My wife is a leading female character in female – oriented novels.
She has beauty, wisdom, and wealth.
And I am her ne’er – do – well husband who has no money and no job.
I originally thought that as a man, I should make great achievements. However, my wife insisted on forcing me to live off her with a cold face.
To be honest, living off my wife is really wonderful!
In order to secure a long – term meal ticket, I accidentally won her over.
1
When I transmigrated into this family, it was a Marquis’s residence in name only, a bottomless pit in debt.
Even so, she stayed by my side through thick and thin.
She has been subsidizing the family with her dowry for years, and that’s how we have our current wealth.
I thought to myself: I must treat her well in the future.
Then she said to me, “I’ll find you a concubine. Mother said you’re getting old and should have children to carry on the family line for the mansion.”
I was stunned for a moment: “Aren’t you my wife?”
She shook her head: “I’m afraid of death and don’t want to have children. You can take in a few more beautiful concubines. Don’t count on me.”
I was even more confused: “Then what do you get out of marrying me?”
She smiled faintly: “To make all those who look down on me regret it.”
I: “…”
2
I refused all the four beautiful concubines she sent.
Maybe it was my conscience bothering me.
I walked around in the study, played with the bird, and then walked the cat.
When I really couldn’t find anything else to do, I thought I’d go out for a walk.
As soon as I went out, I met an acquaintance who put his arm around me and dragged me to a brothel.
In the brothel, there were beautiful women arranged on both sides while listening to the music.
I frowned: “This isn’t right, is it? I’m a married man.”
When my acquaintance heard this, he laughed loudly, pointing at all the people in the building:
“Which of these people doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? Are you out of your mind today?”
I still felt uncomfortable in my heart and was afraid of getting sick.
While my acquaintance went to get a room, I slipped away.
When I got downstairs, the madam stopped me: “Marquis Qin, there’s almost not enough money in your account. You still owe two hundred taels.”
I slapped the counter: “Are you robbing me? I just ate a plate of peanuts. How much do you want to charge me?”
The madam smiled sheepishly: “You didn’t spend much, but Young Master Liu ordered four top courtesans, and with the overnight stay…”
I immediately interrupted her: “He plays with women and makes me pay for it?”
The madam responded and just stared at me.
I was angry at that moment, and I picked up a stick casually and was about to go upstairs to beat someone.
When the madam saw that something bad was going to happen, she quickly called people to stop me.
In the end, I only paid for a plate of peanuts. I saw that there were still twenty taels left in the account, and I asked her to take it out for my emergency use.
The madam rolled her eyes for a while and then agreed.
When the money was given to me, she even saw me out the door: “Marquis Qin, when you get through this difficult time, don’t forget the girls in the building.”
I sneered: I’m going to start my own business. Who has the time to come here for entertainment?
3
In the early days of starting a business, I wanted to set up a stall to sell melon seeds and peanuts.
After researching the spices and seasonings, I found that the spices in ancient times were really expensive, and ordinary people simply couldn’t afford them.
So I thought of taking the high – end route and selling them to the lords and ladies who lived in tall buildings and rode in carriages.
But just as I was about to go out with the spiced peanuts to find customers.
My wife stopped me with a group of people, looking really annoyed: “What are you doing?”
“You don’t want the beautiful concubines sent to you, you don’t play with the cats and dogs, and you don’t go to the brothel. I thought you had changed your nature, but it turns out you’re deliberately trying to make me lose face.”
I was completely confused: “???”
I said: “I’m out of money. What’s wrong with me going out to make money?”
She pointed at the spiced peanuts on my back and analyzed it in great detail, making clear everything about the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the industry chain.
After listening, I thought selling spiced peanuts was a really bad idea.
“If you’re really tired of idling around and want to find something to do, I’ll arrange something for you.”
I stared at her with wide eyes.
She even arranges a job for me?
She cares more about me than my own parents!
But she doesn’t like me as a person, and there’s no money for her to gain.
She has so many troublesome things to deal with every day, and my mother keeps pressuring her to have children. Is it just to make others regret?
Why bother?
4
After waiting for two days, my wife rarely came to find me.
When she saw me feeding the parrot in the study, she was a bit surprised:
“You’re usually still sleeping at this time. I was afraid you weren’t awake when I came.”
As she said that, she took out a booklet and a set of equipment.
“I’ve arranged a job for you in the Military Affairs Department. The official salary doesn’t seem much, but you can get a lot of benefits privately. Just give it a try first. If it’s not suitable, I’ll find another one for you.”
I thought to myself: As long as I’m not just living off my wife at home, why should I be picky?
She put the things down and left. I didn’t have time to say thank you.
The next day when I went to report, a group of big and strong men respectfully called me: “Sir!”
When I got to my workstation, I finally understood what kind of official position my wife had bought for me—
A clerk in the Military Affairs Department.
Although it’s not a high – ranking position, I really couldn’t have imagined it before I transmigrated.
I have elite archers and soldiers in the army at my command, and I’m in charge of the administrative staff for arrest and prison affairs.
The gray income is related to the occupancy rate of the prison.
The capital city is big, and the prison is full of people.
When the family members of a prisoner want to visit and send things, the prison guard takes a share, and they also have to send a share to me.
All day long, I just write documents at my workstation, receive and send files, and order the little soldiers around.
Before I transmigrated, educated people were not valued much, but here I’m regarded as superior.
When the sun was about to set and I was preparing to go home after work, unexpectedly, the leader of the little soldiers under me was very good at currying favor. He insisted on taking me to a restaurant for a meal and treated me with good wine and delicious food.
After the meal, they knew that I wasn’t a difficult person to deal with, and I also understood their backgrounds.
The leader of the little soldiers is called Zhao Dabing, and he has worked in the Military Affairs Department for nearly eight years.
I don’t have to worry about his ability to handle things at all.
5
The next day after getting drunk, I didn’t get up, and my wife had already asked for leave for me.
