Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 321 - 1: White Tiger Seal (1) (First Update)
Commander Liu’s idea is for Hong Sheng to first go to Tartar to earn some military merits and extra profit, and then find the opportune moment to return to defense, to be ready for unforeseen events and support the main army, avoiding a situation where the Sixth Prince turns hostile and the Northwest Army finds itself surrounded by enemies.
This is undoubtedly a privilege reserved for Jiang Hongsheng as a trusted confidant and considered almost as a son or nephew, and Hong Sheng would naturally not be unaware of this favor.
Susu and Hong Sheng opened up to each other in conversation, and Susu learned that Hong Sheng was definitely going to the battlefield, not only that, but he was also leading the Vanguard Camp under Qin Dusi, as part of the first group entering Tartar as a forward detachment.
The danger goes without saying, but the benefits are also evident.
The Nine Guards of the Northwest have nearly fifty thousand soldiers, along with fifty thousand troops of the Qin Family Army, with the Fourth Rank and above, numbering at least twenty or thirty generals.
The position beside Qin Dusi, even if not fought over with a broken head, is vigorously contested like chickens fighting.
Hong Sheng does not need to fight or struggle and has already been pre-designated as one of them; currently, the atmosphere remains calm, because the news has not yet spread. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
Once the imperial edict arrives and Qin Dusi formally musters the troops, who knows how many people will want to kill Hong Sheng with just their gaze.
Seeing that she would soon part with her husband and the Sixth Son again, Susu impatiently decided not to concern herself with "Yue Baiyou’s" affairs and straightforwardly packed her belongings and moved to Hami Camp.
She incidentally carried away Yang Fang, who was learning etiquette from her at home.
This girl, though somewhat proud and wilful, is quite decent, and ever since coming home, knowing that Yue Baiyou and Susu had torn their faces, she has had several fights with "Yue Baiyou", real physical fights.
Watching "Yue Baiyou’s" veiled plea for help, Susu somehow felt her heart brighten significantly.
By August, with Mid-Autumn approaching, Susu had just returned from Hami Camp.
The festival gifts to the Capital and those sent to Yangzhou had been on their way since early June, and Susu calculated that they should arrive in a few days.
Unexpectedly, the gifts from the Capital arrived earlier than Susu’s gifts, delivered personally by the chief of the merchant caravan that frequently runs to the Western Regions from the Song Family.
This chief’s surname is Wei, and he is the adopted son of Old Madam Song and Old Master Song, while Susu counts him as an old acquaintance.
"Uncle Wei, why did you come personally?"
"Godmother couldn’t be at ease with you, wishing she were twenty years younger to come see you personally. If I didn’t come myself, checking on whether her dear heart is getting plumper or skinnier, I couldn’t report back!"
Wei Changhong is exactly forty this year, with a broad chest and sturdy waist, a face with coarse features, but he’s someone with delicate thoughts, able to marvel over fallen leaves. Old Madam often jokes, "This is a poet wasted by business."
Susu grew up managing Old Madam’s private treasury alongside Amber, with plenty of fine things brought back by him every year.
Uncle Wei’s affection for this godmother is no less than her two biological sons, even more intimate than the third master’s illegitimate son regarding Old Madam.
Knowing about Susu’s courage and loyalty in protecting the manor, each time he returned, he would secretly grant Susu a substantial reward.
After Wei Changhong finished speaking, he couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Susu regarded him as a real uncle, childishly pouting, "Uncle Wei is already a grandfather, yet still behaves so unethically. Count the days, sister-in-law Dazhuang should have given birth. Was it a nephew or niece?"
Uncle Wei has two sons and a daughter. The elder son, Dazhuang, is already married, and when Susu married, sister-in-law Dazhuang was already six months pregnant.
"Hahaha... Your sister-in-law Dazhuang gave me a grand grandson. I just saw the brat before leaving; otherwise, godmother would have sent Qiao Shan (Yang Liu’s father) over."
Talking about his grandson, Uncle Wei is utterly delighted, "Your nephew was born weighing eight jin and two liang, but the poor child wore out sister-in-law Dazhuang. When he was born, his father, who tears easily, hugged my leg crying snot and tears, if he hadn’t given me a granddaughter, I wouldn’t have bothered with him!"
Susu listened to him disparaging his son like this, her mouth twitched, "I heard the Old Madam say that when Aunt Wei gave birth to Brother Dazhuang, someone seemed to have tears and snot in abundance too!"
Wei Changhong: ...
Why did godmother share even such embarrassing stories with this girl? He couldn’t help but blush, "Well, you know your Uncle Wei is an emotional person. Haha, that’s not important. Come see what good things Uncle Wei brought you."
Wei Changhong took out a gift list from his personal pouch, the things he brought had already filled half the courtyard, boxes, sacks, cloth bags, all overflowing!
Susu laughed, "The things won’t grow legs and run away; why are you in a hurry?" But she still took it, not looking immediately, "Can you stay for a few days at Hami? You must stay at home, I’ll send someone to camp to bring back your niece’s husband, and this evening let him drink a few cups with you!"
Wei Changhong’s face slightly changed, then glanced around the surroundings; Susu recognizing this as having important matters to discuss.
Susu waved her hand to the maids, "Fen Dai, go to the kitchen, I’m going to have a drink with Uncle Wei at noon, ask your mother to make her specialties. Shuimo, ask your father to settle Uncle Wei’s people, don’t worry about drinks, ensure the meat and dishes are ample. Qi Qiao and Linglong, store the courtyard items inside first. Linlang, guard the door!"
Once the maids left, Wei Changhong then said, "Susu is increasingly showing the demeanor of a lady of the house, if your grandmother knew, she would feel much at ease."
Susu sighed, "I’d rather stay by Old Madam’s side, growing older brings more troubles."
Wei Changhong glanced at her, "I just praised you, so quickly dispirited, this isn’t like our Miss Susu!"
Susu spread her hands, alas, the world’s impermanence!
"What comes next is serious, the court received a secret report from Qin Dusi, the Tartar Khan passed away, the Eldest Prince Bashahan succeeded, accusing Great Chu of killing Sixth Prince Batraj, assembling a hundred thousand troops for Batraj’s revenge; did you know?"
After Wei Changhong asked, he saw Susu nodding, saying, "These things haven’t spread in the Northwest, but I’m aware. I also know the emperor signed a pact with the Sixth Prince of Tartar."
Wei Changhong evidently thought Hong Sheng had told Susu, he didn’t ponder further, saying, "Nowadays the calm in the frontier is but an illusion, war is imminent, I won’t stay long in Hami, at most one or two days before continuing west." Saying this, he pulled from his bosom a few letters and a seal.
"These are sent by godmother, with some from her, as well as from several ladies and Yang Liu and others; I believe you recognize this seal."
Susu looked at these items, especially the seal, her eyes became moist, hearing Uncle Wei’s words, "This is the Song Family’s Dark Department’s master seal. The seal has a white tiger head, it’s the master seal for Song Family’s Western regions’ Dark Department, capable of mobilizing all of Song Family’s covert forces in the Western region."
Susu had a vague idea, yet dared not believe it, seeing Uncle Wei solemnly place the seal into her hand.
Susu only felt like holding a flame, which seared so that her heart also burned warmly.
