Бездействующие цветы и тени

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She shook her feet, feeling uncomfortable all over. Her knees and ankles were tightly bound with straps, making it difficult to move. She had been enduring it for days. Thinking about her old socks, she decided to ask Qiu Sang if there were any elastic ropes in the house.

Qiu Sang pondered for a while, without asking what she was going to do with it, and took a ball of fine rope from the sewing basket. He Su Chen tried it and found it was indeed stretchable. Since she didn't know how to sew, she could only explain to Qiu Sang how to sew the rope onto the socks so they would be easier to wear. Qiu Sang thought it was a child's joke, but seeing how enthusiastic she was, she didn't want to disobey and found some rope to sew it on as she had instructed.

It sounds difficult, but it's actually very simple to make; it only takes a few minutes. Su Chen tried it out, and although it's still quite different from his previous socks, it's undoubtedly much more convenient than the rudimentary version from the Song Dynasty.

The two were trying on new socks when Granny Sun came in carrying a cloak: "Miss, try on this cloak. It's just been given to you by the eldest mistress. If it doesn't fit, you can take it to be altered." She pulled the curtain aside and led them over. Qiu Sang proudly showed off the improved socks she had just made: "Granny, look at what I made! They're extremely useful!"

Granny Sun tried it out and found it convenient: "This is strange indeed. It's much better without the strap; it makes walking much easier. I'm so glad you thought of this." Qiu Sang's expression turned strange: "It wasn't my idea; Miss instructed me to do it." Granny Sun looked at He Su Chen in surprise and asked, "Miss is quite clever; how did you come up with this idea?"

He Su Chen thought to herself, "This is bad. What should I say? That I'm used to the modern version and find this ancient version too troublesome? Wouldn't that be idiotic?!" She stammered for a while, but fortunately, Granny Sun didn't ask too many questions. She sat down with great interest and had Qiu Sang make several pairs of socks for the servants to send to He Su Shi. She also sent some to Tang's mother's room. Tang's mother found it convenient, and within a few days, everyone in the mansion knew how to modify socks.

Fortunately, it wasn't anything remarkable. Everyone just praised the little girl for being clever, saying that she was bound to have good fortune after surviving such a disaster, and that she was skillful and filial. Only He Su Shi, after returning home on his day off, asked his sister with great concern how she came up with the idea, which made He Su Chen struggle to come up with a reason.

Fortunately, a major event occurred in Suzhou in early February, which diverted his attention.

There is a garrison stationed outside Suzhou City year-round, consisting of military craftsmen. These craftsmen are soldiers who were transferred from the army to work as artisans. They are responsible for the confidential shipbuilding and weapon manufacturing. Their wages were originally paid directly by the Ministry of Revenue, but a few months ago, the father of the supervisor in charge of this unit passed away, and he requested to return to the capital to observe mourning, leaving the newly transferred commissioner to temporarily manage the troops.

This dismissal official was named Liu Jinshan. He was related to the Empress, and his father was a veteran official of two generations. He climbed up the ranks through nepotism and connections. He was a notorious coward who had long intended to embezzle. However, he had been extremely honest in the Ministry of Rites before. He was finally transferred here to manage the military craftsmen. Although he was unfamiliar with the place, he relied on his powerful backers and began to embezzle the soldiers' pay.

He Zi'an, Su Chen's uncle, was in charge of the matter. He and other officials had tried to persuade him countless times, using both harsh and gentle methods. Even the prefect had privately and openly told him that this was a military craftsman, someone the Emperor valued highly and could not be touched. Su Chen thought he was being deceived, and, envious of his own sudden rise to a high position, wanted to block his path to wealth, which only made him even more greedy. Later, when He Zi'an spoke too harshly, he became enraged and simply dismissed him from his post, sending him home to fend for himself.

After only three months, the soldiers could no longer be controlled, especially with the Spring Festival approaching. Everyone wanted a few coins to take home. So they stopped working and demanded their pay. His relentless pressure tactics finally sparked a mutiny, with over 8,000 soldiers surrounding the government office demanding their wages. The prefect, helpless, could only tell them that he couldn't pay them and that if they wanted their pay, they should go to their superiors. The soldiers then went and surrounded Liu Jinshan's garden.

The man had a long reach, but no guts whatsoever; he was terrified. Fortunately, officials came to evacuate the military craftsmen, saying they would give him a result in a couple of days. As soon as he was safe, he immediately submitted a memorial claiming that the military craftsmen had rebelled, besieging officials appointed by the court. He accused He Zi'an, the official in charge, and other officials in the Suzhou prefectural government of knowing the truth but failing to report it, and even embezzling and accepting bribes, thus inciting a mutiny. He shifted all the blame onto the craftsmen and demanded that the court send troops to suppress the rebellion.

