After Huayang finished talking to his father-in-law, he said goodbye.
Sun accompanied her husband in sending the eldest princess' daughter-in-law out of the door. When she turned around, she saw her old man's face lengthened. It wasn't that he was angry, but it seemed that he suddenly had a lot on his mind.
After the couple returned to the house, Sun asked curiously, "What happened? You and the fourth child stayed in the study for a while last night. You didn't sleep well most of the night and kept tossing and turning. What did the princess say to you today?"
Chen Tingjian shook his head absentmindedly: "Things in the court."
Sun was stunned.
There are too many things to do in the court. Sun's knowledge is limited. She doesn't understand the twists and turns and rarely asks about them. From her youth to now, if there is something she needs to be wary of, her husband will tell her in advance so she doesn't need to worry about it.
"Are the young couple telling you about the same thing?" After a while, Sun asked speculatively.
Chen Tingjian nodded.
The fourth brother spoke bluntly, asking him to be more polite to the emperor and not to bully him because he was young.
The eldest princess spoke tactfully, hoping that he would not just treat the emperor as a child.
If Chen Tingjian still doubted last night whether his son's words were because the eldest princess had revealed something, now he understood that his son and daughter-in-law actually had different concerns. His son was worried that he had offended the emperor so much that the entire Chen family would have to bear the emperor's revenge in the future; his daughter-in-law was worried that he, as the prime minister of the cabinet, was too strong and would hurt the emperor's face, causing the emperor to always disobey him like the fourth son, resulting in discord between the monarch and his subjects, which would affect the implementation of the new policy.
One is for his family, the other wants to maintain his personal relationship with the emperor as well as the overall stability.
Chen Tingjian suddenly sighed.
Sun looked over sadly. She had heard the old man sighing a lot last night.
Chen Tingjian pinched his forehead and gave his wife a bitter smile: "As you said, I am used to being domineering at home and outside. I am always the one who scolds others. I really think I am a perfect person and will not make mistakes. Even if my words and deeds are biased, they are all for the overall situation and are excusable."
Sun: "So, the fourth brother and the eldest princess scolded you?"
Chen Tingjian: "It's not really a training, it's just a joint effort to teach me a lesson."
He hasn't been "taught a lesson" for a long time.
The late emperor and Empress Dowager Qi both thought highly of him and treated him with plenty of courtesy but lacked authority.
The ministers who supported him followed his lead, but he ignored what the ministers who opposed him said.
Except for the fourth son and his wife, everyone else in the family is very obedient to him.
As for Emperor Yuanyou, he was the child that Chen Tingjian had taught since he was three years old. Chen Tingjian was used to treating Emperor Yuanyou as a teacher and an elder. However, he was more majestic than respectful towards Emperor Yuanyou.
The princess hoped that he would not treat Emperor Yuanyou as a child, but Chen Tingjian would explain many things he had done before to Empress Dowager Qi in detail. As long as Empress Dowager Qi approved, Chen Tingjian did not really care whether Emperor Yuanyou really understood or just followed the decisions of him and Empress Dowager Qi. All he wanted was for the reform to be implemented, and it was enough for Empress Dowager Qi and Emperor Yuanyou to support him.
But Emperor Yuanyou will grow up and become an adult emperor.
Chen Tingjian was confident that he could make Emperor Yuanyou listen to him all the time. The previous emperor's entrustment of the orphan to him, the effectiveness of the reforms, and his personal power were enough to make this happen.
But he is already old, and he will definitely die before Emperor Yuanyou. By then, will Emperor Yuanyou continue to support his reforms
If Emperor Yuanyou was like his eldest son, intelligent, prudent and concerned about the overall situation, Chen Tingjian would naturally be able to leave with peace of mind.
But could he guarantee that Emperor Yuanyou would be like his eldest son? What if Emperor Yuanyou had a rebellious streak like the fourth son, but didn't have the fourth son's integrity, and still ruled the country...
The faces of the two emperors before him appeared in Chen Tingjian's mind one after another.
Both emperors were diligent in their work when they first ascended the throne, but soon one of them encountered a treacherous prime minister who made life miserable for the people, while the other was greedy and pushed all important matters onto the cabinet.
