Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 730 Learned to Be Indirect [Thank you! Thank you again! 34k words owed]

"drive!"

"what!"

The sound of whipping a horse could be heard.
Xu Zaijing and the others rode out of the camp with relatively relaxed expressions.

After walking along the canal for a while, we saw a large bridge spanning the canal in the distance.

"Cross the river!"

Zhao Fang, who was at the very front, pointed at the bridge and shouted.

Everyone nodded and followed on horseback.

After a while,
Arriving at the bridge,

"Shut up!"

Zhao Fang slowed down his horse.

"Tap tap tap tap".

The group slowly rode their horses up the hill.

Subsequently,

Xu Zaijing and his entourage stopped their horses at the highest point of the bridge, looking at the wide river channels on both sides of the bridge.

At this time, the river was full of busy people, and the soaked silt was everywhere.

A slight northerly wind, which had started to blow at some unknown time, caused the white breath exhaled by the horsemen to drift aimlessly and quickly dissipate into the air.

There are rows of houses on both sides of the river.

Blue smoke was billowing from the chimney on the roof.
There are still many old trees along the river that have lost all their leaves.

On the street, there were a few pedestrians and a row of horse-drawn carts carrying goods.

Although these landscapes were located in the capital, they were the first time Zhao Fang had ever seen them.

Xu Zaijing and his entourage stopped their horses on the bridge, which naturally attracted the attention of many passersby.

Under the curious gazes of passersby, the group admired the scenery for a while.

"Let's go!"

Zhao Fang said.

The group rode their horses slowly toward the bridge.

After crossing the bridge, as he continued heading southeast, Xu Zaijing glanced at the beautiful bridge again.

What Xu Zaijing didn't know was that

The bridge where they had just stopped was called Shangtu Bridge.

A very famous painting from later generations, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival," is centered around this Shangtu Bridge.

The journey of the group along the Bian River southeastward is also depicted in this painting.

but,

The painting depicts the scenery around the time of the Qingming Festival.

Today is winter, the dry season for the canal, and the canal needs dredging. This section of the canal is devoid of passenger and cargo ships, so the scenery is naturally quite different.

As the crowd headed southeast...
The scenery on the left began to change, and patches of water started to appear in the river.

Many laborers and soldiers did not dredge the silt, but instead tried to clean up the river.

When approaching the East Water Gate,

Cao Yi, who had followed, pointed to the city wall and said, "Wow, such a sight is rare!"

The group nodded in agreement.

In Xu Zaijing's view, a heavy metal door at the East Water Gate under the city wall had been lowered.

There were also many sandbags piled up under the metal door.

After passing through the land gate on one side, the group left the city.

Upon returning to the canal, I discovered that there were still patches of ice, not very thick, on the moat outside the city and near the dock.

The sluice gate at Dongshuimen was closed to prevent water from flowing in and hindering the dredging process.

Countless passenger ships, cargo ships, and small boats were moored along the riverbank.
They were probably moved here from inside the city for dredging purposes.

in fact,

This wasn't Xu Zaijing's first time here; he had started his journey from here when he went to Yangzhou before.

After watching it for a while,

Zhao Fang waved his riding whip and said, "Let's go, let's go back through Xincao Gate!"

"Uh, Your Highness!" Cao Yi hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped himself.

"What's wrong?" Zhao Fang frowned and looked over.

"Your Highness, it's nothing!" Cao Yi shook his head.

Seeing this, Xu Zaijing said softly, "Your Highness, it's cloudy today with a bit of a north wind. It looks like it's going to snow!"

"Going through the Xincao Gate means braving the north wind, which is fierce, as you can see."

As Xu Zaijing spoke, Cao Yi nodded repeatedly.

Zhao Fang felt the chill on his cheeks, glanced at Cao Yi, and nodded, saying, "Alright! Let's go through Xuanhua Gate then."

When you come, you should see the work sheds and military camps along the way.

However, this was not necessary when returning to the palace.

