Wish You All the Best - Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Two months later, early spring. Deep in the vast wilderness outside Suye City, the horizon remained a continuous stretch of white, blanketed by snow that had yet to melt. However, near the city and the smoke of human dwellings, the soil, which had been frozen for a long winter, had begun to soften. With several consecutive days of clear skies, the area in front of the low houses at the material depot had seen, over the last two days, sparse patches of damp moss quietly sprouting from the crevices between the stones at the base of the walls.

After noon, Pei You'an rode "Treading Snow" to Suye City. News had arrived that Old Master Tang had come to Suye City in person and requested Pei You'an’s presence. Not long after the previous battle, Old Master Tang had sent people to Suye City to temporarily take over the Regional Command Office. Pei You'an had returned to the material depot, waiting for further disposition while living the simple life of a new father with Jiafu—caring for Ci'er and nourishing Jiafu’s health. In the midst of this busyness, two months had passed before they knew it.

Regarding that previous incident, although Old Master Tang had previously given his word, allowing Pei You'an to act according to his own discretion, taking that "discretion" to such an extent could, in the worst light, be considered treason and rebellion. During these two months, Old Master Tang must have already reported the matter to the Emperor.

Although her intuition told Jiafu that it shouldn't be a major issue—thinking that, regardless of what happened, the Emperor would not go so far as to behead Pei You'an—she still could not be certain of what was on the Emperor’s mind right now. It was not impossible that, if he were still angry with Pei You'an, he might take the opportunity to make things difficult for him or pile on additional charges. Therefore, after Pei You'an left, Jiafu felt a bit uneasy. She stayed inside with their son and two maidservants, doing needlework to pass the time. As night fell, she played with her son for a while, and seeing that he was tired, she got into bed to nurse him. After Ci'er was full, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

Jiafu leaned against the head of the bed, picking up the tiger-head shoe she hadn't finished during the day. She was slowly stitching the head of the little tiger on the toe when she suddenly heard the sound of the door being pushed open gently. She turned her head and saw that Pei You'an had returned.

Pei You'an took off his outer coat, washed his hands, and walked to the bedside on tiptoe. He leaned over to look at his sleeping son, gently touched his little cheek, and a smile appeared on his lips. He then sat on the edge of the bed and reached out his hand toward Jiafu.

Jiafu nestled into his embrace and asked him in a low voice if he had eaten. He said he had already dined with Old Master Tang in the city.

Jiafu could see that he seemed to have something to say to her, so she looked up at him.

Pei You'an’s palm gently stroked the thick hair hanging down at her waist. "Fu'er, I saw the Old Master during the day. The imperial court has approved his retirement, and in a few days, he will return to the interior, laying down his armor to return home. However..."

"The court asked the Old Master who could replace him, and he recommended me; the court agreed. Today, the Old Master brought the imperial edict with him..."

He paused.

The imperial edict that Old Master Tang had read to him today first listed his crimes. The Emperor chided him for being bold and reckless, for having no regard for law or discipline, and stated that his crimes were originally subject to an additional degree of punishment, which would have been strictly enforced without mercy. However, considering that it was an act of expedience in an unavoidable situation and that he had ultimately achieved great merit, and furthermore, that he had immediately submitted a petition to the Longyou Jiedushi (Military Governor) Office to admit his guilt and plead for understanding, it was confirmed that he had acted out of public interest. Thus, his punishment was lightened: he was fined one year's salary. Moreover, because he had received strong recommendations from Old Master Tang—who had also provided a personal guarantee—the court decided to accept the recommendation and appointed Pei You'an to succeed to the position of Longyou Jiedushi. He was exhorted to learn from this lesson, remain loyal to the monarch and patriotic to the country, and never again betray the high hopes the court held for him, and so on.

Jiafu let out a sigh of relief.

So she had really been overthinking it.

More than a year after leaving the capital, despite such an incident occurring, the Emperor not only did not hold him accountable, but instead took the opportunity to appoint him as Jiedushi.

Although in her previous life, Pei You'an had died while holding this very position of Jiedushi, having gone around in a circle this time, he had returned to the same spot. But Jiafu was not worried.

She was deeply convinced that Pei You'an's death in Suye City in her past life definitely had something to do with Xiao Yintang; this could be inferred from Xiao Yintang's delirious mutterings before he died.