After I finished the breakfast brought by the kitchen, I went back to bed and fell asleep again.
I slept until noon. When I woke up, the servant told me that my sister – in – law had come to visit.
I thought I couldn’t neglect my wife’s relatives.
I quickly put on my clothes and walked to the door. An old woman stopped me: “The madam is entertaining female guests. Marquis, please come later.”
Oh, there’s a strict separation between men and women.
Then it’s none of my business.
I turned around and was about to leave when they started arguing inside.
“The Shuying satin you’re wearing was snatched from me. Who are you showing off to?”
“Take a closer look. What I got from you isn’t enough to make a whole set of clothes.”
“Then where did you get it from?”
“It’s just the monthly allowance from the Marquis’s residence.”
My wife said it casually, but I knew that there were no good things in the Marquis’s residence, and that satin was earned by herself.
“This Marquis’s residence is a bottomless pit. Don’t try to be brave when you’re in trouble. Just say it if you’re really in difficulty, and everyone will sympathize with you.”
“Sister, where did you hear that? As the mistress of the Marquis’s residence, I don’t even know about this.”
“Ling Muyao, stop pretending. Besides the glamorous appearance you have, what valuable things are left in the Marquis’s residence?”
Just then, a little maid passed by me and went in with something precious in her hand.
My wife said casually: “The Yunwu tea from the Western Mountains is good. I’ll treat my sister to a cup.”
“Hehe, it must be fake.”
Then the two of them started drinking tea and appreciating it. I thought this matter was over.
Unexpectedly, they started arguing again because of the matter of me visiting the brothel.
“Although Marquis Qin doesn’t do his proper business, he is still a marquis after all, which is better than Clerk Chen.”
“Ling Muyao, stop pretending. Marquis Qin is just a ne’er – do – well. He won’t treat you well. At that time…”
I couldn’t stand it anymore.
I patted the door frame: “At that time, what? Are you speaking ill of me right in front of me?”
After I walked in, my wife looked at me disapprovingly.
On the other side, my sister – in – law stared at me in disbelief.
I walked up to my wife and asked softly: “Did she come here as a guest or to pick a fight?”
My wife smiled faintly: “My sister came here specially to show her concern for me.
“Unfortunately, it’s not a good day today. Since your brother – in – law is at home, I have to ask you to take some small gifts and go back.”
My sister – in – law took the gifts and was sent to the carriage by my wife and me.
The carriage didn’t leave for a long time.
Suddenly, the carriage curtain was lifted, and my sister – in – law screamed loudly:
“Ling Muyao! You use the Yunwu tea yourself, but you actually give me weeds!”
My wife smiled softly: “You only deserve to use weeds.”
Seeing that the two of them were about to start a fight.
I kicked the horse’s butt of her carriage: “Goodbye!”
6
The next morning, the sunlight shone on the official documents through the window.
I was burying myself in my work when suddenly, a rush of rapid footsteps broke the silence.
My brother – in – law Han Xingyuan rushed into the place where I was working angrily and started to blame me as soon as he saw me.
“Your kick yesterday actually made my wife have a threatened abortion!” His voice was full of blame and anger.
Before I could think about how to respond, he immediately made a request: “If you can release Zhang Nanchun from prison, I can let this matter go.”
I suddenly understood: So you’re asking me for a favor but you’re not willing to say it directly. You’re trying to blackmail me first?
I thought it was funny and told him firmly: “I can’t do it.”
Han Xingyuan’s face instantly turned red, and he shouted at me: “You’re a clerk in the Military Affairs Department. How can you not be able to do such a small thing?”
I smiled slightly: “It’s not that I can’t do it, but I don’t want to do it. Understand?”
Hearing this, Han Xingyuan was so angry that his shoulders kept shaking.
He gritted his teeth and stared at me angrily, asking: “Why? For you, this is just a piece of cake. Could it be that you still have feelings for my wife?”
I was suddenly stunned and looked at him in amazement: “What does this have to do with her? I just don’t like you. When you ask someone for a favor, you should have the attitude of asking for help. Otherwise, why should I help you?”
After hearing this, Han Xingyuan staggered a few steps and almost fainted. He barely held onto the back of the chair and pointed at me tremblingly, scolding: “Rude!”
I took a sip of good tea and replied to him: “Impolite.”
After driving away my proud brother – in – law, Zhao Dabing, who had been waiting outside the hall, cleared his throat:
“Sir, the Commander’s birthday is today, and he’s inviting all of us in the department to a restaurant.”
7
The Commander’s birthday banquet is an opportunity for everyone to flatter him openly.
The birthday gift that Deputy Commander Liu presented was a gold pendant. It was heavy and of great value.
When the Commander reached out to take it, his arm involuntarily sank a few inches, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.
“Hehe, Deputy Commander Liu still knows me best.”
The guests on both sides immediately echoed and praised him with smiles.
The other deputy commander is surnamed Hu. He has old people and children in his family, and he comes from a poor background. He doesn’t have much family property.
I heard that it’s more appropriate to give tea as a gift, so he specially went to the tea house and bought one tael of top – grade tea, and presented it in a beautiful wooden box.
The Commander picked up the teacup and blew gently. The steaming water vapor filled the air, but it couldn’t hide the obvious look of contempt in his eyes.
He didn’t even look at it. Instead, he directly turned his gaze to me.
“Hehe… I didn’t inform Marquis Qin in advance. It doesn’t matter if you forget to prepare a gift.”
I laughed heartily and quickly said: “Not at all. As soon as I heard that Commander Wang was having a birthday, I immediately sent someone to rush back home to get it.”
My wife told me that this Commander Wang has someone above him, and he will be promoted soon.
He likes to take petty advantages. As long as he can benefit, everything is easy to talk about.
It’s not easy to find such a ladder to climb up, so I naturally can’t miss it.
I had already prepared a valuable gift that didn’t cost me anything.
Commander Wang looked at me scrutinizingly.