He was in the previous emperor's cabinet. When he is old or dies, what kind of cabinet will Emperor Yuanyou support? One that supports reform and is dedicated to the public, or one that opposes reform and hates him to the core
Once Chen Tingjian dies, everything is over. It doesn't matter whether future generations praise or scold him, but he cannot leave a mess to his family.
.
As dusk fell, Chen Jingzong rode back to the Chen Mansion on a fast horse.
Huayang sat in the yard to enjoy the cool air. Next to the rattan chair was a small table with fruits and vegetables.
After wearing white for a year, today she finally changed into a long dress with a light pink base and peony embroidery. Although it still looked plain compared to her usual clothes, it also revealed the change in her mood, as if a pure and unparalleled white-petal peony finally got tired of the white, and the petals began to turn light red, gradually evolving into a graceful, gorgeous and unparalleled red-petal peony.
Chen Jingzong sat next to her skillfully. Now Chaoyun and the others were also very good at serving the prince consort, and they had already placed a rattan chair over.
Huayang held a round fan in his hand and fanned it gently while glancing at Chen Jingzong: "Have you paid your respects to your father and mother?"
Chen Jingzong: "We've already met last night, why are you still greeting me?"
Huayang frowned: "How long have you not been home? Father still sees you often outside, where is mother?"
Chen Jingzong: "If I were only seven or eight years old, she would have missed me after not seeing me for so long. But now I am this age, and she has children and grandchildren around her. How much can she miss me? Besides, sons are different from daughters. Daughters can hug and cuddle their mothers, but what can I say to my mother? I don't know how to say sweet words, and if I say something to her, it will only make her unhappy."
Huayang: "I don't care. Go there right away after dinner, or mother will misunderstand that I'm too strict with you and won't let you go to fulfill your filial duty."
When a woman marries to her husband's family, she will often go back to her parents' home even if the family lives nearby. Chen Jingzong moved with her to the Princess's Mansion, but never cared about his parents. What would the people in the Chen Mansion think
Even if her mother-in-law is kind-hearted, Huayang doesn't want to become the "daughter-in-law" in other people's gossip about "getting a wife and forgetting her mother".
Chen Jingzong is not afraid of his father or his mother, but Huayang is the only one who controls him, and he dare not disobey.
In fact, he dared to do so, but if he offended Huayang, he would have to sleep alone at night. It was not a big deal to run to Chunhetang, so why lose the big picture for the small one
After a quick dinner, Chen Jingzong strode to Chunhe Hall.
Night had fallen, but Chen Tingjian was still in the study, doing something unknown. Sun didn't want to go to bed too early, so she sat on the couch and talked to the maid beside her.
Sun was talking about her fourth son whom she hadn't seen for a long time, and the maid coaxed her: "The eldest princess has finished mourning, and she will come back with her husband to stay for a while. Not only will you be able to see your husband often, but you may also have another fat grandson in the near future."
Sun waved her hands and whispered, "Don't mention this. The child will come naturally when the time comes. If it doesn't come, we shouldn't worry about it."
It is a great blessing for the fourth son to marry the eldest princess. His family cannot urge the eldest princess to have children. Sun only hopes that the couple will have a good relationship. Nothing else matters.
The maid just said something auspicious, and seeing the old lady's reaction, she changed the subject.
Chen Jingzong is here.
Sun was puzzled: "It's dark now, what are you doing here?"
Chen Jingzong: "I am still your good daughter-in-law. You blame me for not coming to pay my respects to you as soon as I got home, and you insisted that I make up for it."
Sun smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, I have to set up the rule of visiting you every morning and evening."
"What nonsense! How disrespectful!"
The door curtain was lifted and Chen Tingjian walked in with a stern face.
How could he be the prime minister of the cabinet? He was clearly a cold winter wind, which froze the smiles on the faces of Sun and Chen Jingzong as soon as he entered the room.
Sun glared at him and said, "I was joking with my son, what are you doing here?"
Chen Tingjian looked at his son who was sitting next to his wife. It was obvious that his son had something to do at this time. Could he come and take a look
Chen Jingzong: "Since you guys are going to rest, I'll leave too."
