Chapter 75 His childhood sweetheart
Soon, the news that Chen Ling'an led his troops to the Chaobai River to reinforce the dike and block the breach reached Jinling City.
When people heard that they were risking their bodies to fight the flood, they felt so warm in their hearts. They were so moved!
Jiangnan, often called the land of abundance and abundance, has also suffered its fair share of disasters: flooding during the plum rain season, typhoons along the coast, and silted-up riverbanks. Which of these doesn't cause worry for the people? Where hasn't anyone been displaced by flooding?
Although they are in the south and the north, because of their similar circumstances, the people here have a natural and simple sympathy for the people there.
As a result, there was a lot of praise for the officers and soldiers of the 3,000-man Battalion, and Chen Ling'an's reputation also reversed.
After all, the "traitor" did not sell out his country, nor did he embezzle money, nor did he bully men and women, nor did he bully ordinary people to death.
He mostly targeted high-ranking officials in the court, more specifically his second uncle Chen Shao and his followers, and he could even pull out a corrupt official from time to time.
More and more people admire and praise Chen Ling'an.
But in the court, the trend was quite different from that among the people.
More than one censor impeached Chen Ling'an, accusing him of "treason" and capital punishment for his unauthorized deployment of 3,000 cavalry battalions without any official position or authority. While there were legitimate reasons for this, it was no excuse for his acquittal.
In a word, you can escape the death penalty, but you cannot escape the punishment of life imprisonment.
Some people also doubted that Chen Ling'an's motives were impure - the Three Thousand Battalion was a force raised by the court to fight and kill the enemy, not a tool for Chen Ling'an to gain fame. It would be such a waste and not worth it if they died in the flood!
The military generals in Yan were furious and wrote letters to intercede for Chen Ling'an and to commend him for his achievements. There were also civil officials such as Zheng Dicai who spoke up for Chen Ling'an.
But most of the court officials, including the Prime Minister Liu Fang, just stood by and watched, neither supporting punishment nor advocating rewards.
Emperor Hongde watched the reactions of all parties coldly without making any statement.
Until the Wanmin Umbrella given to the Sanqian Camp by the local people appeared in the court.
Along with Wanminsan, a memorial from Liu Jinshu, the magistrate of Miyun County, was also brought to Beijing. Without any embellishment or bias, he described the situation of the instantaneous collapse of the dam in an extremely calm and objective tone.
"...If the situation cannot be contained, I will only die as an apology. The three thousand soldiers in the battalion turned the tide and saved lives from destruction. They are my benefactors and the people's benefactors! To have such soldiers is a blessing to the people, to the Emperor, and to the entire world!"
There was no mention of Chen Ling'an, but every word between the lines was speaking up for Chen Ling'an.
This is interesting. Liu Jinshu has become a pillar of the Qingliu movement because of his opposition to the ban on academies. Even he acknowledges Chen Lingan's contributions and even calls him his "benefactor." So...
Emperor Hongde looked at the ministers in the hall with great interest. "What do you think, my dear ministers?"
A fragrant breeze blew past the hall, the eaves bells jingled, and the hall was completely silent.
Only the countless ribbons embroidered with the names of the people under the umbrella of Wanmin, carrying their sincere gratitude, fluttered gracefully in the wind.
-
There is still a hint of heat in Nanjing in August, but it is already very cold in Beijing.
The day was bright today. Chen Ling'an lay on the soft couch in the clinic with a thin blanket draped over his knees, basking in the sun with his eyes closed, holding the imperial edict from Nanjing in his hand.
Xiao Man Duanyao walked in and saw this and jokingly said, "Others, after receiving the imperial edict, would offer it respectfully, but you, on the other hand, have read it over and over again. The Commander of the Three Thousand Battalion is a third-rank official, one rank higher than your former Commanding General, but he's not as prestigious as the Jinyiwei, and yet he's so rare!"
Chen Ling'an placed the imperial edict on the low table beside him. "The Emperor intends to expand the battalion by 3,000 and also to form the Divine Machine Battalion. I'm wondering how much salary would be appropriate."
Xiaoman glared at him, "You haven't done anything yet, and you're already thinking about how to get rich?"
Chen Ling'an sighed, "Who made me marry a spendthrift wife? She's squandered all my savings."
The Three Thousand Battalion had lost dozens of men and injured dozens more during the flood relief efforts in Miyun County, but the compensation the court had given them was far from generous. Xiaoman, acting on his own initiative, distributed nearly all of the remaining silver to his fellow soldiers.
Xiao Man blushed and said unyieldingly, "Aren't there still tens of thousands of taels left? It's more than enough for us! We can earn more money if we lose it. When did you become so stingy?"
Chen Lingan smiled helplessly, "Okay, the world is big, but my wife's words are the most important."
