Chapter 111 An Uncontrollable Daughter (Part 2): Upon hearing Shen Wanqing's words, He Yi was the first to change his expression. If this was even considered tactful, then…
Upon hearing Shen Wanqing's words, He Yi was the first to change his expression. If this was considered tactful, then there would be no more vulgar language in the world.
But the words may be crude, but the principle is sound. Perhaps He Yi has been away from home for a long time these past few years, or perhaps it's because it concerns his own mother and he simply hasn't thought about it in that way.
After Tongjia was angered by Fuxuan and suffered a stroke, all he could think about was whether he should take care of Fuxuan's affairs and what to do if the old lady's illness got too serious for her 60th birthday next February. He didn't even think that if the old lady really passed away, he, as her son, would have to go home to observe the mourning period.
He Yi, the official in charge of grain transport, is currently doing a fairly comfortable job. While he is not particularly adept at it, there are no major obstacles either.
Moreover, the Grain Commissioner held real power, able to report and communicate with the Ministry of Revenue and even the Emperor at any time. Local officials who wanted to be promoted or achieve excellent performance evaluations could not bypass the grain tax collection process.
He Yi, as the circuit intendant, played a crucial role in safeguarding the grain supply, a vital link between the central and local governments. He hadn't had enough of this position yet, so of course he didn't want to go home to observe the mourning period.
Seeing He Yi's changed expression, Shumulu knew that he had just remembered this matter. People who have been officials for a long time and have learned how to hide their selfishness really think they are good people and good officials, and they can't even remember their selfish nature.
Now that Shen Shi had reminded him, Lord He Yihe, who had been somewhat resentful and unwilling to accept being stopped by Shu Mulu Shi, immediately changed his expression.
Ignoring that Tongjia was still ill, he frowned and took a few steps forward. Although he squatted down and looked up at Tongjia, his words were full of barbs.
“Mother, you are already so old. You should let Fuxuan live her own life. How long are you going to keep worrying about her?”
I still vividly remember the way my son knelt down in front of me to say goodbye before leaving Beijing, having not returned home for several years.
After returning, the mother and son were very affectionate for a few days. In the past, the son would only come to greet her in the morning, but he did not go anywhere for the first few days after returning.
When old colleagues and friends sent invitations, they were all postponed for a few days. Every day, except for Tongjia Shi's rest and sleep, He Yi, as her son, was always by her side serving and accompanying her.
Having experienced the joy of having her son by her side, looking at He Yi, who was impatient and weary, Tong Jia felt a pang of bitterness and pain in her heart, a feeling she couldn't quite describe.
"What you all say makes sense. It's just that I, this old woman, am confused and don't know what's good for me. Why don't I just enjoy my good life?"
People who have just suffered a stroke should avoid emotional excitement, and He Yi's words sounded like he was advising Tongjia to relax. But it would be a miracle if Tongjia were happy to hear that.
In addition, when she saw Yu Lang come in, she wanted to grab her grandson and cry, but Shen Wanqing's words choked her back. The words she couldn't say stuck in her throat and turned into hiccups, one after another, and she couldn't stop them for a while.
Tongjia's eyes twitched upwards a few times, making half of her face look even stiffer. Her words were slurred, and not only did a drop of saliva slide from the corner of her mouth, but she also let out one bizarre burp after another, which was quite frightening to watch.
Upon seeing this, Shumulu quickly sent her maid to check if the imperial physician had arrived. If not, she was to send someone to find another doctor immediately.
She didn't want the old lady to die either; she had just arranged a marriage for her eldest son, Tu Nan. Too many things in this family had been delayed due to mourning in previous years, and she didn't want her son to be delayed as well.
"Grandma, don't worry. My second uncle and I were a bit hasty, but we had a point. Let's talk about Auntie's matter slowly. Please take good care of yourself. Our family has finally had some peaceful days these past few years, and we really can't afford any more setbacks."
Shen Wanqing had a maid bring a bowl of warm water, and then had the nanny serving Tongjia help Tongjia to hold a mouthful of warm water in her mouth and swallow it seven times. After drinking seven mouthfuls of water, the hiccups stopped (personally tested and effective).
