Chapter 136 A Family Feast is Hosted in March, the Army Heads to Qinghai to Suppress the Rebellion...
In March, the army that had gone to Qinghai to quell the rebellion finally returned. In fact, the imperial court had already rewarded the meritorious officials in this campaign in January. Among them, Cheng Yexing had made many contributions by launching a night raid on the rebel army, destroying their armory, burning their grain supplies, and fighting bravely. Therefore, he was awarded the title of Third-Class Light Cavalry Captain.
In terms of meritorious titles, the rank of Light Cavalry Captain ranks after Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. Although it's low in rank, it's not the highest, but it's not the lowest either. Below Light Cavalry Captain are Cavalry Captain, Cloud Cavalry Captain, and Grace Cavalry Captain. Moreover, a third-rank Light Cavalry Captain is not a low rank either, being a third-grade official. Besides, Cheng Yexing has only been an official for a short time, rising from a sixth-grade Blue-feathered Guard to a fifth-grade Garrison Commander, then to a fourth-grade Commander, and now he's even obtained a third-grade hereditary title. This speed of promotion is comparable to a rocket.
In short, Cheng Qianyue was quite satisfied with her brother's title.
After the army returned, the capital became lively. On the fifth day of the third month, Yinreng hosted a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to entertain the Fourteenth Prince and many other soldiers. On the sixth day of the third month, he held a separate banquet for the Fourteenth Prince and his wife. A few days later, he hosted a family banquet in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where Cheng Qianyue met her father and brother.
Let's start with Cheng Qianyue's father. Cheng Qianyue had seen her mother many times over the years, but never her father. So when Cheng Shifu came in from outside, Cheng Qianyue almost didn't recognize him. Her father had aged so much; his hair and beard were completely white. While Cheng Qianyue was feeling surprised and heartbroken, Cheng Shifu and Cheng Yexing knelt down before her, prostrating themselves: "This servant greets His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine."
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but walk quickly past Yinreng to help the two of them up. "Father, brother, get up quickly."
Yinreng knew Cheng Qianyue was anxious, so he smiled and said, "We're all family, no need for formalities. Rise, please have a seat."
After the two were seated, Cheng Qianyue looked at Cheng Shifu and said, "Father, I didn't even recognize you when you came in. Look how white your hair has become."
Cheng Shifu chuckled and said, "Your Highness, it's just that I'm getting old. I was thinking of dyeing it, but it's too much trouble and I'm almost sixty, so I'll just leave it as it is."
Yinreng also asked, "How is the Emperor's father-in-law's health?"
Cheng Shifu hurriedly replied, "This servant wouldn't dare. This servant reports to Your Majesty that this servant is in good health. I can walk around the nearby streets and alleys twice without even getting out of breath."
Yinreng nodded: "That's good." He then ordered someone to serve the meal and said gently: "The wine on the table is Taiping Spring Wine, which is newly brewed this year. It has nourishing effects. Father-in-law, you may have a taste." A little eunuch who was serving behind him with his script quickly came forward and poured a cup.
Cheng Shifu apologized, took a sip, and said, "It is indeed good wine."
Yinreng then said, "Today is a family banquet, so let's not stand on ceremony. Let's eat."
Cheng Qianyue watched as the young eunuch at the opposite table served food to her father, Cheng Shifu. Whatever the eunuch picked out for Cheng Shifu, he ate, occasionally saying "thank you for your trouble." Thinking back to how Cheng Shifu had responded earlier—so politely—she hesitated to ask him anything. Firstly, Yinreng had said not to stand on ceremony, and being so courteous would contradict him. Secondly, she felt awkward constantly being addressed as "Imperial Consort." So, Cheng Qianyue turned to her brother and asked how he was doing in the bestowed residence and whether the house was ready.
