Chinese New Year

Chapter 1372 Near Home
It was only the end of October, and it snowed.

Shao Xun only found out when he heard Yuan Zhen and the others laughing and talking outside on horseback. He immediately lifted the carriage curtain and saw a howling wind and flying snow, a typical winter scene.

He thought of the Yi Cong Army and the Youzhou Tuqi Commander who were the last to withdraw from Liaodong; they should have already arrived in Beiping.

He thought of Si Zi Hu Tou again; he should be in Lushun right now.

For two consecutive years, large quantities of grain, farm implements, livestock, and tools were shipped to Mashijin. The garrison also built many barracks, which were not dismantled when they withdrew. If plenty of firewood is prepared, this winter will not be difficult to get through, as Lushun is not much colder than Donglai, which is just across the sea.

If all else fails, we can head north to Pingguo and stay at Murong Ren's house.

I don’t know if he will be able to establish a foothold in Liaodong next year. After summer, we will still need to have Shamen Town transport supplies, craftsmen and equipment to Liaodong.

He also thought of Li Chong.

Shao Xun appointed him concurrently as the Prefect of Pingzhou, and as the Governor-General of both Youzhou and Pingzhou, moved his capital to Jicheng. He should have already led the hereditary troops of Youzhou there by now, and will spend the New Year in Jicheng.

Before we know it, another year has passed, and we'll soon be approaching the age of fifty.

"Are those plum blossoms?" Wang Yinling put her arm around Shao Xun's waist, peeked out from behind him, looked at the trees not far away, and asked curiously.

"Yes, when the weather is freezing cold, the plum blossoms stand out in their pure beauty. Hmm, whose house is this? I've never seen it before." Shao Xun was a little puzzled. He didn't remember any such powerful people in his hometown. Why was their house so big?
"Your Majesty, that is the residence of the Third Eunuch Hou, which was newly built ten years ago." Shao Zhen subtly tried to sow discord among the Third Eunuch Hou's family.

Wang Yinling burst out laughing.

Shao Zhen rode his horse expressionlessly, looking as if he were dutifully performing his duties.

Shao Xun smiled, but didn't say anything.

Wang Yinling shrank back and squeezed next to Duan.

Duan looked somewhat dazed, spending most of the day in a daze, sometimes glancing at the location of Murong Huang and Murong Jun at the back of the group, sometimes stroking her pregnant belly, her mind heavy with worries.

The daughter-in-law, Ke Zhuhunshi, had no moral burden; she only blamed herself for not being able to get pregnant.

"I'll go down and take a look," Shao Xun said to the women, then jumped down from the carriage.

Wang Yinling glanced at him helplessly; he was still acting tough at his age.

She was originally going back to Pingcheng, but the emperor insisted that she return to her hometown with him. She blinked a few times and then happily agreed.

We are now within the territory of Qu County, only a few miles from the former residence of the emperor. The vanguard arrived a day earlier and has already set up camp.

County and prefectural officials wanted to come and pay their respects, but this man turned them all away. He just wanted to wander around in peace and quiet, and before leaving, he would go to the prefectural city to summon the officials and have them report on their duties.

"Doesn't it seem strange?" Wang Yinling nudged Duan's arm and asked.

Duan did not understand his meaning.

Wang was only three years younger than her, but she always felt that they were from two different eras and often found it difficult to understand each other's thoughts.

“Even if they die, Liang people want to die in their hometown. No matter how difficult it is, they want to go home and see their families,” Wang said.

Duan understood.

She could understand, but felt it was unnecessary. Actually, she was considered quite good; someone like Lady Yuwen, the wife of the Prince of Yan, only liked living on the grasslands, and she had no concept of home, no matter which grassland.

“He will stay in the ancestral home for a while, and we will go too.” At this point, Wang leaned close to Duan’s ear and whispered, “When the people from the emperor’s hometown see us, they will point and whisper that we are women from the Shao family.”

Duan couldn't describe her feelings. She didn't know if it was because of the cold weather or something else, but she felt goosebumps on her neck.

She shifted uncomfortably for a moment, then stopped, her hand unconsciously resting lightly on her lower abdomen.

The car stopped quickly.

The soldiers continued their advance, their footsteps echoing across the snow.

A man's hearty laughter drifted on the wind: "Yes, I'm back..."

Curious, Wang lifted the carriage curtain and saw an old man with a deeply lined face bowing to the man in the field beside the road, but he grabbed her arm.

As if sensing the women's gaze, Shao Xun turned around, waved, and told them to get out of the car.

Wang rolled her eyes at her, but still gave the man face and pulled Duan out of the carriage.

Duan was somewhat reluctant, but somehow she followed him down.

But Zhu Hunshi got off the carriage without anyone urging her.

When Shao Xun saw that only three people came down, he waved again.

Madam Gao and Madam Gongsun came down awkwardly, walking at the very back with their heads down.

“This is Lu Jin, a fellow townsman,” Shao Xun said, holding the old man’s hand. “He’s only a year older than me.”

Lady Wang led the women in bowing.

Lu Jin hurriedly returned the greeting, saying, "I dare not allow myself—I dare not allow the noble ladies of the palace to perform the greeting."

Wang sized up the man and sighed inwardly.

Being a farmer, he looked much older than his age at only fifty. Rural life wasn't as easy and idyllic as scholars imagined. "Back then, you wouldn't come with me," Shao Xun patted the old man on the shoulder and laughed.

"They were conscripted by the Prince of Dongping once, and the entire army was routed, terrified." The old man sighed, "So many people died, so many people..."

