Chapter 143

 

At the end of Ninth Month, something happened in the capital that was neither big nor small.

Cabinet Elder Yin, one of the three cabinet elders, died of illness at the age of seventy-five.

This age was considered to be a long life, and Cabinet Elder Yin had been ill for a long time. When this day finally came, the civil and military officials were not too surprised, and those who had some friendship came to express their condolences.

Chen Jingzong didn’t have much friendship with Cabinet Elder Yin, but two Cabinet Elder left in succession this year, so he inevitably thought of the Cabinet Elder in their family.

Although the old man seems to be tough now, every day he went out early and came back late. It’s unknown if he could live as long as Cabinet Elder Yin in the future.

While Chen Jingzong was thinking wildly over here, in the darkness, he suddenly heard the grand princess next to him sigh. It was so soft that she might not even have noticed it herself.

Chen Jingzong turned around and hugged her from behind: “What are you sighing for?”

The two of them have been lying down for a long time, and they shouldn’t do anything tonight. Hua Yang thought he was asleep. She paused after hearing this, and then said: “Cabinet Elder Yin.”

Chen Jingzong: “Cabinet Elder Zeng in heaven must have feel aggrieved. When he passed away, you still wanted to accompany me to Hongfu Temple.”

Hua Yang: “Can you say something serious.”

Chen Jingzong: “Where does Cabinet Elder Yin make you feel sorry again?”

Hua Yang said some nonsense: “The old man loves to laugh. When I was a child, I once went to the cabinet to play. Everyone else was respectful. Only him looked at me as an ordinary little girl and introduced me to what they had to do every day.”

Chen Jingzong: “How old were you back then? Is our family’s old man there?”

Hua Yang: “I’m eight years old. Father is there too. He’s only been in the cabinet for a year, and have the least seniority.”

Chen Jingzong: “His life is really good. He got to see the Grand Princess’ heavenly face so early.”

Hua Yang pinched him, but then again, although her father-in-law was the most junior at that time and had to be ranked behind other cabinet elders, he was the youngest and most handsome, so the cabinet elder who impressed Hua Yang the most was actually her father-in-law.

Chen Jingzong squeezed her hand: “When you’re eight years old, I’m eleven, still running around in the mountains of my hometown.”

The conversation between husband and wife was like this. The topics kept changing and there were no patterns at all. Hua Yang couldn’t sleep anyway, so she asked him how he lived by himself in Lingzhou before.

Chen Jingzong, however, was not serious. He hugged her and said, “My father doesn’t love me and my mother doesn’t care about me. I go to the temple every day to pray to the Buddha and ask the Buddha to give me a wife who is willing to love me in the future.”

Hua Yang: “It seems that the Buddha didn’t hear your prayer.”

Chen Jingzong kissed her ear and said, “Why didn’t he hear? The Buddha thought I was pitiful, so he sent a fairy to accompany me.”

Hua Yang gently grasped the mattress.

She didn’t know whether it was his lips or those words that made her body numb and her heart tingle.

.

The funeral in Cabinet Elder Yin’ family had nothing to do with Grand Princess Mansion. On the evening of the eighth day of Tenth Month, it was rare for Hua Yang not to eat first, as she was waiting for Chen Jingzong to come back and eat his longevity noodles together.

The weather was cold but the noodles was hot. White mist rose from the bowl, blurring Chen Jingzong’s face.

Chen Jingzong took a sip of the soup. When he looked up, he found that she quickly lowered her eyes to cover up her peeping just now.

Chen Jingzong smiled: “Are you thinking about how to celebrate my birthday tomorrow?”

Hua Yang was just thinking about today in her previous life.

Ever since Chen Jingzong died in battle, Hua Yang had also completely remembered his birth date. How strange, obviously Hua Yang disliked seeing him when he was alive, but when he was gone, Hua Yang somehow arranged for the kitchen to cook noodles for dinner that night.

Of course, Hua Yang didn’t specifically ask for longevity noodles, and among the people around her, only the most attentive Wu Run, was looking at her with pity.

“You can go directly back to your house tomorrow night. I’ll go over in the morning.” Hua Yang said calmly.

Chen Jingzong’s expression changed: “Why we need to go back, let the whole family celebrate my birthday?”

Hua Yang: “Don’t you like to show off? The bigger the show, the better?”

Chen Jingzong: “It’s different. I like to show off when you give me things. Even the children at home don’t celebrate their birthdays with much fanfare, and yet I’m the only one who wants the whole family to have a birthday banquet. Even if I am thick-skinned, I can’t stand it.”