Officials from various prefectures in Suzhou submitted memorials one after another, some defending themselves, some stating the facts, some taking the opportunity to attack their enemies, and some attacking Liu Jin. The memorials were sent to the capital like snowflakes. The fact that the eight thousand soldiers surrounded the government office demanding their pay and also surrounded his house was witnessed by everyone in the city. Although there were people in Suzhou maintaining order on the surface, all sorts of strange rumors were already circulating.

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Socks were laced with straps from the Xia Dynasty to the Western Han Dynasty, but whether they were still laced with straps in the Song Dynasty remains to be verified… I can only assume they were. As for the retractable rope, since I'm not very knowledgeable and couldn't find any relevant information, I just made one up…

Chapter Twenty, Background

The "Propaganda Officer" function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now! The He family has deep roots in Suzhou, and He Zian is closely connected to this matter. Furthermore, Third Madam Liu is related to the troublemaker Liu Jinshan. Several families have already come to the He family to inquire about the details and whether Suzhou is about to descend into chaos.

Early that morning, He Suchen and Yongjiao were playing with the Nine Linked Rings when a maid from Tang's mother's room came over and said that an important guest had come to visit, and the old lady asked the two young ladies to go and pay their respects.

Yongjiao said "oh" and then asked who else was going, and whether the eldest sister and the others were there. The little girl replied, "The old lady only told us to call the two young ladies over. She didn't even call the eldest mistress and the third mistress, nor did she ask the eldest young lady and the third young lady to come."

He Suchen and Yongjiao exchanged a suspicious glance. It didn't make sense that they wouldn't let their two daughters-in-law go when important guests came, but instead asked their granddaughters to go out and pay their respects. Moreover, they only asked two of them, not the other two granddaughters. It was really strange.

Left with no other choice, the two followed the little girl to the main room. Upon entering, they saw Tang's mother and an elderly woman in her sixties or seventies sitting in the main seats. Yongjiao and Su Chen greeted them, and Tang's mother pointed to the old woman and said, "This is Grandma Cui from next door." Su Chen thought to himself, "This must be the legendary Grandma Cui Wenqi from next door, the one who could compose poetry at three, write essays at five, and whose famous painters bowed down to her at thirteen. Thanks to you, I got to see quite a fireworks display." So, after Yongjiao greeted her, he smiled and said, "Hello, Grandma Cui."

Mother Cui smiled and agreed to everything. Seeing Yongjiao's round face and big eyes, she looked incredibly cute and praised, "What a lovely dragon girl by the Bodhisattva's side!" After saying that, she took a finely embroidered sachet from the tray held by the person standing behind her and hung it around Yongjiao's neck. Then, holding a jade Maitreya Buddha inside the sachet, she said, "This jade has been kept in our family for many years. It's not convenient to give it to a boy, and since we don't have any girls in our family, I've decided to give it to your child."

The jade shimmered with a subtle brilliance, clearly not an ordinary piece. Tang's mother hurriedly said it was too much, but Cui's mother didn't care. She could only have Yongjiao thank her.

Mother Cui smiled and said no need, then took Su Chen's hand and examined his appearance closely. She saw that the child's face was only pretty, nothing compared to many of the delicate and beautiful children in Jiangnan, and even less so than Yongjiao from before. But he had an indescribable charm that made people like him.

She looked closely and asked, "Which family does this belong to?" Tang's mother replied, "Please excuse me, it belongs to Ziyuan's family." Upon hearing this, Cui's mother sighed, "No wonder he is different from other children; he has a certain air about him." After saying this, she turned to a middle-aged woman behind her and said, "Look at him, this temperament is something that many well-read women may not possess."

He Suchen was sweating bullets from her praise—I look in the mirror every day, how come I don't see any elegance in her?! Is the word "elegance" the same as the modern word "cute"? Used as a substitute when there are no other matching positive adjectives? Helpless, she could only blush and say, "Grandma Cui, you flatter me."

Mother Cui held her hand and looked at it for a long time, making He Suchen's back sweat a little even in the still chilly February. Finally, Mother Cui sighed, took off a white jade bracelet from her wrist and handed it to Mother Tang, saying, "This bracelet is something I've worn since I was little. It's not anything special, but I gave it to this child anyway. It's quite pitiful."

Tang's mother was somewhat taken aback. She quickly handed it back, saying, "Sister, what do you mean by this? How could this little girl be so lucky as to want it?"

Mother Cui smiled and said, "I'm just giving this child a bracelet. You know what I'm doing, so just accept it. I didn't ask you for any promises. We'll talk about the future later."

Seeing that Tang's mother was still hesitating, she covered Tang's mother's hand and said, "Good sister, I was just saying hello to you, why are you doing this? If I give this child a bracelet, does that mean I'll blame you if it doesn't work out later?"

She smiled and said, "Although our Cui family is not a wealthy family, we are not so much that we should be looked down upon, are we?" Tang's mother had no choice but to accept it and said, "This child is blessed. I thank you on her behalf."

