Chapter 358: The plan to overthrow the old dynasty begins
Ye Chutang felt relieved when he saw that Cui Shuyue was alive and conscious.
She talked about business, "In three days, I will go to Jiangnan. I am afraid that I will be away for three or four months. The academy will be handed over to you."
Cui Shuyue knew that Ye Chutang had always wanted to go to Yangzhou to see her grandparents.
I didn't leave before because I had a lot of things to do and my child was too young.
She nodded and said, "Madam Qi, don't worry. I will take good care of the academy. If there is anything I can't solve, I will go to see the dean of Hua Ting Academy."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work. I'll bring you a gift when I come back from Jiangnan."
"Then I thank you in advance."
Ye Chutang stayed in the college until the students finished school.
Then he took An An and Le Le on a carriage and headed to the governor's mansion.
Inside the car.
Ye Chutang tested Lele's mental arithmetic.
Lele answered quickly and accurately.
After Ye Chutang finished the test, he scratched her nose and said, "You are so smart, but you never study hard."
Lele was not convinced and pouted, saying, "They learn too slowly. Even if I study hard, I still have to wait for everyone else's progress."
That's why she ignored every word the teacher said.
Otherwise, if you learn it immediately, it will be boring.
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "Why don't you just stay with me from now on and I will teach you myself."
Lele's eyes widened in fear and he immediately refused.
"Mom is so busy, I don't dare to waste her time, I'll just go to the academy."
Ye Chutang knew that Lele thought she was too strict and didn't want to be disciplined.
She leaned against the carriage and said with a look of regret, "But what can we do? You and your brother will have to stay with mother every day for the next three or four months. I will be the only one who can teach you."
When Lele heard this, he felt like the sky was falling.
She quickly grabbed Ye Chutang's sleeve and shook him gently, saying coquettishly, "Mom, I will be good in the future. Can you let me go to the academy?"
Ye Chutang propped up his right leg, speaking in a lazy tone.
"Are you sure?"
Just as Lele was about to nod, An An asked, "Mom, are you planning to take my sister and me to Jiangnan?"
As soon as these words came out, Lele immediately closed her slightly open mouth.
From birth to now, she has never traveled far!
Poems always describe the misty and rainy March in the south of the Yangtze River, and she had long wanted to go and see it.
Ye Chutang did not answer An An, his eyes still fixed on Le Le.
"Mom is asking you a question, answer it."
Lele raised her head and kissed Ye Chutang on the cheek.
"Le Le loves mom the most and wants to stay with mom all the time."
Ye Chutang gently poked Lele's forehead, "Little clever ghost."
After saying that, she looked at An An and nodded.
"Depart in three days."
"Then will my sister and I still go to school tomorrow?"
"Of course. You don't need to prepare anything. There's no harm in learning more."
Just when Lele was about to act like a spoiled child and refuse to go to school, Ye Chutang gave her a sidelong look and made her shut up tactfully.
An An likes going to school very much.
Because he was studious and the teacher was willing to teach him, he would gain something every day.
The carriage stopped at the gate of the governor's mansion.
The Qi family's carriage was easy to spot. The doorman immediately came forward to serve them and sent someone to report to the government office next door.
Ye Chutang got off the carriage and carried the two children down.
The concierge bowed respectfully.
"Mrs. Qi, Mr. Qi, Miss Qi, please come in."
An An and Le Le often came to the governor's mansion and went to the main hall with ease.
Just as the servant served tea to the three people, Song Jingning came back.
"Chu'er, why didn't you tell me before you came? I could have asked the kitchen to prepare more food."
Ye Chutang smiled and said, "He is not an outsider, so there is no need to be polite."
"It is precisely because they are family that we need to be more prepared."
After Song Jingning finished speaking, he looked at An An and Le Le.
"What do you want to eat?"
An An said politely, "Whatever my uncle arranges, I will eat."
It's not that he's being polite, but he's not picky about food.
Lele was frank and direct, "Uncle, I want to eat braised spareribs and homemade tofu."
"Okay, I'll let the kitchen do it."
After Song Jingning asked the servant to notify the kitchen, he asked Ye Chutang.
"Chu'er, why did you come here today?"
Whenever Ye Chutang came to the governor's mansion, he would usually inform him in advance.
A sudden visit must mean something, and it must be urgent.
Seeing Song Jingning's worried face, Ye Chutang quickly told him the purpose.
"Brother, Tianshan County is now stable and prosperous, and I don't need to stay here anymore. I plan to go to the south of the Yangtze River in three days to visit my grandparents. Do you want to come with me?"
The two elders of the Tang family are old and their health is not particularly good.
She wanted to meet him as soon as possible to avoid any unexpected incidents and regrets.
Song Jingning nodded, "Of course, Tianshan County is under the control of the Qi family. Even if I leave, it won't have any impact."
"Okay, then it's settled. We'll set off in three days."
"It's just the two of us, brother and sister, or..."
Lele rushed to say: "And Daddy, and us."
