20demayo Chapter 74 A Blessed Marriage in Lingnan, Brothers in Misfortune
Chapter 74 A Blessed Marriage in Lingnan, Brothers in Misfortune
Yang Jian slammed his chopsticks on the table, causing the bowl of mutton soup to rattle and spill a few drops.
"I asked how to correct it, not for you to just recite a rote!"
Yang Jian's chest heaved violently as he pointed at Yang Jun's nose and scolded him with exasperation:
"If I don't send you to reflect on your mistakes behind closed doors, but instead send you to govern a region right now—for example… a place where the people are fierce, powerful, and prone to rebellion! How would you handle it?!"
"Are you going to continue building your water palace, or stay there and eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist prayers for me?!"
"Speak! How do you plan to govern the people? How do you plan to command the army? How do you plan to appease the powerful and tyrannical? How do you plan to quell the rebellion?!"
A barrage of questions left Yang Jun completely bewildered.
His mouth was agape, his eyes were vacant, and cold sweat poured down his face like a waterfall.
Governing the people? Governing the army?
These things... the Chief Secretary never taught us!
Back in Bingzhou, weren't all these things handled by that Chief Secretary named Wang Shao? He was only responsible for drawing blueprints, making inventions, and throwing parties!
"Your subject... Your subject..."
Yang Jun stammered, unable to utter a coherent sentence for a long time.
He instinctively wanted to look at Yang Yan, to see if this nephew who had just given such a brilliant answer could save him again.
But this time, Yang Jian's icy gaze was fixed on him, making him not even have the courage to turn his head.
Forget about countermeasures, he didn't even know how to respond.
Seeing his son's pathetic state, the light in Yang Jian's eyes gradually dimmed, eventually turning into a deep weariness and disappointment.
Dugu Jialuo put down her chopsticks, her sharp phoenix eyes sweeping over the two of them, finally landing on Yang Jun's still slightly trembling shoulder, a barely perceptible sigh flashing in her eyes.
"Alright, get up, everyone."
Dugu Jialuo's voice broke the deathly silence, "You've already knelt and admitted your mistakes. People need to eat to survive, so since you've come all this way, come and have a meal with us."
The eunuch quickly brought over two small stools and two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.
After expressing his gratitude, Yang Yan sat down properly, picked up his bowl, and began to eat heartily without any hesitation.
The millet rice was indeed coarse, and it scratched his throat a little when he swallowed it, but he ate it with great relish, as if it were some kind of delicacy.
Because he knew that he had passed half of this hurdle.
But Yang Jun is in a terrible situation.
He sat there, chopsticks in hand, staring at the bowl of golden, hard millet rice as if it were a bowl of poison.
What kind of life did he lead in Bingzhou? He lived a life of unparalleled refinement, where food was prepared with the utmost care and attention!
He really couldn't bring himself to eat the food meant for servants!
He hesitated for a long time before reluctantly picking up a piece of cabbage with his chopsticks and putting it in his mouth. After chewing it a couple of times, his brows furrowed as if he were being tortured.
Although Yang Jian kept his head down and ate, he kept observing the two people out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing Yang Yan eating with relish, I couldn't help but nod slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in my eyes. This child is resilient and adaptable; if he can't even endure this little hardship, how can he talk about going to Lingnan?
But when his gaze fell on Yang Jun and he saw his "unpalatable" and miserable state, a nameless anger instantly rose up.
"What's wrong? Is the food here not to Your Highness's liking?"
Yang Jian snorted coldly and slammed his chopsticks heavily on the table.
The sharp sound startled Yang Jun, causing his hand to tremble and nearly drop the chopsticks.
"No... I wouldn't dare!" Yang Jun's face turned pale, and he quickly put down the bowl. "Your subject is just... just not hungry."
"Not hungry?" Yang Jian sneered. "I think you've eaten too many delicacies and have long forgotten what grains taste like!"
Yang Jun felt both wronged and scared after being rebuked like this.
He recalled Yang Yan's earlier remarks about the "virtues of a sage ruler," and then thought of his unfinished water palace. For some inexplicable reason, he suddenly felt the urge to flatter Yang Yan to ease the tension.
He swallowed hard, forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, and said cautiously:
"Father... Your Majesty, I believe you are now the second sage ruler after Qin Shi Huang to create a unified and prosperous era! You are a great emperor for all time!"
