lady, please calm down

Chapter 424 Lame Excuse

In July, the Yingchuan incident eventually led to an investigation campaign that swept through dozens of prefectures in the Central Plains of Qi and targeted middle- and lower-level officials.

Within a few months, a total of fifteen officials were demoted, demoted, and imprisoned.

Among them, Lieutenant Xu Wanjun of Yancheng County had committed more than ten rapes and had the heaviest guilt. Naturally, he became the 'chicken' who killed the chicken to scare the monkeys and was sentenced to death.

Hou Jiefu, the magistrate of Yancheng who promoted him to be a county captain, resigned, moved thousands of miles away, and was assigned to the prison camp in Cangzhou.

Xu Wanjun’s background is not difficult to uncover.

For a moment, people couldn't help but think that this was King Chu's deliberate suppression of the Chen family.

But not long after, news came out in the palace that Concubine Chen was pregnant. Immediately afterwards, Chen Yingjun was transferred to Kaifeng Palace to hold an important position.

Let the rumors disprove themselves.

During the Yingchuan incident, the Cai family, who had gone too far, reappeared in the public eye after staying in the palace for a month.

It seems that in this turmoil, in addition to Xu Wanjun's family, the injured were a group of grassroots officials with dirty hands and feet.

Qin Shengwu and Kang Shitou entered the combat unit and now serve as regimental deputy and battalion commander respectively.

After entering the twelfth lunar month, a group of soldiers on the Hebei Road returned to their hometowns on rotation.

Erlang also had his own source of information, and quickly reminded him: "Delicate? I heard from Jiang Erniang that they often get together to play polo in the past six months, and Zhe Yaner's kung fu is very good! I heard that she can also draw a bow, The commander of the army, Commander Shen, have praised her in private as a tiger girl! After you get married, if you can't defeat her, Shengwu, you will be an embarrassment to our Huaibei Army!"

Yang Erlang and Xu Xiaoyi joined the ranks of the soldiers and are now the chief and deputy company commanders.

"Hey~" Qin Shengwu believed in his vision very much and said with great confidence: "What if a woman can only do some tricks and embroidery? I only need to use 30% of my strength to tidy her up!"

Personally, Qin Shengwu came back this time to get engaged.

Among them, Qin Shengwu was included.

Ordinarily, Qin Shengwu, the deputy of the 21st Regiment newly formed in the Sixth Brigade, was an officer and it was not his turn to take a vacation. However, this return home was specifically ordered by the King of Chu.

It is an official marriage, and the betrothal is the daughter of the Zhe family in the Lin Mansion. This marriage, which has a strong sense of political marriage, can be said to be a 'official business'.

The smile on Qin Shengwu's face faded a little, as if he was talking about something insignificant, "After returning home yesterday, my cousin hosted a banquet for Mrs. Zhe's family. Na Zhe Yan'er and I took a look from a distance. If nothing unexpected happens, next year it should be And they got married."

Just coming back from the front line, why did Qin Shengwu's brothers fight together, still showing a strong military rudeness and full of swear words.

On the 22nd of the twelfth lunar month, when they learned that Qin Shengwu was back, the four children who had worked together with the Huotou Army got together.

Erlang cursed without hesitation.

"That bullshit late emperor used women to please the weaklings of a golden thief!"

"Shengwu, I heard that your eldest brother and the eldest sister of the Shitou family have also made a marriage agreement? Now, isn't it an even better marriage?"

"It's strange, how did your eldest brother recognize Sister Yulan?"

In his early years, he and Jiang Huaixiong were classmates at Lanxiang Academy, and they could be regarded as childhood sweethearts.

Back then, the four of them worked together to capture Tan Ninggui alive and were promoted due to their merit, thus embarking on different paths.

"Okay. I'll ask Jiang Qian to help you find out the details of Mom's Zhe Yan'er in the future."

