in two months. You already found a midwife and a doctor for me a few days ago, so I was thinking of sending them to her next month. I'm not in a hurry anyway."
Pregnancy varies from person to person, but there's not much that can be done; it's just a matter of hardship and even more hardship.
Shen Wanqing carefully calculated that she should have gotten pregnant at the end of October last year. She was diagnosed on the 23rd of the twelfth lunar month. From that day on, Shen Wanqing began to be sleepy and have a big appetite. She felt that five meals a day were not enough and wanted to try everything.
At first, Yu Lang thought it was a good thing. As the old saying goes, being able to eat is a blessing. It just so happened that there was less work in the palace and the firearms camp during the New Year and the first month of the lunar calendar, so Lord Yu's hobby for nearly two months was to travel all over the capital to collect delicious food for Shen Wanqing.
Roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), knife-cut noodles, Ningbo glutinous rice balls, Jinhua ham—one day, she even brought home a cook who could only speak Cantonese and not Mandarin, and had him make a roast suckling pig for Shen Wanqing.
The kitchen at home wasn't as well-equipped as the one in his restaurant. The chef and his apprentice spent the whole afternoon preparing the roast suckling pig until dark before Shen Wanqing finally got to eat the incredibly delicious roast suckling pig dipped in white sugar.
It was said to be a suckling pig that big; even if Shen Wanqing and Yu Lang ate it all, they couldn't finish it. Naturally, such a large meal had to be sent to various parts of the mansion.
It was late at night, and everyone in the various courtyards had already eaten. However, the roast suckling pig that Yulang had brought at the last minute was indeed very delicious. Although they said they would just try it, they all ate it all up.
The next day, one by one, they were either suffering from internal heat or indigestion. Shen Wanqing suffered from both internal heat and indigestion. Two blisters appeared on the corners of her mouth, her gums were swollen, and she sat on the daybed, slurring her words.
Yu Lang was so anxious he was jumping up and down. From that day on, he started watching over Shen Wanqing and controlling her diet. He had to be away from home every few days because of his official duties, so he asked the Crown Princess for a brave and knowledgeable nanny to take care of Shen Wanqing.
It wasn't that Yu Lang insisted on making such a big fuss, but Shen Wanqing had managed the Hesheli family so well over the past three years that none of the maids and servants could control her. It really was only an outsider who could keep up with her and temporarily suppress Shen Wanqing, who was so greedy that she wanted to destroy the house.
This craving lasted for more than two months before it finally subsided, and the weather gradually warmed up afterward.
After taking off her padded jacket and putting on a spring shirt, Shen Wanqing stood in front of the full-length mirror and looked at her waist and fair arms, which seemed much fuller no matter how she pinched them. Then, with a straight face, she turned around, put her hands on her hips, and looked at Yu Lang, who had already secretly walked to the door and was about to slip away.
You gained weight gradually by eating it yourself, so you can't really blame anyone else. But you, Yulang, just watched me get fat without saying anything, doesn't that seem rather malicious and heinous?
Shen Wanqing pointed her finger at Yu Lang's chest, and Yu Lang, though feeling wronged, dared not speak. He had said it before, only that he was worried about eating too much and making the baby too big to deliver easily, or causing other problems.
What was Shen Wanqing's reply at the time? She said that when she went to war, she would have to worry about everything at home, and when people worry, they can't gain weight, so they will naturally lose weight.
But reasoning is about timing, and Yu Lang, with his vast experience in this area, naturally wouldn't argue. For example, even though he wasn't too happy that Shen Wanqing had sent the midwife she had chosen to Fang Jia's place, he wouldn't say it. He still had two days before he set off, and he could just have Chang Shun find another midwife later.
"What are you plotting now? Are you thinking of finding another midwife behind my back?"
Shen Wanqing raised her hand and pinched Yu Lang's earlobe, holding it tightly and not letting go: "I'll handle this matter, don't interfere. You were temporarily appointed as the commander of the firearms battalion and assigned to the western route to follow General Shi and Fei Yanggu in charge of the raid and encirclement. All the matters under your command will be handed over to Fan Gu."
"They risk their lives for you, but if you don't take care of their wives and children at home, who will? If you just grab any midwife off the street, why would they insist on having me come? You have to send over the top midwives and doctors that Lord Yu has carefully selected. That's true sincerity."
Shen Wanqing's open approach to winning people's hearts is exactly what people are susceptible to; if you let them have no worries, they'll fight tooth and nail for you.
As a Zuo Ling (military commander), he cannot lead the soldiers of his own banner. Over time, they will inevitably become estranged from each other. At present, Van Gogh has become a link between him and the banner people under his Zuo Ling.