"This whole world is yours, so from now on when we eat... could we add a few more dishes? Even just one more meat soup would be nice. This millet rice is really too hard on the stomach..."
Yang Yan was just shoveling the last bite of rice when he heard this and almost choked to death.
He suddenly raised his head and looked at Yang Jun in disbelief.
Third Uncle, oh Third Uncle!
Why are you bringing up something you don't want to talk about?!
Is this what they call "precisely stepping on a landmine"?
really.
Yang Jian's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
"Adding more food? That might upset your stomach?"
Yang Jian suddenly stood up, grabbed the earthenware bowl of millet rice from the table, and slammed it down at Yang Jun's feet!
"Snapped!"
Pottery shards flew everywhere, and yellow millet rice was scattered all over the ground.
"You unfilial son! All you care about is eating, drinking, and having fun; do you have even the slightest thought for your country and its people?!"
Yang Jian pointed at Yang Jun's nose, his fingers trembling with rage, his voice booming like thunder: "What's wrong with this millet rice? I've eaten it for most of my life! Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou could eat it, and I can eat it, so why does it upset your stomach?!"
"Do you know how the Sui Dynasty came to power? Do you know how many people in this world can't even afford a bowl of millet?!"
"You've been engaging in extravagant and wasteful construction projects in Bingzhou, and I haven't even settled accounts with you yet. How dare you come here and talk to me about adding more dishes?!"
"Someone come here!"
Yang Jian roared, "Drag this rebellious son away! Give him twenty strokes of the cane!"
Yang Jun was completely dumbfounded.
He was clearly praising Emperor Kuangfu as a "great emperor of all time" and wanted him to eat well so he could live a long life! How did it turn out like this?
Yang Yan watched this scene and closed his eyes helplessly.
Inside the warm pavilion of the Liangyi Hall, the atmosphere was eerily suffocating.
The echo of "Twenty severe punishments" seemed to still reverberate among the beams and pillars as Yang Jun was dragged out of the hall like a dead dog by several burly Imperial Guards. Immediately afterward, the cracking sounds of boards accompanied by pig-like screams could be faintly heard, sending chills down one's spine.
Yang Yan remained seated, his chopsticks still in his hand, and forced himself to swallow the last mouthful of millet rice.
Dugu Jialuo seemed not to hear the commotion outside. With her well-maintained hands, she gently picked up a handkerchief, elegantly wiped the corner of her mouth, and then turned her gaze back to Yang Yan.
The look in his eyes had lost some of its previous scrutiny, and gained a subtle, almost imperceptible apprehension, and even... a tiny bit of the tenderness one might show when looking at a lamb to the slaughter.
"Yan'er".
"Grandson is here." Yang Yan immediately put down his chopsticks and sat up straight, looking obedient and ready to be punished.
Dugu Jialuo turned slightly to the side and picked up a small booklet with a blue cover from the table behind her. The booklet was not thick, and the pages were even a bit yellowed, making it look quite old.
She gently pushed the booklet in front of Yang Yan, her slender fingers tapping on the cover.
"I mentioned before at the Eastern Palace that I would choose a consort for you. Your younger brothers are still young, and as the eldest grandson, your marriage really cannot be delayed."
Dugu Jialuo's voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable decisiveness: "The Xian family of Lingnan has a daughter who is said to be gentle, virtuous, beautiful and intelligent, and is greatly favored by the old lady."
At this point, Dugu Jialuo leaned forward slightly, her gaze fixed intently on Yang Yan's eyes: "What do you think of this marriage?"
Yang Yan's heart skipped a beat.
A woman from the Xian family?
As a history student, Yang Yan certainly knew what Lady Xian meant. She was the true uncrowned queen of Lingnan, Lady Xian of Qiao State, who was revered as the "Holy Mother." In Lingnan, her words carried more weight than the emperor's edict.
Marrying her granddaughter was indeed equivalent to having the strongest backer in Lingnan.
but!
In the Guanzhong aristocratic circle, which valued social standing and family background, marrying a barbarian woman as one's principal wife? This was tantamount to cutting oneself off from the mainstream social circle!
This is like the heir of a top-tier wealthy family in later generations being suddenly arranged by his family to marry the daughter of an Amazonian tribal chief. Although the chief's family is rich, in the eyes of outsiders, this is a kind of exile and humiliation!