Chapter 73 Chapter 73 There is definitely something fishy going on!
Xiaoman was very nervous, afraid that Chen Lingan would not be selected, but also afraid that he would be selected.
He was even more afraid that the emperor, still angry, would kick him back to the prison camp to do hard labor, completely destroying his chance of turning things around.
Waiting is the most torturous thing in the world!
Xiaoman was very anxious. She was restless, unable to eat or sleep, and was running around like an ant on a hot pan. Otherwise, she would just sit on the porch and stare blankly at the north.
Mrs. Jiang was so anxious that she tried all kinds of delicious food for her, but it was no use. Xiaoman put down her chopsticks after taking a few bites and said she was full when asked.
It wasn't until Xiao Jiang brought the news again: Chen Ling'an was selected for the 3,000-man cavalry battalion! Her soul finally returned to her body.
Mrs. Jiang and her sister sighed, "This girl is deeply devoted to me. Even I wasn't as devoted as she was back then. Chen Ling'an seems fine now, but I'm worried that when she gets promoted and gets rich, she might change..."
Little Jiang smiled and said, "No need for the future. Wasn't he powerful before and treated your daughter badly? He's already given half his fortune to your daughter, and you're still worried?"
Mrs. Chiang laughed at this. "Once bitten by a snake, I'm afraid of the rope for ten years. Now I understand how my mother felt back then."
Mentioning their deceased parents, the two sisters couldn't help but feel sad.
Seeing the atmosphere grow somewhat subdued, Mrs. Jiang quickly changed the subject. "I don't ask for Chen Ling'an to be rich and powerful. As long as he can escape the charge of crime and live an ordinary life with Xiaoman, that wouldn't be bad either."
Thinking of what her husband said in the letter, Xiao Jiang thought that her sister's expectations might be dashed.
Chen Ling'an was a good hand at carrying out missions and arresting people, and he was even more amazing in fighting. He was quick-witted and had many unusual tactics. He was extremely daring and dared to "stab the enemy in the butt" with a small team of dozens of people.
Her husband even said that it was a waste of Chen Ling'an's talent to work in the Jinyiwei!
The emperor will definitely make the most of this knife.
Xiao Jiang sighed softly, and Chen Ling'an was definitely not someone who was willing to retire to the countryside and be indifferent to fame and fortune.
In their Chen family, no matter it is Chen Ling'an's father, the former cabinet minister Chen Shao, or even Chen Lingyi and Chen Ling'an, no one is willing to keep quiet!
After the early spring of February, it is March, and in the blink of an eye it is the Dragon Boat Festival again. The days are passing so fast that it is hard to catch up.
With the Emperor at the helm, the soldiers worked tirelessly, and reports of victory poured in. Everyone said the Tartars had been frightened and dispersed, and that the army would return to the capital in a few days.
Xiaoman's mood was so bright that even the dry and hot summer didn't seem so annoying anymore.
"Why is it so rare for it to rain in the north?" Mrs. Jiang looked up at the cloudless sky. "Only a thin layer of snow fell this winter, and there was a drizzle during the Qingming Festival. There hasn't been a single decent rain so far. Is there a drought?"
She asked Xiaoman to write to the village heads, "Ask them about the situation over there. If the harvest is not good this year, they can reduce the rent."
Xiaoman was delighted. "If I write it as you said, even if this year is a good year, they will report a poor harvest! Let's wait and see during the autumn harvest. If there really isn't much harvest, we can reduce or exempt it, and then you can make the decision."
Mrs. Jiang smiled and said, "Oh, the little girl has grown up and can take care of household chores. She will definitely be smart and capable when she becomes the head of the household in the future!"
Xiaoman hesitated, "What are you talking about..."
"You're still embarrassed to go up," Mrs. Jiang teased her. "Your aunt told me that Chen Ling'an's name is on the first page of the merit book for this expedition to Mobei! Not only can his merits atone for his crimes and earn him freedom, he might even be able to become a Tongzhi again."
Xiaoman's eyes darkened. "I'm afraid there will be too many people who oppose him. He didn't have a good reputation before. Although he has made a contribution this time, the civil officials have always looked down on military officers... Alas, the emperor has shown great favor by clearing him of the charges. I dare not ask for anything else."
She was right. There was a lot of discussion in the court about the commendation of Chen Ling'an. Few people agreed, and opposition was widespread.
By June, everyone had received their rewards, either promotions or silver awards, except Chen Ling'an, who received nothing except a transfer to the Jingji camp with the army.
It's gloomy today. Dark clouds are pressing in from the west and slowly filling up the entire sky.
"It's going to rain." Xue Chao sniffed hard. "I can smell the smell of rain in the air. God, either there's no rain at all, or it comes down hard."
He asked Chen Ling'an, "Why don't we stay here and let our brothers rest after a long day's journey?"
During this northern expedition, it was Chen Ling'an who led the 3,000-strong battalion to fight. Although he was only a small flagman now, everyone was used to following his orders.
Chen Ling'an looked up at the sky and said, "We're only twenty miles away from Miyunwei. Let's hurry up and have a comfortable night's rest at the garrison. I know everyone there, so I won't say anything else, but there's plenty of wine."
