As winter deepened and the Spring Festival approached, Minglan decided to gift herself a couplet. The first line read "Foreseeing Events Like a Deity," the second "Speaking Truth Without Reserve," with a horizontal scroll proclaiming—"Half-Immortal."
After that day's persuasive talk, Changwu left for Jinling the next morning. In these unstable times, having more martial experts to guard homes and estates was always welcome. The Jinling Regional Military Commission and five surrounding garrisons lamented the scarcity of capable fighters, so Changwu was warmly received. After five consecutive welcoming feasts featuring plump geese and ducks, he took leave to return to Youyang.
"Sis, you were spouting nonsense! I told you there's no war in the south, didn't I? I've been stationed on Jinling's city walls all these days—nothing happened at all. But the wealthy families in Jinling, knowing about the conflicts elsewhere, are terrified. Look... they've already made three donations for city defense in half a month! Here, even I got fifty taels." Changwu tossed a heavy gold-threaded pouch onto the table with a bitter smile. For those living on military pay, this was a substantial sum, but the Sheng family descendants weren't short of money.
Li Shi noticed her son's words again hinting at his desire to head north. Struggling to find words to dissuade him, she broke into a cold sweat in the deep winter.
"Second Brother, don't be impatient." Minglan said leisurely. "Think about it—the conflict only started last month. Refugees walking on foot can't possibly move as fast as cavalry. Just wait a bit longer!"
"Really...?" Changwu looked at Minglan with full of doubt.
Minglan nodded emphatically, then encouraged him with exemplary tales, adopting a storyteller's tone: "Back when Emperor Wu personally led the campaign against Uriankhai, it was the coldest winter—water freezing instantly! He waited patiently with a hundred thousand troops at Nu'ergan Ancient City for two full months, remaining calm and steady. Eventually, he tricked Uriankhai into underestimating him, luring out the elite forces of several tribes, which Emperor Wu then annihilated in one decisive strike! Second Brother, you're learning to defeat hundreds, even thousands—perhaps someday tens of thousands. 'Patience' is the most crucial quality to master first!"
The power of exemplary models is boundless. Changwu was completely captivated. That very night, he returned to Jinling. During dinner, Li Shi kept piling food into Minglan's bowl, while Yun'er gave her both chicken legs originally reserved for the pregnant woman.
"Niece-in-law, you're spoiling her!" Old Mrs. Sheng said with a smiling curl of her lips. "This little girl just has a silver tongue that pleases everyone."
Sheng Wei said with a grave expression: "Not necessarily. I find my niece's words reasonable. These past days, I've been visiting villages and towns, inviting elders from major families and clans for tea. I've advised them to avoid extravagance this New Year, suggesting they store more grain and firewood for emergencies, given the turmoil outside."
Sheng Wei's instincts proved accurate. Just three days later, Changwu sent word back: the refugees had arrived.
Prince Jing, having long plotted rebellion, urgently needed vast sums of silver and grain for military supplies. For years, he had ruthlessly exploited the common people. Those above set the example, those below followed—officials at all levels squeezed the populace dry. Coinciding with deep winter, heavy snow fell like goose feathers. The people, suffering from hunger and cold, could no longer endure their hardships. Countless displaced individuals had no choice but to flee An territory, thus triggering massive refugee movements into Su, Yu, E, Gan, and Zhe provinces.
By late December of the first year of Chongde, fifty thousand refugees from An had gathered outside Jinling's walls. The government opened granaries to distribute food, while wealthy families in the city set up extensive soup kitchens and generously provided firewood, allowing refugees to shelter in civilian houses outside the city through the winter.Changwu finally had a chance to prove his worth. Fearing riots among the refugees, soldiers stood guard every time the city gates opened for relief efforts, working tirelessly day and night. In the last days of January during the second year of the Chongde era, Youyang welcomed its first wave of refugees.
Fortunately, the Sheng family had prepared in advance. Together with several other prominent families in the county, they temporarily erected many makeshift shelters to house the refugees, distributing porridge twice daily and providing unused cotton-padded quilts and clothing to help them survive the winter.