Ye Chutang: "This trip is a long one, so it's a good opportunity to take the two children to see the world."
Song Jingning smiled and touched An An's head, "You have to take her with you. It's not good to be apart for too long."
"Brother, please take Miss Chen with you when you go to Jiangnan this time."
Four years ago, Song Jingning and Chen Ruoyun had a one-year agreement.
They have been through a lot this year, even experiencing life and death together.
When digging the river and the canal, the water source was not properly intercepted, which washed away the stacked sacks.
The water flow was too strong, and many garrison troops and civilians working downstream were washed away.
When Song Jingning went to rescue people, he suffered a head injury and fainted. It was Chen Ruoyun who jumped into the turbulent river and hugged him, using her own body to withstand various impacts and saved his life.
Not only did Chen Ruoyun suffer multiple fractures, she was also nearly disfigured and had to recuperate for more than two months.
In order to prevent Song Jingning from feeling guilty, she said that the favor of saving his life would offset the debt and they would be even from now on.
Since then, the relationship between the two has become delicate.
Like family and lovers.
Ye Chutang always thought that the two would get married, but several years passed and there was no movement.
Song Jingning knew that Ye Chutang was testing his attitude towards Chen Ruoyun.
He nodded. "That's exactly what I meant."
After hearing this, Ye Chutang stopped beating around the bush.
She asked bluntly: "Brother, Miss Chen has been with you for several years, you don't plan to stay like this forever, right?"
Song Jingning knew that Ye Chutang always spoke directly, so he coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment.
"Of course not. When the weather gets warmer, I will go to the Chen family to propose marriage."
He actually mentioned divorce to Chen Ruoyun two years ago.
The Chinese New Year has just passed, and it will take until April before the heating in Tianshan County is turned on.
Ye Chutang calculated the time and found that he could just come back from Jiangnan.
"Okay, brother has delayed Miss Chen for so many years, so you have to prepare more betrothal gifts."
"Don't worry, I've arranged everything."
"Should we inform the Song family about my brother's marriage?"
After Song Jingning entered the officialdom, he severed his ties with the Song family and did not even have any private contact with them.
In this way, no matter what he does, it will not implicate the Song family.
But getting married is a big deal, even if the Song family can't come to watch the ceremony, they should be informed.
When Song Jingning thought about the next plan, a thin layer of sweat appeared on his palms.
He nodded, "The Song family raised me, so of course I know about it."
"Brother, have you calculated your time?"
"Not yet. I want the Song family to pick a date."
Ye Chutang nodded in agreement, "It should be."
The brother and sister chatted for a while, and then Chen Ruoyun came back after finishing her work.
The two of them immediately stopped talking and started talking about their trip to the south of the Yangtze River in three days.
Chen Ruoyun had never been to the South and was quite hankering after going there, so she immediately agreed to go with them.
After Ye Chutang finished dinner at the governor's mansion, he left with An An and Le Le.
Song Jingning looked at the carriage going away and said to Chen Ruoyun, "The opportunity we have been waiting for has finally arrived."
Chen Ruoyun and Ye Chutang have a good relationship.
She wanted Ye Chutang to become emperor, but she didn't want to force her.
"Governor Song, are you sure you want to do this? Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Think it over carefully."
"I had thought it through when I decided to participate in Jie Yi's plan. You should have seen the changes in the entire northwest. There is no one more suitable to be emperor than Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang."
Chen Ruoyun frowned slightly and asked, "Since ancient times, few women have been able to become emperors. Are you sure it's possible?"
Song Jingning looked in the direction of Qi Mansion and said with a smile: "I believe in Qi Yanzhou."
"What should we do next?"
"First notify Lord Jie, then go to Jiangnan and start on the way."
"Okay, Madam Qi will definitely be angry when she knows the truth, so you have to be mentally prepared."
Song Jingning took Chen Ruoyun's hand and looked at her with an apologetic look on his face.
"I'm sorry for the injustice you've endured over the past few years. Once the kingdom is successfully transferred to another owner, I'll marry you immediately."
In the past few years, Chen Ruoyun has been following Song Jingning without any status, and has been pointed at and suffered a lot of grievances.
Song Jingning had mentioned getting married before, but she did not agree.
Because she knew that he wanted to push Qi Yanzhou and Ye Chutang to ascend the throne and become emperor, and she didn't want him to be distracted.
She looked up at the handsome man and held his hand tightly.
"Okay, I'll wait."
***
Three days later.
Ye Chutang and his party set out to go down Jiangshan.
In addition to their family of four, Song Jingning and Chen Ruoyun, there are also Sun Chu and Lin Suihuan.
Lin Suihuan is Su Xuerong from Ningzhou City.
After she faked her death, she took her biological father's surname Lin. Last year, she came to Tianshan County to ask Ye Chutang to help her cure her heart disease.
Fortunately, Ye Chutang performed surgery on her and cured her congenital heart disease.
Then he and Sun Chu became a pair of bickering lovers.
