The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0616 Letter Home (2)

In the evening, Fu Tianlei returned home. It was the New Year, and since there were no urgent matters at the military camp, it wouldnʼt have been right for him not to spend the holiday at home.

The first thing Fu Tianlei did was to visit Chen Shi. When he saw her pale face and pregnant belly, his expression softened. ”Did the child behave well today?”

Chen Shi gently stroked her belly and said, ”The baby has behaved very well these days!” This child was her only hope, so she was always cautious.

Fu Tianlei nodded. ”Thatʼs good.” There was a time when they had endless things to talk about, but now there was nothing left to discuss except the child and household matters.

After some hesitation, Chen Shi said, ”Husband, Father-in-law came by this morning and spoke to me.” Old General Fu had urged her to persuade Fu Tianlei to swear allegiance to the Imperial Court instead of serving Yun Qing. Since he couldnʼt convince Fu Tianlei himself, he placed his hopes on Chen Shi. If their relationship had been as strong as it had been, she would have tried to persuade him. After all, there was no future in rebellion. But now that their marriage was in ruins, if it werenʼt for the child she was carrying, her husband probably wouldnʼt even set foot in the main courtyard. So she hesitated to bring up the matter.

Fu Tianleiʼs face showed a hint of irritation. ”I know what Iʼm doing. Donʼt interfere—just focus on your pregnancy.”

Chen Shiʼs eyes reddened. ”Husband, Father-in-law is right. What good has rebellion ever brought? Please, for me and the child, think carefully about what he said.”

Frustration welled up inside Fu Tianlei. ”What do you know?” He wouldnʼt have chosen this path if he hadnʼt been left with no choice.

Tears streamed down Chen Shiʼs face. ”Husband, I know you must have your reasons. But we are a family—we should face difficulties together.” After eight years of marriage, she understood his character well. She suspected Yun Qing had something on him that forced him into this situation. Otherwise, her husband would never rebel willingly.

Fu Tianlei stood up. ”Donʼt worry about outside affairs—just take care of yourself. I have other things to do. Iʼll visit you later if thereʼs time.” He told no one about Fu Qingluoʼs matter, including Old General Fu and Chen Shi.

Chen Shi wiped away her tears and turned to Mama He. ”Tell me, what kind of leverage does Yun Qing have over my husband to make him so utterly devoted?”

Mama He shook her head. ”Madam, listen to this servantʼs advice—just focus on your pregnancy and stay out of this.”

Chen Shi didnʼt want to get involved either, but she couldnʼt help worrying. ”But Father-in-law isnʼt wrong. How many rebellions have ever succeeded? Not only does the leader perish, but his family and clan will suffer as well.”

Mama He scoffed. ”Madam, I wonʼt even talk about how the Old Master has treated you in the past. Just look at what he did today—if he had even a shred of conscience, he wouldnʼt have brought this up with you. What if the stress caused complications with your pregnancy? The consequences would be unimaginable.” She loathed Old Master Fu. He was largely responsible for the rift between Madam and the General. Now, he had come to warn her of the risks of extermination if the General didnʼt submit to the Imperial Court while disregarding Madamʼs delicate condition. If Madam hadnʼt put her unborn child first, she might have been frightened into premature labour.

Chen Shi didnʼt like her father-in-law either, but fair was fair. ”I truly am worried. Even if Yun Qingʼs rebellion succeeds, what will my husband gain from it?” The answer was clear—nothing at all.

Mama He voiced, ”Madam, you think the General was forced to rebel because Yun Qing has leverage over him? But I donʼt think thatʼs the case. No matter how serious the leverage, it wouldnʼt be enough to make the General commit treason.” She paused momentarily, then lowered her voice and continued, ”General Yun has sent back one million taels of silver to pay off all the arrears of military salaries owed by the Imperial Court. Not only that but the compensation for fallen soldiers that the Imperial Court has been withholding for years has also been distributed. Now, in Yu City, both soldiers and civilians alike are praising General Yun.”

Being a soldier, especially in Yu City, was like having oneʼs head tucked into oneʼs belt. Yet the Imperial Court not only withheld their wages but also refused to provide them with new weapons and equipment, showing complete disregard for their lives. After enduring this neglect for so long, the soldiers had already lost faith in the Imperial Court. That was why most of them followed Yun Qing into rebellion without hesitation—because they believed in him. They believed that once the rebellion succeeded, they would finally have a better life. Yun Qingʼs actions proved that their trust was not misplaced. When Yun Qing confiscated gold and silver, his priority was to distribute overdue wages and compensation.

This move also strengthened the resolve of those who had been hesitant. Whether they served the Imperial Court or Yun Qing, they were still risking their lives. Given the choice, why not follow Yun Qing? After all, he really cared about them and could offer them a future.

Chen Shi looked at Mama He and asked, ”Do you also think Yun Qing will succeed in his rebellion?”

Mama He replied, ”The soldiers of Yu City wholeheartedly support Yun Qing. If our General were to defect to the Imperial Court now, Madam, have you considered the consequences?” Her son was in the army, and when he came home yesterday, he excitedly told her that they had not only received their wages, but Yun Qing was also planning to provide all the soldiers with new weapons and equipment. Better weapons meant a higher chance of survival on the battlefield. As a mother, she naturally supported Yun Qingʼs side.

