La vie des gens de la campagne en ville sous la dynastie Song

Chapitre 90

He ran to the small house where smoke was rising from the chimney, and soon an old woman came out, her steps unsteady. Qin Zhen hurried over, took the old woman's hand, and said, "Mother-in-law, do you still remember me?"

The woman's eyesight wasn't very good, and after a few glances, she said uncertainly, "Could it be...the Empress?"

"Yes, it's me."

The mother-in-law hurriedly invited Qin Zhen into the house to sit down. When she saw Zhao Gou standing behind them with his two children, she became even more excited and said, "What can we do... We have nothing at home. Please, sir, have a seat. I'll prepare some tea right away..."

Qin Zhen quickly stopped his mother-in-law, saying, "Don't rush, make yourselves at home. We came here today specifically to visit you, so there's no need for formalities."

"Well... Fei'er and Afen have gone up the mountain. You all wait here." The mother-in-law said to the little boy beside her, "Yun'er, quickly go and find your parents. Tell them that distinguished guests have arrived!"

"Hey!"

Yue Yun ran a few steps and pointed to the path along the lake, saying, "Grandma, Mom and Dad are back."

Everyone turned around and saw a man carrying a large bow on one shoulder and prey on the other, walking back with a young woman carrying a bamboo basket on her back, chatting and laughing.

The setting sun cast golden rays across the crescent-shaped lake, reflecting the happy smiles of the two, making others envious.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky Chapter 172 Retrieving the Powerful Bow from its Sheath

Yue Fei and his empress, who had just returned home, stood in front of their house in a daze. They never expected that the emperor and empress would bring their child to their farmhouse. How could they not be surprised?

They were once such close siblings and friends, but they were separated for twelve years. Now that they have met, they don't know what to do. How should they settle the score for what happened back then?

Wu Shaofen was the first to react, and immediately kowtowed to them, saying, "This humble woman greets Your Majesty and Empress." She then tugged at her stunned husband beside her.

Yue Fei's expression was complex, and he must have been feeling extremely distressed. He knelt on one knee and said, "This humble subject greets Your Majesty and Empress. May I ask what brings you two to my humble home?"

Such a distant tone almost made Qin Zhen lose hope. Yes, back then she persecuted the late emperor and forced him to retire. How could she expect Yue Fei to greet her with a smile?

When she came to her senses, Zhao Gou had already stepped forward to help Yue Fei and Wu Shaofen up, and said earnestly, "You two have suffered so much these past years."

Qin Zhen lowered his head and walked over to Yue Fei, asking, "Brother, how have you been these past years?"

Yue Fei didn't even look at Qin Zhen, but clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am well."

Seeing the strange atmosphere and that the children were tired of standing, the mother-in-law quickly said, "Come inside and sit down to talk. Why are you all standing outside?"

Wu Shaofen helped her mother-in-law prepare tea, and Qin Zhen sent the two children away. Yue Yun volunteered to lead Zhao Jiu and Zhao Jin outside to play, and the three of them finally sat down to have a proper conversation.

"Brother, are you still blaming me?" Qin Zhen asked in a low voice. Yue Fei did not answer or look at Qin Zhen.

Qin Zhen continued, "I know you've been blaming me, hating my disloyalty to the late emperor, and resenting me for forcing you out of the capital, preventing you from realizing your ambitions for over a decade. I've come today specifically to apologize to you, elder brother, and ask you to calm your anger."

Yue Fei sighed deeply, then raised his head to look at Qin Zhen and said slowly, "Your Majesty is too kind. I have spent these thousands of days and nights in conflict. Seeing the people outside the mountains living better days by day, I am grateful that the Song Dynasty has a wise ruler like Your Majesty, but whenever I think of the late Emperor who died unjustly, I still feel indignant. Now, I can no longer distinguish right from wrong, so how dare I question Your Majesty and Empress?"

Seeing that Yue Fei's attitude had wavered, Zhao Gou said, "General Yue, Zhen'er had no choice but to send you back to your hometown back then, fearing that your upright nature would be taken advantage of. Now the situation is settled. I have passed the crown prince position to Zhao Yi, and the throne will soon be returned to him. So don't dwell on the past anymore. Come back. With you assisting the crown prince, Zhen'er and I will feel more at ease leaving."

Yue Fei was shocked and said, "Is Your Majesty really going to abdicate early?" Although he had always believed that Zhao Gou's throne was not legitimate, he could not believe it when he heard Zhao Gou say that he wanted to abdicate early.

"We've been busy for so many years. Zhen'er and I want to travel around with our children. We can leave the country to the Crown Prince and the important officials in the court. There's no problem with that."

Qin Zhen chimed in, "The Crown Prince is diligent and loves his people, which puts our minds at ease. If my elder brother were to return to court to help the Crown Prince protect the Song Dynasty, it would be like adding wings to a tiger."