Presumably, he had some expectations of the family property of the Marquis’s residence, and he had already put down the teacup in his hand.
Others also looked up at me.
I cleared my throat and said: “In your elegant clothes and with your youthful appearance, you are celebrating your birthday in peace. Today, the banquet is held on a sunny day. I raise my glass to wish you a long life.”
My voice was cadenced and echoed throughout the banquet hall.
Everyone present was shocked.
You know, in this era, there aren’t many people who can write poems, and someone like me who can casually recite such exquisite poems is even rarer.
So poetry is like a luxury in modern times to them.
Commander Wang also had a look of astonishment on his face.
He originally thought that I was just an ordinary ne’er – do – well, but he didn’t expect that I actually had such talent.
Others cast envious and admiring glances at me.
They might not have known me before, but now they look at me in a new light because of this poem.
Commander Wang pushed aside the deputy commander who was in the way and looked at me carefully:
“I didn’t expect that the reputation of Marquis Qin being idle and incompetent is false. He actually has such literary talent!”
He rubbed his hands excitedly, bent down, and asked earnestly: “Could you please write down that poem, Marquis? I’ll take it back, frame it, and hang it on the wall to appreciate it every day!”
Although I can write doggerel, my calligraphy is really not presentable.
It doesn’t matter.
When a person is out in the world, everything can be made up.
Taking my scribbled handwriting to the extreme is also a kind of aesthetics.
Commander Wang and all his colleagues lowered their heads to admire it and were all stunned.
“This…”
I told them: “This is the Yuzhai Cursive Script created by this Marquis. It pursues simplicity and returns to nature, abandoning the craftsmanship. There is only one of its kind.”
There was a gasp of surprise around.
At this moment, they looked at me as if they were looking at a superstar in the literary world, with admiration and reverence.
Commander Wang carefully put away my scribbles.
Before leaving, he gave me a meaningful look.
8
A month later, Commander Wang was transferred to a sinecure position in the Ministry of War and received an empty salary.
The position he left behind was sold to me.
It wasn’t expensive, just the price of a few poems.
“Marquis Qin’s literary talent is outstanding. I’m afraid talking about money will sully your ears. So I’d like to ask Marquis Qin to write a poem for me, which I can present when I go on an outing with Minister Shangshu in the future.”
I thought about it for a while and then asked him: “Is it Minister Qiu of the Ministry of War?”
“Exactly!”
Good! So the person above you is actually a high – ranking official of the second rank!
I continued to ask: “Where are you going for the outing?”
“Well… The itinerary hasn’t been decided yet…” Commander Wang also looked a bit embarrassed.
I walked behind him with my hands behind my back and suddenly smiled:
“Forget it. Since I’ve worked with you for many days, I’ll give you a few good lines of poetry.”
Upon hearing this, Commander Wang quickly spread out the writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone, and waited attentively.
I slowly said: “If you go to see the mountains together, you can say, ‘I look up to the high mountains; I follow the great road.’ “
Commander Wang couldn’t help but give a thumbs – up when he heard this.
Then, I continued: “If you admire the waterscape together, you can say, ‘Those who are active find joy in flowing water; those who are calm find joy in still water. It is better to benefit things like flowing water than to reflect the shape like still water.’ “
“If you are looking at the building, you can say, ‘The painted beams catch the clouds of the southern shore in the morning; the beaded curtains roll up the rain of the western mountains in the evening.’ “
I stopped speaking. When I saw that he had finished writing, I felt a bit awkward.
I asked him very reluctantly: “What if Minister Shangshu asks me to praise him?”
“His heroic spirit surpasses that of ancient and modern times, and he is a magnificent and outstanding man.”
Commander Wang’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he nodded repeatedly in praise.
After that, he pointed out the hidden relationships within the Military Affairs Department to me, adding another favor.
It only took a few words from me, and I firmly secured the position of the commander.
The next month, when I received the salary certificate, I was overjoyed.
No wonder everyone flatters the commander. It turns out that the officials in the Ministry of Revenue are too lazy to calculate, so they allocate the salaries of all the personnel in the Military Affairs Department to the hands of the commander.
If the people below are not obedient, they won’t get a single copper coin.
I stared at the certificate and did some mental calculations.
“Hiss—”
That Wang guy is really greedy! He has privately withheld half of the salaries of all the people below!
9
After getting the salary and coming back, I was calculating how much each person below should get.
Deputy Commander Liu came and saluted me respectfully with his fists clasped:
“Sir, I have a private matter to report.”
I looked up from the desk and waved my hand to let the other administrative staff in the hall go out first.
Deputy Commander Liu saw them to the door, looked around twice, and then walked up to me and said in a low voice:
“Recently, I accidentally saw that Madam Qin bought a large amount of grain and timber. It seems that it has already attracted the attention of the superiors…”
I couldn’t help but feel a little puzzled.
My wife had never mentioned this matter to me.
However, I didn’t show this doubt on my face.
Instead, I smiled slightly and responded calmly: “Deputy Commander Liu is really careful. No wonder Sir Wang has always spoken highly of you. Coincidentally, I just finished calculating your salary for this month. You can directly go to the warehouse to get it with this certificate, so as not to make an extra trip.”
As I spoke, I picked up a pen and made a light stroke in the account book, and then unhesitatingly blacked out his column.
Then, according to the salary standard that Commander Wang gave him last month, I directly doubled it.
Seeing this, Deputy Commander Liu quickly bent down and respectfully took the certificate with both hands.
He seemed not to dare to open it and check it in front of me. But when he saw me again after getting off work, the smile on his face became obviously obsequious.
That kind of smile was exactly the same as the one he used to show to Commander Wang.
“Sir, take care.”
Looking at Deputy Commander Liu’s humble appearance, I just waved my hand.
Leaning lazily against the soft cushion of the carriage, I swayed all the way home.
When I entered the door, I went straight to the backyard.
