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"Sister-in-law has a point. If that's the case, then take this string of bells with you. This is a soul-calling bell; if you encounter any spirits, it will make a sound. However, this bell cannot distinguish ghosts, so I cannot tell you if the one you meet is truly your Husband or son."
"What if the one I encounter is neither my Husband nor son? Am I supposed to bring something else home?"
"That is not impossible, but under normal circumstances, those things wouldn't be so bored as to randomly possess someone else." Xing Ruyi said, glancing at the woman before handing her the bell.
The bell looked quite ordinary, resembling something a child would play with. However, upon closer inspection, one could see that it was engraved with dense ghostly script. As for what the script said, Xing Ruyi vaguely remembered that a fox had shown it to her before, but at that time, she was completely distracted and didn't retain a single word.
The woman hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the string of bells.
"Remember, before it rings, you must return home. At that time, place the red dates you carry into your Husband's and son's mouths and gently call their names. Under normal circumstances, they should wake up. Once they are awake, boil these two sets of medicinal herbs I gave you in clean water and have them take the medicine separately. As for whether to continue using the medicine afterward, we can decide once they are awake."
The woman nodded without saying anything further.
Xing Ruyi glanced at the time; it was still early. There was nothing much for her to do at the Watchman's House. After giving A Niu some notes on what to pay attention to while shopping, she left.
Upon returning to Ruyi Rouge shop, she found the First Constable of the Capital, Chang Tai, busy attending to customers while Yin Yuan sat nearby leisurely gnawing on a chicken leg.
"You child, how can you sit here munching on chicken legs instead of helping Brother Chang?"
Xing Ruyi said as she rolled up her sleeves and looked around for an opportunity to squeeze behind the counter but was stopped by Yin Yuan's greasy hands tugging at her sleeve.
"Mother, don't you see what time it is? Even if you want to help, you should wait until Uncle Chang has sent this wave of customers away." Yin Yuan said while giving Xing Ruyi a meaningful look. "Besides, it's not that I don't want to help; it's just that these Aunt Shengs and Sister-in-laws see how good-looking I am and can't bear to let me work alongside them. A child should act like a child—sitting here watching the excitement and munching on chicken legs."
"What does that even mean?" Xing Ruyi asked in confusion. When she looked over at Chang Tai again, she suddenly understood what Yin Yuan meant.
These customers were not here to buy Rouge and Face Powder; they were clearly here for Brother Chang. Listening to those Aunt Shengs' questions made them sound just like matchmakers. It was fortunate that Brother Chang had such a good temperament; he was managing both their inquiries while also promoting her products.
"Where's Li Mao? Did he also see through this and sneak off to enjoy himself?"
"Not really." Yin Yuan spat out a chicken bone. "Li Mao left before these people arrived. If he knew there was excitement to be seen in our Rouge shop, he definitely wouldn't have gone out to watch someone else's fun."
"What's happening with others? Could it be that something new has occurred at the Yun Family Gathering that I don't know about?"
"The matter is indeed fresh, Mother, and you truly don't know," Yin Yuan teased. "At this Yun Family Gathering, a distinguished guest has arrived, and reportedly, he brought along a remarkably beautiful wife. Her surname is Mu, and she has an extremely elegant name: Mu Xi. Li Mao rushed out as soon as he heard those two names; he must have gone to see this beautiful General's Wife."
"General's Wife?"
"Yes, General's Wife." Yin Yuan blinked her eyes. "Not only is she a General's Wife, but she is also the wife of a highly accomplished General. I heard that this General is related to the Li Clan, belonging to a more distant branch of the Li Family. Moreover, his father served in the military but never in politics; during his lifetime, he only attended court three times.
The first time was for Emperor Gaozong Li Zhi's birthday. The current emperor, who was then Wu Zetian, secretly issued an edict to invite all Li Clan relatives to the capital to celebrate Gaozong's birthday. Naturally, this General's father was among them, so he had the rare opportunity to attend court and meet the emperor. However, this first visit did not leave any impression on Gaozong or Wu Zetian.
The second time was when Wu Zetian ascended to the throne and changed the country's name to Zhou. This General's father attended court again, still with many other Li Clan relatives. It is said that during that visit, most of the Li Clan relatives did not return home; they were first imprisoned in the capital and then subjected to various forms of execution or assassination. Many others died under unclear circumstances.
This General's father was one of the few who managed to return home. The reason Wu Zetian did not kill him was not only because he never interfered in political matters and belonged to a side branch of the Li Family, which posed no threat to Wu Zetian's regime but also because he allowed his only son—the current General—to take his mother's surname."