Wu Shaofen was carrying tea into the hall when she heard these words. Gratefully, she bowed to Qin Zhen and said, "We are deeply grateful that Your Majesty and Empress have forgiven us for our past grievances!"

When Yue Fei saw that his wife had already agreed on his behalf, and also because he was grateful for the long-lost sibling bond between Qin Zhen and the Emperor who had come to visit him, he readily agreed as well.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty and Empress. I will do my utmost to assist the Crown Prince and vow to defend every inch of the Song Dynasty's land!"

"Brother," Qin Zhen stepped forward to help the couple up, saying, "Please forgive me. Call me 'sister'!"

Yue Fei looked at Qin Zhen awkwardly, but his expression gradually softened, and he finally smiled at Qin Zhen.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the door. The next moment, Zhao Jiu rushed into the hall like a whirlwind, holding the soaking wet Zhao Jin in his arms.

"Mother, please save Jin'er!"

Qin Zhen was shocked. After taking the child and checking on him, she breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out the child had only choked on a few mouthfuls of water. It wasn't serious, but what had happened?

Yue Fei looked at his son Yue Yun, who ran in after him. He was also soaked to the bone; it was early spring, and the child was shivering from the cold.

"Yun'er, what's going on!"

Yue Fei's voice was authoritative, and he was usually extremely strict in disciplining Yue Yun. Seeing how easily his father could get angry, Yue Yun immediately knelt down and said, "Yun'er did not take good care of the guest and let her fall into the water."

"You..." Yue Fei said angrily, "If anything happens to the princess, you won't have enough heads to chop off!"

"Brother!" Qin Zhen hurriedly stopped Yue Fei, who was disciplining the children, and said, "It's not entirely Yue Yun's fault. My two children like to play around. They must have wanted to go to the lake to play on their own."

Sure enough, the next moment Zhao Jiu knelt down and said, "Mother, please punish me. I didn't listen to his advice and insisted on taking my sister to play by the lake, but I failed to take good care of her. In the end, he was the one who could swim and went into the lake to rescue her."

Zhao Jiu's head was almost touching the ground. He had nearly killed his sister. If he hadn't insisted on going to the lake with Yue Yun, Zhao Jin wouldn't have slipped into the water. He was filled with resentment, realizing that he, who always believed himself to be skilled in martial arts and capable of protecting his family, was utterly helpless the moment Zhao Jin fell into the water, discovering in despair that he couldn't swim and was completely powerless to help her!

"Alright, we'll talk about it later. Your clothes are all wet, hurry up and change into something dry so you don't catch a cold." Qin Zhen led Zhao Jin and Zhao Jiu into a room to change, while Yue Yun was also taken away by Wu Shaofen. Zhao Gou and Yue Fei remained in the hall to discuss matters.

Looking at the increasingly composed emperor before him, whose very being exuded a kingly aura, Yue Fei suddenly felt a pang of regret. Zhao Gou had reigned for less than fifteen years, yet he had brought about earth-shattering changes to the lives of the people. Yue Fei had many reflections on this over the years. Aside from the events before his ascension, he had to admit that Zhao Gou was a good emperor, and perhaps he should truly forget those old stories.

Volume Two: Eagle Soars Through the Sky, Chapter 173: A Loving Mother Passes Away

It was late, and Zhao Jiu was lying on the earthen bed but could not fall asleep. He saw a figure through the window and looked closely. It was Yue Yun squatting in the night wind with his horse stance.

Zhao Jiu walked out of the house and came to Yue Yun's side, asking, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Yue Yun turned to Zhao Jiu, bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness. I haven't finished my homework for today. My father instructed me to finish today's work today, and even if it's late, I will finish practicing before going to sleep." His parents had already told him the identity of the guests in the house and that his father had once been a great general, which shocked him greatly.

Zhao Jiu was silent for a while before saying, "What happened this evening was my fault. I've dragged you into this. I apologize. I'm sorry."

Yue Yun replied with a smile, "It's alright, I was just scolded by my father. It's good that the princess is alright."

Seeing that the two got along well, Qin Zhen was happy for Zhao Jiu. Yue Yun was honest and upright, and with him as Zhao Jiu's good friend, Qin Zhen felt much more at ease with Zhao Jiu.

After staying at Yue Fei's farmhouse for a day, Zhao Gou and his family were about to say goodbye and continue their journey north. Yue Fei, along with Yue Yun, escorted them all the way to Tangyin County.

Zhao Jin poked his head out of the carriage, looked at Yue Yun sitting in front of Yue Fei's horse, and handed over a small purse, saying, "Thank you, Brother Yun, for saving me yesterday. Please accept this gift as a token of my gratitude."

Seeing his father nod, Yue Yun leaned forward to take the item, saying, "Thank you, Princess."

Zhao Jin said, "Brother Yun is my savior. Just call me Jin'er like you would a brother. See you later."

Zhao Jiu also clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhao Yun and said, "Brother Yue, we'll meet again in the capital."

