Chapter 6 Chapter 6 How did Liu Lang fall into the water...
Except for Fang Ying, the five daughters-in-law of the Ji family are all daughters of military families.
Second Mother Yue Qing'e's father was originally the governor of the Zhaowu Army in Shu. After surrendering to the Chen Dynasty, he was transferred to the governor of the Tianping Army, still holding the title of governor. The Yue and Ji families had a long-standing relationship, and she was the de facto eldest daughter-in-law, with the support of the Li family. Logically, she should have been very confident. However, after more than six years of marriage, she only had two daughters. Her sisters-in-law, who already had children, were inevitably eager to try their luck, and would often compete with her for supremacy.
Among them, the one who led the vanguard was Sanniang An. An's family background was no worse than Yue Qing'e's. Her father was one of the earliest and most trusted followers of the First Lord of Shu, and had once served as prime minister. However, after the First Lord's death, the Later Lord was wary of the old ministers' power and quickly dismissed An's father.
Later, the State of Chen attacked Shu. Because the two Jiedushi Ji and Yue had surrendered to Chen first, they counterattacked Shu. The later lord had only mediocre men under his command and was unable to resist. After repeated defeats, he had no choice but to surrender. The officials in Shu were also forced to move to the eastern part of Chen State with the later lord.
An's father was also among them. Although he only got the honorary title of General of the Right Thousand Oxen Guard in the end, and was no longer noble, the government gave him a lot of salary as a sign of favor. In addition, her brothers also held official positions, so he was not considered to be in decline.
Furthermore, when sisters-in-law compete with each other, they not only focus on the wife's family, but more on whether the husband has a promising future and can give birth to a son.
Although the third son, Ji Yanchang, was born out of wedlock, he had been in the military since the age of fourteen. He had accompanied his father on campaigns over the years and had risen through the ranks. His current rank and authority surpassed Ji Yanshou, a civil servant in Beijing. An, herself, had married a few months after Yue Qing'e, but already had a son and a daughter. Her eldest son, now four years old, was the eldest grandson of the Ji family and greatly favored by Ji Guangting.
With these things to rely on, she had never been very convinced of Yue Qing'e, her second sister-in-law. When Ji Yanlang got into trouble three years ago, Li was exhausted and had no time to take care of the mansion. Yue Qing'e gave birth to a daughter as her second child. An felt that the entire Ji Mansion should belong to their family in the future, and she put all her efforts into competing for the position of housekeeper.
Given the circumstances at the time, her idea was not wishful thinking - no matter how noble Madam Ji Li's status was before, Shu had been destroyed, and the emperor was left with only the title of Duke of Deng, and he had also turned against the Ji family; besides, the eldest brother was dead, the second branch had no children, and the sixth brother was missing out without a husband, so it was definitely their third branch's turn to step forward.
Moreover, An was not fighting alone. She had the support of Sanlang's biological mother, Aunt He, and Fourth Lady Cheng.
Aunt He was a useless woman except for her beauty and fertility. She knew it herself and had been quite content for many years. However, as the lady's sons met with accidents one after another, her own sons gradually became successful, and her brothers from her natal family also made achievements under Ji Guangting. She thought that she would finally make it and could become a lady in the future.
As for Cheng, apart from the fact that the fourth son Ji Yanqing was also born to Concubine He, and was born to the same mother as the third son, and therefore had natural interests with them, she was more convinced that Ji Yanlang was dead, and that Ji Yanshou and his wife were nothing to worry about.
No one expected that Master Lu would suddenly appear and say that Ji Yanlang was not dead. He asked Li to cheer up and find a wife for Ji Yanlang to bring him good luck. As soon as she came home, he entrusted her with the important task of assisting with the household chores, thus putting an end to An's idea of taking over the housekeeping power alone.
What made An and others even more angry was that the new daughter-in-law Fang Ying, who came from an unknown family, pretended to be soft and gentle all day long. When they really confronted each other, she not only refused to give in, but also made them return empty-handed every time, leaving them unable to speak out their grievances.
Before there was no news about Ji Yanlang, An and Concubine He could still comfort each other to some extent - she could not be proud for many years, Liulang's ship sank in the naval battle, and he was not among the captives. He must have been dead, so could it be that he was captured by the Dragon King to be his son-in-law?
——That's right! Sooner or later, she will be content to be a widow, and then she will naturally have to bow down and make a living under our hands.
But today Ji Yanlang came back, not only safe and sound, but also made great contributions by capturing the enemy's main general alive. The prisoners were presented to the Taimiao and the government gave him food. He was about to rise to a high position in the world. Fang Ying's life was so good that it made people grit their teeth.
"Liu Lang seems to have suffered a lot. Tell us how you have been spending the past three years? And how did you escape after falling into the water that year?" An couldn't wait to ask as soon as she sat down.
