activa-t Chapter 027 They're all idiots
Chapter 027 They're all idiots
Chapter 027
Ma Mu, Chen Mansion, bridal chamber.
Song Yanniang, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, with a red veil on her head, sat on the edge of the bed. Chen Ying stepped forward, lifted the red veil, and Song Yanniang's tear stains were still wet, her eyes darting away.
Chen Ying looked at Song Yanniang with a sincere expression: "Yanniang, I know you've been under a lot of pressure these past few years, but it's not really your fault..."
Song Yanniang was stunned: "How is that possible? If it weren't for my figure..."
"Yan Niang, do you know why those elegant scholars are often paired with petite women?"
Song Yanniang said, "This..."
"Let me tell you the real reason: it's because they have low self-esteem!"
Chen Ying smiled faintly and said, "In fact, every part of our bodies is very well coordinated. Take Kang Nian for example, his feet are like those of an eight or nine-year-old child, while your feet are slightly larger than those of a normal man..."
"Hate!"
"I'm serious!"
Chen Ying pointed to Song Yanniang's chest: "Your breasts are even bigger than three women's, that's a fact, isn't it?"
"Does Chen Lang like it?"
"Of course I like it!"
Chen Ying recalled that in later generations, the young women who went on blind dates were always 1.8 meters tall, because those who had been through it all knew that a 1.8-meter tall man had big hands and big feet, and could be said to be big in every way.
Anyone who has experienced it knows what it's like. Similarly, not all men like long legs; many actually prefer fair-skinned, young, and slender figures.
Some people confidently explain that petite girls easily arouse boys' protective instincts, but this is pure nonsense. The real reason is low self-esteem.
After Chen Ying's explanation, Song Yanniang was dumbfounded: "Chen Lang, you mean...?"
"That's right, just what you understand it to mean!"
Chen Ying said calmly, "Those who slander you behind your back are either incompetent or too insignificant. They are insecure. Look at the scholars nowadays, which one of them isn't lazy and ignorant of basic life? They like the slender horses of Yangzhou and the bound feet, because they all have one common problem: their bodies have been hollowed out by wine and women."
"what……"
"Unbelievable, isn't it?"
Chen Ying leaned closer to Song Yanniang: "Do you know why I don't mind your height?"
Why?
"Because I have plenty of assets, and my body is in excellent condition!"
With a confident smile, Chen Ying gently grasped Song Yanniang's wrist. He gently pushed the slightly resistant Song Yanniang down onto the brocade quilt, blew out the nearby candles, and the curtains were drawn.
"My wife, it's late... Let's begin."
As dawn broke, the bridal chamber was quiet and cozy, with Chen Ying and Song Yanniang still fast asleep.
In fact, Song Yanniang had already woken up. It turns out that there are only oxen that die from exhaustion, not fields that are over-plowed. Chen Ying's physical condition was indeed excellent, but Song Yanniang was a top-of-the-line Ferrari.
Although Song Yanniang was a young woman, the problem was that there were no other forms of entertainment in those days. Once it got dark and the door was closed, all she could do was have sex.
There are practically no secrets in the village, especially those things that happen in bed.
Even without Song Yanniang listening attentively, she basically knew which of the men in Song Family Village were good-looking but useless, and which were all show and no substance.
She was secretly pleased; Chen Lang's stamina was truly impressive.
Looking at the sleeping Chen Ying, Song Yanniang got up: "Chen Lang, it's getting late, you should get up..."
"Let me sleep a bit!"
"It's time to serve tea!"
Chen Ying waved his hand and said, "No need, our Chen family doesn't have that many rules!"
"But... if I don't get up, people will gossip!"
Chen doesn't usually drink tea. Even when he does, he takes a large teapot, brews a pot, waits for the tea to cool, pours a bowl of it, and drinks it all in one go.
Of course, he only drank tea a few years ago, when his family could still afford to cook. In recent years, he hasn't bought tea even once.
Song Yanniang intended to offer tea, but Chen Youshi's home didn't even have a teacup. Using a large, rough porcelain bowl meant for eating, Song Yanniang completed the tea-offering ceremony.
Then, Chen Ying's thirty-five adopted children kowtowed to Song Yanniang.
Just as Song Yanniang was distributing lucky money to the children, Chen Youshi led Chen Ying into the inner room. Holding the gift list, he said mysteriously, "Boying, yesterday Commander Liu of Guide Guard, the Assistant Magistrate, the Vice Magistrate, the four commanders of a thousand men, and twenty-nine commanders of a hundred men all came..."
"As expected."
Chen Ying knew that these people weren't targeting him, but rather Xu Xianchun behind him, the luxurious carriage that was being sent to the capital, and the label of the newly rich eunuchs whom they both despised and dared not offend.
"Also, Magistrate Sun Chuanting of Guide County and Magistrate Song Jingyun of Yongcheng County have also arrived."
Chen Ying opened the gift list and found that Sun Chuanting had actually given 3,600 taels of silver.
This figure is quite interesting. It represents the overtime pay that Chen Ying received at the Yongcheng Manufacturing Bureau for producing iron plows. Of course, the lion's share of the profits went to Sun Chuanting.
