Fierce “Husband”

Just after dawn, the heavy gates of the capital slowly opened and all kinds of people waiting outside the city to enter it, entered in an orderly manner. Among the crowd was a carriage that had arrived late at night and was waiting since then. After a while, the carriage stopped and a young servant slave got off first and went in another direction. The carriage continued on for two streets before arriving at the capital’s Zuiyuan Street, where the important officials and relatives of the imperial family lived. Then the carriage stopped in front of a large mansion with a plaque written in gold letters on the door that read, ‘Shi Xue Weng Mansion’.

The carriage stopped at the main gate and one person got down from the carriage to knock on the door. A servant opened the vermilion red door and after the two sides exchanged some words, the servant opened the door. After instructing another person to inform his master, he hurriedly went down the stairs to lead the carriage himself. 

The house of Weng, was the residence of Master Weng, the teacher of emperors of the last two dynasties. In his later years, the former emperor indulged his favorite concubine and listened to slanderous rumors, making the court chaotic and the country in turmoil. People were poor, but then Master Weng saved the day by assisting the then crown prince, now Emperor Yongming, to keep his position as crown prince among the other imperial sons and successfully ascended the throne. After that, Master Weng retired to the capital to select talented people for the court and share the worries of the emperor. His loyalty and righteousness won the trust of Emperor Yongming.

Master Weng had just got up not long ago when he was surprised to hear from his housekeeper about his student Jiang Kangning’s visit. Jiang Kangning was working as a county magistrate in Yongxiu County, so why did he suddenly come to the capital? Those who worked outside for the government were not allowed to enter the capital without the emperor’s personal summons, even if Jiang Kangning himself was from the capital. 

Master Weng immediately realized that there must be something big happening on Jiang Kangning’s side, so he immediately ordered the housekeeper to bring Jiang Kangning to his study.  Master Weng went to the study and had just sat down when Jiang Kangning arrived, followed by several servants, carrying two wine barrels and two large bamboo boxes. Jiang Kangning bowed to his teacher just as Master Weng opened his mouth and asked, “Kangning, what happened? Why did you enter the capital so hastily?”

“Adopted Father, this son has something important to report. I also didn’t feel comfortable leaving this matter to others, so I came to the capital privately.” Jiang Kangning said and took out a thick book from his arms and presented it with both hands. Elder Weng cautiously took it, letting Jiang Kangning sit as he ordered his servant to serve tea and breakfast. Outsiders only knew that Jiang Kangning was Master Weng’s favorite pupil, but the people in the court knew that Jiang Kangning was also actually Master Weng’s righteous son.

Jiang Kangning had not slept almost all night, but he looked extraordinarily energetic. Master Weng saw his energetic expression, so he was sure that nothing bad had happened and began to read with confidence. After reading a few lines he looked at Jiang Kangning in surprise and started to read more seriously. His servant soon served tea and food and Jiang Kangning who was very hungry, seeing his righteous father not wanting to eat did not restrain himself as he ate and drank. By the time Jiang Kangning finished eating and drinking, Master Weng was still savoring the readings, clapping the table from time to time and shouting, “Good, good!”

Jiang Kangning sent someone to take away the empty plates and asked the servant to bring the best spring water from the house. Then he took out a tea set and jar of tea from one of the boxes he had brought.

After he finished reading, Master Weng looked brightly at Jiang Kangning and said, “It’s excellent! Kangning, what did you think of that? Did you bring the tea?” Jiang Kangning brought the tea set and tea jar to the long table in front of his father. “Father, I am ashamed, but these thoughts did not come from your son.”

“Hmm? What?” The people who came to visit Master Weng early in the morning were all stopped outside by the housekeeper, who only said that his Master had important business to attend to and was unable to see guests. Inside Master Weng’s study, the fragrance of tea rose up. Tasting a mouthful, Master Weng squinted his eyes with pleasure once again and lamented, “I didn’t expect these most wonderful ideas to come from  a farmer’s son, I am ashamed, so ashamed.”

Jiang Kangning said, “That Shao Yunan is indeed a brilliant man. He already had contact with Wei Hongwen’s subordinates and even after I told him of Wei Hongwen’s identity, he still insisted on giving the tea and wine business to my brother, saying only that he recognized me, not caring that the other person was a son of a marquis. He also said that he wanted me to be his backer.” Master Weng laughed. “This person is not only a splendid person, but also a little fox.”

“Hehe…” Master Weng tasted his tea again and asked, “This wine… quickly pour a cup for your father.” Jiang Kangning was helpless. “Righteous father, you have not yet eaten anything since the early hours of morning.” Master Weng glared. “Then why don’t you quickly call for food for your father?” Jiang Kangning quickly asked someone to bring breakfast and then personally remade a cup of tea for his father. When Master Weng looked at the jars of tea his eyes glowed, but it was a great pity that there was just so little. 

After a hasty breakfast, Master Weng immediately asked Jiang Kangning to pour him wine. While he was eating his meal, Jiang Kangning first decanted the wine, so after just a sip, Master Weng’s eyes glazed over. Then he looked at the two barrels of wine, as hungry as a wolf looking at fat and tender sheep. Jiang Kangning hurriedly said, “Father, I only brought these two barrels of wine to the capital and I have to send them to the emperor for tasting.”

“Why didn’t you bring more?!” Jiang Kangning once again answered helplessly. “I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to sell them for a single copper coin if I bought them all. Father, the wine child brought this time is mainly for the emperor to try to see if he wants to make money with it, next year there will be enough for you too.”

“You said it!”  

“Just like this child said, Yunan is this righteous son’s brother, so my own wine and tea will be no less than yours. But father, you can’t drink any more. Too much of this wine and it will quickly go to your head. You still have to help this son meet the emperor. I also came to the capital privately this time.”

“I won’t get drunk with just one more cup! Don’t worry, the emperor will never punish you. There is just too little of this wine.”

“…” Jiang Kangning did not want to say that the person who said the exact same thing last time was Elder Cen. Hearing that his imperial teacher was requesting an audience, the Yongming Emperor, who had just left the court, immediately summoned him. Then Master Weng entered the imperial study with a jar of tea in one hand and a small jar of goat milk wine in the other. The eunuch walking behind him carried a bamboo box. The Yongming Emperor asked Master Weng to sit down as soon as he came in. 

Master Weng was an imperial teacher of two dynasties and he was an instrumental person in Emperor Yongming’s successful ascension to the throne. But Master Weng was never arrogant and always remained as a loyal minister who wholeheartedly assisted and supported Emperor Yongming, making Emperor Yongming trust him even more. 

Master Weng sat down and asked a servant to bring the best water in the palace, saying that he wanted to make tea. Emperor Yongming smilingly looked at Master Weng and instructed the eunuch to fetch the water as he curiously asked, “I see that the spirit of the imperial teacher is very high today, is it because you come to specially drink tea with me? Coincidentally, I just got some good tea and was about to order someone to send it to you.”

Master Weng put the two jars in his hand on the table and started selling. “Your Majesty, this teacher came here to invite the emperor to drink tea. I also dare to say that Your Majesty’s tea is definitely not as good as the tea I bought.”

“Oh? I think that the tea in my hands is the best tea in my Great State of Yan. Could teacher have better tea than the emperor himself?”

“Of course. There is not only good tea, but also good wine. Your Majesty is so diligent in government affairs that he needs to relax once in a while. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, I never had a chance to sit down with Your Majesty to drink tea and wine.” A touch of nostalgia appeared in the emperor’s eyes. “Yes. Then I must have a good taste of this ‘good tea’ and ‘good wine’ today. Someone, I have something important to discuss with the imperial teacher so don’t interrupt us.”

“Yes.” Jiang Kangning waited outside the palace. With his status, unless he was summoned by the emperor he was not qualified to meet with him even if he was the righteous son of Master Weng. When Jiang Kangning suddenly entered the capital, all the officials and dignitaries who paid attention to Master Weng and the emperor would soon get this news. Especially since Master Weng entered the palace immediately after Jiang Kangning entered the capital, so people begin to speculate on the deeper meaning of this. 

It was past noon, and Jiang Kangning was not hungry since he had eaten something before coming here, knowing that he might have to wait for a long time. With the help of his righteous father, the emperor will definitely summon him, but he was not sure when that would happen. Shao Yunan hoped that he could pull the two big gods as backers and Jiang Kangning also did not hesitate to try it. If this matter really went according to his and Shao Yunan’s intentions… thinking of his brother, Jiang Kangning clenched his fist. County magistrate was just a cornerstone and one day he would become the prime minister at the top!

“Is this Yongxiu County magistrate, Jiang Kangning?” A supervising eunuch approached and asked. Jiang Kangning’s spirit shook as he greeted him. “This humble one is exactly that.”

“The emperor has summoned you for an audience, Lord Jiang please accompany us.”

“After you eunuch.” Jiang Kangning stuffed a small silver ingot to the other party and suppressed the boiling blood in his body.