Sun grabbed her son's arm and sent Chen Tingjian away, saying, "The fourth son came here to honor me. It has nothing to do with you. Go back to your study!"
Chen Tingjian: …
The unwelcome Prime Minister had no choice but to leave with a sullen face.
Sun had a lot of questions she wanted to ask her son, including the one she had asked last year but hadn't gotten a serious answer to: "Were you injured on the battlefield?"
Chen Jingzong: "Even if I broke my leg and took half a year to recover, are you still worried about me?"
Sun: "I am worried about you. Take off your clothes and let me check them. Otherwise, I will worry about you for the rest of my life!"
There were only the mother and daughter in the room, and Chen Jingzong reluctantly took off his outer robe and inner garment.
After looking at the chest, Sun looked at the back. The wound had healed long ago, but it was left with a lot of long and short scars, which made Sun tearful.
Chen Jingzong put on his clothes again and whispered, "That's enough. Many people failed to come back, but your son is still safe and sound. Be content."
Sun: "I know nothing. Once you become a military officer, you will be a military officer for life. You will never be able to escape from it!"
Chen Jingzong: "Run if you want. I learned this martial art just to go to the battlefield. I have my elder brother and third brother guarding you. I can run away without any worries."
Sun: "Of course you are willing to let go of an old woman like me, but are you willing to let the eldest princess live in fear and worry?"
Chen Jingzong smiled: "I can't bear to let my own mother worry about me, so what's a wife? She should worry about me after I get married."
Sun burst into laughter and slapped her son on the broad back: "You act so arrogant in front of me, but when you are in front of your wife, you dare not even fart."
Chen Jingzong: …
Sun was wiping her tears and didn't notice the brief change on her son's face.
After shedding tears this time, Sun felt relieved and urged, "Okay, go back. We have to travel again tomorrow morning."
Only then did Chen Jingzong leave.
Siyi Hall.
Huayang had already lay down on the bed. Chen Jingzong stood outside and looked inside. He caught a glimpse of the lotus bowl on the dressing table and smiled.
Huayang couldn't stand his smug look, so he asked, "Where did you get that from?"
This lotus bowl is different from the lotus bowl they usually use and the one now placed in the Princess's Mansion.
Chen Jingzong: "I asked the craftsmen to make it according to your design, so as to avoid the trouble of moving it back and forth in the future. I have also found a way to get the treasure, so you don't have to ask the princess to spend money in the future."
Huayang frowned: "Did you do it yourself?"
Chen Jingzong: "How could I be that stupid? Even if the Royal Guards were to investigate the buyer, they wouldn't be able to find anything about us."
Huayang: …
Should she praise him for his promising future
Seeing that she had no other questions, Chen Jingzong walked to the washstand and wet the towel to wipe it again.
It was June and the weather was hot. He went back and forth to Chunhetang and was sweating again.
Since the lotus bowl was only used a few times during the entire mourning period, Chen Jingzong had to put in a lot of effort before his pampered ancestor reluctantly accepted all his offerings.
"It seems that this matter cannot be neglected. It is almost as early as the wedding."
Chen Jingzong whispered into Huayang's ear, half complaining and half happy.
The proud Princess, unable to speak complete sentences, simply ignored him.
It was almost the second watch when the tent finally returned to peace.
In winter, Huayang liked to sleep in the same bed with Chen Jingzong, but in summer he wished he could lie on the floor.
She slept on the innermost side wrapped in a thin blanket, keeping a distance from Chen Jingzong.
Chen Jingzong doubted: "I am young now, and you still need me. When I get older, will you separate your room from me?"
Huayang ignored his jokes and asked, before he was completely sleepy, "When you went to see your mother tonight, did your father say anything?"
Chen Jingzong: "As soon as he showed his face, his mother sent him back to the study."
Huayang was relieved.
My father-in-law and Chen Jingzong have never gotten along. Even if she uses Chen Jingzong as a cover, my father-in-law would not necessarily go and confront Chen Jingzong.
What's more, Chen Jingzong had never been obedient to his father-in-law, and everyone could see it.
(End of this chapter)