"Bah, who is your wife? She hasn't even married you yet." Xiaoman stuffed the medicine bowl into his hand, "Drink the medicine quickly. I don't want to marry a weak and sickly person."
Chen Lingan smiled, took the bowl of medicine and drank it.
Xiaoman was about to take the bowl of medicine when Chen Lingan grabbed her hand and pulled it hard.
Caught off guard, she was pinned down by him.
"A weak and sickly person?" Chen Ling'an's voice was low and hoarse, with an indescribable sense of oppression.
Xiaoman's heart was pounding and she pushed him subconsciously.
Instead, he moved even closer.
Their breaths intertwined with each other's, and their skins transmitted each other's warmth.
Thump, thump, feeling each other's heartbeat.
The slightly bitter aroma of medicine came from the lips, spreading from the tip of the tongue to the entire mouth bit by bit.
The body that was as stiff as a wooden sculpture gradually became soft, and the slightly cool skin was soon heated by him, becoming as hot as a furnace.
An indescribable feeling was rippling in Xiaoman's heart. Her body seemed to be expanding, but there seemed to be a large empty space, which made her feel very uncomfortable.
Chen Ling'an let go.
Xiaoman curled up her body, nestled in his arms and breathing slightly. She glanced at him sideways, her eyes moving, as if expressing both anger and joy.
The thought that Chen Ling'an had barely suppressed suddenly flared up again.
But no matter how ridiculous he was, he knew that this was absolutely not the right time.
The wind swayed the trees, and the rich fragrance of osmanthus permeated the house through the window.
"Xiaoman, look, the osmanthus flowers are blooming."
Xiaoman wanted to laugh. She went in and out every day, and she was not blind. How could she not see the osmanthus flowers blooming?
Before she could laugh, she suddenly thought of something, and she quickly bit her tongue and gently hugged the person she loved most.
The osmanthus flowers in the courtyard were in full bloom, their golden petals adorning the branches in layers and clusters. A breeze blew, and the petals fell gently like a drizzle, softly covering the blue brick path in the middle of the yard.
"A house full of gold and jade..."
Xiaoman took out a small brocade box from the bedside box and opened it gently. On the dark red velvet, lay a withered and yellowed petal.
Chen Ling'an was a little surprised. "Is it the magnolia petal I gave you?"
Xiaoman nodded and said, "I can't bear to bury it in the academy."
Nancui Academy has been completely demolished, and there is no trace of its past. This petal can be regarded as proof of the existence of the academy.
Chen Ling'an picked up the petal, opened the window, reached out his hand, and gently pinched it.
"Oh!" Xiaoman couldn't help but scream.
"Let the past be the past," Chen Ling'an said softly, "I've been stuck in the past for too long. It's time to say goodbye to the past once and for all."
He opened his hands, and the tiny petals were like dust, picked up by the wind and dissipated with the wind, never to be seen again.
Xiaoman stared out the window blankly, and before she knew it, her face was covered with tears.
Chen Lingan wiped the tears from her face and said, "Before I turned twenty, I wanted to avenge myself and then die. After I turned twenty, I wanted to live a good life."
He hugged her tightly and said, "When I was washed away by the water, I was terrified. I had never been so afraid of death before."
Xiaoman's tears flowed even harder. "Who wouldn't be afraid of death? But you managed to survive. If you survive a disaster, you will surely have good fortune in the future. From now on, everything will go smoothly for you, and you will never have to worry again!"
Chen Ling'an murmured, "From now on, I will belong to you completely and exclusively. I will laugh for you alone and cry for you alone."
Xiaoman burst into laughter and said, "Cry? Come on, stop it. You will shed tears again unless the sun rises from the west."
Chen Lingan touched his nose a little embarrassedly.
Mrs. Jiang's voice came from outside the courtyard.
"Mom is back." Xiaoman got off the ground. "Hearing her cheerful laughter, there must be good news."
"Xiao Man!" Mrs. Jiang called out, "Come and see the dowry I prepared for you!"
Boxes of all sizes filled the courtyard, the side rooms, and the veranda. Mrs. Jiang took Xiaoman with her, looking at each one with great interest and discussing them one by one. Jinxiu and Mother Fang gestured to show how to arrange the furniture and how to put things...
Chen Ling'an stood in the corridor and looked at them, with a smile from the corners of his mouth to the bottom of his eyes.
"Yanjin plums!" Xiaoman came over and held the plums to his mouth. "Open your mouth."
Chen Ling'an did not frown and say "I don't like it" as he did before.
He obediently opened his mouth and took the little green plum into his mouth.
The perfect salty and fresh taste, the sour taste that stimulates the deepest part of his heart, and the endless sweetness have been completely integrated into his soul and will be unforgettable forever.
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