Chapter 230: Zhang Ting goes fishing, father and daughter enter the palace...
Along the riverbank, the grass grows lush and green.
Xun Han stood there, fishing rod in hand, looking completely bewildered. "Junior sister, why are you wearing a raincoat? Aren't you hot?" She glanced at the sky; the sun was blazing overhead. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. She wasn't blind, and she wasn't dreaming.
Zhang Ting said she observed the celestial phenomena last night and predicted that there would likely be heavy rain today, so she was fully prepared.
Xun Han rolled her eyes at her, her face expressionless. "Keep pretending, go ahead."
They were from the same school, so how could she not know why she had studied astrology?
But she didn't care what anyone did. Xun Han squatted down on the auspicious spot she had chosen beforehand. It was a naturally formed pile of pebbles, each one round and full. She cast her fishing rod into the river and waited for the fish to bite.
Zhang Ting moved a rock over and sat down, methodically hooking a small earthworm onto the fishhook. During a break, he glanced at Xun Han and asked, "Aren't you tired of squatting?" He then cast his line and waited for his catch. Fishing is that simple and unpretentious.
It's true what they say, people tend to become fishermen as they get older.
Xun Han glanced down and clicked his tongue lightly, "There's water on the pebbles. I don't want to go back with my bottom all wet and be stared at."
"Why don't you just move a rock to sit on? Look, there are plenty over there."
"You don't understand, do you? See the pile of stones under my feet? They're all round and full. I saw them as soon as I arrived, and they're absolutely amazing! This place is sure to bring me good fortune." He raised his chin smugly and added, "Just watch as I fish until my bowl is overflowing."
Zhang Ting turned her head away speechlessly, thinking, "Fool."
To be honest, the riverside that Xun Han found was really nice. Although the sun was blazing overhead, the cool river breeze made him feel refreshed all over.
The opposite bank and the surrounding area are shaded by green trees and surrounded by grass. A few wild ducks swim by with their families in the river. The environment is quiet and peaceful, and it can cleanse the soul.
Zhang Ting thought to herself: No wonder some people love to go fishing. They can completely empty their minds, think of nothing, and feel pretty good.
While she was leisurely relaxing, Xun Han was in a terrible state. Her hands inside her sleeves were bitten several times, and even her forehead and chin were not spared.
The mosquitoes in the suburbs were incredibly poisonous. Xun Han scratched himself while cursing, "Why do such poisonous insects exist in this world!"
Zhang Ting tossed her a medicated ointment, saying, "To repel mosquitoes and relieve itching." She sighed and shook her head, realizing that Zhang Ting had invited her fishing without preparing anything.
Xun Han twisted open the bottle and applied it with her hand. Hey, the effect was immediate, and the itching stopped at all. "Xiao Si, where did you find this treasure? It works really well."
Zhang Ting snorted, "There are many mosquitoes in spring and summer. My husband couldn't bear to see me suffer from them, so he specially prepared them for me."
Xun Han: "..." Ugh, I blame myself for being so foul-mouthed, deliberately stuffing dog food into my mouth.
She sighed, then suddenly remarked, "Junior sister, you weren't like this before. You were so humble, polite, and tolerant, like a gentleman. Now you're always arguing with me, bickering, and showing off." She paused, then added, "But I still prefer you the way you are now, so down-to-earth." Then she realized something was off. Preferring her like this? Wasn't that just self-torture?
Zhang Ting smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it, senior sister. I'll share my experiences with you more often in the future."
Xun Han frowned as he listened, wondering if there was something malicious in those words.
Forget it, it won't last long anyway.
Xun Han gazed at the crimson sunset on the horizon, which resembled a fireball, and calmly said, "Junior Sister, I am preparing to resign and return to Huzhou Prefecture."
Zhang Ting was taken aback and turned to look at her. "Did someone bully you?"
Xun Han chuckled, finding the words quite ridiculous. "My junior sister is a high-ranking official of the second rank, the most powerful Minister of Personnel. Who would dare to bully me? Those who gave me the slightest bit of attitude before are now wishing they could kneel down and apologize to me."
"Why is that? You've studied hard for over ten years, wasn't it all for the sake of changing your family's status and bringing glory to your ancestors?"
Xun Han pursed her lips in agreement, “That’s true, but the longer I stay in officialdom, the more I realize that I can’t accept this official robe.” Her tone was deep and profound, “Junior sister, as officials, we must consider the big picture and the overall situation, which means we have to sacrifice the interests of a small number of people. When it’s small, it’s money; when it’s big, it’s human lives.”