This historically renowned capable official, a pragmatist among the Qingliu faction, had a tough personality. Instead of cultivating good relations with his fellow eunuchs who had risen to power, he severed ties with them.
"The most unexpected thing is..."
Chen lowered his voice and said, "Young Master Zhang Zhengyu of the Pengcheng Earl's Mansion has come in person. Also, the former Guizhou General Liu Chao, the former Wang Sanshan, the former Lian Guoshi, the former Ding Kuichu, the former Ding Qirui... all sent their stewards or nephews to offer their congratulations. The gifts are quite generous."
Chen Ying was deeply shocked. His wedding guest list included almost all the mid- to high-ranking civil and military officials from Guide Prefecture who were serving in other places. In particular, Liu Chao and Wang Sanshan were all powerful figures who had fought in the suppression of the rebellion in the southwest.
They have no connection with the eunuch faction and may even hold a clean-cut stance, so why would they show favor to me?
Song Yanniang walked in, and Chen Youshi turned and left.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing!"
Song Yanniang looked at the gift list with a shocked expression.
When attending the wedding yesterday, almost none of the officials and gentry present announced their names like in movies and TV dramas; instead, they quietly gave their gifts and left quietly.
The gentry of Yongcheng, as if they had agreed beforehand, each gave six hundred taels of cash, along with various other gifts. Some gave silk, some gave gold and silver utensils, and others gave swords or fine horses.
At Chen Ying's wedding, only twenty-two fine horses were received, along with more than three hundred bolts of silk and over forty thousand taels of silver. There were also many copper items, calligraphy, and paintings. All these gifts together amounted to less than fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver.
"How come...?"
Song Yanniang found it unbelievable. She knew that even if the Song family of Guide Prefecture were to hold a wedding, as one of the eight great families of Guide Prefecture, with their students, former officials, classmates, relatives, and old friends, it would be highly unlikely that they would receive 50,000 to 60,000 taels of silver in gifts.
Chen Ying sighed and said, "There's only one explanation: the Hou family's property was seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which shocked not only the local powerful families of Guide. These officials working outside the area mostly have their family roots in the local area, and they keenly sensed the change in the wind."
Xu Xianchun took a simple and crude approach, directly framing Hou Zhipu and his son. They have already been escorted to the capital by Xu Xianchun, but this matter is not over yet.
This also means that Wei Zhongxian not only attacked opposing officials within the court, but also went deep into the local areas to attack their families. This is because Hou Zhipu and his son Hou Xun were both capable members of the Donglin Party, and the Hou family had a huge influence in Guide Prefecture. If the scope of the attack was expanded, dozens or even hundreds of families would probably suffer.
Chen Ying, who suddenly appeared and was promoted by Xu Xianchun, is about to go north to Changping as a garrison commander. No matter how lowly his background is, he has become a hot commodity at this moment.
Even a perfunctory congratulation is a gesture, a risk-averse act of not wanting to easily offend the newly powerful eunuch faction.
Chen Ying couldn't help but smile wryly; his wedding had become a miniature exposé of officialdom. Of course, he felt no guilt about accepting this windfall.
This was all his start-up capital. Even if he became a commander of the Imperial Guard, not all the craftsmen in the Imperial Workshop were willing to go north with him. After all, people are less valuable when they leave their hometown. Leaving Yongcheng for the unfamiliar Changping, probably nine out of ten people would not want to go.
With this money, things will be much easier.
Looking at the numbers on the gift list, Song Yanniang's heart trembled, yet she felt a surge of excitement.
"Godfather, Lord Xu has arrived!"
"Please come quickly!"
"This humble servant, Chen Boying, pays his respects to Lord Xu!"
Xu Xianchun smiled faintly: "Brother Chen, are you satisfied with this generous gift?"
Chen Ying suddenly realized that these people were not there voluntarily, and that he had been overthinking things.
"Lord Xu, isn't this inappropriate?"
"What's wrong with it?"
Xu Xianchun chuckled dismissively, "Brother Chen, it's your wedding, letting them give a gift is doing them a favor..."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
The Embroidered Uniform Guard certainly had the qualifications. What kind of corrupt county magistrate or exterminator was he? They were all weak in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Just then, Xu Xianchun took out a knife.
Chen Ying recognized it at a glance; it was a Tang Dynasty horizontal sword that he had privately forged. The Tang Dynasty horizontal sword technique had actually been lost since the Tang Dynasty. Chen Ying had made it based on later records, using molten steel for cold casting, simple forging, and double-liquid quenching on the surface.
"This is me..."
Chen Ying got up and pondered how to explain.
"Brother Chen, how much silver would you need to forge a knife?"
"Well... if there's iron involved, it would cost at least three taels of silver!"
Xu Xianchun lowered his voice and said, "Our Embroidered Uniform Guard has seventeen thousand-household units, more than 20,000 men, and the swords forged by the Imperial Arsenal... are just pieces of pig iron. If the entire force were to change their uniforms..."
"Sixty thousand taels of silver..."
