Chapter 41 A Forty-One Turns Back Turns into a Smile
Wang Yuying paused for a moment, then smiled and reminisced with Chen Wan about old stories that only the two of them knew and had never been mentioned to a third party. Chen Wan answered fluently, and Wang Yuying was then certain that it was indeed Chen Wan. She then bowed to the four old subordinates of her fathers, who were over two hundred years old in total, according to their age: "Uncles, it's been a long time. How are you all?"
All four answered, but for a moment no one could be heard clearly. The oldest veteran among them raised his hands and pressed them down, saying, "One at a time! Speak one by one!"
One of the four veterans, who had been working as a prison guard at the Dali Temple, was promoted to Temple Assistant yesterday.
A centurion was transferred to the Jingzhao Prefecture yesterday.
One of them, who had already retired from his official post, was working as a bodyguard for a wealthy man in the capital while he was still in good health. However, this morning he was assigned the task of patrolling the camp, and he will start his new post tomorrow.
There was another person in the Ministry of War, but he had been raising horses for ten years, and this morning he was suddenly promoted to the position of Director of the Department of Horse Carriage.
As she grew older, she inevitably began to reminisce. Only then did Wang Yuying realize that many of the veterans were no longer with her. Just as the leaves of a tree gradually fall in winter, most of her father's old comrades, like her father, were growing old and passing away.
Only four of the older generation remain in Beijing.
Everyone sighed, and Chen Wan even wiped her eyes. Wang Yuying saw this, choked back a sob, and turned to ask Chen Wan, "Sister, have you been in the capital all this time?"
Chen Wan shook her head. Although her husband's family was from the capital, he had been serving as a county magistrate in Lingnan since entering officialdom and had never been transferred back. Chen Wan's father had retired due to illness, and once gone, he was no longer needed and couldn't help. It wasn't until her sister-in-law married Yu Mingzhe, the Minister of Justice, that Yu, through his efforts, managed to get Chen Wan's husband transferred to Shanxi first, and then back to the capital, where he became a clerk in the Ministry of Justice. This morning, he was promoted to Assistant Minister and had already taken office.
After hearing this, Wang Yuying immediately turned to Zhuzi and Dingman and asked, "By the way, the military situation at Tonghua Temple was urgent, and I didn't have time to ask you two where you were serving."
Then she realized that it was no wonder Jingye had mentioned those two people to her after what happened one night.
Zhu Zi and Ding Man immediately informed them that they had previously worked in the police station, but this time they had made meritorious contributions in suppressing the rebellion and were directly promoted to Lang Jiang and transferred to the Imperial Guard.
Wang Yuying remained silent.
She originally planned to gradually find her father's former subordinates who were still in office through training, then persuade them to take care of her by reminiscing about the past, gather them for her own use, and then find ways to promote this group of people without leaving a trace—because they should not be her weakness, but her wings.
But unexpectedly, Xu Heng found all such people in Beijing in advance and promoted them all.
Wang Yuying recalled the conversation in Linxian Pavilion a few days ago, and unconsciously glanced at the tightly closed hall door, where rays of sunlight shone through the window paper on both sides of the door.
Suddenly, Zhu Zi sighed behind her, "It's a rare gathering. If A Ye were here, everyone would be together."
Wang Yuying instantly forgot about Xu Heng and turned back to ask, her voice slightly weak: "Is Aye badly injured?"
Actually, Zhu Zi and Ding Man were also stabbed, and the robes they wore today were bandaged underneath. But Jing Ye was much more seriously injured than the two of them—that kid acted like he didn't care about his life the whole time at Tonghua Temple!
"Ah Ye's injuries are alright, but the arrows that hit his back and legs are poisoned, so he can't get out of bed for the time being and is staying at home."
"We wanted to take care of A-Ye, but last night he kicked us out, saying he wanted to be alone!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yuying silently clenched her right hand.
"That kid Aye is really something. He's so young yet his martial arts skills are superb. He's a force to be reckoned with!" the old soldier from the Dali Temple couldn't help but exclaim.
"Of course!" Zhu Zi immediately gave a thumbs up. "A-Ye has nothing to say, this is it!"
Everyone started talking about Jing Ye, saying that he was the youngest but had the highest martial arts skills and was the most successful. In the past, when it came to rank in the Western Expeditionary Army, Jing Ye was second only to the General of the Western Expeditionary Army.