Shao Xun stopped joking.

Everyone has their own ambitions. Lu Heigou is actually a distant relative of Lu Jin, but he escaped and is now the Vice Censor-in-Chief. However, on the other hand, what would Lu Heigou's fate have been without Shao Xun? No one can say for sure.

Wang stepped forward gracefully and tightened the ties of Shao Xun's cloak.

Lu Jin dared not look any longer.

The women in the palace are truly beautiful, and Shao Xiaochong is actually the emperor?!
Although he already knew about this, he still couldn't quite believe it when he saw the real person.

When I was a child, I often saw small insects while cutting grass. We even played with them a few times, and even fought with them.

He was a year older then, and he seemed to have won the fight. Shao Xiaochong, who was only six or seven years old, went home crying.

He was the victor then, but now... sigh, the wrinkles on his wife's face are so deep they could trap a mosquito, while the women around Xiaochong are all radiant. Even the richest families in the county can't marry such women. Not to mention their looks, they exude an air of nobility, and their every move is different from the women in the village.

“Let’s go, let’s go to your house and take a look,” Shao Xun said.

"Okay." Lu Jin wiped his straw sandals on the ground and prepared to lead the way.

"Bring me my leather boots." Shao Xun called to Shao Zhen and said, "My feet and Da Shan's feet seem to be about the same size."

Shao Zhen paused for a moment, then quickly left.

The emperor had many pairs of shoes and boots, some of which he had worn and some of which were newly made, and they were made of different materials. He really didn't know which pair to choose, or even how many pairs to choose.

If Tong Qianjin were here, he should be able to understand His Majesty's thoughts, right?

Frustrated, Shao Zhen quickly returned to the caravan and retrieved a pair of newly made wolfskin boots from Youzhou.

Shao Xun smiled upon seeing it and said, "The wolf was hunted by me personally at Junduxing. It is excellent."

After saying that, he stuffed the wolfskin boots into Lu Jin's hands and said, "Go change into them by the car."

Seeing Lu Jin hesitate, Shao Xun waved his hand, letting Shao Zhen help him to change, and then said, "Give me another brocade robe."

After saying that, he turned around and looked at the increasingly fierce wind and snow in the world, and said, "After thirty years, the snow in my hometown is still so beautiful."

“It would be good if you could go to Dongmugen Mountain to experience the snow.” Wang took his hand and said, “Every winter when there is a blizzard, some herdsmen lose their toes from frostbite. When the north wind is at its strongest, people dare not leave their tents. Even if they do, they are blown around and can’t stand up straight. They have to lie on the snow and wait for the wind to subside before getting up. Mi’e, don’t you think so? People just haven’t experienced hardship.”

Duan lowered her head, seemingly unwilling to speak, but quickly raised her head again, glanced at Shao Xun, and then lowered her head once more.

Shao Xun laughed heartily, reached out and pulled Duan Shi over, forcibly placing her right hand in the crook of his arm.

Duan and Wang then took Shao Xun's arms on either side.

Lu Jin arrived quickly, wearing warm wolfskin boots and a brocade robe with mountain and star patterns, but he felt very uncomfortable.

Shao Xun walked ahead and casually asked, "How did you end up here? I remember this used to be Chen—"

“Chen Zhuangzhu’s home,” Lu Jin said. “He has been dead for more than 30 years. Back then, a man named Feng—something like Feng—attacked Xuzhou, and he was conscripted to fight. Nobody knows where he died.”

“Feng Yun,” Shao Xun said.

Lu Jin was somewhat bewildered. He couldn't remember clearly, and he only knew from others that the traitorous general's surname was Feng. In any case, the casualties among the soldiers of Xuzhou were very heavy back then, and even Donghai had several hundred men conscripted, but only half of them returned in the end.

Later, it seems that the King of Donghai returned and conscripted another batch of troops, but suffered another great defeat. The Xuzhou army was severely weakened. Lu Jin was also conscripted by Sima Yue at that time and managed to escape from Xiao County.

"Everyone I knew is gone," Shao Xun said with a sigh, then gave a bitter smile.

He's almost fifty years old. How many people from the previous generation are still alive? Even his peers have probably all passed away. He's already lucky to have met Lu Jin.

"Dashan, look at my army. How does it compare to what it was back then?" Shao Xun asked again.

Lu Jin had already seen them before, and now he carefully examined the guards who were marching in neat rows, and said, "Compared to them, our skills back then were really not up to par."

Shao Xun laughed and said, "I will lead this army north to Pingcheng, defeat the Tuoba Xianbei, and then go east to Jicheng to capture Murong Huang and his son."

Wang Yinling rolled her eyes at him.

Duan had already naturally taken his hand, but then she froze for a moment.

However, Old Man Lu didn't know what was going on with these two Xianbei. Shao Xun's show of bragging was like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man, having no effect whatsoever.

Fortunately, after walking for about a mile, a village appeared in the distance ahead.

Shao Xun's spirits lifted, but he was also somewhat puzzled.

The world has changed, and the village is very different from before.

“Your Majesty…Your Majesty, that’s Laohuai Village.” Lu Jin said, “The prefect and magistrate come here every year to feast the elders after the autumn harvest and often bestow cloth as a reward. It’s different from before. Your Majesty, your home is still a mile away. You have to cross Caojia Bridge to get there.”

Shao Xun nodded slowly and gave the order: "Hold a banquet at Caojiaqiao. I want to have a grand feast for my fellow villagers!"

(End of this chapter)