Chapter 4 Father and Son

Chapter 4 Father and Son

Chapter 4 Father and Son
The bathroom is located in a quiet corner of the Lu Mansion, surrounded by green bamboo and green pines.

The interior is elegantly decorated, and the bluestone floor is as smooth as a mirror, with anti-slip grooves.

In the corner, a small incense burner quietly exudes a faint fragrance.

In the center of the bathroom, there is a huge stone bathtub with fine carvings on it.

At this time, a maid in a light gauze dress was holding a wooden ladle and gently pouring warm water down the boy's firm and tight muscles.

His movements were light and graceful, for fear of disturbing the young man who was deep in thought with his eyes closed.

"Liu Sheng. Liu Sheng, if I remember correctly, he became rich after Emperor Wen ascended the throne."

Lu Yunyi suddenly opened his eyes: "No. He was already a big boss when we conquered Jiaozhi.
It was a bit too late for Emperor Wen to take the throne. He should have ascended to the high position during the Jingnan Rebellion."

Lu Yunyi's eyes became more determined, and he thought he had found the correct answer. At the same time, he secretly regretted it.

He remembered the general outline of the Ming Dynasty, but when it came to the specific characters, he couldn't remember them clearly! !

"Young Master, what's wrong with you? Is the water too cold?" The maid Qiu He moved her little head closer, lowered her voice, and spoke softly.

Lu Yunyi only felt a fragrance coming towards him, which made him sniff and look at the maid beside him:

"Sister Qiuhe, you smell so good."

"Ah!" Qiu He cried softly, and her ears were immediately flushed.

The veil on her body swayed slightly, and she stepped back involuntarily, but after hesitating for a moment, she came back and whispered:

"Master, Qiu He is already nineteen years old, two years older than you."

"I know, Sister Qiuhe. It is said that older women like others to call them sisters. Do you like it?" Lu Yunyi asked casually.

"If the young master likes it, then follow him."

Qiu He's eyes were full of spring waves, and she lowered her head little by little.

The beautiful hair on both sides of her temples was wet by the mist, sticking tightly to her cheeks, and even the thin gauze-like clothes were the same.

"Hahaha, you little vixen."

Lu Yunyi laughed wildly, not caring about Qiu He's embarrassing posture. He thought of something else and asked:

"By the way, did your mother tell you anything when I came back?"

Qiu He blinked her big watery eyes, her cheeks continued to blush, and she nodded gently:

"Madam told me not to seduce the young master. If she loses her virginity, Madam will drive Qiu He away."

Lu Yunyi nodded thoughtfully:
"I don't think your mother will do anything to you.
Many of my colleagues who went on the expedition with me were about my age.
Most of them have children, and at least they get married.

I am often laughed at by them for this, you don't want me to be laughed at by them either, right?"

"This..." Qiu He's face became redder and redder.

"In a few months, the war will begin. Young Master will go to the battlefield. If I die on the battlefield, my Lu family will be left without an heir. You don't want the Lu family to be left without an heir, do you?"

Qiu He's face gradually turned pale, her eyes filled with fear, and she shook her head:

"Master will be fine. Uncle Zhang said that Master is a rare military genius and will not die easily on the battlefield."

Qiu He seemed to have thought of something and lowered her voice:
"Even if the young master died on the battlefield...the old master and his wife are still young and will not be childless."

"Ah?" Lu Yunyi turned his head in disbelief, staring at Qiu He who was a little embarrassed, looking her up and down, and finally stopped at her chest, stretched out his hand and weighed it:

"Your brain seems to be getting better and better."

Qiu He blushed, and a layer of small pimples appeared on her skin. She felt that the young master's posture was a little awkward, so she moved forward and said in a low voice:
"The master recently brought back some books on divination and asked Madam to teach me.
He also said that the young master was a man who was going to do great things and that he needed to have his own team.

Especially when it comes to money, it’s best to hire someone you know well, so that I can assist the young master.”

