Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 143 Schemes in the Warm Pavilion
Laughter and cheerful voices filled the West Warm Pavilion of the main courtyard of Phoenix Mountain Villa.

The silver charcoal was burning brightly in the copper basin, its orange-red flames greedily licking the rim, filling the room with warmth.

On the rosewood three-legged round table in the center of the warm pavilion, eight exquisite dishes steamed with heat.
Yu Xinglong, Suo Hong, and Yu Xiaobao sat around the table, chatting and laughing.

The celadon wine cups clinked together with a crisp, light sound, and the rich aroma of wine mingled with the fragrance of food, filling the entire warm pavilion.

Three pretty maids dressed in scarlet ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) bowed their heads and held wine pots. They would only come forward to pour wine when their master raised his cup.

"Brother Yu, congratulations!"

Suo Hong raised his wine cup, his voice several decibels louder than usual: "Congratulations, Brother Yu, on the birth of your eldest grandson! Such a joyous occasion! I wonder if you have already chosen a name for your precious grandson?"

He emphasized the words "eldest grandson of the eldest son" and glanced at the silver strands at Yu Xinglong's temples with a meaningful smile.

Yu Xinglong raised his hand to stroke his long beard, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes revealing a smile: "Before my grandson was born, I had already come up with about ten names, half for boys and half for girls."

Now that one has been decided, and since Brother Suo is here, why don't you help me take a look?"

"Oh? What name have you chosen?"

“His name is… Kangji.”

"Kang Ji?" Suo Hong was taken aback at first, then clapped his hands and laughed.

"Ji is the god of the five grains, and your family takes farming as its foundation. This character is in line with the foundation of your family's business."

Moreover, the character "康" also implies health and longevity, which is an excellent meaning.

The addition of this son to the Yu family is a sign of a stable foundation and enduring blessings!
What a beautiful name!

Suo Hong was very satisfied with the name, as names often embody the high hopes that elders have for their juniors.

The name "Kangji" is no less impressive than "Chengye," which shows that Yu Xinglong has high hopes for his grand-nephew.

Yu Xinglong smiled slightly. It's just a name; he wouldn't be so petty about it.

Suo Hong made a misjudgment, which is precisely why he chose this name for his child after careful consideration.

Suo Hong raised his glass with satisfaction and then toasted Yu Xinglong: "Brother Yu, our two families are already related by marriage. Now, with the addition of this grandparent-grandchild bond, our friendship has become even deeper."

"That's right!" Yu Xiaobao quickly chimed in. Today he was wearing an eye-catching peach-colored brocade robe with a leopard embroidered in gold thread on the collar, which looked rather flamboyant.

He moved closer to Yu Xinglong and chuckled, "Eldest brother is overjoyed to have his first grandson, and Second Master Suo is overjoyed to have his grandson. These are both great blessings, let's have a big toast!"

“That’s exactly right.” Suo Hong said with a smile, “Our two families are related by marriage, and we are as close as blood ties.”

Now that this child is here, it's only natural that the Yu and Su families will help each other from now on.

Yu Xinglong had a faint smile on his lips. He raised his hand and gently touched Suo Hong's wine glass together. The celadon glass made a crisp sound as it struck each other.

He didn't reply, but simply tilted his head back and drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.

This decisive gesture seemed to tacitly agree with Suo Hong's words, yet it subtly left room for maneuver, not giving him any ammunition to criticize.

Yu Xiaobao's eyes darted around, then he suddenly slapped his thigh and sighed, "It's really strange!"

The day before we went up the mountain, I even went to the temple to draw a fortune stick for the Yu family to have many children, and I never expected it to come true today!

His tone shifted, his face fell, and he sighed heavily: "The strange thing is, when I pray for the Yu family, it works, but as soon as I ask the Bodhisattva to bless me so I can make a living, the Bodhisattva closes his eyes and pretends not to see."

Yu Xiaobao said with a bitter face, "Brother, tell me, what kind of situation is this? I want to do something legitimate, but I keep running into obstacles. I've lost a lot of money and haven't even made a splash."

But those concubines in the house are all so ignorant; they cry and beg me for new jewelry and new clothes every day, it's really..."

Yu Xinglong's face darkened. "It's the New Year, and you're complaining about being poor in front of the Suo family. Is that polite of you?"

You're really making a fool of the Yu family's reputation!

