After entering the hall, the three brothers of the Chen family went to pay their respects to their parents first.
Chen Jingzong basically just had to stand by and wait for his two brothers to express their filial piety.
Sun smiled and said, "Okay, wash your hands quickly and sit over there. The children are already hungry."
Chen Bochong took the lead in bowing and leaving.
Huayang watched Chen Jingzong walking towards her with a fierce look in his eyes. But when she took a closer look, he was the same as usual, as if she had just seen it wrong.
Chaoyun brought a warm wet towel to the prince consort.
Chen Jingzong wiped his face and then his hands.
It has been sunny recently, and the roads are dry. The horses galloping past naturally raise a lot of dust.
However, Chen Jingzong rode faster and had less dust on his body, while the dust raised by his horse fell on Chen Bochong and Chen Xiaozong behind him.
The maids brought the food, and the three generations of the Chen family, who had been apart for more than a month, had a warm reunion dinner.
Chen Tingshi from the East Court did not show up, saying that he had caught a cold.
After dinner, Chen Tingjian looked at his three sons and said, "All of you come with me."
Chen Bochong and Chen Xiaozong followed immediately. Chen Jingzong didn't want to move, so Huayang secretly pinched him under the table and then twisted him up.
Chen Tingjian took his sons to the study and asked them one by one about the government affairs they had handled in the previous month.
He asked detailed questions and his sons' responses were flawless. Chen Tingjian listened silently, and if he felt something was wrong, he would give some pointers.
Chen Bochong and Chen Xiaozong were still young, and Chen Tingjian had worked in the six ministries for a period of time. His rich experience made him more than qualified to be a mentor in officialdom to any of his sons.
This conversation between father and son was bound to take some time, so Chen Jingzong found a chair for himself and sat down to listen.
Chen Tingjian's eyes twitched, but Chen Bochong and Chen Xiaozong pretended not to see it.
Half an hour passed unknowingly, and now it was finally Chen Jingzong's turn to answer.
Chen Tingjian took a sip of tea and was about to speak when Chen Jingzong yawned.
Chen Tingjian glared at him and asked the third brother to go back first.
Chen Xiaozong knew that something must have happened in Lingzhou City and it was related to his fourth brother, and his eldest brother also knew about it.
Although he was curious, since his father thought there was no need for him to get involved, Chen Xiaozong tactfully took his leave.
Chen Bochong sent his brother out of the study. He stood at the door, looked around, and made sure that only his father's loyal servant was guarding the door. He exchanged glances with the other person and closed the door again.
"You sit down too." Chen Tingjian pointed to another empty chair and said to his eldest son. It didn't make sense for an older brother to stand and wait for his younger brother to reply.
Chen Bochong had been riding and standing for half an hour and was indeed a little tired. After thanking his father, he sat down as if nothing had happened.
Chen Tingjian looked at the fourth brother and asked, "Has the princess already written a letter to the emperor about the Prince of Xiang?"
Chen Jingzong was not surprised at all that the old man knew about this, and said nonchalantly: "Well, it was sent out on the ninth day of the first lunar month, and the emperor should have seen it."
From Lingzhou to the capital, ordinary people's letters would be delayed for about a month on the road, and ordinary documents from officials would take half a month. If there was an urgent report, it could be delivered in three or four days at the fastest.
The letters from Huayang to the palace were sent via the special post station for ordinary officials.
Chen Tingjian pondered for a moment and asked, "Have you read the princess's letter?"
Chen Jingzong looked at him strangely: "Didn't you always tell me to respect the princess in front of her? How can a mere prince consort like me read the letter she wrote to the emperor?"
Chen Bozong frowned and said, "If you have seen it, then say you have. If you haven't seen it, then say you haven't. Stop being sarcastic."
It would be fine if I was rude to them, but I was also so rude even when I talked to my father. How disrespectful!
Chen Jingzong put his hands behind his head, leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes for a while, and simply repeated Huayang's letter.
Chen Bochong was still worried that the emperor would blame the princess for making a fuss out of nothing. The princes in various places had committed some illegal acts to a greater or lesser extent, and enslaving soldiers to build a garden was not really a serious crime. At least no emperor of this dynasty would punish a prince for such a reason.
