Chinese New Year

Chapter 1397 Farewell
After the King of Qi left, the second person to be sent away was the King of Yan, Shao Yu.

On the third day of the third lunar month, Shao Xun had him accompany his mother on a spring outing, and then urged him to set off.

Before he knew it, more than a year had passed since he left Liaodong, and it wouldn't be a good thing if he didn't go back.

On the banks of the Qili River, Shao Xun looked at the more than 1,500 soldiers and civilians following behind Shao Yu, and his thoughts seemed to return to the distant past.

He once galloped across this land, capturing Tang Jian alive and returning home, which greatly intimidated the Jizhou soldiers under Sima Ying's command.

That was truly a wonderful era. He was strong and robust, seemingly possessing inexhaustible energy, while Pei Lingyan was only in her early twenties, exuding charm and possessing a body like a fresh, juicy peach.

It's all over!
Watching his fourth son, Shao Yu, gallop across the open field, Shao Xun sighed inwardly. At the same time, he felt a sense of pride; these were his offspring, his children, the continuation of his life.

Shao Xun sat back on the throne behind the canopy.

The table was laden with tea, wine, and snacks. To the left and right sat the Empress and her concubines, while the Crown Prince and other princes sat below. The Crown Princess, along with her sisters-in-law, went for a spring outing not far away.

The spring sunshine was warm and gentle, and the breeze was light, brushing against my face with a touch of the languid comfort of a peaceful and prosperous era. However, this was quickly overshadowed by the sounds of battle coming from afar.

"My lord, what you've done is neither a game nor a review, it's all so confusing," said Empress Yu Wenjun.

“You don’t understand,” Shao Xun laughed. “The country has just been established, and we cannot indulge in pleasure. The atmosphere of war can slightly dilute the decadent music and let people know that we cannot relax.”

"Your Majesty is right," the Crown Prince echoed. "Military affairs may displease many, but if the soldiers are not well-trained and the armor is not in good condition, the world will be in danger."

"With Liang Nu's insight, I feel much more at ease," Shao Xun casually praised, seemingly without much thought.

This crown prince had studied literature and martial arts since childhood and was not completely ignorant of military affairs, but he focused more on the suffering of the people and made many helpful suggestions, so he seemed to be more inclined to civil administration.

But that's only "appearances".

In fact, this was the Crown Prince's way of dealing with the world. If he were to get too involved in military affairs, he would inevitably arouse Shao Xun's suspicion, which would be counterproductive. On the other hand, advocating for the people would earn him a good reputation and solidify his position.

This was his inevitable choice.

During the mourning period, the third brother sent a large amount of secretly collected materials, some of which were related to the Crown Prince. For example, many junior and middle-ranking officers in the Right Jinwu Guard and Right Longhu Guard of Bingzhou had certain connections with the Crown Prince. Some bold individuals even sent people to the capital to visit the Crown Prince and present him with local specialties, but they were all sent back by the officials of the Eastern Palace and were "scolded".

The 20,000 soldiers of Bingzhou were quite capable in combat, and it was not surprising that they had a close relationship with the Crown Prince. After all, everyone has a desire to improve themselves. However, it would be taboo for them to become deeply involved in collusion.

It seems that Liang Nu is still quite clear-headed and has not attempted to secretly seize military power in Bingzhou.

The current level of contact is still within Shao Xun's tolerance, after all, he doesn't want the Crown Prince to have no foundation in the army, otherwise it will be awkward even if he becomes emperor in the future.

The key to everything in life often lies in moderation.

Bingzhou was a territory that the Shao family had invested heavily in developing. The powerful clans there were not very influential, and geographically, it had a commanding view of Luoyang and Bianjing, as well as overlooking the land of Hebei. Liang Nu's acquaintance with the generals of Bingzhou was of certain benefit to consolidating the Shao family's power.

Let's just turn a blind eye.

Yu Wenjun was pleased to hear her husband praise the Crown Prince and said, "Liang Nu has been staying in the Secret Pavilion most of the time recently, presiding over the compilation of the Book of Jin and the Records of the Land. He even personally oversees the additions and deletions to the section on local diseases. He is truly working very hard."

“Well, my son, you should balance work and rest. There’s no rush to compile the book, so please remember that,” Shao Xun said. “You can also organize the games and activities for today yourself. Find an opportunity to go out and relax.”

"I understand," the Crown Prince replied respectfully.

After finishing a cup of tea, Shao Xun got up again and strolled along the riverbank.

Pei Lingyan and the others were playing dice on a table by the river. When they saw Shao Xun arrive, she gave her seat to the newly appointed beauty, Lady Duan.

Duan gave her a grateful look, but blushed slightly when she met Shao Xun's gaze.

She didn't know why she blushed; perhaps it was the fact that actively trying to integrate into Shao Liang's harem made her feel a little awkward.

"Back here, you drew your sword for me?" Pei Lingyan gently picked a wildflower, looked at Shao Xun, and said.

“Yes. Back then, when Sima Ying rode in on horseback, I acted impulsively and didn’t care about anything else; I just wanted to stand in front of you,” Shao Xun said.

Pei Lingyan looked somewhat dazed, and after a long while sighed, "That's how you tricked me into your hands step by step."

“It wasn’t deception, it was mutual affection,” Shao Xun corrected.

Pei Lingyan smiled, the exact reason no longer mattered. The most important thing was that they had four children together, supporting and loving each other to get to where they were today.

