novelaction Chapter 1082 Returning to Huainan
Chapter 1082 Returning to Huainan
"What? They've been driven to Fengling Pass? Doesn't that mean they're in the Jiangzhe region?" Xiaoyuer had been on the boat for the past two weeks and really didn't know this news.
"Yes, they were driven to Fengling Pass, a complete defeat. It's just a pity about my uncle..." Li Shi said, her voice tinged with sadness, before pausing to continue:
"So the eunuch has been very busy lately, discussing countermeasures with his subordinates. After all, the remaining remnants of the imperial army can't do much, and we can't count on them. I'm afraid that the regional military governors will have to step in! At this critical juncture, whoever steps in will be cannon fodder, and there's no way things will turn out well."
"Alright, don't be sad anymore. Just take good care of the two children." Xiaoyuer patted Li's hand to comfort her.
Li knew in her heart, "Even if my uncle returns to the capital unharmed, he won't end up well. If he dies at Fengling Pass, at least he'll have the reputation of dying in battle. He had no choice in the matter. What pains me is that the family stood idly by. We shouldn't have let him go in the first place!"
"Sigh, as you said, you had no choice in the matter. Your father-in-law has his own reasons," Xiaoyuer sighed. "Don't overthink it. I'll go see my father first!"
"Hey, wait a minute!" Upon hearing this, Madam Li quickly wiped her eyes, pulled the person back, glanced to the right, and whispered, "You should go see Caiwei first. She's pregnant and is experiencing morning sickness!"
"Pregnant?" Xiaoyuer was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.
“She fell into the water and caught a chill before, and the doctor said she might have difficulty conceiving. I didn’t expect her to get pregnant so quickly. Okay, I’ll go see her first. You’ve worked hard these past few days.”
"It's alright, go ahead," Li said with a polite smile, but her face fell once the person was out of sight.
Her expressionless face made her two sons a little scared. Little Zhang Zhuo, with his hands on his hips, said in a clear voice, "Mom, you look so fierce right now!"
"It's nothing, Mother was just thinking about something bad. Go play, you have to go to school tomorrow," Li immediately forced a smile, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.
The two sons were still young and didn't think too much about it. A moment later, they were playing around again.
Meanwhile, when Xiaoyuer arrived at the right wing of the backyard, she immediately saw her cousin suffering from morning sickness. "What's going on? Didn't the servants make you some appetizers? Why are you just vomiting like this?"
"Come on, rest in bed!"
Yu Caiwei smiled gently and said good-naturedly, "Morning sickness is normal. Which woman hasn't gone through it? The servants have already taken good care of you."
Since marrying into the Zhang family, Yu Caiwei rarely left her own courtyard except for the occasional visit to the firearms workshop. She was very low-key and rarely spoke, even when dining with everyone in the flower hall.
Her gentle and mild-mannered nature and obedient demeanor made Li Shi less averse to her.
Of course, on the other hand, given that Yu Caiwei was, after all, a cousin, and her family background was somewhat useful, Li Shi, after weighing the options, temporarily established a situation where they kept to themselves.
However, this situation is not necessarily permanent.
Either the East Wind prevails over the West Wind, or the West Wind prevails over the East Wind.
Little Fish couldn't have thought of these things, but how could Yu Caiwei, as one of the parties involved, not have thought of them?
It's just a temporary calm.
"You're just too good-natured. My dad said that my sixth aunt was also very gentle when she was young, so you probably took after her."
"My mother?" Yu Caiwei covered her mouth and laughed upon hearing this. "As far back as I can remember, my mother was a notorious shrew in our area. My father's colleagues would laugh at him for being afraid of his wife, but fortunately, my father didn't care about that, and the two of them were quite loving."
"That's why I said it was when I was young," Xiaoyuer laughed along, recalling what she had seen in Yangzhou: Aunt Liu, hands on hips, fiercely debating with more than ten gossipy old women.
"I hope you won't become like this in the future. Women should be gentler."
"Oh~, you think my mother isn't gentle enough? Just wait until I go back to Yangzhou, I'll tell my mother about you," Yu Caiwei teased playfully, a rare occurrence for her.
With the little fish by my side, I don't feel so bad anymore, and I don't have morning sickness.
The two sat and talked for a while before Yu Caiwei remembered that there was something important she hadn't mentioned. "By the way, didn't you ask me before if it was possible to increase the offensive power when the firearm exploded? I've been researching this idea repeatedly for the past two weeks, and it is indeed possible. I even coated the lead stone inside with poison to further increase its lethality."
"Really?" Xiaoyuer was pleasantly surprised and didn't hold back her praise. "My dad just mentioned it casually, so I asked him. I didn't expect you to actually figure it out. You're amazing! If you were a man, you could probably become a great craftsman like my sixth uncle."
“I don’t want to end up like my father. I just want to live a peaceful life in the inner quarters,” Yu Caiwei said with a smile.
"Does Dad know about this? I need to tell him right away; we must arrange for the delivery as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Caiwei shook her head and smiled shyly, "Not yet. I just figured it out not long ago. I wanted to give you a surprise when you come back."
"It is indeed a pleasant surprise, and it's a double celebration! You've done a great job. Just focus on your pregnancy for the rest of the time. I'll take care of everything else!"
"Mmm!" Yu Caiwei nodded emphatically, gently touching her belly, and smiled sweetly.
After putting the child to sleep, Xiaoyuer went to the yamen to see his father. He had so much to say on his way back.
Zhang Ping'an was also worried about his son, especially given the current chaotic situation. When Xiaoyuer arrived at the dock, someone came back to report to him, but he was still discussing matters with his men and couldn't go back.
In short, he returned safe and sound, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Father!" Little Fish came in after everyone had finished their discussion.
"Why didn't you take a proper rest? Why did you rush over here?"
Zhang Ping'an had spent half a day discussing matters with his subordinates in the yamen, losing many of his brain cells and feeling quite tired. However, seeing his son arrive, he tried his best to perk up. "Come, let's go to the study to talk."
"Yes," Xiaoyuer nodded. "By the way, Uncle Ge asked me to bring you a letter when I came back this time."
Zhang Ping'an took the letter but didn't rush to open it. "The matter in the southeast has been resolved. I estimate that he has decided to move part of his business to Huainan. That's all good."
What's even more urgent now is that some chieftains in the Lingnan region have rebelled and are refusing to obey the imperial court's orders. I'm afraid His Majesty will have to send us military governors to deal with them!