Yangzhou
The Huaiyang Grand Canal was calm and serene. An official ship was on its routine patrol.
Situ Jue held a Western telescope, scanned the surroundings, then dejectedly tossed it aside and said irritably, "Gu Yanchen submits memorials to the throne every few days. Today he wipes out a band of Japanese pirates, tomorrow he clears out a pirate stronghold. Why is it so peaceful when it's my turn? Are those achievements all just hot air?"
The person beside him immediately fawned, "Your Highness, what is your status? Those Japanese pirates probably wet themselves at the mere mention of your name, how could they possibly confront you? If you ask me, as long as you are here, Jiangnan will definitely be peaceful."
"How can that be? If there are no Japanese pirate invasions, how can I earn merits? Pass down the order to have them search thoroughly. Pirates cannot live on ships forever; they must have strongholds on the islands. Find one, and I will reward them handsomely."
Thus, more official ships appeared on the canal.
The second day of the second lunar month, the Dragon Raising its Head.
Taking advantage of the official troops going out to sea and the city being empty, the Japanese pirates, who had been lying low, suddenly launched an extremely fierce attack. Starting from Huai'an, the several thousand strong pirate army charged like a broken bamboo, successively conquering three counties: Lianshui, Hongze, and Baoying in Yangzhou. This time, they did not settle down to become local rulers. After looting, they quickly retreated. By the time Situ Jue reacted and organized a counterattack, there was no trace of them on the vast sea.
All that remained were three plundered counties and a large group of wailing citizens.
The last time, they could still blame the Yangzhou prefect. But this time, the Huai'an prefect had not overstepped his authority. Situ Jue had no scapegoat for this incident.
He convened his advisors and thought for several days, but could not figure out how to report the battle situation.
However, the Huai'an prefect would not wait for him. An urgent dispatch was already en route to the capital.
Ever since Gu Yanchen had spoken with Gu Rong, the Fang family had not bothered Lu Nianfu.
Without having to endure the strict rules that all daughters-in-law detested, Lu Nianfu's life became much easier. She could handle matters related to her shops and workshops, and even drink tea leisurely within the manor. Qingya handed her an invitation card, "Miss, this is from the Assistant Minister of Personnel's office."
"Assistant Minister of Personnel? Do I have any connections with his household?"
Qingya shook her head, "I haven't seen you have any contact with his household. Could it be for the young master's sake?"
Possible.
She was now, after all, the wife of a third-rank official, so receiving an invitation was normal. However, upon opening it, she saw the name "Cheng Jiaojiao" clearly written as the inviter.
Two years ago, Cheng Beizheng had been so enraged that he wanted to sever ties with his family, all for Cheng Jiaojiao.
Cheng Jinghao wanted his niece to enter the palace to become a favored consort for his daughter, while Cheng Jingze wished to bring glory to his branch of the family through his daughter. Therefore, despite Cheng Beizheng's objections, he forcefully sent Cheng Jiaojiao to the capital for selection.
As it turned out, the imperial selection that year was canceled.
Consort Cheng had also brought Cheng Jiaojiao to the palace, hoping the Emperor would be interested in her stunning beauty. The Emperor did look, but not even for an extra glance. Thus, Cheng Jiaojiao, with her "luck," left the palace again. Cheng Jinghao had no choice but to select other beauties to help his daughter, but Cheng Jingze was not willing to give up.
Over the past few years, the Cheng family in the capital had been exploiting them more and more. They had also banned maritime trade, causing his income to shrink drastically, while the Cheng family in the capital grew more demanding. Under the guise of needing to "entertain" Consort Cheng in the palace, if the child Consort Cheng was carrying hadn't been lost before birth, who knew how arrogant she would have become.
His own son had not been able to enter officialdom. If his daughter could not prove herself, they would never be able to contend with the Cheng family in the capital.
As Cheng Jiaojiao was still young, he let her remain in the capital, waiting for the next imperial selection.
It didn't matter if she couldn't catch the Emperor's eye; marrying a prince would be good too. She didn't need to be the main consort, becoming a secondary consort would suffice. At the very least, if she were betrothed to a high-ranking official, they would gain a powerful in-law, and perhaps the Cheng family in the capital would restrain themselves a little.
Thus, Cheng Jiaojiao remained in the Assistant Minister of Personnel's residence.
While preparing for selection, she also made appearances at various banquets with the Cheng family, hoping to be noticed by a noble lady and be chosen as a daughter-in-law for her son.
All this information was relayed by Cheng Beizheng.
Every time Cheng Jiaojiao was mentioned, Cheng Beizheng felt heartache and regret. He only wished he had studied harder back then, so that the family's pressure wouldn't fall entirely on his sister's tender shoulders.
Speaking of which, Cheng Beizheng was also a ruthless individual. Stimulated by Cheng Jiaojiao's situation, he spent two years stripping his father of his power and had effectively become the head of the Cheng family in Yangzhou.
Lu Nianfu sighed and handed the invitation to Qingya, "Reply to them and say that I will definitely attend in three days."