kingnovel Chapter 272: A Pot of Pheasant Soup
Chapter 272: A Pot of Pheasant Soup
Su Li thought about it and decided to tell her third aunt her guess.
"The second son of the Qian family is indeed a handsome man, impeccable. It's understandable that Yao'er likes him. But since Madam Qian has warned us, Third Aunt, we should be more careful."
"understood."
My third aunt didn't look very good. After sitting for a while, she stood up, said goodbye and left in a hurry.
It’s because among those who went out for spring outing today, there was also Sanlang of the Qian family.
Third aunt was restless at home and waited until it was almost dark before Pei Yao came back.
Seeing Pei Yao's brisk steps, bright expression, and a smile on her lips, Third Aunt suddenly felt something was wrong. She pulled Pei Yao into the room, closed the door, and left them alone. Only then did she get straight to the point.
"Yao'er, did you go out with that Erlang from the Qian family today?"
Pei Yao's face flushed instantly, and she turned away.
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
"My dear little aunt," Third Auntie pulled Pei Yao around and turned her towards her, saying earnestly, "Yao'er, you're still young. There's no need to rush your marriage. We had a hard time gaining a foothold in Lin'an Prefecture before, but now your eldest sister-in-law is here. With her backing us up, are you still worried about not finding a good in-law? That Erlang of the Qian family only has a good appearance, but he's not a good match. Stay away from him from now on."
But Pei Yao said:
"Mother, Erlang is a man of great literary talent and ambition. How has he offended you that you slander him like this?"
"defamation?"
Third Aunt looked at her daughter in disbelief. Pei Yao had always been well-behaved. When had she ever contradicted her like this? It seemed Su Li was right. Her daughter had truly been possessed by a demon.
"Yao'er, Lin'an Prefecture is a place of outstanding people and good places, and there are many good men. Qian Erlang is the third wife's illegitimate son, and his parents are both dead and he has no support. He has no status in the Qian family at all. You can't be fooled by his appearance."
"Mother, you say he's bad only because he's a bastard, but being a bastard wasn't his choice. Mother, even though he was among those traveling with my daughter today, we've always been disciplined and respectful, never transgressing the rules. I think Erlang is a gentleman just like my elder brother. Besides, I'm grown up now and know how to distinguish between good and bad people. If he ever truly identifies Erlang as someone with bad behavior or bad intentions, don't worry, I'll be the first to ignore him."
Pei Yao refuted and knelt down in front of her third aunt.
"If you have nothing else to do, I will go back."
"This kid!"
Third aunt slapped her thigh.
She and her third uncle were lenient with Pei Yao and Pei Xin, and did not impose too harsh rules on them. Instead, they cultivated the sisters' free-spirited personalities, and had their own opinions on things, making them difficult to control.
Pei Yao returned to the room and pulled out a piece of poetry from his sleeve.
Today, during a spring outing, everyone was reciting poems and composing couplets by the lake. This one was written specifically for her by Qian Jinru.
The poem paper still carried Qian Jinru's scent, which was light and pleasant, just like him, gentle and smooth like jade.
Pei Yao put the poem into the box.
She was born in a marquis's mansion and had witnessed the intrigues in the harem since she was a child. If Qian Jinru had any bad intentions, she would be able to see it at a glance.
But if it wasn't for her, she wouldn't mind Qian Jinru's identity. If he was sincere to her, she would definitely be sincere in return.
However, since her mother and sister-in-law have reminded her to be careful, she should be more cautious.
Qian family.
Qian Jinru released a few carrier pigeons under the cover of night.
Looking at the bright moonlight, he recalled what happened during the day, with a barely perceptible hint of amusement on the corner of his mouth.
The first batch of grain and fodder from the government office had already been dispatched in the evening, and the rest would be sent out gradually over the next few days.
This batch of food and grass will travel north by water, and his men will take action near Weizhou.
The matter of food and grass was settled, and one of the important tasks entrusted by the master was completed. The next thing to do was to think about how to kill Pei Heng.
"Someone is coming."
"Son."
A servant outside the door came in upon hearing the noise.
"Send a letter to Miss Pei. I'll invite her to go to the opera with me tomorrow."
"Yes."
Qian Jinru rubbed his fingers a few times. Mrs. Pei valued Pei Yao so much. As long as he could please Pei Yao, he would have no shortage of opportunities to get close to Banshan Tea House.
……
North bank of Weizhou.
Prince Jing was greatly encouraged by the news coming from the south.
"Somebody come!"
King Jing shouted outside the tent and a guard walked in.
"Food and fodder have already started to arrive from the south. Gather a team of soldiers and horses, disguised and go south to meet them."
"Yes!"
Prince Jing was in a good mood thinking that the food and grass problem that had troubled him for many days was finally about to be solved.
There was less than five days' worth of food and fodder left in the barracks.
According to the original plan, they should have arrived at the city of Shengjing by now. As long as they opened the gates of Shengjing, he could force the old emperor to abdicate.
However, the army was blocked on the north bank of the Wei River for more than a month, and was beaten back several times when they tried to cross the river. Now they are stuck in between and are very sad.
Tuoba Rao went crazy in her tent every day and sent people to urge him for food and grass three times a day. He was almost going crazy too.
In the central military camp on the south bank.
The scout trotted into the tent and knelt down to report:
"Your Highness, we just received news that a group of over a hundred people left the North Shore military camp and disappeared."
"Where will it go?"
In the tent, a group of generals looked at each other and speculated.
The North and the South have been at odds for so long, and now the situation is very favorable for Nanqi. As long as they can survive this period, they will be able to bring down the morale of the Beimang people.
Nothing can go wrong at this time.
"Explore again!"
Prince Su gave the order.
"Yes!"
"Your Highness, when will Mr. Su come back?"
A lieutenant general asked.
Since the last counterattack across the river, Mr. Su had become famous, and now everyone in the Nanqi army regarded him as a god. Recently, Mr. Su had led them to several victories, and the morale of the Nanqi army was greatly boosted. They were all waiting for Mr. Su to lead them across the Wei River and drive the Beimang dogs back north.
A few days ago, Mr. Su went out with a group of scouts to survey the terrain, and he has not returned yet.
"Mr. Su has a brilliant plan." Prince Su didn't know when he would return. He only glanced at the generals in the tent and said, "Before Mr. Su left, he asked you to cut down a lot of trees and build ships. How's the progress?"
Lin Wanfu slammed his chest with a bang and said in a resounding voice:
"Master has ordered us to build ships, and we haven't dared to rest day and night. Your Highness, we have already built hundreds of warships, and the brothers are still working day and night. We are just waiting for the master's order to fight back to the north shore!"
"Correct!"
The generals agreed.
"Then get to work!"
"Yes!"
Lin Wanfu emerged cheerfully from Prince Su's tent. The camp was bustling with soldiers coming and going. The army, obeying orders, was busy building ships on the riverbank, united in purpose and enthusiasm.
"Xiao Wu!"
Lin Wanfu walked into the kitchen and picked up a piece of wild vegetable and put it in his mouth to chew.
"What's for lunch?"
He chewed on the wild vegetable roots and moved closer to Lin Wantang, only to see Lin Wantang squatting in front of an iron pot busying herself.
"Fourth brother, you are in for a treat."
Lin Wantang had a few plump pigeons piled up in front of her. She was about to boil water to remove their feathers. As she worked, she said,
"Fourth brother, you've come just in time. Help me gut these pheasants so I can make a pot of pheasant soup for you and my brothers. You've been working day and night building the ship lately, so this is a great way to replenish your energy."