good season

Among the parents of these unruly children, Changping Bo was not the one with the highest honorary title, but he was the one with the most real power.

He was in charge of the five major camps of the capital's garrison!

The Five Garrison Battalions of the Capital were established by Emperor Taizu. They consisted of five major battalions: East, West, South, North, and Central. Each battalion had 5,000 men, totaling 25,000. Except for the Central Battalion, which was located within the capital, the other four battalions were stationed outside the city. For over a hundred years, the capital of the Great Yong Dynasty was impregnable, and the Five Garrison Battalions of the Capital were the last line of defense for the capital.

The current commander of the five battalions of the capital's guards is the Earl of Changping.

The Changping Earl's family has had two princesses. When the Dayong Dynasty was established, the third daughter of the Taizu Emperor married the second son of the Changping Earl. During the reign of the late emperor (father of the retired emperor), another daughter was married to the then Changping Earl's heir. Their son is the current Changping Earl.

The princess's birth mother was of low rank and died early. The princess was raised by other concubines and was not valued from a young age. She was often bullied by her adoptive mother and sisters, which made her cautious and timid. Even after she was granted her own residence, she was still very thoughtful and worried. Not long after giving birth to the Earl of Changping, she died in depression.

After the princess's death, the old Earl of Changping dared not remarry, but instead took a concubine, who then managed the affairs of the inner quarters.

As the son-in-law of the princess, the old Earl of Changping was already idle. After the princess passed away, he no longer had the job of accompanying her. With nothing to do, he went to the Taoist temple a few times with his friends and became a regular there. Later, he simply funded the construction of a Taoist temple himself and lived there, no longer even returning to his mansion.

He rarely returned home, leaving the household affairs to his concubines, while entrusting the upbringing of his son entirely to his elderly mother.

The Earl of Changping was the son of a princess. Spoiled by his grandmother, with his father in hiding and his aunt not daring to discipline him, he developed an arrogant and domineering personality at a young age. When he caused trouble and made a scene before the palace, although his uncle, the Emperor Emeritus, protected him, it was not a long-term solution. So, the fourteen-year-old Earl of Changping was sent to the military camp and forbidden from returning to the capital without an imperial decree.

Twenty years passed since the Earl of Changping left. He went from being a lawless little tyrant to a general with many military achievements. It wasn't until six years ago, when the old Earl of Changping passed away in a Taoist temple, that he returned to the capital to inherit the title.

The Earl of Changping had been away from the capital for twenty years. Although the old Earl of Changping was in the capital, he spent most of his life in a Taoist temple. The father and son perfectly avoided the change of dynasties.

Most importantly, it was the retired emperor who prevented him from returning to the capital, but it was the Yongjia Emperor who issued the decree allowing him to return to the capital and inherit his title.

The Earl of Changping originally thought he would never be able to return to the capital in his lifetime. He had long been prepared to let his eldest son surpass him and inherit the title. He never dreamed that in his lifetime, he would not only be able to return to the capital, but also inherit the title.

Emperor Yongjia had shown him great favor.

At this time, the Earl of Changping was only thirty-four years old, in the prime of his life, full of energy. Emperor Yongjia liked young ministers like him who had no real connection with the reign of the retired emperor.

Undoubtedly, the Earl of Changping fits the description perfectly.

Even so, Emperor Yongjia observed for another year. A year later, the capital guard had a new Grand Commander, who was the Earl of Changping.

The Earl of Changping had three sons, the youngest of whom, Song Jing, was born in the capital.

When his grandmother fell seriously ill, the Earl of Changping sent his wife and two sons back to the capital to take care of her. It was only after his wife returned to the capital that she discovered she was pregnant. From the time his grandmother fell seriously ill until the mourning period ended, a full two years passed. Song Jing was born in the capital. After the mourning period ended, his two older brothers studied in the capital, and he stayed in the capital with his mother. It wasn't until many years later, when the Earl of Changping returned to the capital, that the father and son met for the first time.

At that time, Changping Bo discovered that his youngest son was not only not close to him, but also just as unruly as he was when he was a child.

However, he had never disciplined his youngest son from childhood to adulthood, so he lacked confidence and authority when disciplining him.

More importantly, he couldn't bear to inflict the suffering and pain he himself had endured on his son. He was reluctant to send his son to the military camp, so the harshest punishment he gave Song Jing was to beat him up and forbid him from playing with Xiao Yue.

The Earl of Changping never felt he had done anything wrong; no one would want their own legitimate son to play with a son from a concubine's family.

Changping Bo never expected that one day, this concubine's son would plunge him into an unprecedented crisis.

