Chapter 38
The original story was actually even more bustling than it is now, because it involved a chaotic mixture of three major conflicts.
In the north, foreign nations were stirring up trouble; in the east, barbarian pirates were invading the borders; and in the south, Prince Ling’an was rebelling.
In truth, the first two issues were not particularly alarming. Given the power of the Great Zhao Kingdom, it would have been easy to suppress these matters.
The biggest harm came from the third situation. With the help of the renowned General Wuwei, Rong Di, Yuwen Min was like a tiger with wings, swiftly bringing the three southern provinces under his control, using them as a stronghold.
To deal with this rebellious son, the emperor personally led the army south to wage war.
He took along the Empress and Concubine Rong with him.
The outcome was tragic, and Yuwen Min regretted it deeply.
He thought to himself that he shouldn’t have disregarded the safety of his mother concubine and rashly rebelled.
Now, Lu Hanzhi felt that it was actually the Third Prince, Yuwen Jing, who had been very thoughtful. He had managed to take his mother and consort to escape.
Some details in the original story never quite held up under scrutiny.
On the one hand, it was said that Yuwen Min acted thoughtfully and showed the talent of a great general.
On the other hand, it was also mentioned that he acted recklessly, putting his mother and consort in danger.
But no matter what, the current situation was the most advantageous for Yuwen Min.
His resources hadn’t dwindled, and the tragedies described in the original story never occurred.
Lu Hanzhi actually felt somewhat relieved. The hateful yet pitiful character in the original story would no longer have to endure the agony of life-and-death separations.
After sitting in a daze for a while, Lu Hanzhi asked Zai Yu, “Has the matter with Aunt Du been reported back to the mansion?”
Zai Yu replied, “It has been sent back. The Madam didn’t react much to it. She just asked for some silver to be sent to her family.”
Lu Hanzhi then asked, “What was my father’s reaction?”
Zai Yu answered, “He stayed in the study for a whole day, had Aunt Du’s grave prepared, and said she died of an illness in a hurry.”
This method of handling the situation seemed to be the best option.
After all, a concubine being abducted by mountain bandits to become their leader’s wife had a terrible reputation.
For some time, Aunt Du had been locked up in the side room of the rear courtyard. Ever since the incident, she seemed to have lost her sanity.
Lu Hanzhi suspected that people who suffered strong mental shocks might develop lingering effects of mental exhaustion.
Fortunately, his mother, Madam Lu, had not been manipulated by Su Wan’ning and seemed to be inclined to favor her due to her good public image.
He certainly didn’t naively think that Su Wan’ning would simply give up. She wouldn’t stop until she had used up all the cards in her hand.
And from what he saw, her good reputation among everyone hadn’t collapsed and was actually on the rise.
Lu Hanzhi sighed. What could he do?
All he could do was face each problem as it came, like a general facing an army, or like water flowing to its natural course.
He told Zai Yu, “Let’s renovate the pigsty and expand it to ten times its current size. Aren’t there two old sows about to give birth?”
Zai Yu replied, “Young Master, they’ve already given birth! Twenty-six piglets!”
Lu Hanzhi’s face lit up with joy. “Really? Truly heroic sow mothers!”
Zai Yu: …
What kind of metaphor was that?
Lu Hanzhi then said, “Let’s slaughter the dozen or so pigs that can be sold! Use the pig fat to make the salve according to the formula I gave earlier. The meat should be made into jerky, and the internal organs should be made into marinated dishes. The pig intestines can be stuffed into blood sausages. That’s the perfect dish to go with braised cabbage!”
Zai Yu made a note of it and then asked in confusion, “Young Master… how do you make blood sausage?”
With autumn approaching, it was time to prepare the traditional autumn dishes, and a big pot of “kill-the-pig” soup was a must.
Lu Hanzhi waved his hand and said, “Today, let’s take a break from work. We’ll slaughter pigs, eat meat, and make a big pot of ‘kill-the-pig’ soup!”
Zai Yu didn’t fully understand what “kill-the-pig” soup was, but he conveyed the message well: no work today, just slaughter pigs and eat meat.
