The Duke House's Ideal Daughter-in-law
Chapter 146
The Emperor did not grant Jing Guogong’s request during court but summoned him to the imperial study afterward.
“Zhao Qing, you requested to lead the campaign in court. Do you have absolute confidence in victory?” the Emperor asked Jing Guogong.
Jing Guogong replied, “No.”
The Emperor was taken aback and then frowned. “If you lack absolute confidence in victory, why do you make such a request?”
Jing Guogong responded, “Your Majesty, Chen has both public and personal grievances against Gudesiqin. Chen‘s youngest son was killed by his hand, and Gudesiqin’s father, after suffering severe injuries at my hand years ago, lingered in illness for years before dying. Now, he has openly named Chen as his opponent. Both for the nation’s honor and personal duty, Chen cannot refuse. If Chen does not confront him, he will vent his fury on innocent civilians. Chen must go to stop him.”
The Emperor sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Jing Guogong knelt and bowed to the Emperor, then raised his head and declared, “Chen understands Your Majesty’s concerns. But Your Majesty, please rest assured. Even if Chen dies in this campaign, Chen swears to bring back Gudesiqin’s head! Chen only has one request to make of Your Majesty.”
The Emperor said, “Are you referring to the matter of your legitimate eldest grandson inheriting the title?”
“Yes. In Chen‘s earlier years, Chen was stationed in Liaodong, rarely returning to the capital, which led to neglect in disciplining One’s descendants. As a result, Chen now has no suitable heirs to carry on the family legacy, except for the eldest grandson from the First Branch, Huanxi, who is capable of succeeding the line. Chen implores Your Majesty that, if Chen does not return from this campaign, please allow my legitimate eldest grandson, Zhao Huanxi, to inherit the title. Should Chen‘s unworthy eldest son take the title, One fears the hundred-year honor of the Zhao Family will be ruined. Begging Your Majesty, in light of the Zhao Family’s generations of loyal service and sacrifices for the nation, to grant Chen this final wish.” As Jing Guogong spoke, he bowed deeply, his forehead touching the ground.
The Emperor looked at the old Guogong, who had spent his life fighting for the late Emperor and himself. After a long silence, he sighed and said, “Zhen grants your request.”
Jing Guogong felt immense relief, and once again kowtowed to express his gratitude.
Ever since the outbreak of war in Liaodong, students at the Canglan Academy had been gathering in small groups every evening to discuss the state of the conflict.
Lu Feng, Qiu Tong and the others often congregated in the dormitory of Xu Moxiu and Zhao Huanxi, and for a simple reason; Zhao Huanxi’s room was never short on snacks, and there was always good tea to enjoy.
“A massacre of a city! Gudesiqin, that beast! I only regret studying literature instead of martial arts! If I had trained in martial arts, I would have taken his head with a single stroke and hung it on the city walls to honor the innocent citizens who died in vain!” Qiu Tong clenched his fists and pounded the desk in fury, causing the teacups on it to tremble.
He turned to his friends in the room and asked, “What do you think? If I were to set aside my studies and join the army now, would I still have a chance to serve on the battlefield?”
Xu Moxiu didn’t answer but instead turned to Zhao Huanxi. “You’ve been training in martial arts for a year now, and I’ve seen you wield a blade, it looks pretty impressive. Do you think you’re ready for the battlefield?”
Zhao Huanxi hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.
Qiu Tong stared at him in disbelief. “Why not? Are you afraid of death?”
Zhao Huanxi asked him in return, “Aren’t you afraid of death?”
Qiu Tong replied, “With the nation in peril and the people suffering, how can you still think only of your own life and death?”
Zhao Huanxi said, “If I were alone in this world, I could throw myself into the fray without hesitation. But my mother is still alive, and my wife has only been married to me for a year. I cannot abandon them.”
“What about the soldiers fighting at the front? Don’t they have mothers? Don’t they have wives? If everyone thought the way you do, who would shed their blood for the court and the people? Who would fight to bring peace back to the world?” Qiu Tong rebuked him.
Zhao Huanxi lowered his head and said, “I’m weak-willed and selfish, so even though I’ve trained in martial arts, I’m still not suited for the battlefield.”
His blunt honesty left Qiu Tong momentarily at a loss for words. Frustrated, Qiu Tong stood up and slammed the door on his way out.
