Chapter 711: Chapter 711: Going Out for the Longevity Event
Upon seeing Lian Changhe, Lian Wanzhen asked him if they should set off a string of firecrackers to celebrate her brother-in-law’s birthday, since his birthday was such a grand affair. Seeing how the streets and other houses were decorated with colorful silks and satins, it would be unacceptable for their family not to set off firecrackers.
Lian Changhe immediately glared and scolded him for talking nonsense, what brother-in-law, and urged him to get to the kitchen to help with lighting the fire for breakfast, telling him not to worry about these matters.
After sending him off, Lian Changhe felt uneasy, thinking that if his son-in-law’s birthday was such an event, how could he dare to play the role of a father-in-law in the future? It was too worrying for him, and they hadn’t even gone through the proper processes of establishing familial ties or met the man in person, so how could he be considered a son-in-law?
Later, he would have to meet up with his younger brother Bingcheng to wait for that fat man, all for making a connection with this supreme son-in-law. Ah, what a situation this was.
Lian Changhe’s face drooped, the more he thought about it, the more melancholic and powerless he felt, until finally, he didn’t even want to go meet Lian Bingcheng. It took a few comforting words from Su Ran before he felt better.
Only when he went outside did he realize that the Capital City was teeming with people today, especially on those busy streets—it was so crowded you couldn’t push through. Everyone’s face was beaming with joy, offering each other congratulations, talking about Longevity Cakes, praising the current Son of Heaven, and discussing today’s grandeur.
Seeing and hearing all this, he suddenly thought that this son-in-law might not be so bad after all. Those years of exile in a godforsaken place meant they couldn’t appreciate the greatness of their own son-in-law. It was only after stepping out that he truly understood just how prosperous the land was under his son-in-law’s rule.
Instantly feeling honored by association, he was flushed with pride and, eager to hear more people talk, squeezed into the crowds wherever they were thickest. But this put Lian Bingcheng, who was thin and not used to the jostling, through quite an ordeal as he struggled to keep up.
But that is a story for later.
As for Lian Wanzhen being sent to the stove, he diligently helped his elder brother light the fire while Lian Musu started cooking breakfast.
Almost always, when his elder brother was around, he was the one who cooked. As for what those scholars said about gentlemen staying far from the kitchen, his elder brother would argue that those were just misappropriating the words of the sages and that it was pure laziness. In other words, utter nonsense. If you feed books to a dog, that’s where they end up. Of course, these last two lines of critique were his own thoughts.
As he stoked the fire, he asked Lian Musu about the Guo family’s affair, as he hadn’t paid attention the night before.
When he learned that the old Duke of Zheng had actually gone as promised to impeach the Guo family, he was pleased. It hadn’t been in vain, listening to that old man wail a scene with his mother out of sheer boredom.
Couple days ago, when they knocked on the gate of House of Duke Zheng, an old man who could hardly walk came out to greet them. He was so excited to see them that Lian Wanzhen feared the old man might collapse and blame them for it.
Once they were welcomed inside, the old man started wiping away tears and rambling on about the past, saying he felt uneasy and that they had been unjustly treated. For years they had tried to find them but failed. He contantly worried in his heart, and so on.
How to put it? They had never expected anything from this uncle, and they wouldn’t in the future either. They were there simply to put an end to the past. As for all his righteous talk, it was of no practical use, not even worth a meal. If not for his mother, Lian Wanzhen would have left impatiently much earlier.
However, the old man proved to be trustworthy; he went to impeach the Guo family the very next day. To Lian Wanzhen, the old man wasn’t utterly useless after all. Standing by his morals was commendable. So he decided to call it even and no longer dwell on avenging his mother.
As he listened further, when he heard from Lian Musu that someone had gone to accuse the Guo family but suddenly withdrew the accusation, his brows furrowed. He couldn’t help but wonder if someone had interfered.
Lian Musu confirmed his suspicion, adding that their family had still decided to first make contact with their younger sister in the palace before making a move. After all, with her current sensitive status, any rash actions could affect her negatively.
Lian Wanzhen nodded in understanding, feeling a bit dejected. He wondered if it might be the work of the Guo family’s powerful backer, the Duke of Loyalty and Righteousness, Xue Ping. He not only thought this but also asked it outright.
Lian Musu suggested it was highly probable, but added the days of the Xue Family were also coming to an end, and he corrected that Xue Ping was no longer the Duke of Loyalty and Righteousness.
Lian Wanzhen was delighted and asked what he meant by that.
However, Lian Musu didn’t elaborate, instead, he brought up another matter, the assassination attempt on the Imperial Heir had shaken the entire imperial court. Digging up one case had brought up others, as the Ministry of Punishment, through this incident, had also investigated many other cases and obtained lots of key evidence. One case had turned into many cases, involving a great deal of people, and there was biting and backstabbing amongst them, revealing many evil deeds and causing a stir throughout the court.
In the end, Lian Musu said with deep meaning that the great contributor behind these events was Xue Ping, who had played a tremendous role.
Lian Wanzhen curled his lip, "Xue Ping, that old thief, trying to save that utterly heartless Guo Thief, they are all tarred with the same brush, what good can come out of them?"
His brother-in-law, who is also His Majesty, couldn’t be losing his mind, to have recently bestowed the title of Loyalty and Righteousness on such a person...
Ptui, ptui, ptui, his father had said not to speak ill of his brother-in-law, as it would not be good for his little sister.
Oh, his father also forbade him from calling His Majesty his brother-in-law, saying that there hadn’t been the traditional formalities of the three letters and six ceremonies, the four betrothal gifts, and the bridal sedan. What talk was there to be had? But when he asked his father if His Majesty didn’t count as a brother-in-law, his father gave a vague and equivocal answer, pacing back and forth with irritation and postponing the discussion.
Ultimately, his father, still feeling uneasy, also said that calling His Majesty a son-in-law was taboo and should not be spoken of lightly outside.
All of this, Lian Wanzhen understood. He would only talk about it within the confines of his home. Once outside, he kept tight-lipped about who his sister was. How could he speak of her? He was not foolish enough to give others something to use against his little sister, or to commit acts that might drag them down.
But none of these concerns were immediate.
What mattered now was accompanying his mother and Clan Aunt to visit the marketplace, to enjoy the atmosphere, and if possible, to snatch up some Longevity Cakes to partake in the joyous occasion and savor their taste.
After the Lian Family finished breakfast, everyone got ready to head out; at the road junction, they each went in different directions.
As for Skinny Monkey and Wang San, they had already gone to Qingfeng Tower the day before to preside over it on behalf of Aunt Ying, serving as enforcers. Anyone who made trouble or behaved rudely, who refused to pay silver after enjoying a song or shamelessly harassed the girls, was promptly chased away.
In Northern Liaoning, which borders Eastern Liaoning to the north of the Imperial Capital, dawn breaks earlier.
Falling back on military habits, each village prepared communal meals, with private soldiers and villagers alike eating together, rarely cooking for themselves.
The leader of the private soldiers, Kui Bao, woke up, had a sip of water, and practiced a set of boxing.
The meals for the senior leaders were separate from those of the ordinary soldiers, specifically prepared by the village in the center where Kui Bao resided.
After the meal was ready, Kui Bao and the other senior leaders dined on hearty food separately, while the rest of the soldiers and villagers ate together. After breakfast, soldiers from each village gathered and repeated the same endless, hopeless drills, day after day.
Kui Bao, as usual, was preparing to inspect each village when he felt something was amiss. He asked, "Where’s Tie Laoba? Why haven’t I seen him come for breakfast this morning?"