He contacted several other families as quickly as possible, and they all agreed that the truth that Zhao Guanyue was Xiao Yue would reach Emperor Yongjia's ears within three days. Even if they didn't say it, someone would find out the truth and report it to the emperor.

However, this truth absolutely could not be revealed from their own troublemaker's mouth, so after discussing it, they decided that the most urgent task was to get rid of the troublemaker in their house.

The Imperial Guards did indeed come knocking, but the man was already gone. His family knew nothing about him. It's all because my child is so mischievous; it would be strange if he were well-behaved at home.

Song Jing is gone, but this matter is not over yet.

Changping Bo tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

The lady couldn't sleep either; with something like this happening, it was destined to be a sleepless night.

"What exactly does the Emperor Emeritus want to do? Is Xiao Yue really just Xiao Fuma's mistress?"

This question lingered in their minds, and only now, when they were alone, did the wife dare to ask it.

"Is there even a need to ask? It's definitely not him. I suspect he's a descendant of Emperor Xiaokang," said the Earl of Changping.

When Emperor Xiaokang died, the Earl of Changping was still fighting on the frontier. Later, all that was known was that the throne had changed hands, the crown prince had died, and the second prince had succeeded to the throne.

This was not something he should care about. It wasn't until he returned to the capital that he learned bits and pieces of what had happened back then from his wife.

However, the lady was only a woman confined to the inner quarters, and what she knew was only what was out in the open. Although the Earl of Changping had some suspicions, he did not inquire further.

Although he was the son of a princess, his birth mother had been dead for decades. His only connection with the royal family was that his uncle, the retired emperor, had ordered him not to return to the capital. Apart from that, there was nothing else.

Therefore, he never considered himself a member of the royal family, nor did he care about royal affairs.

But now, just because his youngest son was once a friend of Xiao Yue, the Changping Marquis's mansion has been targeted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Changping Marquis inevitably feels resentful.

The lady said, "Why don't you find an excuse to go back to the garrison? As a woman confined to the inner quarters, the Imperial Guards won't make things difficult for me."

He sighed and said to his wife, "With the Emperor Emeritus returning to the capital, the city will definitely be bustling for a while. I certainly can't leave at this time. Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard has come to our residence, I also need to go and tell His Majesty. At this time, no one can escape being idle."

Just then, a strange noise came from the window. The Earl of Changping, being a military man, reacted quickly. He signaled his wife to hide, while he drew the precious sword that he always kept under his pillow, tiptoed to the window, and suddenly pushed it open. With a meow, a shadow leaped away.

Uncle Changping breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out to be just a cat.

Upon hearing the noise, two guards rushed over: "My lord!"

Changping Bo shook his head: "It's nothing, just a stray cat."

No sooner had he finished speaking than another meow rang out, and then the cat jumped back onto the windowsill, staring at Uncle Changping with its round eyes.

The Earl of Changping frowned: "Does this cat belong to the manor?"

The guards weren't sure either. There were cats in the manor, fed in the kitchen, that would catch mice, but they hadn't paid attention to them and couldn't be sure if it was this one.

"Lord, please go to sleep. I'll chase the cat away." The Earl of Changping nodded and was about to close the window when the cat jumped in first.

The guards wanted to chase the cat away, but they couldn't barge in, since the lady was still there.

Just as they were at a loss, the lady's voice came from inside the house: "This cat is quite clean. It's late at night, so just leave it alone."

After all, they had been husband and wife for many years. Changping Earl noticed something amiss in his wife's words. He waved his hand to dismiss the guards, closed the window, and went back to the bedside.

The lady sat on the edge of the bed, while the cat sat on a stool beside the bed.

The lady pointed to the cat and said to the Earl of Changping, "Look, that cat has a purse tied around its neck."

The purse's color was very similar to cat fur, and since it was nighttime, neither the two guards nor the Earl of Changping noticed it when it was by the window.

"This..." Changping Bo hesitated for a moment, then reached out to pick it, but the cat raised its paw and slashed, leaving three scratch marks on the back of Changping Bo's hand.

He was furious and was about to draw his sword when his wife stopped him: "This cat is more responsive to gentle persuasion than force. Let me handle it."

She thought for a moment, looked around, and saw that there was no food in the bedroom. Not wanting to be noticed by the maids, she simply took out a tassel from the dressing table and said softly to the cat, "How about we exchange? Give me the purse, and I'll give you this tassel."

Uncle Changping: "The cat doesn't understand, so why are you talking to it about these things?"

Before the words were even finished, the cat actually used its paws to take the purse off its neck!

The Earl of Changping opened his mouth in surprise, and the lady was also startled, but she quickly reacted and handed over the tassel. The cat stretched its neck and let her put it on.

