Chapter 95 Separated Mother and daughter did not receive a letter from Su Lifeng, first...
Before the mother and daughter received Su Lifeng's letter, they sensed the undercurrents in the capital. Not to mention, officials who used to hold banquets every few days were canceling their reservations. The reason behind this was that the current emperor had summoned his ministers to discuss state affairs for several days.
Following the example set by those above, even the most oblivious officials would not dare to indulge in revelry every day at this time.
Su Zhihan learned some details from familiar officials that the court had argued about the border war several times and had successively dispatched several generals to take over the army left behind by the Marquis of Zhongyong.
In addition, she also obtained a lot of information from the people in the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. First of all, the situation was not as bad as outsiders said. Rather than suffering a major defeat, the Marquis of Zhongyong was more likely to have been caught in a trap due to carelessness and ambushed by the enemy, thus losing his life.
His deputy generals and most of his men are still guarding the frontier. These men are mostly loyal subordinates whom the Marquis Zhongyong has accumulated over the years. They have been guarding the frontier for many years. If a new general were to take over, he would probably not obey orders.
The best solution would be to send someone from the Marquis of Zhongyong's household. The Emperor favored the Marquis of Zhongyong's heir, Chang Ge'er, but many ministers in the court had reservations, feeling that Chang Ge'er was too young and lacked martial arts skills, and recommended Erlangjun instead.
"I don't know what will happen."
"If Chang-ge'er is willing to go, perhaps there won't be a problem?"
"Chang Ge'er is a coward."
Hearing this, Yinghong leaned over and whispered to the mother and daughter, "That day I came home late and overheard my mother talking to my father in the room. She said that the eldest daughter-in-law and Chang'er's wife were persuading Chang'er to go to the frontier to study so that he could take over the Marquis's position in the future."
"Who would have thought that Chang-ge'er said that his wife wanted to kill him, and even blamed the eldest mistress for forcing him."
"The eldest daughter-in-law was already depressed because of the Marquis's death, and upon hearing this, she fainted on the spot. The manor even had to call the imperial physician..."
Jiang Zhenniang and Su Zhihan remained silent for a long time, unsure of what to say.
Su Zhihan returned to her room that evening and tried hard to recall the plot. Apart from the downfall of the Marquis's mansion, the downfall of the Marquis's mansion... she suddenly jolted and remembered something.
The Marquis of Zhongyong's family was not wiped out because of military defeat, but because of treason, because of... the Prince Rong's treason.
Now that the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery has passed away, and Chang Ge'er is as timid as a mouse and dares not go to the frontier, could it be that the person who took over is one of the men under the command of Prince Rong, which is why this matter is connected?
Su Zhihan couldn't understand it at first, but she gradually came to understand the reason behind it. Not long after, Cao Daya brought bad news: the Princess Consort of Rong Prince passed away just two months after giving birth to their eldest daughter because of incomplete lochia. The Prince Consort of Rong Prince was worried that the others would not be able to take care of the young girl, so he asked the Emperor to marry the Princess Consort's cousin, the daughter of the Second Young Master of the Marquis of Zhongyong.
Then, Erlang received an imperial edict and went to the front lines to take command of the border troops. As for Changge'er, because of his cowardice, disrespect for elders, and rebellion, he was stripped of his status as heir apparent. Seeing that he was disliked by the emperor, he was completely doomed.
This time, the eldest daughter-in-law is truly ill.
Cao Daya's face was grim: "The old lady is sick, the eldest daughter-in-law is sick, and now the second branch of the family is in charge of everything in the house."
A little over a year ago, who could have imagined that the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion would turn out like this? Who could have imagined that a little over a year later, the most despised second son and second daughter-in-law would be in charge?
Besides continuing to write letters, Jiang Zhenniang also visited the house. When she returned, her face was extremely pale: "Madam has become terribly thin; she looks like nothing but skin and bones..."
She pulled Su Zhihan aside and whispered, "I heard from Granny Xu that Second Madam said that First Madam embezzled a lot of money and wants her to hand it all over."
"Most of that money was sent to the Rong Prince's mansion, or used to fill the huge hole in the Marquis's mansion. The second mistress wants the eldest mistress to take out her dowry..."
