Republic of China: Guandong Ginseng King

Chapter 427 Going Home
No matter what, the dead cannot be resurrected, and the living must continue to live.

The Dingbian Army is now considered a regular army, so the court will provide appropriate compensation to the soldiers who died in battle, and Qu Shaoyang will also give more as appropriate.

In addition, with the permission of the imperial court, a Martyrs' Shrine can be built on the eastern outskirts of Maoer Mountain, and all soldiers who died on the battlefield can be enshrined in the shrine.

The imperial court would allocate a certain amount of silver every year to hold autumn sacrifices to commemorate the soldiers who died in battle.

If the families of the soldiers who died in battle are in real difficulty, Qu Shaoyang can take appropriate care of them.

For those who have children, Qu Shaoyang also said that they can raise them to adulthood and provide them with education, etc.

This was all Qu Shaoyang could do. Everyone understood this and most had no objection.

In fact, death is quite common these days.

After all, these people died on the battlefield fighting against Japanese pirates and resisting foreign aggression. They will receive pensions and can be enshrined in the Martyrs' Shrine after their death.

As for those civilians who died in the war, they have nothing. What can their families do?
After dealing with the affairs of the dead soldiers, Qu Shaoyang led his men back home.

The Qu, Liu and Chen families did not join in the fun, but waited outside the main gate of the enclosure early.

Seeing Qu Shaoyang coming over with a few followers, Qu Laokouer and the Chen couple took two steps forward.

"My son, you are finally back. You have been away for nine months. I miss you every day."

Chen grabbed her son's arm and started crying.

A son is the flesh and blood of his mother. Even if others don’t care about him, how can a mother not care about her own son?

Ever since Qu Shaoyang left home and the war began, Chen couldn't eat or sleep well and was worried all the time.

"Look, isn't my son back?
It's a great joy that he can come back safe and sound, why are you crying?"

Beside him, Qu Laokouer also secretly wiped away his tears, then forced a smile that was uglier than crying and advised his old wife.

"Yes, yes, it's a great joyous event. Look at me, I'm getting old and confused."

Upon hearing this, Chen also felt that crying was not a good idea, so she raised her hand and wiped away her tears.

"Fourth Brother, come and meet your father-in-law, mother-in-law, and your master and his wife. Your family has been missing you for the past nine months since you left for the war."

Qu Shaoyang came in front of several elders and bowed, "Dad, Mom, Master, Master's wife, Shaoyang is back.

Shaoyang lived up to the expectations and teachings of the elders. He led the Dingbian Army to recapture Fenghuang City, Andong, Jiulian City and other places, killing the enemy and resisting the Japanese invaders, defending the country. "

"Okay, okay, it's good that you're back. As long as you all come back safely, that's better than anything else."

Liu Dongshan looked at his heroic apprentice and felt a sense of pride.

Liu Dongshan had wasted half his life and achieved nothing, but unexpectedly he had accepted a good apprentice, which meant that his life was not lived in vain.

After meeting the elders, it was Chen Xiuyun and Meng Lanxin's turn.

In public, no matter how much the two women missed their husbands, they were too embarrassed to show it.

So the two of them pushed the children beside them and said, "Daddy is back, why don't you call for help?"

Gensuo, Genyou and Youqing were all grown up. When their mother said so, they ran to their father and called him "Dad" in unison.

"Hey, long time no see, these naughty boys have grown up, look at them, they are so chubby, so energetic."

Qu Shaoyang touched his son's face one by one, hugged him, and said with relief.

At this time, Chen Xiuyun and Meng Lanxin also came over holding the twins, a boy and a girl.

Genquan and Lingdang were born on the second day of August last year. As soon as the two children came out of confinement in early September, Qu Shaoyang led his men to the battlefield.

After not seeing him for such a long time, the baby has changed a lot. He is much prettier than when he just came out of confinement.

"Hey, Lingling, come and let daddy hug you."

As soon as Qu Shaoyang saw his daughter, he couldn't suppress his smile. He quickly reached out and hugged his daughter, looking very fond of her.

Little Lingling was quite well-behaved. She didn't cry or make a fuss when her father held her. She stared at the man in front of her with her big black eyes curiously, then grinned and smiled at Qu Shaoyang.

Seeing his daughter's smile, Qu Shaoyang looked even more beautiful and he hugged her tightly and refused to let go.

"Let's go home and sit down and talk. Don't stay out in the sun."

Chen Xiuyun looked at her husband and children with a smile and spoke.

"Yes, yes, go home, go home and sit down, let's have a good chat." Doctor Chen, Liu Dongshan and others echoed.

So everyone surrounded Qu Shaoyang and others, entered the enclosure, and headed straight for Qu's house.

The group returned to the front hall of the Qu family and sat down. The Xing family immediately ordered people to prepare a banquet.

My master has returned from the war. It is a great event and we must celebrate it properly.