Rumors circulated that Jing Ye's previous dismissal was due to the emperor deliberately lowering the guard of the rebels, entrusting him with an important task at a crucial moment. After some analysis, everyone felt that Jing Ye was deeply trusted by the emperor and had an immeasurable future.
It is also said that Jingye of Tonghua Temple caught Wang Yuying, and it is rumored that the master and servant had a deep bond. Jingye, the former servant, was so caught up in the urgency of the situation that he did not hear the emperor's command. Later, when the emperor brought Wang Yuying back to the palace, he did not punish Jingye. Everyone chimed in, praising the emperor as an enlightened and benevolent ruler, yet they were also helpless against Jingye's naiveté.
Wang Yuying's left eye twitched several times upon hearing this, and she turned to ask about another matter that had puzzled her before—although the people in the hall were not as skilled as Jing Ye in martial arts, they were all reliable, honest, and of good character. They were capable and did not slack off. So why were they all doing ninth-rank or even low-ranking jobs?
The phrase "pillars are determined to be barbaric" can be interpreted as young people gaining seniority. All four veterans have served in the military for over forty years, so why haven't they been promoted yet?
For example, that old soldier surnamed Wang from the Ministry of War was very capable in the Western Expeditionary Army, but he spent ten years raising horses in the capital.
Wang Yuying asked whatever came to mind, and no sooner had she finished speaking than Zhu Zi snorted, "Hmph, not to mention that all the horses in the Ministry of War are raised by Uncle Wang, but just the fact that a horse is sick or listless, or that a wild horse needs to be tamed, means that no one else in the entire ministry besides Uncle Wang can handle the job!"
"Zhu Zi!" Old Man Wang immediately scolded, then explained to Wang Yuying, "It's not as exaggerated as he said."
Despite being stopped, Dingman and Zhuzi insisted on telling the truth. No matter where you go, there are always people who just coast along, and there is always one who is the most capable and reliable. Old Man Wang was the latter.
Zhu Zi and Ding Man were both indignant: "So much of Wang Bo's previous merit was taken by those who just coasted along. If you ask me, this position of Director of the Imperial Carriage Department is rightfully Wang Bo's! Your Majesty is wise!"
"Don't say that," Old Man Wang kept trying to dissuade her and explained to Wang Yuying, "Miss, you don't know, other places are not like our Western Expeditionary Army. Without connections, it's very difficult to get promoted. I was never going to get promoted anyway. Those aristocratic families in the Imperial Guard are actually quite polite. When they asked me for help, they gave me a lot of real benefits in private. I don't care about empty titles, and I'm not greedy for them!"
Old Wang said earnestly, "When the late emperor scattered our Western Expeditionary Army, the old general taught us not to fight or make trouble. As long as we are honest and do our work diligently, one day the higher-ups will see our loyalty."
“Exactly, be content,” another veteran chimed in. “How many people can earn enough to live in the capital in their lifetime?”
All four of them settled down in the capital, and two of them even got married and had children. They were neither rich nor poor, and one should not be too greedy in life.
"Besides, the old general was upright and honest throughout his life, and we cannot tarnish his reputation."
Wang Yuying remained silent for a long time. When she raised her head again, she forced open her sore eyelids and spoke with difficulty, saying the words she had been avoiding before: "I'm sorry to everyone. Six years ago, I clearly returned from the northern border, but I didn't visit them in time. Later, we stopped seeing each other and I was too embarrassed to contact them. I almost lost touch with everyone."
“Sigh, we’re the same,” Chen Wan chimed in. “It’s because we haven’t been in touch for so long. Although we miss each other, we’re too embarrassed to visit again—”
"Miss, you won't be angry if I say a few words, will you?" Zhu Zi suddenly interrupted Chen Wan.
“I’m not angry, go ahead and tell me,” Wang Yuying replied immediately.
“You were already the Empress back then, the kind of person whose statue is enshrined in a temple! We only dared to look up to you, how could we dare to get close to you!” Zhu Zi and Ding Man exchanged a glance. “Besides, Miss hasn’t contacted us. We all thought you didn’t want to associate with us country bumpkins anymore, so we didn’t dare to look for you anymore. We were afraid of being accused of freeloading, and we were also afraid that you would say you didn’t know us, which would be both heartbreaking and embarrassing.”