How did such a large mansion come to this state?
Jiang Zhenniang felt a pang of sympathy and became even more certain of the reality of her daughter's dream, which made her worry.
Even if she was worried, it wasn't really the Jiang family's business. Aside from checking daily for letters from her son, Jiang Zhenniang spent her time researching shops, training her staff, and planning to expand further.
The Jiang family's life continued steadily and peacefully.
When Su Zhihan's skills were passed down from the family of a seventh-rank official to a sixth-rank official, and she gradually became a kitchen maid often hired by a fifth-rank official, Jiang Zhenniang finally received another letter from Su Lifeng.
The death of the Loyal and Brave Marquis threw Su Lifeng's army into disarray for some time, but things have recently returned to normal. He was able to return to his garrison and deliver letters to the capital from a nearby county. In addition to letters to Jiang Zhenniang and Su Zhihan, along with various local specialties, there were two more letters for Pearl and her family.
"Your brother said there might be a war going to break out soon."
"..." When Su Zhihan heard the news of the death of the Marquis of Zhongyong, she knew that such a battle was inevitable.
Looking at the worried Jiang Zhenniang, she reached out and put her arm around her: "Brother, you will definitely come back safely."
There's not much the mother and daughter can do; all they can do is live well and hope that Su Lifeng will survive and return safely from the border.
"It definitely can."
"Hmm," Jiang Zhenniang responded softly, then turned back to write another letter to Su Lifeng.
This time, Su Zhihan also wrote a letter. Fearing that someone in the barracks might open the letter and check its contents, she did not directly tell Su Lifeng about her dream. Instead, she pretended to complain to Su Lifeng about the atmosphere in the capital and recorded what happened in the Marquis of Zhongyong’s mansion in the letter, which she then sent to Su Lifeng.
I only hope that his elder brother has a clever mind and can see through the problems involved, so that he won't get involved in such matters.
It seems they can't do any more.
News of the war gradually came in, some good and some bad. As the situation of the war worsened, Su Lifeng once again lost contact with the Chiang family.
This war lasted for almost half a year, only gradually coming to an end on the eve of the winter solstice.
Soon, news of the border troops' great victory over the Xiongnu spread throughout the capital, and the people who had been suffering for more than half a year were finally relieved.
On that day, the sound of firecrackers resounded throughout the capital.
Wrapped in winter clothes, Su Zhihan stood at the door, looking around expectantly, as did Pearl. She craned her neck, watching the donkey cart approaching in the distance, and eagerly went forward to greet it.
Before the donkey cart had even come to a complete stop, she stepped forward and asked expectantly, "Madam Jiang."
Jiang Zhenniang lifted the curtain and came out, her face full of joy. She hurriedly stuffed several letters she was carrying into Zhenzhu's hands: "The letters have arrived!"
"How...how can there be so many?"
"I don't know either." Jiang Zhenniang looked at the pearl with great delight: "Perhaps she wrote every month, but it was just sent out together?"
Pearl blushed deeply and hurriedly left with the letter, not even bothering to listen to what Jiang Zhenniang had to say.
"Hey, hey, pearls? Pearls!"
“That girl ran so fast, there’s still so much stuff.” Jiang Zhenniang shook her head and called Su Zhihan and Cai Mama to come forward and carry the things. The things sent back from the frontier were piled up like a small mountain. In addition to the usual furs and rewards, this time there were also a lot of spices and ingredients that Su Zhihan liked, many of which could sell for exorbitant prices in the capital.
Su Zhihan looked around and gasped, "Mother... Brother got promoted?"
He's either being promoted or he's embezzled.
Fortunately, Su Lifeng was promoted. In his letter, he said that he had been promoted one rank, from a seventh-rank deputy commander to a sixth-rank Xiuwu Lang.
Xiuwu Lang was a military officer in charge of rear defense. In addition to supervising the training of officers and soldiers, he was also responsible for supervising and guiding the construction and maintenance of camps and fortifications. Su Lifeng also mentioned this matter in his letter.
"Then...does that mean we still can't return to the capital?"