It would be fine if the fourth brother just got scolded, the whole family would handle any problems together, but they did not want their own affairs to affect the father-daughter relationship between the princess and the emperor.
Chen Tingjian waved his hands and said, "The emperor is the most protective of his people. If the princess files this complaint, the emperor will only bear a grudge against the Prince of Xiang."
Although the emperor is lustful, he is generally a wise ruler who can tell right from wrong.
But Chen Tingjian still warned the fourth brother: "No matter how you act in the garrison, if you encounter any trouble, don't involve the princess."
Chen Jingzong sneered in response, saying that it was a gift from the Prince of Xiang that was sent to Huayang, otherwise he would not ask her for money even if the garrison was short of money.
Chen Tingjian continued to ask his son about the situation inside the guard post.
Chen Jingzong: "Spring ploughing is about to begin. I plan to follow the original division of military land and take back all the land that has been occupied by others and distribute it to the military households."
Military fields are used to support soldiers, which is enough to ensure that the military households have enough food and clothing. Now the fields of the military households have been occupied by the King of Xiang and local officials. The soldiers have no fields to feed themselves, and they can't get military pay. They can't even meet the basic needs of food and clothing, so how can they have the energy to train.
Chen Tingjian: "How can someone easily spit out the fat meat that has been swallowed into his stomach?"
Chen Jingzong: "It's useless for others to urge me. Who am I? I have a father who is a minister above me and a princess wife beside me. Who dares not to give me face?"
Chen Tingjian: …
He thought his son had some clever tricks, but in the end he still relied on his status as the son-in-law of the emperor.
"Do everything according to the rules, don't give others an advantage."
Obviously, the youngest son's side should be the most difficult to resolve, but the youngest son was lucky enough to become a royal consort, and he could get twice the result with half the effort, and he didn't even need Chen Tingjian's help with advice.
Chen Jingzong left first.
Chen Bozong poured another cup of tea for his father and whispered, "Father, although my fourth brother is a little reckless, he has a righteous heart. Not to mention the distant past, at least the more than a thousand soldiers enslaved by the King of Xiang have now returned to the garrison for training. Xiang Baoshan and his men tried to win over my fourth brother with their beauty, but my fourth brother was determined and was not deceived."
Chen Tingjian snorted, "If he didn't even have this little bit of merit, I would have disobeyed the order and would not have let him marry the princess."
Chen Bozong: "The princess is willing to cooperate with my fourth brother in this scene. Perhaps she does not have a negative impression of my fourth brother."
Chen Tingjian: "The princess is kind-hearted and only wants to help the soldiers in the garrison. It has nothing to do with love."
Chen Bozong was silent for a moment, then said, "Third brother may seem cynical, but he actually treats the princess with great respect. That day I just reminded him that the emperor might misunderstand the princess as spoiled and willful, but fourth brother got so angry that he refuted my questions one by one."
"Really? How did he refute it?"
Chen Bozong told the truth.
Chen Tingjian sighed, "The princess is neither arrogant nor indulgent, and she knows the big picture and takes the overall situation into consideration. It is indeed too unfair for her to marry into our Chen family."
Chen Bozong: …
As a son and eldest brother, he really tried his best to ease the relationship between his father and his fourth brother! .
Siyi Hall.
Chen Jingzong came back so late that Huayang was almost asleep.
Chen Jingzong looked over in surprise: "Did it soak?"
Huayang: …
She will just stay at the ancestral home for one night and leave at noon tomorrow. How greedy she is to bring back that kind of thing!
Chen Jingzong understood and casually put his robe on the hanger.
Chaoyun and Chaoyue brought in a bucket of warm water together.
After they left, Chen Jingzong wet a towel and wiped silently. After wiping, he put on his undershirt, came to the bed, and chatted with her: "I saw a vase of peach blossoms on the table, where did it come from?"
Huayang smiled and said, "Wanyi picked it."
Chen Jingzong: "I thought you only liked peonies."
Huayang: "I like all beautiful flowers, but I love peonies the most. By the way, what did father tell you?"
Chen Jingzong: "When you mention this, I feel sleepy."
Huayang pushed him away in annoyance. Since there was nothing to talk about, she turned her back and went to sleep.
