Madam Qu entered the room and saw Yuxi staring blankly. She asked, "Madam, what's wrong?" Whenever Er Nainai Zhao came over, Yuxi would usually be in a good mood, but this time, something was off.
Yuxi said, "Go get Xu Wu. I have something to ask him." Matters like the spoils of war could be trivial or serious—it all depended on how they were handled.
Xu Wu arrived quickly. "Madam, what are your orders?" If nothing had happened, Yuxi wouldn't have called him.
Leaning half her body against the bed, Yuxi said, "I just heard from Second Madam Zhao that Xiang Weiguo's wife was wearing a sapphire necklace yesterday and that this necklace is probably a spoil of war. Is this true?" Yuxi believed that Xu Wu must know the answer.
Xu Wu was stunned momentarily, then nodded, "Madam, it's true. Not only does Xiang Weiguo's wife have one—Dajun and the others' wives have them too." Seeing Yuxi's frown, he added, "This is common practice. Whenever there's a war, those who participate get a share of the spoils." However, not all spoils would be shared—only a portion.
Yuxi asked, "So Xiang Weiguo also got a share?" When Xu Wu nodded, she continued, "If Xiang Weiguo got a share, did you also get one?"
Xu Wu nodded. "I did, too. Madam, this is an unspoken rule, not private embezzlement. If anyone dares to embezzle, the General would never let it go."
Yuxi felt they were thinking too simplistically, "I don't care how you all share the spoils, but have you considered how the sixty thousand soldiers left behind in Yu City might feel? Yes, like you said, it's an unspoken rule. But knowing something is one thing—seeing it with your own eyes is another. Xiang Weiguo stays in the city, yet his wife suddenly shows off jewellery worth a fortune. Have you thought about how others might feel when they hear or see it?" Yuxi wasn't narrow-minded—she didn't think it was wrong to share the spoils. However, Xiang Weiguo's actions were too eye-catching. Acting like this would surely lead to trouble in the future.
Xu Wu hadn't thought that far ahead.
Yuxi continued, "It's not that I'm petty and got jealous when I heard his wife had expensive jewellery or that I suspect Xiang Weiguo of corruption. It's just that some things need to be handled carefully. Give him a warning—tell him to keep his wife in check." Making a fortune in silence—that was the real deal.
Xu Wu nodded. "I'll have him come to the residence right away."
Yuxi paused for a moment, then said, "Xu Wu, after the Lantern Festival, don't hide anything from me anymore. You may think some things are too small to bother me, but those small things can lead to serious consequences." Yuxi planned to finish her confinement by the Lantern Festival; after that, she would take charge again.
Xu Wu nodded. "Madam, from now on, I'll have everything written down and reported to you, no matter how small." Men might overlook many small things, but Madam was sharp and could often detect major problems from the most minor signs.
Yuxi responded with an 'mm' and asked, "Among the people close to He Rui, you're the only one not married. What kind of girl do you like? Once we get to Haocheng, I'll help find someone for you." As long as Yun Qing succeeded, Xu Wu could marry any girl he wanted.
Xu Wu shook his head. "Madam, there's no hurry. Let's talk about it after we reach Haocheng." He had no intention of staying single forever—not that no one had introduced him to anyone over the years, but he hadn't found a satisfactory match yet.
Yuxi smiled and said, "If you don't tell me what kind of woman you're looking for, and I end up finding someone you don't like, wouldn't that be a complete waste of effort?" What Yuxi hated most was wasting time and effort.
Seeing that Yuxi was serious, Xu Wu thought momentarily before replying, "Madam, I'd like someone well-educated, gentle, considerate, and capable of managing a household." Since he had to stay at the General's residence for a long time to protect Madam and the young masters, he wouldn't have much time to look after his own family. So, the woman he married had to be strong and resilient.
Yuxi understood—Xu Wu was looking for a gentle wife on the outside but firm on the inside, a virtuous and capable motherly figure. She asked, "Other than that, anything else?" When Xu Wu shook his head, Yuxi asked directly, "Do you have any particular thoughts on her appearance or family background?"
Xu Wu said, "As long as her looks are acceptable, that's enough. As for her family background, a real man should build his future—depending on my wife would only make me a kept man."
That was the typical temperament of men from the northwest, and Yuxi was already used to it. She smiled and promised, "When we get to Haocheng, I'll help you find someone suitable."
When Er Nainai Zhao returned to the Zhao residence, she went to see Madam Zhao. "Mom, I've told Yuxi everything you asked me to." One of Madam Zhao's instructions was to let Yuxi know that Xiang Weiguo's wife wore jewellery worth a fortune.
Madam Zhao knew that Er Nainai Zhao might be a bit simple-minded, but she could still trust her to deliver a message correctly. "What was Han Shi's reaction at that time?"
Er Nainai Zhao shook her head. "Yuxi didn't respond to what I said. As for her expression, I couldn't see any change." She had expected Yuxi to be angry at the news, but Yuxi didn't show even a hint of emotion.
Madam Zhao glanced at Xiaocao, who had accompanied Er Nainai Zhao to the Yun Residence.
Xiaocao said, "Madam, Madam Yun didn't react when Er Nainai spoke about that. But with her level of self-control, even if there was a reaction, you probably couldn't tell!"
Madam Zhao remarked, "To think she could hide it so well." For Xiang Weiguo's wife to wear a necklace worth thousands of taels clearly meant that some people were lining their own pockets. Given Han Shi's personality, she was sure to do something about it—she wouldn't just sit back and ignore it. That was why Madam Zhao was convinced Han Shi would take action.
Er Nainai Zhao kept her head down, pretending to be deaf.