“Indeed.” Jiang Zhenniang frowned. From the front line to the rear, it seemed that Su Lifeng would be safer than before. However, most of the defensive fortifications that needed to be built should be on the front line, and only a few for towns would be permanently stationed in one place.
At the same time, this also meant that Su Lifeng still couldn't return to Beijing. Jiang Zhenniang was undecided, pondering Su Lifeng and Zhenzhu's marriage. Their marriage had been delayed from last year to this year, and she didn't know how much longer it would be postponed.
In fact, Pearl's family was also discussing this matter. Pearl's parents were reluctant to let her go to the frontier, but they were also worried that the longer the marriage was delayed, the more likely something would go wrong.
"The Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion... is getting worse day by day."
"The lady has been seriously ill for three months, and her condition is not good."
Pearl's father hesitated, secretly glancing at his daughter's expression: "Our family has no connection with the second branch of the family, so I'm afraid we won't be able to help them in the future."
Pearl's father worked as an accountant in a restaurant, while Pearl's mother found a job in an embroidery shop. Yinghong learned cooking from Su Zhihan, and the family's life was just ordinary.
The couple didn't feel anything special, but when they left the Marquis's residence, they mentioned that they came from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, and they were able to get a second glance from the people.
Now, with the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion showing signs of decline, and given the passage of time, it's no longer appropriate to keep mentioning the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
Most importantly, Su Lifeng is now a sixth-rank official, and he might be promoted to a first or second rank in a couple of years.
Pearl's father feared things might change and hoped his daughter would get married soon, but Pearl's mother hugged her daughter tightly, reluctant to part with her: "She's not your own flesh and blood, don't you feel sorry for her?"
"There are frequent wars on the frontier; it's not a place to live. Just endure it for two or three years."
"What do you know!"
"The other day, our restaurant's cook went to the Right Vice Minister's residence to prepare a banquet. Do you know which family his wife is from?" Pearl's father said with a dark face, "She is the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices!"
"The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is a fourth-rank official."
“A seventh-rank official can marry the daughter of a fourth-rank official. Why would Su Lang want to marry Pearl? By the time he returns to the capital, it will be too late. When people hear that he is only engaged and has not yet married, they might interfere.”
"What's the point of just getting engaged?"
"Let's not even talk about whether Su Lang is willing or not. Even if he doesn't have this intention, what will happen to Pearl if someone is arrested on some pretext?"
"This is right at the foot of the imperial city."
“Yes, this is right under the nose of the capital.” Pearl’s father sighed. Having spent so much time in restaurants and other such places, he knew a thing or two about what was going on outside.
If even the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion could go from its zenith to its current state, what else is impossible?
Looking at her husband's expression, Pearl's mother gradually became uneasy and couldn't help but look at Pearl: "Pearl, what do you think we should do?"
"I think Father is right." Pearl stroked the letter in her hand, a hint of expectation in her eyes. She pushed the letter in front of her parents and recounted the dates of the letters as if they were precious treasures.
Just as Jiang Zhenniang said, Su Lifeng would write a letter or write something on paper almost every month and send it to her all at once.
As Pearl looked at the letters, she suddenly felt more confident about the future and answered affirmatively again: "I think Father is right. I want to go to the northern frontier to see... where Su Lang is stationed year-round."
After making up their minds, Pearl's family went to talk to Jiang Zhenniang about it the next day. Jiang Zhenniang, who had been hesitant, also made up her mind after hearing this and decided to go to the northern frontier with Pearl's family so that she could see her son with her own eyes.
Because Su Zhihan had to take care of the business, she stayed in the capital with Yinghong. The two of them watched the two families packing their belongings and preparing to leave, and they felt extremely reluctant to part with them.
Yinghong, in particular, held Pearl and cried for a long time. Even after the caravan carrying everyone had driven away, she couldn't stop crying, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief.
"Han-jie, aren't you feeling unwell?"
"It's so sad, but my brother hasn't seen Mom in a long time, and Mom hasn't seen my brother in a long time either."
"Besides, it's not like they're not coming back."
"Let's work hard while they're away and surprise everyone later, shall we?"
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