Lu Baichuan was very satisfied with this, so he didn't say anything more, but just held Jiang Jiuniang tightly the whole way.
When she arrived home, Madam Sun and her entourage were already waiting. She had heard that the bandit suppression mission was actually a charade, and her heart was in her throat. Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian had gone to the palace without returning home, and she was anxious, so she had been waiting.
When she saw the carriage stop at the door, Sun hurriedly came out to see what was happening. Seeing that her third son and his wife had gotten out of the carriage together, both of them unharmed, she finally felt relieved.
Having just seen Jiang Jiuniang, Madam Sun wasn't worried. She just kept looking at Lu Baichuan to make sure there weren't any horrifying injuries before saying, "You're finally back. Why do you always seem to encounter such dangerous things? Is Qin Jian alright too?"
"It's alright, don't worry, everyone's back."
I was just injured, but there was no need to tell my elderly mother, otherwise she would worry.
"It's alright, it's alright! Come on, let's step over the fire basin to get rid of the bad luck!"
She had already arranged for a brazier to be prepared so that the couple would both step over it.
The Yu family and others had heard that they were returning today, so they came to check on them. They were relieved to see that everything was alright.
It's no exaggeration to say that their current glory is entirely due to the three wives. If anything were to happen to them, they would be bullied terribly in this vast capital.
They just hope that the whole family can live in peace and safety, that the family can get better and better, and that everyone can become capable of standing on their own in the future.
Looking at his parents who were so worried about him, Lu Baichuan felt a little guilty and didn't know how to bring up the topic of going to the border the next day.
But he still had something to say, and if he didn't say it now, there wouldn't be time, so he said, "Sister-in-law, please come to our house for dinner tonight. I have something to say to my elder brother."
They live separately now. Even though the first and second wives rent the same house, they eat separately on weekdays. At most, they will share some of the good dishes they cook with each other, but they rarely eat together.
Now that Lu Baichuan is back, it's time for a proper get-together; having a meal together wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Okay, I'll have someone go and call them in a bit."
Madam Yu nodded in agreement and said, "Third brother and sister-in-law, you must be exhausted after just getting back. Go wash up and get some sleep. I'll cook you a nice meal tonight!"
Her restaurant hasn't opened yet; she's been idle these past few days and has plenty of time.
Qin and Lu Guilan also said they would help out, and for a moment it felt like they had returned to the days when they lived in the countryside.
Jiang Jiuniang didn't stand on ceremony with them. She was exhausted from traveling these past few days, so she decided to go and get some sleep first.
They slept until mealtime, still a little groggy. They got up and washed their faces with cold water to wake up.
The children all came back, and the whole family sat together, waiting for the couple.
When the dog saw its parents, it excitedly went up to them, barked, and then snuggled up to them affectionately.
He hadn't seen his parents for several days, and although he didn't say it, he missed them very much.
Jiang Jiuniang hugged the dog and kissed him, and then the family began to eat.
The Lu family does not adhere to the principle of not speaking while eating or sleeping. On the contrary, many important matters in the Lu family are discussed at the dinner table. Moreover, Lu Baichuan had previously stated that he had something to say, so everyone was waiting for Lu Baichuan to speak.
Lu Baichuan didn't keep them in suspense. After eating a couple of bites, he said, "When I went to the palace today, the Emperor talked about the matter of hereditary privileges. He originally said that it would be arranged after some time, but there are quite a few vacant positions in the court at the moment, so it's convenient to go in now. The Emperor's intention was to give you high positions, but I refused. I decided to start from the bottom and gradually get familiar with the duties before being promoted."
His words were rather long, leaving everyone feeling uneasy.
One moment he was happy because the emperor had granted him a special favor, the next he felt pressured and scared because he might be given an important official position, worried that he wouldn't do a good job, and then he heard that he had been rejected and was still following the original plan to start from the bottom.
After hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They were afraid that the emperor's grace was too great, but they were not capable of shouldering the responsibility. They decided to take it slow and see what happened next.
“You did the right thing. It’s good to be a high-ranking official, but we don’t have that ability. It’s more reliable to take things one step at a time.”
Old Man Lu spoke up, affirming Lu Baichuan's actions and also serving as a warning to Lu's eldest and second eldest sons, telling them not to have any ulterior motives.
The eldest and second eldest Lu brothers also stated, "That's what we think too. If we don't do things well, it will only bring trouble to the family."
After everyone expressed their feelings, the dinner table was filled with laughter. Besides Lu Baichuan, the family now had two more officials, and their lives were sure to get better and better.
Lu Baichuan added, "I'm leading troops into battle tomorrow. Eldest brother, second brother, the family is in your hands now."
One sentence brought the laughter and joy of the crowd to an abrupt halt.
After a long pause, Madam Sun finally spoke, "Didn't you just get back? Why are you leaving again?"
"The border war is tense. The Emperor ordered Qin Jian and me to set off tomorrow, otherwise the enemy will be attacking the capital."
If we hadn't forced Dongting to sign the agreement and concede many benefits, Dongting's army would actually be able to march on the capital by now.
Old Man Lu said with a stern face, "It's time to go. The Emperor has been so good to us, so we should do our duty."
After a long silence, Lu Lao Er said, "Third brother, can I go with you?"
Instantly, all the family's attention turned to him. Only Qin Shi, though reluctant, smiled gently, clearly having known her husband's plans all along.
Faced with everyone's gaze, Lu Lao Er scratched his head nervously and said with a simple smile, "I haven't read many books, and I'm not as good at dealing with people or speaking as my eldest brother. Even if the emperor bestows an official position upon me, I'm not sure I can do it well. It would be a small matter if I made a fool of myself, but I'm afraid it would implicate the family. I was thinking that it would be better to go to the army camp with my third brother and do some physical labor or help with cooking."
Of course, he could do nothing but stay at home with his wife and run a gambling den; he could definitely live a wealthy life.
But who hasn't dreamed of becoming a general? Although he didn't have the talent, he wanted to contribute to the country and his family, which would also fulfill his childhood dream.
His choices had always been uncertain, but this time his determination was exceptionally firm. The battlefield was certainly not as comfortable as home, but if his third brother could accept it, so could he.
After saying that, he looked at Lu Baichuan with some anticipation, wondering if he would agree.
"Second brother, have you thought this through?"
Lu Baichuan's attitude was very serious; going to the battlefield was no child's play.
Madam Sun also said, "Yes, second son, this is no small matter. You need to think it through. If you really don't want to be an official, you don't have to make things difficult for yourself. We have a business at home. Even if you do nothing, you can still live a good life."
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