Chapter 613 Bai family visits relatives!

Bai Yuanyuan said indifferently to her father's kindness:

“Dad, just drink it without worry! This wine is a gift given to the Marshal by Li Tuo when he was hired as the dean of Yijing Medical College. There are many more sent along with it…”

"Before, because the first lady was ill, my husband gave her two jars of medicinal wine. After drinking one jar, the first lady gradually recovered, so there was one jar left! Before, I gave half of the ginseng that my eldest brother sent to the first lady, so this time when I went home, she specifically asked me to give you this jar of medicinal wine!"

At this point, Bai Yuanyuan continued with a hint of complaint in her tone:
"Dad, just tell me if you have anything to say. If the first lady hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you were going to see Doctor Sun!"

After hearing that this was An Miaoyi's return gift, Bai Wanhao refused for a while and then gave up insisting on accepting the bottle of medicinal wine.

After giving the gift to her father, Bai Yuanyuan did not forget her two sisters-in-law. She took out some silk brocade produced by the Second Manufacturing Bureau and gave them to them. Both Cui and Hu were overjoyed at Bai Yuanyuan's gift.

Under the guiding principle proposed by Marshal Ye that science and technology are the primary productive forces, the Second Manufacturing Bureau greatly increased the enthusiasm of these craftsmen for innovation by improving the social status of technical workers and offering substantial silver rewards, encouraging them to work hard to develop new technologies. Under such conditions, the silk brocade produced by the Second Manufacturing Bureau is of better quality, more durable, and more colorful.

Therefore, although the price was more than 50% higher than before, there was still no demand. Dadongsheng Company sold as many as it could, and even many dignitaries in Yijing began to make reservations in advance through various relationships. Even with the relationship of the Bai family, the sisters-in-law Cui and Hu could only grab one horse each...
Cui and Hu, who had been very polite to Bai Yuanyuan to begin with, became even more enthusiastic towards Bai Yuanyuan after receiving the gifts. Their various inquiries about her well-being made Bai Yuanyuan even begin to feel a little embarrassed. After having a very amicable lunch at noon.

Bai Wanhao found his daughter in his study and said seriously:
"Are you taking a risk this time?"

Bai Yuanyuan stroked her belly and said confidently:

"How do you know if you don't try? Don't worry, Dad. I know what I'm doing!"

Feeling his daughter's attitude, Bai Wanhao looked somewhat helpless. He had spoiled this precious daughter since she was a child, making Bai Yuanyuan very willful and letting her do whatever she wanted. This would be fine if it happened in an ordinary family, but now Bai Yuanyuan was serving Marshal Ye, and this was a matter concerning the family's prosperity and decline, honor and disgrace for the next few decades!

Seeing that her father wanted to say something, Bai Yuanyuan interrupted him and said:

"Dad, Master Huiru from Baiyun Temple has examined me and said that the baby in my belly must be a boy. She also said that he will be able to become a great general in charge of a region like his father, and even have the appearance of a real dragon!"

At the end of the speech, Bai Yuanyuan unconsciously smiled, her eyes full of longing················

Seeing this, Bai Wanhao frowned slightly and advised:

"Hui Ru from Baiyun Temple is not a good person. Yuanyuan, don't get too involved with him. Now that the Zhou Dynasty is in decline, families like the Murong family have come to the Fengwu Army to place bets. This is enough to show how the Great Zhou Dynasty is deteriorating!"

"The Fengwu Army is now at its peak and will soon take over Hebei and Henan. Marshal Ye is so young, he may be able to ascend to the throne one day. In the harem, the most taboo thing is witchcraft. My girl, you must not give others a handle!"

"Moreover, judging from Marshal Ye's style of doing things, he has no interest in Buddhism. The abbots of the temples in Yijing all wanted to use the relationship with Ye Cui to expand the temples and ask for more incense, but they were all rejected by Marshal Ye.

"And your second brother said last time that all these temples are big landlords, and they even have a lot of businesses that evade taxes and save a lot of money. The governor has been secretly trying to figure out their details recently. Marshal Ye might take action against them at any time. My daughter, you have always been smart, so don't be confused at this time!"

Hearing her father's serious tone, Bai Yuanyuan nodded seriously and said:

"Dad, I understand! I will cut off contact with them!"