Lu Feng and the others sat in silence for a while. Seeing that it was getting late, they also returned to their dormitories.
The room went dark. Zhao Huanxi and Xu Moxiu lay side by side on the bed, neither of them feeling sleepy.
“Wenlin, do you also think I’m cowardly and selfish?” After a long silence, Zhao Huanxi weakly asked Xu Moxiu.
“No,” Xu Moxiu replied.
“Why not?”
“Everyone has their own fate. Your background gives you the option to avoid the battlefield if you wish. Without being forced into a corner, how many people truly have the courage to leave their families and friends behind to face death?” Xu Moxiu said.
Zhao Huanxi said dejectedly, “So, you think me going to the battlefield would just mean certain death?”
“Though I’ve never been on a battlefield, it’s easy to imagine. Martial skill is important, yes, but even more critical is your mindset. Can you kill someone? You can’t. You don’t have the will to take a life. And with only a year of training—barely scratching the surface—on the battlefield, if you don’t die, who will?” Xu Moxiu analyzed calmly.
Zhao Huanxi stared silently at the ceiling.
“From a broader perspective, the battlefield doesn’t need a soldier like you, lacking both skill and the proper temperament. From a personal standpoint, I don’t want my sister to become a widow at such a young age. So, no matter what others might say, I respect your self-awareness. Don’t let Qiu Tong’s words get to you. He’s just venting his righteous anger. If you truly went to the battlefield, he’d probably be the one who couldn’t bear to see you go. Stop overthinking and get some rest,” Xu Moxiu said.
By the time the ten-day leave break arrived, the news that Jing Guogong, despite his advanced age, had personally requested to lead the campaign against the Tiele had already spread to Canglan Academy.
“Dong Jiejie, what’s going on? Why did Zufu volunteer to go to war? He’s old, and his health isn’t good,” Zhao Huanxi asked Xu Nian’an who had come to fetch him anxiously the moment he boarded the family carriage.
“Calm down first, and sit properly,” Xu Nian’an said, helping him settle in before explaining, “I heard that Gudesiqin specifically called out Zufu by name, which is why he volunteered.”
“Why? Is he still seeking revenge for the leg injury Zufu gave him years ago? Wu Shufu died at his hands! What should we do, Dong Jiejie? I really don’t want Zufu to go,” Zhao Huanxi said, visibly distressed and at a loss.
In this matter, Xu Nian’an was equally helpless. Zufu suffered from recurring migraines and was indeed unfit to return to the battlefield. However, as a lifelong soldier and seasoned general, his dignity and pride would not allow him to ignore the challenge of his old nemesis. His decision to go was inevitable.
Whether he would return from this campaign, however, was uncertain.
The Emperor had granted Guogong Yé’s request to lead the campaign, relieving him of his position at the Central Military Commander’s Office and appointing him as the Grand General of Conquest, with orders to head north in half a month to confront the enemy.
As a result, Guogong Yé had already stopped attending to his official duties and spent his days at home arranging matters for after his departure.
He summoned his second, third, and fourth sons to the study. After giving them instructions on various matters, he handed a letter to his third son, Zhao Mingjun, and said, “After I leave, if your eldest brother dares to return home and stir up trouble, take this letter to your Er Tangshu. Ask him to open the ancestral hall on my behalf and expel Zhao Mingkun, Zhao Huanchao, and Zhao Huanyang from the family. Their names are to be struck from the genealogy!”
Zhao Mingzeng, Zhao Mingjun, and Zhao Mingpei were all shocked by these words.
“Dad, must it truly come to this?” Zhao Mingjun asked.
Guogong Yé replied, “I’ve arranged an official position for him in Pingliang Prefecture. If he deserts his post after my departure and returns to wreak havoc under the pretense of his status as the eldest legitimate son, then he will be a source of chaos, beyond redemption, and must be dealt with without hesitation. Mingzeng will return to his post in a few days, so this matter falls to you two, Mingjun and Mingpei. If he returns, you must not let him harm Da Taitai or Huanxi. Should he lay a hand on them, open the ancestral hall and act accordingly. Do you understand?”
Zhao Mingjun and Zhao Mingpei, their emotions complicated, bowed their heads and said, “Understood, Dad.”
