Chapter 146: Every word and sentence is unforgettable
Madam Yue continued to act and simply closed her eyes and lay motionless in Nanny Zheng's arms.
Nanny Zheng took a look at the current situation and was about to continue crying.
"Come, take grandma back to rest, and ask a doctor to come and see her."
Yue You was too lazy to argue with the two of them, so he just gave an order and asked two servants to take away Nanny Zheng and Madam Yue.
After taking the person away, Yue You stepped forward and helped Yue Zhu up.
"Dad, are you okay?"
Yue Zhu shook his head and asked, "Where's your mother?"
Mrs. Qu was a kindhearted woman who fell in love with Yuezhu at first sight when they were young. She was particularly resolute in her life, marrying him and protecting her children. If Yuezhu hadn't repeatedly defended her, even threatening her with his own life, Mrs. Qu would have suffered immensely.
Soon after Emperor Chengming ascended the throne, he personally added a decree stating that women in Dayu could choose whether to take their husband's surname after marriage, and their children could also take their mother's surname, depending on the wishes of both parties. From then on, women were no longer simply subordinate to men, significantly elevating their status. This issue remains controversial to this day, with some occasionally arguing with the intention of undermining the decree.
However, every time this matter was brought up, Emperor Chengming would impose severe punishment. As time went on, the matter was left unresolved.
But this decree didn't save all the women in Dayu. Madam Yue's philosophy of obedience to father, husband, and son was a lifelong principle. Despite her competitive spirit, she also placed great importance on women's obedience and virtue. From the day Madam Qu married into the family, she insisted on giving her son's surname to her daughter-in-law.
However, because the eldest master passed away, Yue Zhu was the head of the family, and Yue Zhu had to protect Madam Qu, otherwise she would not have allowed Madam Qu to marry in and bear her surname for so many years.
Yue Zhu usually worked in the palace and was away from home most of the time. Although he was the head of the household, all household affairs were left to Madam Qu. Even though she gave birth to a son and a daughter for the Yue family, Madam Yue still occasionally gave her some trouble because she didn't take her husband's surname.
"Don't worry, Dad. My sister is watching over Mom. Let's pack up and go see them."
Yueyou picked up the note on the ground and brushed off the dust on Yuezhu's body.
The Yue family had risen from humble beginnings, and despite Madam Yue's constant nagging, Yue Zhu had never offered her son any backdoor access. Yue You had enlisted in the army five years before coming of age, and now held a small but significant position there. He rarely had time to return home, and the reason he was able to return this time was because he had specifically requested leave from his superiors yesterday.
Yue Zhu didn't mention the argument he had just had with Madam Yue over the resignation letter and the family tree. He took the letter in his hand and asked softly, "Dad hasn't been home for a long time. How have you been lately?"
Dad didn't want to say more, and Yueyou didn't ask any more questions. He smiled and shook his head, "Everything is fine."
Madam Yue is not a pushover, but for the sake of her children, Madam Qu will not be a soft persimmon that can be bullied. Besides, his sister Yue Shuang has been a hot-tempered person since she was a child. In recent years, even Madam Yue has rarely been able to win over her in an argument.
As he spoke, Yue You brought up another matter, "A few days ago, Duke Lu's mansion brought a matchmaker to our house, wanting Shuang'er to marry him as his concubine, but my mother politely declined."
The Duke of Lu is named Wei Cheng. He was the previous General Zhennan and is now over 60 years old. The current General Zhennan is his eldest son Wei Yuanshan.
The eldest son of the Duke's family was a talented general, but his younger brother, Wei Yuanshui, was a playboy. While men in Dayu reached adulthood at seventeen, and women at sixteen, Wei Yuanshui had already taken in eighteen maids before even reaching adulthood.
If Duke Lu had not forced him to marry the ruthless and decisive daughter of Minister of Justice Zhang Zheng, and had dealt with those eighteen troublemakers on the first day of their marriage, Wei Yuanshui would probably have had to carry eight hundred concubines into the Duke's Mansion.
Yue Shuang just came of age this year. She was furious when she got the news that day. If the maid beside her hadn't stopped her, she would have hit the matchmaker on the head with a teapot.
Yue Zhu breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, that's good."
