Chapter 249: The First Year of Youfeng
The war between Dayin and Liaoxia ended in early December. The defeated Liaoxia once again surrendered obediently and signed an unconditional treaty to pay tribute to Dayin every year. If there was any breach of contract, Dayin would demand double the payment.
When the news reached Dayin Bianjing, the whole city cheered and people happily told each other. The dilapidated and desolate capital suddenly became full of vitality and prosperity.
Su Ruojin returned to the Su family's new house from the princess's mansion early. She waited until the Imperial College was on holiday and went back to Weizhou County with Su Dalang. Before leaving, she went to the market to prepare New Year's goods.
In the streets and alleys, in addition to shouting praises for the new emperor's wisdom and bravery in repelling the Liao and Xia people, the most talked about topic was the emperor's two capable ministers - General Ning Hua and Prince Pingyang Zhao Lan, who, one old and one young, assisted the emperor in repelling the covetous Liao and Xia people.
"Do you know? Along the way, His Majesty fought three major and five minor battles with the Liaoxia people, winning five, drawing two and losing only one. He beat the Liaoxia people like a drowned dog and couldn't even get up."
"I know, I know. Nowadays, there are storytellers in restaurants and teahouses every day. They all talk about the war in the north. Your Majesty is so powerful."
"I heard that we lost the first battle after crossing the Yellow River. The second battle was difficult and we almost let the Liaoxia people counterattack. Fortunately, the backup Prince Pingyang arrived in time and fought the biggest battle between Dayin and Liaoxia to decide the success or failure. Not only did we cause more than half of the enemy's troops to be lost, but we also forced them to flee to their lair. My army took advantage of the victory to pursue them and almost destroyed their lair..."
…
Hearing people's discussions, Su Dalang looked at his sister. Zhao Lan had said in person that he wanted to marry his sister, and he would be his sister-in-law in the future. Hearing people's praises, he always felt a sense of honor.
"Ajin, did you hear that? This was the biggest battle in Yin Liao, and because of the young prince's participation, he defeated the bandits and enhanced the prestige of our Great Yin nation."
Even though Su Ruojin was not Zhao Lan's girlfriend, she was happy and excited to hear this, and was deeply proud of him. He was so outstanding and awesome.
Seeing shops opening one after another and the market becoming prosperous again, standing at the crossroads, Su Ruojin felt that Dayin had become stable again. This time, the enemy country was defeated to this extent. As long as there were no major natural disasters or unrest, the country could be stable for at least ten years.
That’s great, I can live a peaceful and stable life again.
The New Year's goods were almost bought, and Su Ruojin and his sister were preparing to return to Wei County tomorrow. As soon as they arrived at the door of their home, they met a messenger. The messenger saw someone getting off the carriage and hurried over to ask, "Excuse me, is this Madam Su Er?"
"I am, you are..."
"This is a letter for you."
After Zhao Lan led his troops out of Bian Jing, Su Ruojin hardly received any letters from Zhao Lan. Occasionally, the words of safety were brought back by Grain in Ear. But when it came to the letter from the messenger, she knew by intuition that it was from Zhao Lan without even thinking about it.
I took the letter and read it, and it was true.
She smiled and rewarded the messenger, "Thank you, big brother."
Mission accomplished, the messenger leaves.
Su Ruojin resisted the urge to open the letter at the door and ran home happily.
"Ah..." Su Dalang looked at his sister running away, laughed, shook his head, and went into the house with Hua Ping and the others.
It was not until she returned to her room that Su Ruojin could no longer wait to open the letter. It was a thick letter of ten pages. She wanted to read it all in one breath, but she couldn't help but read it carefully. All kinds of joy and sorrow, isn't that what being in love looks like?
Zhao Lan did not write about the war, nor did he talk about his relationship with the emperor or General Ning. He only wrote about the trivial matters after leaving the capital. There was not a single word about loving her or missing her, but every word expressed the meaning of missing her and loving her.
Finally, he wrote: Ajin, I will reach the capital in five days. I brought clay figurines, wolf teeth, and colorful stones from the north. I want you to see them first. Wait for me!
Don’t worry!
Su Ruojin wanted to laugh and curse at the same time. This guy must have known that I was going back to my parents, so he sent me a letter in advance asking me to wait for him in the capital.
"Should I wait? Or not?"
Mao Ya reminded, "Jin Niang, there are still ten days until the New Year."
Chun Xiao glanced at Mao Ya and smiled, "There are still ten days left!"
Look, it was clearly the same sentence, but the tone was different and the meaning expressed was completely different. Su Ruojin was stunned at first, and then couldn't help laughing, grinning from ear to ear.
"There are still ten days until the New Year, but it will take another five days for Brother Jin to come back..." How should she arrange this?
The New Year goods have been bought, and Su Ruojin decided to send them back first. As for whether she should return to the capital after sending her brother and the goods back, she needs to think about it.