"The longer time goes by, the more I hate it. That year, the dike in Yinzhou collapsed, and you went to manage the flood. I was working in the Ministry of Revenue. One of our colleagues reported that the Fifth Princess had embezzled disaster relief grain, but the Minister of Revenue stopped him, saying that she was His Majesty's beloved daughter and the crown princess in the hearts of the people, so everyone should turn a blind eye. If you had exposed her, how would the Ministry of Revenue have handled the situation? Would you have caused the people's trust in the dynasty to collapse?"
“There are many, many more like this…” She waded through the icy river water. “I’m really tired these past few years. I might as well go back to being a teacher.”
Zhang Ting paused for a moment, then said, "The royal family is corrupt, the administration is incompetent, and the people are suffering terribly. But aren't we changing this situation?" Her fishing rod jerked, and she quickly reeled it in.
Wow! So fat.
Xun Han was envious and forcibly looked away.
Zhang Ting tossed the fat fish into the bamboo basket and cast his line again.
"My senior sister said she wanted to go back to be a teacher, but do you think being a teacher is easy, is it your ideal paradise? Wherever there are people, there is a world of its own, and both the dirty and the beautiful will come. Escaping won't solve anything, it will only leave a lingering regret in your heart."
"You are straightforward, but also exceptionally talented. In a diverse and vibrant officialdom, you will certainly find your place."
Xun Han stared blankly at the fishing rod, but his mind was suddenly at ease.
"I could never achieve what you have."
"Why must we compare ourselves to others in this life? Just do your best and leave the rest to fate."
Xun Han laughed loudly, "You're absolutely right!" She stood up, waving her fishing rod, and after almost an hour of busy work, she hadn't caught a single fish, but someone else had caught her.
This was Xun Han's most unforgettable day, not only because she received guidance from her mentor and embarked on a path that would have a profound impact on her, but also because fate played a cruel joke on her.
The rain came suddenly, soaking her to the bone; her hair was sticking to her scalp and her clothes clung to her body.
Rain streamed down her face, making it resemble a small stream converging into many waterways. Xun Han wiped her face, numbly watching the person who was still leisurely fishing, while looking at her own disheveled state.
Damn! She really fooled me.
...
At Shenshi (3-5 PM), the Empress Dowager issued an imperial decree summoning the Duke and his young mistress to the palace for a meal.
Zong Suyi, who had only slept for an hour, was woken up by the servants, washed, dressed, and put into a luxurious and exquisite carriage. Just before leaving, they discovered that something was missing, so they quickly brought Tuntun over and put her in the carriage.
Heaven knows how panicked they were when their lord was away and their husband only knew how to sleep. They received the imperial decree.
Just moments ago, Tun Tun was digging for her new friend in the garden, but to no avail. Now, seeing her beautiful, fragrant old father, she crawled over with her bottom sticking out and asked, "Daddy, Daddy. Have you seen Xiao Mei?"
Zong Suyi slept soundly, and in his dream he heard mosquitoes buzzing around his ears. He raised his sleeve to cover his head and continued to sleep.
How could Tun Tun be a little brat who would give up easily? Despite her young age and need for little sleep, she couldn't bear to see her father, at his age, still being lazy. She lifted her father's sleeve, leaned close to his ear, and shouted, "Dad! Get up!!"
Zong Suyi was startled and sat up with wide eyes. "What happened? Did the sky fall or the earth crack?" Looking around, he realized he was lying in a carriage and vaguely remembered that he was going to the palace for a banquet.
After a moment, he heard a series of rustling laughter outside the carriage, which, without a doubt, were mocking him.
Zong Suyi hadn't made such an embarrassing mistake in many years; he was so ashamed that his face turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp.
Being woken up by a child in the street—what will people think of him? A lord of such high age, still sleeping like a child? Lord Zhang's husband is frivolous and ignorant; he's hardly the type to manage the household.
He was utterly embarrassed. He picked up the little brat and whispered in his ear, "Why are you shouting so loudly? As if you're afraid no one will know your dad is sleeping in?"
Tun Tun giggled, scratching her face with her chubby hand: "Daddy, you lazybones, shame on you!"
Zong Suyi glared at her, almost blurting out, "Isn't it all your mother's fault..." How could he let the child know about this? He immediately stopped talking, feeling frustrated, and then hit the child twice.
