Chapter 113: Victory in the War [Jinjiang Authentic Edition - Fan Kuai Returns Home]...
Three days later, when the third princess brought her three princes-in-law back home, the emperor's eldest grandson, who was the sedan chair bearer of the two newlyweds, gave the three married princesses the sacred object of the black bird before and after the wedding, and the news of him publicly shocking the princes-in-law gradually spread throughout the capital.
Instantly, the novelty of the "washboard" became a viral sensation throughout the imperial capital. From the nobility to the common people, it was a love-hate relationship. The "lovers" were the women, who felt that the Black Bird was using the emperor's grandson to support vulnerable women in marriage. The "hates" were also the men, who felt that the emperor's grandson was too young and was taking advantage of his status to act recklessly! A man's knees are made of gold; he can kneel to heaven, to earth, to his ruler, and to his parents. How could he be punished by kneeling on a washboard just for angering the women in his family? Pah! This was truly a joke!
Unfortunately, no matter how united the men were in refutation of the washboard, the image of the washboard still spread out of the royal city.
When the carpenters in Dongcheng saw that the small board had several ridges across it, they couldn't help but imitate it and made a few pieces. When the real thing appeared, the carpenters' wives took the wooden basins to wash clothes and unexpectedly found that this small washboard was more convenient to use than the washing pestle. Word spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and the brilliance of the washboard could no longer be concealed in the city of Xianyang.
In just half a year, the image of the washboard spread throughout the country. Along with the washboard, the story of the emperor's eldest grandson, as a nephew, supporting the princesses and aunts on their wedding cars, also became widely circulated.
However, for Qin Ying, who was only five years old, he had not yet noticed the new label of "Washboard Emperor's Grandson" on him, and he had no idea that this story started by him would be passed down on the land for more than two thousand years. As time went by, the war among the Baiyue people became more and more intense. The surviving Yue people attacked the Qin army fiercely like trapped beasts in a cage. The war between the two sides seemed to have reached the final decisive stage.
The number of war reports sent to Xianyang from the Baiyue land also decreased from once every five days to once every three days. After finishing his daily lessons, Qin Ying would run to his grandfather and ask about the progress of the war with concern. In the blink of an eye, spring was gone, summer was over, and Xianyang welcomed the bleak autumn wind again.
The trees and weeds all over the mountains were blown yellow by the autumn wind. Until the end of the year, when the last Luoyue people could no longer hold on and had to surrender to the Qin army, the entire Baiyue land from east to south connecting to the sea was completely covered with black water-patterned Xuanniao flags by the Qin army.
The globe in Zhangtai Palace spun around, and the vibrant colors symbolizing the Baiyue region automatically turned dark black, heralding the Qin Empire's acquisition of a vast new territory. Seeing this, the First Emperor was overjoyed! He sent a special order to the Baiyue army, ordering them to return home in batches to visit their families and receive their rewards. Generals like Tu Sui were to arrange for the remaining soldiers to begin constructing military forts at key points throughout the Baiyue region, following the markings on the map.
Qin Ying, upon hearing the good news, was overjoyed! As the news spread, the already gradually cooling imperial capital erupted in excitement! After all, since ancient times, the Baiyue region had little to do with the Seven Kingdoms. The symbolic significance of conquering the Baiyue and sweeping across the world was quite different. Now, that fertile coastal land, long occupied by barbarians, had been incorporated into the Qin army for the first time, creating a feat unmatched by previous generations. How could this not excite the warlike Qin people? The Baiyue victory also blazed a bright light on the emperor's great military prowess, a feat destined to be immortalized in history and passed down through the ages!
The excitement of the people in the imperial capital lasted for more than a month. When the snow fell and the 31st year of Qin Shihuang's reign arrived, after consultation with the court officials, His Majesty transformed the newly added Baiyue territory of the Qin Dynasty into Nanhai County, Guilin County and Xiang County.
…
At the end of November, after nearly two months of adjustment, the Qin army re-surveyed the population of the Yue people in the Baiyue area and processed new household registration for them in "such and such county of Daqin".
The defeated Yue chiefs, covered in dust and dirt, had no choice but to follow the orders of the Qin generals and reluctantly hand over their sons, whom they regarded as their heirs.
A group of chiefs and sons, whose clothes were very different from those of the Qin people, were staggered out of the dangerous Five Ridges by the Qin army, and headed north along the Lingqu Canal to Xianyang for education.
When everyone stepped out of the territory of Baiyue, they saw the crystal snowflakes swirling down from the gloomy sky like the white fluff of birds, and fell on their brows and moistened into round cold water droplets. The group of young men no longer cared about being afraid, and each of them raised their hands like monkeys, dancing in the snow in surprise and joy, a strange dance that the Qin soldiers could not understand at all.
