mesbooks Chapter 154: Independence and Self-reliance
Chapter 154: Independence and Self-reliance
The days passed like flowing water and it was the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. As the firecrackers of the Little New Year rang, the festive atmosphere in Beijing became stronger.
Jinchu and Huanyan gave the workers a holiday early, and also gave each of them an extra bonus of one or two taels of silver, which made the women so happy that they thanked them repeatedly.
They had only worked for three months, but they received such a generous bonus from the shopkeeper. They couldn't help but secretly make up their minds to continue working hard under the shopkeeper next year.
The Spring Examination will be held shortly after the New Year. This is one of the few happy times for Wang Weiyuan before the imperial examination. It is also the first time for them to celebrate the New Year in the capital. It is estimated that such an opportunity will be difficult to have again in the future.
So Jinchu discussed with Huanyan about buying some New Year's goods, and the four of them spent the New Year happily.
During this period, Jin Chu received another letter from Su Cheng'an, which revealed a piece of information, that is, Chen Tianyao, the former deputy general of Wu'an Hou and the current general of the Northwest, is very likely the backstabber who cooperated with the current Minister of Personnel to fabricate information and provide false evidence.
It turned out to be a collusion between internal and external forces, and the emperor took advantage of the situation, which eventually led to the destruction of the entire Wu'an Marquis Mansion.
Jin Chu thought about it and started writing a reply.
The letter first thanked Su Cheng'an for providing her with useful information, and mentioned that since the current commander of the Northwest Army is General Chen, who had previously betrayed and framed her family, her third brother who had disappeared for more than three years was very likely lurking in the Northwest Army.
Her third brother must be in great danger as he ventured alone, so she asked Su Cheng'an if he could help her find out the exact whereabouts of her third brother.
If he was really in the Northwest Army, she could also write a letter to persuade her third brother to return to the Northern Territory and cooperate with the Northern Territory in the Northwest Army.
This way, he could kill two birds with one stone, protecting his third brother's life while making use of the Ye family's previous connections to gain benefits for the Dingbei Palace.
After all, the Northwest Army has been in Ye Shengpei's hands for more than 20 years, so it can be considered half of the Ye family army!
Even though General Chen betrayed and framed his former superior, there were still many brave men in the army. Moreover, the Northwest Army led by Ye Shengpei was once a powerful force that guarded the Northwest border like an iron barrel. It even defeated the Western Rong bandits and made them flee in panic.
If they had not been framed by treacherous villains, Marquis Wu'an and the 70,000 soldiers would not have died in vain and lost their lives.
After thinking about it, Jin Chu briefly mentioned to him that she had recently started a cosmetics business in Beijing in partnership with someone else.
After all, this was her money-making business, and one she would pursue for a long time to come. Achieving fame now would also provide her with a foundation for her future. If she ever reached the Northern Territory, she could expand her cosmetics business to Youyun City.
Finally, Jin Chu sent him sincere New Year greetings, sealed the letter, and sent it to Su Cheng'an's contact point in the capital.
In the northern border, outside Youyun City, is the medicine house of Dr. Liu.
The young man was lying on a small couch under the window in the room, his face covered by a half-opened book.
I don’t know if it was because the couch was not long enough or his legs were too long, but his straight and slender legs actually hung down quite a bit from the couch.
A sound of footsteps came from outside the door, and Qingying followed.
"Master, Miss Jin's reply has arrived!"
Originally carefree and dozing with his eyes closed, Prince Dingbei, Su Cheng'an, grabbed the half-opened book on his face with his left hand, propped himself up on the couch with his right hand, and sat up. His laziness vanished, his eyes clear with a hint of joy, and he uttered two words: "Give it to me!"
Qingying respectfully handed over Jinchu's letter. Su Chengan took it, unfolded it, and began to read it at a glance. As he quickly browsed through the content, the relaxed look in his eyes was filled with surprise, and then turned into contemplation.
Su Cheng'an read the letter again from beginning to end.
His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table beside the couch, but his brows were slightly furrowed. His mind was quickly thinking about the recent situation in the Northwest Army and the matter of the third brother mentioned by Jin Chu.
If it is true as Jin Chu said, that the third son of the Ye family is indeed lurking in the Northwest Army, then it would be worth his while to find him.
Although Marquis Wu'an has been dead for several years, he once guarded the northwestern border for more than 20 years.
Everyone has seen the tremendous changes in the northwest border over the past twenty years, from being in a state of war and exhausted from fighting to being at peace and secure ten years ago.
As the general, Marquis Wu'an made great contributions. Naturally, he would be courted for his merits, but Marquis Wu'an was a man with a clear vision and a strong hatred for evil, and he disdained to flatter those scoundrels and treacherous people.
Perhaps it was precisely because of these reasons that he attracted countless evil people who, after failing to win him over, developed malicious intentions towards him.
In addition, the emperor saw that the northwest was peaceful, and Wu'an Hou had controlled the northwest army for many years, which had long been a concern for him.
So they colluded with each other both internally and externally, and the emperor took advantage of the situation. In just a few months, they used the lives of 70,000 soldiers as bait to drag the upright Marquis Wu'an into this conspiracy that ruined his reputation. In the end, the hero died unjustly, and the treacherous officials were rampant. It was a tragic ending.
Qingying looked at his master without saying a word, knowing that his master must be making an important decision, so he stood quietly by the side with his head lowered.
After a while, Su Cheng'an finally gave the order, "Tell Qingheng that our people in the Northwest Army, while preserving their own safety, must do their utmost to find Ye Jinxuan, the former Third Young Master of the Wu'an Marquisate!"
"Master, didn't Third Young Master Ye die in the war between the Northwest Army and the Western Rong people?"
Qingying looked shocked at Su Cheng'an's order.
Su Cheng'an sneered, "Those people back then were so eager to return home to claim their achievements that they didn't even bother to bury Ye San's body. Fortunately for Ye San, he managed to escape death and was lucky enough to come back alive. That's how he ended up running for his life with Ajin and his brother."
Qingying finally understood, and then turned to disdain: "They killed loyal and good people like this, treating the lives of 70,000 soldiers as worthless. They have turned a prosperous country into the devastated and miserable state it is today. No wonder riots and banditry are rampant everywhere."
Su Cheng'an didn't respond to his words, but only reminded him again: "Go and pass the message. If there is any news about Ye San, let me know as soon as possible."
Qingying nodded and quickly retreated to pass on the message.
Su Cheng'an turned his gaze to the letter in his hand again. After a moment, he chuckled, "Ye Jinchu, you are really... what should I do?"
If Ye Jinxuan is really found, based on the contribution he can make, the Dingbei Palace will definitely benefit more.
If you think about it carefully, it was his Dingbei Palace that took advantage of the Ye brothers and sisters again!
Su Cheng'an was determined to make plans for his sweetheart, but unexpectedly, he gained more benefits time and time again. Now he can't even find an excuse to take care of her.
This girl is independent and strong, and is good at judging the situation. When will she be able to depend on him like a delicate girl?
The miserable Prince Dingbei sighed in his heart.