Therefore,
With the Imperial Guards clearing the way,
Zhao Fang led his entourage and quickly entered the inner city through Baokang Gate.

When entering the inner city,
Snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

On the way to the palace, the snow fell heavier and heavier. By the time they arrived at Xuande Gate, the south gate of the palace, Xu Zaijing and the others were covered in a layer of snowflakes.

Upon seeing the returning group, the imperial guards standing at the door hurriedly stepped forward.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has issued an edict at all four palace gates, saying that you have returned to the palace, so please go see him immediately."

"Ah."

Zhao Fang nodded and slowly rode his horse toward the palace.

Xu Zaijing and the others dismounted and followed.

royal palace,

The rear court,

In the main hall,
In one of the rooms, the light was dim, and bright yellow candles had been lit.

"Your Majesty, His Highness and Fifth Prince Xu have returned."

The chief eunuch stepped in and reported.

"Let them in," said the emperor, who was looking at the memorials behind his desk.

"Yes."

quickly,

Having changed their clothes and shoes, Zhao Fang and Xu Zaijing walked in one after the other, exuding a chill.

"Father, I have returned."

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."

The emperor looked up at the two people who were speaking, nodded, and waved his hand: "Sit down."

Then, two eunuchs came over, one in front and one behind, carrying trays with hot soup to ward off the cold.

Zhao Fang and Xu Zaijing each brought a bowl of hot soup, thanked the emperor, and then drank it.

The emperor put down his imperial brush, raised his head and looked at Xu Zaijing, saying, "I didn't expect you to not make a move today."

Xu Zaijing, who was sitting to Zhao Fang's left, bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty, there is no occasion where I need to take action."

The emperor smiled slightly.

Zhao Fang asked, "Father, what did you do with those two people from the Ma and Gan families?"

The emperor's smile faded slightly, and he said, "Fang'er, what do you intend to do?"

Zhao Fang pursed his lips and said resentfully, "The two are the commander and deputy commander of the Xiang Army. They embezzled military funds, so naturally they should be punished according to military law to serve as a warning to others!"

The emperor nodded and said, "Fang'er, you are right! But Gan Di's own brother is now in charge of the Guangjie Army in the north. Is it appropriate for you to execute his own brother at this time?"

After spending some time in the warm hall, I drank some hot soup to warm myself up.

Xu Zaijing felt the chill on his body dissipating. Hearing the conversation between the emperor and the crown prince, he quickly lowered his head and pretended not to hear.

Zhao Fang sat up straight, frowned, and said, "Father, General Gan has been in the army for many years and should naturally understand that military law is merciless! It's his own brother who made a mistake, so what's wrong with that!"

The emperor smiled but did not reply. Instead, he looked at Xu Zaijing, who had his head bowed, and said, "Fifth son of the Xu family, you and Fang'er talk to him."

"Huh?" Xu Zaijing raised his head, glanced at Zhao Fang, then at the emperor, and stood up, saying, "Your Majesty, I... this is a bit inappropriate, isn't it?"

The emperor shook his head and laughed, "What's inappropriate about it? Fang'er has never served in the army, but you have spent some time in the Northwest Army."

"Just say whatever comes to mind!"

He then waved his hand at Xu Zaijing and said, "Sit down and talk."

Zhao Fang, turning his head to look at Xu Zaijing, looked somewhat puzzled and said, "Jing-ge'er, just say it."

Xu Zaijing glanced at everyone in the room, then sat down again. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Your Highness, as you said, General Gan has served in the army for many years! He must have made many contributions over the years!"

"Even if there is no merit, there is still hard work! If we directly enforce military law and execute the old general's own brother now, what will the north think when the news gets back?"

"Those who know the whole story understand that it was the old general's own brother who brought this upon himself. Those who don't know the whole story might misunderstand something, which could hinder the old general's command of the army!"

After listening, Zhao Fang looked at Xu Zaijing's expression and hesitated before saying, "Brother Jing, I sense there's something hidden in your words."