Xiaoyi asked, but Erlang looked at Shitou with a smile, and the latter narrated: "I didn't know it at first, but later I heard her say that in the early years when the late emperor was still alive, the court's beauty seeker somehow fell in love with my sister. Fortunately, Deputy Shi Tuan and Brother Shengwen teamed up to rescue him, and the two got acquainted. Later, my sister learned that Brother Shengwen was the cousin of the princess, and she did not dare to get along with him."

But Kang Shitou didn't answer Erlang's words, and smiled and answered Xiao Yi's question, "Historian Wulang of the Second Navy Regiment! His youngest brother got pregnant with someone else during the Chinese New Year and refused to marry him. The prince was so angry. I personally kicked him a few times and locked him up for ten days before marrying him back."

In Erlang's heart, he still yearns for the brothers who fought side by side.

Speaking of this, Qin Shengwu couldn't help but smile, glanced at Shitou, and said, "Isn't it true! My eldest brother is a kind-hearted man. He and Sister Yulan like each other very well, but he dare not tell his parents. If my cousin hadn't come to ask at home this summer, I'm afraid he would still want to Hiding it from my parents."

However, this is all a story for another day.

The vacancies of convicted officials were occupied by Tokyo scholars and Huaibei village officials who had completed their transformation.

"Hahaha!"

"Straight mother-in-law, on the first day I entered the camp, I didn't like Erlang's bunch of birds, and even had a fight with him at the recruitment office. Who would have thought that after living and dying with him several times, we would become Brother, hahaha”

"It's okay. When I stand next to Mrs. Zhe, I lower my eyebrows and look delicate and weak." Qin Shengwu said truthfully based on his first impression.

Yang Erlang said carelessly, without any hint of shyness.

"In the autumn, under the arrangement of Brother Chen and sister-in-law, my father and Governor Jiang have made an agreement to get married in the spring of the next year."

When the brothers saw that he was about to be overjoyed, they were naturally happy for him. They raised their glasses one after another and drank together, shouting and cheering.

"Hahaha, I'm laughing so hard. What's wrong with you two?"

In short, throughout the summer and autumn of the second year of Xuanqing, Huaibei was adjusting internal policies, sorting out internal personnel, and organizing and digesting the territory's population, accumulating strength for the inevitable Qi-Jin World War in the future.

Huaibei has reached the current scale, and it is really normal for the children of high-ranking officials to participate in marriages. Erlang Xu was worried that his good brothers would have conflicts in their hearts, so he deliberately winked and said in a lively manner: "What does the daughter of the northwest general look like?"

"Which Deputy Historian?" Xiao Yi asked curiously.

Nowadays, because they have their own duties in the army, they are already married late. Kang Shitou is also very concerned about Qin Shengwu's marriage and proactively asked: "Shengwu, how is your affairs?"

The expressions of the three people present were normal, as if insulting the emperor was something they had long been accustomed to.

At this point, the Huaibei system's penetration into Qi State has become almost undisguised.

When Erlang heard his brother making fun of him, he couldn't help but curl his lips and said: "Who says it's not the case? It was precisely because of that fight that we were whipped a few times by Boss Qin and sent to the Huotou Army! Grandma, I have been a cook for the rest of my life. What a stain! Every time I quarrel with Jiang Qian, she calls me a stinky pig farmer."

Unexpectedly, the phrase 'You can't beat a lady' finally came true.

For both private and public purposes.

Xiao Yi picked up a piece of braised pork head and said Bagua.

Either good things don't go out and bad things spread thousands of miles. As soon as I mentioned this, several people immediately picked up on each other and said, "Oh! So it's him!"

"Shi Wulang is also a good man!"

"The brothers in his family are all very talented!"

Men are no worse than women when it comes to gossiping. Starting from Shi Yaoer's incident, several people talked about various anecdotes in the military in recent years, including which brother recently got married, which veteran married a widow after retiring, and which disabled Soldiers were placed in the palace as errands

The few of them were drinking and chatting more and more animatedly.

