Chapter 164 "The literary tradition is interconnected, the literary tradition is interconnected..."
"Actually, I don't understand how Sister Saijin and Magistrate Lu got together."
Under Shen Lingyue's relentless persuasion and sweet talk, Zhou Yanling, clutching a small porcelain jar full of toffee, snapped photos as she reminisced.
“As I wrote in my previous letter, there are many villages along the border where Han and Hu people live together, and there are also many people of mixed Han and Hu descent. As long as they have no Han blood on their hands and are genuinely willing to settle down in Daye and farm, we welcome Hu people.”
Uncle Liang once said that population is very important. Weakening the enemy is to strengthen ourselves. Otherwise, why would the Hu people raid southwards every winter, not only robbing people but also capturing them?
“But this gives those bad guys an opportunity.” Zhou Yanling angrily crushed a piece of candy. “Some spies from the enemy army will infiltrate to gather intelligence, or bribe those of their own kind who are not doing well here, coercing and enticing them to do bad things.”
At its worst, General Liang led his troops out of the city to launch surprise attacks several times, but the enemy received advance warning and withdrew in time. Not only did they return empty-handed, but they even ambushed the army on its return journey, all because of intelligence leaks.
“At that time, we suspected that a group of spies had infiltrated the area. They had a clear division of labor and were specifically tasked with sabotage. But if the army started a large-scale house-to-house search, it would not only cause panic among the people, but also undermine Uncle Liang’s policy of pacifying the border and securing the people.”
At that time, Liang Saijin and the female soldiers she personally recruited had not yet made a name for themselves, so she volunteered to go undercover and personally go to the villages near the border between the two countries where the suspects were most likely to be investigated.
Then there he ran into Lu Donglou, who was also there to investigate spies in the northern desert.
“At first, we all thought there was something wrong with each other, so we were wary of each other and made quite a few jokes.” Zhou Yanling scratched her head embarrassedly. “Later, I don’t know what happened, Sister Saijin and Lu Tongzhi suddenly disappeared for several days at the same time. When they came back, they seemed different.”
Later, she was finally able to fight alongside Liang Saijin, while Lu Donglou and his Imperial Guards stayed behind to gather intelligence on the enemy, uncovering many spies and freeing them from any worries.
"Sister Saijin said that Lu Donglou is His Majesty's confidant. If they can get his support, she and Uncle Liang can act freely in the Northern Border without worrying about anyone in the court interfering. So they must do whatever it takes to build a good relationship with him..."
Shen Lingyue's eyes lit up as she listened, and she couldn't wait to ask, "So it was Liang Niangzi who provoked Lu the fox first, and he neither refused nor took the initiative, but half-heartedly gave in?" "Is that right?" Zhou Yanling blinked uncertainly, "Anyway, only a few of us close friends know about their relationship. He never stays overnight in Sister Saijin's room and always leaves before dawn."
Even when Uncle Liang passed away, Prefect Lu said he would personally go to the capital to submit his will, and the two of them had a big argument before he left.
“I only found out she was pregnant when I saw Sister Saijin secretly retching in her room,” Zhou Yanling sighed, resting her chin on her hand. “But I promised her I would keep it a secret, especially not to let my brother-in-law know.”
She followed Lu Donglou back to Beijing, never expecting things to escalate so much. Now he's been sent all the way to the southwest, without even a chance to say goodbye to Sister Saijin, and he'll be leaving soon...
Zhou Yanling was undecided and looked to Yan Yi for help: "Big sister, what should I do? What if we never see them again?"
"Don't worry, it won't happen." Shen Lingyue waved her hand confidently and said, "I can guarantee that Lu Donglou will be able to sort out the mess in the Southwest within three to five years, and then he can be transferred back!"
When the time comes, the first thing Lu Donglou will do is head straight to the northern border, where he will find that Liang Niangzi has a smart baby who is a few years old, and a loyal second male lead who is suspected to be the child's father.
He chases, she flees, she has no way to escape, a genius baby at three and a half years old, a love-hate relationship between opposing lovers, cold-faced hatred, plus a bit of undercover and Mr. & Mrs. Smith elements...
"Our cultural traditions are interconnected, truly interconnected!"