How can we not maintain this line? Who knows what will happen in the future? What if Yulang leaves one day and the Beizi family is left with only the position of Zuo Ling to live on? When he comes back, they will still be able to command people.
"Yulang".
"Um?"
"Actually, you don't necessarily need to make a name for yourself. We're doing pretty well now. If we really run into a life-or-death situation, don't just focus on rushing forward. I know we can't back down, but can you be a little more quick-witted..."
Shen Wanqing rarely found herself at a loss for words. Swords and blades have no eyes, not to mention that both sides also had guns and cannons. Even if they were not on the same level as the firearms of later generations, they were still deadly.
Many things are clearly there, but because they haven't happened yet, they always seem to be separated by a veil. Even knowing that something is here and there is no escaping it doesn't feel real. It's only when there's no way to hide that you start to feel afraid.
“I understand what Jiyun means. My life is very precious, and I can’t exchange it for a thousand or ten thousand pieces of gold. I have to spend my whole life with you, how can I be so careless as to leave you out here?”
Yu Lang reached out and wrapped his arms around Shen Wanqing's waist, hugging her tightly: "Do whatever you want with things at home. I'll always remember your words while I'm out here, and I'll come back safely."
"It's so cheesy. Try to say less of this kind of cheesy stuff in the future. Feel it, it gives me goosebumps."
Shen Wanqing rested her chin on Yulang's shoulder, not letting him see the smile on her face: "Sweet words don't count. Come back safely, and I'll reward you when you do."
On the day Yulang set off, Shen Wanqing did not join in the festivities. Fang Liang and Wuergun from the Hesheli family brought a lot of people to see him off, and Tu Nan also went with Huizhong, Pusabao, and Fangyi.
"Sister-in-law, I can't find my brother. There are just too many people, a dense mass of heads. If only I were a few years older, I could have Old Wu carry me on his shoulders and he would definitely be able to find him."
"How dare you say that? What did I tell you before I left? Master Wu is coming the day after tomorrow. If you haven't lost weight by the time I get back, you're going to get a beating."
As soon as Yulang left, Fangyi immediately moved out of Niohuru's courtyard, saying she wanted to keep Shen Wanqing company, but half of the reason was that she really couldn't stand Niohuru's increasingly obsessive nature.
“My elder brother is leaving the capital to fight a war, not to play around. I asked the Master, and he said that the last time we fought Galdan, it took almost half a year to finish. This time it will definitely take just as long. By then, I’ll definitely have lost weight.”
"But you, eldest sister, are you really planning to stay with your sister-in-law forever? I've already moved to the study in the front yard. If you move out too, Mother will be all alone in the east yard."
“We’re all in the same family, what’s with all this talk about being alone? I have to go to my mother’s house to pay my respects every morning, I see her every day, why are you worrying about this?”
Since they were eight years old, they couldn't sit together. Even though Pusa Bao was Niohuru's youngest son, whom she raised and cherished like the apple of her eye, she couldn't live with her all the time. After the New Year this year, Yulang ordered that the front yard of the east courtyard be cleaned up and Pusa Bao moved there.
Originally, Niohuru was unwilling and even mentioned it to Shen Wanqing. She thought it was Shen Wanqing's idea, and that very evening, her eldest son came to talk to her alone. After the conversation, Niohuru nodded in agreement and allowed Pusabao to move out of her courtyard and live alone.
“You only stay for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn when you go to pay your respects every day. You moved out because you thought your mother was too talkative and didn’t want to listen to her.”
"And what about you? Our Fourth Master also goes to his mother's place every morning to kowtow as a greeting. I even sat there for a quarter of an hour, but you can't even stay still for a quarter of an hour."
The siblings were both raised by Niohuru. When they were young, they were so close that they were like one person, and when they quarreled, they knew exactly where to hurt each other.
The two men were not without affection for their mother, Niohuru, but as they grew older, they found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her personality.
Fangyi couldn't stand that no matter what she did, good or bad, Niohuru always found something to lecture her. She was told that her shortcomings should be improved, and her good work could be done even better. In short, she was the only one in the world who could handle everything perfectly, while everyone else was nothing.
She was the one who did absolutely nothing in the house, yet in her words, everyone was inferior to her. Fangyi was too tired to listen to these words anymore, after all, she didn't have much time left in this house.
She plans to participate in the imperial concubine selection next year. If she is chosen, she will enter the palace; if not, her family will arrange a marriage for her. She just wants to stay happily at home for a few years, and after she gets married, all she will remember about her time at her parents' home will be good days.
"I need to study; the teacher will punish me if I'm late."
"It's as if I'm illiterate. Anyway, I've moved out and I'm not moving back. I'll stay with my sister-in-law while my brother is away, and I'll move to the back courtyard when he comes back."
