Amid the sound of firecrackers, a year departs;
The spring breeze brings warmth to the Tusu wine🔗.
Across thousands of households, the rising sun shines,
As new peachwood charms replace the old onesℹ️
Yun Qing looked at the three dishes and one soup on the table and could not help but remember the lively New Year's Eve dinner last year when the whole family had gathered.
Seeing Yun Qing's expression, Feng Dajun smiled and asked, "General, are you thinking about Zaozao and Liu-er?"
Yun Qing nodded, "I remember last New Year's Eve; I even dipped a little wine and let Zaozao have a taste!" But when Yuxi found out, she scolded him.
Feng Dajun, who was also there that night, laughed at the memory. "Zaozao will definitely have a good tolerance for alcohol in the future." Usually, such a young child would dislike the taste of alcohol, but Zaozao was so excited that she waved her arms and legs in excitement, making everyone laugh. To this day, Feng Dajun still regretted that Zaozao was a girl instead of a boy. She would surely have inherited the General's legacy if she had been a boy.
However, Yun Qing did not laugh. Instead, he sighed and said with some melancholy, "I wonder if she will still recognise me as her father after some time."
Feng Dajun chuckled and reassured him, "Zaozao has a good memory; she won't forget you, General." But in truth, he was merely comforting Yun Qing. Children forgot easily; if too much time passed, even one's father could become unfamiliar.
After exchanging a few words about family matters, Feng Dajun asked, "General, when will we attack the city? Du Zheng will arrive the day after tomorrow at noon. Should we attack as soon as he arrives?" Lanzhou City had not sent any troops for the past two days, giving them a short respite.
Yun Qing replied, "There's no rush. We'll decide once Du Zheng arrives." They were not short of supplies, so whether they attacked a day earlier or later would not make much difference.
Seeing this, Feng Dajun did not push the matter any further.
*
Meanwhile, at the Duke Han of the State's Residence, the New Year was filled with gloom and sorrow. Not only had the Old Lady fallen into a coma from the shock, but the Second Lady, Lu Shi, had also fallen ill.
Han Jianming had to look after his mother personally, leaving all the residential affairs on Ye Shi's shoulders. Fortunately, Ye Shi was in good health; otherwise, she would not have been able to bear it.
A maid quietly entered the room and whispered, "My Lord, the Chief Steward says he has an urgent matter to report."
Han Jianming looked at Qiu Shi, who had fallen asleep, then got up and left. When he saw the Chief Steward, his bloodshot eyes showed his exhaustion as he asked, "What is so urgent?" Ever since Qiu Shi had suffered a stroke, Han Jianming had been taking care of her without rest.
The Chief Steward handed over several letters with both hands and said, "My Lord, these letters were sent from Yu City by the Second Lord." Since the Second Lord had already passed away, this letter carried great significance.
Han Jianming took the letters and selected the one addressed to him. After reading it, his eyes turned red as he choked out, "Er Di2…" His acting skills were quite impressive.
The Chief Steward wiped away his tears and said, "My Lord, please restrain your grief..." Ever since the news of Han Jianye's death at the hands of Yuxi arrived, a dark cloud had been hanging over the Han residence.
Han Jianming shed a few tears before saying, "You may leave." At present, the outside world was calling Yun Qing a treacherous rebel and Yuxi a ruthless, cold-blooded woman. Fortunately, Han Jianming had been busy caring for his mother and avoided public disputes. But he knew that avoidance was only temporary—eventually, he would have to face reality.
It wasn't until the evening that Qiu Shi finally woke up. She looked at her son and said, "Ming-er, go and get some rest."
For the past two days, Qiu Shi had been drinking calming medicine. Everyone knew that medicine always carried a certain amount of toxicity. Still, in order to avoid being drawn into the political turmoil, she had no choice but to take it despite the risks.
Han Jianming shook his head, "Mom, I'm fine. Mom, Jianye sent a letter in the middle of the eleventh month—this one is for you." With that, he handed Qiu Shi the letter from Han Jianye.
The letter contained nothing more than mundane family matters. After reading it, Qiu Shi sighed with distress. "Ming-er, I wonder how Yuxi is doing now. A difficult birth takes a heavy toll on a woman's body." Many women were unable to have more children after a difficult labour. Since Yuxi's second child was also a girl, what would happen if she could no longer conceive?
Han Jianming was also worried about Yuxi but knew he couldn't show it. If he wavered, the entire Han residence would be thrown into chaos.
Smiling, he reassured her, "Mom, don't worry. Yuxi has always been strong and rarely falls ill. Besides, she has studied medicine herself. Even if she is weakened by childbirth, she will recover quickly."
Speaking of medicine, Qiu Shi suddenly thought of someone and said, "Ming-er, quietly send someone to Red Jujube Hamlet to inform Momo Quan of Yuxi's condition. "
Han Jianming shook his head. "Mom, Yuxi is now labelled a rebel. Even if Momo Quan knew, she wouldn't go to the Northwest." Besides, the Han residence was closely watched by the Emperor's people—if he sent someone to contact Momo Quan, it would undoubtedly draw suspicion.