10
My wife was carefully looking at the account book.
When I walked up to her, she just looked up at me and said calmly:
“Marquis is here.”
I let out a soft “mm” and said: “You’ve been buying both grain and timber recently. Someone has already told me about this.”
Her brows immediately furrowed tightly, and her body became a bit stiff.
“Who informed on me?”
My wife’s face suddenly darkened, and there was a hint of anger in her voice.
I let out a helpless sigh: “Don’t worry about who it is. First, tell me what you’re going to do with all these things you bought. Do you want to rebel?”
My wife slowly lowered her proud head, as if she was a bit hesitant.
Just as I opened my mouth to ask again, she finally spoke: “I had a dream…”
Huh? This sentence sounds a bit familiar.
“In the dream, it predicted that in three months, there will be a serious flood disaster in the south, and the north will suffer from a large – scale drought.
“By then, there will be millions of refugees, and the roads will be filled with the bodies of the starving. Although there is stored grain in the capital city, due to the high grain prices, our family property will be exhausted in less than two months.
“After finally making it through to winter, there will be a snow disaster. Countless houses will collapse and livestock will die. The imperial court will be in a precarious situation, and even the officials in the capital may starve to death.
“Whether you believe it or not, I bought the timber to reinforce the defenses and prevent theft, and I bought the grain to survive. Don’t worry, all these things are paid for from my private account, and I haven’t used a single cent from the Marquis’s residence.”
The hall was silent for a full five breaths.
I glanced at her: “Have you finished?”
My wife pursed her lips tightly, and a trace of stubbornness appeared on her elegant face.
“There’s only the saying that a thief can steal for a thousand days, but there’s no way to prevent a thief for a thousand days. The higher you build the walls, the more likely you are to be targeted.”
From my perspective of having read five thousand years of history, instead of building high walls and holding on firmly, it’s better to strengthen internal defenses and pretend to be poor and weak.
“Use the money for buying timber to buy self – defense weapons, and buy a few strong servants. I’ll train them well.”
“As for the grain, you can continue to hoard it. Also, buy some glutinous rice and make it into bricks to build a firewood house for emergency use.”
After listening to me, my wife’s eyes became strange.
Could it be that she also transmigrated and is preparing to give a password?
“I didn’t expect that Marquis has hidden his abilities so deeply and has such a scheming mind. Muyao admires you.”
“The petty hermit lives in the mountains, the middle – level hermit lives in the city, and the great hermit lives in the court. I like the doctrine of the mean. Pretending to be ugly is just to dispel the doubts of some people.”
A glimmer of understanding flashed in my wife’s eyes.
From then on, my wife gradually put away her former coldness and prejudice towards me.
But she still didn’t plan to become a real couple with me.
Fine. You, Ling Muyao, have backbone!
11
On the first day of the lunar month, I went to my mother’s place to pay my respects.
As expected, she was urged again to have children.
She even gave me a few pretty little maids in front of everyone in the mansion and asked them to serve in my room.
She didn’t show the slightest bit of jealousy or dissatisfaction. Instead, she thanked my mother.
I felt a bit uncomfortable in my heart, but I didn’t show her a bad face in front of the whole family.
On the way back, I asked my personal servant to stay farther away.
Then I asked her: “You should know what these maids are for, right?”
She nodded slightly and said calmly: “Mother gave concubines, naturally hoping that they can give birth to children for Marquis as soon as possible.”
I stared into her eyes and asked insistently: “Then are you really willing to share your husband with other women?”
She didn’t dare to look me in the eye and simply lowered her eyes: “This is the rule of the Marquis’s residence. Since Muyao has married into the Marquis’s residence, I will abide by these rules.”
I took a deep breath and said “good” several times.
“I’ll accept the ones given by my mother. You have good taste. Send me a few more beautiful women who can dance well. I’m not only interested in you.”
After saying this, I went back to my room to practice calligraphy.
I originally wanted to sleep, but I was too angry to fall asleep!
12
That night, a beautiful young girl rolled into my bed.
She held the quilt tightly with both hands and looked at me shyly.
“Marquis, please have mercy on this servant girl~”
I was stunned for a moment: “…”
Although you are very pretty, I still can’t get over that hurdle.
I can’t bring myself to do it…
I said earnestly: “You go out first. This Marquis still has to read a book for a while.”
“This servant girl will wait for Marquis. I’m willing to wait no matter how long it takes.”
The young girl’s cheeks were flushed, as if she was drunk.
Seeing her so persistent, I didn’t say anything more and let her be.
I read books and practiced calligraphy in the study. When it was late at night, I went back and saw that the young girl had fallen asleep.
I couldn’t bear to wake her up, so I simply stayed in the study for the night.
When I woke up in the morning, the young girl was crying and kneeling by the bedside.
“Marquis, please take this servant girl in! This servant girl was forced to drink the infertility soup by the madam of the brothel before entering the mansion. I will definitely not pose any threat to the mistress’s status.”
She prostrated herself at my feet and kowtowed many times.
I felt pity for her: “What’s your name?”
“This servant girl is called Tianxing.”
“I’m asking you what your name was before entering the mansion.”
“Before entering the mansion… This servant girl… didn’t have a name.”
She stole a glance at me, and upon seeing that I was looking at her, she quickly lowered her head: “This servant girl only remembers that my father’s surname was Zhang.”
I let out an “mm” and pointed to the servant: “Go and arrange a place for Concubine Zhang to live.”
13
I don’t know why.
After taking in a concubine, it was as if I had poked a peach blossom nest.
There were more and more girls selling themselves to bury their fathers on the road. When I passed by in the carriage, there were quite a few girls who stopped the carriage with their bodies.
At first, I felt sorry for the little girls being alone and gave them money.
But on the way home in the afternoon, in the same place, another orphan girl jumped out.
Fine! Do you think I’m a fool to be taken advantage of?
I got off the carriage and took a look.
The father she was lying on the ground with still had his eyelids moving.
