knife

Chapter 375 Father and Daughter
Zhang Qingyun picked out some fresh side dishes and placed them on a small plate in front of Zhang Ruo, smiling as she said, "Father, try this. It was just delivered this morning from Lishan. It can only be grown with the help of a greenhouse built over a hot spring, so the yield is not high. At this time of year, there aren't many households in Chang'an that can afford to eat these!"

Picking at the side dishes in his chopsticks, Zhang Ruo sighed and said, "Behind the red gates, meat and wine go to waste, while on the roads, frozen corpses lie. Those people outside Chang'an struggle to even fill their stomachs, while we, in the dead of winter, can enjoy side dishes that are only available in spring."

Zhang Qingyun smiled without saying a word; her father was just that kind of compassionate person.

Always approach life, official duties, and work with the mindset of being the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.

But where in this world is there any absolute fairness?
Even at the height of the Qin Dynasty's glory, ordinary people could barely make ends meet!
This is already being called a golden age.

Standing up, Zhang Qingyun refilled Zhang Ruo's cup with wine and said softly, "Father's trip to Shu County is of great importance. Our foundation in Shu County is basically zero. In the beginning, we had to rely on others to succeed. You should restrain your temper a bit."

"Are you worried that cooperating with Zhang Songlin and his group won't go well?" Zhang Ruo glanced at her daughter. When did her daughter start teaching her how to be an official? Was she teaching her how to do things?

"Shu Commandery is now headed by Zhang Songlin. The Protector-General is taking advantage of his status as a native of Shu. Of course, he is indeed quite capable, but in the past, he has been playing dumb and groveling for many years in order to survive. Once he stands up straight, he will inevitably become arrogant and self-willed. He may not dare to speak out in front of the Protector-General, but I'm afraid he won't give Father any face. Moreover, this time Father is here to supervise the administration of Shu Commandery in the name of the Censor-in-Chief."

“As long as he follows the rules, I naturally won’t say a word!” Zhang Ruo said.

“Father, you’ve spent years outside the Great Wall, and I’m sure you’ve seen it all. If you’re rigid and inflexible in everything, many things won’t get done!” Zhang Qingyun said. “Sometimes, to accomplish something, you don’t necessarily have to be forceful. Taking a step back is for better progress, and being gentle doesn’t mean giving in to the other party! The important thing is to get things done, and to do them well!”

Zhang Ruo grunted, wanting to refute, but not knowing where to begin.

He has indeed changed a lot in recent years. If his daughter had dared to speak to him like that a few years ago, he would have immediately turned on her.

“Sometimes when things really come to blows, you can go and talk to Wu De or Fang Xiaomao. General Wu is now in charge of the military affairs of the entire Shu County, and General Fang is the Protector-General’s true confidant. These two can act as a buffer between Father and Zhang Songlin, so that the two sides don’t really fall out!”

"Judging from your statement, Zhang Songlin and I are bound to have a conflict?" Zhang Ruo retorted with dissatisfaction.

"Definitely!" Zhang Qingyun smiled and said, "When Father was in court, he couldn't stand Zhang Songlin's cowardice and even submitted a memorial to impeach him, right? Now, with the great changes in Shu County, many families, led by the Tang family, that have been entrenched in Shu County for a hundred years or even longer have been uprooted. You can imagine how much profit is involved here!"

"Are you suggesting we just stand by and watch them line their own pockets without saying a word? I can't do that!"

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish; if a person is too discerning, he will have no followers!" Zhang Qingyun said softly, "What should be done should naturally be done, but how to do it is something Father should carefully consider, and everything should be based on the overall situation. Some people and some things, if we don't do them now, it doesn't mean we won't do them in the future; if we tolerate them now, it doesn't mean we will tolerate them in the future."

"Understood!" Zhang Ruo nodded, unusually not saying anything more.

Seeing that Zhang Ruoneng was listening to Yun's words, Zhang Qingyun happily raised his wine glass: "Father, I toast you and wish you all the best in Shu County."

After downing a cup of hot wine, two blushes appeared on Zhang Qingyun's face. Looking at her beautiful daughter, Zhang Ruo felt a deep sense of sorrow.

This time, it's not a business matter, but a personal one.

"Qingyun, you'll be twenty-one by the New Year!" Zhang Ruo said softly.

"What's wrong with being twenty-one? Does Father dislike me?" Zhang Qingyun poured wine for Zhang Ruoman.

Zhang Ru shook his head: "You saw the intelligence from beyond the Great Wall yesterday, right?"

Zhang Qingyun still had a smile on her face, but in Zhang Ruo's eyes, the smile was very forced.

The Beiting Protectorate issued a recruitment notice, and this time, the target of the recruitment was surprisingly women.

Hundreds of women applied to become new officials in the Beiting Protectorate.

This also means that Zhang Qingyun can now fully enter the inner circle.

In the past, as a high-ranking official in a department like the Zhi Qiu Yuan, Zhang Qingyun was aware of Zhang Bing's identity internally, but he never showed his face in public.