Shen Lingyue slammed her hand on the table and stood up, excitedly pacing around on the floor. She said to the two of them, "You two can chat slowly. I'm going to find my cousin to start her new book!"
We've already written about female top scholars and their husbands, so adding a female general wouldn't be too much to ask, right?
With all these popular elements combined, wouldn't it seduce all the ladies and young women in the capital?
When Yan Yi saw the gleam in Xiao Yue Liang's eyes, she knew that Xiao Yue Liang was imagining some strange things again. She laughed and called out to her back, "Take it easy, your cousin isn't an octopus."
"Make money as early as possible!"
Shen Lingyue waved her hand without turning her head, "If I don't write more books while I'm young and strong, I won't be able to write anymore when I'm old!"
Watching her hurried figure disappear into the distance, Zhou Yanling looked bewildered and asked Yan Yi, "Is she like this at home too?"
Why does it seem so silly?
Now I don't have to worry about my eldest sister being mistreated at the Marquis's mansion...
“It’s normal, we’re used to it.” Yan Yi smiled and changed the subject, then comforted her, “You don’t need to worry about them. The situation in the court has changed drastically. With Princess Tong’an’s help, Lady Liang will surely get what she wants.”
"No wonder I saw Her Highness when I left the palace; it turns out she came specifically to see Magistrate Lu?"
Zhou Yanling didn't quite understand, but she trusted her older sister; if she said it, it must be fine.
"Oh, right, sister, I have another favor to ask." She looked a little embarrassed. "Sister Saijin had just gotten pregnant when Uncle Liang passed away, and now Brother-in-law Lu can't go back to be with her either. I'm worried that her pregnancy might not be stable. Do you have any good remedies or herbs to help her have a healthy pregnancy? Could you give me some?"
"No problem, we'll go to the warehouse now and pack some more."
Yan Yi breathed a sigh of relief because Pei Jingyi had prepared far too much stuff. She felt nauseous just looking at all the soups and broths and decided to pack them up and send them to those who needed them more.
While Pei Jingyi was away, the two sisters sneaked into the storeroom and packed two large bundles full of cloth for Zhou Yanling, which were heavy to carry on their backs.
"This, this is too much!"
Zhou Yanling felt embarrassed; she had been taking food and gifts...
"Not much, not much. I deeply admire Lady Liang for defending the country against the enemy. I only hope that she is safe and sound."
Yan Yi personally escorted Zhou Yanling to the second gate and asked her, "How many days will you stay in the capital this time? Do you have a place to stay?"
Zhou Yanling struggled to lift the large package onto her shoulder, glanced at Yan Yi's expression, and whispered, "I plan to go home and visit. I've been gone for three years without writing a single letter home, and it's time to go back now."
She was closer to the Bai family at the border and they had been in contact with each other. Even though it wasn't written in Yan Yixin's letter, she knew that her eldest sister and the Zhou family had completely fallen out. Even the memorial tablet of Madam Bai had been moved out of the Zhou family ancestral hall.
But Yan Yi didn't say anything, she just smiled and tidied her hair, "Well, it's time to go home and visit."
She had no feelings for the Zhou family, but Yanling was different. No matter what, they were her biological parents and two brothers.
One thing at a time, this little thing won't affect their friendship.
"Big sister, I'll come see you again tomorrow." Zhou Yanling, carrying a large bundle, gave her a difficult hug.
Yan Yi caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye and immediately became nervous. She pushed Zhou Yanling, "Your brother-in-law is here! Hurry up and get out of here! Don't let him see us!"
Zhou Yanling ran away, feeling both amused and exasperated, as if she had been doing something wrong.
"Is Second Sister going back to the Zhou family?"
Pei Jingyi walked over and took Yan Yi's arm. He vaguely saw Zhou Yanling's "disheveled escape" figure and narrowed his eyes in confusion, asking, "Why is she running so fast? Is she hiding from me?"
"No, she's just homesick." Yan Yi quickly changed the subject, smiling as she asked him, "What are we having for dinner tonight?"
At this point, Pei Jingyi perked up, cleared his throat, and said, "I recently learned a nourishing soup recipe from an ancient book. It involves simmering an old hen, ginkgo nuts, ginseng rootlets, and various other warming and tonifying herbs together in a clay pot for three hours..."