As the head of the Yu family, Yu Xinglong couldn't afford to lose face, even though his own brothers lacked decorum.

Before Gan Xiaobao could finish speaking, Yu Xinglong raised his hand to interrupt him, saying unhappily, "Alright, Third Brother, today is a joyous occasion, let's not talk about such depressing things anymore."

Seeing Gan Xiaobao's head droop, he softened his tone and said, "I told you I would help you. Go to the accounting office when you go down the mountain. I have already given the order to give you some money for expenses."

Yu Xiaobao immediately put on a playful grin and leaned forward, saying, "Big brother, you're the one who loves me the most! But..."

He drew out his words, a calculating glint in his eyes, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime, brother."

I, Yu Laosan, also have my pride. It's not shameful for me to open my mouth to you once in a while.

But if this happens too often, even the servants and servants will start gossiping about me behind my back.

He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, but deliberately let Suo Hong, who was sitting next to him, hear him: "Why don't you give me a real post, brother?"
I know I'm fickle and not cut out for great things. How about this, you entrust Shanggui City to me for management?
That place is close to Phoenix Manor, right under your nose, brother. With you watching me, I don't have to worry about messing up the job.

"Once I become the city lord and have a stable income, I won't have to keep bothering you, brother, right?"

The air in the warm pavilion became somewhat stagnant. Even the maids standing there held their breath, only glancing furtively at Yu Xinglong, who sat in the main seat.

Yu Xinglong's smile faded, and he said indifferently, "Xiao Bao, the current lord of Shanggui City is Li Lingxiao. Although Li Lingxiao has not made any great achievements during his tenure, he has not committed any major offenses either."

"If you become the lord of Shanggui City, where am I supposed to place him?"

"He hasn't committed any major offenses? He hasn't committed any major offenses whatsoever! He's just occupying the position without doing anything! He doesn't do anything, of course he hasn't committed any major offenses!"

Yu Xiaobao stiffened his neck and said with spittle flying, "That old bastard occupies a strategic location. Besides taking advantage of the location to plunder the people's wealth, what else can he do?"
As the saying goes, "Brothers fight side by side, fathers and sons go to war together," my elder brother said. "If I, Yu Xiaobao, were to become the lord of Shanggui City, wouldn't I be ten times better than Li Lingxiao?"

"Third brother!" Yu Xinglong's tone became more serious, his brows furrowed, clearly his patience was nearing its limit.

“You are my younger brother. If you are in trouble, your elder brother will never sit idly by. But Shanggui City is the foundation of my Yu family, not a place to line our own pockets.”

Li Lingxiao is somewhat mediocre, but not to the point of being completely useless. I have always been clear about rewards and punishments when managing my subordinates; I cannot punish someone without first teaching them.

Yu Xiaobao's smile froze, and he reluctantly picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp.

Suo Hong, who had been watching with a smile, finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence between the brothers: "Brother Yu, Leopard is a bit impatient, but when it comes to loyalty to the clan leader, he is much better than that 'Tiger of the Generation'."

Yu Xiaobao's eyes lit up, and he quickly chimed in, "That's right, that's right, Master Suo sees things more clearly!"

Suo Hong slowly took a sip of wine: "Brother Yu's openness to business dealings with my Suo family is a testament to your vision and magnanimity, which is why our two families are as close as one."

However, it seems that Yu Huanhu, the second master of Dailai City, is quite dissatisfied with this.

He put down his wine glass and sneered, "Lately, this 'Tiger of the Future' has been making a lot of small moves, trying to trip me up at every turn."

His despicable methods are more like those of a rat in a ditch than a fierce tiger, truly contemptible.

Shanggui is located at a strategic point, and it is a necessary passage for the establishment of a trade route.

Li Lingxiao, the lord of Shanggui City, has been quite ambiguous in his actions towards Huan Hu.

Whether this person is a mere figurehead or embezzler, we'll leave that aside for now; his 'two-faced' behavior alone is enough..."

As he spoke, he leaned towards Yu Xinglong, his posture very sincere: "Shanggui is right under your nose. If the person in charge of this city cannot serve you loyally, the consequences will be dire."

Therefore, you should take Leopard's words to heart, brother, and find a more capable and loyal person to manage Shanggui for you.

Yu Xiaobao beamed with delight and hurriedly said, "Yes, yes, brother, even Master Suo said so. An outsider sees things more clearly. This Shanggui..."

