Another month later, Shitou's second letter arrived.
Because of his effective combat against the Ma tribe, beheading several enemy soldiers, he was promoted to Platoon Commander.
A Rank 8a military officer, leading fifty soldiers.
The Marquis of Anping successfully found the main force of the Ma tribe before the rations and fodder were exhausted.
But he failed to annihilate them in one fell swoop, and the remaining few thousand remnant soldiers fled in all directions.
Considering the logistics of rations and fodder, plus the Ministry of War issuing several military orders in succession to withdraw troops quickly, they had no choice but to withdraw the army and return to the court.
The large army rested and reorganized along the way, marching slowly, and it might still take so days before they could return.
At the very latest, he would definitely arrive ho around the autumn harvest.
This letter made Qiaohua so happy that she cried.
Her man was finally coming back!
Although he might still leave in the future, they would at least be able to et once.
Ti passed day by day.
During the autumn harvest, Qiaohua would cut a few stalks of rice in the fields and then look up.
Shitou had said he would return before the autumn harvest, but now he still hadn't returned.
Until the New Year, heavy snow fell thick and fast.
Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu ca to the town, paid New Year's greetings to Zhang Sanchun and Lin Qiaoxi's family, and dropped by the Bai Family Old Shop to buy wine.
Entering the shop, a man in his twenties wearing a thick gray padded jacket hurriedly ca forward to greet them.
"Master Chu, the usual?"
Chu Xun nodded. The Yu Nian Brew here tasted very good, having the most llow wine aroma within a hundred miles.
He had bought wine at the Bai Family Old Shop for over twenty years and was already as familiar with them as could be.
The man hurriedly took a wine jar to fetch the wine. A little girl of five or six, with her hair in pigtails and wearing a bright red padded jacket, looked at Chu Xun curiously.
Chu Xun t her gaze, and the little girl suddenly said, "I know who you are. Grandpa said that the person with very, very bright eyes, who looks very smart, is Master Chu."
Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu both laughed upon hearing this. Zhang Anxiu took out two mace of silver from her pocket, went over, and stuffed it into the little girl's hand.
She took the opportunity to pat her head, "This child is really well-behaved."
The man chuckled, "This is my daughter Shuyu. I don't take her out much. eting Master Chu and Madam today can be considered her blessing. Hurry up and kowtow to Master Chu and Madam."
The little girl didn't say a second word, knelt down and kowtowed.
Zhang Anxiu hurriedly helped the girl up. Chu Xun glanced into the room and asked with so confusion, "Why don't I see your father?"
In the past, upon hearing Chu Xun's voice, the shopkeeper would have long co out to strike up a conversation.
Hearing Chu Xun's question, the man's movents paused, and then his eyes dimd slightly as he said, "My father caught a cold last month and couldn't be cured."
Chu Xun was stunned for a mont. When he first ca to the Bai Family Old Shop to buy wine, it was Old Man Bai who managed it.
A few years later, the old man took a fall, hit his head, and passed away.
Then it was the father of the man in front of him, Bai Tieshan, who took over.
That was a very sturdy man, like an iron tower.
Chu Xun was about the sa age as him, and never expected that a minor cold would actually take a person's life.
The young man nad Bai Min'an walked over holding the wine jar.
Chu Xun took the wine jar and sighed, "My condolences. If I had known Shopkeeper Bai had passed, I should have made a trip."
"I thank you on behalf of my father for Master Chu's kind intentions." Bai Min'an piled a smile on his face, "Starting from my grandfather, you have been buying wine at our shop, and it's already the third generation reaching ."
"Master Chu and Madam must take good care of your health. In the future, my son and grandson will still have to fetch wine for you."
Chu Xun nodded, patted his shoulder, and turned to leave with Zhang Anxiu.
The little girl, clutching the silver Zhang Anxiu gave her, suddenly looked up and asked, "Dad, can't I fetch wine for Master Chu?"
Bai Min'an laughed at the question, "Of course you can, when you grow up."
On the way, Zhang Anxiu sighed, "I didn't expect Shopkeeper Bai to be gone at such a young age."
Chu Xun, holding the wine jar, turned his head to look. Zhang Anxiu's head was already covered with white snow, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes were becoming more and more obvious.
His heart felt heavy, and he said, "So you have to be well and live a few more years."
These words sounded a bit strange. Zhang Anxiu looked at him, still pouting like before, and said, "You say it as if you don't need to. We both have to strive to live to a hundred years old!"
As the two walked, they suddenly heard soone discussing in their ears, "Have you heard? The Marquis of Anping's ho was raided and his property confiscated!"
