My Husband is a Drama King [Book Transmigration] 85

Chapter 85: Arrival in the Capital

The work in the capital was not as dangerous as at the border. Xie Huaichuan just had to go on patrol with his subordinates. Because he was too idle, it was natural for the Ministry of Justice to borrow him.

This time, the Ministry of Justice had to catch a flower-picking thief. They had caught him together. The thief looked thin and tall. He had not expected him to know a few moves, and he was also very clever. They had almost failed to catch him.

Xie Huaichuan rolled up his sleeves, revealing his wheat-colored arms, which were wrapped in a white bandage.

“I almost had my hand cut off by that kid.”

Xu Zhici covered his mouth in surprise and put the Bobo Chicken on the other side. “You’re injured. Eat less spicy food. Your diet should also be light these days.”

Xie Huaichuan’s heart warmed, and he agreed. “You can’t judge a book by its cover. You have to be careful in everything. If you can’t handle it, you can come to me. At least I know a little martial arts.”

Xu Zhizhou and Xu Zhici nodded.

To dare to do something illegal at the foot of the emperor, he was really bold. Fortunately, he had already been caught.

Xu Zhizhou’s heart trembled. He always went out with his husband at night and was never alone. In the future, he had to find someone to go with him wherever he wanted to go and be careful.

He felt much more at ease when he returned to the residence.

.

After Song Changxu had arrived at the Ministry of Personnel, His Majesty had also issued a decree to reward him. He was very satisfied with the table he had made and planned to have the Ministry of Personnel and the local governments use it.

Seeing this, Director He was jealous, but he had already snatched credit once. It would not be good to do it again.

Anyway, Song Changxu was working under him. The future was easy to say. Thinking of this, Director He returned to his seat in a good mood.

Assistant Minister Su was not surprised. He knew that this method was indeed ingenious. “Congratulations.”

Song Changxu also replied with a smile.

Assistant Minister Su turned around and returned to his seat. Song Changxu let out a breath. This time, His Majesty had rewarded him with gold and silver jewelry. Zhizhou would surely like it.

But he still had to carefully plan for Director He. He was a narrow-minded person. Otherwise, he would not have held a grudge against Tong Yangyu and suppressed him, making him a county magistrate for so many years.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Song Changxu thought that he should go and ask Tong Yangyu about Director He.

Song Changxu pushed aside his thoughts and returned to his workstation to continue reviewing the documents. Many of the resignation documents first went through the Ministry of Personnel, and then were handed over to the Grand Secretariat, who would then present them to His Majesty.

Ever since the younger generation of the Xiao family had resigned, many of the military officers had also resigned. A junior fifth-rank official position had been vacated. Song Changxu saw that someone had recommended Xie Huaichuan.

Out of avoidance of suspicion, Song Changxu did not write his own opinion on this document, leaving it for the people above to decide.

At noon, Pei Shengrong was a little tired. He smiled and said, “Brother Song, I can’t eat with you in the future. I’m going to Youzhou. The eaves there have been severely damaged, and the Ministry of Works needs people to go.”

“This is a good thing. When you come back from Youzhou, Brother Pei, you should be promoted,” Song Changxu said, holding his soup bowl. “I’ll toast you a bowl.”

The little bit of gloom in Pei Shengrong’s heart disappeared after Song Changxu had said this. “You’re right, Brother Song. I’m going to Youzhou to make a contribution.”

The work in the Ministry of Works was a bit hard, but at least there was something to look forward to.

Song Changxu reminded him, “Don’t mind me for being nosy, Brother Pei, but when you get to Youzhou, you can check the old river dikes to see if they’ve cut corners. You also have to supervise the work yourself.”

Pei Shengrong: “You mean someone in Youzhou is corrupt, Brother Song?”

Song Changxu: “I don’t know. I just think we need to be prepared. If there really is a crime of corruption, you must not alert the enemy, Brother Pei.”

Pei Shengrong kept a wary eye. He still felt that it was impossible. His Majesty was wise, and the Ningxing Dynasty had existed for hundreds of years. How could there be so many corrupt officials?

He retained a bit of political naivety.

Song Changxu had a few bites of his food. He found Tong Yangyu. “Sir Tong, I’d like to treat you to dinner tonight.”

Tong Yangyu was surprised. “It should be me who treats you, Sir Song.”

The two of them made an appointment. After work, Tong Yangyu took Song Changxu to a small restaurant. The restaurant served home-cooked dishes. Tong Yangyu smiled. “I think you’ve been to many restaurants, Sir Song. The home-cooked dishes in this small restaurant have a different flavor.”