I was so angry that I laughed.
“Alright. Today, I’ll do this good deed to the end. I’ll pick a good coffin for your father and ask someone to fill the grave and erect a tombstone.”
I turned around and shouted to the servant: “Call Patrolman Zhao and ask him to bring a few strong brothers to bury this person.”
The person on the ground had his eyelids twitching even more, but his willpower was really good. He was still pretending to be dead.
But I wasn’t really just scaring him.
Ever since I raised Zhao Dabing’s salary by 20%, he has recognized me as his master.
After the greeting ceremony, Zhao Dabing lifted the “dead father” with one hand and threw him onto the cart that was usually used to transport the bodies of executed prisoners.
When we passed by the coffin shop, I went in and casually picked one.
“Just this one. Put the person in and nail it with wooden nails.”
Both Zhao Dabing and the coffin shop owner were very cooperative.
But at this time, the “dead person” didn’t cooperate. He turned around and ran away.
Damn it, he ran really fast.
In the end, Zhao Dabing chased him for two streets and brought him back.
After a severe interrogation, we found out that this person had abducted many orphan girls to act out the scene of selling themselves to bury their fathers.
Whoever’s turn it was to “set up the stall” could have a meal.
The rest of the time, they were all tied up in a dark little house. Not only did they not have any porridge or rice, but they didn’t even have water to drink.
I rescued these skinny little girls and asked them: “You don’t have to go home for now. Come and work in my mansion for a few years to save some personal money first.”
Just like that, in three days.
I not only took in a concubine as a maid, but also took in seven orphan girls as maids.
This made Ling Muyao fully enjoy the feeling of being the main wife.
14
In the blink of an eye, it was the Mid – Autumn Festival banquet.
We had a day off, and in the evening, a dinner party was held at my mother’s place.
The whole family sat together, comparing and competing with each other.
In this Marquis’s residence, my mother favored my glib second brother and would send all the good things to his courtyard.
My father favored me more. Before he died, he passed the title of marquis to me.
At the banquet, my second brother, accompanied by his wife and a group of children, appeared and sat opposite me.
My second brother said some auspicious words to my mother, and then turned to look at me: “Brother, you’re already twenty – three years old, right? There are so many women in your courtyard, but you still don’t have a single child. Could it be that…”
“On such a nice Mid – Autumn Festival banquet, who are you trying to make unhappy?” My mother shouted to stop him.
After that, her fierce gaze fell on my wife beside me: “Ling Shi, I advise you to use fewer of those underhanded and unsavory methods. Otherwise, I will go to your natal family in person to ask them how they raised a daughter like you!”
I saw Ling Muyao clench her handkerchief tightly, and I stepped in to smooth things over: “Mother, it’s not her fault. It’s that I don’t want to have children for now.”
“Bang!”
My mother slapped the table, and the tea in the porcelain cup with the pattern of pine, bamboo, plum, and cypress spilled all over the table.
“Ling Shi, I underestimated you. Even my unruly son is speaking up for you. You really are good at scheming.”
In ancient times, filial piety was of utmost importance.
Even the emperor was suppressed by the concept of “filial piety,” not to mention a woman.
Ling Muyao knelt down with a thud: “Your servant doesn’t dare. Please, Mother, see the truth.”
“See the truth? If I don’t deal with you now, you might become even more presumptuous in the future.” My mother stared at her, “From today on, you are confined to your room for three months and have to copy the Buddhist scriptures. You can’t ask others to do it for you! And all the internal affairs of the family will be handed over to your sister – in – law to manage.”
Ling Muyao lowered her head and didn’t speak for a long time.
But her fingers that were supporting the ground turned white due to the force.
Seeing the smile on my sister – in – law’s face, I sneered and directly flipped the table over.
“I’m the head of the family, right? Even if the internal affairs of the mansion are not managed by Ling Shi, they should be handed over to the butler, right?”
My mother slapped the table again: “The butler is an outsider, and your sister – in – law is a family member. Can they be the same?”
I grinned and walked over to soothe her anger, but my eyes were fixed on my second brother’s family: “Yes, yes, Mother is right. I’m just afraid that it will be inconvenient for my sister – in – law. What if I urgently need something and before she can get it ready, I just barge in? It wouldn’t be a big deal if I saw my second brother without clothes on, but what if I saw my sister – in – law…”
“You unruly thing!” My mother suddenly punched me, not too hard.
I grabbed her hand and squeezed it, smiling apologetically: “Mother, calm down. Let me tell you why I don’t want to have children.
“A few years ago, the master of the Huguo Temple personally told me that I will have a disaster at the end of this year. All three of Ling Shi’s legitimate sons will die in this disaster.”
The breath that my mother had just exhaled suddenly got stuck in her throat.
I took the opportunity to massage her shoulders to relax her: “So I’ve decided not to have children until the disaster passes, to avoid the pain of losing my children at a young age.”
When I talked about this sad thing, I buried my head and pretended to cry a few times.
My mother didn’t say anything.
She is a Buddhist believer herself, and just by listening to my nonsense, she already believed it seventy percent.
But she is quite familiar with the abbot of the Huguo Temple, and she will definitely go to ask.
So, I sent Zhao Dabing to pay some ruffians to keep an eye on her and deliberately cause trouble to prevent her from going.
15
In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year.
The natural disasters in the north and south had already led to man-made disasters.
The local officials only reported to the imperial court when they really couldn’t suppress the situation anymore.
On one side, the flood breached the embankments, submerging villages and farmlands. The dead had no trace left, and those who survived were living a life worse than death.
On the other side, the sun was scorching, and the land was parched for thousands of miles with no crops. There were starving people everywhere, and some even resorted to cannibalism.
The displaced refugees were forced to leave their hometowns and seek survival in more prosperous places.
Now, under the city walls of the capital, tens of thousands of refugees had gathered one after another, and they had eaten up all the grass roots and tree bark outside the city.