Qiu Shi said, "You don't need to meet with her yourself. Just let someone leak the information to Mama Fang. She will know what to do." Seeing that Han Jianming was still unsure, she explained, "Mama Fang was one of Yuxi's former stewardesses. She later married a government official, and her stepson married Caidie, one of Yuxi's former maids. Caidie's mother still works in the household. This isn't something we should deal with directly, but Mama Fang can. No matter how ruthless the Emperor is, he wouldn't bother monitoring a commoner."
Han Jianming, unfamiliar with the inner workings of the household, thought for a moment before saying, "I'll have Ye Shi take care of it." As the head of the family, if he personally went to see a stewardess, it would attract attention. But if Ye Shi took care of it, it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary.
Qiu Shi nodded in agreement.
The next morning, Han Jianming found a moment to return to the main courtyard to freshen up and change his clothes. Seeing the exhausted look on her husband's face, Ye Shi felt distressed and advised him, "My Lord, you must take care of yourself." If he collapsed, the Han residence would indeed be doomed.
Han Jianming reassured her, "Don't worry, I will take care of myself." He knew full well that if he faltered, there would be no future for the Han family. Even if his younger brother were still alive, he couldn't be relied upon.
After breakfast, Han Jianming whispered a few words in Ye Shi's ear, instructing her to find Caidie's mother and have her pass on a message to Mama Fang so that Momo Quan would know of Yuxi's difficult labour.
Ye Shi was startled and lowered her voice. "My Lord, is this really appropriate?" Not only had Yuxi k*lled his younger brother, but she was now considered a rebel. They had even officially broken off relations with her. Why were they suddenly reaching out to her?
Han Jianming didn't explain further, nor did he feel the need to. "Yuxi would never have k*lled Jianye. The rumours out there are all false."
When she heard this, Ye Shi was not too surprised. After all, she had lived under the same roof as Yuxi for several years, so she thought she had some understanding of Yuxi's temperament. Ye Shi said, "My Lord, even if Si Gunainai3 didn't kill Er Di2, her current condition is..."
Han Jianming said, "The situation is complicated and can't be explained in a few words. Just make sure the message is delivered—don't worry about anything else."
Seeing his attitude, Ye Shi nodded, "Rest assured, I will handle it properly and ensure no one notices." Since her husband had made this decision, there must be a reason behind it.
Han Jianming, seeing that Ye Shi did not ask further, held her hands and said, "Trust me, everything I do is for the Han family." If Yuxi succeeded, she would be their safest way out.
Ye Shi nodded. "I understand." Her husband had always been dedicated to reviving the Han family, but unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time and always missed good opportunities.
That evening, Ye Shi received a response and reported to Han Jianming, "My Lord, Momo Quan has gone to Jiangnan."
Han Jianming immediately asked, "Jiangnan? When did she leave?" To him and Qiu Shi, Momo Quan was an insignificant person. If Yuxi's situation had not reminded them of her, they might have forgotten her long ago.
Ye Shi replied, "She left at the end of the tenth month. They say her nephew, who does business in Jiangnan, became wealthy and invited the whole family to settle there. Before she left, Momo Quan even sold off all the properties, shops, and farmland she owned in the capital. My Lord, that doesn't sound right at all. Someone as shrewd as Momo Quan wouldn't have been fooled so easily."
It was normal for a son who had made his fortune to let his mother live comfortably, but a nephew? How many nephews would be generous enough to invite their aunt to share their fortune? It sounded suspicious from the start.
Han Jianming shook his head. "Going to Jiangnan is just an excuse. If Momo Quan were foolish, she wouldn't have raised Yuxi so well."
Seeing the serious expression on Han Jianming's face, Ye Shi asked, "My Lord, what's wrong? Will Momo Quan's departure be bad for us?"
Momo Quan used to be Yuxi's governess. If someone had captured her and sent her to the Northwest to be used against Yuxi, given Yuxi's personality, she would be in grave danger.
Han Jianming shook his head. "I just hope she left of her own accord and wasn't taken away by someone."
Ye Shi was no fool and immediately understood his underlying concern. She said, "My Lord, Momo Quan must have left on her own. If she had been taken away, how could she have had time to sell off all her properties and businesses?"
Han Jianming thought about it and agreed. "If that's the case, then she probably didn't go to Jiangnan but somewhere else." Momo Quan must have sensed something was wrong, which was why she had left the capital in such a hurry.
Ye Shi tried to reassure Han Jianming, saying, "My Lord, I've heard that Momo Quan is from Shaanxi. It is said that when people get older, they want to return to their roots. Even if she didn't go to Yuxi, she might have taken her nephew's family back to her hometown in Shaanxi." If Yun Qing had succeeded in conquering the Northwest, it would have been easy to find Momo Quan. But if he failed, then there would be nothing left to say.
Han Jianming nodded. "Let's hope that's the case." After saying that, he couldn't help but sigh. "They say that great disasters bring great fortunes, but that doesn't seem to apply to Yuxi at all." Yuxi had already survived so many crises—who knew how many more awaited her?
Ye Shi remained silent, not knowing how to respond.
Footnotes Full List
- This is a famous poem by Wang Anshi, entitled 'New Year's Day' (元日).
- 二 èr = two/second, 弟 dì = younger brother
- 四 sì = four/fourth, 姑奶奶 gūnǎinai = (a respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi