Chapter 0003: Where Did Uncle Er Go
Liang Chen had never seen this elder sister before, but upon being called by his elder brother, he naturally recognized that this woman was Wei Chunhua, the daughter of his second uncle. She had been sold to the Yang family as a child bride at the age of six, and that man was probably her husband, Yang Liuqi. It is said that Yang Liuqi had also attended school in his early years, but he did not pass the county examination for the child scholar test, and thus did not become a xiucai. Now, he helps manage the family’s fields at home.
How did Uncle Er get by back then
Yang Liuqi let out a light laugh, nodded slightly, and then looked at his wife, Wei Chunhua. Wei Chunhua hurriedly said that she would return home, and then, when her husband was not paying attention, she secretly slipped a pouch into Liangchen's hand, softly advising, "Take good care of yourself, and do not act willfully again."
Good minister, good official
The loyal minister held the purse in his hand, unsure of what to say.
Upon hearing this, Wei Jinde was taken aback for a moment, then replied irritably: "How would I know where that scoundrel has gone? This good-for-nothing, do not mention him to me again. My Wei family has no such person."
This prince is the third son of Emperor Wanli, and his mother is the most favored concubine of Emperor Wanli, Consort Zheng. His son, Zhu Youxiong, became the Emperor Hongguang of the Southern Ming. However, the fate of this Prince of Fortune was not good; during the reign of Emperor Chongzhen, Li Zicheng captured Luoyang and executed him. But now, there are still several years until the Chongzhen era. If the loyal minister remembers correctly, the current Prince of Fortune, Zhu Changxun, is indeed the most favored son of Emperor Wanli.
For a long time, Liangqing sighed and said: "Eldest sister is truly suffering at the Yang family."
Elder sister, brother-in-law
As soon as the anxious Wei Chunhua saw the two brothers, she was naturally very happy. She stepped forward to support Liangchen and inquired about his injuries with great concern
Yang Liuqi urged once from the cart, and Wei Chunhua had no choice but to reluctantly board the ox cart. The cart driver slowly drove the cart towards the outskirts of the village. The two brothers stood outside the door, gazing fixedly at the departing ox cart.
Regardless of the circumstances, Liang Chen has made up his mind to participate in this year's provincial examination. There is no other way; this is his only path to achieve success.
On this day, Liangqing accompanied his father to the fields, just as he had done two days prior. Liangchen also followed them. Grandfather San stood by the edge of the field for half an hour. Liangchen offered a few words of encouragement, urging his father to take it easier, but such matters are not easily resolved by mere words.
Ah!
Liang Qing had a simple and pure disposition, and she happily welcomed Wei Chunhua and her husband into the house. Wei Chunhua quickly said it was good, supporting Liang Chen as they were about to enter the courtyard, but Yang Liuqi stopped her and then smiled at Liang Qing, saying: "Your elder sister heard that Liang Chen was injured and was extremely anxious. She has been wanting to come and see him, but there have been many matters at home, so she has always been unable to leave. Today, she has finally managed to find some time to come over, but there are still things to attend to at home, so we won't stay for long." After saying this, she instructed the coachman, "Please take the things inside."
Wei Jinde's words left Liang Chen stunned; hearing his father's words, did his own second uncle back then behave even more recklessly than himself
However, how did the small village of Pear Tree become associated with Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun? The loyal minister is truly perplexed. In response to his son's inquiry, Wei Jinde explained some circumstances.
Wei Liangqing also sensed a certain indifference from his brother-in-law Yang Liuqi's attitude. He was naturally simple-minded, but not a fool; there was indeed a fire burning in his heart, yet he forcibly suppressed it, still wearing a smile as he said to Yang Liuqi: "Since there are matters at your home, then you and my elder sister should return early."
Liang Qing was taken aback for a moment, and Liang Chen also pouted his lips
The coachman busily tapped his pipe and then took out several gifts wrapped in cowhide paper from the carriage and brought them into the courtyard
Since being sold to the Yang family as a child bride, Wei Chunhua has only returned to the Wei family twice in twenty years: once for the death of her aunt Zhao, and once to deliver red eggs to her family after giving birth to a son. Aside from these occasions, she has spent all her days in the Yang household, without even venturing far from home. Due to her status as a child bride, even after giving birth to a son for the Yang family, her position in the household remains lowly, and she is often treated like a servant by the Yang family.
A few days ago, Liangqing mentioned that Eldest Sister would come to see Liangchen, so Liangchen brought this up, originally intending to ask when Eldest Sister would arrive. However, the words that came to his lips were about another matter: "Father, where has Second Uncle gone?"
Liang Chen was somewhat surprised. Although he knew that his second uncle was certainly not a good person, he did not expect him to be so despicable as to infuriate his father, force his wife to remarry, and even sell his own daughter. In this world, there are truly very few people who can reach such a level.
For this son, Emperor Wanli fought against the civil officials for decades. The struggle concerning the "national foundation" can be said to have persisted throughout the Wanli era, even influencing the situation at the end of the Ming dynasty. Everything that happened during the Tianqi and Chongzhen reigns is inextricably linked to this Prince of Fortune.
Upon arriving home, the two brothers saw an ox cart parked outside, with the driver leaning against the cart, smoking a dry pipe. Liang Chen, upon seeing this, paid it no mind, as he knew that dry pipe tobacco had been introduced to the Ming Dynasty during the Wanli period. Over the decades, dry pipe tobacco had become a pastime for the poor during their leisure time, with each puff said to bring joy akin to that of immortals
Wei Chunhua felt somewhat embarrassed but did not dare to speak, lowering her head and silently holding Liangchen's hand
Father, it seems that elder sister has arrived
Wei Jinde waved his hand to his two brothers and said, "You may return first"
After hearing this, Liangqing fell silent for a moment and said: "Back in the day, our second uncle established his family before our father did. Our eldest sister was born in the year our father married our mother. Speaking of which, our second uncle was truly outrageous. It is said that he was a heavy gambler; in order to gamble, he not only drove our grandfather to his death but also forced our aunt to remarry, sold our eldest sister to the Yang family, and ultimately, he himself was driven away from home by the moneylenders, leaving us unaware of his whereabouts."