Early the next morning, Su Ruojin wrote a letter to Hua Ping, asking him to pass the letter to Zhao Lan, and then asked Mangzhong to drive away from the capital.
It took a day and a half to return to Weizhou County.
When I got home, the atmosphere of the New Year was already very strong in the county. Although many shops had limited supply, not much could be bought. There were few items and few people buying them, but people just wanted to have a festive and lively atmosphere.
Su Ruojin noticed that his father was in a good mood, and asked with a smile, "Dad, have the two cancerous tumors been eliminated?"
Su Yanli snorted arrogantly, "This county has not taken any action yet."
Hey, Su Ruojin looked at her arrogant father and turned to ask Mr. Pei.
He replied, "When the emperor left Wei County, the county lord was not only the first to support him, but also provided food and clothing to the army, which left a very good impression on the new emperor. Those two local tyrants were clinging to the troops of the previous emperor. The previous emperor is gone, and the new emperor is about to return to the capital. How far is the day of reckoning?"
"Then they..."
“Moved away.”
Su Ruojin snorted, "You ran away quickly enough."
Su Yanli snorted coldly like his daughter, "I was just about to kill the monkeys before the New Year, but I didn't expect them to escape."
Although the two families escaped, their family was so large that it was impossible for everyone to escape. Su Yanli settled the accounts later and dug out all their embezzled and illegally gained money. The financial statements of the impoverished Weizhou County government finally looked better.
When Su Yanli was trying the Ma family, the Li family, and the corrupt official, Su Ruojin dressed up as a man with great interest and stood in the corner hall of the county government office to watch his father handle the case.
Hey, don't say anything, he sits upright and dignified, three parts elegant, three parts calm, three parts majestic without anger, and one part arrogant, he is simply the image of a capable official.
She watched the case in the county court with a smile on her face, concentrating as if she were watching a TV series. When she saw the exciting parts, she almost couldn't help but clap her hands and whispered, "My dad is so awesome."
"Well, Lord Su is indeed amazing."
"Yeah, I was talking about Dad..." Su Ruojin stopped in surprise halfway through her words and slowly turned her head to look behind her.
At some point, Zhao Lan, dressed in light purple, stood behind her, his eyes looking towards the trial. He was tall and slender, wearing a dark blue cloak with a crane pattern, but it couldn't hide his broad shoulders and narrow waist.
The eyebrows are like ink painting, and the temples are like knife-cut.
Qingfeng Langyue's father is no match for her handsome boyfriend at this moment.
Su Ruojin stretched out her hand and pulled him out of the trial corner hall, and ran straight out, all the way to the county government's reception hall, where there was a charcoal brazier. She invited him to sit down next to the charcoal brazier, and then she took a breath and asked, "Brother Jin, when did you arrive? Why didn't you tell me so I could pick you up."
There was a table nearby. Zhao Lan did not rush to answer the young lady's question. Instead, he rested his chin on his hand and looked at her leisurely. He looked elegant and calm, profound and majestic.
Su Ruojin: ... She blinked. The young prince asked her to wait for him in the capital. She wanted to wait, but she didn't have time to return to the capital.
She licked her dry lips guiltily and grinned, "The capital is very close to here, only a day and a half away. I was just about to leave, but I didn't expect Brother Jin to have arrived. Brother Jin really loves me and came to see me. Brother Jin, you are so nice."
After saying that, the young lady looked around. Very good, there was no maid or servant.
She reached out and held Zhao Lan's other hand, squeezing and coaxing him with her little hand!
Zhao Lan's eyes darkened, and he smiled, "I thought Ah Jin didn't receive my letter!"
"Hehe!" Su Ruojin laughed and changed the subject, "Brother Jin came from the capital, or did he come directly..."
"Come and see you, you heartless little bastard." Zhao Lan was so angry that he pulled the person in front of him, and the girl threw herself into his arms.
This was the county government office. Su Ruo stretched out her hand to push the young prince away, but he hugged her even tighter.
One sitting and one standing.
Su Ruojin was taller, Zhao Lan raised his head slightly and stared into the young lady's eyes, "Why don't you write to me?"
"You're fighting, how can I disturb you?"
snort!
Zhao Lan said in dissatisfaction, "I am a general, and I can only send letters in, not out. I asked Mangzhong to bring a message to you, asking you to write me a letter, why didn't you write it?"
Su Ruojin wanted to write something, but when she knew that in this special period, no matter what channel, her letters would always be read by others at some point, she lost the desire to write. Even if it was just an ordinary letter, it would feel weird if someone read it. So during this period of time, she used the excuse of being Su Yanzu's accountant to turn down any contact with Zhao Lan.
"Why don't you wait for me in Beijing?"
"I heard that the emperor will ascend the throne as soon as he returns to court, and I'm afraid you'll be very busy, so I think it's better for you to come back."
Zhao Lan became even angrier. Listen, the emperor was very busy ascending the throne, what did it have to do with him?