Qin Shengwu was distracted unknowingly. The other three brothers had stayed behind for nearly a year. The biggest difference between them and him was the relaxed energy in their bodies.

Including the topics they talked about, they were also obviously different from those of the front-line soldiers stationed on the border. When they were in Hebei, what Qin Shengwu and his colleagues Paoze talked about the most was the placement of deer and firewood, formations and tactics, and occasionally talked about their families and their plans after retirement.

Kang Shitou was the first to notice that Qin Shengwu was distracted and couldn't help but wonder: "Shengwu, what are you thinking about?"

Qin Shengwu came back to his senses and drank the clear wine that had been in his hand for a long time. Then he wiped his short beard and said, "Suddenly I miss my brothers in the army."

The few of them were stranded. They stayed in the Anping rear for almost a year. During this year, the soldiers stationed on the border still had to be vigilant at all times and sleep in the open. Xiao Yi said sincerely: "Thank you for your hard work Sheng Wu."

"Haha." Qin Shengwu smiled heartily and said: "It's not hard. I just heard you talk about the family's shortcomings, and I feel very at ease. My brothers and I are guarding in the north just so that my brothers and sisters can talk about marriage in peace at the rear. About marriage?

My parents are timid and cautious, and my brother is kind-hearted. If no one organizes our group, how can they live peacefully in this chaotic world? I am waiting to sleep in the open air in the front, so that they will not fall under the iron heel of the aliens, and so that they will only worry about their family's shortcomings and not have to live in fear all day long! "

"Sheng Wu said it well!"

"Yes! Next year, I will also ask Brother Chen to serve in Hebei!"

On the twenty-second day of the twelfth lunar month, people worship the stove, which is also commonly known as Xiaonian among the people.

The New Year atmosphere in Caizhou City is already very strong.

The elderly pray that the next year will still be free from disease, disaster and war.

Women pray for the health of their children and grandchildren and a prosperous population.

What young people want is to make achievements and protect their hometown and paradise.

The same day, evening.

Tokyo Imperial City Nimeigu Palace.

There are candles and ground dragons burning in the bedroom, making it warm and cozy.

But because of the large area of ​​the dormitory, it still seemed empty and deserted.

The closer the new year gets, the worse Jiarou's mood becomes.

New Year means family reunion, but since the sisters went to Huaibei, this huge imperial city is still not warm at all, and it is eerily quiet after dark. The ministers had more than ten days to rest with their families during the New Year's Day, but Jiarou would most likely spend the New Year alone in the imperial city like in previous years.

However, Jiarou was in a slightly better mood today because she received a thick stack of letters from Huaibei.

In the letter, Jiakui talked about the conditions of the sisters. They all adapted well. The princess had never treated them harshly, and their living standards were in line with those of the prince and princess.

In addition to not worrying the royal sister, he also wished Jiarou a happy new year in advance.

As for the younger sisters, the content of their letters was much richer.

Jiaxiu said that she came second in her grade in the final exam and was given a certificate and a big red flower. When the princess found out, she was given a jasper bracelet as a reward.

Jiaxi, the youngest, also wrote a full piece of paper to the imperial sister in her tender handwriting. The letter said that Sister Yunong from the palace treated her very well. She not only dyed Jiaxi's nails red, but also took her to skate secretly. When autumn came, Jiaxi caught wind and cold. Sister Yunong took her to Wangxiangyuan to stay for a few days. She was not sent back to Zhihui Hall until she recovered.

Jiarou naturally saw from the letter that Jiaxi was already somewhat attached to Yunong, and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.

At the same time, there is also some self-pity and self-harm. Seeing that the Chinese New Year is coming, everyone is busy, but my place is deserted!

Fortunately, at the bottom of the pile of letters was Chen Chu's personal letter.

Before opening the letter, Jiarou couldn't help but feel a bit of anticipation, but after reading the letter, she felt even worse!

In the letter, Chen Chu briefly described the arrangement of Jiacheng and his party, as well as their growth over the past six months.

