Xie Ming

Chapter 832 Nighttime Narration

I was on duty in my room late at night, on a cold night.

Ma Minglu leaned over to fold the book, and just then, the charcoal brazier in the corner was about to burn out, and wisps of cold air quietly crept up through the cracks in the floor.

Minglu felt a chill and quickly tightened his fox fur coat.

He had a military report from Huaibei in his hand, urging payment of grain and fodder, but the supply was insufficient. Furthermore, he had a falling out with the grain officials in the Zhenjiang area, and they were exchanging accusations and impeachments.

He was so annoyed by this matter that he pondered it over and over again, and the writing under the lamp became increasingly blurred.

Suddenly, a gust of white wind blew outside.

The biting north wind howled and wailed as it swept through the glazed tiles of the palace walls and halls.

A cold crescent moon hung in the sky above the dragon's head, its pale light causing the remaining snow on the white marble railings to be torn away layer by layer.

"Oh dear, the charcoal is almost gone."

"Changfu? Changfu, huh?"

Inside the house, before committing the crime, Qi Gang tilted his head, shrank his neck, glanced at the charcoal brazier, and quickly called out to the outside.

Hearing a creak from inside, the door opened, and a blast of cold air rushed in before anyone else could get in.

"Hey, Minister Qi, I'm here."

He immediately knocked on the door from the inside, and Sun Changfu, who was on duty outside, answered steadily.

"Go and get some more charcoal; the fire needs to be put out."

Seeing the situation, Qi Gang pointed with his finger and gave the order.

Following his words, Changfu looked up and repeatedly apologized.

"Oh dear, it was my oversight, a momentary lapse in judgment."

Of course, Qi and Ma were not people who bullied their subordinates. After all, it was freezing cold and they had to rush to the festival. They had already suffered while serving outside, so it was understandable that they couldn't take care of everything properly. How could we be too harsh on them?

"Hehe, it's alright, just go get some to fill it up."

"Oh, right, bring two more bowls of hot tea."

With a smile on his face, Qi Gang spoke politely and asked for more tea.

"Yes, yes, I've got it."

Seeing this attitude, Changfu was pleased and decided to work diligently and not go against his wishes.

Then he saw Eunuch Sun pull the door open and go out, glancing back at Minglu's place.

"Hey, alright, alright, stop fiddling with the wick."

“It’s past midnight outside. We should take a break and catch our breath.”

After relaxing, Qi Gang stretched and yawned.

After hearing this, Scholar Ma finally emerged from the pile of old papers.

"Oh, right, the clock is striking outside."

Just after midnight, the palace began its night watch. There was a custom of ringing the bell in the front hall, not to disturb the emperor's rest in the rear hall, but specifically for those on duty.

As he spoke, Qi Gang reached into his robes and began to rummage around, his movements becoming increasingly refined, unlike his previous rough and clumsy demeanor in the army.

"Here, here, I brought some snacks with me in case I got hungry later."

"Try the tea cakes from Guifengzhai, they're filled with fresh meat."

A paper package was placed on the table, containing two small pastries, which looked quite exquisite.

"Oh, right, there are more here, hehe, these are two pieces of Dingsheng cake."

"You like something sweet, this one has really good red bean paste filling, you can have this one."

"Come"

After a flurry of activity, a quick glance revealed that Minglu was still in the same spot, unmoved.

So Qi Gang waved his hand again to urge him on.

"Hey, stop fussing. No matter how important the matter is, a little extra time won't make a difference."

"Besides, it's a major holiday, and it's already past midnight. If we keep staying up like this, we'll ruin our eyesight."

"There's still a long road ahead, and we'll have to come back sometimes."

Only after Qi Gang urged him did Ma Minglu finally stop what he was doing. He shook his head helplessly, exhaled a breath of stale air, and sat down at the table.

"Hehehe, yes, yes, yes."

"I'm not doing that anymore, ouch, my old back is killing me."

Obviously, after always hunching over and moving things around, suddenly straightening up makes my whole body ache terribly.

Minglu, clutching his back and grimacing, found a stool and sat down.

"I told you to take it easy," Qi Gang said reproachfully, pushing the paper package in front of him. "You know what, I'm actually hungry. Have a taste."

Ma Minglu stretched out his hands, his wide robe sleeves sliding down to his elbows, and grabbed something and stuffed it into his mouth.

Before long, the eunuch Sun Changfu returned with a tray of hot tea.

He put down the tea, turned to the doorway, and then quietly carried a charcoal basket to the fire pit. Without saying much, he simply added charcoal to the pit and tended to it to make it burn brighter.

"Hey, slow down, slow down, or you'll choke."

"Here, have some hot tea to help you digest."

"To refresh myself, too."

Ma Minglu was used to wielding a ladle in his military camp, and his eating manners were certainly not elegant.

I probably wouldn't be able to taste the flavor of either of the two pieces of Ding Sheng Gao (a type of rice cake), so I just stuffed them both into my mouth and swallowed them whole.

Seeing his disheveled state after choking, Qi Gang was speechless and quickly pushed the teacup to Minglu's side again.

"Oh, by the way, I ran into Changting the other day. I heard your old man is coming?" she casually mentioned.

Minglu, after drinking the tea, felt better.

Upon hearing that it was Qi Gang who spoke about this, Deng Ran's expression suddenly became somewhat awkward, and he glanced at him with a wry smile.

"kindness?"

"Hey, that was more than two weeks ago."

“My mother wrote to say that there have been soldiers and bandits in our area recently, and it’s really bad.”

“My father’s old illness has just healed, and he shouldn’t be out here doing this in the freezing cold.”

"There has long been a desire to come from the south, and the land has never been peaceful."

"It's finally the dead of winter, and the noise of fighting and killing outside has subsided."

"I figured I should take advantage of this opportunity and get on the road as soon as possible."

Minglu didn't intend to hide anything. Since you asked, he told you the whole truth.

Upon hearing this, Qi Gang, preoccupied with many thoughts, glanced again at Sun Changfu, who was squatting nearby.

Eunuch Sun didn't look up, probably because he couldn't stand his expression.

But, after all, he was working in the palace, and when he spoke with people from both sides, he suddenly stopped there and made a decision. How could he not know why?

So, he quickly gathered up his tools and tried to back away.

In the blink of an eye, their eyes met Qi Gang's, and they nodded to each other without needing to exchange any more words.

After Changfu left the room, Qi Gang then began to speak.

"Oh?"

How many members of your family came with you?

"From Shanxi to here, it's a long way of two or three thousand miles."

“It’s not feasible for me. I’ve left some people in various places, but most of them are in Shandong where we can provide support.”

"You know that, right?"

"Coming from Shanxi, once we reach the border of Henan, with Pei Zhong's help, the journey should be relatively easy."

"However, the part before that..."

"If that doesn't work, you should talk to Chief Justice Qiu. He'll definitely have a foolproof solution."

Qi Gang's words were quite practical, without much pretense, and he immediately came to discuss ideas and plans.

After speaking, Minglu looked worried, showing no joy or anticipation at seeing his parents again, which surprised Ling Qigang.

"I know, I already told him."

"Oh, my father!"

"It would have been better if he hadn't come. With his arrival, my good days are probably coming to an end."

With a long sigh, Ma Minglu felt a mix of emotions.

Qi Gang was unaware of the details, so he simply offered a polite remark.

"Hey, what kind of talk is that?"

"Now that the South is at peace, you are rising rapidly in rank."

"It's not unreasonable to bring the old man here so he can enjoy his retirement."

(End of this chapter)