Chapter 120: An Upcoming Business Trip

P.S. Let me make this clear in advance: this is only a novel. Those of you who want the official history, turn left when you leave; there is a fairly authoritative work of history called *The Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance*. Old Dragon merely wants to tell everyone a story—to show the growth of a child, the joys and sorrows that come with growing up, and the love and hatred, the passions and grudges of this mortal world. That is all! Thank you all for your continued support. Thank you!

“Madam, please give your orders. How could I possibly refuse?” Madam Dou had always been mild and gracious, so the solemnity in her voice today clearly meant that something was afoot.

“I have a dear sister who is the first wife of Prince Luo Yi of Beiping. Her illness is the same as mine, and her birthday is one month from now.” Madam Dou’s gaze grew distant, as though she were reminiscing about her own girlhood.

“To tell the truth, the illness she suffers from is partly my fault. She has been burdened by it for so many years... Ah...! What am I saying? Why am I telling you this? Forget it. There are some things you are better off not knowing. I brought it up today because I want you to go and examine my sister. If there is any way to cure her, you must do so. It has been six or seven years since we last met, and I miss her terribly. Unfortunately, with this body of mine... Ah!

“Chai Shao is going to Beiping to deliver a birthday gift. Go with him. Return home and make your preparations; you will leave in three days. Remember! Examine her with all your skill. If you cure the Princess of Beiping, the prince will not treat you unfairly.”

Madam Dou made it sound like a discussion, but her tone was unmistakably commanding. Once the dignity of the Li family’s matriarch was brought to bear, it was quite intimidating. At least Yun Hao felt that this assignment was one he had to undertake, whether he wanted to or not.

“So the Princess of Beiping is ill. But if I leave, what will become of you? If your illness flares up again while I am away, and the Duke blames me, I certainly will not be able to bear the consequences.”

Damn it, did they think they could simply order him on a business trip and that would be that? The New Year was only a little over twenty days away, and the Princess of Beiping’s birthday was evidently a grand occasion. Judging by the date, it might even fall on the first day of the first lunar month. Truly, the empress was born on the first and the official on the fifteenth!

How was he supposed to spend New Year’s Day? He had an old mother at home, as well as a wife. He was being sent away during the most important holiday of the year—would there at least be travel expenses? This was to be his first New Year in this world, and Yun Hao was filled with resentment toward Madam Dou.

“I know my own body. There is no need to worry about me. I have already discussed this with the duke. Three days from now, simply leave with Chai Shao.” Madam Dou’s health had improved considerably, and Li Jiancheng had already slipped quietly back to Hedong. As for Li Er, no one knew what he had been busy with lately; he had vanished from sight all day long.

“Yes, Madam!”

Yun Hao had no choice. No matter how dissatisfied he was, he could only agree. Trying to discuss the concept of humane consideration with this old lady would probably end with him no longer being treated as a human being.

He returned to the Yun family estate with every reluctance in the world. The estate was still bustling with activity. About a mile away, a tract of land had been fenced off, and more than a dozen pigs were penned inside a stone-built sty. Whenever people saw those fat pigs, their faces lit up with joy. This year, the villagers would enjoy a prosperous New Year. To them, being able to eat meat during the holiday was the very definition of prosperity.

In previous years, being able to eat a proper meal at New Year was already considered fortunate. Which household had not survived by spending half the year on grain and the other half on wild vegetables? Nothing like now, when they ate white rice and large steamed buns every day, and even had three meals a day. They were living in such comfort that it almost seemed sinful. The villagers nearby could only stare enviously at the Yun estate, bitterly regretting that Li Yuan had not assigned their own households to Yun Hao.

In the past, the Yun estate had been desperately poor, and all the women from the estate had married out. Girls from neighboring villages were unwilling to marry into such a place, and many of the young men had been forced to rely on arranged bride exchanges before they could find wives.

Now the situation had completely reversed. The girls from the estate were unwilling to marry out. More often than not, the parents of two families had only to discuss the matter before a fine match was made. Girls from outside had to be chosen with the greatest care. This month alone, five or six lifelong bachelors had solved their most pressing personal problem.

Yun Hao, however, reserved judgment when it came to the villagers’ taste in women. Pretty girls were rejected outright; these humble villagers apparently cared nothing for a beautiful face. The women they favored were all broad-waisted, ample-bottomed, formidable wives. In Yun Hao’s eyes, each new bride was more robust than the last. Two of them were so fierce they might as well have grown beards, and their ruggedness was almost beyond description.

Whenever anyone saw Yun Hao’s carriage, they naturally stood respectfully at the roadside. Some even bowed in greeting to show their reverence. They genuinely adored this eight-year-old estate lord. Even an incident as serious as the outbreak of subterranean fire had been brought under control. In the old days, they would have long since thrown some unlucky child into the flames as a sacrifice to the gods.

Because the subterranean fire had been so serious, both Master Hongren and Yuan Tiangang had come to the estate. Hongren brought ninety-nine monks and conducted rites for three days. Yuan Tiangang arrived afterward and held Taoist ceremonies for seven days and seven nights. Master Shenxiu believed that the previous rites had failed to dispel the resentful energy of the underworld, so he brought a group of junior disciples and continued the ceremonies for another eighteen days. The rivalry between Buddhism and Taoism had never ceased beneath the surface.

Yun Hao sternly rejected Yuan Tiangang’s attempt to hold a thirty-six-day Taoist rite, and he also gave Huineng, who wanted to conduct an eighty-one-day Buddhist ceremony, a thorough scolding. Damn it, he was nothing but a lecherous monk, and whenever he came to pay his respects, his shifty eyes kept wandering toward Zhang Miaoke! If Yun Hao had not been unable to catch him, he would have smashed a brick over the man’s head long ago.

He ordered Old Liu to raise several fierce dogs and told him to set them on any monks or Taoist priests who came near, letting the beasts bite them senseless. After two attempts, the dogs disappeared.

Even though Yun Hao had made ample psychological preparations, he still had to admit that he had underestimated the shamelessness of these religious men.

“We cannot even spend the New Year at home?” Zhang Miaoke was just as stunned when she heard that Yun Hao was going to Beiping. This would be her first New Year since marrying into the Yun family, and she had very much wanted to celebrate it with Yun Hao.

“I made inquiries. The Princess of Beiping’s birthday falls on the first day of the New Year. If I deliver the gift then, I could grow wings and still not make it home in time for the holiday. I never expected to be saddled with an assignment like this, but refusing is not an option. From what Madam said, the two of them exchanged handkerchiefs when they were young. They must have been extraordinarily close.”

“It is terribly cold in Beiping. The sable cloak we just had made will be perfect for the journey. I will go and tell Uncle, and have Laisun and Qi Biao accompany you. You must have someone with you when you travel. If you get lost again, how am I supposed to go on living?”

Zhang Miaoke seemed to have been touched by some hidden impulse. She pulled Yun Hao into her arms with such maternal warmth that she looked ready to nurse him.

Yun Hao was deeply conflicted. It was difficult to say whether his feelings for Zhang Miaoke were rooted in a mother’s love or a husband’s affection. He now understood, at least somewhat, why the ancients so often found child brides for their sons. A bond suspended between maternal love and romantic affection was extraordinarily firm. No matter how shameless or heartless a man might be, he would still grow attached to the woman who had cared for him since childhood.

It was said that an emperor of the Ming Dynasty had married his wet nurse. Not as a mistress, either—he had truly moved his bedding into her quarters and lived with her.