Chapter 548: A Letter from Home Worth a Thousand Golds

Chapter 548: A Letter from Home Worth a Thousand Golds

Chapter 548: A Letter from Home Worth a Thousand Golds
After Liu Heiying left, although Lu Yunyi was exhausted, he did not go to rest immediately.

Instead, he walked towards the study, holding four letters sent from home.

He placed the four letters neatly on the table, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Lu Yunyi stood up and washed his face, then washed his hands carefully.

After his skin felt refreshed again, he slowly walked to the desk and sat down.

Taking a deep breath, Lu Yunyi opened the letter from his father.

When his eyes fell upon the contents of the letter, he seemed to be frozen in place.

The powerful and familiar handwriting came into view.

Compared with the previous hardness, it is now a little softer.

From the handwriting, he seemed to be able to feel his father's hesitation when writing the letter, as well as the deep longing in his heart.

[My son Yun Yi, seeing your letter is like meeting you in person.]

Everything was going well in Gyeongju, the harvest from the fields was quite good, and the same was true at home.

As your father, I know that you have many affairs to attend to in the capital, but the way to be an official is to
Loyalty to the emperor and love for the people should be the foundation, and there should be no slackness in the slightest.

The situation in the court is unpredictable, so you must act with caution and think before taking action.

If you have free time, you can write to report your safety often. Everyone in your family hopes that everything goes well for you.

]
The letter was short, but Lu Yunyi read it over and over again for a long time.

He read it word by word, as if he saw his father hesitating and weighing his words at the table.

The thin paper carries the heavy thoughts of the family.

A warm feeling surged in Lu Yunyi's heart, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.

Then he opened the letter from his mother.

My mother's handwriting is beautiful and gentle, but there are many pauses in the writing, and slight wrinkles can be vaguely seen on the paper where the tears have dried.

[Yier, mother misses you very much.

When you are in Beijing, please be sure to stay cool and avoid getting heatstroke.

I've heard that the capital city is prosperous, but it also hides many troubles. When you act outside, you must not be rash or impulsive.

Everything is fine at home, you don't have to worry.

Your mother has sewed some clothes for you, so you can wear them when you return home.

I hope you will come back soon so that I can see you with my own eyes.

]
Lu Yunyi was distracted for a moment, his thoughts drifting away.

My mother's loving face appeared clearly in my mind.

Then he opened the letter from his wife.

[My dear, ever since you left home for the capital, I have been worried about you day and night.

I take care of all the affairs at home carefully and dare not neglect even the slightest bit.

I just hope my husband is well in Beijing.

Whenever it is late at night and everyone is asleep, I often pray to the moon, praying that my husband will be safe, happy, and free from disasters.

The flowers at home have bloomed twice. They are so gorgeous and beautiful. It’s a pity that my husband didn’t see them with his own eyes.

I plan to prepare some flower seeds that bloom in both winter and summer.
In this way, no matter when her husband returns, he can see the fragrance of the garden.

]
Lu Yunyi couldn't help but laugh.
When she was in school, Wanyi loved to plant flowers and plants everywhere.

Finally, Lu Yunyi opened Qiu He's letter.

[Master, Qiu He is doing well in the mansion.

I sweep the yard and tidy the study every day, hoping that when the young master returns, he will find the house still tidy.

Hearing that the young master was going to the capital after the war, Qiu He was happy for him, but also a little worried.

Young Master, please take good care of yourself when you are outside.

Although Qiu He is of humble status, she always prays for the young master, wishing him success and peace.

I just hope that the young master will return home soon, so that Qiu He can continue to serve him.]
Looking at the letter, Lu Yunyi showed a faint smile.

In the past, Qiu He's calligraphy and his own were like the dragon and phoenix of Qingzhou.

I haven't seen it for two years, and it has made great progress. Although it is still a little crooked, it has become more delicate.

After reading these four letters, Lu Yunyi was speechless for a long time.

Leaning back in the chair, his mind was filled with thoughts, and his eyes gradually became empty.

