"Have you finished your meal?"
"Yes, Grandfather. Now that you've returned, you’re really not leaving again, are you?"
"Silly child, of course not. This return is for your marriage. And also... oh, why bother explaining so much to a young girl like you? In any case, I came back to see you wed and to be your backing."
Wen Jiu looked around the mansion. Though it was spacious, grand, and pleasant to the eye, there was no sign of decadence or waste. She guessed that this table full of meat and fish must have been bought and prepared just for this meal.
"Grandfather, are you saying you don’t want Jiu’er to keep you company a little longer?" Wen Jiu asked, feigning a dejected mood.
"My dear child, the match I’ve arranged for you is Xiao Jue, the Heir Prince of the Xiao Prince’s Mansion. I didn’t want you to enter the Imperial household, but I had no choice but to bring you back."
"Why him?"
"I have weighed this carefully. There was a verbal agreement with his family—if I had a girl and they had a boy, they would become in-laws. Your uncle didn't have a daughter, only you. That old man passed away early, and I cannot go back on my word. You are now at the age of maturity; he can protect you. If you were to enter the Imperial palace, no one could protect you there. That is a bottomless pit that devours people. Even though we are your support, you are just a little girl—how could you possibly understand the intricate traps hidden inside?"
"But Grandfather, how do you know the Heir Prince is willing?"
"He has no say in the matter. I hold his grandfather’s handwritten note."
"But..."
"Don't worry. I’ve inquired thoroughly; he has no bad habits, no wives or concubines, and no bedchamber attendants. He keeps himself respectable. Grandfather knows this feels too rushed and unfair to you, but child, that father of yours cannot wait. Now that you are back, he will surely use you as a stepping stone to climb higher. He hasn't said it aloud, but I want to strike first. After all, I was truly blind back then; I misjudged him."
Wen Jiu had originally intended to resolve this matter upon her return. It seemed she would have to find an opportunity to sneak into the Xiao Prince’s Mansion at night.
***
In the Imperial Palace:
"Minister Su, stand up quickly! Is the Old General’s health in serious condition? I shall have the imperial physicians go and examine him at once."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but there is no need. My father is advanced in years and is being cared for attentively by our family physician. My father has asked us to offer his apologies to Your Majesty for failing to attend the imperial banquet."
"Your subject (Your subject’s wife) begs for forgiveness." The entire Su family knelt in the Chaoyang Hall, a unified and impressive sight.
"Minister Su, rise quickly. How could I blame the Old General? I am here to bestow rewards upon you. After more than a decade, my Defender-General of the State has returned, having held the Northwest for me. His achievements are unparalleled. Issue the decree!"
"Your Majesty, wait!" the Minister of Revenue, Xue Zhan, interjected.
The members of the Su family felt a sense of relief, yet they looked toward the Minister of Revenue, curious to hear what he would say.
"Oh? Minister Xue, what is the reason for your objection?"
"Your Majesty, the Defender-General of the State is already at the pinnacle of his status. I fear there is nothing left to reward him with." The implication was clear: he was at the highest rank, and any further elevation would make him a prince of a different surname.
"The Old General is already at the highest rank for a military official; that is a singular honor in the Capital."
"Nonsense! They have sacrificed for the Dachao for so many years, and you would dismiss it with a few words? Then simply confer the title of Prince of a Different Surname upon the Old General so he may enjoy his remaining years in peace. This is the least I can do! You lot live in luxury and have no idea of the cruelty of the battlefield, nor do you know what it means to face death nine times out of ten."
"Your Majesty, that must not be done!" the ministers knelt to dissuade him.
"Must not be done? It absolutely can be done! He has made great contributions to the state; that alone makes it appropriate," the Emperor said, his voice laced with resentment toward the officials.
"Your Majesty, please hear a word from Chenyan."
"Speak."
"Father has never thought of rewards; he only wished to do something for the Dachao. If Your Majesty truly insists on rewarding him, perhaps reward the soldiers instead. My second brother is still in the Northwest; he would surely be most grateful to Your Majesty if he received a reward."