There was no partition in the flower hall. The sisters-in-law were separated from the room where Mrs. Li and her sons sat outside by a screen. They could only see the figures of the people opposite them, but it did not hinder their conversation.
"It's the blessing of our ancestors..."
Ji Yanlang had just said a few words when Li interrupted him and added, "And the Buddha."
"Yes, thanks to the protection of Buddha and our ancestors," Ji Yanlang followed his mother's lead and changed his words, "Although I fell into the water, I wasn't injured..."
Fang Ying had never heard of this before, so she immediately put down the teacup in her hand and listened attentively.
Ji Yanlang was not injured. After floating up from the water, he naturally wanted to find a intact warship of the Chen State to board. However, several warships of the Chen State had already sunk, and the river was in chaos, making it difficult for him to swim across.
Moreover, seeing that his side was about to retreat, Ji Yanlang became so excited that he simply swam towards the enemy warship, hoping to find an opportunity to sink an enemy ship and boost the morale of Chen's army.
He was really lucky. Not only did he avoid the hidden arrows shot from the enemy ship, he also successfully touched the bottom of an enemy warship. Unfortunately, at this moment, King Cai was hit by an arrow, and the Chen army retreated in panic. Ji Yanlang had no sharp weapon in his hand, so he had to give up.
"I tried to swim ashore during the chaos, but I ran out of energy and passed out. When I woke up, I was already in a fisherman's house. I later learned that the fisherman was originally a Han Chinese. Before the war, he had been captured along with his boat by the Jiaozhi barbarians. He had turned to the Han people and found me on the river. Seeing that I was still alive, he hid me under the planks of his boat and brought me home."
"Then this fisherman is truly a great benefactor to our family," An sighed in a pretentious tone, "We must thank him well."
"Third sister-in-law is right. It's a pity that this brother... unfortunately died in battle."
Living in troubled times, even if those present hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they'd heard plenty of such stories. An sighed casually, "It's truly a pity," and then pressed on, "Since you were already out of danger, why didn't you come back?"
Ji Yanlang said, "Third sister-in-law, you don't know that the Baijiang River basin is deep in the heart of Jiaozhi. After our army retreated, the Jiaozhi army even pursued us by land and sea. If I rashly go north, I'm afraid I'll be caught as a spy."
An didn't know what kind of river the Bai River was. She'd always heard Jiaozhi was just a tiny place, and she wondered what kind of territory it could possibly have. Besides, wouldn't it be a good idea to capture him? He could still return home two years early. Liu Lang must have been too proud to return in disgrace, deliberately hiding there for three years, waiting until today's triumphant return.
After listening to the previous story, Mrs. Li ordered the dishes to be served and talked while they ate.
When the food and wine were served, everyone raised their glasses together, first congratulating Ji Guangting for successfully suppressing the rebellion and receiving a higher title, then congratulating Ji Yanlang for capturing the enemy and returning safely, and finally celebrating the country's prestige and family reunion.
After drinking three cups of wine, An took advantage of no one's attention and raised her foot to touch Cheng, the fourth wife sitting below her, under the table. Then, when Cheng looked at her, she winked at Fang Ying.
Cheng understood, put down her chopsticks, raised her cup, and said to Fang Ying, "Today is a good day for Sixth Sister-in-law to finally see the moon. Come, Fourth Sister-in-law will offer you a toast. I wish you and Sixth Brother a happy and harmonious life, and that you will soon give me some plump grandchildren to enjoy."
This sentence pierced the hearts of two people. Fang Ying saw Yue Qing'e frowning unconsciously, but she seemed not to hear the hidden meaning. She smiled and clinked glasses with Cheng: "Thank you, fourth sister-in-law." Then she raised her glass and drank without saying another word.
An immediately perked up. Turning her head, she said to the other side of the screen, "Sixth Brother, you must treat your sixth sister-in-law well from now on. If it weren't for her auspicious fortune, you might not have such good luck. Besides, you weren't here when you entered the house, which was already unfair to her. In the past two years, she has been filial to your mother on your behalf, helping your second sister-in-law with all the big and small matters in the mansion, and even taking care of the affairs of your fourth sister-in-law and me. Your sixth sister-in-law has worked really hard."
Ji Yanlang never interacted much with his sisters-in-law. When he heard this, his first reaction was: "My good luck is all due to Fang Ying?" He was frowning when the fourth sister-in-law took over again.
"Yeah, mother has the best taste. She doesn't care about family background, she only chooses those with good fortune and ability..."
Hearing the two daughters-in-law's ill-intentioned words echoing each other, Li Shi wanted to set a trap for Fang Ying in public, so she interrupted, "Fourth Lady, aren't you just bragging? Honestly, which one of you wasn't chosen by me?"
Cheng had no choice but to smile and say, "That's right, mother."
Seeing that her mother-in-law was protecting Fang Ying, An finally stopped her quarrel - after all, with Liu Lang's temper, the couple still had more quarrels to make, so there was no need to worry about not having fun.