Yu Xinglong naturally knew that because his lineage was small and lacked talent, and he was also weak and sickly, and his rival Yu Huanhu was his younger brother, his subordinates were mostly hesitant to act.

Li Lingxiao is indeed not a good person, but in any case, it's better than letting Yu Xiaobao take over.

If we were to let him govern Shanggui City, his abilities would be inferior to Li Lingxiao's.

Moreover, due to Yu Xiaobao's identity, his control over Shanggui will be far less than when Li Lingxiao was in office.

He can still decide whether to take down Li Lingxiao with a single word.

But if Yu Xiaobao were to go up instead, and they felt he wasn't up to the task, it might not be so easy to remove him.

Therefore, Yu Xinglong ignored Yu Xiaobao's words and smiled at Suo Hong, saying, "I have noted down what Brother Suo said. We must carefully consider the choice of personnel for this crucial location."

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Suo Hong's eyes. He beckoned a maid to come forward and personally took the silver wine pot to fill Yu Xinglong's cup. Then, he changed the subject and said, "Brother Yu, I have recently found a man named Chen Yinjie."

The Chen family has been a merchant family for over a hundred years under your family's rule, and their reputation and abilities are quite good.

Now that Yu Huanhu is hiding behind the scenes and causing trouble for my Suo family, it's not appropriate for me, with my status, to openly compete with his men; otherwise, I'd lose face.

He put down the wine pot, his tone becoming increasingly earnest: "Therefore, I think it would be good to support Chen Yinjie in doing things for me. This will not only help me deal with Huan Hu's difficulties, but also prevent others from making a fool of the Suo and Yu families."

"Brother, what do you think? How about letting him take on the position of Commerce Officer in your Shanggui City?"

Suo Hong spoke casually, but his eyes were fixed on Yu Xinglong's expression.

Before the other party could respond, he added, "Brother, rest assured, my Suo family will never interfere in the local affairs of your Yu family."

However, I am here to establish trade routes, but Huan Hu is obstructing and guarding against me at every turn. If I don't have a capable person to help me, this task will be very difficult to complete.

"I'll just appoint Chen Yinjie as a merchant clerk and grant my Suo family some facilitation for passage."

Yu Xinglong chuckled twice, raised his hand to rub his temples. This Suo Hong certainly knew how to scheme. Although the position of Shang Cao was not an important one, he was in charge of trade taxation and commercial management.

By securing this position, the Suo family essentially controls half of Shanggui's financial resources.

But he couldn't refuse outright. Yu Huanhu's threat was right in front of him, and the Suo family were allies he couldn't afford to offend for the time being.

"My second brother is young and impetuous, and doesn't know any better. Please forgive him, Second Master."

Yu Xinglong picked up his wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. The usually restrained man drank rather quickly, and the wine made his throat tight.

"Ahem! Second Master's difficulties... cough cough cough, I understand. I will carefully consider the matter of Chen Yinjie being appointed as the Minister of Commerce."

He placed his wine glass on the table, gesturing for the maid to refill it: "However, today is the Lunar New Year, and I am also blessed with the birth of my first grandson. It is a day of double happiness, so why should we let these unpleasant things spoil our mood? Come, let's just drink today and not talk about these troublesome matters!"

Suo Hong knew he couldn't push too hard. It was just a minor position; it wouldn't affect Yu Xinglong's very foundation. He could work things out slowly.

He immediately put on a smiling face, raised his glass in agreement, and said, "Brother Yu is right. Let's drink to our hearts' content today, and not leave until we're completely drunk!"

Yu Xiaobao was determined to get the position of city lord. He wanted to say a few more words, but seeing that the two had changed the subject, he had no choice but to swallow his words.

The sounds of conversation and laughter filled the warm pavilion once again. The clinking of celadon cups, the gentle smiles of the maids, and the crackling of the charcoal brazier blended together, creating a harmonious and joyful scene.

But behind that laughter, Yu Xinglong's forbearance, Suo Hong's scheming, and Yu Xiaobao's greed were all lurking, waiting for another opportunity to strike.

……

Unlike the bustling main courtyard, the birthing room in the backyard, converted from a study, was so quiet that only the flickering candlelight could be heard.

The night was as dark as ink. Suo Chanzhi, who had taken a nap in the evening, slowly woke up, her eyelashes still wet with the weariness of the night.