The hiccups stopped, and the stiffness on her face gradually faded. Tong Jia slumped on the pillow as if she didn't even have the strength to sit up straight, looking listlessly at Shen Wanqing, her eyes filled with complex and indescribable emotions.
“If I die, you will be the one in charge of the household. I know you don’t like this old woman’s repeated favoritism towards Fuxuan. If that’s the case, why did you save me?”
"Old lady, you're mistaken. What I said just now wasn't meant to provoke or provoke you. I genuinely hope that you can live to be a hundred years old."
"With so many people in the family, regardless of how good or bad the relationship is, funerals are a very exhausting thing for everyone. You should be able to understand this even if I don't say it."
The Hesheli family shouldn't have gone down this path. The most crucial moment that changed the fate of the entire family was the death of Shuaiyanbao and Erhe. Now that they've finally had a decade or so of peace, this family really can't afford any more deaths.
Although she was an outsider, she had lived with Lady Tongjia for five years. Lady Tongjia had moments of confusion and moments of clarity. Without Fuxuan's interference, this old lady was actually one of the most sensible people in the family.
If Tongjia really died, could Shen Wanqing guarantee that she wouldn't be particularly sad, but could she feel no sadness or nostalgia at all? Humans aren't plants or trees, how could they be without feelings? If she felt this way, how much more so would Yulang, who was essentially a soft-hearted puppy?
The successive deaths of one grandfather, father, and grandmother within ten years is undoubtedly a blow to an individual and a family.
Even the entire family, the house, and everyone living in this house will be continuously shrouded in an inexplicable gloom.
A person lives on a single breath, and the best time to achieve something great and realize one's ideals is only a few years.
For the first ten years or so after birth, we are still too young to understand things. After fifty or sixty, our energy and vitality gradually decline, and all our desires begin to lean towards "how can I live longer?" The time when we can really make a difference is only the middle thirty years.
Yulang had barely endured two consecutive periods of mourning, and Tongjia absolutely could not afford to have any problems now. Three years was enough time for the political landscape to shift dramatically, and a decade or more of intermittent mourning could also waste an entire generation.
Even if Shen Wanqing really doesn't care about anyone in the Hesheli family at all, there are still Yulang and Yi'an. How can she really give up and let Tongjia die just so that the family ties can be severed sooner?
"Besides, it's just a hiccup. Even if it lasts all day, it won't kill you. Don't worry, ma'am. I feel very relieved that you can still lean here and talk to us."
The fact that he can still slur his words and still have the energy to burp means there's nothing seriously wrong. A person who's truly dying should be lying in bed, exhaling more and inhaling less; he's not like this at all.
"Grandma, could you tell your granddaughter-in-law what Aunt Fu said to you last night that made you so angry?"
Shen Wanqing didn't believe that Fu Xuan was so angry simply because she wanted Yu Lang to bring De Cheng to the capital and wanted to rely on Yu Lang's power to suppress De Cheng in the long term. If Fu Xuan hadn't killed and broken Tong Jia's spirit, she certainly wouldn't have suffered a stroke from anger.
“You’re a smart man. It’s not only Lang’er’s good fortune to have you as his wife, but also our family’s good fortune. If you’ve already guessed something, then you’ve already guessed it. Why bother digging deeper?”
"Because what Aunt Fu really thinks will determine how Yu Lang and I should treat her in the future. Grandma, people can love their children and grandchildren, but they can't keep indulging ungrateful wretches."
"She is your daughter, that's true, but you also have sons, grandsons, and great-grandsons. They are all your flesh and blood, but whether it hurts to cut the palm or the back of the hand is probably a different answer for everyone."
"Tu Nan's marriage has been arranged, and you should have a second granddaughter-in-law by the end of next year. If something really happens to you this time, the best-case scenario is to postpone the wedding."
"But don't forget about your second uncle's mourning period. One person is one position. When Yulang and your second uncle both retire for mourning, it's hard to say what the court will be like three years later, and whether they will still have a place to stand."
"If we, as family members, think this way, what will the girl who is not yet married into the family and her in-laws think? It's probably not something we can force."