The climate of the three Baiyue counties is hot and humid all year round. For these Yue teenagers, the oldest of whom is only sixteen or seventeen years old, the charming scene of falling snow before them is the first time they have seen it in their lives. It is simply strange and beautiful.
There seems to be an unusually heavy amount of snow this year. Not only is there a lot of snow inside the Great Wall, but there is also a continuous patch of snow outside the Great Wall.
At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, when Fan Kuai, dressed in black armor, returned home in glory, his hometown was also covered with thick white snow.
Upon receiving the news of his return, the magistrate of Pei County rushed out of the county to welcome him personally, simply because this young butcher who was once despised in his hometown and couldn't even find a wife, had performed so brilliantly on the battlefield this time!
The 27-year-old Fan Kuai relied on his butcher background. He was not only strong and courageous, but also had a rare temperament with a rough but meticulous nature. When the two armies faced each other, he bravely rushed forward with his sword, and won three "first merits" in a row. He also raised his sword and rushed into the enemy's team to kill the extremely difficult King Xiou from his horse. With the accumulation of many rounds of military exploits, he had been awarded the fourth-level military merit title by the court, becoming the first "unchanged" from Pei County in Chu in the Qin army.
According to the Qin Dynasty's system of military merit and nobility, he not only received generous rewards of four hectares of fertile farmland and nine acres of residential land, but was also exempted from all labor service. It can be said that he brought honor to the entire Fan family with his own efforts, and had become a well-known figure in Pei County.
Snowflakes were flying from the sky.
The ground was bustling with people.
Outside Pei County.
Liu Ji, tucked his sleeves in, stood with Xiao He and Lu Wan, the three of them hidden among the elders and fellow villagers. Seeing his former younger brother returning from the battlefield, not only was he personally welcomed by the county magistrate outside the city, but he was also greeted warmly by every respectable person in the county town, holding their hands. He couldn't help but sigh aloud:
"It's not easy. My Lord, you can see that Fan Kuai has really made great progress this time. He will become the best among the people in Pei County in the future. We can't compare to him."
When Xiao He and Lu Wan heard Liu Ji's low sigh, they also felt the same way.
Xiao He is one year older than Liu Ji. Lu Wan and Liu Ji were born on the same day of the same month of the same year. The three of them have been a close relationship since childhood and grew up together. Fan Kuai is fourteen or fifteen years younger than them. It can be said that this guy was the little guy who followed them around all day when they were young.
But the fates of these people are really very different. Now the three of them are just local tyrants in their hometown, while the brothers who are so many years younger than them are already able to pass on the title to future generations. They are so many years younger than themselves, but they are so much more successful than themselves. How can the huge gap between the two sides not make the three old brothers who are over 40 years old sigh?
However, although the three of them were feeling emotional, they did not feel any jealousy towards Fan Kuai. After all, they understood that Fan Kuai's achievements today were also due to him tying his head to his belt and fighting for his life in the hot and humid battlefield filled with miasma.
Even if they could turn back time, after knowing that the war against Baiyue would end in victory, the three of them would not have the courage, the fighting power, or the physical strength to follow Fan Kuai into exile and fight for their future in an unfamiliar battlefield.
Everything Fan Kuai has now is what he deserves and cannot be easily replicated by others.
The Iron Trio saw it all clearly, but some of the onlookers couldn't understand it, especially the men and women with children of Fan Kuai's age. Seeing Fan Kuai's current glory, they felt very uncomfortable and jealous, thinking to themselves: "Fan Kuai is capable! If their sons/lovers had joined the army with them, they would have returned home with even more glory than Fan Kuai! He's just a butcher who can't find a wife? What's so proud about it?!"
After Fan Kuai finished talking with the county magistrate and the others, and promised to visit the county magistrate's home when he had time, he used his tiger eyes to search among the various complex eyes around him, some of which were admiring, some afraid, some envious, some jealous, and some hateful. When he saw Liu Ji, who was smiling at him with his sleeves tucked into his sleeves and his hair slightly disheveled, he immediately stepped forward happily, waved and shouted:
"Brother Liu!"
Seeing that his younger brother had returned with success and was still as enthusiastic and respectful to him as before, Liu Ji knew that Fan Kuai was not a snob, and he was very happy. So he took Xiao He with one hand and Lu Wan with the other, and squeezed out of the crowd. When he met Fan Kuai who was striding towards him, he immediately raised his hands and patted Fan Kuai's thick shoulders several times, laughing:
"Fan Kuai! You are really amazing! I never thought you were such a fierce general! It's okay if you don't fight on the battlefield, but once you do, you can jump four times from a rookie to the top! You are much stronger than me!"
When Fan Kuai heard his idolized elder brother praising him so highly, he smiled very happily and waved his hands shyly, saying:
"Oh, big brother, you are so flattering. No matter how powerful Fan Kuai was, he was just a warrior. The three of you have not yet found an opportunity to show your talents. If you had found a good opportunity, with your abilities, you would have been appointed as prime ministers and risen to the top."