Women are different from men. Sometimes they need a touch of emotion that seems less rational. Even a woman like her, who is known for her maturity and composure, actually longs for a man to be impulsive for her deep down. This would bring her genuine joy.

The two walked a long way along the Qili River, reminiscing about the past, their hearts surging with emotion.

******
Shao Yu dismounted and tossed the reins to his attendants.

Yuanzhen, Shaoji, and Shaohou even rode horses together and had a great time.

"Second brother." Shao Yu greeted Chu King Shao Gui, who was standing alone under the tree.

Shao Gui forced a smile and said, "Fourth brother."

"Second brother, won't you ride a horse?" Shao Yu asked.

Shao Gui shook his head and said, "What if I ride? What if I don't ride?"

Shao Yu was momentarily speechless, then changed the subject, asking, "Didn't Second Sister-in-law come today?" "She stayed in Xuchang," Shao Gui replied. "Father knows that."

Because Lady Deng, the wife of the King of Chu, was about to give birth, and the Queen Consort Zu, who had a close relationship with her, stayed at the palace to accompany her.

Shao Xun was not very happy about this, but in the end he respected his son and daughter-in-law's decision.

Shao Yu was not quite sure about this, but he was too lazy to ask any further questions. He waved his hand, and someone brought over a brocade box, which he handed to Shao Gui, saying, "Second brother, I have never forgotten our past friendship. This is a pearl sent by someone from Liaodong last month. It is not worth much money, so I am giving it to you and your wife."

Shao Gui shook his head and refused: "I don't need this. Anyway, the officials under the Prince's Palace have been arrested or resigned, so there aren't many people left. Most of the soldiers have also been disbanded. There are very few places to spend money, and the income from the fief is more than enough."

Shao Yu forcefully pulled his brother's hand, stuffed the brocade box into his hand, and said, "I don't care what others think. In my eyes, you are still the brother who helped me with my studies, always have been."

Shao Gui was somewhat stunned.

He was five years older than his fourth brother and started school earlier. He had explained difficult points in the books to Hu Tou many times. Time had passed, and he himself had almost forgotten about it, but his fourth brother still remembered.

After his mother passed away, he felt cared for for the first time, and his heart ached so much that he wanted to cry.

No, actually his father cared about him a lot, but he was resentful and ignored it.

"Fourth brother, I..." Shao Gui clutched the brocade box, his eyes slightly red.

"Why bother, Second Brother?" Shao Yu smiled and said, "The Prince's Mansion has a large family and many expenses. Just accept it."

Shao Gui bowed solemnly, opened his mouth as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end he only said two words: "Take care."

"Take care, brother." Shao Yu waved and turned to leave.

Shao Gui watched from afar and saw his fourth brother go to Ronghua Wangshi's side.

Wang Ronghua patiently gave her instructions, and her fourth brother nodded repeatedly.

Shao Gui sighed softly.

As a child, he was very attached to his mother's doting love. As he grew up, he felt that his mother interfered too much in every aspect of his life, even advising him on certain things. At that time, his thought was, "My father encourages me to do this, so why are you stopping me?"

On the day his mother passed away, he realized what he had missed and cried like a five or six-year-old child.

Perhaps he really never grew up, always living in his own fabricated fantasy, always living in his own willfulness.

His mother was gone, and he had become estranged from his father. He was truly terrified, angry, and aggrieved, as if he were struggling with himself.

Shao Gui covered his face, trying his best to suppress the tears.

After a long while, he calmed down, wiped away his tears, and saw a tall and burly figure standing not far away.

He subconsciously scanned the face.

The figure drew closer and said, "Come with me to Mount Luhun next month."

"Okay," Shao Gui replied, composing himself.

Shao Xun hugged him and said, "You are my child, and you will always be my badger."

After saying that, he slowly walked away.

Shao Gui silently pondered those words, experiencing a complex mix of emotions.

Tiger Head left that very day, taking with him newly recruited soldiers, gardeners and craftsmen assigned by the Imperial Household Department, and goods, equipment, farm tools, and even two thousand draft horses specially bred by the Zuo Guo Garden that he had taken from Luoyang.

The procession moved by both land and water, a truly magnificent sight, and everyone who saw it had their own opinions.

After the grand court assembly on the fifteenth day of the third month, Shao Xun hosted a family banquet in the palace to entertain Gong Zhen, the prefect of Liangcheng.

After the meal, Yuanzhen hugged Shaoxun tightly and burst into tears.

"Weren't you so heroic and valiant when you were riding a horse and shooting arrows? Why are you crying again?" Shao Xun asked softly, stroking Yuan Zhen's head.

Yuanzhen wiped away her tears and said softly, "I just can't bear to leave Grandpa."

"Oh? It's not that you can't bear to leave your mother and siblings, but that you can't bear to be without me?" Shao Xun joked.

Yuanzhen nodded vigorously and whispered, "Some people say I'm a barbarian, but only my grandfather is the best to me."

“Apart from Tiger Head, your physique is the most like Grandpa’s. Who would dare say you’re a barbarian?” Shao Xun patted Yuan Zhen’s shoulder and said, “Go ahead, you’ll be back by the end of September at the latest.”

Yuanzhen nodded, bid a reluctant farewell to her younger siblings, and headed north.

In late March, his third son, Shao Xu, also resigned and went to Shuozhou to take up his post.

At the end of the month, Wu Zichunlang received the emperor's order to go to Guanzhong to investigate the population of various counties, as well as the actual situation of the residences, armories, and pastures.

Almost at the same time, Yu Liang went to the capital and requested to be granted an audience with the emperor.

(End of this chapter)