In this lifetime, Xiao Yintang had been deposed and imprisoned at the ancestral grounds of the Xiao family in Gengzhou. The possibility of him making a comeback was extremely slim. As for the deposed Crown Princess Zhang Fengtong, according to what Cui Yinshui had told her, she had previously given birth to a baby girl, who died before she was a month old. Zhang Fengtong was consumed by grief, weeping day and night. Her longing for her daughter caused her to fall ill, and eventually, she descended into madness. Not only did she lose control of her bodily functions, but she even, in front of the palace attendants, mixed her own filth into her food and ate it. Everyone was horrified, yet she laughed and acted as if nothing were wrong, engaging in conversations with her dead daughter and undoing her clothes to breastfeed her. Half a year had passed by then, and by law, she should have been sent to the ancestral grounds to be imprisoned. At that time, Old Master Zhang, who had already returned to his hometown, submitted a tearful petition to the Emperor begging for extrajudicial mercy. The Emperor ordered the imperial physicians to examine Zhang Fengtong, confirmed she had indeed lost her mind, and allowed the Zhang family to take the deposed Crown Princess back. It is said that since then, she has been kept under house arrest by the Zhang family in a deep courtyard, never to see the light of day. One imagines that this is how she will live out the rest of her life in this world.

Everything was different from before. In this life, even if he circled back and Pei You'an ultimately returned to Suye City, and even took on the position of Jiedushi, Jiafu knew that he and she would certainly walk hand-in-hand and grow old together.

"Fu'er, should I accept the position of Jiedushi or not?"

Pei You'an’s expression was somewhat heavy. After remaining silent for a moment, he suddenly asked her.

Jiafu climbed out of his embrace and looked at him, saying: "Big Cousin, although you ask me, I know that in your own heart, you must already have your own considerations. Although the seal of the Jiedushi is bestowed by the imperial court, and the salary you receive is also issued by the court, the people who call you 'My Lord' and look forward to you bringing them a peaceful life are the thousands upon thousands of commoners. Big Cousin, you are an official not for the sake of the Emperor, but for the sake of the common people. It was like that before, and it is the same now. If you do not take it and it is replaced by another person like Hu Liangcai, the ones who will suffer in the end are still the people under your administration. Since the imperial court has issued the edict and the Old Master has recommended you so highly, even providing a guarantee for you, if you were to decline..."

Jiafu secretly glanced at him. "After all, that person is the Emperor. Setting aside whether he would punish you for resisting an imperial decree, would you not be betraying the trust of the Old Master?"

After receiving that decree during the day, Pei You'an’s mind had been somewhat dazed. After returning, he had asked Jiafu on an impulse, but he hadn't expected her to offer such advice. Each and every word seemed to speak directly to his heart. He was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but feel ashamed. He sighed, "Fu'er, it is a shame that as a grown man, when faced with this matter, my mind was not as broad as yours, a woman. You are right; serving as an official is for the sake of the people, not for the sake of one family or one surname. With the Old Master trusting me so much, how could I let him down? As for this seal, my late father once used it, so now I shall simply follow in his footsteps. If I can bring benefit to the people of this region, it will not have been in vain that my late father nurtured and raised me!"

As the saying goes, those involved are often the most confused. Given his current relationship with that person in the imperial palace, Jiafu knew he must have harbored a grudge in his heart, which was why he had been hesitant.

When a smart person has a mental knot, they are often the least capable of untying it themselves. Seeing that he had been enlightened by her words, she felt happy, yet she deliberately furrowed her brows. "Big Cousin, what do you mean by that? Why must a woman’s heart be narrower than a man’s?"

Pei You'an was startled, then burst into laughter. He patted his own forehead, pulled Jiafu onto his lap, and kissed her to apologize. That night, there was infinite warmth in the room. By their side, Ci'er was also exceptionally well-behaved, sleeping next to his embracing parents, enjoying a sound sleep until dawn.

Half a month later, the former Longxi Jiedushi finished his term and left, and Pei You'an succeeded him as Jiedushi.

When the news spread, the entire population of Suye City was in an uproar.

It must be known that when the previous battle concluded, after Pei You'an had handed over the seal to the person sent by Old Master Tang, taken upon himself all the blame, and left the city, all the people in the city were sweating for him, fearing that the Emperor would punish him. Having heard such news today, how could they not be overjoyed? However, the yamen of the Longxi Jiedushi had always been established in Yongzhou, which was closer to the interior and directly across from the border city of Suye. While the people were happy, they were reluctant to see Pei You'an leave. The next day, many people gathered spontaneously, numbering in the thousands, and came to the material depot in a grand procession with gongs and drums.

