Chapter 108 Chapter 108: The 108th Chapter of the ...
It's almost dawn.
Xiao Xun came back early in the morning on the 27th. It was daybreak and the houses in the capital were all connected and quiet. Occasionally, there were a few rooms with candles lit and figures passing by the windows.
Lin Qiuran was already up, and there were two more lights on in the room than at night. She had just gotten up, with her hair loose, and was about to do her makeup when Xiao Xun pushed open the door and entered the inner room following the maid's greetings.
Lin Qiuran looked towards the door. She had never thought that Xiao Xun would come back at this time.
Two days later, he was still wearing the bright red official uniform he had worn when he went out early the previous morning. It had a leopard patch on it, and the sleeves and hem were wrinkled.
Lin Qiuran looked at his face again. Xiao Xun was wearing a black hat, with light stubble on his chin and dark circles under his eyes.
However, his eyes were bright. When he saw Lin Qiuran, he didn't care that he hadn't washed and dressed for two days and looked unkempt. He pulled her into his arms.
Xiao Xun said: "I'm back."
Lin Qiuran was stunned. Tangyuan was still lying on the kang. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and finally confirmed that this was really his father. Then he jumped out of the quilt and cheered to himself, "Wow, Dad is back, Dad is back!"
Lin Qiuran was suddenly hugged, and his body felt tight at first, then slowly relaxed.
Yes, Xiao Xun is back.
Xiao Xun's aura was cold, as he had just returned from outside, but it made Lin Qiuran feel strangely at ease. She hugged Xiao Xun, patted his back and asked, "Are you leaving again after returning today?"
Xiao Xun shook his head and said, "I'm not leaving. The New Year is coming soon, so I won't be leaving for the next few days."
Tang Yuan jumped around on the kang twice. Seeing that Lin Qiuran and Xiao Xun were still hugging each other, he couldn't help but say, "Mom, Dad, I want to join you too!"
The room was dim, while outside the window was a grayish-white. Daybreak was about to begin, and Lin Qiuran immediately pushed Xiao Xun away. She smoothed her hair and said to Tangyuan, "What's the point of going together? Hurry up and get dressed and wash up. You can't jump around on the kang. What if you fall down? What if the kang collapses?"
Tangyuan let out a helpless cry, silently picked up his clothes and put them on.
Taking care of her son, Lin Qiuran turned around and looked at Xiao Xun, who was still looking at her.
Lin Qiuran couldn't help but smile. Looking at Xiao Xun's expression, she knew he hadn't slept well. She said, "Wash yourself first, then eat something, and then get some sleep."
Lin Qiuran ordered the maid to go to Shou'an Hall to tell Sun and Xiao Dashi that Xiao Xun had returned.
Sun had been really worried these past two days, living in constant fear that something might happen to Xiao Xun. She even went to the Buddhist temple to pray for the Buddha's protection. Xiao Dashi was also worried, but what he said was unpleasant to hear.
Yesterday, Xiao Dashi said, "Could it be that he has done something wrong? It's Chinese New Year."
Lin Qiuran smiled faintly and ignored it, but Sun scolded Xiao Dashi, "Pah, pah, pah, what are you talking about, you crow-mouthed bastard?"
Lin Qiuran recalled this and couldn't help but glance at Xiao Xun. She said, "Dad is here. He's coming on the 25th. Wait until you wake up and go see him. There's something else I'll tell you when you wake up."
Xiao Xun returned safely, which meant that Zhao Tingyue was not doing well at the moment, so there was no need to ask in a hurry.
Xiao Xun said, "I'll go over after dinner. I'm not sleepy at all."
Instead, he felt very energetic and refreshed, and the depression in his heart for several days disappeared.
He reached out and hugged Lin Qiuran again, then said with a smile, "I'll go wash up first."
While he was washing up, Lin Qiuran finished dressing up. The food was brought over, and the family of three ate at the eight-immortals table in the main hall.
Xiao Xun said that he was not sleepy, but he had been in Dali Temple for the past two days. He had not eaten well and had not slept a wink. After eating a hot breakfast, he felt sleepy.
Lin Qiuran pushed him to sleep, "You go to sleep first. Dad is not in a hurry. He is at home and can't run away."
She felt that Xiao Xun was doing this for the sake of his family, so it would be okay to go see Xiao Dashi later. After all, Xiao Xun was the one who supported the Bo Mansion, and if he collapsed from exhaustion, it would not be good for the family.
Sun and Xiao Dashi are elders, so they should be more understanding.
Xiao Xun was so sleepy that he fell asleep quickly after getting on the kang. Tang Yuan stayed beside him while he slept. Tang Yuan felt very distressed and said, "Dad looks so tired. Mom, I want to accompany Dad."
Lin Qiuran said, "Of course you can, but don't make any noise and wake up your father. You need to be quiet."
Tang Yuan nodded, "Don't worry, Mom, I'll be here to guard you."
Lin Qiuran touched Tangyuan's head and said softly, "Yeah."