Bai Wanhao felt relieved after getting Bai Yuanyuan's affirmative answer. After hesitating for a while, he spoke:
"Your elder brother Changrong is now serving as the general of Dongning. Yuanyuan, if you have the chance, tell the commander-in-chief and ask him to transfer your elder brother to the front line!"

When Bai Yuanyuan heard this, she was immediately surprised and said:
“Dad, you want brother to go to the battlefield? There are swords and sabers on the battlefield. What if brother gets hurt? Isn’t brother doing a good job as the general of Dongning…”

Feeling his daughter's confusion, Bai Wanhao explained carefully:

"Your eldest brother is different from your second brother. Your second brother Changjiu is a civil official who can follow the routine in the rear, but your eldest brother Changrong is a military commander. As a military commander, there is no better choice for promotion than to go to the battlefield. What's the point of hiding in Dongning and being a general?"

Hearing what her father said, Bai Yuanyuan still had a deep brother-sister relationship with him, and said worriedly:

"But going to the battlefield is too dangerous!"

Bai Wanhao said helplessly:
"Don't worry, my daughter. Dad knows everything about this matter. Your elder brother holds a high rank in the Fengwu Army. If he goes to the front line, he will be at least a deputy general of a division. Up to now, there have been few deaths among the officers above the commander level in the Fengwu Army. Unless your elder brother is extremely unlucky, he won't die!"

"I know your eldest brother's ability best. He is not aggressive enough but good at defending. He is definitely not capable of leading a division alone, but he should be able to be a deputy general and help others. The Fengwu Army is fighting well in Hebei and Henan now. Gao Zongchang will definitely be finished before the end of the year. By then, we can take over the Central Plains, and the expansion of the Fengwu Army is inevitable!"

Bai Wanhao paused for a moment, then said earnestly:

“My daughter, since ancient times, only those with military merit can be granted a title. If our Bai family produces a lord, I will be proud to meet our ancestors in the underworld. Even if I die immediately, I will be willing…” Hearing her father’s serious expression, Bai Yuanyuan hesitated, nodded, and said:

"I'll tell my husband!"

Seeing that his daughter agreed to this matter, Bai Wanhao's expression also eased a lot. After thinking for a while, he reminded again;
"You need to find a suitable opportunity, and it's best to hint at it indirectly. If there is no suitable opportunity, don't bring it up. The Marshal is very disgusted with this kind of thing. If you force it, it will be counterproductive!"

"Yes!" Bai Yuanyuan nodded obediently.

Seeing that they had almost finished talking, Bai Wanhao and Bai Yuanyuan returned to the public and continued to enjoy the brief family reunion. With the help of An Miaoyi, Ye Cui specially approved Bai Yuanyuan to stay at the Bai family for one night. This also gave Bai Yuanyuan a surprise. Although she had already joined the Ye family, Bai Wanhao still reserved a room for her in the Bai Mansion. The furnishings in the room were exactly the same as her boudoir back then, which undoubtedly deeply moved Bai Yuanyuan.

At night, when Bai Yuanyuan was about to revisit her boudoir, there was a gentle knock on the door. Bai Yuanyuan was a little surprised and asked the maid to open the door. The person who came turned out to be his second sister-in-law Cui.

"Third sister, I'm sorry to bother you so late!" After entering the room, Cui said to Bai Yuanyuan apologetically:
Bai Yuanyuan shook her head and said:

"Sister-in-law, we are a family. There is no need to disturb us. What is the matter that brings you here so late?"

This second sister-in-law, Cui, was not the original wife of her second brother Bai Changjiu. Bai Changjiu’s original wife, Liu, unfortunately died during childbirth. At that time, Bai Changjiu had achieved some success under the cultivation of Ye Mingsheng and was favored by the Cui family. The Cui family gave a daughter from the collateral line to Bai Changjiu as a second wife...

Because her mother's family is powerful, the second sister-in-law, Cui, has always been very aggressive in the Bai family. Even the father-in-law Bai Wanhao has to give face to this daughter-in-law. However, because of the relationship with Cui, Bai Changjiu has also benefited a lot in his official career!
Under Bai Yuanyuan's gaze, Cui showed a hint of hesitation, as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.

Seeing this, Bai Yuanyuan probably guessed what she wanted to say, and a hint of helplessness appeared in the depths of her eyes. Cui wanted to wait for Bai Yuanyuan to ask before speaking, but seeing that Bai Yuanyuan did not take the initiative to speak, she could only reveal her cards directly and said:
"Yuanyuan, how has your second brother treated you over the years?"

