Chapter 195 – Epilogue 2

 

In the spring of the 16th year of Yuanyou,

A cold wind made the Chief Minister Chen Tingjian, who had been ill from overwork, completely bedridden.

He arranged for his eldest son to bring his resignation letter to Emperor Yuanyou for the third time.

When Emperor Yuanyou saw the letter, he got angry at Chen Bozong: “Don’t bring this thing to Zhen again. Even if you yourself who ask to resign, Zhen will not approve Teacher’s resignation!”

Chen Bozong knelt on the ground and sighed: “Your Majesty, there’s no need to make thing difficult for this minister’s father. He really can’t bear the hard work anymore.”

Emperor Yuanyou didn’t believe it and left Chen Bozong.

The imperial garden was full of spring.

Emperor Yuanyou walked to two peach trees in the garden. Under the trees seemed to be standing an old man with long beard, holding a three-year-old boy to explain the difference between peach and apricot.

Going further, passing a grove of green bamboo, Emperor Yuanyou seemed to see the same old man teaching the boy how to blow a simple tune with bamboo leaves.

Chen Tingjian, who could be the crown prince’s teacher, not only knew astronomy and geography, but also played the bamboo flute like a mountain kid.

But as he grew older, Chen Tingjian became more and more strict and never took him to play again. Sometimes Emperor Yuanyou would doubt whether those scenes of Chen Tingjian teaching him to play really happened or he just had a few daydreams.

Emperor Yuanyou sat on a sunny bench.

The sky was high and blue. Emperor Yuanyou looked up and was lost in thought for a long time.

He didn’t always like the old man. When he was young, he hated the old man’s strictness. After he took power, he also had political disagreements with the old man. The old man was stubborn, and he also had his own pride. Many times, Emperor Yuanyou looked at the old man’s face that refused to give in and compromise, and secretly got angry in his heart, even cursed the old man to get into trouble and never appear in front of him again.

But there were not many of such moments. The resentment was only temporary. After the matter passed, the anger would disappear after a while. He would still be happy to see the old man standing in the court, and would be glad that he had such an old man by his side, saving him a lot of worries.

However, Emperor Yuanyou could not change time. The old man’s hair and beard became whiter year by year, and his waist began to hunch. Even when the old man argued with others, he sometimes had to pause for a while and cough a few times, and could no longer finish in one breath.

Speaking of which, Emperor Yuanyou had experienced the death of several cabinet elders, but Chen Tingjian was different from those old men. To him, old man Chen was both a teacher and a father.

“Call the imperial doctor.”

Chen Mansion.

As soon as Hua Yang received the news in the morning that his father-in-law was ill, she immediately brought Bao Jia to Chen Mansion.

Chunhe Hall.

Chen Tingjian leaned against the head of the bed, wearing the regular robe that Sun shi helped him change. His hair was tied up with a cloth belt, and his snow-white long beard was also tied into a knot to facilitate feeding medicine.

Sun shi complained to her daughter-in-law princess: “I really don’t know what’s the point of having such a beard. It caused me nothing but trouble.”

Chen Tingjian shook his head helplessly.

Hua Yang came with a worried look on her face, but was amused by her mother-in-law’s teasing tone.

Bao Jia took the medicine bowl from her grandmother’s hand and said playfully: “Grandmother thinks it’s troublesome, but I don’t. I’ll feed Grandfather the medicine.”

Chen Tingjian said anxiously: “I can do it myself, Xiao Jiu, stop it.”

Bao Jia held the bowl steadily: “Why are you being polite with your own granddaughter? I’m not my mom.”

Chen Tingjian quickly glanced at the grand princess who was sitting not far away.

Hua Yang smiled and said: “After so many years, Father is still so distant with Daughter-in-law.”

Sun shi said: “It’s not distant. Grand Princess is the daughter who was loved and raised by the late emperor, while the ancestors of the old Chen family were farmers. The old man also did farm work when he was a child. Suddenly there is a daughter-in-law like you, we have to treat you with the utmost care.”

While feeding her grandfather medicine, Bao Jia interrupted and said, “Grandfather, grandmother, and uncle all have the same attitude towards my mother, why is my father so different?”

Sun shi: “That’s why your father can become a prince consort, he is born with a good fate.”

Bao Jia: “It’s all thanks to Grandfather. If Grandfather hadn’t entered the cabinet first, who would know my father?”

