pappabearbooks Chapter 5429 The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows
Chapter 5429 The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows
Chapter 5429 The Wife Sings, the Husband Follows
Chen Erniu stood there, bowing slightly, not daring to lift his head or even breathe, and stammered, "This...this...I dare not trouble you, sir."
On the contrary, the bright eyes of the girl in her arms were fixed on the elegant and beautiful noblewoman in front of her.
The woman smiled gently: "When we're far from home, we should help and support each other. I know you're worried about leaving your daughter in the care of others, probably because you're afraid something might happen. But you should trust me, right? You don't think I'd sell your daughter, do you?"
"..."
Chen Erniu felt awkward and didn't know how to answer.
Although he had never seen much of the world, he could tell that although the noblewoman was dressed simply and adorned with plain clothes, her temperament, which was both dignified and approachable, was enough to show her extraordinary status. How could such a person have designs on his daughter?
Although my daughter is well-behaved and sensible, she's just like a weed by the roadside...
He hesitated, at a loss, but his daughter struggled a little, her small body reaching forward to meet the lady's hand, opening her two little arms, and was then picked up by the lady's arms under her armpits.
Chen Erniu: "..."
The lady held the little girl in her arms, her face beaming with joy: "Aren't you afraid of me?"
The little girl hugged her neck, her face shy: "Auntie smells so good."
"what!"
The lady chuckled, then nodded to Chen Erniu: "I'll take her to the medicinal tub to change her clothes. You can go on your own."
"Here."
Chen Erniu was captivated by the elegant lady's demeanor and could only agree. He watched as the lady carried her daughter to the other side of the women's bathing area, where the daughter even waved to him and smiled sweetly...
He walked toward the bathing area, and after taking a couple of steps, he remembered something and bowed to ask the steward beside him, "May I ask, what is the identity of that distinguished guest?"
Although I subconsciously felt that the noblewoman wouldn't do anything bad, what if she did?
I don't even know who they are...
The manager smiled and said, "Your daughter is so lucky to have caught the eye of such an important person... That is Madam Wu, the head manager of our 'Dongda Tang Trading Company'."
"Ah! So she is Lady Wu..."
Chen Erniu was shocked. Along the way, he had heard the name "Wu Niangzi" from time to time on the ship. It was said that the people of Hebei had the opportunity to go to sea this time because of the merchant's organization. She was truly a benefactor to everyone!
When Chen Erniu came out after soaking in the pungent medicinal bath and changing into a new set of coarse cloth clothes, he saw that his daughter had already come out first. She was being held in the arms of that Wu Niangzi and talking to a woman dressed in gorgeous clothes and adorned with pearls and jade. More than ten maids surrounded them.
A female official approached him and said with a smile, "Why don't you quickly pay your respects to the Queen?"
Chen Erniu stepped forward and knelt on the ground: "This humble subject, Chen Erniu, pays his respects to Her Majesty the Queen."
Fang Xiaomei smiled and said, "The Tang Dynasty does not have the custom of kneeling before officials. Our Jiang Kingdom is a vassal state of the Tang Dynasty, so naturally all etiquette is inherited from the Tang Dynasty. Please rise."
At this moment, Chen Erniu seemed to have a sudden inspiration. The usually taciturn man actually said, "There is no need to kneel when meeting an official, but when meeting the king or queen, one must kneel. It is not a matter of etiquette, but a commoner's respect and gratitude."
Fang Xiaomei became even happier, reached out and gently pinched the little girl's cheek, and said, "Chen Erniu, I have something to discuss with you."
"Quickly give your orders, Your Majesty. I will follow you to the death!"
"Hehe, I asked my brother and sister-in-law to bring you to Jiang Kingdom to give you a way to live, so how could I want your lives?"
Fang Xiaomei smiled and said, "Your daughter is clever and beautiful, and I have a good liking for her. Why don't we send her to the palace to be raised by my side? When she grows up, she can become a lady-in-waiting. What do you think?"
"what?"
Chen Erniu was dumbfounded, looking at the Queen and then at his daughter, not knowing what to do.
Wu Meiniang said softly, "Although the King has already built houses for you, it is still quite inconvenient for a man to have a daughter by his side after all, as you are far from your homeland and starting all over again. It is better to keep her in the palace for now. If you settle down in the future, you can take your daughter away at any time."
What else could Chen Erniu say? He immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly, a grown man crying with tears streaming down his face.
Even the most ignorant person would understand that their daughter's life was about to change dramatically, and being raised by the Queen was already a life of wealth and honor. If she could be betrothed to someone in the future, it would be a complete leap forward.
Such kindness is like being given a second life.
……
The maid took the child back to the palace to settle her in. Fang Xiaomei and Wu Meiniang sat in the carriage and asked curiously, "Why does my second brother want me to adopt so many children in the name of the Queen? It would be fine if they were orphans, but even those with fathers or mothers have to be adopted."