He traveled extensively and had a large mansion in the capital.

But at this moment, I feel that all of this cannot compare to the warm little home outside the Great Wall.

After an unknown amount of time, Mu Chuting tiptoed to the door.
Seeing that her husband was still sitting there with a blank look in his eyes, she lightened her steps and walked in slowly.

However, Lu Yunyi still cast his gaze immediately:

"Madam, are you going to be a thief? Why are you so cautious?"

Mu Chuting was amused, rolled her eyes at him, and walked slowly to the table.

Looking at the four letters spread out on the table, he pursed his lips slightly, with an embarrassed look on his face:
"My dear, you and I have been married for a long time.

But I have never met my parents-in-law, which makes me feel a little uneasy."

There are many people in the capital who spread all kinds of rumors.

The most common rumors were about the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in wealthy families, which made her feel uneasy.

Lu Yunyi chuckled:
"Don't worry, my father and mother are willing to give up the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty and go to this bitter cold place.

Their minds have long transcended the mundane world, so there won’t be any problems.”

After listening to this, Mu Chuting thought about it carefully and felt that what her husband said made sense.

But then, she showed some worry:

"What about sister?"

"Wanyi doesn't need to worry anymore.

She and I grew up together and went to the same school.
She is very warm and kind, and she won’t make things difficult for you.”

After hearing these words, Mu Chuting's worries were finally alleviated a lot.
He breathed a sigh of relief and a smile appeared on his face:

"In this case, I am relieved.

My husband, please rest assured. I understand that a harmonious family brings prosperity, and I will not argue with my father-in-law, mother-in-law, or sister."

Hearing her say this, Lu Yunyi was filled with emotion:
"Strangely enough, thanks to the harmony in my family,

Otherwise, it would be difficult for me to reach this point today."

Mu Chuting smiled gently, and the faint sadness that had filled the room dissipated.

She walked behind Lu Yunyi, gently massaged his shoulders, and asked softly:
"Husband, when will we leave the capital?"

"Leave Beijing."

When mentioning this, Lu Yunyi's eyes became a little vague and he fell into deep thought:
“It should be at the end of the year, and we will set out with the Northern Expedition Army.

Of course, before that, I have to hand over all the business affairs to my father-in-law so that I can leave with peace of mind.

If possible, we should push forward the water control work thoroughly.
At least a permanent solution should be implemented.

After completing these two tasks, we can leave Beijing with peace of mind.”

"My dear husband, are you really willing to give up the prosperity of the capital?"

Mu Chuting was a little surprised to see his determined expression.

“The prosperity of the capital city is indeed desirable, but behind this prosperity are countless corpses.

You may be enjoying great success today, but may become a dead bone in a grave tomorrow. It is too dangerous to stay here.

Moreover, most of the senior officials in the court today have experience in governing a region.

Grasping war in one hand and government affairs in the other, this is the fundamental reason why a military general can become a core figure.

Now my husband has only one lame leg, and staying in the capital will be disadvantageous to his future development."

After hearing this, Mu Chuting comforted him:
“My husband is still young and has a long way to go in the future. It is a good thing for him to walk more steadily.

The book says, 'Be firm in your determination, not sharp in your ambition; success comes from persistence, not speed.'"

Lu Yunyi nodded, held the hand she extended to him, and pulled her into his arms.

Mu Chuting's face flushed instantly. She looked at the open door and muttered softly:

"Husband, it's still daytime."

"Do you know what method Doctor Zhu said to cure the disease?"

A trace of doubt flashed across Mu Chuting's eyes: "What is it?"

Lu Yunyi leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Mu Chuting sat up straight suddenly, her face full of shock, her fair cheeks quickly turned red.
The cold face suddenly became obedient and said:
"Since it's for medical treatment, that makes sense."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Lu Yunyi laughed, picked her up and walked towards the back hall.