The imperial court was in a passive position and proposed to release grain for disaster relief.
Unexpectedly, only three days later, the granary was empty.
The imperial court couldn’t provide any more grain to relieve the increasing number of refugees outside the city, and the grain prices inside the city kept rising.
The common people in the capital were also tightening their belts to make ends meet.
If this situation continued, in no more than two or three days, they might also have to swallow their pride and become refugees.
16
On that day, an imperial censor submitted a memorial.
He accused the Prince of Pingnan of colluding with the Nanyue Kingdom. The family members in his mansion lived a life of extreme luxury, deliberately raised the grain prices, and made a fortune from the national disaster. Their crimes were unforgivable!
The current emperor was a capable ruler who maintained the existing state of affairs. He was quite clear – minded in major matters.
He directly raided the mansion of the Prince of Pingnan and found tens of thousands of shi of grain.
The emperor was furious and sent a great general to the south to capture the rebels and execute them on the spot.
The family members of the prince were thrown into prison. All male descendants above the age of three were beheaded, and the female family members were sent to become official prostitutes.
Commander Wang actually went with them. Before he set off, he specifically came to have a drink with me.
“Thanks to Marquis, I’ve caught the eye of the great general. This trip will help me gain some experience, and things will be different when I come back.”
He laughed heartily, and I was happy to praise him a bit:
“I urge you to finish one more cup of wine. Once you go south beyond Dongting Lake, you’ll meet no old friends.”
Commander Wang stopped smiling and solemnly raised his glass, ready to down the pot of wine, but I stopped him.
“You’re going on an expedition tomorrow. Don’t delay the important matter. We can drink when you come back.”
Commander Wang was taken aback, and then he repeatedly said: “Good, good, good. On the day of our triumphant return, we’ll have a good drink.”
When I saw him off to the carriage, Commander Wang also said: “Brother Qin, I, Wang Yaozu, consider you as my own brother. I know you’re not an ordinary person. I’ll give you a chance. Just wait and see.”
I originally thought he was talking about the matter of the family members of the Prince of Pingnan. I did indeed make a profit from it.
But a few days later, the news of my promotion to the position of Pacification Commissioner reached me. Only then did I know that Wang Yaozu had recommended me to the higher authorities.
The responsibilities of the Pacification Commissioner were disaster relief and maintaining public order.
I assigned the task of maintaining public order to Zhao Dabing and Deputy Commander Liu, and Deputy Commander Hu and I were in charge of the disaster relief work.
When I took over this job, the remaining grain was only enough for two days, and there was also very little money left.
The refugees outside the city had already been hungry for two days.
If they were to be hungry for any longer, their humanity would be completely lost.
I made a prompt decision and sent people to find out where there were still things that could be eaten.
A young soldier who lived in the countryside said: “Sir, the mountains near my home are still green. It’s said that there are still pheasants and rabbits in the depths. But… those mountains are all the property of high-ranking officials in the court. We can’t touch them.”
I thought for a moment and came up with an idea.
“Who said we’re going to touch them?
“It’s those troublesome people who are acting recklessly and breaking in by force. We can’t even catch up with them.”
The young soldier stared at me with wide eyes, not understanding what I was saying.
I waved my hand and motioned for him to come closer and listen.
17
At noon the next day.
The number of refugees gathered under the city walls had decreased by more than half, which confused the people serving the porridge.
“Could they have all starved to death?”
I smiled. Looking at the sky, I thought that the people should be coming back soon.
In less than half an hour, a few black figures appeared sparsely on the official road in the distance, and behind them was a dense black mass.
“They’re back!”
“What are they holding in their hands?”
“It’s a chicken! It’s a chicken!”
The person who caught the chicken was an undercover agent I had planted.
This chicken was the key for him to infiltrate the refugee group.
If one person ate it alone, he would be a target.
But what if it was put into a big pot and stewed vigorously?
The strong young men could get some minced meat, and the other old, weak, women, and children could also get a sip of the broth.
After eating this meal at noon and lying on the ground to rest until sunset, these people set off again.
Taking advantage of the wealthy and powerful families could keep them alive for a while, but it was not a long-term solution.
What these people really relied on was still the land of their hometown.
I learned from Ling Muyao that the flood in the south would stop in six months, and after the drought in the north, there would be a snow disaster, which would be postponed for another four months.
Now that the capital city had run out of supplies, the only option was to buy grain.
Buying grain from the Nanyue Kingdom in the south and from Goryeo in the north could help us get through this year.
I wrote my thoughts on the posted solicitation list, hoping that the emperor would notice.
After a day of busyness, I dragged my tired body home and saw Ling Muyao standing at the gate with a complicated expression, walking towards me.
I looked back at the sky. The sun was setting in the west…
“Husband, there’s no grain at home.”
So it was about this matter.
I pondered for a moment and then said:
“Break off a piece of glutinous rice brick, grind it into fine powder, soak it in water, and distribute it to the servants to drink.
“We’ll eat buckwheat. I’ll talk to Mother and the second branch of the family.”
Since the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet that day, Ling Muyao would ask me about major matters at home.
Generally, she would properly execute the decisions I made, which was comparable to a president’s special assistant.
After giving the instructions, I turned around and headed towards my mother’s courtyard.
A hesitant voice came from behind me: “Husband… Would you like to come to my place tonight?”
18
Actually, I was really tired that day.
After dealing with the old lady and my good-for-nothing brother, I felt a bit overwhelmed.
After finishing the work, I was absent-minded all the way.
There were two bowls of brown sugar and millet porridge and a plate of dried meat on the table.
The servants serving us all stood in the courtyard, and there were only the two of us in the room.
I lowered my head and stirred the spoon to cool the porridge, and heard her say: “Ling Han Shi came to borrow grain today, and I didn’t give it to her.”
Ling Han Shi?
I searched my mind for a long time before I remembered that she was my sister-in-law.