After working for a long time, they all knew which places were good. Tong Yangyu had been wanting to treat Song Changxu for a long time. This time, since Song Changxu had come to see him, it was natural for him to pay.

“Are you looking for me because of Sir He, Sir Song?” After Tong Yangyu had entered the palace as an official, he had had no contact with Song Changxu. The only connection was Director He.

Song Changxu: “You are indeed sharp, Sir Tong. It’s a bit presumptuous of me, but I wanted to ask what grudge you have with Sir He that has made him target you so much?”

The assistant brought the dishes and also a jar of wine.

Song Changxu did not want to drink anymore. Tong Yangyu understood and nodded, drinking by himself. They ate and talked.

“Sir He and I were Jinshi of the same year. His family background is good, and he is arrogant. I am from a declining aristocratic family. By my generation, we are very poor. When I was in the prefectural school, my knowledge was a cut above his, and my ranking in the palace examination was also ahead of his. Because my family had no background to smooth the way in the officialdom, I got the position of a local county magistrate, while he stayed in the capital and became a director of the Ministry of Personnel.”

“He has been a junior fifth-rank director all this time. His family has provided him with help, and he also has his own means. But according to my understanding of this person, his hands should not be clean,” Tong Yangyu said with a contemptuous smile. “He had the habit of playing leaf cards when he was young, spending a thousand gold in one go. Besides, he likes luxury and jewelry. The court’s salary and the money his family gives him are not enough, so it’s very likely that he has accepted bribes.”

Song Changxu’s heart was filled with awe. “Thank you for telling me, Sir Tong.”

Tong Yangyu: “It’s nothing. From the looks of it, you’ve had a conflict with him, Sir Song. He…”

Tong Yangyu chose his words carefully. “He was successful when he was young, and he was the center of attention in the prefectural school. He has been successful in the officialdom, which has made him even more arrogant.”

Song Changxu looked at Tong Yangyu and couldn’t help but ask, “For so many years, you have had outstanding political achievements in the local area, but you have been held back by Sir He. Do you not hate him, Sir Tong?”

Tong Yangyu took a sip of his wine and gave a bitter smile. “How can I not hate him? But what’s the use? I’m still stuck in a local place and can’t get out. I have no one to help me in the court. The people in the Ministry of Personnel would not know of his actions, but they would just turn a blind eye. In the officialdom, everyone just minds their own business.”

“I am a minor official in a remote place. Sir He is a director of the Ministry of Personnel. Which is more important? In the officialdom, the big fish eats the small fish, and the small fish eats the shrimp.”

Hearing this, Song Changxu was quite moved. As expected, it was the same everywhere.

After Tong Yangyu had finished, he drank the wine in his bowl in one gulp. “Actually, I was doing quite well in the county. I had already accepted my fate. When I went to the Ministry of Justice, my colleagues were not bad, and my family was also happy to have moved from a local place to the capital. For me, I still miss Zhouyuan County. I was already prepared to die there.”

“Sir Song, you recommended me on a whim, and I am very grateful. To have come to the capital is a new world. I can do more things. Besides, since I’m an official, who doesn’t want to be promoted? I’m already lucky that someone has seen me.”

Tong Yangyu said sincerely.

Song Changxu: “Sir Tong, I wish you a boundless future.”

Tong Yangyu laughed heartily.

After the two of them had separated, Song Changxu returned home. Xu Zhizhou had finished his dinner. He was still a little hungry and had someone buy some crispy chicken.

As soon as Song Changxu entered the house, he smelled a fragrant aroma, which made his stomach growl.

“Didn’t you have dinner with your colleague? You’re back now. There’s still a chicken leg. Do you want it?” Xu Zhizhou said, his cheeks puffed, and he handed him a chicken leg.

“I’ll have it,” Song Changxu answered.

Song Changxu’s mood recovered after he had finished the chicken leg. After Xu Zhizhou had washed up, he went to bed with a yawn. He talked about the flower-picking thief, his heart filled with fear. “It’s a good thing they caught this person. Otherwise, I don’t know how many people would have suffered. My brother-in-law is right. You can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Hearing this, Song Changxu was also shocked. “We have to be careful when we walk in the future. I got a reward from His Majesty today. Have a look.”

Song Changxu opened the box. A box of gold and silver jewelry, with three or four gold bars mixed in. This was a small reward. If he were to be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold every time, the national treasury would not be enough.

Xu Zhizhou: “Wow.”