Jiangning County, Yingtian Prefecture, South Zhili! Jiangning County is located in the south of Yingtian Prefecture. Its terrain is high in the north and south and low in the middle, like a "saddle".

However, along the river, there is a vast plain.

As the last county town before entering Yingtian Capital,
Jiangning's commercial prosperity reached its peak.

There are many docks densely distributed along the Huai River and the riverside.

There was a constant stream of people coming and going on the pier.

The official road from Jiangning to Yingtian City was built very wide.
It was so spacious that it could even accommodate nearly twenty carriages running side by side.

Even so, in spring and summer, when business is at its peak,
This official road is still often congested.

This is especially true today!
The wide official road was densely packed with troops.

In order to facilitate passage, the entire army was compressed on the left side of the road, occupying half of the space.
The other half was left for the common people and merchants.

It is also for this reason that the army returning from the southern expedition stretched for dozens of miles and was so mighty.

If you look down from the air, you can see a long, winding, ochre-colored dragon with no end in sight. The scene is extremely spectacular.

Front Army Position,

Fu Youde was wearing armor, his old body swaying slightly on his warhorse, but he still looked energetic.

However, the fatigue between his brows and the dry and yellow skin revealed his inner fatigue.

At this moment, he was holding the telescope to his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

Some generals beside him also held telescopes.
Looking towards a fork in the road that branched off from the official road not far away.

"Which road is that?"

Fu Youde asked softly, his voice was very hoarse, as if there was a mouthful of pus and phlegm stuck in his throat.

"Reporting to the Duke, that is the rural road leading to Shili Village."

Someone beside him hurriedly took out a map to check it, and reported back after a moment.

"Country road?"

Fu Youde didn't really care what the specific road was.

His eyes were fixed on a strange object with three wheels.

It looks like a car.

The truck was piled high with cargo, taller than the people.

The goods are tied up with three layers of ropes inside and outside to secure them firmly.

In the front of the car, a man in clerk's clothes was controlling it and seemed to be stepping hard on something.

At the back of the car was a young man who had lost an arm.
He was also wearing clerk's uniform and was pushing the cart by leaning sideways.

Far behind them, there were some ragged civilians.

Staring blankly at them leaving,

He waved his arms from time to time, his eyes full of anticipation.

A general in the front army held a telescope,

Although the view is not as clear as a telescope, it can still give a general idea of ​​the situation.

He looked at the cart not far away that was being dragged forward by soldiers with great effort.
Then he glanced at the two people and the strange car on the country road in the distance.
An indescribable sense of absurdity surged in my heart.

"Sir, how come this cart can move without a horse? And it can hold so many things!"

The cart not far away needs to be pulled by mules and horses.
Only with the help of a soldier in front and behind could they move slowly on the official road.

The two men on the country road were carrying more cargo than the cart and were moving faster than the cart.
And it's on a relatively rugged road like a country road.
These words ignited the curiosity of the former army generals.
They all cried out in surprise, and some generals even pinched themselves hard to make sure they were not dreaming.

Fu Youde was also very surprised, his brows were furrowed and his face was full of confusion.

Next, something even more unexpected happened!

After climbing the last slope of the country road, the strange car drove onto the official road.

As soon as it entered the official road, the car's speed suddenly increased.

The disabled soldier pushing the cart at the back took a quick step forward.
He jumped out from behind the car and sat directly on the side of it.

This scene made many people widen their eyes and exclaim:
"what?"

Seeing them walking faster and faster, gradually becoming smaller in everyone's sight,

Fu Youde finally reacted and quickly ordered:
"Go, stop them!"

A quarter of an hour later, Fu Youde dismounted from his horse and walked forward quickly.

Many former military generals and even many military staff officers also hurried over.

They all wanted to see with their own eyes what it was.
It’s actually more convenient than a mule or horse cart!
On an open space ahead, Xu Ruichuan, a small flagman of the front army scout unit, and Miao Panshan, an official from the Beijing government, stood trembling beside a tricycle, looking at a group of people approaching.

