Chapter 130

 

After Hua Yang finished talking to her father-in-law, she took her leave.

Sun shi accompanied her husband to send their daughter-in-law princess out. When she turned around, she saw that the old man had a long face. It was not that he was angry, but that he seemed to be worried about something all of a sudden.

After the couple returned to the house, Sun shi asked strangely: “What’s going on? You and the Old Four stayed in the study for a while last night, and you didn’t sleep well the whole night, always turning over. Today what Grand Princess said to you?”

Chen Tingjian shook his head absently: “It’s about the court.”

Sun shi was stunned.

There were too many things going on in the court, and Sun shi‘s knowledge was limited. She didn’t understand those twists and turns, and rarely asked questions. From her youth to now, if she needed to be careful about something, her husband would tell her in advance, so she didn’t need to be blindly worry.

“They, the young couple, are telling you the same thing?” After a while, Sun shi was guessing.

Chen Tingjian nodded.

The Old Four spoke bluntly and asked him to be polite and not bully the young emperor.

The grand princess spoke tactfully, hoping that he would not just treat the emperor as a child.

If last night Chen Tingjian still suspected whether his son’s words had the grand princess’s meaning, now he understood that his son and daughter-in-law actually have their own concerns. His son was worried that he had offended the emperor so much, and in the future, the entire Chen family would have to bear the possible retaliation from the emperor. His daughter-in-law was worried that he, the chief minister of the cabinet, was too dominant and would hurt the emperor’s pride, causing the emperor to always disobey him like the Old Four. The discord between the monarch and his ministers would then affect the implementation of the new policies.

One was for the family, and the other wanted to maintain both his personal relationship with the emperor and the stability of the overall situation.

Chen Tingjian suddenly sighed.

Sun shi looked over faintly, she also heard the old man sigh a lot last night.

Chen Tingjian pinched his forehead and gave his wife a wry smile: “As you said, I am used to being domineering at home and outside. I have always been the one lecturing others, and really thought that I was perfect and could not make mistakes. Even if my words and deeds are biased, it’s for the sake of the overall situation and excusable.”

Sun shi: “So, the Old Four and Grand Princess are both lecturing you?”

Chen Tingjian: “It’s not really a lecture, it’s just worked together to teach me a lesson.”

It had been a long time since he had been “taught” by anyone.

Both the late emperor and Empress Dowager Qi valued him very much, and treated him with more courtesy than majesty.

The ministers who supported him only followed his lead, and what the ministers who opposed him said, he just ignored.

Except for the Old Four and his wife, everyone else in the family was obedient to him.

As for Emperor Yuanyou, he was taught by Chen Tingjian from the age of three until now. Chen Tingjian was used to use his teacher and elder identity when looking at Emperor Yuanyou, and treated him with more authority than respect.

The grand princess hoped that he would not treat Emperor Yuanyou as a child, but many things Chen Tingjian had done before, he would explain it to Empress Dowager Qi in detail. As long as Empress Dowager Qi approved it, whether Emperor Yuanyou truly understood or just obey him and habitually, Chen Tingjian actually didn’t care. All he wanted was for the reform to be implemented, and it was enough that both Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou supported him.

But Emperor Yuanyou would always grow up, and he would become an adult emperor.

Chen Tingjian was confident that he could make Emperor Yuanyou listen to him all the time. The late emperor’s entrustment, the effectiveness of the reform, and his personal power were all enough to do this.

But he was already old, and he would definitely be gone before Emperor Yuanyou. By then, would Emperor Yuanyou continue to support his reforms?

If Emperor Yuanyou was like his eldest son, smart and prudent and considers the overall situation, Chen Tingjian would naturally be able to leave with peace of mind.

But could he guarantee that Emperor Yuanyou would be like the eldest son? What if Emperor Yuanyou became a rebellious person like the Old Four, but did not have the righteousness of the Old Four, yet still dominate the world…

In Chen Tingjian’s mind, the faces of the two previous emperors appeared one after another.

Both emperors had a period of diligence when they first came to the throne. Soon one encountered a traitor and made the common people miserable, while the other was lustful and pushed all major issues to the cabinet.

The late emperor had him in his cabinet. When he got old or dies, what kind of cabinet would Emperor Yuanyou support? Would it be one that support the reform and dedicated to the public good, or one that oppose the reform and hate him to the core?