Most of the rest of the article is filled with questions about Mian'er. Has the little girl grown taller? How much weight did you gain? What do you eat on weekdays, what do you play, are you jealous, etc.

It was Luo Lu whom Jia Rou had never seen before.

But in the entire two pages, there is only one sentence that mentions Jiarou, something like "Drink more hot water when the weather is cold."

Drink your sister!

After all, she is the eldest princess and the nominal temporary leader of Daqi, and you are so perfunctory? ? ?

Angrily, Jiarou spread out the paper and wrote a reply with a few strokes of paper, "Everything is well with Mian'er. Thank you, King Chu, for your concern."

He just pointed at Chen Chu's nose and said, "You also know that there is a daughter in Tokyo!" '

But then, Jia Rou felt that her tone was too harsh. Considering the current relationship between the two of them. After thinking about it, Jia Rou angrily rolled up the paper with only a few words into a ball, and sat slumped in the big chair. .

Zhuan Yun, who was standing on one side, could see that Jia Rou was in a bad mood and couldn't help but ask: "Your Highness, what's wrong?"

Jia Rou stared at the candlelight in a daze for a while, then suddenly asked a question that didn't touch the horse's mouth, "Zhuan Yun, are you having fun during the Chinese New Year in Caizhou?"

"It's so fun!" Speaking of this, Zhuan Yun said excitedly as if he had been given a shot of blood: "During the Chinese New Year in Caizhou, we have a lantern festival starting from New Year's Eve. In order to compete for financial resources, major merchants will The giant lantern is built several feet high! There are gods, monsters, birds and rare animals, some can spin in circles, and some can breathe fire! The lanterns will stretch for ten miles along the street, and the eyes are not enough!

On the first and fifteenth nights of the Lunar New Year, fireworks will be set off, and the fireworks can fly more than ten feet high, which is really beautiful."

Zhuan Yun talked a lot, and his enthusiasm made Jia Rou lose his mind.

After a long while, Jiarou murmured: "Then, do you miss home?"

Zhuan Yun, who was proudly introducing the bustling scene of his hometown during the New Year, instantly slumped his shoulders and said in frustration: "Of course I thought so."

"So what is your family doing during the Chinese New Year?"

"Celebrate the New Year at home"

When Zhuan Yun followed Ayu into the palace, he subconsciously regarded the big house in Sajin Alley as his home. "The Chinese New Year is also very lively at home. On New Year's Eve, the prince will take a large family to play mahjong to keep the year old. The prince plays mahjong but A master! However, the one who is the best at fighting is Empress Cai. Every Chinese New Year, she will win all the New Year’s money from Empress Chen in Wangxiangyuan, hahaha.”

Thinking of the interesting scene at home, Zhuan Yun laughed happily.

"Is Miss Chen from Wangxiangyuan the same as Yunong?" Jiarou asked.

"Ah."

The two concubines in the family were named Chen. To distinguish them, the maids would privately use the prefix of their residence.

The more Zhuan Yun talks about the warmth and joy of the palace, the more Jiarou feels itchy.

After sitting quietly for a quarter of an hour, Jia Rou spread out a new piece of paper, hesitated for a long time, and finally wrote, "Zhuan Yun is homesick. Can I go back to Caizhou with her for the New Year?" '

But to avoid this excuse being too outrageous, Jiarou herself didn't even notice it. In the end, she crumpled the paper into a ball again in frustration.

While he was frowning in thought, Mian'er ran in with short legs and laughed all the way.

What made her so happy was the palm-sized rooster cart that arrived with the letter today.

This rooster cart is not big in size, but it is extremely exquisitely made. Its shape is modeled after a rooster, with four small wheels underneath. When it is run with a string, the wheels drive the transmission shaft and gears, and the small mechanism inside will make a "da da da da" sound. ' sound.

Mian'er just got this strange toy and couldn't put it down. She had been running around the hall for a long time, her tired little face flushed red.