Wu Zetian picked up her teacup with her slender hand and took a sip of tea, her posture elegant and graceful: "It is easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow. These people have come from Hebei across the sea, filled with both anticipation for the future and fear and trepidation about the unknown. Adopting their children at this time allows them to have no worries. What a kindness this is! Furthermore, these children are raised by your side, making them your most loyal supporters. Their families will naturally be grateful to you... And acquiring these things only requires some effort and money."
Fang Xiaomei frowned slightly, looking distressed, and said, "Why do you and my second brother insist on forcing me down this path? I don't have that kind of ambition, nor do I like doing it."
Wu Meiniang then took her hand and said softly, "You must understand the principle of having no sword in your hand versus having a sword but not using it."
He had no sword in his hand, yet he had no divine weapon to slay.
He has a sword in his hand, which he keeps hidden away, yet it commands respect from all directions.
Whether to use it or not is one thing, whether to have it or not is another...
Fang Xiaomei sighed softly: "But wouldn't this create a distance between the king and the king?"
Names and tools, however, should not be lent to others.
For a king, this is tantamount to trampling on the bottom line.
Wu Meiniang chuckled, her eyes sparkling with charm: "How could your brother not have such concerns? Prince Jiang is a gentle and mild-mannered person. To put it bluntly, he is not capable of managing a country on his own. Your efforts in these areas are to help him govern the country better. If it were Prince Jin, who is stubborn, self-willed, and ambitious, Erlang would never have acted this way."
Fang Xiaomei then said no more.
Although Li Yun was sometimes willful and somewhat arrogant, he was kind and gentle by nature. He lacked both courage and domineering spirit. He would be fine as a pampered playboy, but it would be difficult for him to be a king.
To put it bluntly, he "doesn't look like a ruler"...
*****
Boats travel upstream along the Chao Phraya River. Beyond the dikes on both banks, the fields are flat but covered with shrubs and weeds, with countless rivers flowing through them, creating a primitive and wild atmosphere.
As they sailed along, boats would occasionally dock at the shore. Chen Erniu's boat did not reach its destination until the morning of the third day. It was already a hundred miles away from Huajing City. The boat entered a tributary and continued upstream. After another half day, it arrived at a wide bay.
"Look!"
Someone exclaimed from the side of the ship and pointed to a spot on the shore.
Chen Erniu and the others squeezed through and looked in the direction he was pointing, and they were all somewhat shocked.
As the sun rises and the mist dissipates, countless houses stand neatly arranged on a flat piece of land beside the woods on the west bank of the river. Golden sunlight shines on the treetops and rooftops, and the river flows slowly, creating a scene of tranquility.
The boat slowly approached the shore, and the soldiers on board set up a gangplank on a makeshift wooden dock and loudly called for everyone to disembark.
The ship carried approximately two hundred people, mostly young men and women with few children. They disembarked under the organization of officials and soldiers.
An official pointed to the houses and said, “These are the houses that the Grand Commandant personally led the naval officers and soldiers to build for everyone. The walls are made of adobe and the roof is made of wood. Although they are simple, they are very sturdy and moisture-proof to the greatest extent. They will be the place where everyone can settle down and make a living from now on.”
He then pointed to the grove of trees: "Beyond the grove is the land that needs to be cultivated. Although there are more shrubs, weeds, snakes and insects, it is all good soil with fertile soil and abundant water. It may be a bit difficult at first, but as long as we cultivate this land and plant two rice crops a year, everyone will be able to survive."
Chen Erniu asked anxiously, "Could you take us to see the land first?"
Although the houses built by the Grand Commandant and his naval officers were neat and sturdy, for the farmers, no matter how good the house was, it was not as good as a good piece of land.
They traveled across oceans and across vast distances to Chiang Kai-shek's country, hoping to have a piece of land that belonged to them.
The official said, "Why don't we assign housing and settle people down first?"
"Check the land first! Check the land first!"
More than two hundred people spoke in unison.
Although everything was settled and there was no turning back once they arrived at the land, everyone still wanted to see what the land looked like before they could feel at ease.
The official smiled and said, "Alright, let's look at the land first!"
So he led a few soldiers around the gap between the woods and houses to the other side. There, he saw flat land with slight undulations stretching to the foot of the distant mountains. The grass was lush and green, and the water was like a ribbon. Every now and then, wild rabbits would leap from the grass and birds would flutter their wings from the bushes.
Chen Erniu took a few steps forward, stepping on the weeds, bent down and dug a handful of soil from the roots of the grass, clenched his fist and then relaxed it, carefully examining it, tears already streaming down his face.
"Great land! Great land indeed!"
"If you level the ground and fold the irrigation ditches, you'll have excellent paddy fields!"
The other people couldn't wait to go forward and see, and were pleasantly surprised.
"How can such a good place be left to lie fallow?"
"Don't the natives here farm?"
The official laughed and said, "The natives also farm, but they are lazy and stupid. They just scatter rice seeds in the bay or by the river and wait for the harvest. They don't care about seedling cultivation, transplanting, or weeding. They rely entirely on God to provide for them."
"A sin!"
The people were excited. God had given them such good land, yet it was so neglected. It was infuriating!