Minglan accompanied Li Shi in a carriage to observe the situation. Upon returning, she remained deeply distressed for a long time. As someone who grew up in modern times without want for food or clothing, she could hardly imagine such a scene: goose-feather snow falling, the ground covered in frost, with many elderly and children wearing only thin garments, shivering as they huddled around small fires for warmth. Their skin was purplish from the cold, children’s hands and faces covered in chilblains. Their hungry eyes stared blankly at bowls of cold, thin porridge as if it were their only hope.
There were no loud cries in the shelters, only sporadic sobs. Mothers held feverish children, too weak to even cry, their faint pleas for food wrenching Minglan’s heart.
"...Back in my hometown, we suffered a flood. The fields were submerged, there was no harvest, no food. My younger brother fell ill, so my parents sold me," Xiaotao recalled her vague past with surprising calm. "I heard from the village elders that life in this dynasty is actually quite good. Every family has their own land and doesn’t need to pay rent. During the chaos of the previous dynasty, common people had no land of their own—it all belonged to the wealthy! Whenever disasters struck, if you couldn’t pay even a single coin in rent, you’d have to sell your children and endure hunger and cold."
Minglan nodded slightly. The later a dynasty progressed, the more severe land annexation became. When farmers could no longer survive, the dynasty would collapse, and everything would start anew.
Qinsang’s mood was also somber. She whispered, "My family originally had over ten mu of land. In years with favorable weather, we could get by. But then a new magistrate arrived. He constantly invented excuses to demand money and took a fancy to Sister Yinhua from our village, wanting her as his concubine. When Yinhua’s family refused, he arrested her father and brother, accusing them of being troublemakers resisting grain taxes. He tortured them in prison. On the third day, Yinhua entered the magistrate’s residence. But her father and brother couldn’t endure the torture and had already died in jail. When villagers went to reason with them, the magistrate’s steward said, 'She’s already been slept with, don’t make trouble for yourselves.' Later, Yinhua dashed herself to death at the entrance of the magistrate’s office."
Minglan felt a deep sorrow. Truly, "a magistrate can ruin families, a prefect can exterminate clans." In these times, the happiness of common people was as fragile as thin paper—easily torn by the slightest disaster. Minglan suddenly felt fortunate about her current reincarnation.
"What does this have to do with your family?" Lüzhi asked after listening for a while, failing to grasp the key point.
"Sister Yinhua was my brother’s betrothed."
—Everyone fell into solemn silence.Qinsang poked the charcoal in the brazier, the firelight softening her plain features: "My brother was so furious he wanted to fight them, but the constables beat him until he was bloody and bruised before driving him out. Father fell ill from anger too. With two men needing medical care and no one to work the land, where would we get the money? Grandmother said we couldn't sell the farmland—the men would need it when they recovered. So they had to sell me instead. Along with me, they sold Elder Sister Yinhua's younger brother and sister. I wonder where they are now."
Danju asked softly, "Do you remember that magistrate's name?"
Qinsang shook her head, the velvet flowers on her twin buns trembling slightly. "No, I was only five or six then. All I know is that when I left, the village chief and elders were discussing pooling money to ensure our village produced a scholar, so we'd have someone to speak for us when bullied... Later I heard that magistrate was impeached, his property confiscated, his official position stripped, and he was exiled to the army camps. I was overjoyed, but sadly Elder Sister Yinhua's family had already been destroyed—their house and fields abandoned, with no one left to speak of them."
Everyone felt heavy-hearted, remaining silent for a long while. Then Qinsang suddenly brightened, laughing: "Two years ago, my family sent a letter. Things are gradually improving—both my elder brothers have married, and my younger brother is studying. My parents said they'd redeem me when times get better, but I told them not to bother. I'm doing well here—earning two or three qian of silver monthly, more than my father or brothers ever made. I've been saving it all to send home, so they can buy more farmland."
Minglan had been quietly listening until now, when she couldn't help asking: "Your family chose to sell you rather than the land—don't you resent them?"