Decheng had been rejected by his fiancée years ago, which led him to marry Fuxuan after many twists and turns. Now that the same thing has happened to his own family, shouldn't this be taken seriously?
This explains why Shen Wanqing's attitude towards the main courtyard and Niohuru clan in recent years has been: as long as you don't cause trouble or do anything wrong, I can take good care of you. After all, the laws and regulations are there, and Shen Wanqing has always known which path is the most cost-effective and efficient.
“Some people and some things can be let go, they’re harmless. But some people and some things should never be let off easily, otherwise they’ll cause even bigger trouble next time. Grandma, don’t you agree?”
It was only late July, and ice basins were still placed in the East Courtyard during the hot days, but Tongjia felt icy cold all over, as if she had fallen into an ice cave. She knew very well that Shen Wanqing was serious, and naturally she dared not hide from Fuxuan what she had said to her last night.
“Before she got married, I told her to learn from you. Don’t be afraid of marrying far away. As long as she can be like you and never suffer a loss, I can die in peace.”
Everyone in the room found a seat, except for Yu Lang, who stood close behind Shen Wanqing. Hearing what Tong Jia said, he even had the leisure to secretly poke Shen Wanqing's back a few times with his finger.
"I said those words because I wanted her to learn your resilience, wisdom, and ability to know when to advance and retreat. Who knew she thought she wanted to learn how to control the Dong'e family like you, and how to make a fortune through business like you."
She definitely didn't make any money; not only did she not make any money, but she also gradually drifted down the path of mutual loathing with Decheng. Last night, Fuxuan came to Tongjia's house crying and complaining, ultimately expressing that she shouldn't have said those things to Tongjia's house, which made her want to emulate Shen Wanqing.
“She said that she is in this situation because of me, her mother, so I can’t just ignore her. Either help her to use her power to suppress Decheng, or use my own money to make up for the dowry she has lost over the years.”
Having just suffered a stroke, Tongjia's spirits waned as she spoke incoherently for so long. Her hunched back accentuated her aged appearance, and it took her a long time to catch her breath before she finally managed to utter her last words in a hoarse voice.
"Otherwise, I'll support her and get a divorce, so she can come back with her dowry. She's still willing to live in the back room of the main courtyard and be Miss Fugu for the rest of her life. If I don't help her find a way, then if she doesn't have a good life in the future, it will all be because of what I told her before."
After she finished speaking, Shen Wanqing could clearly see that the light in Tongjia's eyes had dimmed. No wonder she was so angry with Fuxuan that she had a stroke. This woman's thought process was completely different from that of a normal person.
For so many years, Lady Tongjia had favored her, and she had been a good daughter to Lady Tongjia for just as long. But when the time came and things really came down to it, this was exactly what Fuxuan thought of Lady Tongjia. How could it not be heartbreaking? It's a miracle that Lady Tongjia wasn't driven to death, let alone just suffering a minor stroke from anger.
Reasoning with this kind of person is useless, because she has her own set of principles. Under her own principles, her logic is self-consistent, and any outsiders who refute her, oppose her, or do not follow her are wrong.
The whole story had been explained, and the imperial physician had arrived. Shumulu nodded to Chen Wanqing and Yulang, indicating that she would watch over Tongjia and that they should leave first.
Shen Wanqing and Yu Lang walked ahead, and soon He Yi followed them out. The three of them stood outside the main courtyard, looking at each other. In this situation, Shen Wanqing didn't need to take the lead; Yu Lang spoke first.
"Second Uncle, do you want to go to Aunt's side or should I go? We need to make things clear to her today."
"We just had Yi'an's first birthday party yesterday, there's no need to make such a fuss. Let's give the old lady a break too. It will take time for the imperial physician to come and perform acupuncture. Let's wait three to five days until the old lady is more stable before we deal with her matters."
"Let her move out with Decheng today. Doesn't the Dong'e family have a house in the capital? Since she has a place to live, she shouldn't stay at her parents' house all the time."