Not to mention that he was twenty-five years old this year, even if he was fifteen, he didn’t need the whole family to celebrate his birthday.

Hua Yang smiled: “I want your whole family to celebrate your birthday.”

Tomorrow in her previous life would be the day when everyone in the Chen family would pay tribute to him after a year, and everyone was sad. But this year Hua Yang wanted everyone in the Chen family to laugh.

Not just this year, but every year when Chen Jingzong celebrates his birthday in the future, unless something happens to the Chen family, or the couple had better arrangements, she would definitely accompany Chen Jingzong home and have a reunion dinner with him.

Chen Jingzong thought she was deliberately going against him. Unexpectedly, an hour later, when she was lying softly in his arms and about to fall asleep at any moment, she still didn’t forget to remind him to go directly back to the Chen Mansion tomorrow night.

Chen Jingzong tentatively said: “I don’t want to go.”

The grand princess closed her eyes, probably because she didn’t want to speak, she just arched upward. First her soft lips touched his neck, and then when Chen Jingzong’s heart fluttered, she moved her teeth to bite him.

Chen Jingzong had no choice but to compromise.

Hua Yang added in a vague voice: “When you meet Father, Eldest Brother and Third Brother at the morning court, remember to tell them to go home as soon as they get off duty. Don’t let us get hungry from waiting.”

Chen Jingzong:……

The next day while it was still dark outside, Chen Jingzong had already got up because the morning court would start in about an hour. He had breakfast at home, and then rode his horse to the palace in the dark.

He arrived neither early nor late, and half of the line of ministers of civil and military affairs had already waiting in line.

Chen Tingjian was the chief minister, and Chen Bozong was also the fourth-rank Vice Minister of Dali Temple. One stood at the front and the other was in the middle.

Only Chen Xiaozong, the sixth-rank head of Shandong Qingli Division, stood behind the line of civil servants and was talking in a low voice with two colleagues.

Chen Jingzong coughed in a low voice.

Not to mention Chen Xiaozong, even Chen Bozong in the middle looked back.

Chen Jingzong only glanced at his third brother.

Chen Xiaozong excused himself to his two colleagues.

Chen Jingzong stood in the middle of the tail of the civil and military officials and said in a voice that was neither high nor low: “Third Brother, today is my birthday. Grand Princess said that she would accompany me home to celebrate. After the court is over, you can tell Father and Eldest Brother not to go back too late and delay dinner.”

Chen Xiaozong:……

Some officials who eavesdropped: …

Since ancient times till now, a Prince Consort who could achieve this was probably only Chen Jingzong! Even the dignified chief minister had to go back early to avoid delaying his son’s birthday celebration, and he was still a twenty-five-year-old son who could have been a father long ago!

Chen Jingzong didn’t mean to show off. The couple were bound to return to the Chen Mansion today, and the old man were also bound to go back early. Rather than letting outsiders speculate whether they were plotting something, it was better to say it openly.

Chen Xiaozong also understood this truth. After listening to his brother’s words, he pretended to be righteous and reprimanded his brother: “You are so old, you still have the nerve to ask the whole family to celebrate your birthday!”

Chen Jingzong: “I didn’t mean to make things up. Last night I talked about my childhood in Lingzhou. Grand Princess took pity on me and insisted on taking care of me.”

Chen Xiaozong: “Shut up, I don’t want to lose face!”

He flicked his sleeves and returned to the line.

Chen Jingzong walked to his position without any shame.

Some people, didn’t know whether they were joking or trying to flatter Chen Jingzong, loudly congratulated him on his birthday.

So, Chen Tingjian and Chen Bozong knew what was going on.

Not only their father and son, but other civil and military officials also agreed that it was Chen Jingzong who deliberately complained about the injustice he suffered as a child in front of grand princess, which made grand princess eager to protect her husband and insisted on having the Chen family organize a grand birthday banquet for Chen Jingzong.

News in the palace spread quickly, and when Chen Tingjian came to Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou to report some matter, both mother and son were already aware of it.

Empress Dowager Qi said: “Hua Yang is wilful and has caused trouble to Cabinet Elder. However, Cabinet Elder does go home late every day. You should indeed take good care of your body and eat on time.”

How could Chen Tingjian let Empress Dowager Qi blame his daughter-in-law. He only said that his fourth son had become more and more arrogant after relying on the imperial family’s favor, and he would definitely discipline him strictly when he returned.

Emperor Yuanyou smiled and said: “Today is Prince Consort’s birthday. Sir, please don’t ruin his and Sister’s excitement. In the evening it’s better to go back home early and share the family reunion.”

Empress Dowager Qi smiled and nodded.