With Xiao Xun around, Lin Qiuran didn't let Lin Xia go out to inquire. Rumors were all over the place, and it was hard to tell what they would reveal. She instructed Lin Xia, "No one in the mansion is allowed to go out today except those who are shopping, and no one is allowed to discuss anything in private."
Lin Xia nodded. The palace had indeed been buzzing about General Zhao for the past two days, with everyone holding their own opinions, almost splitting into two factions. The Earl was a high-ranking official, so it was not appropriate for servants to discuss such matters.
The sky gradually brightened, and the servants were busy coming and going. Lin Qiuran was quietly reading in the main hall. Xiao Xun didn't sleep for too long, and woke up after more than half an hour. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Tang Yuan. Tang Yuan held his face and said, "Dad, it's still early, you should sleep a little longer!"
Xiao Xun shook his head. His throat was dry, so he coughed and asked, "Where's your mother?"
Tang Yuan quickly shouted outside: "Mom, Dad is awake."
Lin Qiuran put down the book and went into the room. Xiao Xun had already sat up. He pressed his eyebrows, then looked at Lin Qiuran, then at Tangyuan. With the child here, some things could not be said.
Lin Qiuran called the maid, "Take Tangyuan out to play."
Tang Yuan had been waiting for more than half an hour, his heart already flying. If he hadn't remembered that Xiao Xun was his biological father and that he had to keep his word, he would have left long ago.
As soon as Tang Yuan left, Xiao Xun got down to business. "Duke Zhao's mansion has been raided. The evidence is irrefutable. He is guilty of three crimes: corruption, abuse of power, disregard for human life, and murder of loyal officials."
It was General Xu, Zhao Tingyue's deputy general, who reported the corruption and abuse of power to the Dali Temple. He listed in detail how Zhao Tingyue's generals had bribed him, and even how he himself had given him expensive gifts.
Duke Zhao's mansion is magnificent, and Zhao Tingyue's private treasury contains many tributes. However, if you look closely, you will find that those items are not awarded by the emperor.
If it were an ordinary item, it would not be possible to find out, and the unknown origin would not be enough to convict a person. However, these tributes were not allowed to be used by anyone other than the royal family. However, there were many such valuable ornaments on the tables and cabinets in the mansion of Duke Zhao.
Lieutenant General Xu reported the case to the higher authorities and received twenty strokes of the cane. He had followed Zhao Tingyue for many years and had committed many mistakes, but his report was meritorious. Although he could not save his own life, he could only exchange it for the safety of his family.
This is also why General Xu was willing to do this treacherous thing. For Zhao Tingyue, he promoted Lieutenant General Xu, but Lieutenant General Xu turned against him. Isn't this a betrayal?
The disregard for human life and the persecution of loyal officials also led to a less serious charge: forming a clique for personal gain. Zhao Tingyue's subordinates protected each other, and in recent years, many skilled generals in the camp had mysteriously died. Over a dozen of them were traced, and Xiao Xun was one of the lucky survivors.
In the case of General Shen, Lieutenant General Xu testified that Zhao Tingyue had deliberately framed him, cutting off supplies and leading to Dai Viet's disastrous defeat. Even after he managed to turn the tide, that victory was also exaggerated.
Zhao Tingyue defended Dai Viet for twenty years, and while he certainly made contributions during that time, he also trampled on the blood of his fellow officers. Over those twenty years, the Duke of Zhao's mansion had amassed considerable wealth, and his descendants had each served as officials in the imperial court, enjoying a life of luxury.
The emperor ordered that he be detained in the Dali Temple first, and considering his merits, he would make his final decision after all matters were investigated after the new year.
The Dali Temple will be responsible for what happens next. The commander in the camp is now a general in his thirties, who is honest and kind, and is the emperor's man. Xiao Xun is still a third-rank general Zhaoyong, and now he takes orders from the emperor.
Xiao Xun is in his early twenties and still young. Even though he has been granted a title, he still needs a few more years of experience before he can move up in official rank.
To him, these are unimportant. The most important thing is to clear the name of the Shen family.
Xiao Xun sighed softly, "If Zhao Tingyue hadn't been charged with other crimes, the case wouldn't have been overturned so quickly."
Xiao Xun felt that it was Zhao Tingyue's fault that his power was growing, and the emperor was wary of him. He should take this as a warning to avoid following in Zhao Tingyue's footsteps.
Lin Qiuran couldn't explain the feeling in her heart. It had only been a few days, and the Duke of Zhao's Mansion had collapsed. She said, "What about the Anyang Marquis Mansion..."
Xiao Xun is most likely a member of the Shen family, and I don’t know what his plans are.
Xiao Xun lowered his head. "I survived back then, but now I definitely can't recognize my relatives. It might be fate that you sold the bracelet. My parents treated me well, and there's no evidence to prove that I'm a member of the Shen family. You can go and see me later and walk around."