He Yi knew, of course, that Yu Lang was giving him one last chance. Yu Lang was the one with the highest rank and the most prestigious status in the family. If he wanted to get rid of De Cheng once and for all, he could have found a way to completely suppress him. Why would he need to come to the capital? He could even make him uncomfortable in Jingzhou.
But if that were the case, Fuxuan's life would be completely miserable. Forget about the divorce papers; Fangyi is currently discussing marriage, and there can't be the slightest mishap.
After Fangyi's marriage is settled, there's Huizhong, then Eryatou, and Sanyatou. If things get out of hand, everyone will know that the Hesheli family has a domineering aunt who beat her mistress so badly she miscarried. This will be nothing but harm to the younger generation in the family. Not to mention others, the second wife of the family will be the first to object.
You have to bear the consequences of your own actions. As for how to persuade Yu Lang, hand this matter over to He Yi. You are his own brother, so you should handle it. If you handle it well, Fu Xuan will still have a way out. If you don't handle it well, no one else will be able to do anything. After all, Yu Lang remembers the bond he formed with Fu Xuan. Shouldn't He Yi, as his own brother, remember it even more?
"It's up to my second uncle. Since he's willing to take care of this, I won't get involved for now."
"Go back now. I'll send someone to find you once this matter is resolved."
He Yi finally stopped shrinking back, and Shen Wanqing was naturally happy to be relieved.
People can't stay cooped up in their own little world forever; they have nowhere to use their talents and cunning, and their horizons and minds naturally become narrower and narrower. Now that he's gone out and seen the world, he finally understands that there are some things he should take responsibility for and can't just shirk them.
"My second uncle may not be very capable, but he can handle Decheng with ease. We don't need to worry about this."
On the way back, Yu Lang held Shen Wanqing's hand tightly and wouldn't let go. Shen Wanqing wanted to walk faster, but he wouldn't let her. He just wanted to keep Shen Wanqing by his side, walking slowly, slowly under the corridor, which was very annoying.
"Oh dear, I know I was too blunt today, and I didn't expect to blurt it out like that."
"Grandma knows she's not being tactful, huh? I thought you didn't even realize it."
Yu Lang wasn't upset that Shen Wanqing had been too explicit; after all, if she hadn't explained things clearly, someone in the family would have remained confused.
She at least greeted him before speaking, but when she said that, Yu Lang, who was standing behind her, was so startled that he almost choked.
That's why the two of them can now wield absolute power in the mansion; otherwise, it would sound terrible if word got out. The old lady hadn't even done anything yet, and the two of them had already planned out her funeral arrangements, as if they were eagerly awaiting her death.
"Don't be sarcastic. I'm only doing this for your own good. You've been in the military command for a year now. Do you think the Crown Prince will really let you stay in the banner office for so long?"
At a time like this, if anyone were to make Yulang observe mourning, Shen Wanqing would literally beat that person's brains out. If Yulang were to have even the slightest problem, Suo'etu could easily gain the upper hand. If the hard-won change in the situation were to revert to its original state, and the Crown Prince were to be deposed, she and Yulang would still die.
"Whether we'll be in charge of the banner affairs is hard to say, but I do know that in a couple of days the whole capital will be buzzing about our family's little troubles."
"Let the rumors spread. Last month, two generals from Feng'en fought bloody battles over an actress. They were even relatives, and it still became the talk of the town. Our situation is nothing."
Yu Lang was right; the news spread quickly and unsurprisingly the next day. Some officials even mentioned it while waiting to attend court, treating it as a real spectacle.
No matter what those people outside say, they won't come to Yu Lang's face and make a scene. He thought that once He Yi dealt with this matter in a few days, it would be over, but who knew there was someone even more concerned about Yu Lang than He Yi. Before Tong Jia Shi had even finished her five-day acupuncture treatment, the Crown Prince had already summoned Yu Lang to the palace.
"Such a big thing happened in the family, why didn't you tell me?"
“Your Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state. Now that the Crown Prince is by His Majesty’s side, he is making decisions on important matters of the court together with the Grand Secretaries of the Inner Cabinet and the Hanlin Academicians of the Southern Study. Even the common people outside the palace know this. How could I possibly take up Your Majesty’s energy and time with such a trivial matter?”