Cheng Yexing put down his chopsticks and replied, "We moved these past few days, and my mother and Yulu have been busy settling in, which is why they haven't been able to come and pay their respects." He stood up, knelt down, and continued, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for bestowing this residence upon you. This servant is always ready to share your burdens."
Yinreng said, "No rush," glancing at Cheng Qianyue, "I consider that you have just gone through a battle, so you can rest in the capital for a while longer, so that the Consort will not worry about you."
Cheng Yexing respectfully said "Yes" before sitting back down.
It seems her brother hasn't been back for the past few years and they've grown somewhat distant. Of course, their statuses were already unequal, and now the gap is even wider. Cheng Qianyue wanted to try and build a closer relationship. Noticing he'd gotten darker and thinner, especially with the long, thin scar on his forehead that made him look like a wolf, she asked softly, "What happened to your head? Did you get it during the war? Are there any other injuries?"
"This scar was from being hit by a catapult when the rebels attacked the city, but it's nothing serious." Talking about this, Cheng Yexing unconsciously touched the scar and replied with a smile, "The other injuries are all minor and insignificant. It's common for soldiers to bump and scrape themselves. If you don't have scars, you'd be embarrassed to say you're a knife-wielder."
"Fine, you still dare to show off like that." Cheng Qianyue rolled her eyes at him and said, "Hmm, let's see if you still dare to talk big when you actually get slashed one day." As soon as she finished speaking, she felt that her words sounded really unlucky, so she quickly spat twice.
Cheng Yexing saw that she was speaking as casually as before and grinned.
“Now that you’re back, you should stay home and spend some quality time with your father, mother, sister-in-law, and children,” Cheng Qianyue continued. “It’s been over four years since you last came back, your daughter and son probably don’t even recognize their father anymore.”
Cheng Yexing's first child was a daughter. When he was transferred to Qinghai, Yulu was pregnant again, so the family didn't go with him. Later, Yulu gave birth to a son, and Cheng Qianyue even sent some gifts. When their second son was one year old, Xitala considered sending Yulu to Qinghai so the couple could reunite. However, Cheng Yexing sent a message saying that life in Qinghai was tough, and told Yulu not to go to avoid suffering, but to stay home to take care of her parents and children. So, for the past few years, the family hadn't seen each other.
Mentioning his wife and children, Cheng Yexing couldn't help but sigh. When he left, his daughter was barely a toddler, and his son was still in his mother's womb. Now that he's back, the two children treat him like a stranger. But he doesn't regret it. If a father doesn't seize the opportunity to work hard while he's young, is he supposed to wait until he's old to venture out into the world? By then, it'll be too late. Now, everyone knows their father has made something of himself, and their future is bright. As for the lack of affection, it doesn't matter. He's back now, so he can make up for it. Children are just kids; spending a few more days playing and having fun with them might just make them closer to him.
Seeing that Cheng Qianyue was talking all the time and not touching her chopsticks, Yinreng instructed the people next to him: "Send this crystal meatball to the Consort's table, braised sea cucumber with shredded chicken to the Imperial Father-in-law, and stir-fried magnolia petals to the Light Cavalry Captain." He stopped the others from getting up and said: "Try the palace's cooking." He looked at Cheng Qianyue: "Look how happy you are, you've been so busy talking that you forgot to eat."
Cheng Qianyue smiled at him and said to Cheng Shifu and Cheng Yexing, "Let's eat, or the food will get cold."
The atmosphere at the meal remained quite pleasant. Cheng Qianyue remarked that the only difference was that everyone ate at their own tables instead of sitting together; otherwise, it would have felt like a large family gathering. Even so, the meal was a joyful affair for both hosts and guests, and her father and brother even joined in the toasting.
Unfortunately, Cheng Qianyue saw that her father had drunk too much.