Chen Tingjian had no choice but to agree.

When he was off duty in the evening, Chen Tingjian was only delayed for half an hour before Cabinet Elder Lu teased him and told him to go back early.

When Chen Tingjian left the palace, he saw his eldest son and third son waiting outside.

Chen Mansion.

Sun shi was very happy. She didn’t think much about it. She just felt that her son and daughter-in-law had a good relationship, like honey mix with oilmetaphor for being very close and harmonious. As for the birthday banquet, it was just a reunion dinner. It was not like the Chen family couldn’t afford it.

Luo Yuyan deliberately said in a sour tone: “Mom can’t just favor Fourth Brother. How about we also celebrate Eldest Brother and Third Master’s birthday next year?”

Sun shi smiled and said: “Then you have to discuss it with your Father and let him agree.”

Luo Yuyan burst into laughter. If her mother-in-law dared to mention this, her father-in-law would definitely call Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong to the study room to scold them and ask their sons if they were jealous of their younger brother.

Yu Xiu who sat next to Hua Yang was laughing too.

After dark, Chen Jingzong and Chen Tingjian returned to the mansion almost at the same time, with Chen Jingzong arriving a bit earlier. He endured some teasing from his mother and then Chen Tingjian and the others also arrived.

Chen Tingjian glared at his fourth son first.

But Chen Jingzong just looked at Hua Yang unabashedly.

Hua Yang smiled and saluted her father-in-law: “I heard that the cabinet is busy with official business. We came back rashly, are we disturbing Father’s works?”

Chen Tingjian already knew that the grand princess wanted to protect the Old Four, so he respectfully said it was fine.

The four father and sons went to change into their regular clothes. When they came back, the family dinner officially began. Everyone tacitly agreed not to mention birthday celebrations, which would make Chen Jingzong blush. They just treated it as reunion dinner.

After the meal, Hua Yang took Chen Jingzong to stay. They lived alone outside, and it was only natural for them to want to stay with their two elders for a while.

Hua Yang smiled and said to Chen Tingjian: “Father, Daughter-in-law has not played chess for a long time, and Prince Consort is really not my opponent. I wonder if I can ask Father for advice.”

Chen Jingzong: …..

Chen Tingjian touched his beard and asked the maid to prepare the chessboard.

Sun shi familiarly picked up a pair of scissors and handed it to Chen Jingzong: “The flower branches on this side already need some pruning. You come help Mom.”

Chen Jingzong knew that this was probably not the first time Hua Yang had played chess with the old man.

He took a deep look at Hua Yang and followed his mother to the potted begonia under the south window. He cut off any branches his mother asked him to cut.

The maid brought the chessboard and set it up, bowed her head and retreated. The heavy cotton curtain at the door hung down, blocking the cold wind outside.

It was quite warm in the main room.

After a few moves, Hua Yang looked at the long beard on her father-in-law’s chest and whispered: “Father, now there are only two Cabinet Elders in the cabinet, you and Cabinet Elder Lu. If Daughter-in-law guessed, you want to recommend new officials to join the cabinet?”

Chen Tingjian just looked at the chessboard and nodded: “That’s true. Does Grand Prince have someone suitable to recommend?”

The daughter-in-law moved out just to keep distance from the Chen family, and he left early and came home late. It was not easy for the two of them to play chess like this, so no one had to beat around the bushes.

Hua Yang: “This year, officials have often criticized the cabinet for being under your tumb. Daughter-in-law speculates that this time Father will recommend a minister who has opposed you.”

Chen Tingjian: “Grand Princess is smart. This minister does have this intention.”

Hua Yang: “The former Chief Minister Gao once wanted to promote Zhang Pan to the cabinet, but failed to do so due to various reasons. Zhang Pan, however, contributed to the peace talks with me and has outstanding political achievements. Although he was from the Chief Minister Gao’s old party, he also supports your reforms. He’s probably one of your favorite candidates.”

Chen Tingjian’s hand, which was about to make a move, suddenly stopped.

He had known that the daughter-in-law princess in front of him was not only beautiful and noble, but he didn’t expect that she would guess so accurately.

Hua Yang could see the approval in her father-in-law’s eyes, but she was too ashamed to accept it.

Because all this happened in her previous life, she just saw the results and had the chance to experiencing it again.

Fortunately, Hua Yang’s face had become thicker as she had been pretending more often.

It doesn’t matter what her father-in-law thinks. What she had to do was to prevent her father-in-law from promoting Zhang Pan and preventing him from reusing the future Chief Minister who would be the first to demand an accounting of her father-in-law’s actions after his death.

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