After hearing this, Lu Yunyi nodded thoughtfully. It’s good to know someone’s ins and outs.

Glancing at Qiu He and seeing her expectant look, Lu Yunyi leaned closer and whispered something to her. Qiu He's originally fair face suddenly turned red.

There was a flash of panic in his eyes. It turned out that the master was talking about knowing everything about him.

"What else did father and mother say?" Lu Yunyi asked thoughtfully while weighing the matter.

Qiu He's face became increasingly red, and her mind became somewhat confused:
"The master said that even if it is Liu Zhizhou, he can't accomplish anything without money and food, so money is the most important thing."

"Madam didn't say anything, but Madam Ning always comes to ask about the young master and Miss Liu's affairs, and she seems to be quite concerned."

"She's a widow, why would she care about me?" Lu Yunyi was a little surprised and frowned slightly. He had a lot of troubles recently.

"Young Master, Madam Ning has a very good personal relationship with Madam, and they are neighbors, so it is only right to ask." Qiu He had moved to the edge of the stone bathtub without her knowing.

"I think she wants to save the country in a roundabout way, and use me to find out the reason why her husband died in battle.
It's strange to say, those grassland people had been driven away long ago, but her husband died inexplicably outside Qingzhou, there must be something fishy going on."

"Then Master, are you going to help Madam Ning?"

"Why should I help her? When you are away from home, it is better to have less trouble than more. My life is hanging by a thread, so how can I have the energy to care about others?" Lu Yunyi looked indifferent.

Lan Yu hadn't gotten through this yet, and now this uncle had rebelled. Although he would become a towering tree in the future,
But he also had to survive the Hongwu Dynasty first, and then survive the Jingnan Rebellion.

This was a little too difficult for him.

There are two obstacles in front of me: how to avoid being implicated in the Lan Yu case,
There is also the case of avoiding the North-South List case in the 30th year of Hongwu.

The latter was easier, after all, he joined the army. Although his father was a juren, it was not a big deal that he did not become an official.

"Young Master, I think you are a little too old. You always have a stern face, just like the master." Qiu He said softly on the side.

"This is Y chromosome inheritance." Lu Yunyi closed his eyes and muttered indifferently.

"Ah?" Qiu He blinked her big eyes, which were full of confusion, and quickly began to massage Lu Yunyi's shoulders:

"Master is talking nonsense again."

"Stop rubbing it."

After a while, Lu Yunyi opened his eyes, supported himself on both sides of the tub with his hands, his muscles bulged, and with a slight effort he jumped out of the water and raised his eyebrows at Qiu He:

"Same as always, this way mother won't find out."

Qiu He's brows were full of smiles and her eyes were watery. She gently brushed the hair that was sticking to her cheek aside and put it behind her ear. She bit her lips lightly, glanced at her young master tenderly, moved her body gently, and entered the water.

"Master, I was wondering if you had already thought of the use of this bathtub when you built it."

Lu Yunyi touched Qiu He's little head and laughed: "Of course."

"Master, keep your voice down."

"It doesn't matter. If you try to hide it, you'll be guilty as a thief. Hiss."

Lu Yunyi's voice was very low when he said this, but the sound of him sucking in a breath of cold air was very loud.

Half an hour later, Lu Yunyi, dressed in casual clothes, walked out of the bathroom calmly. When the cool wind blew, he felt refreshed!

When he passed through the main house and came to the courtyard, he saw the doorman, Lao Zhang, waiting there early with a package in his hand.

Seeing him coming out, Lao Zhang's serious face suddenly broke into a smile, and he trotted over, shaking his body, revealing his yellow teeth.
"Master, Master, let me pass on the things sent by the army to you."

"In the army? Who gave it to me?" Lu Yunyi frowned. It couldn't be Lan Yu's order. "It seems to be General Yan's personal guard. He said that it must be handed over to the young master personally."

When Lu Yunyi heard that it was Yan San, he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, took the package and went back to the main room, closed the door, and slowly opened the package.