"This is great news! Father has always disliked the things I do at Zhiqiu Courtyard, saying they're beneath me and sneaky. Now I can transfer directly to the Protectorate General's Office!" Zhang Qingyun said with a smile.

"You know that's not what I'm talking about!" Zhang Ruo said sternly. "Don't try to change the subject. I'm talking about Protector Xiao's pregnancy."

Picking up his wine glass and taking a sip, Zhang Qingyun said, "This is a good thing. The Protector-General wants to contend for the world, but he has never had a successor, which is actually very detrimental to his future plans. Now that he has a successor, he can better unite people's hearts."

Li Dachui and Xiao Changche, one a Protector-General and the other a Deputy Protector-General, both played pivotal roles outside the Great Wall. It was no exaggeration to say that they were the core and pillars of stability outside the Great Wall. Their union was a match made in heaven in everyone's eyes, and it should be considered a joyous occasion for everyone in the Beiting Protectorate.

This perfectly combines the strengths of both sides.

Husband and wife are one, and the strength that originally belonged to each of them naturally comes together as one family.

The Beiting Protectorate's method of dealing with Xiao Changche, who was a woman, was flawless. Regardless of how the world views the appointment of women as officials outside the Great Wall, in Beiting, this matter is perfectly reasonable and legal. It's likely that this practice will gradually be implemented in Shu County as well.

As the power of the Northern Court grows until it achieves final victory, the practice of women holding official positions will inevitably be rolled out across the country.

Zhang Ruo knew what was on her daughter's mind.

“You’re twenty-one now, it’s time to arrange a marriage for you!” Zhang Ruo said slowly. “Your father has many friends in the literary world and knows many talented young men.”

“Father, what’s the rush!” Zhang Qingyun laughed. “Look at Protector Xiao, he’s already twenty-six or twenty-seven, isn’t he? I’m only twenty-one. Let’s wait a few more years! How about we talk about this when I’m twenty-six or twenty-seven too?”

Zhang Ruo sighed.

Having seen the vastness of the stars and the sea, how can one still tolerate small streams and ditches?

But in the end, fate is cruel!
Since Sheng Yu, He Shengliang?
The daughter is indeed excellent in many ways, but compared to Xiao Changche, she is inferior in every aspect. Moreover, from Zhang Ru's perspective, someone with experience, Li Dachui probably doesn't have any romantic feelings for her daughter.

His reliance on Zhang Qingyun was primarily due to Zhang Qingyun's talent and the Zhang family's status within the Guanzhong Plain.

The daughter may well know this.

“If you really like Protector Li, I’ll risk my reputation and personally propose to him!” Zhang Ru said through gritted teeth. “I don’t think Protector Xiao is a jealous person. A great general who is so powerful on the battlefield can’t be without a broad mind.”

"Father!" Zhang Qingyun stood up angrily, filled Zhang Ruo's plate with vegetables, and said, "It's not like your daughter is unwanted. Besides, even if no one wanted her, she doesn't necessarily have to get married, does she?"

Zhang Ruo stopped speaking.

This is my daughter's pride and self-esteem.

Let's leave it at that for now, and talk about it again when there's a chance later.

Even if I never get married in the future, so what?
It's not like the Zhang family can't afford to raise or tolerate their daughter. Besides, if things continue like this, the daughter herself will become the pillar of the Zhang family in the future.

Zhang Ruo got himself completely drunk.

Only in front of his own daughter could he indulge himself like this. Once he set foot on the land of Shu County, a new battle awaited him.

Although we are all comrades-in-arms and partners, such a relationship often makes it more difficult to resolve conflicts and antagonisms between us.

After settling her elderly father in, Zhang Qingyun returned to her study and finally couldn't hold back her tears, her face streaked with moisture.

I remembered the chance encounter at the dilapidated temple, the way they saw me off, the song under the moonlight that, though not pleasant to listen to, could lull me to sleep, and every moment we'd spent together over the years.

Although I always knew that my love was nothing but a mirage, I could still dream about it while everything was still out in the open.

But a dream is just a dream; once you wake up, it's gone.

I picked up the intelligence report and read it carefully from beginning to end.

When Li Dachui receives this intelligence, he must jump for joy, right?

After stuffing the intelligence into a copper tube, Zhang Qingyun gently pulled a rope next to the desk.

Someone gently knocked on the door.

"Come in!"

The man in black walked up to Zhang Qingqu.

Zhang Qingyun handed the copper tube to the man in black and said, "Get it to the Protector-General as quickly as possible!"

He took the copper pipe with both hands and silently retreated from the study.

Reaching the door, Zhang Qingyun looked at the swirling snowflakes outside and stretched out her hand, feeling the coolness of the snowflakes falling on her palm: "Who says women are inferior to men? Since Protector Li has already built such a good platform, I should naturally work hard. Why can't Zhang Qingyun's name be on the new list of famous ministers of the Great Qin Dynasty?"

With a bang, Zhang Qingyun slammed the door shut. The disappointment on her face and the sorrow in her eyes vanished without a trace as she closed the door.

(End of this chapter)