When there was nothing much to do at Dali Temple, Gu Yan Chen would usually get off work on time to go home for dinner, claiming he liked Aunt Cui’s cooking.
Aunt Cui was immensely proud of this. In her spare time, she’d be researching how to make her dishes even more delicious. In her words, to win a man’s heart, you first had to win his stomach. Her own daughter’s fingers were unused to the heat of the kitchen, so when it came to cooking, she could only rely on herself.
Today’s spread was as abundant and suited to her son-in-law’s taste as ever, but Gu Yan Chen was eating with his mind elsewhere. He even swallowed a slice of ginger that Lu Nian Fu had put on his plate, only to frown and spit it out after chewing for a good while.
“Here, cleanse your palate,” Lu Nian Fu scooped him half a bowl of emerald cabbage soup. “What happened today?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie. If nothing happened, would you have eaten ginger?” This fellow was very casual about his food, the only exception being ginger.
Gu Yan Chen shoveled a mouthful of rice. “Actually, something good did happen. Situ Jue had a really bad day.”
Lu Nian Fu’s ears perked up immediately. “Did the Japanese pirates invade?”
“Yes, they broke through three cities in a row, plundered them bare, and then fled. Situ Jue didn’t catch a single one. He was viciously attacked by his opponents in court this morning.”
“How did the Emperor deal with it? Did he blame him? Beheading or dismemberment?”
“Pfft.” Gu Yan Chen choked, sending rice grains flying onto her face. He flusteredly signaled for Qing Miao to bring a cloth.
Lu Nian Fu waited expressionlessly as Qing Miao cleaned her up. Gu Yan Chen, having recovered from his shock, asked, “What grudge do you have with Situ Jue for you to curse him like that?”
“Hmph, the grudge is a deep one.”
“Just because he stole my position?”
Of course not.
But the matters of the past life were difficult to explain. Lu Nian Fu gave him a meaningful look. “Why else?”
Gu Yan Chen was very pleased. His wife certainly cared about him.
He said, “Don’t think about it. This won’t bring him down.”
“Then why did Prefect Feng end up like that?”
Gu Yan Chen thought for a moment and concluded, “Mainly because their fathers are different.”
Lu Nian Fu: ……
“They say ‘a prince who breaks the law is punished the same as a commoner,’ so it was all just talk, huh?”
“You’re only realizing that now?” Gu Yan Chen reached for a chicken drumstick, but Lu Nian Fu swatted his hand away with her chopsticks. “What are you doing?”
Lu Nian Fu was speechless. “Brother, you just sprayed rice all over the table, and you’re still eating? Qing Miao has already sent someone to prepare fresh dishes.”
“This chicken leg didn’t get any!”
“Still not acceptable.”
“Tsk, if you were in the military camp, you wouldn’t complain.” Although he said this, he ultimately didn’t reach out again. The capital was, after all, not the military camp. Things that were common practice in the camp were looked down upon in the capital, and he had long since learned to adapt.
Lu Nian Fu felt increasingly uneasy and pressed on, “So, how exactly did the Emperor punish Situ Jue?”
“He didn’t say. After the morning court, he summoned a few people for a private discussion. Most likely, he’s giving him a chance to redeem himself through meritorious service.”
“This doesn’t count as bad luck. The truly unlucky ones are the commoners in those three counties, aren’t they?”
Gu Yan Chen’s mood sank again, and he let out a muffled grunt.
Lu Nian Fu finally found the reason for his low spirits. She nudged him gently. “What do you think about this? If he can’t hold off the Japanese pirates, will the Emperor send you again?”
“Hmph, do they think I’m a dog? Summoned when needed, dismissed when not. Situ Jue should have thought about it when he was stealing credit. Can he actually hold onto it?”
“It’s just a pity for the common people in Jiangnan. Every time he fails, the common people of Jiangnan will be plundered. Who knows who will be unlucky next time.”
Gu Yan Chen frowned fiercely. He was now 100% certain that Situ Jue must have tampered with his defenses, otherwise, the Japanese pirates wouldn’t have breached them twice and entered Da Yin.
The Duke of Cao’s estate was not like the Duke of Xie’s estate, filled with generals. It was obvious that Situ Jue’s advisors wouldn’t have many talented strategists, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be particularly brilliant.
Gu Yan Chen was never generous to those who had wronged him. In any other situation, if Situ Jue had a terrible misfortune, he would definitely be watching with a snack and applauding. But when it came to war, every time Situ Jue failed, the common people would suffer.
At best, their property would be lost; at worst, their families would be ruined.
Situ Jue, relying on his status, would surely not lose his life, perhaps only his military prestige and reputation. But what about those commoners in Jiangnan, who were so innocent…
More than two years of marriage were not in vain. Lu Nian Fu knew what he was thinking by looking at him. This man, his mouth was tougher than anything, but his heart was still soft. She held his hand. “Don’t think about it. When the Emperor’s order comes down, whether you like it or not, you’ll have to clean up this mess.”
“Why should I?” The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became. “It’s not my empire. The royal family treats me like this, and I still have to fight for them.”
“But didn’t you say that you were never fighting the Japanese pirates for the royal family?”
Gu Yan Chen fell silent, threw down his chopsticks, and said, “You heartless woman, others would beg their husbands not to go to war, and you’re urging me to go.”
Lu Nian Fu: ……
Well, the anger was directed at her now.