"Look, look at you all! What on earth are you thinking about?"
"Father Emperor, the Northwest is currently as secure as a fortress with Marshal Su there. Perhaps it would be better to reward the soldiers with wine, meat, and warm clothing," the Crown Prince suggested.
"I second that."
"I second that."
"Imperial Brother, it wouldn't seem right to have no rewards at all! The Su family has been on the battlefield for generations. If the Old General is already at the limit, his sons can be promoted! His daughters-in-law can be given titles! They have fought through life and death; there must be some acknowledgment!" Prince Yong spoke smoothly.
"Prince Yong makes a valid point. But what positions would be suitable?"
"Imperial Brother, there are plenty of vacant positions." The implication was that it depended on how the Emperor chose to bestow them.
The Emperor gritted his teeth in secret; this Prince Yong was here to ruin his plans. He immediately spoke: "Right, the Minister of Personnel has just retired due to old age. I was just thinking about who could fill the vacancy. And here we are."
"Su Chenyan shall be the Minister of Personnel, holding the third rank, and his wife shall be named a Lady of the Third Rank."
"Su Luobai shall be the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, holding the fourth rank, and his wife shall be named a Lady of the Fourth Rank."
"We thank Your Majesty for your grace."
"As for the three young masters of the Su family, is there any reward you desire?"
"Your Majesty, can we ask for anything?" Su Jinxiu asked.
"Jinxiu, do not be impudent!"
"Tell me what you have in mind," the Emperor’s gaze grew cold. Could it be that the Su family was ungrateful?
"Then please bestow upon us three brothers some gold and silver jewels. It is time for us to find wives, and we have no money in our hands."
"Hahahaha! Is that all?" The Emperor’s face immediately brightened with joy.
"That is all."
"Very well! Reward each of the three young masters with ten thousand taels of gold. Also, remember to take that generous gift for the Old General along with you. Little Li, if you bungle this, your head won't stay on your shoulders!"
"This servant obeys, I will go at once."
"Congratulations, Imperial Brother. The Dachao has new officials entering the court; a new start for a new era. Come, come, Minister Su, Vice Minister, congratulations!"
"Congratulations to Your Majesty, congratulations to Minister Su, congratulations to the Vice Minister."
...
"That Prince Yong is absolutely infuriating! It seems I underestimated him; he usually doesn't make a sound."
"Your Majesty, do not be angry. Think of it this way: aside from the second branch of the Su family, the rest are now back in the Capital. Managing them will be easy. If they want positions, give them to them. It would have been impossible to give them no reward at all. Even though some people blocked you, the majority were in favor. This was merely an emergency measure. At least the Ministry of War was held back, wasn't it? That is a position with real power."
"Mm, you are right. Prosperity leads to decline; now is not the time to tear off the mask." The Emperor looked at the Minister of Revenue and asked, "Which prince do you favor?"
"Your Majesty is in his prime; this official is only loyal to Your Majesty. Please, do not frighten this old official." The Minister of Revenue was so terrified he fell to his knees.
"Look at how pathetic you are. The Crown Prince and the others are competing quite heatedly, aren't they?"
Xue Zhan, the Minister of Revenue, dared not utter a sound.
***
"Husband, what do you think the Emperor meant by these rewards?" Madam Zhao asked while sitting in the carriage.
"Ask Father when we return. In any case, it is not a good thing. Now that we have accepted them, we must tread carefully. This is meant to make enemies for us."
"Why?"
"Minister of Personnel, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review... hah."
As the sky gradually darkened, the carriage arrived at the General’s Mansion. The party walked inside, their expressions grim.
"The master, the madam, and the young masters have returned," the servants reported.
No sooner had they stepped inside than they heard the old man’s hearty laughter, followed by the old lady’s laughter, and the laughter of a young girl. One of them asked the servant, "Who is visiting the mansion?"
"Replying to the Master, it is the young cousin. She has been accompanying them since lunch."
"Young cousin?"