The loyal minister did not speak, yet his heart was tumultuous. He never dreamed that his own family could be linked to the most famous prince of the late Ming dynasty
The emperor directly issued an edict to requisition land for his son, it seems that this matter of land requisition is unavoidable under any circumstances
Wei Liangqing called out enthusiastically to a young couple. The woman appeared to be around the same age as Liangqing, in her mid-twenties, of average height, slender build, and an ordinary appearance that was not beautiful but rather pleasing to the eye. The man, on the other hand, seemed to be somewhat older, likely in his early thirties, dressed in a silk shirt that exuded a sense of grandeur, though he had the unfortunate trait of premature graying, with half of his head already white.
The loyal minister could clearly feel that the elder sister's hands were calloused, and upon closer inspection, her face also bore many wrinkles. One can imagine how lowly the elder sister's status was in the Yang family. It is no wonder that the Yang family is like this; in this day and age, how many child brides live a happy life? Some have even been driven to death by cruel mothers-in-law.
Yang Liuqi also stepped forward to greet the two brothers, but Liangchen noticed that this brother-in-law was somewhat indifferent, his attitude not as warm as that towards the eldest sister, especially since he did not even glance at him. However, he soon understood; the eldest sister, Wei Chunhua, had been sold to the Yang family as a child bride, and the Yang family was a small, impoverished household, while the Wei family was destitute. How could wealthy relatives be pleased with their poor relatives? Moreover, with his notorious reputation, it was no surprise that Yang Liuqi would not be happy to see him.
Liang Chen shook his head and said: "We cannot blame the Yang family; if we must blame someone, we can only blame our Wei family for failing to treat our elder sister well, oh, and also our second uncle"
Liangqing responded and helped Liangchen hurry home. When they reached the riverbank, Liangqing deliberately washed his hands, wiped his face, and brushed off the dirt from his clothes. Due to the poor conditions at home, Liangqing was still wearing clothes made several years ago, with the elbows and knees having been mended. Although Liangchen's clothes were not particularly good, they were much better than his elder brother's, being at least clean and without patches. On the way, they ran into their neighbor, Sister Zhang, who informed them that a relative from her family was waiting outside and urged the two brothers to hurry back. Although Liangchen's clothes were not particularly good, they were much better than his elder brother's, being at least clean and without patches. On the way, they ran into their neighbor, Sister Zhang, who informed them that a relative from her family was waiting outside and urged the two brothers to hurry back
Is the name of the prince something you can call out?
Wei Liangqing accompanied his father in the fields every day, and the father and son were truly reluctant to let these two acres of good land be requisitioned by the government. The two of them wandered back and forth, occasionally sighing and lamenting. In the fields, there were indeed many villagers who looked just like the Wei family.
The village of Pear Tree is located in Suxian County, which belongs to the Hejian Prefecture of Northern Zhili. This area is very close to the capital, and thus the royal family and noble officials are eager to acquire land here. The farmland in the entire Hejian Prefecture has already been occupied by more than half, with the remaining fields mostly belonging to wealthy households. Therefore, if the court were to requisition more land, it could only be taken from ordinary commoners. There are well-informed individuals in the village who have inquired with the county and brought back certain news: this time, the land requisition was directly ordered by the Emperor.
Wei Liangqing looked at his father, and Liangchen also stood up from the ground
At this point, Liang Chen truly finds himself at a loss, as he is no longer even a scholar, and in essence, he is no different from an ordinary commoner. Therefore, it is utterly impossible for him to prevent this significant matter. Not to mention the Fuwang Mansion and the court, even the six families in the county would not spare him a glance. However, this situation has only strengthened his resolve to participate in the imperial examination. Yet, he finds it difficult to address this matter at the moment, so he plans to wait a few days before discussing it with his father, seeking his father's assistance in appealing to Master Wu.
Eldest brother, third brother
Wei Jinde did not know the name of the Prince of Fortune, but he was aware that the name of the Prince of Fortune was not something that ordinary commoners could directly address
It is said that after Liang Chen was injured, Wei Chunhua was thinking of coming back to take a look. She secretly saved some money, knowing that her uncle's family was poor, fearing that the lack of funds would delay the treatment of her third brother. However, she had repeatedly proposed to her husband and mother-in-law about going back to visit, but was refused each time. This time, taking advantage of her mother-in-law's absence, she finally managed to persuade her husband, Yang Liuqi, to agree to accompany her back to the Wei family.
Elder sister, brother-in-law, quickly, please sit inside the house
Spring Flower, let us go
When Uncle Er left home in his early years, Wei Liangqing was only five years old and did not remember much, so he did not know much about Uncle Er's matters. However, he understood some situations, thus signaling his younger brother not to ask too many questions. Just as he was about to let Liangchen return home now, someone at the field called out to them, saying that a relative had come to their house.
For several consecutive days, Pear Tree Village seemed to have lost its vitality, and the Wei family members appeared as if they had been drained of energy. Wei Jinde and Liangqing were distressed about the two acres of good land left by their ancestors, while Liangchen worried that without this two acres of good land, the family would have nothing to support his continued studies for the imperial examination, even though he himself was uncertain if he could participate in the provincial examination again.
Prince Fu, Zhu Changxun, is no stranger to Wei Liangchen, who wrote extensively about novels set in the late Ming Dynasty in his previous life