Chapter 121 – Qing Transmigration Tale (30)
While the children were fine and had safely made it through, Si Ye still punished Lin Yu Tong and the next day, she could not get out of bed.
“You were too daring, have you ever thought of the worst?” When Si Ye was saying this, his voice was trembling. His hands were shaking as he held her.
She suddenly understood. He was not just worried about the children, but also about her. If anything happened to one of Li-shi‘s children, she would not be able to wash away the stain even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
“It is fine, Ye!” Lin Yu Tong curled up in his arms.”Ever since I played sincerely to the heavens to return Hong Hui to us, I stopped fearing. If I have no evil thoughts for Moyaqi and the others, the heavens will see it, the Buddha will see it.”
Si Ye looked at Lin Yu Tong and scolded, “Stupid!”
This woman was so stupid!You never thought people would use the these children to pull you down? What if someone truly had schemes? Even Li-shi could not be completely trusted. In history, had Wu Ze Tian not abandoned her daughter in order to implicate the empress? How could she not think more?
He believed in the Buddha, but was not so stupid that the Buddha was omnipresent. The Buddha could save the next life, but in the present life, the Buddha was likely not as powerful as the evil thoughts in people’s hearts.
Lin Yu Tong promised again that she would not just decide on her own before the matter was let go.
The children being successfully vaccinated was a major matter, a very happy matter.
Si Ye even sent a memorandum to give the emperor the good news.In the memorandum, he wrote about how Lin Yu Tong had taken care of the children, especially the older but very weak shu daughter, guarding her through the night and feeding her food and medicines and how she treated everyone equally. The praise was such that Lin Yu Tong blushed.
The palace only learned the news after the fact. Consort De gave great rewards, not fearing what people would say like she usually did. She gave many of the jewelry and fabric that the emperor had given her back when she had been in favor.
A fortnight later, the memorandum that Kangxi had reviewed came back. There were only three words on there.
Good good good.
While simple in words, it truly expressed that Kangxi was very happy when he saw the news.
“Look, even the emperor praises you. Then in the future, no one will dare to say you are not good,” Si Ye said with a smile.
Lin Yu Tong curled her lips. This person was very good at going through loopholes. Was this praising her? This clearly was the emperor expressing his joy that the children were all fine. Why had it become praise for her?
She was not so shameless.
However, if it had to be misrepresented like this, it could work. It was a kind of recognition.
However, she said, “As long as Ye feels that I am good, it is fine. It is not important what others think.”
“Nonsense.” While Si Ye said such a thing, from his expression, he was pleased by her words.
Hong Hui and Hong Yun were on a rare visit home, and Moyaqi looked much better after being cared for by Lin Yu Tong.
Si Ye had finished with the matter of the disaster relief, and he could take the children to live for a while at the estate.
This time, even Hong Shi was taken along.
Si Ye just left through the gates, and Eighth Prince got the news.
“Fourth Brother runs so quickly,” Eighth Prince ran in irritation.
Ninth Prince said, “Why pretend to be a rich and idle person? Maybe he is having some bad ideas again?” He casually leaned back in his chair. He turned and asked Eighth Prince, “A while ago, Eighth Brother did not seek Four. What is it today? Is Four so important? If he is not in charge, Eighth Prince will be more at ease.”
Eighth Prince looked helplessly at Ninth Prince, “Why do you think that I am in such a hurry to seek Fourth Brother? The imperial procession is on the road. Where will the silver come from?”
“This is very strange? Of course it is the Imperial Household Department,” Ninth Prince looked at Eighth Prince. “If the Imperial Household Department does not have, find the Ministry of Revenue. Can the emperor’s supplies suddenly not keep up on the road?”
“Ministry of Revenue? The silver of the Ministry of Revenue is something that I can control?” Eighth Prince looked at Nine and inelegantly rolled his eyes.
Tenth Prince took over, “Find Fourth Brother. Regardless of what kind of person Fourth Brother is, he is never careless on major matters.”
Fourteen laughed. “If the Ministry of Revenue has silver, why would Fourth Brother run?”
The words hit the spot. Eighth Prince thought, as expected of full brothers. They were not the same. They understood each other better than others.
“What do you mean that the Ministry of Revenue has no silver?” Ninth Prince’s eyes were wide in shock. “I was just saying that Four was keeping something inside……”
“Ninth Brother, how can you talk like this?” Fourteen did not find this pleasing. Regardless of how bad Fourth Brother was, he was still his full brother. What did the other mean saying such things right in front of him? Was he looked down on them?
“Ha…… Fourteen, so you are brothers, it is not the same,” Ninth Prince laughed mockingly.
Fourteen pouted. “If you find something displeasing, just tell Fourth Brother. Why shout at me here?” He felt scornful inside. Just based on his older brother’s face that was so frightening, I do not believe you would dare.