Su Chen listened from the side, seemingly guessing some of the story, yet also not quite understanding. Seeing that Tang's mother, though hesitant, ultimately accepted the gift, he felt a little uneasy. At this moment, Cui's mother said to the woman from before, "Go and call the young master out. The master is here; where has he gone?"

The woman agreed, and soon brought in a boy who looked to be about ten years old.

The young man had very thick eyebrows, and while his individual features weren't particularly striking, they harmonized beautifully together. He had a certain charm. Yes, "charming" was the only word to describe him. He wore a white jade crown, a maroon jacket, and shoes of an unknown material. He wore no other adornments, which only accentuated his handsome and dashing appearance.

Su Chen felt a little silly. He was just a teenager, and he was even called "handsome".

He greeted the two elders and then the two children, Su Chen and Yong Jiao, who quickly returned the greeting. Tang's mother nodded and smiled, her eyes filled with surprise: "Is this your little grandson? I haven't seen him in years, he's grown so much."

After she finished speaking, she asked him a few more questions about his studies, and the child answered fluently. Tang's mother was even more delighted and took off the string of blessed Buddhist beads from her wrist and put them on him. Cui's mother smiled and said, "My grandson has been wanting to visit your garden for a long time, so why don't we let these two children take him there to play?" Tang's mother smiled and agreed, and let her granddaughters take their new brother to visit the garden.

Tang's mother instructed Granny Tian to put things away and manage the servants, and Cui's mother also sent away the servants in the house, leaving only the two old women in the hall.

Tang's mother straightened her face and said, "Elder sister, let's not mince words. Does the Empress's faction think that all the old men in our Ministry of War are dead? Is this how they bully us?"

Madam Cui snorted coldly, her originally kind face turning somewhat frightening: "She wouldn't dare even if you gave her the guts. The Empress Dowager is still here, and she probably didn't expect her brother to be so wicked. How could she possibly touch Suzhou! That idiot has a good plan, sending troops to suppress the situation, and then taking over the military power in Suzhou after the matter is over."

Tang's mother's face was also ashen: "Sister, don't be angry. She'll probably regret it if she knew that fool made such a terrible move. Now that things have turned out this way, the Emperor will probably use her brother as a scapegoat to quell the resentment." She picked up her teacup and took a sip. "They're so brainless! What kind of position do the military craftsmen hold in the Emperor's heart? There are countless spies of His Majesty lurking in the military craftsmen's camp, yet they actually went to mess with that area. Don't they think their own family is already disliked by the Emperor enough?!"

She told Cui's mother not to be angry, but she became more and more agitated as she spoke: "That faction is going too far! My master said that the family was too favored, so when his children entered officialdom, he made a point of avoiding suspicion and forbidding them from taking on better positions. Ziyuan was one thing, but if it weren't for his father's stubbornness in suppressing Zian's advancement in the Ministry of War, how could he still be a fourth-rank official?! Now they're actually throwing mud at Zian. Do they really think the He family is all dead?!"

Chapter Twenty-One, Refined Hobbies

The "Propaganda Officer" function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join now!!! Mother Cui sneered, "Not only at Zian's place, but he also threw things at my nephew's place. He's offended everyone in Suzhou Prefecture. Does he really think his family is the only powerful family in the world?" She lowered her voice, "Is the one in your household even considered honest?"

Tang's mother's eyes changed: "If I wasn't afraid of something happening, I would have strangled her long ago. She dares to touch anyone from our He family, doesn't she have a death wish?! If it weren't for the fact that her family hasn't fallen yet, and that she gave birth to our family's child, I really would have liked to throw her into the well to wake her up! Does she think she'll have a good outcome if our family falls into chaos? She's brainless!"

"It's good that nothing's wrong, there's nothing to be angry about. Since you know why she married into this family, you should have been prepared. It's just a pity for your Zian, such a good person has to be with her." Mother Cui picked up a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her mouth: "If her family really falls in the future, they can be dealt with however they want. If you care about your two granddaughters, just leave her alone. If you don't care, in my opinion, it would be better to divorce her."

Tang's mother shook her head: "We don't know when or where it happened. But her cousin's commotion has been quite a disturbance, and we can't pretend to be ignorant." Cui's mother put down her handkerchief, skillfully took out her writing materials from the drawer of the small table between the two of them, and even ground the ink. She started writing on the table.

She wrote a few pages, then turned the paper and pen upside down and handed them to Tang's mother. Tang's mother took the memorial-like notebook, wrote a few pages as well, and the two pressed their fingerprints, stamped it, drew some unknown pattern, and finally sealed it with sealing wax.

Madam Cui rang the bell, and a middle-aged man who looked like an official came in, bowed and greeted her. She handed him the gift without saying a word, and the man took it, apologized, and left.