The old lady of the Chen family passed away due to illness in the late first lunar month, which means that shortly after the Lantern Festival after the New Year, the three brothers Chen Bozong should have started to get rid of their mourning period.
That day, Chen Tingjian called his three sons to the study.
On the west wall of the study hung a six-foot square map, which detailed the locations of the thirteen provinces of the dynasty and their subordinate counties, and also listed the neighboring countries to the south, west, and north.
Below the map, there is a sand table with some small flags on it.
As a dignified minister, although he was in mourning at home, he did not miss any of the things he should worry about.
Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong stood in front of the desk with respectful expressions. Chen Jingzong glanced at the sand table, looked here and there, but didn't look at the old man.
Chen Tingjian looked at his three sons and said, "In three months, you will be free from mourning. According to the old rules, you should write a letter to the Ministry of Personnel when you return home, so that the Ministry of Personnel can arrange official positions for you in advance."
Whenever an official is in mourning, his position will be replaced by a new official. The position cannot remain vacant. After the official has finished mourning, the Ministry of Personnel will arrange a new position for him based on the situation.
Different officials would of course receive different treatments. For example, Chen Tingjian was highly regarded by Emperor Jingshun, so he would be reinstated after his mourning period. However, middle and lower-level officials with no notable achievements might have been forgotten by the Ministry of Personnel and would have to wait for several months in line for new vacancies.
Chen Bozong said, "When my father was young, he was an official away from home. It was my grandmother and mother who raised us. When my grandmother was ill, my brothers and I were unable to be by her side to show our filial piety. Now that we have returned to our ancestral home, we would like to mourn for her for a while longer. Please grant us this, father."
Chen Tingjian: "I understand your filial piety, but it is a rule that grandchildren should mourn for a year. You have extended the mourning period to show your filial piety, but what about other scholars? If they don't follow your example, it seems like they have lost in filial piety. If they all follow your example, wouldn't it mess up the rules?"
He knew that his sons did not want to leave their parents alone in the ancestral home, but he did not need that. He and his wife were not old enough to need their sons and daughters-in-law to serve them every day.
Chen Xiaozong smiled and said, "Father, I am not in a hurry to leave. Besides being reluctant to leave Grandmother, you and Mother, it is also because Wanqing is still too young to travel long distances."
Chen Tingjian: "Then let your wife and children stay and wait to return to Beijing with us."
Chen Xiaozong: "Yuyan is clumsy, and the three children will have to be taken care of by their mother. My son will be worried about returning to Beijing. It is better for them to stay together."
Three writers get together and push each other to come up with an article about "filial piety".
Chen Jingzong said impatiently: "Whether you want to leave or not, the princess and I will definitely return to Beijing after the New Year."
Having said that, the man went out.
Chen Xiaozong stole a glance at his father.
Chen Tingjian snorted heavily. Fortunately, he wanted his sons to go back in the first place, especially he didn't want the princess to continue living here and suffer grievances, so he didn't take the fourth son's unfilial behavior to heart.
Siyi Hall.
Huayang was kicking shuttlecock in the main room. She had become very skilled at it recently. She kicked with both feet alternately, with ease and grace. It not only exercised her body but she also enjoyed the process.
Huayang caught a glimpse of Chen Jingzong from the corner of her eye and kicked the shuttlecock a dozen more times. When Chen Jingzong came to the door, she put away the shuttlecock and asked him with a slight breath, "Does father have anything to tell you?"
At this time, she actually knew what it was for.
Chen Jingzong glanced at her pink peony-like face, sat on the chair and said, "Remind us to write documents to the Ministry of Personnel so that we can return to Beijing to take up our posts after the New Year."
When Huayang in his previous life heard this, his eyes lit up and he wanted to pack his bags and leave immediately.
But the next month, the Queen Mother sent a letter saying that Chen Bochong and Chen Xiaozong both hoped to find a vacant official position near Lingzhou, so that they could serve the court and also honor their parents.
Most officials were trying their best to become officials in the capital. Even if they did not dare to make such a request to the Ministry of Personnel in their letters, they hoped so in their hearts. The two brothers of the Chen family actually took the initiative to want to stay in the local area. The Ministry of Personnel was of course willing to oblige them, not to mention giving face to Lord Chen.