“Yeah, it’s right not to give it to her. Did you just call me here for this matter?”
Ling Muyao’s cheeks turned red, and her eyes flickered: “Otherwise, what did Husband think it was about?”
Seeing her like this, I felt relieved.
I soothed her: “Don’t worry. The words I said at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet weren’t a joke. Before the disaster passes, I won’t have children. It’s not like we can’t wait.”
Ling Muyao lowered her head and nodded, clasping the edge of the bowl tightly with both hands.
She let out a heavy “mm”.
19
For three months, we took advantage of the powerful families, and for another three months, we targeted the aristocratic families.
The refugees outside the city were developed into a guerrilla force by me.
Besides doing things like stealing chickens and dogs and digging up grass roots, they didn’t dare to do things like killing, arson, and cannibalism openly.
After receiving the reply letter sent by Commander Wang, I called the leaders of the refugees who came from the south.
“The flood in the south has been brought under control. After you go back, do as I say and live a good life.”
“Sir—”
The skinny man had tears in his eyes. He opened his mouth, his lower lip trembled a few times, but he didn’t know what to say.
Countryside men could talk a lot of rough talk.
But they were so embarrassed that they couldn’t think of any good words of gratitude even though they blushed.
They just kept kowtowing.
I let out a long sigh: “Be vigilant at all times on the way and be careful of being attacked by bandits.”
The leaders on the ground thanked me profusely again.
When I saw them off, I gave each of them a glutinous rice brick that was rough and scratchy in the throat.
After a month, with an autumn rain in the north, the refugees who had been staying under the city walls for half a year finally left.
The north wind howled, making people feel heartbroken.
I had taught them the technique of building heated kang beds. I hoped that fewer people would freeze to death.
20
When the disaster situation stabilized and Commander Wang’s letter reached me, he was already on his way back.
With my political achievements, wealth, and connections in the court, I was promoted to the position of Assistant Minister of Jingzhao in late November, assisting the Minister of Jingzhao in handling affairs.
After taking office, my superior assigned a lot of tasks to me.
These tasks didn’t involve touching on interests, but they also let me know how much power the Assistant Minister of Jingzhao had.
Without saying a word, I transferred Zhao Dabing from the Military Affairs Department to work under me.
It wasn’t just because he was on my side. More importantly, it was convenient to use a smart person.
Worried about the snow disaster, I asked Zhao Dabing to do something bad.
On one hand, he deliberately kicked and damaged people’s roof beams, and on the other hand, he forced them to take out money to repair the kang beds.
When the roof beams were broken, I took money from the treasury of the Minister of Jingzhao to repair them.
I took 60% of the money for repairing the kang beds, Zhao Dabing took 10%, and the remaining 30% was given to the craftsmen.
After doing this secretly for half a month, my superior found out.
He stared straight at me and asked me what I had done with the money.
I took out a stack of money that I had prepared in advance: “Sir, the money from the treasury was meant for the common people. The common people felt they didn’t deserve to receive it without doing anything in return, so they returned it.”
“Look…”
I stuffed the stack of money that had been transferred from the public treasury to the private into his hand.
My superior’s face immediately became friendly, and he praised me jokingly: “You’re good at handling things. Keep it up.”
“Keep it up.” I relayed this to Zhao Dabing.
He started to “demolish houses” even faster.
21
By the day when the first snow fell, more than 1,300 households had installed heated kang beds.
The team of craftsmen grew larger, and the speed became faster. Many people took the initiative to ask for their kang beds to be repaired.
The first snow fell thickly and continuously for a whole day and night.
The next day, when I opened the door, a damp and fresh breath rushed towards me.
There were clear creaking sounds inside and outside the courtyard. The servants were using bamboo brooms to try their best to sweep away the white snow.
I stood at the door and looked outside. The road couldn’t be walked on for the time being.
Each household was sweeping the snow in front of their own doors. It would at least be noon before the road was cleared.
The houses in the old city area had been repaired, and there were no incidents of houses collapsing and people being crushed to death.
There were no major matters in the court, so I simply took a three-day break.
I sat in my wife’s warm pavilion, sipping tea and reading books to pass the time.
She would look at me from time to time, opening her mouth but then hesitating to speak.
Finally, on the last day of the break, she opened her mouth: “Actually, I’m someone who has been reborn.”
I nodded.
Seeing that she was almost biting through her lips, I let out a sigh: “Let me tell you a secret.”
She sat with her face serious, her hands on her knees respectively, looking at me like a primary school student.
I smiled and said: “Actually, I’m a celestial being from the sky who came down to experience the hardships of the mortal world.”
She held her breath, her eyes full of surprise, and actually believed it!
She asked me softly: “What’s the sky like? How does it compare to the human world?”
I laughed heartily: “Don’t look at me as a marquis. In fact, it’s not as comfortable as it is up there. There are countless delicious foods and fun things.
“You can take a big bird and fly from the capital city to the Nanyue Kingdom. It only takes half a day to arrive.
“You can raise your hand and have a conversation with a friend thousands of miles away.”
As for the fact that I was a corporate slave, I directly ignored it. Anyway, there’s nothing to be afraid of when I’m忽悠ing my own wife.
Ling Muyao’s beautiful eyes widened, and she seemed to believe it a little more.
22
At the end of December, there was a mix of wind and snow.
I drove a carriage to the city gate to welcome Commander Wang, ah no, it was Lord Wang who was about to be promoted to the Left Minister of the Ministry of War.
After picking him up, we said a few words and then parted ways.
He still had to follow the great general to the palace to report on his duties and wait to be rewarded.
“I’m afraid we can’t have a drink today. I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow, and we’ll have a good drink!”
The next day, the grand banquet was held in the mansion of the great general. It was filled with guests, and the officials all attended in their regular clothes.
Brother Wang pulled me over to offer toasts one by one.
The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel who came in place of my superior recognized my position and chatted with me for a few words.
After that, my political achievements at the end of the year were naturally on the list.