He, Chen Tingjian, could only resigned to his fate after he dies. It wouldn’t matter whether future generations praise or rebuke him, but he couldn’t leave the whole family in a mess.

.

At dusk, Chen Jingzong quickly returned to the Chen Mansion.

Hua Yang was sitting in the yard enjoying the cool air. Next to the wicker chair was a small table with fruits and vegetables.

After wearing white for a year, today she finally changed into a long dress with light background and peony embroidery. Although it still looked plain compared to her usual clothes, it also revealed the change in her mood. Like a beautiful and unparalleled white peony had finally getting tired of the white color, and the petals began to turn light red, gradually evolving into a graceful and unparalleled red-petaled peony.

Chen Jingzong familiarly sat next to her. Now Chao Yun and the others were also good at serving the prince consort, so they had set up a wicker chair over early.

Hua Yang held a round fan in her hand, fanning it gently while glancing at Chen Jingzong: “Have you gone to pay your respects to Father and Mother?”

Chen Jingzong: “I saw them last night, what else can I say?”

Hua Yang frowned: “How long has it been since you came back? Father still sees you outside from time to time, but how about Mother?”

Chen Jingzong: “If I were only seven or eight years old, she would really miss me after not seeing me for so long. Now I’m at this age, and she has the other children and grandchildren around her, how much can she miss me? Besides, sons are different from daughters. “When daughter sees her mother, she can hug her and act coquettishly. What can I say when I see my mother? I don’t know how to sweet talk her, but if I speak up to her, it will make her unhappy.”

Hua Yang: “I don’t care. After dinner, you go over there, lest Mother misunderstand that I’m being too strict with you and don’t allow you to fulfil your filial piety.”

When a woman married her husband’s house, she often had to go back to her parents’ home if it was close. Chen Jingzong followed her to move to the grand princess mansion, but later he never cared about his parents, then what would the people in the Chen Mansion think?

Even if her mother-in-law was kind-hearted, Hua Yang didn’t want to become the “wife” in “having a wife and forgetting about the mother” that others talked about.

Chen Jingzong was not afraid of his father or his mother, but Hua Yang was the only one who controlled him, and he dare not disobey.

In fact, it was not a matter of dare or not, only if he offended Hua Yang, he had to sleep alone at night. It was not a big deal to go to Chunhe Hall, so why lose the big for the small?

After dinner, Chen Jingzong strode to Chunhe Hall.

Night had fallen, but Chen Tingjian was still in the study, it was unknown what he was doing. Sun shi didn’t want to go to bed too early, so she sat on the couch and talked to the maid next to her.

Sun shi was talking about her fourth son whom she had not seen for a long time, and the maid coaxed her: “Grand Princess has finished her mourning period and will come back to stay with Prince Consort more often in the future. Not only can you see Prince Consort, but maybe it won’t be long before you have more fat grandchildren.”

Sun shi waved her hands and whispered: “Don’t mention this. The child will come naturally when fate comes. If they don’t come, let’s not worry about it.”

It was already a great blessing for the Old Four to marry the grand princess. Their family should not urge the grand princess to have children. Sun shi only hoped that the young couple would have a good relationship, and nothing else matters.

The maid just said a few auspicious words casually, but when she saw the old madam acting like this, she changed the subject.

Chen Jingzong finally came.

Sun shi wondered: “It’s dark, what are you doing here?”

Chen Jingzong: “It’s because of your good daughter-in-law. She’s blaming me for not immediately come over to greet you as soon as I returned home, insisting that I have to make up for it.”

Sun shi smiled, nodded and said, “Yes, the rule of greeting parent morning and dusk has to be set for you.”

Chen Jingzong: “Okay, she is your son, and I am your daughter-in-law.”

“Crazy nonsense, what kind of order is that!”

The door curtain opened, and Chen Tingjian stepped in with a straight face.

Where was he the chief minister of the cabinet, it was clearly a biting winter wind, and when he entered the room, the smiles on Sun shi and Chen Jingzong’s face were all frozen.

Sun shi glared at him and said, “I am joking with my son, what do you want?”

Chen Tingjian looked at his son who was sitting next to his wife. His son obviously came here with something in mind, could he not come over and take a look?

Chen Jingzong: “Since you’re going to take a rest, then I’m leaving.”

Sun shi grabbed her son’s arm and sent Chen Tingjian away: “Old Four came here to honor me. It has nothing to do with you. Go back to your study!”