The soft mattress beneath her was made of three layers of cotton, which Yang Can had specially brought from the warehouse. The warmth seeped into her bones through the fabric.

Her personal maid, Xiao Qingmei, had set up a low bed next to her bed. Hearing the noise on the couch, she immediately rubbed her eyes and got up, her hair a little loose.

"Is the girl awake? Is she thirsty? I'll go and warm a bowl of water." Her voice was very low, as if she was afraid of disturbing the child.

They still live in the delivery room. According to the custom of that time, women must stay in the delivery room for a full month before they can move out.

Firstly, there was a fear of upsetting a woman who had just given birth; secondly, there was a superstitious belief in that era that the "blood and impurities" entering the main house would bring bad luck to the household.

Although Suo Chanzhi had a natural birth and was otherwise healthy, Yang Can, always cautious in his actions, kept the midwife and the nurse in the side rooms for future use.

"No need to rush."

Suo Chanzhi gently pressed Qingmei's hand, her voice still a little hoarse from her previous shouts.

Her gaze passed over Qingmei's shoulder and landed on the bamboo basket hanging at the foot of the bed.

The baby boy in the swaddling clothes was fast asleep, his little chest rising and falling rhythmically, his delicate and beautiful appearance quite endearing.

This child, however, was not her own flesh and blood, born after ten months of pregnancy and excruciating pain.

Seeing that she was lost in thought, Qingmei leaned over the couch, took out a thread-bound book, and ran her fingertips over the fresh ink on the pages.

"Don't worry, young lady, I've remembered everything the midwife told me, not a single thing was missed."

I wrapped the placenta in three layers of fine hemp paper according to custom, and then wrapped it in a large red cloth. I had Afu take it into the deep mountains and bury it overnight.

I specifically instructed him to dig the pit a full three feet deep, to ensure it was 'stable and well-rooted.'

Suo Chanzhi gave a soft "hmm," her gaze still fixed on the hanging basket, but her mind was on her daughter.

Is her own flesh and blood, whom she has never even held, sleeping soundly right now? Is he cold or hungry?

"You'll have to make do with your food for a few days."

Qingmei, unaware of her thoughts, continued, "For the first two days, you can only drink millet porridge with boiled eggs; you can't touch any oil."

Oh, right, we're having the baby's "third-day bath" in three days. I've already dried the mugwort and peach branches and stored them in a ceramic jar under the windowsill.

When it's time to add more pots, we'll need copper coins and red dates. To 'press down a thousand pounds,' we'll need to invite Granny Zhang, who has healthy children and grandchildren from the mountain villa, to come.

She was told to sweep her body with scallions in the hope that her child would be intelligent, and to comb her hair with a comb in the hope that she would live a long and healthy life…

"The third-day celebration?" Suo Chanzhi suddenly came to her senses: "What about my child? Does she also have such a ceremony?"

Qingmei's voice faltered, a hint of shame creeping into her heart.

She had only said that everything was prepared for the baby boy in the hanging basket, completely forgetting about the little girl who had been switched, who was her own daughter's biological child.

"Yes, yes, there will be," she hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. "The master will definitely make arrangements and won't let you suffer."

Suo Chanzhi looked at the flickering candlelight, and a lump formed in her throat.

Even though her child was still too young to understand, she couldn't bear to let her suffer even the slightest grievance.

Just then, the wall beside the tatami suddenly slid silently to one side.

Qingmei was facing the wall. She was startled and shrank back, but then her face lit up with joy. She lowered her voice and said, "Master is here!"

The door to the secret passage opened, and a tall figure walked out against the light—it was Yang Can.

Suo Chanzhi's gaze was instantly drawn to the tiny swaddled baby wrapped in a thick blanket in his arms.

"Qingmei, bring the child inside." Yang Can gestured towards the hanging basket, his voice extremely low.

Qingmei immediately understood; the two babies were both very young, and if one cried, it would surely cause the other to cry as well.

She hurriedly put on her cloak, carefully picked up the baby boy from the basket, wrapped him up tightly, and then slipped into the secret passage as lightly as a cat.

Yang Can quickly walked to the bedside and handed the child in his arms to Suo Chanzhi before she could speak.

He knew that at this moment, nothing was more important to this woman who had just become a mother than her own flesh and blood.