Xu Ruichuan, who came from the military, remained calm.

He stretched out a hand and held the goods on the tricycle to prevent them from falling.

"Old Xu, who are these people? Why do they look so ferocious?"

Miao Panshan is not yet thirty years old, but his dark skin makes him look a little old.

He was feeling uneasy at this moment and asked in a low voice.

Although during this period some people and officials often stopped them and asked about the tricycles,
But in the end, I never encountered any soldiers.

Xu Ruichuan didn't know how to answer, so he could only purse his lips and remind him:
"Say what you should say, and don't say what you shouldn't say."

"it is good"

Soon, a group of people came closer.

Fu Youde waved his hand, and a guard stepped forward without further ado.

He took out the token from his pocket, showed it to them, and said loudly:

"This is Fu Youde, the founding minister, loyal and devoted military official, Zuo Zhuguo, Guanglu Dafu, Zhengnan General, and Duke of Ying.

What army are you from? Come here and kneel down to pay your respects!"

With a "click", the whip in Miao Panshan's hand fell quietly to the ground.

The whole person stood there in a daze, at a loss as to what to do.

Even Xu Ruichuan, who had remained somewhat calm before, suddenly became dull in expression.

He reacted quickly and let go of the tricycle.
He fell to his knees with a plop and pulled Miao Panshan who was beside him.

At this time, Miao Panshan came back to his senses, and quickly knelt down, shouting with Xu Ruichuan:
"Meet Duke Ying."

Xu Ruichuan spoke first:
"Reporting to Duke Ying, I am Xu Ruichuan, a small flagman of the scout department of the front army of the Beijing Army. I am currently working at Yingtian Trading Company."

Front Army Scouting Department? Yingtian Trading Company?
A hint of surprise flashed across Fu Youde's eyes, and he took a step forward:
"Get up."

The two men slowly stood up and stood aside tremblingly.

Fu Youde walked to the tricycle and looked around it carefully.
The brows are sometimes furrowed and sometimes relaxed.

Finally, he even squatted down and checked under the car.

Then, a hint of doubt appeared in his eyes.

What on earth is this?
The vehicle in front of me is simple but ingenious in structure, somewhat similar to a horse-drawn carriage.
It doesn't look particularly heavy.
But how can only two people pull such heavy cargo?

Fu Youde looked at the goods in the car.
Most of them are fruits and vegetables, packed in large boxes.

He even saw two big roosters hanging on the rear of the car, staring at him intently.

Several adjutants nearby could no longer suppress their curiosity and looked around the car, gasping from time to time.

A big question mark popped up in their minds, and they had the same doubts in their hearts.

Finally, Miao Panshan, a clerk in the capital who was used to seeing high-ranking officials, explained softly:

“Reporting to Duke Ying and all the gentlemen, this thing is called a tricycle, and it is a new tool developed by the Ministry of Industry.

We were ordered to ride tricycles to various counties in the capital to purchase goods.
Then the goods will be transported to Yingtian Trading Company for sale.”

Fu Youde put away the kindness on his face, and his expression became as solemn as winter:
"Is this thing used for business?"

When these words were spoken, everyone present found them very absurd, and some even couldn't help but curse.

“What do these officials from the Ministry of Industry do all day?
How can such a good thing be used for this! "

"I don't know what the Governor's Office is doing. How can we let them do this?"

Seeing that the people were cursing more and more fiercely, and even saying things like "sitting in office and doing nothing",

Xu Ruichuan then spoke tremblingly:
"Duke Ying, my Lords, these tricycles are equipped with bicycles, and they are all military equipment.

Now they are used in the business, approved by His Majesty and His Royal Highness, and are hereby tested."

"ordnance?"

Fu Youde's expression finally eased a little.

He could see that the object before him was extraordinary, and everyone in the Governor's Mansion could sense it as well.

Fu Youde looked at the two of them, with a kind smile on his face:

"Bring your goods and tell me in detail what is going on."

(End of this chapter)