He held the box, took the pearl necklace inside, and put it on his neck. He also put on the gold-inlaid bracelet and a pair of jade earrings. It was a pity that he didn’t have his ears pierced. He put the other pearl necklace on Song Changxu’s neck, wishing he could be a nouveau riche.

“We’ll save the gold bars and keep the pearl necklace,” Xu Zhizhou said with a smile, touching the necklace.

Song Changxu was in a daze. His family had been nouveau riche in the modern era. After they had gotten money, they had been quite extravagant.

Xu Zhizhou hid the things and happily snuggled up to Song Changxu.

Two months passed in a flash. Song Changxu had searched for some clues about Director He in the Ministry of Personnel. He had also gone to verify them from various sources and had found that he had indeed sold official positions and had accepted bribes. His hands were very dirty.

He held the evidence in his hand. A few days ago, Marquis Liu had invited Director He for dinner, probably for the sake of his son’s appointment. Song Changxu planned to catch him in the act, so that he would have no way to deny it.

Thinking of this, Song Changxu couldn’t help but feel a sense of pleasure.

Now, Director He was a fish on the chopping block, and he held the initiative.

.

Song Mingyan and the others had arrived in the capital after two months. Xu Cheng lifted the curtain and saw the bustling scene. He couldn’t help but poke his head out.

There were noisy sounds everywhere, and all sorts of shops. The fragrance of food wafted from the street. Xu Cheng couldn’t help but swallow.

The coachman stopped the carriage. They packed their bundles, paid the silver, and got off. They looked at the crowd on the street with a dazed expression. The four of them were a bit out of place.

A little boy ran up to Liang Su. “Ma’am, where do you want to go, or where do you want to wander? I’ve grown up in the capital. You can tell me where you want to go. I also know which inn is the best, and where the noodle soup and restaurants are the cheapest and most delicious. If you want me to be your guide, it’s only fifty copper coins.”

Seeing that the child was clever, Liang Su’s expression softened. The price was a bit high. On the way from Qishan Village to the capital, she had seen the difference in prices. If this child could really take them to Changxu’s, it would be worth the fifty copper coins.

“Here are fifty copper coins. Do you know the residence of the Director of the Ministry of Personnel, Song Changxu?”

The little boy took the copper coins and answered readily, “I do. Please follow me, ma’am.”

On the way, Xu Cheng was a little hungry. Song Mingyan saw someone selling hot buns. He went up and bought five, and divided them with Liang Su and Cao Qin.

They hadn’t eaten since they had arrived in the capital this morning. A hot bun was just right. Song Mingyan also gave one to the little boy.

A trace of pleasant surprise flashed in the little boy’s eyes. “Thank you, big brother.”

Song Mingyan smiled. “Eat.”

The little boy led them to the door of the Song residence. “We’ve arrived at Sir Song’s residence. Are you sure you don’t want to go anywhere else?”

He had earned this money too easily today, and he felt a little uneasy.

Song Mingyan: “We’re just going to the Song residence. Thank you for being our guide.”

The little boy said “alright” and then left.

The stone lions outside the courtyard were very imposing, with a red gate and white walls.

The stone lions had just been bought by Xu Zhizhou a few days ago. After all, with His Majesty’s reward, he could be a little extravagant. He had long been envious of the stone lions of other families. He took this opportunity to move two to his own house to show off.

Liang Su went up and knocked on the door. After a while, an old servant opened it. “Who are you?”

Liang Su said, “I am the mother of your family’s Sir Song.”

“So it’s the old madam. Please come in. The master’s husband has gone out and will probably be back at noon. We’ll send someone to find him right away.”

The red gate opened. Liang Su and Cao Qin walked in and saw the quiet courtyard, with rockeries and green shade. The koi in the pond were swaying their tails and swimming slowly.

Xu Cheng was attracted by the koi. He smelled the fresh fragrance of the grass. He stood on the bridge, his head reflected in the water. A koi’s tail flicked, and ripples appeared on the water. Xu Cheng found it interesting.

Song Mingyan pulled on him. He was a little reluctant to leave.

Ran Xingwen came to receive them. Seeing Xu Cheng’s appearance, he said gently, “Young Master Biao, I’ll get you some fish food later. When you throw it, these fish will all gather around.”

Xu Cheng’s eyes widened. He obediently answered “alright.”

He led them to the east wing. The four rooms were already tidy. Ran Xingwen lowered his head and said, “There’s hot water in the residence. Someone will bring it later. You can wash up first. We’ll go and prepare some other tea and snacks.”