The lady put the tassel around the cat's neck. The cat raised its head, meowed at her, and rubbed its little head against her hand, clearly very pleased with her actions.

Then, the cat jumped onto the windowsill, turned around and meowed at them again. The lady pushed the Earl of Changping, and only then did the Earl of Changping react. He walked to the window, pushed it open from the inside, and the cat jumped out and disappeared into the night in an instant.

Uncle Changping closed the window only after the cat was no longer visible.

The couple looked at each other, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

After a long while, the lady finally said, "Take a look at this purse."

Inside the purse was a letter folded into a square knot. The Earl of Changping opened the letter and looked at it, his expression growing increasingly astonished.

The lady hurriedly asked, "What did the letter say?"

Changping Bo said, "Ajing is at Shiji Mountain."

The lady's head buzzed: "Who, who arrested Ah Jing?"

Changping Bo said in a deep voice, "Xiao Zhen, Xiao Zhen asked me to meet him at Su Ji Tea House."

The lady was taken aback for a moment, but then calmed down.

"Xiao Zhen and Xiao Yue are brothers, and... He is a cousin of Emperor Xiaokang's son. He came for Xiao Yue, my husband. He won't hurt A Jing, right?"

Uncle Changping patted her shoulder and gently comforted her, "Of course not. A-Jing and Xiao Yue are the same age. He's still a child. Who would have the heart to hurt him? Besides, if it were really as we think, Xiao Zhen would be even less likely to hurt him if he wanted to win us over."

The lady sighed deeply, but then tugged at the sleeve of the Earl of Changping: "Husband, A-Jing has lived with me in the capital since he was little. Having a father is like not having one. The reason he plays with Xiao Yue is because he is often said to be a child without a father. He and Xiao Yue are both bullied, so the two of them play together. Husband, you ignored him all those years, which is why he was treated like a child without a father. Now that you are back, you can't ignore him even more. Although he doesn't have to carry on the family line, he is still our son! If anything happens to him, I won't live either!"

Changping Bo lost his mother at a young age, and even though he had a father, it was as if he didn't have one. This was a regret he could never make up for in his entire life.

His wife knew him best; every word she said struck the most sensitive spot in his heart.

Before dawn, the back gate of the Earl's mansion opened, and as usual, the chamber pot collectors arrived. Servants from each room and courtyard carried out chamber pots, and the back gate became briefly lively. After a while, the mule carts collecting chamber pots left, and the back gate closed again.

No one noticed that someone had slipped out from among the servants and then quietly slipped away through the back alley in the chaos.

The Earl of Changping knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guards could not be dismissed with just a few words, and there were definitely people watching him near his residence. However, he was a seasoned general who could leave the residence unnoticed without difficulty.

Half an hour later, he appeared outside Su's Tea Shop.

The teahouse hadn't opened yet. Changping Bo was dressed in the coarse cloth clothes of a servant. The cool breeze made him look rather thin. Changping Bo sneezed several times, and two long strands of snot hung from his nose.

Just then, the teahouse door opened, and a boy of about fourteen or fifteen years old peeked out, only to see the snotty nose on Changping Bo's face.

The boy's lips twitched; this person was too filthy.

"It's not time to open yet. If you want to buy tea, come back in an hour."

Seeing that the young boy was about to close the door, the Earl of Changping hurriedly said, "My son's name is Song Jing!"

The young boy had clearly been instructed beforehand. Upon hearing the name "Song Jing," he looked him up and down with an expression of disbelief: "You said your son is named Song Jing? Isn't Song Jing's father a high-ranking official? You don't seem like him at all."

Which high-ranking official has snot hanging from his nose?

Changping Earl was getting anxious. He really was something else!
He quickly pulled out a sign: "Give this to Xiao Zhen."

The young boy glanced at the sign, turned and went inside. A moment later, the door reopened: "Come with me."

Changping Bo breathed a sigh of relief and quickly followed him inside.

This boy was Shui Sheng, the adopted son of Prefect Qian.

Xiao Zhen was surprised that the Earl of Changping had arrived so early in the morning. Parents all over the world love their children. The one who could spoil Song Jing like that must be a father who loves his child dearly.

This was the first time that the Earl of Changping had faced Xiao Zhen alone.

Before this, although he and Xiao Zhen came from similar backgrounds, their experiences were very different, and they were from different generations. Therefore, even though they were both in the capital, they had never crossed paths.

Changping Earl, concerned for his youngest son, didn't mince words: "Xiao Zhen, don't worry, I won't ask what I shouldn't ask, and I won't interfere in things I shouldn't interfere in. Song Jing is still a child; don't involve him." (End of Chapter)