Chen Ying was able to control costs. Each knife was processed into steel through refining. It took about three catties of pig iron and twenty-seven copper coins. The labor cost was pitifully low in the Ming Dynasty; as long as meals were provided, it would be fine.
In fact, if the Ming Dynasty craftsmen were given a coin's worth of silver, they could also forge qualified swords, spears, and weapons. However, the Ministry of Revenue would allocate funds, but before the funds left the Ministry, 30% would be lost, euphemistically called "drifting away."
After the Ministry of Works receives another 30%, and the warehouses receive another 30%, the actual amount left in the Gun and Cannon Bureau is only 10%, or even less. Then, after the foremen divide it up, it becomes even less.
"Then it'll be six hundred thousand taels of silver!"
Well, Xu Xianchun actually had this idea.
"Lord Xu, I can not only forge swords and spears, but also armor!"
Chen Ying wasn't afraid of Xu Xianchun's greed; he was simply planning to use this opportunity to his advantage: "This matter will be addressed once we reach Changping..."
Chen Ying lowered his voice and said, "This subordinate guarantees to complete the mission!"
After Xu Xianchun left, Song Xianze asked, "Brother-in-law... what's going on with Lord Xu...?"
"sit."
Chen Ying looked at Song Xianze and said, "Bo'an, you saw the wedding yesterday. What did you think?"
"The scenery was magnificent, and the hall was packed with guests..."
"These coins and gifts are too hot to handle."
"Why do you say that, brother-in-law?"
"Bo'an, you're a smart man. Do you really think that someone like me, a former registered military household, could attract congratulatory gifts from people like Sun Chuanting, Liu Chao, the Wang family, and the Ding family? Are they after me, Chen Ying?"
"Are they...are they after Lord Xu, who's behind my brother-in-law, and...Eunuch Wei?"
"That's right. The eunuch faction is now all-powerful, but with great power comes great responsibility, and enemies are everywhere. The Donglin Party members hate them to the bone, and the upright gentry regard them as enemies..."
Chen Ying smiled bitterly, "Now that I'm branded with this label, going to Changping would put me in the eye of the storm. What kind of place is Changping? It's right under the emperor's nose, a major city in the capital region, where various forces are deeply entrenched. I'm just a newly promoted commander with no roots or connections... Wouldn't it be perfect for those who don't dare to directly touch Xu Xianchun or Eunuch Wei to pick on me, the easy target?"
"They...they dare?"
"If something happens to me in Changping, would Lord Xu go to such lengths for a mere commander like me? He would most likely just replace me with someone else who is more obedient."
Chen Ying saw it clearly, and Song Xianze wasn't oblivious either. He actually realized that Chen Ying wanted to take him to Changping, but the problem was that he had lived in Song Yanniang's shadow for over twenty years.
Finally, Song Yanniang got married and was going to Changping with Chen Ying. From then on, he could finally hold his head high...
"Bo'an, my journey to the capital is fraught with peril, a near-certain death. If anything were to happen to me, Yan Niang... she would be entirely in your hands."
"Brother-in-law, I..."
"If you stay in Yongcheng and something happens to me, you won't be able to help me. Why don't we go north together? As brothers-in-law, we can take care of each other no matter what."
Despite being a dwarf, Song Xianze didn't actually think highly of Wei Zhongxian. In his view, Wei Zhongxian was too crude in his actions, and if he were allowed to...
Song Xianze did not want to go north because he knew that Wei Zhongxian was nothing more than a chamber pot. When he was useful, he was the all-powerful Wei Zhongxian, but once he was no longer needed, he was just a discarded pawn.
More importantly, he actually didn't quite understand his brother-in-law, Chen Boying.
Chen Ying sighed deeply and said, "Bo'an, so be it. I know you're afraid. There are risks in the north. You're afraid of getting into danger, and you're even more afraid of being associated with the eunuch faction. You also look down on me..."
Song Xianze smiled faintly and said, "Brother-in-law, you don't need to goad me..."
"Trying to provoke me? Did I think I was being too kind?"
Just then, the study door was suddenly pushed open, and Song Yanniang grabbed Song Xianze's ear: "One word, are you going or not?"
"Sis, let go, it hurts!"
"Are you going or not?"
"Okay, I'll go, alright?"
Song Xianze had no temper whatsoever in front of Song Yanniang.
Song Yan said softly, "We're family. Only if your brother-in-law recovers can our whole family recover. If anything happens to him... what about the Song family, and you? Will you just run away?"
"Sis! Stop talking! I'll go!"
Song Xianze said resolutely, "My life is already tied to my brother-in-law's! We're a family, we live together, we fight together!"
In fact, Song Xianze also had ambitions, but because of his physical disability, he could not participate in the imperial examinations or become an official. Even when he tried to seek refuge with some powerful figures, he was looked down upon.
If it were better to follow his brother-in-law and take the path of advancement, in his eyes, the Donglin Party and the eunuch party were all fools.
P.S.: I drove for sixteen hours straight, I'm exhausted. There's no heating at home, it's too cold, I can't sit still. Only one chapter today, I'll try to update more tomorrow.