Although Lin Suihuan's disease was cured, the long-term illness caused her health to be poor.
Sun Chu had long wanted to take her to a place with a suitable environment to recuperate, but because the winter in Tianshan County was too long and not suitable for travel, this plan was put on hold.
After knowing that Ye Chutang was going to Jiangnan, he asked to go with him and take Lin Suihuan to live in Jiangnan for a while.
Ye Chutang naturally would not refuse, so eight of them set off together.
Tianshan County was covered with snow in January, but since the road was repaired, it has never been blocked by heavy snow again.
Since all counties and prefectures were under Qi Yanzhou's control, the journey south was smooth.
One month later.
Ye Chutang and his party entered the territory of Yangzhou.
It is now the end of February.
The grass is green, the flowers are colorful, and the temperature is comfortable, so an inner layer and an outer layer are enough.
It will take another two days from entering Yangzhou to reaching the county town.
Song Jingning glanced at the dark sky and said, "There is a lot of mist and rain in the south of the Yangtze River in spring. The rain is about to fall. Let's find a nearby county town to rest."
Qi Yanzhou nodded in agreement, "I'm afraid the rain won't be too light. We have to speed up."
The rain began to fall before the carriage reached the nearest county town.
The rain in the south of the Yangtze River is fine and soft, showing its gentleness.
Chen Ruoyun lifted the car curtain and warm steam hit her face.
“The difference in rainfall between the north and south is really huge.”
After saying this, she looked at the roadside scenery obscured by rain and fog and improvised a poem.
Song Jingning wrote down her poem as usual.
"When we get to Yangzhou, I will give the poems you wrote along the way to my study and compile them into a collection."
Chen Ruoyun and Song Jingning have been together for a long time, and their literary talent has become even better than before.
She was very confident in herself and nodded with a smile, "Okay, but can we really get to Yangzhou?"
Before saying this, she withdrew her hand and lowered the curtain.
The drizzle hit the leaves, making a rustling sound, covering up her deliberately suppressed voice.
Song Jingning picked up the written poem and blew it with his mouth.
"Even if I can't get there in two days, I'll definitely get there later."
"When do you plan to start?"
"tonight."
Chen Ruoyun couldn't help feeling a little nervous when she heard this.
"What are the chances of success?"
Song Jingning put down the dried paper and said seriously, "Only success is allowed, failure is not allowed."
"With Mr. Jie's help, we will definitely succeed!"
The capital city is not too far from Jiangnan, and can be reached in five days by riding a fast horse.
Xie Yi had arrived a long time ago to observe the celestial phenomena and make plans.
It can be said that Song Jingning deliberately decided that Ye Chutang and his party should enter Yangzhou at this time.
What I am waiting for is this continuous spring rain and the misty rain.
"Whoa!"
The carriage in front suddenly stopped.
Qi Yanzhou lifted the carriage curtain, stuck his head out, and asked the driver, "What's wrong?"
The driver was not Qi Yanzhou's man, but was hired from the previous town.
It was like this all the way south.
When you want to drive the cart, you drive it yourself. If you don’t want to drive the cart, you hire someone to drive you. The wage is fifty cents a day.
The driver looked at the badly damaged wooden bridge ahead and did not dare to drive the carriage onto it.
"Sir, this bridge is broken. If you want to cross it, you have to walk across it."
Qi Yanzhou looked at the rotten wooden bridge, his brows slightly furrowed.
"Jiangnan has always been a prosperous place, so why is this bridge so dilapidated and no one has repaired or rebuilt it?"
The driver quickly explained, "The bridge was originally planned to be rebuilt at the end of last year, but last year was a cold winter, and it was cold for more than three consecutive months, so the construction period was delayed. After the new year, the workers had already taken other jobs, so the bridge repair had to be put on hold."
After that, he added: "This bridge was not so broken before. There was no problem for carriages to pass through it. It is probably because there has been too much rain recently and heavy objects have been passed through it, so it is like this."
"Is there any other way to get to Guangling County?"
"Yes, but it's a little far, and it's a small road over there, so it's hard for a carriage to go there, and it's very bumpy. If we abandon the carriage and walk to Guangling County, it will take more than an hour."
Qi Yanzhou pursed his thin lips, feeling that the broken bridge was a little strange.
You know, this bridge is part of the official road, and countless vehicles pass by it every day. How come the bridge rotted when they passed by?
He turned to Ye Chutang and said, "Atang, I'll go down and take a look."
Ye Chutang also felt something was wrong and held An An and Le Le in his arms.
"Be careful."
Qi Yanzhou nodded and jumped off the carriage.
He carefully examined the damaged parts of the bridge.
Confirm it is not man-made.
Then the load-bearing capacity of the bridge was tested.
If everyone gets off the carriage, the empty carriage can pass.
But the horse is too heavy, and this dilapidated bridge may not be able to bear it.
Qi Yanzhou returned to the carriage and told Ye Chutang about the situation.
"Atang, make up your mind."
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