Qu Shaoyang also greeted Qu Jiang and his wife, He Qingzhu and others.

Then he put his daughter on his lap and played with her while chatting with his parents and relatives.

Everyone was in Maoer Mountain and was not well-informed. They didn't know what the situation was like outside, so they asked around.

Qu Shaoyang had been away from home for so long, and a lot of things had happened. How could he tell me everything from the beginning? So he picked the most important things first.

"Dad, Mom, my eldest brother has been recognized by the imperial court and has been appointed as the deputy governor of the Phoenix Hall.

When I set out to go back, my eldest brother had already arranged for someone to go to Fengtian to pick up my eldest sister-in-law and little nephew.

My second brother was appointed as the garrison commander of the Eastern Circuit and deputy commander of the militia. He also stayed in Kuandian, mainly responsible for the defense along the river. "

The Phoenix Hall belongs to the Zhili Hall, which is under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Administration. It is an expatriate position, that is, it is sent to serve as the chief of important areas within the jurisdiction.

Therefore, Chen Yunzhe, the Tongzhi, was not an assistant to the prefect, but the head of the Phoenix Hall, which was basically equivalent to the prefect.

Although Chen Yunzhe did not pass the imperial examination, his starting point was much higher than many other Jinshi candidates.

As long as Chen Yunzhe does his job as an official and doesn't get involved in some fights, his future will definitely not be bad.

"Really? Oh, my dear, that's great. Congratulations."

When Liu Dongshan and others heard this, they hurried to congratulate Doctor Chen and his wife.

"This is what we call bringing honor to our family. My dear relatives, you two will enjoy a happy life from now on."

Doctor Chen and his wife never expected that both of their sons would become high-ranking officials.

"This is really a blessing from our ancestors. I never thought that those two brats in our family would have such a good life today."

Doctor Chen came back to his senses and sighed.

"Hey? Shaoyang, you only talk about the two of them, what about you? The court didn't give you any official title?"

Doctor Chen reacted and asked his son-in-law.

"Dad, I was promoted too. The court awarded me the fourth rank military merit.

He also appointed me as the Inspector General of the Eastern Road, the Training Commander of the Eastern Road, the Taxation Supervisor of the Eastern Road, and the Commander of the Dingbian Army, all official positions of the fourth rank.

Anyway, it sounds like a lot, but actually I'm still doing the same work as before, just with a wider scope.

The Yalu River from the upper reaches to the lower reaches, as well as the upper reaches of the Songhua River, are now under my control." Qu Shaoyang said with a chuckle. "Oh, my dear, listen quickly, our Shaoyang has become a fourth-rank official, which is a cause for celebration.

This kid is really good at hiding things. If I don’t ask him, he won’t tell me.”

When Doctor Chen heard that his son-in-law held a higher position than his two sons, he immediately said excitedly to Qu Laokuoer and Liu Dongshan.

"Oh, that's great, the younger generation is now successful.

From now on, we don’t have to do anything, just enjoy life with our children. Right? In-laws?”

Liu Dongshan turned his head to look at Qu Laokuoer and asked him deliberately.

At the beginning of this year, after the construction of the gold mine started, Qu Laokouer went to the gold mine again to take a look.

He had become accustomed to this job, and he would feel uncomfortable if he was not allowed to guard the gold.

So when Liu Dongshan asked this, Qu Laokouer was stunned at first, and then he reacted.

Yes, his son is now a fourth-rank official, several ranks higher than the county magistrate.

If he continues to guard the gold mine in the future, wouldn’t it be a joke if people knew about it?

"Yes, yes, I'm old now, I have to accept my age, from now on, I won't care about anything, I will just stay at home and enjoy my life."

Qu Laokouer has now figured it out. As long as he stays quietly with his fourth son and doesn't cause any trouble, he will be fine in the future.

"Right, look at how successful Shaoyang is, and Qujiang is also very capable, so let's leave these things to them from now on.

Isn't it nice for us two old brothers to play chess, go fishing, and take care of the children when we have free time?" Liu Dongshan said with a smile.

Upon learning that Qu Shaoyang and the Chen brothers had all been given official titles, everyone was very happy and started asking about the war again.

Qu Shaoyang said something to make himself feel better, and everyone felt happy after hearing it. Only Liu Dongshan understood the situation clearly, but he did not spoil everyone's fun.

They were chatting and laughing here, while people were frying, stir-frying and cooking in the kitchen over there. Soon the food was ready and served. The three families got together and had a lively reunion dinner.

After lunch, Doctor Chen discussed with Qu Shaoyang the matter of returning to Kuandian.

They came to Maoer Mountain last summer and have never been able to go back.

Now that the war has subsided, Chen Yunzhe and Chen Yunhan both have good futures. They must go back to reunite with their family and pay homage to the Chen family's ancestors.