Wang Yuying lowered her head deeply and said with difficulty, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault."
As the only woman present besides Wang Yuying, Chen Wan was more perceptive and keen than the others. She immediately sensed that something was wrong with Wang Yuying's emotions and quickly smoothed things over: "Okay, okay, let's say it was all a misunderstanding before. Now that we've cleared things up, it's alright!"
Wang Yuying slowly raised her head: "I only realized today that we both care about each other," her tone gradually became firm, "Let's keep in touch often and not lose contact again."
"Great! Let's keep in touch!" Dingman and Zhuzi said in unison. Chen Wan also invited Wang Yuying to resume correspondence. The four veterans even said that since the general was not around, they dared to presume to act as elders and told Wang Yuying to come to them if she needed anything in the future, and they would do their best to help.
Wang Yuying held back her tears and told everyone with a smile that she had found a place to settle down in the city, and also made an appointment to invite everyone to her home for dinner on the day she moved.
As it was time to part, she saw everyone off to the entrance of the military department. Chen Wan was the last to leave. She stared at Wang Yuying for a long time, then approached and asked in a low voice, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Wang Yuying said casually. "I'm so happy to see so many people." She emphasized again that she should visit more often and would visit Chen Wan's residence frequently in the future.
Chen Wan smiled and said, "Great! Then we can stroll around the market together."
Wang Yuying nodded fiercely, stood there and watched Chen Wan until she was out of sight, then suddenly turned around and walked away quickly, almost running back to the side hall.
The door was open, and the inside was empty. She fled inside and slammed the door shut. She desperately needed a secluded place to cry, so she sat at the table, covered her eyes with her hands, and tears streamed down her face.
Uncle Wang said, "It's hard to get promoted if you don't have connections above you," but in reality, they do have connections above them.
Their connections should have belonged to her!
Now that things have come to this, Wang Yuying finally admits how self-righteous, shallow, foolish, and ridiculous her little bit of pride and arrogance were!
She was aloof and awkward, looking down on power struggles. She used to be afraid that if she promoted her father's old subordinates, she would be accused of nepotism, forming cliques, and relatives of the empress dowager abusing power.
She's a complete idiot; she screwed everyone over and ruined herself!
Her father taught her that the bottom line of being a person is to be loyal to the emperor and love the country, and that she should never abandon integrity and kindness throughout her life. But in reality, this world is not just about upholding integrity and kindness to obtain fairness and justice.
She will never make the same mistake again!
Wang Yuying's tears were filled with regret; she sobbed uncontrollably, snot streaming down her face. She took out a handkerchief to wipe her eyes first, then her nose, and unintentionally turned her head to see Xu Heng standing by the door, having entered the hall at some point. Behind him was the still-closed door and streaks of sunlight cast on the ground.
Wang Yuying shifted her gaze forward and saw that Xu Heng was also holding a silk handkerchief in his hand.
She naturally didn't want to cry in front of Xu Heng, but the tears from earlier hadn't completely dried, and she couldn't control them, they still streamed down her face. Wang Yuying quickly turned her head away and continued wiping her face with her handkerchief. Xu Heng, standing by the door, silently pushed the handkerchief back into his sleeve pocket with his right index and middle fingers.
He quietly walked over and sat down next to Wang Yuying.
Her face was streaked with tears, which she couldn't wipe away in a moment. Seeing Xu Heng standing there all the time, she couldn't help but say irritably, "Don't block people's way like a wall all day long!"
Xu Heng wasn't angry. He took out a token from his pocket and placed it in front of Wang Yuying. She glanced at it and saw it was a token for entering and leaving the palace at night.
Xu Heng recalled Wang Yuying's elegant farewell with a sword in front of the Chuigong Hall and her fierce battle in Tonghua Temple. A faint smile appeared on his lips: "Actually, it's good that you live outside the palace. It will make it easier for you to visit them. Don't say that the news is late; old vines sprout new branches."
Wang Yuying stopped crying and slowly looked at Xu Heng. He actually encouraged her to keep in touch with her father's former subordinates.
She thought about how he had taken the initiative to find Chen Wan, and fell silent.
Xu Heng turned around while sitting in his chair and ordered a servant to bring in some hot tea and snacks.
Even from a distance, Wang Yuying could smell the fragrance of sparrow tongue cakes. Looking at the table, she saw square cakes, lotus flower cakes, peach blossom cakes, and even some shaped like little rabbits.