Seeing Chen Shiʼs hesitation, Mama He added, ”Madam, stop worrying about this. Honestly, even if you did worry, it wouldnʼt change anything.” Instead of worrying about things beyond her control, Madam should concentrate on taking care of herself and the child in her womb.

Chen Shi let out a long sigh. ”Youʼre right. Thereʼs nothing I can do about it. I should leave it to the General.” Matters of war and politics were beyond her understanding, so it was better to stay out of them. For now, her priority was to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

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That night, the New Yearʼs Eve feast at the Yun residence was as lavish as the previous yearʼs, showing no signs of restraint despite Yun Qingʼs absence.

Looking at the table filled with delicious dishes, Xu Daniu rubbed his hands together with a grin. ”I was already satisfied just by thinking about having Mama Baiʼs lamb dumplings tonight.”

Xu Wu chuckled. ”Madam said everyone should have a joyful New Year.” In previous years, they would have had wine for the feast, but given the current situation, alcohol was off the table. After dinner, there was still work to be done.

As Yuxi was still in confinement, her meals were kept light. But because she didnʼt breastfeed, her food was at least seasoned with salt. Yuxi recalled that when she gave birth to Zaozao, she had to go a whole month without salt because she was breastfeeding—no matter how good the food was, it was hard for her to enjoy it.

After dinner, Yuxi played with Zaozao. The child had an exceptionally good temperament—she never fussed about who held her and always smiled. Her laughter was infectious, lifting everyoneʼs spirits. Sure enough, as soon as Yuxi teased her, Zaozao burst into giggles.

Just then, Mama Qu entered from outside and said, ”Madam, the Old Master would like to see the Eldest Young Miss. He asked if I could bring her over.”

Yuxi refused. ”Itʼs already late, and itʼs too cold outside. It wouldnʼt be good for the child to be taken out at night. Tell the Old Master I will have someone bring Zaozao over to see him in the morning.” She was worried about how much Huo Changqing doted on Zaozao. It wasnʼt a problem now, but as the child grew older, excessive spoiling could make discipline difficult.

Mama Qu actually agreed with Yuxi. To take a baby out in this freezing weather was to risk her catching a cold, which would only cause everyone distress. ”Understood, Iʼll inform the Old Master.”

Huo Changqing was a little displeased. He felt that as long as the baby was wrapped properly, there was no real risk of her catching a cold. ”Then bring her over in the morning.”

When Xu Wu saw Huo Changqingʼs unhappy expression, he assumed Huo Changqing was worried about Yun Qing. ”Yifu, donʼt worry. The General will be fine.”

Huo Changqing glanced at Xu Wu and said, ”Zaozao has rarely been brought to the front courtyard lately.” These days, every time he wanted to see her, he had to ask someone to fetch her from the back courtyard. It wasnʼt like before when Han Shi would bring the child over on her own initiative.

Xu Wu didnʼt think much of it and replied, ”With the General away, itʼs only natural that Madam keeps Zaozao in the back courtyard more often.” Zaozao was everyoneʼs little joy, and many people missed her. Even Xu Daniu often mentioned her. Xu Wu himself missed her too, but at least he could go to the back courtyard to see her once in a while.

Huo Changqing shook his head. ”No, I have a feeling that Iʼll be seeing less and less of Zaozao from now on.”

Xu Wu was momentarily stunned but then laughed. ”Yifu, the General mentioned before that Madam plans to start Zaozaoʼs education when she turns three. After that, she may have fewer opportunities to come to the front courtyard. But if you want to see her, youʼll still be able to do so every day.”

Huo Changqing didnʼt respond, but his expression darkened.

Sensing the change in Huo Changqingʼs mood, Xu Wu quickly changed the subject. ”Yifu, about the Generalʼs letter to Madam—Mama Qu, she told me that it only contained six words: ʼEverything is fine, donʼt worry.ʼ”

Huo Changqing frowned. ”Only six words?” Yun Qing also wrote to him, but his letter filled three pages. Of course, it was all about official matters—there wasnʼt a single personal word.

Xu Wu nodded. ”Yes, only six words. Mama Qu told me personally, so thereʼs no mistake. Yifu, you should have seen Madamʼs reaction—she was furious! Honestly, anyone would be upset. Madamʼs letter to the General was so thick it could barely fit in an envelope, yet he only replied with six words. The contrast is just too much! If I didnʼt know how much they love each other, I would think the General couldnʼt be bothered to write back.”

Huo Changqing sighed. ”He probably had too much to say and didnʼt know where to start, so he just wrote those six words.”

Xu Wu laughed. ”Even if he didnʼt know what to say, he could at least have asked about Madamʼs health or how Zaozao and Li-er were doing. But no, he didnʼt ask about any of them. The fact that Madam only sulked and didnʼt get angry showed her good temper.” Or rather, it showed her patience and self-control.

Huo Changqing shook his head and fell silent. He could only sigh—Yun Qing was genuinely clueless when it came to such things.