So, as soon as the banquet ended, he immediately came with his child.

"My child...this is my child..."

Suo Chanzhi opened her eyes wide with joy, her voice trembling.

The baby girl in the swaddling clothes had her eyes closed and her little mouth slightly pouting, looking incredibly cute.

"She's just as pretty as her mother." Yang Can chuckled softly, reaching out to brush the stray hairs from her forehead and gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips.

Suo Chanzhi reached out her hand, trembling. The moment her fingertips touched her daughter's warm cheek, tears welled up in her eyes: "My darling, my daughter, I've wronged you..."

She gently kissed her daughter's forehead, her voice choked with emotion.

The baby girl seemed to sense a familiar presence, her little hand moved slightly, and she let out a soft "ee-yah," like a newborn kitten, instantly softening Suo Chanzhi's heart.

"Has she been breastfed? Could she be starving?"

Suo Chanzhi suddenly snapped out of her daze, looked up at Yang Can, and before she could finish speaking, she impatiently ripped open her shirt: "I'll feed her..."

Women who have just given birth don't produce milk so quickly; it usually takes two days for them to start producing milk normally, and before that, they only produce a small amount of colostrum.

The baby boy in the afternoon was fed by a wet nurse who had been prepared in advance by the household; she was sleeping soundly, exhausted at the time.

Although the colostrum is small, it is the most precious, as this is her first time feeding her child.

Watching her daughter suckle sweetly with her eyes closed, Suo Chanzhi felt a mix of emotions, and her anxiety of the past few days finally eased for a moment.

"The child is leaving, right?" After a long silence, she asked in a low voice, her voice full of reluctance yet also carrying a hint of clarity.

She knew that the child absolutely could not stay at Phoenix Villa; the sooner she sent him away, the safer he would be.

Yang Can nodded, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently comforted the child: "I've arranged for the child to be raised in an orchard at the foot of the mountain by a reliable Xianbei woman."

During this month, several tenant farmers' wives down the mountain are about to give birth, so we can easily slip our daughter in without arousing suspicion.

I've sent Leopard Head and the Rouge Sisters to look after them, and with Wangcai and Twenty-Eight Sons along, that should be enough to ensure their safety."

"But there are so many people and eyes there, won't something happen?" Suo Chanzhi was still worried, her fingertips tightly gripping her daughter's swaddling clothes.

“I gave the child a suitable identity: an orphan girl who lost her parents in the war, and no more than five people know the truth.”

Yang Can didn't want to use his daughter to test human nature. Even Wangcai knew very little, and the complete truth couldn't be pieced together from fragmented information.

“Once the children of those women down the mountain are freed from their care and remarried, I will bring her back under the guise of adopting an orphan.”

"If you want her to come back as Qingmei's biological daughter, that's possible, but it will take longer to process."

If they want to make the child appear to be born to Qingmei, then Qingmei can claim to be pregnant right now.

Even if Qingmei really gets pregnant, it doesn't matter, since fraternal twins can be two boys, two girls, or one boy and one girl, and they don't look alike.

Due to competition for nutrients, even the size and development of children differ.

However, if this method is adopted, Qingmei will have to find an excuse to live outside the mountains and will not be able to return for two or three years.

There is a big difference between a one-year-old and a newborn baby, and it is actually easier to fool an older child.

As for the child's appearance, that's not a big problem, because since Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty reformed and the Xianbei and Han people have been integrated for four or five generations.

Although the Northern Wei Dynasty no longer exists and the Xianbei people have returned to the grasslands, their appearance is no longer different from that of the Han people.

“Let’s use adoption as an excuse,” Suo Chanzhi said immediately.

She had originally considered letting the child be her childhood sweetheart's biological daughter, but after actually seeing the child, all her thoughts changed.

The child's safety is the most important thing, and she also can't bear to be separated from her child for so long.

"I'll do whatever you say." Yang Can ruffled her hair, his gaze falling on the mother and daughter with tenderness.

No matter what reason his daughter comes back to him, he will never let her suffer the slightest grievance.

The candlelight cast warm silhouettes of the three figures on the wall.

Tonight, Yang Can, Li Youcai, and Pan Xiaowan are three people; Yu Xinglong, Suo Hong, and Yu Xiaobao are three people; at this moment, they are still three people, but the situation is completely different, and their moods are different.

(End of this chapter)