A document and a copper seal with a square face and three sides.

Seeing this, Lu Yunyi's pupils contracted, and then joy unconsciously emerged in his eyes.

He turned the seal over and read the words on it clearly.

Seal of the hundred households of the Houqianhu Suo of the Zhongwei Army in Gyeongju.

“I’ve made progress again!”

A smile appeared on Lu Yunyi's lips. The general flag commanded fifty people, and the centurions commanded one hundred and twelve people. It was a great improvement!

In Gyeongju, he is considered a well-known figure.
With my dad's connections, the feeling is more than just "comfortable".

Putting his thoughts aside, he picked up the document, quickly opened it and looked at the words on it. Although he couldn't write well, he could read.

"In the 20th year of Hongwu, General Lu Yunyi led his troops to the northern grasslands, where they spied on the enemy for three months and returned to report the situation. He was rewarded with merit.
The special position of centurion was awarded with an annual salary of 120 dan.

If the army goes out to fight, the matter will be accomplished and there will be other rewards later.

The general also issued an order, ordering Lu Yunyi to join the northern expedition army.

Together with the thousand-householder of Qingzhou Guard, you will be the scout of the front army to investigate the enemy situation. If you are successful in spying on the enemy, you will be rewarded generously. "

There are few words, but they fill up the paper.

Lu Yunyi took in all the words, frowned slightly, and looked thoughtful. After a while, he heaved a long sigh of relief.
The existence of such a letter shows that Lan Yu did not pay too much attention to him, at least he was still in the original army, and the matter of the spy was not pursued, so the matter was considered over.

But if he went out with the army, he would feel as if his feet were tied up.
He wanted to win a hereditary thousand-householder title in the army, then lie down and live a peaceful life in Gyeongju from now on.

Now that he is going to war with Lan Yu's army, he is undecided whether to recognize this achievement or not.

It is said that Lan Yu liked to adopt sons. When they made contributions, he would be very happy.

With a sound of Gulala and a loud shout of "Be my son", he would be in big trouble.

At this moment, a series of heavy footsteps were heard outside the door.
With a slight cough, Lu Yunyi straightened his back as usual and quickly closed his legs.

"Open the door."

A powerful voice sounded, and Lu Yunyi calmed down his thoughts, slowly stood up, and tried to make his movements polite.

At the same time, my father's admonition rang in my mind: "When you walk, you must walk straight and steady, and don't walk too fast or jump too much."

With a creak, the door opened.

What caught my eye was a serious face, with a square shape, clear lines, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a beard that reached down to his belly, a typical handsome bearded man.

He was about 1.8 meters tall, wearing a Confucian robe, with his back straight, one hand behind his back, standing quietly in the same place. When he saw Lu Yunyi, his eyes were still calm, and he spoke lightly:
"came back?"

"Father, I just came back at noon."

"Yeah." Mr. Lu nodded slightly and walked into the room with steady, powerful steps and full of energy.

After he sat down, Lu Yunyi hurriedly poured him some tea and stood quietly by his side waiting for instructions.

Mr. Lu glanced at the teacup and the tea in it, gently put it to the tip of his nose and sniffed it, then took another sip, put the teacup down, and said:
"There are nine steps to making tea: heating the pot, placing the tea, warming the cup, high pouring, low brewing, dividing the tea, serving the tea, smelling the fragrance, and tasting the tea. As your father, I can only taste and smell the tea."

"It was my fault for my negligence. I will do it again next time." Lu Yunyi looked respectful.

The head of the Lu family said with a serious expression: "Since you were eight years old and started to learn literature, your father has always heard you say next time, but after next time, it is still next time. Before I knew it, it has been almost ten years."

"I have never seen you behave yourself."

"Life is short, and the joy lies in leisure. Father also did not want to be bound by the laws of the court, so he never became an official."

Lu Dangjia shook his head and said, "My father just failed the imperial examination, not that he won't be an official."