Nine was like a gangster. He hit his hand with his fan and said, “Speak of this, Ye truly…… does not dare.”
The all laughed at the same time.
Ninth Prince was angry. “Do not speak of me, which of you dares? Go try.”
Ten thought, was this not just seeking trouble for oneself? Who was so bored? They all wanted to hide, who would want to find him?
Eighth Prince said, “All right, all right, just speak carefully in the future. Fourth Brother does not have it easy.”
What to do except run? They could not just watch the emperor not have any silver to use, but they could not use the silver from the Ministry of Revenue without permission.
The only path was to send a memorandum and ask the emperor. But if they truly asked, what would the emperor think?
One, he would feel that they were not capable in handling affairs, unable to take care of these trifles. Also, the emperor would not feel pleased. Were you criticizing Zhen indirectly for spending silver on the south tour?
Whatever they did, it was wrong.
So Si Ye was very decisive. Once the emperor left the capital, he let go. The emperor told him to work on disaster relief, so he worked extra shifts. But after the disaster relief was done, he immediately left.
Eighth Prince only just realized it now. He had to face the conundrum.Si Ye likely had predicted such things before the emperor left the capital.
“What is Eighth Brother planning to do right now?” Ninth Prince asked in concern.
Eighth Prince grimaced. “What to do? Just squeeze silver out of somewhere if needed.”
So, other than the high ranking consorts who had some decent clothing to wear, the others did not have any. Even the young palace attendants would look down on the materials.
Never mind the jewelry, furniture, decorations and porcelain of the past. Even the rouge, powder, tea, and honey were several grades lower.
Si Ye looked at the letter sent from the capital, and sighed frequently as he sat under the lantern at night.
Lin Yu Tong looked and then secretly wrote a letter to send to the old granny in the establishment. She told them to prepare things to deliver to the niangniang in the palace. Regardless of clothing, fabric, or candy and fruit, they were to be delivered on time. If they were not consumed, they could be used to reward others.
The women of the palace raised sons, and hoped to birth sons in order to have someone to rely on. Now it was time for their sons to be of use.
“You are so considerate,” Si Ye looked at the list that Lin Yu Tong had made and praised.
Lin Yu Tong said, “The saying goes that one cent will pose a difficulty to a hero. I think that Eighth Prince, a nimbleperson, is forced to use such a method. In the past, he would not touch such matters that offended people.” What she did not say was that even someone like Si Ye hurriedly fled?
Si Ye sighed and said, “This funds depend on the emperor’s edict. The emperor has spent a lot of time on the tour this time. The emperor wants to return, but he has no silver.”
Lin Yu Tong embarrassedly did not know what to say. This meant that Kangxi did not have the trip money to return?
The pomp and circumstance of the south tour had been too grand.
Si Ye said, “…… But the emperor has to go on the south tour. Us Manchu people are few. If we want to rule the Han people, we first have to win over the hearts of the literati. Jiangnan has many scholars. We must placate the scholars. After defeating the three feudatories, the people of the south were unsettled for a long time. We have to placate their hearts. The emperor went to worship at Confucius’s temple, and supervised the works of the rivers. This is all to win the hearts of the scholars and the people. At least, in these years, there is more farmland in Jiangnan, and the river works have shown some effect. Just for this, spending so much silver is worth it. Also, such things cannot be measured with silver.”
Lin Yu Tong felt that Si Ye was slowly growing.
He watched Kangxi’s every action, and then he analyzed the intentions behind them. All this needed talent.
Si Ye understood Kangxi’s difficulties, but it did not mean that he would charge and take on the burdens. He still thought for a long time at night, and during the day, he still farmed.
On this day, Si Ye was leading the children to catch fish in the ditches of the estate. Lin Yu Tong and Moyaqi were watching from the shore. Hong Zhao was at the side catching grasshoppers in the grass.
Hong Shi was young, and only dared to stay in the shallow little ditches to catch mud fish to play.
The family was having fun when Su Pei Sheng hurriedly came.
Lin Yu Tong looked at him. Ruined the mood.
Su Pei Sheng smiled in apology and said, “Ye, Fourteenth Prince has come.”
Fourteen? Why had he come here?
Si Ye was shocked and then he said, “Bring him here.” Then he kept on playing. When he caught a carp half a catty large, he threw it at Lin Yu Tong.
Fourteen saw from a distance, and thought, what a wonder? Was this his fourth brother who always had a morbid expression?
If he was always like this, he did not look frightening.
Lin Yu Tong picked up the fish, and then saw Fourteen had come. She smiled and said, “Fourteenth Brother has come. Today, you can taste the fish your brother has caught.”
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