Fang Ying was finally able to eat her food in peace for a while and wait for the roasted whole lamb - compared with the roasted whole lamb, the instigation of the two sisters-in-law was nothing.
The three brothers were discussing their father's impending return to the capital. Ji Yanshou said, "Now that the south has been stabilized, the emperor will probably soon launch a military operation against the northwest. I've heard them say they can't wait until next spring. Father's return to the capital is also closely related to this war."
The current situation in the world is that the Hu people in the north have occupied the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, and in the west the Dingnan Jiedushi has controlled the Five Prefectures of Hexi. In Hedong, between the two, there are ten prefectures controlled by the Hedong Jiedushi who has established the Zhao State. The northwest that Ji Yanshou mentioned refers to the Zhao State.
Their father, Ji Guangting, is now the governor of Zhangde Army. His capital, Xiangzhou, is far away from the Zhao capital, Taiyuan. The government summoned him back to the capital at this time, and the deep meaning behind it is self-evident.
"Well, the third prince also said so on the way to Beijing. This great victory over Jiaozhi has greatly boosted the morale of our army. We should take advantage of this opportunity to wipe out Northern Zhao in one fell swoop." Ji Yanlang said.
As soon as he got home, he was eager to start the next battle. Li Shi didn't like it and interrupted, "How can it be that easy? I heard that Taiyuan City is impregnable and easy to defend but difficult to attack. Northern Zhao has also formed an alliance with the Hu people. If our army moves, the Hu people will definitely come to our aid."
Ji Yanlang smiled and said, "Mother is absolutely right. If you were born a man, you would definitely be a great general who commands with confidence and wins every battle."
"Stop talking nonsense. I see the lamb is roasted outside. Go cut it up and serve it to my brothers and sisters-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Fang Ying immediately put down her chopsticks and waited for the roasted whole lamb. Her fifth sister-in-law Gao, who had hardly said a word since the beginning of the banquet, saw her put down her chopsticks and raised her teacup to quietly congratulate her: "Tea instead of wine, it's good that you're back, there's still a long way to go."
This didn't make sense at first, but Fang Ying knew after a moment's thought that it must be the Fifth Uncle who went back and told her that Ji Yanlang hadn't been kind in front of Li. The Fifth Sister-in-law had always been a kind person. Fang Ying sincerely thanked her and clinked teacups with her.
Yue Qing'e on the opposite side saw this and said, "You two are clinking glasses quietly, why didn't you call me?" She also raised her glass to join in the fun.
The two sisters-in-law, An and Cheng, took the news of the expedition against Northern Zhao to heart and gathered together to whisper. Ji Si Niang was always a quiet person, and there was a rare moment of harmony at the table.
After a while, the mutton was finally served on the table. Fang Ying ignored everything else and immersed herself in savoring the delicious and fragrant mutton. Just as she was enjoying her meal, she heard Li's order from behind the screen: "Take this plate of meat to Liu Niang."
She was a little surprised, and quickly put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth, stood up, and bowed to the screen to express her gratitude.
"No need to thank me, just sit down and enjoy your meal. Your third and fourth sisters-in-law are right. You have worked really hard over the past two years."
"I don't deserve it." Fang Ying bowed respectfully again, "It's what a daughter-in-law should do. It's not hard."
Mrs. Li said, "Not everyone can do what needs to be done. Now, sit down and eat."
No one at the table was a fool, and everyone knew exactly who Li was targeting. The hall was therefore very quiet for a while.
Ji Yanlang was even more puzzled. After the banquet, he took the opportunity to send his mother back to her room and quietly asked Li: "I've been away from home for the past three years. What happened at home? My third and fourth sisters-in-law, do you dare to disrespect you?"
Li sighed deeply: "So many things have happened in the past three years. I'm tired and want to go to bed early. You go back and ask your wife." Then she pushed his hand away, not asking him to see her off, and went back to her room.
Ji Yanlang had no choice but to stay where he was and watch his mother leave until they were out of sight. Then he slowly headed east in the cold wind and returned to his own yard.
The author has something to say:
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Writing about the Ji family is a bit tiring, and I guess you will feel a bit dizzy too, so here is a character list:
Ji Guangting - the father of the male protagonist, served as the Jiedushi of Zhangde Army, and was successively promoted to Jianxiu Taifu and Tongpingzhangshi, and was granted the title of Duke of Yingchuan County.
Li - the mother of the male protagonist, gave birth to the eldest son Ji Yanzong (deceased); the second son Ji Yanshou (wife Yue Qing'e); and the sixth son Yanlang.
Sanlang Yanchang (born by Aunt He and his wife An);
Silang Yanqing (born to Aunt He, his wife was Cheng);
Wulang Yanhui (wife Gao).
My daughters will talk to me after I finish writing.
Ah, I'll be happy when I write about the young couple in the next chapter. Good night~
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