Xiao Xun couldn't do anything else. He had also met with Anyang Hou in the past two days. Anyang Hou also held an official position in the court, but it was not a high one. Xiao Xun couldn't help but find similarities between the two of them on Anyang Hou's face. Sometimes he thought they were similar, and sometimes he didn't think they were different.
Perhaps he wasn't the Shen family's child, but he was happy to have General Shen's name cleared. A true defender of his country shouldn't have died and been accused of delaying military operations and causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Dai Viet soldiers.
Lin Qiuran nodded, "That's fine."
Xiao Xun asked Lin Qiuran, "What do you want to tell me?"
Lin Qiuran coughed. "Regarding family matters, I wrote back at the beginning of the month, asking Dad to bring the account books and profits of Jindinglou when he came from Yu'an. I've looked at them, and there's no problem, but there are two things missing. One is the profit share of Aunt Yu's shop, and the other is Madam Yang's. These two are businesses I invested in."
Lin Qiuran seldom talked to Xiao Xun about business matters, nor did he tell her that it was his own private money. Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish the money at home.
Xiao Dashi hadn't mentioned these two sums of silver in the past two days, but they probably totaled eighty taels. It wasn't much, considering their current mansion was so large and the emperor had given them so many gifts. Add to that the two-month profit of over six hundred taels from Jindinglou and the silver he'd brought with him before coming to Yu'an, and Lin Qiuran had over a thousand taels left.
Lin Qiuran definitely has no shortage of money.
But if you say it's too little, this money can buy a nice house in Yu'an, which is enough for an ordinary family to live well for a few years.
Moreover, Lin Qiuran always felt that Xiao Dashi was a little strange these days, as if he had become a different person. When he had nothing to do, he would wander around the mansion, asking about the house and how much reward Xiao Xun had received.
Sometimes Lin Qiuran would feel annoyed when hearing this.
Lin Qiuran told Xiao Xun that this matter was not to discuss with him whether to ask Xiao Dashi about it, but to discuss how to deal with it. Of course, he had to ask. The money earned by the family was placed with Lin Qiuran, but Xiao Dashi had never been wronged.
If Xiao Dashi used the money, she should know where it was spent.
She couldn't just stop asking if Xiao Dashi didn't tell her.
What if the money was really used in the old house? She couldn't let Lin Qiuran give the money and pretend nothing happened. She had seen what kind of people were in the old house. If this was the beginning, there would be endless trouble in the future.
She even ignored Lin Qiuran's sister-in-law. Why should the people in the old house spend the money she earned?
Xiao Xun was stunned for a moment, "Let me ask, it's too difficult for you to speak."
Lin Qiuran nodded. "Dad didn't mention it, so I didn't feel comfortable asking. You're more appropriate than me to ask. In fact, you could ask Mom privately."
Xiao Xun: "No need, we are all family."
Xiao Xun thought he understood Xiao Dashi's personality quite well. He had never been treated kindly by anyone in the old house since he was a child. He thought that since Lin Qiuran and the others had been away from Yu'an for several months, Xiao Dashi would not have any involvement with anyone in the old house.
Just ask, maybe you forgot.
Lin Qiuran nodded and said, "When Tangyuan comes back from playing, we'll go to Shou'an Hall for dinner."
Near noon, Lin Qiuran and Xiao Xun took Tangyuan to Shou'an Hall.
Xiao Dashi wanted to go out, but Sun stopped him. He had been waiting for him all morning. He couldn't help but complain to Sun: "I don't know what's going on. He hasn't shown up all morning. Tell me, is it easy for me to come all the way from Yu'an, and he still makes his father wait."
Sun complained that Xiao Dashi was too fussy. "What are you talking about? It's not that difficult. You're not even allowed to rest after two days away. You're being asked to do anything. What's wrong with you? You were fine before, but now you're acting so arrogantly after coming to the capital?"
Xiao Dashi touched his nose uncomfortably. "No, didn't Qiuran say that the capital has too many rules? I'm just curious, there aren't any rules in the mansion either. Oh, you're just imagining things."
Sun gave him a suspicious look, and soon the maid came in and reported, "Madam, the uncle's wife is here with the young master."
Sun said quickly, "This family, please come in quickly."
Tangyuan ran in first, "Grandpa and grandma!"
Sun opened her arms towards Tang Yuan and said, "Hey, slow down, slow down, you can't run."
Lin Qiuran smiled and said, "Dad and Mom."
Xiao Xun also said: "Dad, Mom, there is something going on in the court, so I will be back in the morning."
Xiao Dashi smiled and said, "It's good that you're back. You're really busy. Are you going to... to work today?"
Xiao Xun said: "I have to go to the palace on New Year's Eve, and then wait for the sixth day of the new year."
Xiao Xun will stay in the military camp more often in the future, and it depends on how the emperor arranges it.
He asked Xiao Dashi if the journey was smooth, and Xiao Dashi said, "It was fine. It was no problem to come here by carriage."
Xiao Xun nodded and asked, "What about Aunt Yu's family? Didn't they do business together with Qiu Ran? Did Dad take the profits from the past few months?"
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