"Mother, mother"

Maybe she was tired from playing, so Mian'er ran to her mother with her hands raised. Jiarou understood, skillfully picked up the little man and put it on her lap.

The new toy was quite attractive. Mian'er continued to play with the cart, treating the stacks of memorials on the koan as hills, and grabbed the rooster cart to climb over the mountains and ridges on the memorials.

Jiarou looked at the toy in her daughter's hand, and she didn't know what she thought of. Suddenly Danfeng's eyes lit up, and then she glanced at Mian'er with a guilty conscience.

The little girl was completely unaware.

The next moment, Jiarou suddenly reached out and took the cock cart from Mian'er's hand.

Mian'er, who was having fun, turned around with a blank look on her face, looked at her mother, and said with a sweet voice: "Mom, do you want to play too?"

"Mom, if you don't want to play, does Mian'er know who made this car for you?"

"Mian'er doesn't know."

"Your father made this for you."

"Does Mian'er also have a father?"

"Of course Mian'er has a father! You forgot, this spring, he was still sleeping with you in his arms."

"Oh"

Children's memories are the fastest, and she can no longer remember what happened nearly a year ago.

Looking at the way she was staring at the car eagerly at this moment, 'Daddy' was obviously not as attractive as the toy!

"Mom, have you had enough? Give it back to Mian'er when you've had enough."

Mian'er stretched out her small arms like lotus root joints, while Jiarou raised the hand holding the car higher.

The mother and daughter were playing a game, one grabbing and the other not giving.

While they were having fun, Jiarou accidentally dropped the car to the ground.

The wooden car was small, and the wheels and axles were naturally small. One of the wheels broke immediately.

"."

Mian'er hurriedly climbed down from her mother's knees. When she saw that the baby she had just got was broken, she immediately broke up and started crying, "Mother broke Mian'er's car. Mom must pay for it. Mian'er must pay for it." Repair it for Mian'er"

"oops!"

Jiarou squatted down opposite Mian'er with an innocent look on her face, picked up the broken car and looked at it again, and said guiltily: "But my mother doesn't know how to repair it either."

"No matter what! Mom, fix it for Mian'er!"

Mian'er sat on the ground, kicking her legs and crying with tears on her face.

Seeing this, Zhuan Yun hurriedly stepped forward to persuade and suggested to Jia Rou: "Your Highness, let Eunuch Huang hire the carpenter who is the supervisor to repair it."

Unexpectedly, Zhuan Yun's suggestion was met with a glare from Jiarou, but she heard Jiarou say: "How can the carpenters in the palace repair such a clever object? If you want to repair it, it seems that you can only send it to Caizhou." Got it!"

"Ah?" Zhuan Yun was confused. All the carpenters in the craftsman's prison were masters who had been immersed in this craft for their entire lives. How could they not be able to repair a children's toy?

But when Mian'er heard that it could be repaired, he quickly stood up and hugged his mother's leg, crying: "Mom, let's send the car to Caizhou for repair quickly."

"All right."

Jia Rou wiped the tears on Mian'er's face with a handkerchief, and warned carefully: "If your father asks why your mother came to Caizhou, you must say that it is to repair your car. You insist on it." Come on, I took you to Caizhou to celebrate the New Year because my mother was so upset that she couldn’t do anything about it, remember?"

"Woo woo woo, Mian'er remembers"

Mian'er nodded seriously.

Jia Rou then stood up with her daughter in her arms. When she turned her head, she saw Zhuan Yun looking at her with a shocked expression. Jia Rou couldn't help but look away with a guilty conscience, and said with insufficient confidence: "Please clean up quickly, we will leave tomorrow morning. Hey, you saw it too, it’s Mian’er who insists on going to Caizhou, so what can I do?”

Your Highness, if we want to go to Caizhou to celebrate the New Year with the King of Chu, just say so.

It's too lame for you to find this reason!

(End of this chapter)