"My second brother is naturally very good to me!" Bai Yuanyuan said softly:

After hearing Bai Yuanyuan's answer, Cui smiled and said seriously;

"Yuanyuan, your words are enough! As you know, half a year ago, my third uncle transferred Changjiu from Dongning to Yijing and promoted him to the sixth rank to work as an experience in the Provincial Government. In order to repay the Marshal's kindness, Changjiu worked day and night and lost more than ten pounds. You see, you came back today, and he didn't have time to meet you. He promoted fertilizers in the countryside and inspected the farmers' conditions. He just wanted to repay the Marshal's kindness and do something practical for the people!"

After hearing this, Bai Yuanyuan understood what her second sister-in-law wanted to say, but she didn't want to expose it directly, so she could only follow Cui's words and said:

“My husband also knows about my second brother’s character and ability! He has always admired my second brother…”

As soon as these words came out, Cui's face immediately showed a smile, and he also said with a dagger in his eye:
"Yuanyuan, Wang Qinghan, the assistant governor of the Provincial Administration Department, was taken away by the Coordination Office for corruption half a month ago. Now the position of assistant governor of the Provincial Administration Department is vacant. I went back to my mother's house to see my third uncle a few days ago. I persuaded him for more than an hour before he agreed to recommend your second brother to take the position!"

"Originally, with Third Uncle stepping in, this matter was almost settled, but who would have thought that a Cheng Yaojin would show up halfway, and that old bastard Gu Zhongshi also recommended a candidate, one of his students named Qian Dejiang. Now the matter is stuck here. Third sister, can't you talk to the Marshal? This opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for your second brother. If he gets promoted this time, he might be able to govern a region in a few years!"

After saying that, Cui looked at Bai Yuanyuan, waiting for Bai Yuanyuan's opinion. Facing Cui's expectant eyes, Bai Yuanyuan felt very embarrassed. After all, Ye Mingsheng was very taboo about female relatives interfering in politics.

The matter of the eldest brother was entrusted by her father, and it was related to the future and destiny of the Bai family. No matter how difficult it was, she had to give it a try. With the child in her belly, there was still a good possibility. However, adding the matters of the eldest and second brothers together, Bai Yuanyuan asked herself that she was not that important in Ye Mingsheng's heart.

Seeing Bai Yuanyuan's embarrassment, Cui's face immediately turned ugly, and she said in a somewhat gloomy tone:
"It's not a big deal, it's okay to let your second brother waste a dozen years!"

After saying this, Bai Yuanyuan thought of her second brother's kindness to her for a long time, and she softened her heart and nodded and said;
"I will try my best!"

After hearing Bai Yuanyuan's answer, Cui didn't seem very satisfied, but she had no choice but to accept it.

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Zhuo County, Governor's Office
Ye Mingsheng was in the conference room, studying the enemy and our own situation, thinking about how to mobilize troops more effectively to make the situation in Hebei and Henan more favorable. Although he had already deployed 100,000 troops, he was still facing Gao Zongchang entrenched in Yujing and Xu Zhaojie heading north. The Fengwu Army was struggling with its current strength in Hebei and Henan, and could only choose one target for the time being.

While Ye Mingsheng was constantly weighing the pros and cons, He Jingyun hurried to Ye Mingsheng, handed him a battle report and said very seriously:

"Marshal, this is the latest battle report sent back by General Guo in Fengqiu. There are major changes in the military situation on the front line."

After saying this, Ye Mingsheng's expression also became serious. He carefully checked the battle report. At this time, Wang Xuecheng hurriedly walked to Ye Mingsheng's side, wanting to report something to Ye Mingsheng. Seeing He Jingyun's presence, he was also very surprised and didn't know whether he should say it in front of He Jingyun. Just when He Jingyun was very tactful and ready to leave, Ye Mingsheng put down the battle report and solemnly instructed Wang Xuecheng:

"If you have anything to say, just say it!"

After hearing Ye Mingsheng's instructions, Wang Xuecheng no longer hesitated and said directly:

"Director Su was assassinated by an unidentified person in Licheng and is currently seriously injured and his life or death is unknown. On the other hand, Cao Changping seems to have been bewitched by Xu Zhaojie and is currently gathering troops and horses, seemingly intending to interfere in the situation in Hebei and Henan..."

(End of this chapter)