In no time, over a hundred tenants and servants gathered at the manor, old and young alike, waiting for their master’s treat.
The pigs raised by the pig herders were plump and healthy, and it took quite a bit of effort to slaughter them.
Lu Hanzhi instructed the pig herder and the tenants to collect the pig’s blood in basins and set aside the pig’s intestines.
As for making the blood sausage, it was done by stuffing the pig’s blood into the intestines.
Of course, the process wasn’t as simple as it sounded. First, one had to cook meat broth with Sichuan pepper and star anise, then strain it through a fine sieve, add some cilantro, and let it cool before mixing it with the pig’s blood.
The mixed blood would then be stuffed into the pig’s intestines, tied into sections, and arranged neatly.
Finally, it was boiled in a large pot of water until it was cooked, which took about fifteen minutes.
In the northeast, this “kill-the-pig” soup was a staple dish for autumn and winter.
Today, Lu Hanzhi had three huge vats of blood sausage made, and he had sent someone to harvest a dozen large cabbages from his field.
The estate’s cook set up a large pot, chopped the cooked blood sausage into pieces, and simmered a huge pot of “kill-the-pig” soup.
Since they had pig fat, liver, and intestines ready, but no sauerkraut, they substituted it with some chopped radish strips.
The taste wasn’t what mattered; the key was enjoying the atmosphere of the meal.
The three large pots of “kill-the-pig” soup were ready, and everyone, from the young to the old, ate to their heart’s content.
Since Lu Hanzhi had come to the world of the novel, he had only eaten the finest food.
Now, suddenly eating such a hearty, meat-laden dish, he nearly lost his teeth from the deliciousness.
The tenants and servants also gave thumbs up and praised the food, their admiration for their young master growing deeper.
To be honest, since their young master arrived, their monthly wages had increased significantly.
They were now given refined rice, flour, oil, and even meat. Now their young master was also providing them with delicious meals.
The tenants sincerely admired their young master’s management and had become increasingly loyal.
When County Princess Zhaoyun arrived, she saw Lu Hanzhi sitting with the tenants and workers, holding a bowl of rice and a wine flask, enjoying the lively atmosphere.
He hadn’t planned on drinking, but as a man, seeing such a festive scene, he couldn’t help but be tempted.
Plus, he did enjoy drinking, and now that he had become a Xiao Langjun, it was difficult to bear being a Xiao Langjun who couldn’t drink.
Fortunately, he was within his safe period six months after childbirth and could indulge in drinking.
Ah Chan was almost four months old, so he had to make the most of these last two months of freedom.
After six months, Xiao Langjun would start to go into heat again, which gave him a headache. He didn’t know how to handle the situation.
One should know that when Xiao Langjun had not yet experienced sexual relations, he could control his desires, but after he had experienced it, it became an unbearable torment.
For those Xiao Langjun who were married, their husbands would provide comfort, but for those who were not married, it could cost them their life.
Because of this, Xiao Langjun drinking alcohol was considered improper in the Great Zhao.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t drink, but drinking often led to improper thoughts and gave off an unrefined vibe.
So, when County Princess Zhaoyun arrived at the southern suburbs’ estate under Su Wan’ning’s guidance, she expected to see the new Wang Fei being more refined. Instead, she was met with this disgraceful scene.
She furrowed her brows and asked Su Wan’ning beside her, “Is this the cousin of yours, the one who has everything above but nothing below?”
Su Wan’ning replied, “Indeed, it’s Cousin Hanzhi.”
County Princess Zhaoyun, looking quite disapproving, said, “He may be beautiful, but he’s overly flashy and reckless. No wonder he ended up having a child while still at home. With such behavior, how can he be suited to be a Wang Fei?”
Su Wan’ning smiled awkwardly and said, “Perhaps… Cousin has been cooped up in this estate for days and is getting bored. Being able to blend in with the commoners is also a skill of his.”
Zhaoyun snorted coldly, “What kind of skill is that? Is it the skill of drinking and having fun with men?”