The queen mother then explained to Huayang some more reasons, saying that she knew Chen Jingzong must want to stay in Lingzhou to fulfill his filial duties like his brothers, but she didn't say it because she was afraid that Huayang would be unhappy. The more this was the case, the more Huayang should take the initiative to ask to stay in Lingzhou. Otherwise, she would go back first. People all over the world would praise Chen Bozong and Chen Xiaozong as the couple with pure and filial piety, so wouldn't the one-year mourning period for her and her husband be in vain
Huayang was persuaded by his mother that after the new year, the document from the Ministry of Personnel would be officially issued, asking Chen Jingzong to go to Lingzhou Guard to serve as a fourth-rank commander. Chen Jingzong was very surprised, but Huayang was well prepared.
Her mother entered the palace so late, but was able to successfully gain favor and be crowned queen. It was not just her beauty that she relied on. Although her mother sometimes asked her and her brother to do things they didn't like for the sake of the overall situation, Huayang knew that her mother was doing it for their own good.
"I don't want to go back so soon." Huayang sat on the chair opposite him, took the warm towel handed to him by Chaoyun, and said while wiping his face.
Chen Jingzong looked over in confusion.
Huayang snorted, "I came all the way from the capital to here. If I just stay in your ancestral home for a year and then travel thousands of miles back, wouldn't it be a loss? I have thought about it. I will write to my father and ask him to find a vacancy for you in Lingzhou. When the time comes, you will do your job well, and I will take the opportunity to visit the famous rivers and beautiful waters nearby. Also, this place is not far from Chibi and Yueyang. I want to see the Three Kingdoms Zhou Lang Chibi, and then go to Yueyang Tower to see the misty waves of Dongting Lake."
Of course, the most important thing is that she has to deal with King Xiang!
Chen Jingzong: …
"Just watch Red Cliff, what does it have to do with Zhou Lang?" After a moment of silence, Chen Jingzong asked, "If I had read less, I would have thought you had a male lover named Zhou Lang."
Chao Yun burst out laughing.
Huayang handed the used towel to Chaoyun and said to Chen Jingzong, "It is said that Zhou Lang is handsome, elegant and noble. He is a man of both literary and martial arts. If he is willing to be my male lover, what else do you have to do with it?"
Chen Jingzong sneered: "A romantic figure, but he died in his thirties. If you really marry him, you will have to be a widow like Xiao Qiao."
Huayang: …
Chao Yun smiled and said, "Princess, can't you hear that the prince consort is jealous?"
Huayang observed Chen Jingzong carefully. It shouldn’t be the case. Is it worth his concern about an ancient person who had been dead for more than a thousand years
Chen Jingzong drank his tea as if nothing had happened and said to her, "Since you want to stay here, I will talk to the Ministry of Personnel, and they will probably ask the emperor for permission."
Huayang nodded: "That's fine."
Chen Jingzong: "I'll go write the paperwork."
Huayang watched him walk towards the west wing which was converted into a study. When he was about to enter, he suddenly changed direction and quickly left Siyi Hall.
Chao Yun asked in confusion, "Where is the Prince Consort going?"
Huayang actually had no idea either.
There is a moon gate leading to the west courtyard of the main house. Next to the moon gate is a long corridor connecting the courtyards of the three brothers.
Chen Xiaozong coughed.
Chen Jingzong opened his eyes and waited for the two men to approach. He asked, "What are you going to say to the Ministry of Personnel?"
Chen Xiaozong looked at his brother and said, "I have discussed with my eldest brother and decided to ask the Ministry of Personnel to arrange a vacancy for us in Lingzhou Prefecture. Fourth brother, you are different. The princess is anxious to return to the capital, so you can go back without worry. We will take care of the two elders here, so you don't need to worry."
They all understood the fourth brother. If they were to marry the princess, they would have to give priority to the princess's preferences, unless there were no other brothers in the family to support their parents.
Chen Jingzong smiled and said, "I originally thought so, but the princess said that filial piety comes first among all virtues, and she wants to stay with me and wait to return to the capital with the two elders."
Chen Xiaozong was stunned. The princess looked so high and mighty, but how could she be so considerate
Chen Bozong glanced in the direction of Siyi Hall and said, "The princess is so virtuous, it is a blessing for our Chen family."
Chen Jingzong didn't tell his brother that the princess was still thinking about Zhou Lang!