Cao Qin was a little awkward with these arrangements. After the person had left, she and Liang Su both breathed a sigh of relief.

“In-law, I see that Changxu is very promising in the capital. This residence is so big. I’m dazzled,” Cao Qin was even more satisfied with this son-in-law. If Song Changxu was good, then Zhizhou would have a good life.

Liang Su: “Let’s go to our rooms. I also want to wash up. Otherwise, I’ll be all smelly.”

The four rooms had everything. Cao Qin sat on the bed, her body a little weak. She touched the bed. It was cotton, and the quilts were of top-grade cotton.

There was no water in the teapot on the table. The pattern looked expensive. There was also a dressing table, with a bouquet of flowers in a vase on it, the fragrance wafting to her nose.

Someone brought a bathtub, poured hot water, and tested the temperature before letting Cao Qin in.

Cao Qin had never experienced such a thing before. She suddenly felt a little uncomfortable, a little novel, and a little secretly pleased.

She was a farmer. How could she have enjoyed such things? This time, thanks to her son-in-law and her son, she had experienced it. She would tell Xu Sunzheng all about it when she went back to the village.

After her bath, she put on the clothes she had brought. An attendant said, “Madam, you can put your dirty clothes in the laundry basket. Someone will take them to be washed later.”

Cao Qin answered and found a laundry basket in the room. She put her dirty clothes in it. After her bath, she felt much more relaxed. She smiled.

“Where’s my mother—”

A familiar voice came from outside.

Cao Qin thought for a moment that she was still in a dream. In her dreams, she would often dream of Xu Zhici and Xu Zhizhou.

Ran Xingwen said something, and Xu Zhizhou’s footsteps grew closer. Cao Qin opened the door and went out to see her son.

Seeing Cao Qin, Xu Zhizhou shouted, “Mother!”

He ran and threw himself into her arms. “Mother!”

Cao Qin answered, “Get up. You’re so old. How can you act like this in front of others?”

She was afraid that Xu Zhizhou would not be able to command the servants below.

Xu Zhizhou held her hand. “It’s fine. I’m the master of the house. No one will say anything. I’ll go and see my elder brother and the others.”

Xu Cheng had been washed until he was fragrant, using bath pearls. He immediately fell in love with them.

Xu Zhizhou first took them to the main hall. An attendant served tea, as well as delicious and exquisite tea and snacks.

With Xu Zhizhou there, the four of them were much more relaxed.

Liang Su asked, “Is Changxu not at home?”

“My husband is on duty in the palace and will only be back in the afternoon.”

Xu Cheng was still thinking of the fish. He said, “Uncle-in-law, I want to go and feed the fish.”

“Xingwen, you can take him,” Xu Zhizhou answered, and then said, “Prepare a portion of tea and snacks for him. If he’s hungry later, he can have some. I’ll have the cook make a table of good food for lunch.”

Xu Cheng was overjoyed. “Uncle-in-law is so good.”

Xu Zhizhou was proud. He told Liang Su, Cao Qin, and Song Mingyan about his experiences in the capital. The three of them all sighed.

“After lunch, I’ll take you for a walk in the capital in the afternoon and buy some things. His Majesty has rewarded my husband with gold and silver. You don’t have to save money for him. Mother, do you want to go and see my elder brother?”

Cao Qin nodded. After seeing her younger son, she missed her elder son even more. Xu Zhizhou called for someone and had him listen to Liang Su and Song Mingyan’s words, and take Cao Qin to see Xu Zhici.

When Cao Qin saw Xu Zhici, she sighed again. She sized him up and saw that he was in good spirits, and she was satisfied.

“Mother, come and sit. Why are you here?” Xu Zhici personally poured a cup of hot tea for Cao Qin. They were in the noodle shop. There were few people eating now, only two or three.

Cao Qin remembered this. “Zhizhou wrote a letter and asked me to come. He said he was pregnant. I was thinking of coming to take care of him, and also to see you.”

Xu Zhici’s mind went blank. “Huh… is that so…”

How did he not know?

Xu Zhizhou quickly gave Xu Zhici a look.

From Xu Zhici’s words, Cao Qin sensed that something was off. She gave Xu Zhizhou a reproachful glance. “You didn’t even tell your elder brother about such an important matter. How can you be so careless?”

Xu Zhizhou: “I, I, I, I, I, I…”

***

Author’s Note:

Cao Qin: Why is this child stuttering?

Little Xu: I, I, I, I. [Crying]

Little Song: Another big pot. [Clown]