Su Wan’ning did not respond, instead asking, “Your Highness, are you still going? I’m afraid that when Cousin gets drunk later, he might not be able to speak with you.”
Zhaoyun glanced at Lu Hanzhi’s direction and said, “I really don’t want to associate with such people. Let’s go! Back to the capital.”
With that, County Princess Zhaoyun turned and left, boarding a carriage not far off.
Once in the carriage, Su Wan’ning was troubled and said, “I hope Your Highness can keep this matter a secret. If Prince An finds out, Cousin will be scolded. After all, he’s already a Wang Fei, even though the formal ceremony hasn’t been completed, the imperial decree has been issued.”
Zhaoyun looked at Su Wan’ning with confusion, never considering telling Prince An about this matter. But since Wan’ning brought it up, why not do her a favor and go along with it?
After returning to the capital, Zhaoyun didn’t rush back to the palace but instead visited Prince An’s residence.
She stayed for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, then left by carriage again.
Moments later, Prince An was seen riding out of the royal residence on horseback, just as Su Wan’ning, dressed in a yellow gown, saw him clearly.
She smiled faintly and murmured, “Sorry, Cousin Hanzhi, but there are things I must do.”
At this moment, another majestic and elegant figure approached her.
The person was wearing a white embroidered robe with gold threads, a gilded veil hat, and a sword hung at his waist with a tassel of black gold.
It was none other than Prince Min, Yuwen Mingji, who was highly praised for his leisurely and refined demeanor.
Yuwen Mingji was the younger brother of the current emperor, a son of the late emperor in his old age.
When the emperor ascended the throne, Yuwen Mingji was only ten years old, five years younger than the emperor’s eldest son, Yuwen Jue.
By the time he was granted the title of prince, the political situation was more or less settled, and the emperor saw him as a younger brother who preferred not to stir up trouble.
He spent his days either traveling to scenic spots or composing poems with scholars.
He was kind to younger generations, respectful to the emperor, and showed no interest in court politics.
Such a gentle and quiet royal uncle was impossible not to like.
Even Yuwen Min, a member of the royal family who was rarely well-liked, received considerable favor from Yuwen Mingji.
So when the eldest prince was framed, Yuwen Min never suspected Yuwen Mingji.
Even after the escape, he was the first to go to this royal uncle for help, hoping that he could assist in finding the one who framed his elder brother.
It wasn’t until a few days later that Yuwen Mingji revealed his true nature, intending to kill him to prevent future trouble. Yuwen Min was kept in the dark for a long time.
Unfortunately, Yuwen Mingji’s martial skills were not enough to kill Yuwen Min.
After severely injuring him, Yuwen Mingji left the capital and traveled south.
Sometimes, a person’s disguise can last a lifetime, only to be revealed after the emperor’s death, when it’s discovered that the seemingly gentle royal uncle was actually a cruel and heartless beast.
However, as Yuwen Mingji approached Su Wan’ning, he was full of affection. He reached out and patted her head, but Su Wan’ning playfully dodged.
With a helpless smile, he said, “You girl, why aren’t you staying in the residence and are out wandering around?”
At the same time, Yuwen Min, riding a swift horse, arrived at the estate on the outskirts of the capital. He dismounted and looked up at the setting sun.
As he entered the estate, he saw that the ground was a mess of broken dishes and cups.
Several drunk men were sprawled on the floor, and wine jars were scattered about.
He frowned as he glanced at the drunken men, grabbing one of them and asking, “Where is Young Master?”
The drunk man pointed toward the main hall, and Yuwen Min walked toward it.
Lu Hanzhi was indeed drunk, being supported by He Ming as he tried to find some water to drink.
Yuwen Min helplessly poured him a cup of water and offered it to him, but Lu Hanzhi did not take it.
Instead, upon seeing him, he lewdly stretched out his hand and said, “Hey? Big brother? I… 05… Should I… or should you… Give me a clear answer!”
Yuwen Min: …
Author’s note:
Prince An: I am indeed a big 1. Do you want it?
Your favorite BL chaos wouldn’t be possible without coffee… lots of coffee….
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