Several adults watched them get along well and were pleased. Yue Fei saw them off a couple more times until their carriage disappeared into the distance.

Their next stop was the Zhenbei General's Mansion in Qijin Prefecture, the residence of Liu Qi and Ji Wushuang. Qin Zhen originally didn't want to disturb them, but instead wanted to go directly to see Liao King Ao Luwo and his sixth senior brother Yelü Huan. However, Zhao Gou was concerned about his status. If someone with ulterior motives discovered his "private visit" to Liao, it might cause some unnecessary trouble. Therefore, he decided to wait for Qin Zhen and the children to return in Qijin Prefecture.

Zhao Gou patted his son on the shoulder and said, "You must take good care of your mother and sister on the road, understand?"

Zhao Jiu said confidently, "I understand, Father!"

Zhao Gou's sudden appearance kept Liu Qi quite busy for a while. He had clearly heard that the Emperor and Empress were inspecting the south of the Yangtze River, so why would he suddenly appear on the northern frontier? For a moment, Liu Qi thought that something had happened with the Liao Kingdom, and there was an emergency. Fortunately, Zhao Gou repeatedly emphasized that he was really just there to have some fun and take a look around. Only then did Liu Qi calm down.

The waiting period wasn't too difficult. Zhao Gou asked to visit the military camp incognito, so Liu Qi gave Zhao Gou a set of soldiers' clothes and led him out of the city.

The Zhenbei Army, led by Yue Fei many years ago, was known for its strict discipline and excellent training. Since Liu Qi took over, although life had become increasingly peaceful, they dared not slacken their training in the slightest. When Zhao Gou went to inspect the situation, Liu Qi showed no alarm and revealed nothing, which greatly impressed Zhao Gou.

They stayed in the military camp for half a month. An urgent letter from the south suddenly disrupted their plans. After reading the letter, Zhao Gou immediately wrote back to Qin Zhen, and then hurriedly returned to the city.

Qin Zhen's birth mother, Wang, is critically ill. She only hopes to see Qin Zhen one last time!

Liu Qi personally escorted Zhao Gou to the Tianjin ferry crossing, where a boat was prepared to await Qin Zhen's arrival across the Bohai Sea. They waited only one day before Qin Zhen and his two companions arrived, and then boarded a specially prepared large sailing ship to quickly head south.

When Zhao Gou saw Qin Zhen, he didn't say anything. Seeing her pale face, he hugged her and patted her.

Traveling by water from northern Xinjiang to Lin'an is much faster than by land. In addition, this was a boat specially prepared for them, and it did not stop along the way. Even so, it still took three nights to reach Lin'an.

On the fourth day at noon, after disembarking at the dock in Lin'an, they were already waiting there. They changed to a carriage and headed straight for the Qin residence in Lin'an city.

The Qin Mansion in Lin'an was bestowed by Zhao Gou when Qin Hui returned to his hometown. It was the first time Zhao Gou and Qin Zhen had come back. Without looking at anything, they followed the guide straight to Wang's sickbed.

Passing through the hall and along the winding corridors, Qin Zhen felt that this short journey had been incredibly arduous. Zhao Gou quietly held Qin Zhen's hand, offering her silent support. Jin'er and Jiu'er were also worried when they heard that their grandmother, whom they had never met, was seriously ill. After entering the mansion, everyone walked very quickly. Zhao Jin was too young to keep up, so Zhao Jiu picked up her younger sister and followed their parents towards the inner courtyard.

The maidservant guarding the door saw a group of people rushing towards the old lady's room. Although the young man and woman at the head of the group looked pale, they could not hide their noble air. She thought to herself, "This must be the Emperor and Empress!"

The maid opened the door and announced to the room, "Master, Madam, come and see who has come."

Qin Hui, whose hair and beard were already white, saw Zhao Gou and Qin Hui striding in. Trembling, he knelt down and kowtowed. Qin Zhen stepped forward and helped him up, saying, "Father, your daughter has returned..."

Qin Hui held Qin Zhen's hand and said, "Don't say anything more, go see your mother... She's been longing to see you day and night..."

The terminally ill Wang was emaciated and lay on the bed, looking so thin and frail. At just one glance, Qin Zhen's tears streamed down her face. She knelt by the bedside and cried out in a trembling voice, "Mother... Zhen'er has come back to see you! Please open your eyes..."

After being called several times, Wang finally opened her eyes. Qin Zhen quickly called Zhao Jiu and Zhao Jin over. Wang, too weak to speak, smiled when she saw her daughter return with her grandson, her eyes filled with a lingering attachment to life. But who can defy fate?

Zhao Gou and Qin Hui retreated to the central hall, giving them a private space.

As night fell, Qin Zhen's sobbing suddenly came from Wang's room. Qin Hui's hand trembled, he smashed the teacup, and tears streamed down his face.

There wasn't much Zhao Gou could do. Apart from ordering that Lady Wang be buried with the honors due to a first-rank lady, he could only silently support Qin Zhen from behind the scenes.