Qinsang's smiling face flushed slightly. "I did for a while, but then I understood. With land, father, and brothers, there's hope. Mother made thorough inquiries before selling me. I was fortunate to enter this household—no beatings or scoldings, and blessed to serve you, young mistress. All these years I've eaten well, dressed well, and all the sisters have been kind to me. What is there to resent?"
Minglan was momentarily taken aback. Qinsang wasn't particularly capable in Twilight Cang Study—her looks and temperament were ordinary, neither as attentive as Yancao nor as efficient as Lüzhi, thus her monthly allowance and rewards ranked lower. Yet she sounded utterly content with her life, speaking of her family with deep affection. Such gentle, honest character was truly rare.
This was Minglan's first encounter with the genuine goodness of common folk—humble as the soil beneath one's feet, yet substantial. Growing fond of this quality, Minglan smiled: "If your family's situation truly improves, don't bother with redemption money—I'll release you myself. I expect your parents have already found you a husband! I'll provide your dowry too!"
Qinsang's face turned crimson as rouge. Stamping her foot in embarrassed vexation, she cried: "Young mistress! How can you say such things! I'll tell Mama Fang!"
Laughter finally dispersed the gloom. After obtaining Old Madam's permission, Minglan used three-quarters of her personal savings, while the junior maids contributed their pocket money, all spent on rice and quilts to aid the refugees.
"All your years of savings gone—feel better now? As if your contribution alone would prevent people freezing to death outside?" Old Mrs. Sheng looked at Minglan with an amused, skeptical expression.Minglan nodded seriously: "I know it's a drop in the bucket, but I can only do what lies within my power. Wu Er Gege said that after spring begins, the authorities will arrange for them uniformly—those wishing to return to their hometowns may go back, while those with nowhere to go will reclaim wasteland and settle there. I just hope they can survive this winter."
Old Madam held her little granddaughter, smiling faintly as she sighed softly: "Silly child!"
By the end of January in the second year of Chongde, bandits became rampant in eastern Wan, western Zhe, southern Su, and western Su regions. They frequently plundered fleeing refugees and attacked poorly defended towns, committing every atrocity from murder to arson wherever they went. With displaced people having nowhere to go, many turned to banditry.
Changwu and several passionate officers repeatedly requested permission to lead troops from the garrison to suppress the bandits, but were consistently overruled by the Jinling prefect and regional military commissioner. With conflicts raging outside, Jinling could barely manage to keep its city gates guarded—how dare they open them to hunt bandits?
After multiple rejected requests, Changwu took leave in frustration and returned home.
"I've told you countless times—don't scowl at your superiors! Control your temper! The official world isn't easy to navigate!" Sheng Wei, worried his son might clash with superiors, immediately scolded him.
"Father! How could I do such a thing? All the brothers were slamming tables and throwing cups while advising Commander Hu—I was the only one who stayed silent!" Changwu stiffened his neck, his face flushing red. "Exactly because of this, I took leave to come home! How could I face my brothers otherwise?"
Minglan comforted him from the side: "Second Brother, don't fret. You're not directly under Jinling's military command—it's proper that you didn't press too hard. Ah, by the way, how goes the war outside? The south seems relatively peaceful—has Prince Jing's northern campaign been smooth sailing?"
"In his dreams!" Changwu sneered contemptuously. "That ragtag mob may make a big show, but they're utterly incompetent. They suffered defeat immediately upon entering Lu territory, their forces split in half. The rear half retreated to Xuzhou only to be ambushed in a valley, while the front half fled to Zhuangzhou—probably nearing their end too."
Hearing this, everyone in the room relaxed. Sheng Wei and his son exchanged relieved smiles, finally setting some worries aside. Old Madam counted her beads with a gentle smile, Li Shi clasped her hands chanting "Amitabha," Wen Shi cheerfully bustled about preparing tea and snacks, while Pinlan softly scoffed, whispering to Minglan: "This Prince Jing is too pathetic!"