"He took his mother's surname? This General's father must be quite open-minded."
"When it comes to his child's life, what does a surname matter? Besides, with Wu Zetian on the throne, he no longer belongs to the Li Family's direct line. Even if the Li Family were in power at that time, aside from a so-called clan surname, they gained nothing substantial; their livelihood depended entirely on their achievements and salaries earned from fighting on the battlefield. Now, sacrificing a surname to protect his child's life is hardly significant."
"That's true."
Xing Ruyi nodded in agreement, feeling that her Yin Yuan's analytical skills were increasingly resembling her own.
Yin Yuan knew what Xing Ruyi was thinking and shot her a glance before continuing, "The third time is associated with our General. This General's father also grew up in a military camp and has some military achievements under his belt, but they are minor; in the eyes of those officials in the capital, he is just a small official. However, our General is different."
"You keep mentioning 'General'—this certainly doesn't seem like your usual style, which leads me to deduce that this General must have extraordinary military accomplishments."
"Absolutely!" Yin Yuan proudly lifted her chin. "I still hold great respect for those who are truly capable, like my Father Fox and Consort Ruyi."
"Enough about that; let's focus on this General you mentioned."
Seeing that Chang Tai was still busy and she had no intention of interrupting Chang Tai's 'good work,' Xing Ruyi helped herself to a plate of peanuts and another plate of dried fruits. She also fetched half a jug of Peach Blossom Wine she had brought from the Rouge Shop and pulled Yin Yuan aside to a quieter spot, fully adopting an attentive listener's demeanor.
Yin Yuan rolled her eyes at Xing Ruyi while continuing to tell her the story of the General.
"In the Year of Longevity, Tang Xiujing, the Governor of the Western Province, requested the Empress to reclaim the four towns of Kucha, Khotan, Shule, and Suyab that had been taken by the Tibetans. The Martial Emperor, who is also known as the Empress, after careful consideration, dispatched Wang Xiaojie, who had long been stationed in Tibet and understood its internal affairs, as the Wuwei Dao Supervisor. He led troops alongside Ashi Na Zhongjie, the Left General of the Left Wu Guard, to attack the Tibetans. Our General first made a name for himself in that war, gaining the favor and promotion from Wang Xiaojie. When he went to the capital for an appointment, he even specifically recommended him to Wu Zetian.
Although Wu Zetian trusted Wang Xiaojie greatly, she still had some doubts about those he recommended. Therefore, she sent someone to investigate. After thorough inquiries, it was discovered that this person was actually a relative of the Li Clan, but now did not bear the surname Li.
Whether it was to appease the remaining members of the Li Family, or for Wu Zetian to further consolidate her position, or perhaps for some political purpose, through Wang Xiaojie's recommendation, Wu Zetian began to intentionally promote this General. The reason why the General could stand out was not only due to his exceptional military skills but also because he was quite clever. He could roughly guess Wu Zetian's intentions, yet our General paid no mind; he fought when it was time to fight, accepted rewards when they were due, and rested when necessary. On the battlefield, he showed no airs of a "favored minister," charging at the front lines in every battle, even infiltrating enemy camps alone to take down enemy generals with his spear.
Perhaps in one or two battles, no one paid much attention, but after several campaigns accumulated, the General became well-known throughout the Golden Tang Dynasty. He was both a source of pride for the Li Clan Relatives and the most favored member of the Li Family in the heart of the Martial Emperor."
"How did such an illustrious General end up at the Yun Family Gathering?"
"Because the General fell ill!" Yin Yuan said with a somber tone, deliberately lowering her voice: "It is said that he contracted an illness during a military campaign. Now, not only can he not ride or shoot arrows, but even sitting down is somewhat difficult for him. Aware that he could no longer serve the court effectively, he earnestly requested permission from the court to retire from military service. The Martial Emperor did not make things difficult for him and agreed to his request to return home for recuperation while retaining his title as a great General. She even had a General's Residence built in his hometown and granted him a noble title that allowed for hereditary succession.
This time, the General is returning home with his wife. Not wanting to attract attention, they deliberately avoided major towns and chose this more remote route instead."
"I see!" Xing Ruyi sighed lightly. "What about the General's Wife? Is she really very beautiful?"
"Compared to me and my Father Fox, she might not be considered good-looking; however, compared to your mother, that's another story." Yin Yuan teased as she winked at Xing Ruyi: "By the way, has your mother returned from her outing? Has everything been taken care of?"
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