Chapter 17: Who Taught you
A major event occurred in the early October.
Su Ming Feng, the Eldest Young Master Su, the heir of the Nan Ping Bo family in the Ding capital suddenly came down with a serious illness and had to recuperate at home. Ping Nan Bo was heart ached for his favoured son thus he and his Furen stayed at home to take care of the Eldest Young Master Su and temporarily disregards matters on the military horses. His Majesty bestowed some things to express his sympathy and also arranged the new official to take over the management matters.
The people in the Ding capital all sighed with regret on the matter. That Eldest Young Master Su was a talented youth and achieved a great merit shortly after becoming an official but just as he meteorically rise and when his future was unlimited, he suddenly succumbed to this serious illness. Even if one was a talented genius, if three to five years pass before his return, there would not be any foothold for him in court.
The commoners saw it as such but the colleagues in court were uncertain. Some wise people said, “This isn’t any illness and it is obviously avoiding a disaster. Originally one would think that this Su family had been adding oil into the blaze and seeing that the fire would burn them up. Who would have thought that they saw the situation clearly and took such a drastic measure to deal with the situation.”
When these things reached Shen Miao’s ears, she was pruning the Begonia flowers in the middle of the courtyard. These days in the Guang Wen Tang, everyone had something new to talk about the Eldest Young Master Su that no one paid much attention to her. She also had a few rare days of leisure.
“Young Lady now like all these flowers and greenery.” Gu Yu smiled as she said, “This Begonia flower blossoms really well.”
The deep red Begonia flower petals gave a bit of colour to the chill of the autumn. When she was the Empress, she was learning to manage the Inner Palace, helping Fu Xiu Yi to win over the officials, be the hostage in Qin country and fight with Mei Furen. Most of the time she was living in the midst of manipulations and fights, how would she have the mood to casually prune flowers?
“Do you know why the Begonia flower blossom so brilliantly?” She asked.
Even though Gu Yu did not understand why her own Young Lady would ask such a question, she still replied with a smiled, “This is the seeds that the steward bought from outside. It was said that they were expensive seeds. Furen also praised that this type of Begonia looks particularly good in the autumn.”
Shen Miao gently shook her head.
How would that be the reason?
Just like the Palace, the land of the cold and gloom, and even the flowers outside the Cold Palace were all filled with exquisite flowers. It was because under those flowers there were many bones. In this world, there would always be the coldest reasons for the brightest things.
The Su family has understood this principle. What would they do?
She smiled slightly.
In the residence of Ping Nan Bo.
The courtyard of Eldest Young Master Su was tightly guarded that other than the close servants and family, no one else could enter. One can only smell the heavy scent of medication as Master Su closed the doors to all guest and did not see any outsiders.
As the good friend of the Su heir, little Marquis Xie naturally paid the sick person a visit.
The Xie family’s carriage was parked outside the Su residence and the servants were moving the herbs down in great difficulty. These hers were all placed in wooden boxes and it can be seen that the little Marquis had very good intentions for his good friend.
In the study, Su Ming Feng wore a green robe. Other than some weight loss, his spirits was as energetic as usual, where were the traces of a serious illness?
The brocade clad youth who was facing him tighten his brows and ask out loud, “Avoiding a disaster?”
“Exactly.” Su Ming Feng look at his good friend and sighed, “Now you see that the situation is getting better and better for the Su family and the Su family was already in an unbroken streak for generations. Thus with regards to the matters on the military horses, there should not be further promotions. But His Majesty did not suppress but instead flatter the Su family.”
“You also made a contribution.” Xie Jing Xing reminded.
“It was because of the meritorious contribution that Father and me had become rather complacent and forgot the danger hidden behind it. The bigger the merit gets, it would become a curse. The things I said, you understood but because Su family was in the situation, one’s eyes would be obscured by a single leaf. Now that everything becomes clear at once, one must rein the horse at the edge of the precipice as it is just too dangerous.”
“Doing this is also good.” Xie Jing Xing nodded his head, “But you now need to stay at home for a few years in vain.”
“I only want the Su family to be safe and sound.” Su Ming Feng said, “Enough talking about me, how about talking about you? Su family and Xie family would enjoy ups and downs together, since the Su family have act in the nick of time, your Xie family…” He did not continue on.
Xie Jing Xing’s eyebrows rose, “What can he do to me if I do not serve as an official? There is only one Marquis of Lin An in the Xie family, he have to take in account everyone’s words.”
Xie Jing Xing and Su Ming Feng are different. Because of the Su family Su Yu had earlier on gotten his son to serve as an official. But Xie Jing Xing did not do so and he only had an leisure post to his name. Many campaigns that he went with Xie Ding was with the name of a family member. Even if the Imperial family wanted to suppress the Xie family, they would not beat down a son that would not take over the family clan.
“You do have deep plans and distant thoughts.” Su Ming Feng could not help but laugh.
“I did it not to guard against him.” Xie Jing Xing lazily said.
He truly did not guard against the Imperial family but just to go against his father.
“However,” He frowned and suddenly turned the conversation around, “How did you suddenly figure out this matter. The previous times that I had reminded you, you did not take it to mind.”
Su Ming Feng bowed his head in shame, “Emotions ran high and one became complacent, so how would one think that much. This time it was all thanks to my second younger brother.”
“Your second younger brother?” Xie Jing Xing who was leaning against the chair lazily, sat up straight after listening as a look flash in his eyes, “That glutinous rice dumpling?”
Su Ming Lang was a stupid dumpling was nothing strange, but how was he able to remind the Su family of these matters unless he had taken the wrong medicine?
Su Ming Feng explained the ins and outs of everything before saying, “If it wasn’t Second Younger Brother who act without thinking, maybe a it would have led to a disaster?”
“Act without thinking?” Xie Jing Xing said softly to himself.
Just at the same time, a tender voice sounded, “Eldest Brother, mother let me bring you some snacks.”
Su Ming Lang was carrying a flower shaped pastry as he walked in with his short little legs. He was like a round glutinous ball and his mouth was covered with a lot of crumbs. He apparently had been secretly eating a lot of it on the way over.
These days, because of his inadvertent reminder, the Su family changed their tactics and even Master Su, who was most satisfied with him also for the first time felt that his son would ‘be a powerful person’, was ‘intelligent and nimble’ and that ‘great intelligence may appear to be stupid’. Su Furen also made a lot of food for him to eat and in just a short few days, Su Ming Lang had grown rounder.
When he saw that Xie Jing Xing was still present, he could not help but lower his voice. He did not know why but he was always somewhat afraid of this handsome good friend of his Eldest Brother.
Su Ming Lang place the snacks on the table and turned to run away after he said, “Eldest Brother, I am leaving.” He did not think that someone grabbed a hold of his collar.
He turned back and saw that youth clad in brocade garments gently squatted down and pat his head with a pair of vivid and smiling eyes but his eye expression was incomparably cold.
He asked, “You taught you that sentence?”
Su Ming Lang stared wide eyed.
“Boil the hound once the rabbit is caught.” Xie Jing Xin smiled extremely evilly.