"Why is it okay? You are not only his right-hand man, but also a prince of the clan. When the new emperor ascends the throne, won't you help?"
"No matter how busy I am, I will always have time to meet you."
Someone's words choked the young lady, and she finally stopped quibbling.
The young lady puffed up her lips.
"I'm still feeling wronged."
Su Ruojin tried to break free from his embrace, but he held her tightly, "Next spring, let the matchmaker come over to propose marriage."
"Ah... why... suddenly you're talking about this."
"Hmm?" Zhao Lan frowned slightly and stared at the young lady closely: "When I'm not here, who do you like? Xue Wulang? Fan Yanjia?..."
Su Ruojin: ...
"Brother Jin, what nonsense are you talking about?"
"Then why are you unhappy when I come to propose marriage?"
"I'm not unhappy, I just feel I'm still young." Getting married at the age of 14 or 15? It's scary just to think about it!
"You'll be fourteen next year." If you don't get engaged, you'll become an old maid.
Su Ruojin: ...There’s no room for chatting today.
Su Ruojin pushed him away again angrily and prepared to go home.
After finally meeting, Zhao Lan was reluctant to let go after hugging her for a while, and the two of them started to make noise.
"Sir... Sir Su..."
Suddenly, Shuangrui's greeting was heard from outside the hall.
Inside the hall, the two of them separated like frightened birds, some sat down, some stood up, and straightened their clothes calmly, as if they had just experienced something.
Su Yanli's smile froze as he came in, and he walked in with a serious face.
Zhao Lan stood up and stepped forward to salute, "Jinzhi greets the teacher."
Su Yanli nodded as if he were an elder, and sat down where Zhao Lan had just sat. "Jin Zhi is coming from the capital?"
"No, sir, I took a direct detour from the north."
"Then Your Majesty..."
Zhao Lan replied, "The young general of the Ning family has gone to guard the border. General Ning and the emperor will return to the court together. The coronation ceremony will be held on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month."
Su Yanli was startled and stood up immediately, "Isn't it the day after tomorrow?"
"Exactly."
Su Yanli reminded him, "Why don't you hurry back to Beijing?" What are you doing here? If you accidentally displease the emperor, it will be no joke.
Zhao Lan said, "Teacher, the emperor asked me to come and pick you up and take you back to the capital so that you can also attend the emperor's coronation ceremony."
“I…I…” A seventh-rank county official who was sent to a remote place is also qualified to participate in the coronation ceremony?
Zhao Lan added: "Teacher, you and Weizhou County have different meanings to His Majesty, so I can make a detour to pick you up."
It turned out that this was the reason why Zhao Lan came here. She said, at this moment, how could he just come out to meet the young lady.
Money can’t buy you early knowledge.
If Su Ruojin had known this earlier, she would have stayed in Beijing peacefully with Su Dalang. Now they have to go through all this again.
Since they were attending the coronation ceremony of the new emperor, there was no time to delay, so the Su family packed their luggage immediately and went to Beijing, leaving Mr. Pei and Hu Zhubo to take care of the affairs of the county government.
Su Ruojin asked, "Master Shangguan, do you want to go to the capital with us?"
The emperor only asked Lord Su to come to the capital, and did not say to bring anyone with him. Shangguan Yu declined, "Thank you, Madam. I am just a scholar without an official position."
Su Ruojin: ...That's not what she meant! She just wanted him to come to Beijing, and then end things with her uncle...or something. For a moment, she didn't know what was going on.
Seeing the young lady stunned, Shangguan Yu finally understood what the young lady meant. He thought for a while, then shook his head and refused. "It's freezing cold, so you should stay here and help take care of those orphaned children."
"Then I will thank Master Shangguan on behalf of those children."
"You are too polite, Madam. It's just a small matter."
Half an hour later, the Su family, who had been exiled for nearly a year, finally arrived in Beijing together.
After all the hassles, the "mediocre" Prince of Yan, Zhao Jing, ascended the throne on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.
There were only a few days left before the New Year, and the new emperor did not set a reign title. After the New Year, the Dayin Dynasty had a new reign title - Youfeng, and this year was the first year of Youfeng.
Why is it called Youfeng? It means that God blesses Dayin with a good harvest, allowing the people to live a good life with ample food and clothing. It is a very simple era name.
The emperor was busy ascending the throne, and Su Yanli was busy attending ceremonies, paying homage to his teachers, and visiting officials, and from time to time he brought Su Dalang and Su Sanlang with him.
Zhao Lan was also brought by Prince Jin, so Su Ruojin had some free time and was able to learn a lot about Prince Yan.
Mediocrity was just the outward appearance of Prince Yan, but his purpose of behaving this way was not to ascend the throne but to protect himself and to live to a ripe old age. Unexpectedly, he became the only surviving son of Emperor Chengxi due to his mediocrity.
(End of this chapter)
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