Upon hearing this, Xiao He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh: "Ji, look at Fan Kuai. After fighting for several years, he has even started to speak with literal words. It's clear that he will continue to move up in the future."
Lu Wan also laughed and said:
"Yes, Ji, we can get together anytime. It's better to let Fan Kuai go home as soon as possible to reunite with his family."
"Yes, that's right! That's right! Fan Kuai, you should go home soon. You don't know how worried your mother is about you when you went to the battlefield in the past few years. Whenever she saw me on the street, she would hold my hand and sob. Her hair has turned white and she is about to cry her eyes blind. I even dream that you died on the battlefield." Liu Ji urged Fan Kuai, pulling his arm.
When Fan Kuai heard this, his heart began to ache. A mother worries when her son is away from home. He immediately bowed to the three of them and said:
"Okay, then I'll go home first today. I'll set up a nice banquet at home tomorrow and invite the three brothers to come and have a chat."
"Okay, go back now!"
Liu Ji and the other two waved their hands repeatedly, and Fan Kuai did not delay any longer. He jumped on his horse and whipped it, galloping into the city on the snow.
Seeing that the protagonist who returned home in glory had run away, the crowd that was crowded in front of the city gate to watch the excitement also scattered.
After Fan Kuai entered the house, the family members were reunited after a long separation. Needless to say, there was a lively scene of crying with joy and hugging each other.
It is said that Lu Gong, who went out of the city with his friend the county magistrate to welcome Fan Kuai, saw Fan Kuai's beauty outside the city, and when he returned home, he had the idea of arranging a marriage for his daughter again.
At present, his weak-willed eldest daughter has been a widow at home with her granddaughter for many years, and his smart and capable second daughter has run away to the city of Xianyang. She has become successful enough to work for the First Emperor, which has made him, an old man, more respectable in Pei County. As a result, he has no say in the affairs of his second daughter. He can only say something about his youngest daughter.
Lu Gong changed his mind and took his old wife to the backyard to look for his youngest daughter.
As the youngest child in the family, the seventeen-year-old Lu Shi was beautiful in appearance and as smart and capable as her second sister Lu Zhi.
When her parents came to see her, she was sitting on a wooden couch by the window reading a book. When she heard her father, who had just returned from outside the city, start talking non-stop, all the content was praising "Fan Kuai". He praised him in all aspects, from his face to his physique, and excitedly described how great achievements this man would have in the future. He was just about to combine their horoscopes and force her to marry into the Fan family. Lu Shi couldn't help but clench the bamboo slips in her hand, lowered her head and rolled her eyes.
"Auntie, your second sister is disobedient and doesn't want to believe your father and marry Liu Ji. You must obey. Fan Kuai is truly a star for generals. He was born with a face that makes him a general. He is no longer a general now, but given time, he might even become a general. In the past, he was despised by the girls in this county because of his identity as a butcher. Now that he is so honored, in a few days, the doorstep of the Fan family will be trampled by matchmakers looking for marriage. He is a man with great potential. Don't be foolish. If you miss him, you won't find a better match!"
"Oh—Father, I think you shouldn't put too much faith in your own face reading. I'm being unfilial and have to tell you some harsh truths today. Back then, you thought my eldest brother-in-law had a noble face and would definitely become a high-ranking official in the future, so you married my eldest sister to him. But what happened later? My eldest brother-in-law didn't become successful and died young. Could it be that you only saw his face that showed he would prosper, and didn't see his fate that would lead to an early death?"
When Lu Gong heard this, he felt choked up.
Lu Changzuo, who happened to be walking to the younger sister's door, heard the conversation between the younger sister and her father. Her hand, which was about to lift the curtain, paused, and her lips pursed. Then she turned around, sighed, and left.
She didn't spend many years with her lover. After he passed away, she and her daughter were kicked out of the house by her in-laws and sent back to her parents' home. The love they had for each other in their early years was completely wiped out.
Now, after hearing from her younger sister about the man who died young, she didn't feel too sad or painful. She just felt sorry for her daughter. If she had a third of her second sister's temperament, she wouldn't have been bullied by her in-laws and kicked out of the house along with her daughter.
Inside the room, Lu Shi, completely unaware of her eldest sister's visit, grew increasingly angry as she spoke. "And what about Liu Ji, whom my father mentioned? Back then, my father praised Liu Ji to the heavens and praised him to the heavens, wishing he could force my second sister to marry him. How come all these years have passed, and my second sister is now serving His Majesty, while Liu Ji is still a street thug? Where's his nobility? Where's his extraordinaryness? I don't see any of that. All I see all day is him flirting with that young widow, their flirtation getting increasingly intense! Who knows, in two years, he might even father a few illegitimate children!"
"You, you stubborn bastards are going to piss me off to death!"
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