Sun shi: “Good Xiao Jiu, just say that in front of your father later and see if you, his own daughter, can pierce his thick skin.”

Bao Jia: “I’m not that stupid. I won’t help Grandmother bully my father. You have so many sons and won’t care, but I only have this one father.”

Sun shi: …

Chen Tingjian laughed so hard that his beard trembled.

After a bowl of medicine was finished, Emperor Yuanyou arrived, and the steward led him directly to Chunhe Hall.

Bao Jia accompanied her grandmother to greet her uncle, while Hua Yang was still sitting on a chair beside the bed.

Before anyone came in, Chen Tingjian whispered, “Grand Princess should also go out to greet him.”

Hua Yang smiled, “You already this sick, do you still have to teach your daughter-in-law the rules?”

Chen Tingjian just shook his head.

Hua Yang refused to go to greet him. She didn’t believe that her brother would hold her, his biological sister, accountable for this.

Emperor Yuanyou didn’t take it seriously at all. He came in and greet his sister, then sat down by the bed and stared at Chen Tingjian from head to toe: “You look fine. Could it because you’re old, you want to be lazy?”

Chen Tingjian coughed and sighed: “This minister really can’t do it anymore. Please understand, Your Majesty. Allow this minister to retire and return home.”

Emperor Yuanyou only asked the imperial doctor to check Chen Tingjian’s pulse first.

Emperor Yuanyou brought two imperial doctors. After checking the pulse, they looked at each other.

Hua Yang went to the main hall with her brother. The imperial doctors concluded that her father-in-law had only one year left to live. If he didn’t get enough rest, he might not even last a year.

Hua Yang slowly sat down on the chair.

Emperor Yuanyou looked at his sister.

Hua Yang waved her hand: “It’s not easy for you to come out. Stay and talk to the old man. I’ll sit here by myself for a while.”

Emperor Yuanyou shook his sister’s shoulder and then went to the inner room.

He wanted to console the old man, but Chen Tingjian acted indifferent to life and death: “Birth, aging, sickness and death are common to all people. Your Majesty, don’t feel sad for me.”

Emperor Yuanyou glanced at the old man faintly, and said with a straight face: “Zhen just feel sad for myself. With Sir gone, who can assist Zhen like you did?”

Chen Tingjian: “Isn’t there still Cabinet Elder He?”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Him? If it weren’t for you protecting him, he would have been squeezed out long ago.”

Chen Tingjian: “This minister have wanted to squeeze him out more than once, but you were protecting him.”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Forget it, let’s not talk about him. If Zhen accept your resignation, what are your plans next? Do you really want to go back to Lingzhou?”

Chen Tingjian wanted to touch his beard, but when he touched it, he found that his beard was being tied by his wife, so he had to let go and said with a smile: “When this minister was young, this minister used to travel all over Jingchu. This time, this minister wants to travel all over the country, from the capital to the south, through Jiangnan to Guangdong, then through Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Huguang, stay in Lingzhou for a while, continue to the north, through Henan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and finally return to the capital.”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Sir, you have quite an ambition, but afraid your body won’t be able to stand it.”

Chen Tingjian: “There are carriages and servants to serve, Your Majesty doesn’t need to worry.”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Who are you going to take with you?”

Chen Tingjian: “Everyone else is busy, so this minister will take the old wife and Sanlang. He is not a good student, but he has a lot of strength to take care of us.”

Emperor Yuanyou thought of the old man’s three grandsons. Dalang barely passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi. He was too honest and loyal, so he would have limited success in this life. Erlang was smart and was selected as Tanhua by him, but he was quite conceited and it was difficult for him to achieve great things. There was no need to mention Sanlang. He wanted to learn from prince consort and pursue a military career, but he did not have the wisdom of prince consort.

Sometimes Emperor Yuanyou felt sorry for the old man, and sometimes he thought it was a good thing.

Chen Bozong would be the next chief minister, but the glory of the Chen family would end with Chen Bozong’s generation. Too much is as bad as too little.

However, as long as the bloodline of the Chen family could continue from generation to generation, maybe one of the generations would have a descendant as outstanding as the old man.

.

Chen Tingjian recuperated for almost a month and finally recovered from the cold.

Before leaving the capital, he called all his children and grandchildren to his side and explained some things to each of them.

“Old One is sufficiently authoritative, but being overly rigid will easily break. Now that the new policies have reached a stage of consolidation, it’s important to be flexible and accommodating when necessary. You should discuss more with your third brother.”