Tun Tun chuckled, her childish voice slightly cheeky: "Little one, aren't you in pain? Didn't you eat?"
Zong Suyi was both angry and amused, pinching her cheeks for a while before letting go. Bad kids beget bad kids, badness is passed down through generations!
After she calmed down and laughed, she hugged her darling close and said, "You're not allowed to yell at Daddy like that outside, and you can't say bad things about Daddy, okay? If other people hear, they'll laugh at me." She tapped the naughty child's clever nose.
Dad's hair was smooth, but it pricked my neck and made me itchy. Tun Tun laughed and dodged around, obediently replying, "Okay, okay~"
The Zhang Mansion, where they now reside, was bestowed by the emperor. It was converted from the former Xu Mansion and is located in the north of the city, very close to the imperial city, only a quarter of an hour away.
As soon as she got off the carriage, a large number of palace maids and servants crowded around to serve her. Surrounded by the crowd, Zong Suyi led the little cub inside with practiced ease.
It is no exaggeration to say that as long as the Empress is alive, the palace is his second home.
As dusk settled, the golden glazed tiles blazed in the afterglow of the setting sun, making the entire palace resemble a celestial palace floating above the mortal world.
Passing through layers of white marble carved platforms, one enters the majestic palace.
The Queen, dressed in a majestic and luxurious crimson-gold crown robe, sat regally in the main seat, her gentle features so captivating they seemed to melt water. "Xiao Yi has arrived. Is this Tun Tun? Come quickly to your great-grandfather."
His child wasn't shy at all. Zong Suyi patted her little body lightly, and the little pig excitedly ran over, climbing the steps one by one, carefully examining the golden-haired adult in front of her.
She asked with feigned seriousness, "Are you the child's great-grandfather?"
The Queen was charmed by her childlike words and, unusually, cooperated: "Yes, I am. Then are you Tuntun?"
The child stood with his hands behind his back, speaking proudly: "Of course."
The Queen was amused and hugged him tightly. How could Xiao Yi, so arrogant and haughty, have given birth to such a lively and adorable child?
Chen Lanshan, standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer. "They have no manners at all. They don't even greet their elders."
Zong Suyi's expression immediately changed, but before he could speak, the Empress Dowager spoke first: "Who are you to speak here? Get out."
Chen Lanshan choked, "Father, I..."
The Empress glared at him. "Do you want me to invite you?"
"...Lanshan has overstepped his bounds, so I will take my leave now."
Chen Lanshan bowed and withdrew, but as he passed by Zong Suyi, he snorted.
The Empress summoned Zong Suyi to speak, saying, "Don't take him seriously. If it weren't for the fact that he's your maternal grandmother's only surviving son, I would have dealt with him long ago." The wife is the ruler, and he is the subject; once he crosses that line, he will be disliked.
Zong Suyi patted Tun Tun's head and said with heartache, "What do you care about, grandson? I'm just worried that Tun Tun is feeling uncomfortable."
The Queen turned to Tun Tun and asked, "Is Tun Tun sad?"
Seeing his father's expression, Tun Tun nodded emphatically, "It hurts my heart." Although he hadn't heard what that ugly uncle meant.
This distressed the Queen, who immediately rewarded the child with two large cartloads of rare treasures to calm his nerves. "We've wronged our Tuntun. Tomorrow I'll talk to your great-grandmother. A mother has to pay for her son's debts, so she has to apologize to our Tuntun as well."
When Tun Tun heard that there was something fun to do, she instantly turned into a smiling face, like a honey bug soaking in a flower, and pestered the Queen with sweet words, making the old lady very happy.
The grandmother and grandson cuddled for a while. Outside, the palace lanterns shone brightly. The queen instructed her confidant to take Tun Tun out to play, and then it would be time for dinner.
The vast, magnificent hall was empty, with only two people remaining.
The Empress held Zong Suyi's hand and sighed, saying, "You must have noticed that Grandfather sent Tuntun away because he had something to say to you. Xiaoyi married a good wife, who is of noble character and appearance, with a heavenly beauty, and does not like to philander."
“But you have been married for more than ten years and have only one daughter. Your family is not large enough to attract any men. It is easy for others to take advantage of you. Zhang Ting is a pillar of the country and a key minister. She is a woman of unparalleled beauty. How many people want to have their eyes on her? Even your uncle…” The Queen suddenly stopped and earnestly advised, “In short, you should make plans as soon as possible.”
Zong Suyi lowered his eyes and fell silent.
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