"The Marquis of Anping? Real or fake? Didn't they say he repelled the enemy in Mobei and made a great contribution?"
"Of course it's true. My biological uncle's second cousin's little nephew's neighbor has a brother-in-law who is a jailer in the Ministry of Justice. It's absolutely true!"
Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu listened in astonishnt. They looked at each other, only feeling that this year's winter was unusually cold.
The New Year had just passed.
The thirty-sixth year of the Kingdom of Jing.
The whole street was spreading the news.
The Marquis of Anping, who had repelled the Ma tribe and established illustrious military exploits, had his ho raided and property confiscated by the Imperial Guards carrying an imperial edict on the second day after returning to the court.
Arrested at the sa ti were two Dukes and over a dozen Marquises.
As for the nobles of the Earl, Viscount, and Baron ranks, there were even more.
It was said that the reason these high officials and noble lords were arrested this ti was because the roving bandits causing chaos everywhere had incurred the Emperor's wrath.
After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that these nobles intended to rebel, plus they took bribes and bent the law, shaking the foundation of the state.
The farmland under the na of the Marquis of Anping alone amounted to a thousand qing.
Gold, silver, and various rare treasures were countless.
Inside and outside the capital city, he had over a hundred mansions and kept over a hundred concubines.
In less than five days, this Marquis who had just made a great contribution had his entire family executed by the Emperor.
Many military generals who returned from Mobei were also implicated in this.
Chu Xun wrote a letter entrusting Tang Shijun to help inquire about it. Only then did he know that the reason Shitou couldn't return was because the main camp he was in was locked down, and anyone with abnormal movents was executed on charges of treason.
Chu Xun had already anticipated before that the Emperor was old, and it was ti to kill people.
But he didn't expect it to co so fast and so ruthlessly.
Dukes and Marquises, those were all important figures whose nas were only heard but whose persons were never seen, standing in the deepest parts of the imperial court.
Lin Xianzong, who implicated the Lin family in being executed to the ninth kinship, was only a Rank 3 Vice Minister.
But in the face of heavenly majesty, they were no different from ants.
Those founding ritorious officials all had overwhelming power and influence.
Especially the military generals, many had extrely high prestige in the army, and there was even a saying of listening to the general's orders but not the Emperor's orders.
If they weren't killed, the succeeding Emperor might not necessarily be able to suppress them.
Since ancient tis, among the first batch of civil officials and military generals when a new dynasty was established, there were almost very few who could have a good end.
The higher the position one sat in, the easier it was to die.
After Qiaohua learned the news, she cried incredibly miserably.
But no one had any solution. The only thing they could do now was wait.
Year after year passed, and Shitou seed to have evaporated from the face of the earth.
Only news occasionally ca back from the outside, saying who the Emperor arrested today, and who he arrested tomorrow.
One civil official and military general after another was arrested and beheaded for various cris.
In just three short years, four Dukes and over twenty Marquises died, and other nobles were countless.
In the imperial court, everyone was in a state of anxiety.
In the countryside, however, people listened with great relish.
So even high officials could die. Didn't they say the Emperor bestowed death-exemption gold dals?
Why did they still die?
Even Chu Xun clicked his tongue upon hearing this. He anticipated the Emperor was a ruthless person, but didn't expect him to be this ruthless.
The good news was that because these cases implicated too many people, the Lord Prefect of Mingxiu Prefecture, one of the Upper Prefectures, also had his head chopped off.
Tang Shijun, who brought Fenggu City from a Lower Prefecture to a Middle Prefecture, was transferred to Mingxiu Prefecture before the New Year, reaching the rank of Rank 3.
Zheng Xiuwen was subsequently transferred to Fenggu City to serve as the Rank 5 Sub-Prefect, and Assistant County Magistrate Li Zhaoming justifiably took over the position of County Magistrate.
This year, Huan'er went to the examination hall in Mingxiu Prefecture to participate in the autumn provincial examination.
Over a month later, news ca back.
This year's First Place in the Provincial Examination, Zhangnan County, Zhang Jingheng!
At the sa ti, Chu Xun stood in the courtyard, looking at the youth kneeling and bowing to him outside the courtyard.
After three resounding kowtows, the youth stood up and respectfully said to Chu Xun, "Although I studied by auditing at the public school, it was Master Chu who enlightened my wisdom first. Please allow this student to call you."
"Teacher!"
This youth who had just passed the child examination was nad Ah Qiao.
His father was Chu Xun's tenant farr.
[End of Chapter]
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