Guogong Yé continued, “I have already decided to pass the title to Huanxi, and the Emperor has approved it. As for the division of the family assets after my death, I’ve already written my will. Huanxi is still young, and as his uncles, you must support him in the future.”
“Father, the campaign hasn’t even begun. Why speak such ominous words? You will surely return safely, just as you always have,” all three sons said in unison.
Guogong Yé waved his hand dismissively. “I’m merely preparing for the worst.”
After the three sons left, Guogong Yé instructed someone to summon Yin Furen.
“Gongdiē, you called for me?” Yin Furen entered the small study and greeted Guogong Yé with a bow.
“Weizhen, you’ve endured much hardship over the years,” Guogong Yé said.
Startled, Yin Furen looked up at Guogong Yé. In her memory, aside from that one occasion many years ago when Guogong Ye had addressed her by her given name while visiting her family, he had never called her by her name again in all these years.
“If I had known early on that Zhao Mingkun would turn out to be so unreliable, I would never have arranged for him to marry you. Your life as a daughter-in-law of the Zhao Family has ultimately been one of grievance. I am the one who wronged you, and I owe your father an apology,” Guogong Yé said, and to Yin Furen’s astonishment, he stood up and gave her a formal bow.
Yin Furen, flustered and at a loss, held back her tears and said, “Gongdiē, please don’t do this. You are make Erxi suffers. Erxi is doing well now, truly, and has never felt wronged.”
Guogong Yé straightened himself and said, “With my departure imminent, your mother-in-law is not capable of managing the household. From now on, I must entrust the affairs of this family to you. I’ve already petitioned the Emperor to allow Huanxi to inherit the title.”
He picked up an envelope and handed it to Yin Furen. “This is my will. Huanxi’s Er Tang Shuzu also holds a copy with the same content. Keep this safe, just in case.”
“Gongdiē, you shouldn’t say such inauspicious things on the eve of the campaign. You will surely return victorious,” Yin Furen said, wiping away her tears.
“Take it,” Guogong Yé insisted. “On the battlefield, swords have no eyes. I must ensure that if I don’t return, the household won’t descend into chaos.”
Yin Furen stepped forward with tears streaming down her face and accepted the envelope. Though her heart was filled with countless words, she couldn’t find a way to express them in the moment.
“Huanxi is upright and diligent, and Nian’an is sensible and capable. While your first half of life was fraught with misfortune, the latter half holds promise. Cherish your children and live well. You may go now.”
Yin Furen bowed deeply, her tears falling, and withdrew quietly.
As soon as Zhao Huanxi returned to the Jing Guogong Residence, he went straight to Dunyi Hall to find his grandfather.
“Zufu, are you going to the battlefield?” he blurted out as soon as he saw Guogong Yé.
Guogong Yé replied calmly, “I am. Why are you so anxious?”
“I… I’m worried,” Zhao Huanxi said hesitantly.
Guogong Yé, rare to show a smile, asked, “And what can you do about it? The people of Liaodong are bleeding and wailing under Gudesiqin’s iron hooves and curved blades. Do you think Zufu can cower and stay away?”
“But…” Zhao Huanxi looked at his grandfather with concern, struggling to find the words to stop him from going to war.
Guogong Yé stepped forward and patted Zhao Huanxi on the shoulder. “Don’t look like this. I’ve told you before: our Zhao Family earned its title and ancestral hall through military merit. Protecting the borders and fighting for the court and the people is the duty of the men of our family. For over a hundred years, the men of the Zhao Family have fought against the Tiele in Liaodong, and many of our ancestors’ bones rest on the battlefield. Zufu isn’t afraid, and you shouldn’t be either.”
In a surge of emotion, Zhao Huanxi blurted out, “If guarding the borders for the court and the people is the mission of the Zhao Family men, then, Zufu, take me with you!”
Guogong Yé stared at him. “You? Absolutely not.”
“Zufu, I’ve been practicing swordsmanship and martial arts for a year now. Surely I can serve as a recruit. Let me go with you. I can’t rest easy if you go alone,” Zhao Huanxi insisted.
“Don’t be ridiculous. When I say no, I mean no,” Guogong Yé said sternly. “War is no game. Not everyone is fit for it. Perhaps one day you’ll truly be ready to go to the battlefield, but that day isn’t today. Leave the fighting to Zufu. You stay home and safeguard the Jing Guogong Residence in my stead.”
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