Chen Tingjian:……

The unpopular Chief Assistant had no choice but to leave with a sullen face.

Sun shi had a lot of things to ask her son, including the serious question she asked her son last year but received no serious answer: “Were you injured on the battlefield?”

Chen Jingzong: “I just broke my leg and it was already recovered after half a year. Do you still want care to about it?”

Sun shi: “I’m just worried. Quickly take off your upper clothes and let me check, otherwise I’ll worry about it forever!”

There were only the mother and son in the room, so Chen Jingzong reluctantly took off his outer robe and middle coat.

Sun shi looked at the front and then at the back. The wounds had already healed, but long and short scars were left behind, which made Sun shi burst into tears.

Chen Jingzong put on his clothes again and said in a low voice: “Okay, how many people haven’t been able to come back. Your son still completely intact, so be content.”

Sun shi: “I knew it, once you become a military attache, you will be a military attache for the rest of your life, and you will run away from me in the future!”

Chen Jingzong: “I’ll run whenever I have to. I learned martial arts just to go to the battlefield. With Eldest Brother and Third Brother guarding you, I can run with peace of mind wherever I go.”

Sun shi: “I’m just bad old woman, of course you wouldn’t mind. But what about Grand Princess, are you willing to let her worry and fret?”

Chen Jingzong laughed: “I’m even willing to make my mother worry, then how about my wife. After marrying me, of course she should worry about me.”

Sun shi burst into laughter and slapped her son’s broad back: “You pretend to be arrogant in front of me, but if you’re really facing your wife, you won’t even dare to fart.”

Chen Jingzong:…

Sun shi was wiping her tears and didn’t notice the brief strangeness on her son’s face.

After shedding tears this time, Sun shi felt relieved and urged: “Okay, quickly go back. You still have to hurry to set off tomorrow morning.”

Chen Jingzong then left.

Siyi Hall.

Hua Yang was already lying on the babu bed. Chen Jingzong stood outside and looked in. He caught a glimpse of the lotus bowl on the dressing table and smiled.

Hua Yang couldn’t see his smug look and asked, “Where did it come from?”

This lotus bowl was different from the one they often put in the Grand Princess Mansion.

Chen Jingzong: “I asked the craftsmen to make it based on the one you have, so it won’t be troublesome moving it around in the future. Including the treasure, I also found a way to source it. We don’t have to ask the Eldest Princess to spend money in the future.”

Hua Yang frowned: “Did you buy it yourself?”

Chen Jingzong: “How could I be that stupid? Even if Jinyiwei went to check the buyer, they wouldn’t find us two.”

Hua Yang:……

Should she praise him for being capable?

Seeing that she had nothing else to ask, Chen Jingzong walked to the washstand and wiped himself with a wet towel.

During Sixth Month, the weather was hot. After going back and forth to Chunhe Hall, and he was sweating again.

Because the lotus bowl was not used much during the entire period of mourning, Chen Jingzong spent a lot of effort to get his delicate ancestor to reluctantly accept all his offerings.

“It shows that this matter cannot be neglected. It’s almost like when we just got married.”

Chen Jingzong pressed on Hua Yang’s ear, half complaining and half happy.

The proud grand princess simply ignored him because she could no longer speak complete words.

It was almost the second watch before the inside of the curtain returned to calm.

In winter, Hua Yang liked to sleep on the same bed as Chen Jingzong, but in summer, she couldn’t wait to let him lie on the floor.

She was wrapped herself in a thin quilt and slept on the innermost part, keeping distance from Chen Jingzong.

Chen Jingzong skeptically asked: “I’m young now and you still need me. When I get older, will you even share a room with me?”

Hua Yang ignored his joke and asked before sleepiness completely enveloped her, “When you went to see Mother tonight, did Father say anything?”

Chen Jingzong: “As soon as he showed his face, Mother drove him to the study.”

Hua Yang was relieved.

Her father-in-law and Chen Jingzong had never seen eye to eye. Even if she used Chen Jingzong as a cover, her father-in-law would not go to Chen Jingzong to confront him.

What’s more, Chen Jingzong was originally dissatisfied with her father-in-law, which was obvious to everyone.

The author has something to say:

The lotus bowl: Prince Consort actually raised another lotus bowl outside!!!

Shu brocade: Let’s go on strike together!

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