spoiled brat

Chapter 116, Section 115: Lingering Resentment (Fifteen)

In the following days, Zhao Zhao continued as usual, managing the affairs of the manor during the day, and when she had nothing to do at night, she would drag Yuan Zhen to find Xiu Ning.

On a snowy night, the three sat idly around the stove, surrounded by maids who curiously inquired about their horseback chase of the boat.

"Alas, Zhao Zhao and I almost lost our lives that day..." Yuan Zhen sighed deeply, as if they were the ones who had been attacked at night and had escaped death.

This is a storytelling technique; the more dangerous the situation, the more captivating it becomes. The maids were intrigued and listened intently as Yuan Zhen recounted the story.

She portrayed the Wu family members as incredibly intelligent and brave, each one seemingly a reincarnation of the legendary phoenix, Jia Xu.

How could they possibly win? The maids turned pale with worry.

Yuan Zhen suddenly changed the subject, pulled Zhao Zhao into his arms, and laughed, "They may be virtuous, but Zhao Zhao is wicked."

Zhao Zhao nestled in her arms: "The devil is one zhang taller than the devil" is not a good thing.

"Isn't winning enough?" Yuan Zhen rubbed her head. "What did you say that day? We won big."

The beginning was perilous, but the ending was good. The maids were even more curious about what happened in between and hurriedly asked, "How did you manage to win with fewer troops?"

Xiu Ning was also curious and listened quietly from the side.

Yuan Zhen knew that Zhao Zhao always liked to show off in front of Xiu Ning, so he flattered her, saying, "It's all thanks to Zhao Zhao's cleverness that she came up with the idea of ​​setting off rockets to burn the ships. Those bastards were burned so badly that they didn't even recognize their own mothers. They jumped into the water and froze like quails. When they climbed ashore, we knocked them down one by one."

Then he described the scene of the fleet burning, vividly recounting it as if it were the Battle of Red Cliffs. Zhao Zhao thought to herself, "How could it be so exaggerated? It was just seven or eight large ships."

The maids, however, believed Yuan Zhen's nonsense. A dozen pairs of bright eyes looked over at her, admiringly saying, "Zhao Zhao'er, are you perhaps a female Zhuge Liang?"

Yuan Zhen laughed and continued, "More than that! It was Lü Bu!" He then spoke of the danger of chasing the boat on horseback, "Back then, it wasn't us chasing the boat, but the ice behind us that was cracking. At that time of year, how could you survive if you fell under the ice? If you couldn't get out of the water, you would die."

The maids' joy was short-lived, but their hearts were filled with anxiety again. Fortunately, Yuan Zhen soon told them about how Zhao Zhao had shot an arrow that hit the sail, and how the two of them had been waiting for the enemy to come to them on the shore.

The maids all breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Zhao patted Yuan Zhen's hand, signaling that they should not continue.

Yuan Zhen understood her meaning and still honestly confessed how he had tricked the Wu family member and how he had been so careless as to let him die without a trace, expressing his regret:

"It's my fault. He looked so clean and fair-skinned, so I didn't tie him up immediately. I just teased him a bit. Alas, I never expected him to be so brave. To avoid giving his family any leverage, he cleanly slit his throat and jumped into the river to his death."

If she hadn't been careless, the evidence against the Wu family sent to the capital could have been even more numerous.

Xiu Ning knew Yuan Zhen was blaming himself, and calmly said, "It's not your fault. Even if we catch him, it's useless. The court is determined to protect the Wu family; no amount of evidence will help."

At this point, everyone fell silent, and the only sound in the room was the crackling of the charcoal fire in the stove.

During the few days that Zhao Zhao was feeling down, letters kept arriving from the capital.

First came the good news: Wu Dang confessed to his crimes, and several high-ranking officials under Minister Wu had also confessed and been imprisoned.

Then came more bad news: several high-ranking officials accused many wealthy families in Yunzhou of benefiting from the river channel case, and the Ning Prince's Mansion was not completely eradicated, so they needed to be prosecuted and their property confiscated.

At the same time, the imperial court issued an edict, requiring Prince Ning to lead troops north to resist the enemy and serve the country.

Prince Ning had anticipated this and was not surprised. However, mobilizing troops required provisions, and Prince Ning's residence had previously borrowed a considerable amount of grain, leaving insufficient surplus to support the army.