Madam Zhao said, "You've been busy all day—go and get some rest." She sighed. Of the two daughters-in-law who had married into their family, one was too scheming, the other too naïve—what a headache.
Turning to her trusted servant, Mama Gao, Madam Zhao instructed, "Send someone to see if the General's residence has made any moves."
That evening, the person she sent returned with news: "Madam, Xiang Weiguo went to the General's residence and stayed for more than a shichen1 before leaving." The messenger added confusedly, "But when he left, he looked the same as always—nothing unusual."
Madam Zhao found this odd. "He didn't look angry when he came out?" Someone like Xiang Weiguo or Xu Wu couldn't hide their emotions like Han Shi.
The messenger nodded. "Right, he looked perfectly normal—not happy, not angry."
Madam Zhao muttered to herself, "That can't be right…" She had thought Yuxi would call Xiang Weiguo in and scold him—or at least have Huo Changqing berate him. But in the end, nothing happened at all.
At bedtime, Madam Zhao discussed this matter with Zhao Feng. "Husband, how do you suppose someone like Han Shi turned out the way she did? Her scheming runs so deep, I can't help but be amazed."
Zhao Feng replied, "Even though you've lived decades longer and eaten more salt than Han Shi, if it came down to a battle of wits, I doubt you'd win."
Madam Zhao said, "The strange thing is—Han Shi is so clever, but how did Han Jianye end up with a brain that is missing a string2?"
Zhao Feng replied, "Han Shi and Han Jianye are cousins on their father's side, not biological siblings. I have heard that Han Shi's older sister, Jing Wangfei3, has an incredible memory—she never forgets anything she sees."
Madam Zhao was puzzled. "If the women of the Han family are all that impressive, how come we've never heard of any of the Han male descendants doing anything remarkable?" Even the current Duke hadn't made any notable accomplishments despite inheriting the title.🦊
Zhao Feng replied: "A dragon gives birth to nine offspring, yet each one is different5."
Madam Zhao muttered, "I wonder how Zhuo-er and Hao-er are doing now?" Her two sons had been away from home for almost a month. Marching and fighting in the dead of winter—who knew how much hardship they had endured?
Zhao Feng, drowsiness overtaking him, murmured, "They're fine. Stop worrying. Let's get some rest." Not long after, he was fast asleep.
Madam Zhao muttered to herself, "What a pity…" What exactly she was regretting, only she herself knew.🦊
That night, Yuxi was still awake, chatting with Zaozao. Liu-er had already been tucked into bed. If Liu-er didn't wake up several times during the night, disturbing her sleep, Yuxi would have also brought her over.
Zaozao was cuddled up in Yuxi's arms when she suddenly asked, "Mom, Dad… Dad…?" She hadn't seen her father in a long time and was starting to miss him.
Yuxi stroked Zaozao's hair and explained, without caring whether the little girl understood, "Your Dad is out there building a future for our family. He won't be back for another three or four months." Zaozao used to say a few words at a time, but tonight, she could utter whole words with ease.
After coaxing her for a while, Yuxi took out toys for Zaozao to play with, and Zaozao immediately forgot all about her father.
Watching her daughter playing so happily, Yuxi laughed. "The way you're going, you probably won't even remember your own Dad when he comes back."
Just then, Zijin entered the room, her face aglow with excitement. "Madam! The General has conquered Lanzhou! Madam, the General has conquered Lanzhou!" If Lanzhou had fallen, then Haocheng couldn't be far behind.
Although Yuxi was also very happy, she had expected this, so it wasn't a complete surprise. "Now that Lanzhou has been taken, only Haocheng remains the toughest stronghold." Nowhere else could stop the Northwest Army's unstoppable momentum. Not that Haocheng couldn't be breached, but its layers upon layers of defences made it anything but easy.
Zijin asked, "Madam, why do you always boost the others' fighting spirit and extinguish our own power?" The Northwest Army had been unstoppable for the past month. What was Haocheng in comparison?
Yuxi replied, "Do you even know what kind of place Haocheng is? Its walls are probably second only to the capital's."
Zijin insisted, "We can still take it."
Yuxi nodded, "It's not that we can't—it's just that if we force an attack, the casualties will be enormous." If there were another way to deal with the city, that would be ideal. Unfortunately, she couldn't push herself too hard right now, or she would get dizzy again.
Footnotes Full List
- 2 hours
- Figuratively, "脑子缺根弦 (nǎo zǐ quē gēn xián)" means that someone is scatterbrained, absent-minded, illogical, or doing something silly or foolish. It implies their thought process is somehow flawed or lacking a key component, like a musical instrument missing a string and therefore cannot be played properly.
- 王 wáng = king, 妃 fēi = consort
- Personally, I think Han Jianming did his best to secretly increase the power of the Han family. The Han family went downhill in the hands of his late grandfather, then his own father, who had ignored his duties as a duke when he held the title. Meanwhile, Han Jianming had been cultivating aides for years. The best he had so far was Tan Tuo. Then, he tried to bring military power to the Han family by marrying Ye Shi and pairing Han Jianye with Lu Shi and Yuxi with Yun Qing. His efforts were still in their infancy. Of course, no one can see the results yet.
- "龙生九子，九子各不同" (lóng shēng jiǔ zǐ, jiǔ zǐ gè bù tóng) is a well-known Chinese idiom. While the literal meaning is straightforward, the figurative meaning is significant. It describes a situation where siblings or things from the same source have very different characteristics, personalities, or abilities.
- Perhaps she regretted that she didn't have an intelligent daughter-in-law like Yuxi? 😅
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi