Troubled times: Start practicing spiritual practice by taking care of your sister-in-law.

Chapter 738: Zhao Yushu's younger brother, the cabinet

The first year of Zhenghe, early October.

The land of Hexi.

The Chai family is one of the largest families in Minghe County in Hexi. Although it is not as big as the famous families like Liang, Wu, and Xiao, or even the Ning family where Ning Wan is from, it is much bigger than the Yi, Li, and Wang families in Pingting County.

Chai Jing, the head of the Chai family, is also a fifth-rank warrior. In Minghe County, he is considered a strong man.

It was late autumn, and the leaves of the sycamore tree in the southeast corner of the backyard of the Chai residence had turned yellow. As a breeze blew, the dead leaves fell to the ground, covering the entire yard.

Chai Jing had many sons, but only one daughter, Chai Ling, whom he loved very much.

At this moment, Chai Ling was sitting on a stone bench under the phoenix tree, sipping tea and reading books of sages. She was in her twenties, with a beautiful face and eyes that exuded a lingering and quiet bookish aura, giving people a feeling of quiet temperament.

Suddenly, Chai Ling raised his head and saw a middle-aged man in his fifties wearing a brocade robe walking into the yard. Chai Ling smiled and stood up: "Dad, you are here."

Chai Jing nodded, then sighed and said, "Ling'er, the kid from the Zhao family is looking for you again."

Hearing this, Chai Ling's smile faded, replaced by an expression of disgust that was difficult to conceal. She stepped forward and hugged Chai Jing's arm, saying, "Dad, didn't you ask him to prepare a betrothal gift of 200,000 taels before coming back? Why did he come here again? He doesn't know what's good for him at all."

"He said his parents have already gone to raise funds, and he hopes we can give him some time."

"Ah? If he really does it, shouldn't we let him back off? This guy has become attached to our Chai family." Chai Ling's disgust became even stronger, and he immediately said in a cold voice: "Dad, can't we just push it away?"

"Alas, Ling'er, it was you who fell in love with the boy from the Zhao family, so I asked a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for you. Now you ask me to cancel it. The marriage has already been decided, how can it be so easy to cancel it?" Chai Jing frowned.

"My daughter fell in love with him because his sister was the queen of the Song Dynasty. Now the Song Dynasty is gone, and her sister is no longer the queen. The Zhao family is so poor. If my daughter still marries him, it will be so embarrassing. My friends will laugh at me."

The reason why Chai Ling fell in love with Zhao Yusu's younger brother Zhao Yao was that as the daughter of the Chai family, she had participated in many poetry gatherings and tea parties in Minghe County, and dealt with the young men and ladies in the county, thus making some friends.

Almost all of these friends were engaged, and their spouses were either rich or noble, which aroused Chai Ling's comparison. She thought that no matter how noble these people were, could they be as noble as the royal family?
So after some inquiries, she got to know Zhao Yao, and through various artificially created "encounters", Chai Ling successfully made Zhao Yao fall in love with her.

After all, Chai Lingtu was only interested in Zhao Yao's identity as a royal relative.

Now that Zhao Yao is gone, Chai Ling naturally has no interest anymore.

"What a joke? You know what a joke is too. When the Chai and Zhao families got engaged, all the big and small families in Minghe County witnessed it. Now that the Zhao family has lost its status as royal relatives, the Chai family is going to cancel the engagement. Wouldn't that make others say that our Chai family is snobbish? Where will Dad put his face?" Chai Jing said.

"Then I don't care. If father doesn't let his daughter marry him, then...then I won't live." Chai Ling started to throw a tantrum.

"Ling'er, you..." Chai Jing was quite annoyed when he heard this, but he only had this one daughter, and he couldn't bear to hit or scold her. Helplessly, he could only sigh and said, "Forget it, forget it, you can just fool around this time, and it won't happen again."

"Thank you, Daddy. I knew you were the best." Chai Ling said with a smile.

"Someone, call the boy from the Zhao family in." Chai Jing said to the outside.

Outside, a servant responded.

"Dad, go to the hall and talk things out with the Zhao kid." Chai Jing said.

"Dad, I'll go with you."

Chai family hall.

Zhao Yao stood there with a nervous look on his face. Although there was a stool next to him and the servants of the Chai family asked him to sit down and wait, Zhao Yao did not dare to do so and seemed very reserved.

But he was very excited.

Some time ago, he couldn't even enter the Chai family's door, and Chai Ling refused to see him.

Because of this, he was angry with his sister and thought it was because of her that he became like this.

The reason why he did not go to the capital with his parents to pick up his sister was not because of the marriage, but because he was angry with his parents and his sister who were far away in the capital.

After his parents left, Zhao Yao came to the Chai family to find Chai Ling almost every day, because Chai Ling once said to him, "What I want is your attitude."

So Zhao Yao planned to use this method to impress Chai Ling and make her feel that he loved her.

Now, he felt that Chai Ling was moved by him, so he was allowed to come in.

"I knew Ling'er had me in her heart." Zhao Yao silently encouraged himself.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from outside. He turned around and when he saw who it was, he was delighted and said with a smile, "Uncle Chai, where is Ling'er?"

Chai Jing's face froze, and he forced a smile, saying, "Xiaoyao, please sit down first. Uncle Chai has something to tell you."

As he spoke, he personally shook Zhao Yao's hand and invited Zhao Yao to sit down.

Chai Jing's action made Zhao Yao even more excited. He thought that Uncle Chai was also moved by him and would no longer stop him from seeing Ling'er.

However, after he sat down, Chai Jing's words made him fall from heaven to hell.

"Uncle Chai, you...you want to cancel the engagement, why? Ling'er and I are truly in love."

Zhao Yao found it hard to accept. He stood up and said, "If it's because of the betrothal gift, please rest assured, Uncle Chai. This time my parents went to the capital to pick up my sister, and it was also to collect the betrothal gift. My sister has been the queen for so many years, she must be able to come up with 200,000 taels. Please, Uncle Chai, for my sincerity towards Ling'er, don't separate us two."

Chai Jing: “…”

Chai Ling, who was hiding in a compartment at the side door of the hall, sneered and sneered at this.

Two hundred thousand taels?

Does the Chai family need these two hundred thousand taels?
I told you to back off, but I didn't expect you to take it seriously.

This also made Chai Ling determined to turn down this marriage.

If her father hadn't forbade her to come out and see Zhao Yao, she would have broken off the engagement with him.

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was that you and Ling'er are not suitable for each other. If I force you to be together, it will hurt both you and Ling'er." Chai Jing said.

"But if that's the case, why did you, Uncle Chai, let me get engaged to Ling'er?" Zhao Yao was a little anxious.

"This is the Chai family's fault. The Chai family is sorry for you." Chai Jing clapped his hands as he spoke.

A middle-aged man dressed as a butler walked in with a stack of banknotes in his hand and placed them on the table next to Zhao Yao.

Chai Jing said: "This is a silver note, each worth five hundred taels, a total of twenty, can be exchanged at any Linhuai bank in the country, it is the Chai family's compensation to you, please accept it."

“I don’t want this money.”

Zhao Yao was about to collapse. He couldn't accept it at all. He said, "Uncle Chai, is this also what Ling'er meant? I want to see Ling'er."

Chai Jing frowned and said, "If you think it's too little, you can ask for more. As long as your request is reasonable, I can agree to it."

"I don't want it. I don't want anything. I only want Ling'er. This is definitely not what Ling'er means, right? She loves me so much and said she would marry me. I want to see Ling'er." Zhao Yao started to make a fuss.

Chai Jing frowned even more, and in order to get rid of him, he asked, "Is this what Ling'er meant?"

"I don't believe it." Zhao Yao would not believe it. He said, "If you want to cancel the engagement, you can. Let Ling'er tell me in person. If she says she wants to cancel the engagement, I will agree."

Chai Jing: “…”

How could there be such a stubborn person in this world? Chai Ling in the side door compartment: "..."

Just when she was about to go out and talk to Zhao Yao in person.

A servant hurried into the hall and said in a hurry: "Master, an angel has come from the palace. He learned that the son-in-law is in the mansion and wants to see him."

The servants didn't know yet that Chai Jing wanted to cancel the engagement.

Even though they had heard some rumors, as long as the engagement was still in place, Zhao Yao was still the son-in-law of the Chai family in their eyes.

"Angels in the palace?"

Chai Jing was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously said: "What do you want to find him for?"

"I heard that your elder sister was given the title of Concubine Liu by His Majesty, and His Majesty is going to arrange a marriage between your elder sister and the young lady." said the servant.

"What?" Chai Jing was a little confused, and cold sweat broke out on his back.

The current Majesty is not the emperor of the previous dynasty, who holds the power of life and death. If His Majesty knew the person he was going to marry and canceled the marriage of his brother-in-law, Chai Jing didn't know what the consequences would be.

He couldn't figure it out.

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Isn’t Zhao Yao’s sister the queen of the previous dynasty?
Didn’t his parents go to Beijing to bring her back?

Now she has transformed into Concubine Liu of the Emperor of Wei?

Zhao Yao was also confused.

Was he hating his sister in his heart just now?

If his sister had not fallen into this state, Uncle Chai would not have broken off the engagement with him.

As a result, my sister has now become Concubine Liu of His Majesty the Great Wei.

Just then, a figure rushed in from outside, bringing with it a gust of fragrant wind, and threw itself into his arms.

Chai Ling's eyes were red, and she said with tears in her eyes: "Yao Lang, you are finally here, finally came to see Ling'er, Ling'er missed you."

Chai Jing: “…”

housekeeper:"……"

Zhao Yao, who was originally feeling sad and upset, felt better instantly when he saw the tender and soft girl throwing herself into his arms and hugging him tightly. He said, "Ling'er, you finally agreed to see me.

Uncle Chai's decision to cancel the engagement wasn't your idea, right? You love me, right?"

"What, Daddy wants to cancel the engagement?" Chai Ling raised her eyes and looked at Zhao Yao in shock. Then her eyes were filled with tears and she sobbed, "Yao Lang, I... I didn't know. Daddy locked me up and didn't let me see you. He only let me out today. I thought Daddy had changed his mind, but I didn't expect that Daddy would actually ask you to cancel the engagement."

Chai Jing: “…”

housekeeper:"……"

Chai Ling hugged Zhao Yao tightly, her tears soaking Zhao Yao's clothes. Her pitiful appearance touched Zhao Yao's heart and he said, "I knew it wasn't what you meant, Ling'er."

Zhao Yao also hugged Chai Ling tightly.

Although Chai Jing was caught off guard by his daughter's words, he was relieved. At least there was still room for recovery.

He cooperated with Chai Ling's acting, with a serious face, and said: "Didn't I tell you to stay in the room? Who told you to come out? Go back now!"

"I won't." Chai Ling looked at Chai Jing stubbornly and said, "Dad, don't try to separate Yao Lang and me. I won't marry anyone but Yao Lang. If you insist on separating us, then... my daughter will have no choice but to die."

"Ling'er, don't." Zhao Yao didn't let Chai Ling do anything stupid.

"Rebellious girl." Chai Jing pointed at Chai Jing, his body trembling with anger: "You are threatening me."

"My daughter is just threatening you. Yaolang is infatuated with me, so of course I have to be infatuated with him as well and live up to Yaolang."

"Ling'er." Zhao Yao was very moved.

"Yaolang." Chai Ling turned and looked into Zhao Yao's eyes with affection.

"Are you trying to piss me off to death?" Chai Jing said angrily.

"My daughter doesn't dare. I just want you to fulfill my wish."

"You... that's all." Chai Jing sighed deeply and looked at Zhao Yao: "Girls grow up and cannot be kept. Zhao family boy, let me ask you, do you really love Ling'er and are willing to sacrifice your life for her?"

"Of course." Zhao Yao nodded heavily.

"Well, for Ling'er's sake, I will grant your wish, but you have to remember, if I find out that you bully Ling'er in the future, I will not let you off easily even if you bring up your sister." Chai Jing said.

"Uncle Chai, don't worry. I will never let Ling'er down." Zhao Yao was still just a young boy. Although he felt something strange, he never thought that Chai Ling was acting with him.

……

Chen Mo, who was far away in Tianchuan, had no idea what had happened to the Chai family.

At this moment, he was in the imperial study, drafting a plan for forming a cabinet.

But before that, he had to abolish the Secretariat and the Prime Minister.

Otherwise there will be a conflict between the two.

Chen Mo's plan mainly refers to the cabinet of the Ming Dynasty in previous life history.

Chen Mo formed him in order to reduce the burden on himself.

When the Ming Dynasty Cabinet was first established, it was only the emperor's personal secretary, which strengthened the monarchy.

In the past, the prime minister had the power of decision-making, political consultation and administration. After the establishment of the cabinet, the prime minister's decision-making power was firmly held in the hands of the emperor, the political consultation power was given to the cabinet, and the administrative power was given to the six ministries.

There are three departments at the local level, which are in charge of justice, military affairs and administration, and are directly responsible to the six ministries.

Later on, the cabinet's powers gradually increased.

Although the cabinet has its flaws, it is generally good.

Just as Chen Mo was making some modifications, Yue Ruyan, dressed in military uniform, walked in.

General Yue, who was once in Longyou, became a wife. Her cold, stern and heroic features became softer and gentler, and she also gained a bit of attractive charm. Her figure also became fuller, like a thorny rose.

"It's Ruyan, what's wrong?" Chen Mo waved at Yue Ruyan.

Yue Ruyan came to Chen Mo, but did not sit on his lap as Chen Mo wanted. Instead, she stood aside and said, "There's a letter from General Wu."

Chen Mo forcibly pulled Yue Ruyan to sit on his lap, put his arm around her waist and asked, "What did you say?"

"Sister Zhao Fei failed to persuade her father, so this war is probably unavoidable." Yue Ruyan said.

(End of this chapter)