It was just that it hadn’t been long since my last promotion, and I still needed to accumulate a year’s worth of experience in order to be promoted next year.
However, at the end of the year, news of a disaster came from the north.
It wasn’t very serious, and it was within my expectations.
At that time, I had told those leaders that if they couldn’t get through it, they should ask the local officials to request grain from the imperial court.
When the imperial court heard that they only needed grain and there weren’t many other troublesome matters, it readily gave a batch of newly harvested autumn grain.
This New Year, not only the Marquis’s residence but also the emperor in the palace had a tight time.
The New Year’s Eve banquet was cancelled. Except for the imperial relatives, the other officials all spent the New Year in their own homes.
After I got off work and returned home, I changed my clothes and went to my mother’s courtyard.
My wife had already arranged the dishes, and they were all kept warm in the steamer in the kitchen. The whole family was waiting for me to come back to start the meal.
I entered the door and took a look. I saw that the chubby children of my second brother’s family were now all as thin as monkeys.
I let out a long sigh and showed the roast duck I had received: “Slice it and give it to the children to make up for it. It really makes their uncle feel sorry for them.”
My second brother was angry but dared not speak out.
Half-grown children can eat a lot.
The meal was like a locust invasion.
My mother frowned, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.
After the meal, my mother asked my wife and me to stay.
“After this snow passes, it’s time to have children, right?”
I didn’t answer but turned to look at the person beside me.
I saw that her ears were red, and she nodded.
23
The drizzle on the imperial street is as smooth as cream, and the grass seems to be seen from afar but not up close.
After three consecutive days of sunshine, the frost on the ground completely melted.
I took my pregnant wife to her natal home to make up for the visit on the second day of the first lunar month.
I kept saying to her on the way: “If they dare to speak in a sarcastic way, I’ll just pull you away directly, announce the severance of the relationship, and find someone to ruin the reputation of your father and that stepmother of yours.”
She smiled faintly and didn’t say anything.
When we arrived at my father-in-law’s house, the servant went to carry the New Year’s gifts from the carriage into the house.
The ground was slippery, and I supported my wife as we went up the steps.
Coincidentally, my sister-in-law was also there today.
She was wearing plain clothes, her face was sallow and haggard, and her eyes were still red.
My mother-in-law was asking her, “Xinyue, you’ve been staying at your natal home for three days. When will Han Xingyuan come to pick you up?”
Ling Xinyue immediately frowned: “Mom, can you stop mentioning the Han family? They’re just a bunch of bandits, and there’s not a single good person among them.”
I cleared my throat.
Everyone inside immediately fell silent.
Then my mother-in-law immediately got up with a flattering look to welcome us, and she came forward enthusiastically to look at my wife and me. The hatred in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.
“It’s good that you’re back. We didn’t wait for you on the second and third day of the first lunar month, and everyone in the house was talking about it. We thought something had happened to you.”
I greeted her politely and then waved my hand behind me, asking people to carry all the gifts in.
Expensive pastries, fine silk, pearls from overseas, and grape wine from foreign lands were brought in, making my mother-in-law so happy that she couldn’t close her mouth.
I knew that it wasn’t convenient for an outsider male to go in, so I took the initiative to propose to consult my father-in-law and said that I would come back to pick up my wife later.
My mother-in-law kept nodding in agreement. As soon as I turned my head, the laughter behind me stopped.
24
My father-in-law held the position of a fourth-rank official, but it was an honorary position. He looked impressive, but in fact, he was not as powerful as me.
So even though we were in the study together, even though he despised me for being cunning, he didn’t dare to show me a bad face.
I spent time there until noon. After having the main meal, my wife gave me a look.
I immediately understood and took my leave from my father-in-law and mother-in-law.
“Muyao is suffering a lot during her pregnancy and is always short of sleep. She should be sleepy now. I’ll come to bother you two another day, Father-in-law and Mother-in-law.”
My father-in-law didn’t like me, so naturally he wouldn’t keep me.
My mother-in-law was good at maintaining appearances. She said some polite words and then casually gave us something to send us off.
As for my sister-in-law Ling Xinyue, I guess she didn’t have the face to come out and see us.
After the disaster, Han Xingyuan’s family was so poor that they couldn’t even afford a quilt.
They also didn’t build a heated kang bed, saying that he had studied hard for ten years and didn’t need these “dross” things of the common people.
As a result, his newly born son got frostbite all over his body, had a high fever, and became a fool.
He himself also frostbitten one of his legs and now walks with a limp.
Ling Xinyue couldn’t bear the blow and abandoned her husband and child and fled back to her natal home to escape reality.
25
The carriage slowly drove on the way home, and the speed was almost the same as that of a person walking.
My wife suddenly leaned her head on my shoulder and asked softly, “If you had still married Ling Xinyue in this life, would you treat her as well as you treat me?”
I frowned unhappily: “Don’t dream too much. With her bad temper, how could I spoil her?”
She couldn’t help laughing and gently punched me.
However, her expression changed for a while, and then she asked, “Then… when will you go back to the sky? Will you forget everything in the mortal world?”
I almost burst out laughing and it took me a long time to hold it back.
I lowered my voice and told her: “Why are you in such a hurry? If you are a loving couple with me for a lifetime, I will naturally enlighten you to become an immortal after death and we can go back to the Heavenly Court to live a carefree life together.”
My wife’s brows relaxed, and her beautiful eyes curved into a smile.
26
Epilogue:
We had a son.
The first reaction my wife had when she knew it was to heave a sigh of relief and she proposed to stop having children.
I fully respected her wish and let her strive for her career.
But there is one thing I must tell her.
She is bold and resolute in her career, but why is she so at a loss when it comes to family and family affection?
I am a high-ranking official of the third rank. In order to live off her, I even have to be her tool to ward off disasters, troubles, and difficult people.
Thinking about it, I still feel that I’ve suffered a loss.
(The End)