When they requested funds from the capital, the court replied: "The funds are the property of these wealthy and powerful families. Go ahead and confiscate them. Head north immediately."

A murky situation. The river case was long over, and all the fragmented evidence and correspondence were destroyed in the fire at the Xu residence. Wu's faction officials insisted that the wealthy families were guilty, but even if they were innocent, how could they defend themselves?
However, the nation was in grave danger, leaving no room for the Prince of Ning's mansion to conduct a thorough investigation, nor for the army to delay. In order to avoid bearing the blame alone, they had no choice but to request an imperial decree to have the Court of Judicial Review dispatched to assist in the investigation.

Yuan Zhen sighed and said, "Those powerful families are all entangled in their dealings. Even if the imperial court assists, we will still bear the blame. Who knows how difficult it will be for us to live in Yunzhou in the future?"

A young maidservant, about the same age as Zhaozhao, who had read a few books with Xiuning, said indignantly, "If that's the case, why go north to fight the enemy? The Wu faction is so rotten, yet they still keep it around to hinder us. What's the point of protecting such a court that favors sycophants and alienates the virtuous?"

Everyone felt that these words were satisfying, and that loyal ministers and generals should not have such a predicament.

Someone else said, "That's right! Why should our fathers and brothers fight battles that others can't win? They risk their lives, only to be protected by these scoundrels. Why should they?"

Someone else whispered, "It would be better to learn from Sima Rui of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, stay in one place and conserve his strength, so that once the officials and nobles flee south, he won't have to bear the crime of usurping the throne, and can..."

With a thud.

Everyone turned to look at Xiu Ning, whose teacup, which had been slammed down, was still trembling. She asked coldly, "Were the civilians and soldiers who died in the north human beings?"

Everyone nodded in a daze.

She then asked: "The world is in chaos now, and there are many people who are displaced, hungry and cold. Have you ever lacked food and clothing?"

Everyone slowly shook their heads.

She said: "Since you are respected and cared for, you must be ready to sacrifice yourself in times of crisis. Your fathers and brothers who joined the army were not fighting for the court, but for the people of the world."

That being said, reason is reason, and enlightenment is enlightenment; the grievances and resentment in one's heart are hard to shake off.

Everyone remained silent. Even Xiu Ning, who had spoken, lowered his eyes and frowned. The charcoal fire in the stove gradually died down. Yuan Zhen smiled and said, "It's late. Let's call it a night."

The maids tidied up the tables, chairs, stools, and fruit peels on the ground, and brought out a warm hot water bottle for Yuan Zhen and Zhao Zhao to carry away.

The two bid farewell to Xiu Ning, but before they could even step out, they suddenly heard someone hurriedly calling from outside the door, "Is the Second Steward here?"

Yuan Zhen was taken aback; finding this place must mean something extremely important.

Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, a man in armor stepped in.

He had come to deliver a message. He knelt down and bowed to Xiu Ning: "Princess, the people sent by the court to assist have arrived. We will take action tonight. Because the confiscated grain and rice cannot be sent directly to the camp, they need to be transported to the mansion for counting... The head steward is ill and asked me to invite the second steward to the city gate immediately."

Yuan Zhen gave a wry smile, said nothing more, and cupped his hands in greeting to Xiu Ning: "Princess, I'm leaving now. Please get some rest." With that, he stepped out the door and walked into the swirling snow.

She walked very fast, and Zhao Zhao had to jog to keep up. She reminded her, "This is dirty business."

The powerful and wealthy families were closely connected, with many involved in business and politics, and possessing considerable assets. Yuan Zhen, who managed the affairs of his household, frequently engaged in trade with them. If his property were confiscated now, future dealings with them would likely be much more difficult.

Yuan Zhen knew perfectly well that this was a dirty business.
She walked in the snow, the layers deep and shallow, as if treading on clouds and mud:
"So what if it's dirty? I have no one else to rely on. Can I pretend to be sick like the head steward? Besides, I took the princess's words to heart."

Zhao Zhao nodded and followed, "I'll go with you."

Yuan Zhen was stunned for a moment: "A little kid like you, trying to take on responsibilities and get scolded like an adult?"

"If we can hunt down the enemy and eliminate traitors together, can't we at least get scolded together?" Zhao Zhao put her hands in her sleeves. "We are sisters from different fathers and mothers."

She was stubborn, so Yuan Zhen didn't try to persuade her further. He just smiled and said, "That's true, you're like my own sister."