"Hmph!" The emperor behind the desk chuckled and said, "Fang'er, Wulang is such a witty fellow! He hasn't learned anything else from you, you scholar, but he's certainly picked up a lot of this roundabout way of speaking."

"Your humble servant dares not," Xu Zaijing said, rising and bowing.

"Sit down," the emperor said, waving his hand.

Zhao Fang looked at the Emperor: "Father, is Jing-ge saying that if we directly execute General Gan's younger brother, it might cause other problems?"

"What if General Gan misunderstands things and leads his uninformed soldiers to do something wrong?"

The emperor closed his eyes slightly and nodded.

"Then, we can't just let it go because he's his own brother, can we?" Zhao Fang asked, frowning.

"Of course not," the emperor said calmly.

Zhao Fang was a little confused and looked at Xu Zaijing, wanting to find some help.

Xu Zaijing, who had sat down again, bowed slightly and said, "Your Highness, I am unable to help with this matter."

Zhao Fang nodded.

He understood that this was a matter of dealing with court officials, and Xu Zaijing really couldn't say much.

The hall fell silent.

The emperor leaned back on his dragon throne, leisurely sipping his tea while watching Zhao Fang, who was deep in thought.

after awhile,

Zhao Fang looked at the emperor and said, "Father, I have an immature idea."

"Just tell me," the emperor said with a smile.

"Gan Di is still detained in the military camp, and General Gan may not yet know about this!" "Then wait two days... no, three days!"

"Once the Gan family has raised enough money to make up for the deficit, Gan Di will be released back home."

The emperor asked curiously, "Oh? Fang'er, why did you put him back home?"

Zhao Fang said, "As Father Emperor said, General Gan is still serving the country at such an old age, and his contributions are great! Moreover, his influence in the army over the years is very deep and complex."

"After we put Gan Di back home, we just need to see how General Gan will handle it."

"If he were the kind of person who governs a household like an army, strict and just, then Gan Di probably wouldn't survive!"

"If this matter concerning Gan Di ends up being left unresolved, then General Gan shouldn't blame himself for not having a chance for promotion in the future."

The emperor glanced at Xu Zaijing and said, "Fifth Prince, is there something you want to say?"

Xu Zaijing stood up, nodded, cupped his hands, pursed his lips, and said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, I was just thinking about something else."

The emperor smiled and said, "Speak."

Xu Zaijing exchanged a glance with Zhao Fang and said, "Your Highness, have you considered what would happen if Gan Di ran away after returning home?"

"Escape...run away?" Zhao Fang frowned and asked, "How could that be?"

Xu Zaijing said, "Your Highness, is it not possible that it was due to negligence on the part of the servants?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor behind his desk looked at Xu Zaijing and nodded with a smile, his eyes showing considerable approval.

“I… that’s a possibility!” Zhao Fang wasn’t stupid; he quickly extrapolated from this, saying, “At that time, the Gan family might launch a large-scale search!”

"Brother Jing, you've reminded me!" Zhao Fang continued, "That scoundrel Gan Di, when he was put back... hmph!"

If you don't break the leg, you'll have to sever the Achilles tendon.

Seeing that his son had found a way, the emperor leaned back in his chair and enjoyed a sip of hot soup.

"Is it still snowing outside?" the emperor asked, his eyes slightly closed.

The chief eunuch hurriedly walked outside.

After a few questions, the chief eunuch returned and said, "Your Majesty, it's still raining!"

"Hmm! Send someone to tell the Empress that I will take the two of them to dine later."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

A quarter of an hour later,
In the palace corridors,
Two palace maids carried bright lanterns in front.
The emperor, dressed in full regalia, walked with his hands behind his back toward the palace where the empress resided.

Zhao Fang, who was following behind the emperor, glanced at Xu Zaijing, who was a step behind him.

Looking into Xu Zaijing's eyes, Zhao Fang said with a smile, "Brother Jing, the earmuffs that Father Emperor is wearing were a gift from me."

Xu Zaijing nodded with a knowing smile.

Upon hearing the conversation, the emperor turned around, smiled at Zhao Fang, and said, "This little gadget is indeed useful; it's easy to put on and take off."