Chen Jingzong suddenly came closer and placed his palm on her abdomen.
Huayang thought he had some improper thoughts, so he took his hand away. However, he shook his hand away once, but he held it out again. Apart from that, he did not do anything else.
"What?" she asked puzzledly.
Chen Jingzong: "See if you have gained weight."
Huayang: …
The next morning, Huayang went to Chunhe Hall to talk with his mother-in-law, mainly praising Chen Jingzong's achievements in the guard post.
In their previous life, the relationship between the couple was cold, and Chen Jingzong would not take the initiative to mention these things to her, and Huayang never thought of asking, so apart from seeing and hearing Chen Jingzong's faults, she didn't know what his strengths were.
Now that she knew that he was a hero on the battlefield and a good official in the garrison, Huayang wanted to let her mother-in-law and father-in-law know that their fourth son was no worse than his brothers.
Sun was pleased and said, "Finally he has done some practical things. It is worth it for the Emperor and His Majesty to choose him as their son-in-law."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were chatting happily when suddenly the cheers of children were heard from the small garden.
Sun asked the maid to go and see what happened.
The little maid ran back and said with a smile, "Madam, Princess, the prince consort is playing Cuju with the young lady and the others."
Sun was embarrassed: "I just praised him a few words and he went crazy. He is already an adult, but he actually wants to be the leader of the children."
Huayang: "It's a rare opportunity for me to come back, let him go."
After a while, Huayang brought Chaoyun back to Siyi Hall.
From time to time, the laughter and shouts of children could be heard in the garden.
About two quarters of an hour later, Chao Yun came in and said with a strange look on her face, "Princess, the prince consort just asked Zhen Er to tell him that he was thirsty and wanted to drink tea."
Huayang: "Then ask Zhen'er to send it over to him, bring a few more tea bowls, and prepare two kinds of cakes for the young lady and the others."
Chao Yun glanced at his master carefully and said, "The Prince Consort said he wanted to drink the tea you personally brought over."
Huayang slowly put down the book in his hand.
Chaoyun blushed for her own prince consort. Just drink tea, why make so many demands
Huayang didn't want to indulge Chen Jingzong's new habit, but she was a little curious why this man suddenly made such a request. Although he was shameless, he had never done this before.
She had nothing to do anyway, so after Chaoyun prepared the tea and pastries, Huayang took Chaoyun over.
In the small garden, Chen Jingzong and the children had just finished playing football and were sitting at the stone table to rest.
"Fourth Aunt is here!"
Saburo was the first to spot the princess.
Chen Jingzong looked over. It was only the end of February and the sun was a little brighter, but she was actually holding an umbrella.
The umbrella is made of green silk and the beauty has skin whiter than snow.
The children were stunned.
Chen Jingzong coughed, attracted the attention of his nephews and nieces, and then laughed softly, "Look how much your fourth aunt likes me, she personally brought me tea."
Four children:…
The tea was sent genuinely, but I couldn’t tell how much he liked it.
Huayang walked closer and asked Chaoyun to open the food box, put the teapot and teacups in the middle, and the cakes on the children's side.
Erlang's eyes turned and he said, "Fourth Aunt is so nice. She even specially sent us food."
Huayang sat on the stone bench that Wanyi had given up and said with a smile, "You must be tired from playing. Let's have some tea first."
Erlang chuckled.
Wanyi and Dalang both understood what he meant, so Fourth Uncle was really flattering himself just now.
Only Sanlang devoted himself to the pastries.
After looking at the children, Huayang turned his gaze to Chen Jingzong and happened to see a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.
She said disdainfully: "You're sweating, why don't you wipe it off?"
Chen Jingzong: "I didn't bring a handkerchief."
Erlang immediately took out his and handed it over.
Chen Jingzong glared at his nephew, then said to Huayang: "I only use yours."
At this time, Wanyi leaned close to Huayang's ear and whispered something.
Huayang then realized that when Chen Jingzong came back last night, Sanlang actually sympathized with him because no one went to pick him up, so he now wanted to save his face.
Staring at the useless man, Huayang silently took out a snow-white handkerchief and motioned Chen Jingzong to move his face towards him.
Then, Huayang wiped off the sweat for him personally.
(End of this chapter)