“Yes.”

“Old Three is smart, but your official power is not as high as your eldest brother. You should try your best to assist him. Don’t be too proud of your achievements and cause trouble within the family.”

“Don’t worry, Father, I understand.”

Chen Tingjian looked at his fourth son again.

Chen Jingzong didn’t say anything.

Chen Tingjian: “If there’s another war, don’t just think about making merit, think more about Grand Princess and Little Jiu, just be safe.”

Chen Jingzong clenched his hands and said in a muffled voice: “I know.”

Chen Tingjian had nothing else to say.

On the day when the couple leave the capital with Sanlang, the whole family went out of the city to see them off. He Qingxian also came with several cabinet elders, and Emperor Yuanyou also waited here for a long time.

Chen Tingjian was in good spirits today. His long beard was smooth like a waterfall, fluttering gently with the breeze of early summer.

Emperor Yuanyou looked at his long beard, and a bunch of words were stuck in his throat.

Chen Tingjian smiled and said, “Your Majesty is sitting in the Ming Hall, while this minister will go to inspect the world for you. If there are any shortcomings in our dynasty, this minister will write back to the capital at any time. Please don’t blame this minister for being nosy.”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Since Zhen ascended the throne, you have always been the chief minister. If there are any shortcomings in local governance, it’s not only Zhen’s shortcomings, but also your shortcomings. You and Zhen should reflect and encourage each other.”

Chen Tingjian nodded: “That’s right, then Your Majesty, please stay, this minister will set off now.”

Emperor Yuanyou: “Alright, take care on the way, Zhen will wait for you in the capital!”

Chen Tingjian was helped by Sanlang to step onto the carriage. He looked at Emperor Yuanyou and his former colleagues, and looked at his children and grandchildren. He smiled for the last time and get into the carriage.

.

Grand Princess Mansion.

Hua Yang couldn’t sleep, so she sat on the rattan chair in the yard, staring at the bright moon in the sky.

Chen Jingzong hugged the person to his side and asked, “Are you thinking about the old man?”

Hua Yang looked at him and leaned on his shoulder.

She had a vague feeling that her father-in-law would never come back after leaving the capital this time.

Because the farewell in the daytime might be the last time they saw each other, she felt reluctant.

Chen Jingzong patted her shoulder, looked at the moon, and complained: “Already old, but still insist on traveling like young people. Didn’t he just want to see the peace and prosperity of the country under the new policies? If just want to hear praise, just say it directly. There is a Zhuangyuan and Tanhua in our family. It’s no problem to praise him one article every day. If it’s not enough, you, the grand princess, should also write two articles.”

Hua Yang twisted him: “What do you know? This prosperous world is the fruit of Father’s lifelong hard work. Of course, he must see it with his own eyes while he still has the strength.”

Chen Jingzong: “Since you understand, why are you reluctant? You make me jealous for nothing.”

Hua Yang: “If you insist on being jealous, who can you blame?”

Chen Jingzong: “Of course I blame you. If you think highly of me like you did the old man, I wouldn’t care.”

Hua Yang smiled faintly.

Chen Jingzong lowered his head and bit her lips.

Hua Yang didn’t say anything more.

It was not until Chen Jingzong carried her back to the room and was about to go to sleep that Hua Yang suddenly asked: “Do you know what the difference is between you and father to me?”

Chen Jingzong: “What? He is more talented than me, but I am younger and more handsome than him?”

Hua Yang:…

Chen Jingzong: “You speak, I’m all ears.”

Hua Yang paused, and said: “Father has made it his responsibility to benefit the country and the people. He is not only our father, but also a great contributor shared by the people of the world.”

Chen Jingzong: “Then what am I?”

Hua Yang said lightly: “You are just my prince consort.”

Father-in-law belong to the world, and Chen Jingzong belong to her alone. This was the difference between the father and son.

“Grand Princess is really overbearing.”

Chen Jingzong pressed on her, held her wrist, and kissed her face and neck: “I am still the son of my parents, the brother of those Zhuangyuan and Tanhua, the father of Xiao Jiu, and the great general in the mouths of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. How did I become yours alone?”

Hua Yang: “If you don’t want to be, there are many people who are willing.”

Chen Jingzong: “It doesn’t matter if they’re willing or not, you’ve already belongs to me long time ago.”

He belongs to grand princess alone, and grand princess also belong to him alone.

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