If you're worried about your mother being lonely, you can move back. It's fine if I move out now and you move back later, so it won't be like we siblings don't have separate courtyards."
The boy, only eight or nine years old, couldn't possibly argue with his sister, who was four years older than him. He was so angry that his cheeks puffed out and he couldn't utter a single word. He could only turn to Shen Wanqing and say, "Sister-in-law, look at my sister."
"I don't look, I can't see anything." Shen Wanqing didn't care about the affairs between the siblings. Strictly speaking, she rarely interfered in the affairs between Yulang, Fangyi, and Pusabao.
People know how to get along with their own siblings. They were like brothers for many years before I married into the family, and they got along very well.
"You can stay wherever you want in this house, just don't stay in Mother's Buddhist shrine."
"May the Bodhisattva protect you and not worry about where Fangyi lives. And don't think losing weight is so easy. You're all talk and no action. If your brother comes back and isn't satisfied, you'll be in real trouble."
"Fangyi, don't laugh. Did you move in without explaining to your mother? I just heard Biyun say that your mother was very angry and said she was going to complain to the old lady. You handle this yourself and don't make it difficult for me, your sister-in-law."
"I did say that, of course I did! Mother agreed a couple of days ago, so why is she angry again?"
Fangyi came straight to the East Courtyard after returning from outside, unaware that Niohuru had thrown a huge tantrum in her own courtyard after she left.
According to Biyun, she was standing in the courtyard pointing to the sky and cursing the ungrateful wretch. Biyun didn't dare to say who she was cursing, but Shen Wanqing could guess that she was not only cursing Fangyi, who had broken away from her, but also cursing Yulang, who had forgotten his mother after marrying a wife.
"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'll go over and explain this to Mother right away. I originally moved here to keep you company, but if it ends up causing you to suffer because of me, then it's all my fault."
After Fangyi finished speaking, she got up and walked out, taking Pusa Bao, who wanted to stay at Shen Wanqing's place for a snack and then lose weight, with her by the scruff of the neck.
Niohuru said she was going to the main courtyard to find Tongjia to reason with her, but actually she wanted to wait for her daughter to return so she could apologize. Unexpectedly, her daughter went to Shen's courtyard as soon as she returned. Niohuru waited and waited, but no one came. Then, she walked angrily towards the main courtyard.
Besides Tongjia, Zhenxuan was also present in the main courtyard. Ever since she signed the cooperation agreement with the eldest branch of the Shen family and Shen Wanqing last year, she, the eldest aunt who had married out of the family, had been increasingly connected with her maternal family.
The man who hadn't returned to the capital for the previous five years brought Hailan back before the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month this year. He also brought along the New Year's gifts that Shen Wenbo's family, who had returned to Shengjing, wanted to give to the Shen family and the Hesheli family.
“Mother, what did I say before? Whether the child comes or not is a matter of fate. When the time is right, the child will come naturally. If the time is not right, there is no use in urging. You will only offend Madam Shen and Lang-ge for nothing. Why bother?”
“Others may not understand this principle, but I do. If Lang Ge’er doesn’t have to go to war with the Emperor this year, why would I, an old woman, bother getting involved with that muddle-headed sister-in-law of yours?”
That year, Lady Tongjia frequently urged her to have a child, but most of the time she only talked about it and didn't do anything, so Shen Wanqing pretended not to hear. Lady Niohuru, on the other hand, felt that it was rare for her mother-in-law to stand by her side, and she took advantage of Lady Tongjia's name to speak out a few times.
"She wants to use the fact that she doesn't have children to suppress the Shen family, but she doesn't even know what kind of person she is. So what if she has three children? If she doesn't have any, she's useless. Even if she has three more, it's still useless."
"Alright, alright, now that Shen is pregnant, you should stop talking."
"I know what you're thinking. These past few years you've only had one daughter, Hailan, and the Nara family has made things difficult for you in this matter. Others just watch and speculate about whether Shen is pregnant or not, but only you truly understand their feelings."
Hailan is already five years old this year, meaning she was born not long after Zhenxuan married into the family. For the first year or two after giving birth to her daughter, Zhenxuan lived a good life, but as Hailan grew older, Zhenxuan's belly remained flat, and life naturally became increasingly difficult.
"Don't say that again. I have Hailan, that's enough. Whether we have more children or not is up to fate. I'm telling you this for your own good. The people who really make the decisions in this family are Yulang and Shen Shi. You, as an old lady, can't afford to offend them."
"Alright, alright, I know what you mean. This old lady is just someone who lives a life of leisure and waits to die..."
Madam Tongjia knew, of course, that her daughter was telling the truth, but she still felt somewhat uneasy. However, before she could feel uneasy for long, a maid rushed in to report that the eldest madam and the eldest daughter were arguing outside the main courtyard.
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