"Are you going to write the documents now?" Chen Jingzong stood up. Although he was the youngest, only twenty-one years old, he was taller than his two brothers who were already fathers.
The two nodded.
Chen Jingzong said to his elder brother, "I have something to ask you, big brother. Let's go to your study room and talk."
Chen Bochong was slightly surprised, then took his fourth brother away.
In Guanhe Hall, Yu Xiu heard that her husband had returned and wanted to put down her needlework, but she saw through the window that her brother-in-law had also come. He was tall and handsome and had an awe-inspiring demeanor. Yu Xiu bit her lip, lowered her head and continued to do her own thing.
Chen Bozong asked the maid to prepare tea and took his fourth brother directly to the study.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
Chen Jingzong: "It's okay, just write the document, and I'll copy it after you finish it."
Chen Bozong: …
Chen Jingzong picked up a chair and put it next to the desk. Seeing that his elder brother was serious and wanted to reprimand him, Chen Jingzong said helplessly: "If you stay in Lingzhou, you will definitely have to talk about filial piety, and perhaps even quote scriptures. If I had so much ink, I would also take the examination for the top scholar. If elder brother is unwilling to help, then I will write a random letter. Anyway, I am thick-skinned, even if the Ministry of Personnel wants to take it to the emperor for review, I don't care."
Chen Bozong: …
Fourth brother is not afraid of losing face, but the Chen family cannot afford to lose this person.
Chen Bozong sat on the chair expressionlessly. Seeing that the fourth brother was not ashamed but proud, he pushed the inkstone over to him and said, "Grind the ink."
Chen Jingzong knew that his brother had to find something for him to do, so he picked up the ink stick nonchalantly, poured some water into the inkstone, and started rubbing it with a clicking sound.
Chen Bozong frowned.
When Chen Jingzong saw this, he inexplicably thought of Huayang. He wore an outer robe and wanted to sit on her Shu brocade quilt, and she also looked disgusted.
After all, he had to ask for help, so Chen Jingzong relaxed his strength and imagined that the ink stick was Huayang's tender flesh. He twisted it slowly and found it quite amusing.
Chen Bozong ignored him, lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then spread out a piece of ordinary writing paper, took a pen from the pen holder, dipped it in ink and began to write.
The top scholar who used to ride a horse through the streets is now in his thirties, but he is still as elegant and graceful as ever, and has become more calm and reserved.
The little maid brought over some tea and secretly glanced at the master of the house before leaving.
Chen Bochong was so focused on writing the document that he didn't notice it, but Chen Jingzong saw it clearly.
Do these women really like bookish men? They are both heroes from the Three Kingdoms period, so why did Huayang only praise Zhou Lang and not Guan Yu and Zhang Fei
He was grinding ink and daydreaming at the same time. Chen Bozong wrote a few lines and finished.
Chen Jingzong was about to take paper and copy it.
Chen Bozong couldn't bear to see him cheating in front of him, so he said, "Take it back and copy it. You don't have to return it. I'll write another one."
The two brothers wrote the same content, and the officials in the Ministry of Personnel are not fools.
Chen Jingzong turned around, waited for the ink to dry, then he smiled, folded it up and put it in his arms.
After returning to Siyi Hall, Chen Jingzong went straight to the study and bolted the door, as if he did not want to be disturbed.
Huayang continued to play shuttlecock.
Less than a cup of tea later, Chen Jingzong came out, holding the document he had just written, handed it to Huayang, and said seriously, "Take a look, is this okay?"
Not to mention this life, Huayang had never seen anything written by Chen Jingzong in her previous life. Even when he joined the army to quell the rebellion, he never wrote a letter home to her.
After making sure his palms were not sweaty, Huayang took the document and stood at the door of the main room to read it.
To be fair, Chen Jingzong's handwriting can only be considered ordinary, but it has its own sharp style. However, the words and sentences he chose in this document are really very different from his personality.
Huayang asked suspiciously: "Where did you go just now?"
Chen Jingzong: "Look for the old man. If you want to stay, I will definitely say hello to him."
This answer made sense, and Huayang continued to read the documents.
Chen Jingzong came close to her and asked, "How does my writing compare to Zhou Lang's?"
Huayang: …
I still don’t really believe it!
(End of this chapter)