"But the candidates who passed the imperial examinations in the sixth year of Hongwu are also very important and can still ascend to high positions."

Lu Yunyi admired his father very much, at least he could not memorize the Four Books and Five Classics.

"As a teacher, I have devoted my whole life to enlightening the people. Since I cannot pass the imperial examination, teaching is also a good thing."

Lu Dangjia waved his hand, looked at Lu Yunyi, and a rare smile appeared on the corner of his mouth:
"Father has heard that you have made great contributions in the northern border and have been promoted to a centurion.
He can be considered a young hero, and his future achievements will surely surpass his father's.

I sent you to join the army at first because I saw that you had no literary talent and were outspoken.
It was not appropriate for you to be a trader, so I sent you to join the army. Now it seems that I did nothing wrong."

Mr. Lu's voice was steady and unhurried, but Lu Yunyi could still hear the satisfaction and pride in his words.

Lu Yunyi was a little unconvinced, thinking that his brain was still enough, so he said:
"Father, everyone in the army says that my son is extremely intelligent and smart."

"Well, you are naturally smart. I am just saying that you are outspoken.
Inappropriate words will offend people.

But sometimes, offending people is not because you said something wrong, but because you said something right, so you should be careful about what you say and do, and think more."

Lu Yunyi frowned, his face showing deep thought. This old scholar talked a lot today.

Mr. Lu picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, and continued:
"Also, you are not suited to being an official, but you are just right for being in the army and can make a difference.

My Great Ming has been established for 20 years. The country is becoming more and more powerful, and there are no more twists and turns in the army. It is a good time to join the army.
But you must remember that if you have made meritorious service in the army, you can continue to do so.
If you are old and still don't have a hereditary military position, you should get out of it as soon as possible to avoid burdening your descendants by following you into the military.
Not only is there no benefit, but you also have to be a military household for generations, which is not a good way to make a living."

"Father, do you think that the military system of the Ming Dynasty will be as corrupt as that of the previous dynasty?"

Lu Yunyi showed surprise, and once again confirmed that the ancients were not as stupid as pigs, but on the contrary very smart.

My father was a juren, and he could see that military households were not good people.

Those court ministers and those Jinshi scholars could naturally see it as well.

Head Lu sighed and lowered his voice: "This is extremely treasonous. It can only be said between you and me, father and son. It cannot be told to outsiders."

"The kid knows."

Mr. Lu looked thoughtful:

"This Qingzhou Wei cultivated land in peacetime and served in the army during wartime.

Although I don't know much about military affairs, I know that you can't chew too much.

Now we have to take care of both, and I am afraid that in the end we will not be able to grow crops well, and we will not be able to fight the war well.
Nowadays, those who join the army are either veterans who have fought for many years and have a lot of wealth.
If you are a good family man like you, and there is no food in the army, you can just go home to eat. Last year, there was a heavy snow and the harvest was poor, and many soldiers were like this."

Lu Yunyi looked solemn and nodded.

"Now that the country is newly established, there is a lot of work to be done. The current emperor has great talent and strategy, and he has swallowed up the world.

The imperial court had surplus food and the government was clean and honest, which was the only way to sustain the northern expedition.
I am afraid that after a hundred years, the government will be corrupt and the military system will be broken.
The war cannot be won, and there is not enough food.
Then this military household has become a hot potato that cannot be thrown away.
Now your joining the army is just a temporary solution. We can't just think about ourselves, we also have to consider our descendants.

It is good when the father is still alive, but if the father is gone,
If the Lu family wants to continue its inheritance, it depends on you. Either you make great contributions and seek a hereditary position,
If that fails, let your descendants take the imperial examination again, seek to become a juren, and get rid of the shackles of military households. Only in this way can you achieve long-term success.

Of course, your father will also leave the family tradition. With your father’s support for many years, it will not be difficult for you to take the imperial examination in Qingzhou.”

Lu Yunyi was a little dazed. He was only seventeen years old, but he had to think about things that would happen a hundred years later.

(End of this chapter)