Yan Yi's head was buzzing, and she regretted asking that question.
...
Zhou Yanling devised a plan and first took the large and small packages of tonics that Yan Yi had given her to Bai Family Trading Company for safekeeping.
Bai Ruinian went out of town to discuss business, leaving Su Hui at home with her two children. Upon hearing that Zhou Yanling had returned, she showered Su Hui with concern and asked her to stay for dinner.
Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou Yanling quickly declined, saying that she had to go back to the Zhou family home.
Su Hui then let her go. Seeing that she was about to leave empty-handed, she asked again, "Are you going back empty-handed like this? Aren't you going to bring them anything?"
Why is this child still so clumsy? Su Hui was about to call the shopkeeper over to prepare some gifts for her, just to make a show of it.
Zhou Yanling shook her head and said no, blinking her eyes as she said, "When I ran away from home, they didn't prepare anything for me either."
After saying that, she ran off in a flash, waving her hand without looking back: "Auntie, I'm leaving, please wait!"
Su Hui watched her retreating figure, shook her head and chuckled, muttering, "Truly, bad bamboo produces good shoots."
Zhou Chuan and Lin Qiyu are so lucky to have such a talented daughter.
As night deepened, few pedestrians were on the street, with only the lanterns hanging from the shops on both sides of the road swaying in the wind, emitting a dim yellow light.
Upon returning to the capital city she had been away from for so long, Zhou Yanling started running as she walked.
The familiar streets and alleys here feel soft and gentle, unlike the harsh and biting winds of the north that sting the cheeks.
When she could easily find her own front door with her eyes closed, Zhou Yanling stopped, feeling a sense of trepidation as she approached her hometown.
She's been away from home for three years without a word. Could her parents have thought she'd died out there?
Just as she was lost in thought, the heavy door was suddenly opened, and Zhou Chuan walked out with a cold face. "Why aren't you home? What are you standing there daydreaming about? Did you expect me to invite you in with a sedan chair carried by eight men, Commander Zhou?"
Towards the end, there was an inexplicable hint of gritted teeth.
During the day, he vaguely caught a glimpse of his daughter's profile at the palace gate. After asking around for a long time, he still couldn't confirm if it was her. He thought about waiting at the gate for a while, but he was afraid that the guards would misunderstand him as spying on the palace. So he could only go home with a heavy heart and waited until now.
When Zhou Yanling met his cold face, she strangely calmed down.
She spoke in the same familiar tone and manner, as if she had only run away from home for three days.
"Dad, I'm back." She gave Zhou Chuan a carefree smile and ran into the yard.
A short while later, Lin Qiyu's screams, a mixture of crying and laughing, came from the backyard.
"You heartless little brat, you finally decided to come back? Are you trying to drive me crazy... Waaah... Where have you been all these years...?"
After finally calming Lin Qiyu down, Zhou Yanling briefly told her and Zhou Chuan about her experiences serving in the army in the northern border and her meritorious service. She then easily picked up her three-year-old brother and played a game of lifting him high in the air, making the chubby boy laugh heartily.
"Go easy on him, or he'll get sleepy and I won't be able to sleep all night."
Lin Qiyu stroked Zhou Yanling's centurion token and whispered to Zhou Chuan, "Her speed in earning merit seems to be no less than yours when you were young?"
Zhou Chuan refused to admit it, snorting, "The court meeting today was a huge mess. How can a woman be a general? She's foolishly following that Lady Liang. She'll be dealt with by the court sooner or later."
In his view, Zhou Yanling being appointed a centurion was already incredibly lucky, so he was content. But this was merely a rank conferred by the border troops themselves, requiring no imperial approval, which allowed them to exploit a loophole. Unlike him, who was a Xuanwei General appointed by the imperial court with the approval of the Ministry of War. Zhou Yanling? No chance!
Zhou Chuan, his face dark, ordered her, "This time you're back, don't leave again. Stay home and keep your mother company. You ran away like that back then, making her so upset that she had a premature birth, and it took her years to recover. What kind of daughter are you?"
"Exactly, look at you now, where is the demure demeanor of a young lady?" Lin Qiyu said with a look of disgust. "Your skin is so rough, and your body is so stiff... How am I supposed to introduce you to your future husband's family?"
"You don't need to tell me."