Jiafu was packing things in the room at the time. Pei You'an was lying on the bed, holding Ci'er on his chest, teasing the dear child, and the room was filled with the laughter of father and son.

Having lived here for nearly a year and a half, now that they were moving away, Jiafu felt a pang of reluctance in her heart. As the saying goes, one treasures even one's own worn-out broom. Even that old bed whose leg had been repaired by Pei You'an now seemed to be filled with warm memories. She was busy, reluctant to throw this away, wanting to take that with her, when she suddenly heard a clamor from outside. Old Ding came running over in a rush, shouting from a distance: "Master Pei, many people from the city have come to see you and the Madam off!"

Pei You'an sat up and exchanged glances with Jiafu. Jiafu hurriedly took Ci'er over, handed him to Tanxiang, and helped Pei You'an tidy his clothes. The two of them went outside to see that the area outside the material depot gate was crowded with people. Some were clutching chickens, others carrying wine, and there was a little lad holding a small lamb in his arms. When he saw Pei You'an and Jiafu come out, he ran over quickly and held the lamb high up. An old man kowtowed and said: "This is my grandson. This lamb was raised by him. We brought it here today, please, Master and Madam, do not take offense. It is truly just a little token of our family's sincerity!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the others also knelt down one after another, competing to present the things they had brought.

Pei You'an hurriedly went to help the old man up and told everyone to get up, saying that he would not accept the gifts. But those people were not about to listen. No sooner did he help one person up than another would kneel down, surrounding him. One person said: "If it hadn't been for you, Master, protecting the city that day, we wouldn't know what would have become of us now, let alone these things! Please, Master, you must accept!"

Jiafu was deeply moved and felt all the more proud to have such a husband. Seeing the little child still holding the lamb high, imitating his grandfather as he knelt there, she noticed that although the lamb was only a few months old, it had been raised to be round and chubby, showing that it had been cared for attentively. Thinking it must be quite heavy and that the child was struggling to hold it up but still trying hard, she walked over, took the lamb from his arms, and said with a smile: "You really like this little lamb, don't you? Take it back; Master Pei won't accept it."

The child seemed shy, but he shook his head and refused.

Pei You'an’s expression softened, and he raised his hand, signaling the crowd to quiet down. He said: "Pei has only done his duty, yet I have received such great affection from all of you, the elders. I am beyond grateful and even more ashamed. When I was a youth, I came to Suye City twice, and I hold a special affection for this place. This city is near the border, has a large population, and its geography is strategically important. I will not hide it from you elders: I am considering moving the Jiedushi yamen here, which will be more conducive to defending the border in the future. My wife and I accept your kind intentions today, but as for these things, please take them all back!"

The people were reluctant to let him go, and upon hearing that he planned to move the yamen here, they erupted in thunderous cheers. But as for the gifts, they refused to take them back no matter what. They kowtowed to the couple, laid the items down, and began to leave, all of them beaming with joy.

Pei You'an, for all his unparalleled wisdom, was at a loss when faced with so many people who would force their gifts upon him and then just walk away.

Jiafu then took a step forward and said loudly to the crowd: "Esteemed elders, the Emperor once issued a strict order: if an official takes the belongings of the people, it is considered as embezzlement. Even if the people offer them willingly, one must not take them recklessly, otherwise, it is a violation of the laws of our Great Wei. Please listen to Master Pei’s words. We have received your kind intentions, and we are eternally grateful, but please, you must take these things back!"

Reminded, Pei You'an hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute.

After Jiafu finished speaking, she personally picked up the little lamb, placed it back into the child's arms, and smiled as she helped him up from the ground.

The people looked at each other for a moment before they were finally left with no choice but to pick up the items they had just put down. Yet in their hearts, their admiration and respect for this incoming pair of new Jiedushi and his wife grew even deeper. They kowtowed once more to express their gratitude before standing up and departing happily.

A month later, the imperial court approved the request for the Longxi Jiedushi yamen to move to Suye City, with the office to be established within the original Regional Command Office.

On this day at the end of the fourth month in the third year of Zhaoping, escorted by a squad of soldiers, Pei You'an, carrying Jiafu and Ci'er in a horse-drawn carriage, entered Suye City amidst the gongs and drums of the welcoming crowds to take up residence in the Jiedushi yamen.