Qu Shaoyang naturally couldn't stop this, so he just said that he would arrange someone to escort them back to Kuandian after Doctor Chen and the others had finished packing.

So, Doctor Chen and Li, taking their daughter-in-law He Qingzhu, hurried back to pack up.

Qu Shaoyang still had some things to discuss with his master, so after Doctor Chen and the others left, the master and disciple went to the study to talk.

Qu Shaoyang told Liu Dongshan that he recognized Zhang Xiulan as his adoptive father.

Liu Dongshan pondered for a moment and nodded, "Of course, if you want to gain a foothold in the officialdom, you must have a backer.

A foster father is still a father. From what you said, Mr. Zhang treats you very well.

Since you have chosen him as your godfather, he will definitely protect you more if anything happens in the future.

This kind of relationship is much better than the one bought with money.

What does Mr. Zhang like? You can prepare a generous gift for him later and send it to show your appreciation."

After all, godly relations cannot compare to blood relations and need monetary benefits to maintain. Since Qu Shaoyang has chosen the other person as his godfather, he must maintain this relationship well.

"Yes, Master Zhang likes to practice martial arts and is very good at riding a horse. I heard that others gave him a nickname, Fast Horse Zhang."

Qu Shaoyang had already found out about Zhang Xiulan's preferences, so he said.

"Oh, that's easy. Go get him some good horses and give him the knife you got from the cave.

As for the rest, you can give whatever you want. The more gifts you give, the less blame you will get. " When Liu Dongshan heard this, he immediately had an idea.

Qu Shaoyang brought out two scimitars from the cave. After cleaning and wiping, they revealed their original appearance.

Those two knives should have been used by high-ranking officials in some previous dynasty. The blades were extremely sharp, and the scabbards were even more gorgeous and beautiful, inlaid with many gems. It would not be an exaggeration to say that those two knives were priceless.

Liu Dongshan meant that if he was going to give a gift, he should give something good. Since Zhang Xiulan liked to practice martial arts, he would definitely be happy if he was given a precious sword.

After talking about this, the master and the disciple reviewed the whole process of the war with Japan. After listening to the Qing army's bold actions, Liu Dongshan sighed.

“I have long said that the Eight Banners and Green Camp soldiers are rotten to the core, but I didn’t expect that the Huai Army and the Hunan Army are not much better.

Alas, those good opportunities were wasted. If there were a few more generals like Zuo Baogui, the battle might have been lost.

What a pity, what a pity, the good guys can't be kept, and only these losers are left." Liu Dongshan couldn't help but cursed.

The master and disciple chatted in the study for a long time. It was almost dark before Liu Dongshan left.

After Liu Dongshan left, Qu Laokouer came to Qu Shaoyang again and discussed with him whether he could arrange someone to send the couple back to their hometown to pay homage to their ancestors.

What Mr. Qu meant was that Qu Shaoyang had become successful and held such a high position.

The Qu family’s ancestral tomb must be emitting smoke, which is why they produced such a talent. I must go back and pay my respects to them.

"Dad, it's not possible for now, the Japanese haven't withdrawn yet.

Wait, when they withdraw, I will arrange for someone to escort you and my mother back."

It is said that if you don't return to your hometown when you are rich and powerful, it is like walking in fine clothes at night.

Qu Shaoyang also understood what Qu Laokouer was thinking. Since he wanted to go back and take a look, he could wait for a while and arrange for someone to accompany him back to take a look.

When Qu Laokouer heard this, he was extremely happy. The two of them chatted for a while before coming out to eat.

After dinner, Chen Xiuyun personally helped Qu Shaoyang take a bath and change clothes. When she saw the scars on Qu Shaoyang's body, Chen Xiuyun couldn't help but shed tears.

Everyone was happy when they knew that Qu Shaoyang was promoted, but does anyone know how Qu Shaoyang had been through the past nine months?
Qu Shaoyang paid with his life for that official position.

These hideous scars indicate how much blood he shed and how much pain he endured when he was injured.

"Wife, don't cry, look, I'm back safe and sound, right?
These injuries look scary, but they are not that serious.

The medicines you and our father developed are very effective. Many seriously injured people have been rescued.

It is really fortunate that you are here to support us, otherwise, the Dingbian Army and the militia would have lost many more people."

When Qu Shaoyang saw his wife crying, he immediately panicked and hurried to coax her.

"I just feel sorry for you when I see you're so injured.

I would rather you not be an official than have such a huge fortune. I just want you to be well."

Chen Xiuyun hugged Qu Shaoyang's waist, buried her face in his chest and cried.

"Oh, wife, that's not what I meant.

Living in troubled times, we cannot be safe just because we want to be.

I would rather risk my life and make a name for myself than be bullied by others."

Qu Shaoyang put one arm around his wife's waist and gently patted her back with the other hand to comfort her.

(End of this chapter)