Zhou Yanling couldn't help but retort, raising her head with a proud look, "I'll just find one myself when I go back to the Northern Border. There are plenty of young and strong men in our camp, they'd be lining up to marry me."
Lin Qiyu's vision went black, and she pushed Zhou Chuan twice with all her might.
"Look at you, your daughter's almost turned into a thug! What kind of mess have I made..."
That night, Lin Qiyu insisted on sleeping with Zhou Yanling, nagging and complaining to her.
“You have no idea how arrogant Zhou Yanyi has been these past few years. Relying on her position after marrying into the Marquis’s mansion, she doesn’t take us seriously at all. She even forced your father to write a divorce agreement and moved Bai’s memorial tablet out. What kind of unfilial daughter is this?”
Lin Qiyu tried to incite Zhou Yanling's righteous indignation, urging her: "You are my own daughter, you can't just stand by and watch your mother be ridden on by that brat, can you?"
Zhou Yanling had been running around all day and was exhausted, but she still had to force herself to stay awake and remind her, "I'm just a sixth-rank centurion, and your brother-in-law is the heir of a marquis's family and a senior official in the Ministry of War. Where am I supposed to stand up for you?"
Let alone her, even her father wouldn't dare to cause trouble at the Marquis's mansion.
Lin Qiyu poked her forehead and scolded her for being useless, then thought for a moment and sneered.
"Forget it, I'm not counting on you. She doesn't have many good days left anyway."
Zhou Yanling struggled to open half of her eyelids: "What?"
Lin Qiyu said with a hint of schadenfreude, "You don't know yet, do you? Prince Pei's birth mother, Princess Qinghe, once arranged a marriage for him with the eldest daughter of the Xie family of Chenliu, a truly noble and prestigious family. Now that they've come knocking on our door with the princess's letter, Zhou Yanyi will be thrown out of the house sooner or later..."
Zhou Yanling was now fully alert. She turned over and looked at her intently: "How did you know?"
Caught off guard, Lin Qiyu replied matter-of-factly, "After all, I am her stepmother in name only. If the Xie family wants to take back this marriage, they naturally have to test my intentions."
Not long ago, the matriarch of the Xie family in Chenliu visited her and brought her many precious gifts.
Besides, even disregarding the gifts, I'd be willing to pay Zhou Yanyi myself just to make her suffer a major setback...
Lin Qiyu was lost in her own world, imagining Yan Yi's tragic end, completely unaware of the fleeting chill in Zhou Yanling's eyes.
The Xie family, right? She remembered it.
Zhou Yanling subtly extracted information from the Xie family, successfully finding out their current temporary residence, before closing her eyes.
The next morning, she went to the address and banged on the door loudly.
"Open the door and tell your master to come out and see me!"
The house where the Xie family was temporarily staying was not large, with only two courtyards. Zhou Yanling's commotion even disturbed Madam Ma and Xie Mingke, who were resting in the backyard. They quickly washed up and rushed to the front.
Xie Mingke looked closely and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you?"
The tall woman standing imposingly at the door with her arms crossed was none other than the savior she had been searching for.
However, before she could even open her mouth to acknowledge her, Madam Ma stepped forward with a stern face and asked, "Who are you, and why are you so insolent in front of my Xie residence?"
"Who am I? I am the younger sister of the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Changning's household." Zhou Yanling introduced herself and looked Madam Ma up and down. "I heard that you want to force my sister to resign and make room for your Xie family's daughter?"
Madam Ma snorted coldly, "So what? It was our Xie family and the Pei family who were engaged first..."
Bang!
Zhou Yanling drew her sword and swung it, embedding it deep into the gate of the Xie residence with a resounding clang.
She clapped her hands, looked at Madam Ma whose face had turned pale with fright, and said calmly, "I don't care who went first or who went last. Anyone who dares to disturb my sister's pregnancy will have to ask my Dao first."
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Author's Note: Xie Mingke: [Sprinkling flowers] He's my savior!
(Wild goose feather swipes)
Xie Mingke: I think I'm 1.4 now [crying emoji]
//Let my cousin write about the Big Fox and Saijin couple [Let me see][Let me see] Leaving things unsaid is the best way to ship them, friends~ If I actually wrote it, you wouldn't find it so appealing [crying]
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