Minglan patted her chest, sat at the table and poured herself a cup of tea, sipping slowly.
Changwu paced anxiously around the room twice before releasing a long sigh, his tone despairing: "Minglan, you were right—I really don't need to return to the capital. It seems Prince Jing will be finished long before reaching Beijing! All the merits now go to the suppression armies. Had I known earlier, I'd have enlisted right away!"
Seeing his son's frustration, Sheng Wei changed the subject: "Which army is handling the suppression?"
Changwu stopped pacing and sat down heavily: "His Majesty must have long been wary of the south. These past months, while ostensibly maintaining capital security, he secretly dispatched half the Five Barracks troops for training near Beijing. Even during the northern border unrest, he held this force back. Only after Prince Jing raised the rebellion banner did the army secretly move south to ambush the rebels at Xuzhou."
Changwu felt somewhat better—his Zhongwei Guard belonged to the Three Thousand Barracks. Even if he'd been in the capital, he wouldn't have been deployed."The Five Barracks? Isn't that under General Gan's command? He truly is a veteran commander." Having done business with the military several times, Sheng Wei knew a fair bit about army affairs.
Unexpectedly, Changwu shook his head: "Not General Gan. It's a newly promoted general by His Majesty. Originally from a noble family in the capital, I heard the Emperor valued him highly even when he was still a feudal prince. This time, he seized the opportunity to promote him. He'll likely have a bright future ahead."
Minglan's eyes lit up. Smiling, she poured herself another half-cup of tea and said, "Really? This general certainly has good judgment."
Back then, among all the imperial princes, the Eighth Prince could be said to be the least promising candidate - less scholarly than the Third Prince, less martial than the Fourth Prince, less noble than the Fifth Prince, less socially adept than the Sixth Prince, and less favored than the Late Emperor's younger sons born in his later years. Only in terms of having a low-born mother did he rank first. That someone actually thought to invest in such an unpopular stock - this person must be Warren Buffett's older brother!
Sheng Wei also became very interested, secretly calculating how to establish connections with this rising military star: "Who is it? Had we heard of him before?"
Changwu seemed resigned as he sighed: "I heard his name is Gu Tingye."
Everyone in the room looked blank - none had heard this name before.
Minglan held water in her mouth, staring at her teacup for a full quarter-hour before finally swallowing with difficulty. She cautiously asked: "This... how come we haven't heard of him before? Second Brother, even though military officers don't need to slowly accumulate seniority like civil officials, can someone really be promoted directly from commoner to general?"
In the blink of an eye, the mother hen had turned into a duck! Just three months ago, he was still a martial arts big brother working with the Water Transport Gang to uphold justice, and now he's become the general suppressing rebellions? Is this military-civilian cooperation indeed?
Changwu's spirits greatly lifted. Since the Jing Prince's rebellion, this experienced grown man had been constantly receiving insights from his younger cousin, while having to admit her points were indeed precise and reasonable. Today he finally caught an opportunity to display his elder brother's knowledge.
He let out a long breath and said loudly: "Little cousin, this is where you're uninformed. General Gu originally held the position of seventh-rank officer in the Upper Twelve Guards early on."
"But that's just a sinecure. Many noble sons in the capital have such positions, yet we don't see them becoming generals." Minglan nearly laughed aloud - even her supposed suitor, Young Master Liang Han, held such a position.
Changwu's tone carried clear envy as he relayed the military report from Jinling: "What matters is that this General Gu is deeply appreciated by His Majesty. Since the Emperor ascended the throne, he's been appointed as fifth-rank commander of the Capital Guard Commandery. Now leading troops to suppress rebellions was actually done under the Emperor's secret decree beforehand."
Minglan fell silent, smacking her lips before letting out two dry laughs. She walked over to refill Changwu's tea, wearing an obedient expression: "Second Brother, you really know so much. No wonder my father often praises your insight."
Changwu grinned broadly, feeling much more satisfied. This little cousin was just so adorable - if her future husband dared neglect her, he would definitely lend his full support to "persuade" him.
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