"I heard that the Liang family has always been in charge of selling these little gadgets?"

"Your Majesty, the Liang family is the most powerful!" Xu Zaijing replied.

The emperor nodded.

After walking a few steps,

The emperor suddenly stopped by the veranda, his gaze fixed on the heavy snow falling densely under the lantern light.

"This snow is really heavy!" the emperor exclaimed.

Zhao Fang nodded repeatedly: "Father is right!"

After speaking, Zhao Fang gave Xu Zaijing a look, meaning, 'Brother Jing, why don't you say a few words too?'

Xu Zaijing nodded slightly and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have a farmer's son in my household who, seeing such heavy snow, will surely exclaim, 'A timely snow promises a bumper harvest!'"

"Hahahaha!"

The emperor, with his hands behind his back, laughed, turned to look at Xu Zaijing, and nodded: "You're absolutely right, kid!"

After speaking, the emperor strode forward, leading the crowd onward.

On the way, Zhao Fang chuckled and whispered, "Brother Jing, next time there are such sweet words, let me say them!"

"I'll definitely do it next time," Xu Zaijing nodded, replying with certainty.

The rest of the journey was silent.

The group soon arrived at the Queen's Palace.

After everyone entered the hall,
While they were busy removing their earmuffs, cloaks, and capes,
A girl's voice called out, "Father! Brother!"

Xu Zaijing turned his head and saw a girl, about seven or eight years old, dressed in palace attire and with her hair in double buns, walking out of the hall.

Seeing Xu Zaijing looking somewhat stunned, the girl smiled and nodded: "Greetings, Fifth Young Master Xu!"

Xu Zaijing quickly bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness."

Zhao Fang's younger sister smiled.

At this moment, Gao Taotao also came over.

"Tsk! No need for formalities! Why did the Empress summon you here too?!" the Emperor frowned.

Gao Taotao smiled and bowed, looking at the emperor and saying, "Father, I came to Mother's place this morning and haven't gone home today! She didn't call me here!"

The emperor's brow relaxed, and he said, "Oh! I see!"

Taking advantage of the pause in the conversation, Xu Zaijing bowed again: "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Princess."

The Crown Princess smiled slightly: "Jing'er, your mother was so happy to hear you were coming!"

"Let's go in!" the emperor said with a smile.

Xu Zaijing and Zhao Fang were at the very back of the group when they entered the room.

After giving the emperor a sidelong glance, the empress smiled at Zhao Fang and asked, "Fang'er, how did you feel after being away for a day?"

Zhao Fang smiled.

Then, the Empress looked at Xu Zaijing, who was standing to the side of Zhao Fang.

After looking Xu Zaijing up and down, the Empress smiled and nodded: "Do these clothes and shoes fit Jing-ge'er well?"

Xu Zaijing nodded and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, it fits perfectly!"

"That's good!" The Empress smiled.

This wasn't the first time Xu Zaijing had dined with the Emperor and Empress in the palace. Sitting behind his own table, he was unreserved in his words and actions, eating and drinking as he pleased.

Although Xu Zaijing ate politely, he was quite fast. His chopsticks flew across the table, and the dishes on his plate disappeared in a flash, leaving Gao Taotao and the princess, who were seeing Xu Zaijing eat for the first time, somewhat stunned.

When Xu Zaijing was eating,

Jiying Lane,
The Sheng family,

Shouantang,
Under the bright yellow candlelight, Minglan sat at the table, sipping her vegetable soup, her eyes darting back and forth between her grandmother and Qingcao, who had just entered the house.

Minglan raised an eyebrow as she looked at the snow clinging to her shoes beneath her green grass skirt.

"Little Qingcao, what is it that your young master sent you out of this heavy snow to tell me?" the old lady asked kindly.

Both mothers, Fang and Cui, wore expressions of curiosity and smiles.

Qingcao curtsied and said, "Grandma, my young master sent me here because..."

After saying only half a sentence, Qingcao glanced at Minglan.