Cheng Shifu used to enjoy drinking, but his mother, Lady Xitala, always kept him in check. Later, when his daughter became a noblewoman, Lady Xitala forbade him from drinking with others. Therefore, Cheng Shifu cherished every opportunity to drink. However, he forgot one thing: the alcohol content of wine outside was low and didn't cause a headache, but today he was drinking imperial wine. After a few cups, his head was spinning, and he almost forgot the etiquette he had painstakingly learned for court etiquette. Fortunately, he didn't act crazy when drunk; he just liked to smile at people, and his smile made him look particularly kind, like the Maitreya Buddha.
Cheng Qianyue watched her father laugh, and honestly, the more he laughed, the more she wanted to cry. Finally, the family dinner ended, and Cheng Shifu was staggering as he walked. Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but see her father out, saying as they walked, "Why did you drink so much? Are you dizzy? Can you even walk?"
Cheng Shifu slurred, "I'm not dizzy, I can still walk, you watch." He strode forward, his steps soon becoming parabolic. Cheng Qianyue and Cheng Yexing each supported one of his arms, thankfully preventing their father from falling to the ground.
Cheng Qianyue said to Cheng Yexing with a wry smile, "The sedan chair has been summoned outside. When we get back, you and Father will each have a bowl of hangover soup." Her place was in the back, so it was really difficult to keep someone there.
Cheng Yexing replied, "Your Majesty should also go back quickly, lest the Emperor wait."
Cheng Qianyue said decisively, "Don't worry about it. The Emperor won't get angry over such a small matter."
Cheng Yexing was taken aback, but after a moment he nodded with relief: it seemed his little sister was still favored by the Emperor. So he helped Cheng Shifu walk out of the hall. Cheng Shifu glanced at his daughter and saw that she hadn't followed, so he turned back and called out loudly, "Qianqian, let's go back. Father will come to see you another day."
Cheng Yexing almost stumbled: at the last minute he said that, oh no, that's why his mother wouldn't let his father drink! Thinking this, he quickly helped Cheng Shifu out.
Cheng Qianyue watched them leave, and only returned to the inner room after a while. At that moment, Yinreng sat on the kang (heated brick bed), smiling at her. Cheng Qianyue went over, took the handkerchief offered by a young eunuch, and wiped his face, saying softly, "I saw you drank four or five cups of wine at the banquet. Do you feel drunk?"
Yinreng shook his head.
Was he truly sober or just pretending? The main problem was that Yinreng's face flushed easily after drinking, so Cheng Qianyue wasn't entirely sure. She finally decided to give him some hangover soup regardless of whether he was truly drunk or not. Just as she finished giving the order, she turned her head and heard Yinreng say, "Your father is quite an interesting person."
Cheng Qianyue smiled and said, "That's just how my father is. As my mother would say, he's neither good at literature nor martial arts, but he's ambitious and does everything at a leisurely pace. But he has two good points: one is that he's kind and never makes things difficult for anyone, and the other is that he knows what's good and can listen to advice." From a young age, she felt that her father and mother were a perfect match. One was reliable and capable in both domestic and international affairs, while the other didn't think there was anything wrong with a woman being in charge and was always cheerful.
Yinreng said, "Like father, like son. Now I finally know where your temperament comes from. Isn't that right, Qianqian?"
Cheng Qianyue was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized and said, "You heard that? That's my nickname. They used to call me that."
Yinreng patted her hand and said, "Your name suits you perfectly." He had never paid attention to her name before, but now, thinking back, the name Qianyue had a certain charm. He became interested and said softly, "Does calling you that make you happy?" His voice rose slightly as he said, "Qianqian?"
Cheng Qianyue felt extremely awkward being called by his nickname, and her face involuntarily turned red: "I'm past the age of being called by my nickname."
It's unclear what trigger this name triggered in him, but he kept calling out to her, saying things like, "Qianqian, come sit here with me," and "Qianqian, your clothes look nice today."
Cheng Qianyue: ...You've gotten addicted to it?
Finally, someone brought over some hangover soup, and she quickly used it to shut him up. Stop him from calling her name like that; it's giving her goosebumps.
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