"Keep pretending, keep pretending with me."
These words sounded nice, but Yinreng frowned deeply upon hearing them, showing no sign of being pleased or pleased by Yulang's flattery.
"Sending you out is for your future, but if it leads to you becoming estranged from me and Yuqing Palace, then it would be putting the cart before the horse. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Master, this servant is not stupid, how could I not understand?"
"People often say that women are jealous, but I don't think that's entirely true. It should be that everyone is jealous, not only of men and women, but also of friends, colleagues, and even masters and servants."
"Of course, this servant hopes to remain the most trusted and favored subject of the Crown Prince, but this servant should also adhere to his duty. If he adheres to his duty, he will not lose his true self, and this is the way to last."
When Suo'etu targeted him so much, was it simply because he threatened Suo'etu's position as Grand Secretary? If it were just about power and official rank, he wouldn't have needed to reveal his true intentions so early on. After all, even now, in the eyes of the world, Suo'etu is still far inferior to Yulang.
The reason why Songgotu repeatedly targeted him was ultimately because he felt threatened by Songgotu's position in front of the Crown Prince. This was clearly jealousy.
After leaving Yuqing Palace, the Qianqing Palace sent another first-class guard to the Crown Prince. Guarjia Huashan could be considered related to the Crown Princess Shi, but just by looking at how the Shi family still habitually refers to themselves as Shi, while Huashan's lineage has always used Guarjia as their surname, it is clear that the two families are not really related.
Besides Hua Shan and Fu Cha De Yin, there was also a group of guards led by E Shan. In just one year, Yu Lang's traces in the Crown Prince's and Yu Qing Palace became increasingly faint.
This was something Yu Lang had anticipated, but the Crown Prince was still displeased. He tapped his finger on the coffee table with a hurried air, and before Yu Lang could speak, he said, "It's just an uncle. Why don't I have Ling Pu find a way to bring him back to the capital? It's a small matter, no need for you to worry about it."
Yu Lang never expected that the Crown Prince would actually want to solve this problem for him, and immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express his gratitude. But after thanking him, he shook his head and refused the Crown Prince's good intentions.
“Master, some people are easily swayed. If you give them a favor once, they will ask for it ten or a hundred times. I can’t give them much, so it’s better to nip their idea in the bud from the very first time.”
"The bones are light..."
That's quite true. During this period, rumors began to circulate both inside and outside the court that His Majesty was going to bestow titles upon the First Prince and other princes. As soon as the rumors started, Yinzhi became like a fighting cock, and even Mingzhu couldn't hold him back.
He certainly wanted the title, but it wouldn't be appropriate for a prince who already had a title and a family to stay in the palace. He wanted the title but didn't want to leave the palace, and in this back-and-forth struggle, he inevitably started picking fights with Yinreng every day.
Unfortunately, I am not Yu Lang, and I have no say in whether or not I receive this benefit.
Yinreng sighed softly before coming back to his senses. After regaining his composure, he asked Yulang twice if he really didn't want to get involved in this matter. Only after confirming it repeatedly did he take out a document that wasn't yet a memorial and hand it to Yulang.
"The affairs of the banner are complicated. You have managed them for a year without making any mistakes. I think you have gained enough experience. At the end of this year or next year, the Emperor will select sites for your elder brother and several younger brothers to build their residences. At that time, he will arrange for you to go to the Ministry of Works. Will you go or not?"
"This servant will obey the Crown Prince's orders."
"You're not the only one doing this job, so listen more, observe more, and speak less."
"Yes, this servant understands."
"Go away, go away, you're the only one in my life who doesn't know what's good for you, you don't even want the favor that's already in your hands."
“Your Highness is mistaken. You should give all the favors you have to me alone. There’s no need to do anything else.”
Yinreng was too lazy to argue with him and waved for Yulang to leave. Not long after, he also came out of the study and turned to walk towards the back hall. After Shen Shi came that day, the Crown Princess moved back, so there was naturally no good place to stay in the study for long.
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Black Monday! [crying][crying][crying]
I miss Friday so much! [crying][crying][crying]
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