Although some information was shared between the Longwu Army and the secret guards under Emperor Chengming, and he had previously been the commander of the Longwu Army and had certain command authority over some of the secret guards, Emperor Chengming would not let him know too much about some family secrets no matter how much he trusted him.
However, based on what Yue Zhu had seen and heard in Kyoto over the years, Wei Yuanshui was indeed not someone worthy of trust.
Yue You hesitated to speak, wanting to ask about Shang Yuwan, but he saw that Yue Zhu's eyes were a bit weak and tired, so he didn't say anything more in the end. He took his people to change clothes, and then went to find Madam Qu and Yue Shuang.
He thought to himself, his father was so determined to give up the responsibility of commanding the Longwu Army and to remove himself from the Yue family's genealogy. Could it be because of the "Shang Yuwan" that Prince Qi brought back this time?
Yue You knew the depth of the bond between General Shang and Yue Zhu; after all, he had nearly become Shang Junhu's adopted son as a child. The fact that Shang Yuwan was personally taught horse riding and archery by his father, a man of few words, showed that in Yue Zhu's heart, Shang Yuwan held a position no less important than his own and his sister's.
But Princess Qi is already dead.
No matter who the "Shang Yuwan" in Prince Qi's Mansion is now, Princess Qi is already dead.
Yue You looked at Yue Zhu's back, his heart heavy as if a huge rock was pressing on his chest.
But what if one day, Princess Qi comes back to life?
Yue Zhu didn't know what he was thinking. After changing his clothes and burning some incense, he went to find his wife and daughter.
"Dad! Brother!" Yue Shuang and Madam Qu were making dumplings on the stone table in the courtyard. When they heard the maid calling the master and the young master, they immediately turned around to see.
Yue Shuang looks like Madam Qu, with a pretty and cute face and round cheeks. She wears a pink dress with a shoulder strap hanging around her neck. When she smiles, she looks like a pink flower.
There was a lot of flour on her face, and she was holding a dumpling wrapper in her hand. She grinned at Yuezhu and Yueyou.
"Mom and I are making dumplings. Do you want to come over, brother? Dad should rest. I heard he was seriously injured."
Mrs. Qu also turned her head and saw the father and son walking towards her, and smiled softly.
"You'er, husband. Please wait a moment. It will be packed soon."
"Let my son do it. Shuang'er always makes dumplings with holes in them. We have to eat meat soup tonight." Yue You smiled and asked the servant to put the collar on him, and then went to make dumplings with the mother and daughter.
No one helped to conceal the news of Yue Zhu's injury. Emperor Chengming only said on the surface that Yue Zhu was sent by him secretly to investigate the conditions of the princess and Prince Qi. Therefore, no one jumped out to make a fuss about Yue Zhu's absence from his post.
He stood not far away, watching Yue You and Yue Shuang bickering and laughing, recalling what Shang Yuwan had said in his mind.
"Over a dozen courageous individuals, both civil and military, have stood up to plead for our Shang family. Which of them can't see our loyalty? Which of them can't see that we abide by the law?! But what about you?!"
[I beg you! I beg you on my knees! I beg you not to kill Qi'er, but you still shoot him through with an arrow!]
[My Shang family is full of loyal and brave people. Heaven and earth can bear witness to this, as can the sun and the moon!]
"I finally managed to survive, but someone else deserved to die. Why should I die? Why should the Shang family be exterminated? Dayu has been established for over two hundred years, and my Shang family has defended Dayu for nearly a hundred years! The Shang family is a family of steel, forged on the battlefield. Do you think I'm just like you, someone who can only run away?"
Every word and sentence is unforgettable.
When he visited the Shang family, he had also witnessed such a warm and harmonious scene. At that time, Wan'er would blink her amber eyes and secretly call him "Master".
"Husband?" Mrs. Qu noticed that Yue Zhu's expression was not right. When his thoughts drifted away, she stood up and walked towards him.
Mrs. Qu raised her hand and waved it in front of Yue Zhu.
"Husband, what's wrong with you?"
Yue Zhu suddenly came back to his senses and realized that the servants around him were all looking at him. Yue You and Yue Shuang's laughter also stopped, and like Madam Qu, they looked at him straight.
"...It's okay." Yue Zhu raised the corners of his mouth and smiled.
"I'm fine."
Mrs. Qu looked worried. Yueyou and Yueshuang's expressions changed slightly, but the brother and sister said nothing.
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