This glance surprised Minglan, and she felt a slight surge of excitement. Before she could think further, Qingcao continued, "It's because this afternoon, our relatives, the Wei family, were distributing porridge along the canal outside the city."

"Young Master was accompanying His Highness the Crown Prince when he happened to pass by and saw her. He also told His Highness the Crown Prince about Aunt Wei's identity."

Listening to Qingcao's account, Minglan's eyes widened in surprise and confusion.

The two mothers, Fang and Cui, exchanged a surprised glance.

"Has your young master returned home yet?" the old lady asked.

"When I arrived, he hadn't returned to the manor yet! Qingyun, who had just returned home, said that the eunuch had informed him that the young master had stayed in the palace for a meal," Qingcao said.

"Yes, yes, I understand!" The old lady nodded repeatedly.

Qingcao curtsied and said, "Then, Madam, this servant will take her leave."

"Suqin, give it a try!"

After Fang Mama and Qingcao left, the old lady, who had been pondering, said again, "Ru'an, call the master and the eldest daughter-in-law to my place."

"Xiao Tao, go find Wei Xiao Niang!"

"Grandmother, let your granddaughter go!" Minglan said, getting up.

"Alright, you two can go together," the old lady said.

Linxi Pavilion

Side room of the main house

Under the candlelight, Sheng Hong took a sip of warm wine and closed his eyes with a look of enjoyment.

Lin Qinshuang, with her sleeves rolled up, picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and said with a smile, "Honglang, it's snowing today, why don't you try this piece of venison?"

Sheng Hong opened his eyes, smiled and nodded, just as he was about to speak.

“Mother Cui has arrived!” a female messenger announced.

"Aunt Cui, what brings you here at this hour?"

Zhou Xueniang's voice also came from outside.

Sheng Hong suddenly opened his eyes, exchanged a glance with Lin Qinshuang, and then turned to look at the outer room.

She quickly straightened her clothes, and before Sheng Hong could even slip on his cotton slippers, Cui Mama followed Zhou Xueniang in.

"Aunt Cui, what's going on?" Lin Qinshuang asked with a smile.

Madam Cui curtsied and looked at Sheng Hong, saying, "My lord, the old lady says she has something important to discuss and requests your presence."

"Is...something important?" Sheng Hong asked in surprise.

Mrs. Cui nodded.

"Okay, I'll go over immediately."

As he spoke, Sheng Hong hurriedly looked for his boots.

Jin Anzhai
Wei Shuyi, who was having dinner with Nagamaki, looked at Minglan in surprise and said, "Ming'er, what did you say?"

Minglan said, "Little Mother, Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle ran into His Highness the Crown Prince by the canal! Grandmother wants you to go there quickly."

Seeing her mother's confused look, Minglan continued, "It's true, Mother! Cousin Xu Jiajing is with His Highness the Crown Prince, and he specifically sent Qingcao to tell you!"

Wei Shuyi stood up, her eyes filled with thought, and said with a hint of panic, "I'm not going to cause trouble, am I?"

Nagamaki, who was standing nearby, quickly stood up and shook her head to comfort her, saying, "Little Madam, no! If you cause trouble, Grandmother won't send your sister to find you."

Wei Shuyi was taken aback, then smiled and said, "Zhen'er, you're right! You eat first! I'm going to see the old lady."

Outside the courtyard of Shou'an Hall,

Caihuan walked ahead, holding an umbrella and carrying a lantern.

Behind them were Liu's mother holding an umbrella, and Wang Ruofu under the umbrella.

"It's snowing, and the Xu family sent people over so late at night. Do you think Hua'er is pregnant again?" Wang Ruofu said, slightly agitated.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Mama shook her head and said, "Madam, I don't think so! If Eldest Miss is really pregnant again, she will definitely be part of the dowry. When Cui Chan and the others come back!"

"It couldn't be that girl, Qingcao!"

"Tsk! That's true!" Wang Ruofu said with great regret, then frowned and asked, "Did the old lady call us over for something else?"

(End of this chapter)