When they heard there was wine, the soldiers of the Three Thousand Battalion became very excited and rode their horses as fast as they could, fearing that if they were too late the wine would be gone!
The sky was getting darker and darker, and black clouds with gold edges fell to the earth like mountains. When the last soldier entered the Miyun Guard Station, the sky seemed to be unable to bear the pressure anymore. There was a loud bang like an explosion, and thunder instantly split the dark sky.
The wind was howling, and raindrops as big as beans came down with a crackling sound, making the camp resound like the roar of the sea.
It’s raining so hard. Fortunately we didn’t camp outdoors, otherwise the tent would have been blown away by the wind!
Xue Chao was secretly rejoicing when a tall and mighty man came out of the signing room, running and jumping. Judging from his attire, he should be a fifth-rank official such as a Qianhu or Zhenfu. He looked quite scary, but his face was covered with traces of tears.
Who is this?
But the strong man hugged Chen Ling'an and cried, "Sir..." He cried like a child.
Xue Chao and others were stunned.
Wu Yong was already crying and out of breath, "I thought I would never see you again."
Chen Lingan pushed him away in disgust.
But after a while, the guy came back and said something like "I'm so tired for her" in a pretentious way. Chen Ling'an almost vomited the food he had eaten the night before.
The war had stopped and it was not at the border, so the defense of Miyunwei was relatively relaxed and occasional drinking was not prohibited.
The meals in the camp were all ready-made. When the kitchen learned that the captain's old boss had arrived, they added several more hearty dishes such as smoked meat and roast chicken without any instructions.
Wu Yong was eager to pour Chen Ling'an some wine. "This wine is really strong, but not intoxicating. I got it from General Lu. The people from the Governor's Office asked me for it, but I didn't want to give it to them. I was just waiting for you to come!"
Chen Ling'an smiled and covered his wine bowl. "It's not appropriate. I have no official position now. I'm just a soldier. How can I trouble the captain to pour me some wine?"
"Sir!" Wu Yong's tears fell faster than the rain, and his voice was full of grievance.
Chen Ling'an's face froze and he moved his hand away.
Wu Yong immediately smiled happily, "I told you that Master wouldn't forget us brothers. My wife is coming to Peking right away. When the time comes, I'll ask Miss San to help me decide which house to buy—preferably next to Master's."
Chen Lingan laughed, "I don't know where it will end up."
"There's definitely something fishy going on! It's either Liu Fang or that bunch of useless Confucian scholars causing trouble!" Wu Yongqi grumbled. "During the war, they all cower like turtles, and when others win, they jump out, relying on their knowledge to make random comments, saying this is wrong and that is wrong. Bah! If we were still in the Northern Pacification Office, we would have invited them to the Imperial Prison for tea long ago."
After saying that, he moved closer to Chen Ling'an and smiled mysteriously, "Sir, do you know who I met in Miyun County?"
Chen Lingan put his fingers against his head and gently pushed it back. "Who?"
"Liu Jinshu!" Wu Yong slapped his thigh. "That guy was demoted to Miyun as a county magistrate. Haha, you didn't expect that, did you?"
Chen Ling'an was stunned. "Why was he demoted?"
Wu Yong gloated, "Because he opposed the ban on academies. Knowing the emperor's will was undeniable, he still publicly submitted a memorial of opposition and privately contacted his classmates, trying every possible means to protect local academies. And last winter, he completely angered the emperor and was kicked out of the Hanlin Academy and sent to Miyun."
"He's really unlucky." Wu Yong sneered, "If it had been delayed until February this year, he would have avoided this."
As the emperor personally led the expedition to Mobei, the controversy surrounding the ban on the academy gradually faded, and now no one mentioned it anymore - it was a difficult matter to begin with, and since the emperor's original goal had been achieved, he simply turned a blind eye.
Chen Ling'an shook his head. Things in the world are unpredictable. Who knows what will happen in the future?
Forget it, let’s just drink.
The rain poured down for two days and one night. When it finally stopped, the clouds didn't disperse, and the sky remained gloomy. The official road was also extremely muddy, and the yellow mud was so deep that it covered your ankles.
Wu Yong asked Chen Ling'an and his companions to stay for two more days. "The rain is going to continue. There are rivers and mountains ahead. It will be troublesome if the mountains collapse. It's better to wait until the weather clears up before leaving."
There is still some time before the deadline of the military order. These are brothers who survived the battlefield, and Chen Lingan does not want them to be in danger again.
As a result, less than a day after the rain stopped, another heavy rainstorm came.
It rained on and off, and there was not a single sunny day for fourteen consecutive days. It seemed as if God wanted to concentrate all the rain and snow for the winter, spring and summer in these few days.
The garrison was located on high ground, with high walls made of stone bricks on all sides. Except for a few low-lying areas with accumulated water and a few low and simple houses with leaks, nothing else was affected.
It doesn't matter if vegetables, fruits, fresh meat and the like cannot be delivered for the time being. There is food stored in the camp, so it will be no problem to hold out for another ten days or half a month.
Therefore, from the commander to the privates, no one cared about the endless rain.
Only Chen Ling'an noticed that the river water was almost overflowing the dam.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