"They're all vegetarian," Xu Heng said casually.
Wang Yuying took a couple of sips of hot tea and chewed half a piece of pastry before preparing to take her leave. Xu Heng gently said, "Come with me; I have important matters to discuss."
As soon as he finished speaking, he ordered a eunuch to fetch a veil for Wang Yuying.
Wang Yuying, confused, put on a veil and followed behind Xu Heng, her tone unfriendly: "This is the third place I've followed you to—"
As she was speaking, a gust of wind blew by, causing the hem of her white veil to flutter slightly. Wang Yuying had a sudden thought—could it be that he was afraid she would get a chapped face from crying in the cold wind, which was why he made her wear the veil?
She insisted on finishing her sentence: "—Hopefully, this won't happen more than three times."
Xu Heng stamped his foot, turned around and smiled at Wang Yuying: "Things shouldn't happen more than three times. If there's a fourth time, you can punish me, okay?"
Wang Yuying saw Xu Heng's lips slightly upturned and his eyes sparkling through the veil. Even though the veil was covering his face, she turned her head to the side, no longer looking at him or answering him.
Seeing the white veil dance, rising and falling swiftly, Xu Heng couldn't help but smile even more broadly.
He turned around and continued walking forward, the breeze ruffling his white veil and lifting his sideburns.
Wang Yuying followed for a while before realizing that because she was in a bad mood, she was walking slower than the previous two times. However, Xu Heng was still always half an arm's length ahead of her, just like the previous two times.
They walked one after the other to the front of the house.
Wang Yuying was quite familiar with this place, and without even looking up at the plaque, she asked Xu Heng in a rather unfriendly tone, "Why did you bring me to the Imperial Study?"
"Important matters need to be discussed," Xu Heng repeated, stepping inside and walking straight past the desk to the green gauze cabinet behind it. Wang Yuying stopped in front of the cabinet, her brows furrowed—behind it was where Xu Heng often spent the night, with a bed and bedding inside.
She didn't intend to go in, nor did she want to look inside. She crossed her arms and faced the study door, but then she heard a click and Wang Yuying turned around abruptly—the top cabinet next to the bed had always been locked. When she was empress, she was curious and wanted to open it, but Xu Heng wouldn't allow it, saying that according to ancestral rules, only emperors of past dynasties could see what was locked inside.
Instead, he opened the cabinet door and took out a tightly bound scroll, resolutely walking towards the green gauze cabinet. As he passed Wang Yuying, he glanced at her, and Wang Yuying quickly followed. Xu Heng went behind the table, untied the golden rope, placed the scroll on the table, and slowly unfurled it. Wang Yuying initially squinted, but then her eyes widened, and her hands clenched into fists in excitement—what Xu Heng was showing her was a map of the entire country!
The mountains, rivers, towns, passes, and garrisons, as well as the terrain for attack and defense, were all clearly marked. Prefectures were distinguished by corresponding symbols according to their level. Wang Yuying was not familiar with the others, but she only glanced at the border defense arrangements to the west. The city walls, watchtowers, and observation posts were no less numerous than she remembered, and they were drawn clearly. The size and distance were marked in text, and the post roads connecting the various fortresses were drawn with thin red lines.
Wang Yuying was overwhelmed by the sight, her mouth agape and her fists trembling—even her father had never seen this picture before!
The scroll was quite long, covering the entire desk with its ends hanging down. Wang Yuying could lift it up to examine it closely, but Xu Heng's end... Just as she was about to crane her neck, Xu Heng lifted the hanging map, presenting the undulating rivers and mountains before her eyes. Seeing that she was so focused that her face had lost all trace of sadness, he couldn't help but smile silently.
Xu Heng pointed west with his index finger: "Three new beacon towers were added to Yangguan a year and a half ago, and you haven't seen them yet."
Wang Yuying had noticed that many new inks were covering the old ones, and immediately followed up by asking why they were added and why they were added to these places. Xu Heng answered her questions one by one, and she quickly understood some changes that she was unaware of before. However, fearing that Xu Heng was lying to her, she thought about it carefully again.
She watched intently, her mouth agape as she asked questions, and Xu Heng answered as many as he could. The round-backed chair remained empty; Wang Yuying and Xu Heng stood at opposite ends of the table, discussing the map.
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