A major event occurred in early October.
Su Ming Feng, the Eldest Young Master Su, the heir of the Nan Ping Bo family in the Ding capital, suddenly came down with a serious illness and had to recuperate at home. Ping Nan Bo's heart ached for his favoured son, so he and his Fūrén stayed at home to take care of the Eldest Young Master Su, temporarily disregarding matters on the military horses. His Majesty bestowed some things to express his sympathy before arranging a new official to take over the management matters.
The people of Ding capital all sighed with regret over this turn of events. Eldest Young Master Su was a talented youth who had achieved great merit shortly after becoming an official, but just when his future seemed limitless and his rise meteoric, he suddenly succumbed to this serious illness. Even if one was a talented genius, if three to five years passed before his return, there would no longer be a foothold for him in court.
The commoners saw it as such, but his colleagues in court were uncertain. Some wise people said, "This isn't an illness, it is obviously avoiding a disaster. Originally, one would think that this Su family had been adding oil onto the blaze only to find out that the fire would burn them up. Who would have thought that they would see the situation clearly and take such a drastic measure to deal with it."
Shen Miao was pruning the Begonia flowers in the middle of the courtyard when these things reached her ears. These days in Guang Wen Tang, as everyone had something new to say about the Eldest Young Master Su, no one paid much attention to her. As a result, she had a few rare days of leisure.
"Xiǎojiě now likes all these plants." Gu Yu smiled as she said, "This Begonia flower blooms really well."
The deep red Begonia flower's petals gave a bit of colour to the bleakness of autumn. When she was the Empress, she was learning to manage the Inner Palace, helping Fu Xiu Yi win over the officials, was a hostage in Qin country and fought with Mei Fūrén. Most of the time she was living in the midst of manipulations and quarrels, how would she have the mood to casually prune flowers?
"Do you know why the Begonia blossoms so brilliantly?" She asked.
Even though Gu Yu did not understand why her Young Lady would ask such a question, she still replied with a smile, "This is from the seeds that the steward bought from outside. It was said that they were expensive seeds. Fūrén also praised that this type of Begonia looks particularly good in the autumn."
Shen Miao gently shook her head.
How would that be the reason?
Just like the Palace, the land is cold and gloomy, even the flowers outside the Cold Palace were all exquisite. It was because under those flowers laid many bones. In this world, there would always be the darkest reasons for the brightest things.
The Su family has realised this principle. What would they do now?
She smiled slightly.
*****
In the residence of Ping Nan Bo.
The courtyard of Eldest Young Master Su was so tightly guarded that other than the close servants and family, no one else could enter. One could only smell the heavy scent of medication as Master Su closed the doors to all guests and refused to see any outsiders.
As the good friend of the Su heir, little Marquis Xie naturally paid the sick person a visit.
The Xie family's carriage was parked outside the Su residence and the servants were moving the herbs down in great difficulty. These herbs were all placed in wooden boxes and it could be seen that the little Marquis had very good intentions towards his good friend.
In the study, Su Ming Feng wore a green robe. Other than some weight loss, his spirit was as energetic as usual, where were the traces of a serious illness?
The brocade clad youth who was facing him tightened his brows and asked, "Avoiding a disaster?"
"Exactly." Su Ming Feng glanced at his good friend and sighed, "Now you see that the Su family's situation is getting better and better even as it has had an unbroken streak for generations. Thus, with regard to the matters on the military horses, there should not be any further promotions. But Bìxià did not suppress, but instead flattered the Su family."
"You also made a contribution." Xie Jing Xing reminded him.
"It was because of the meritorious contribution that Diē and I had become rather complacent and forgot the danger hidden behind it. When the merits get too big, it becomes a curse. The things I said, you understand. But because the Su family was in the situation, one's eyes would be obscured by a single leaf. Now that everything has become clear, one must rein in the horse at the edge of the precipice as it is just too dangerous."
"Doing this is also good." Xie Jing Xing nodded his head, "But you now need to stay at home for a few years in vain."
"I only want the Su family to be safe and sound," Su Ming Feng stated. "Enough talking about me, how about talking about you? Su family and Xie family enjoy the ups and downs together. Since the Su family has acted in the nick of time, your Xie family…" He did not continue on.
Xie Jing Xing's eyebrows rose, "What can he do to me if I do not serve as an official? There is only one Marquis of Lin An in the Xie family, he has to take into account everyone's words."
Xie Jing Xing and Su Ming Feng were different. Because of the Su family, Su Yu had gotten his son to serve as an official early on. But Xie Jing Xing did not do so, therefore he only had a leisure post to his name. Many campaigns that he went on with Xie Ding was only as a family member. Even if the Imperial family wanted to suppress the Xie family, they would not beat down a son that would not take over the family clan.
"You do have deep plans and distant thoughts." Su Ming Feng could not help but laugh.
"I did not do it to guard against him." Xie Jing Xing lazily said.
He truly did not guard against the Imperial family, he simply did it to go against his father.
"However," he frowned and suddenly turned the conversation around, "How did you suddenly figure out this matter. The previous times that I had reminded you, you did not take it to heart."
Su Ming Feng bowed his head in shame, "Emotions ran high and one became complacent, so how would one think that much. This time it was all thanks to my Èr dìdì."
"Your Èr dìdì?" Xie Jing Xing, who was leaning against the chair lazily, sat up straight as a look flashed in his eyes, "That glutinous rice dumpling?"
That Su Ming Lang was a stupid dumpling and that was nothing strange, but how was he able to remind the Su family of these matters unless he had taken the wrong medicine?
Su Ming Feng explained the ins and outs of everything before saying, "If it wasn't Èr dìdì who acted without thinking, maybe we would have walked into a disaster?"
"Acted without thinking?" Xie Jing Xing murmured to himself.
Just at that time, a tender voice sounded, "Dàgē, Mǔqīn let me bring you some snacks."
Su Ming Lang was carrying a flower-shaped pastry as he walked in with his short little legs. He looked like a round, glutinous ball and his mouth was covered with a lot of crumbs. He had apparently been secretly eating a lot of it on the way over.
These days, because of his inadvertent reminder, the Su family changed their tactics and even Master Su, who was most satisfied with him, for the first time felt that his son would 'be a powerful person', was 'intelligent and nimble' and that 'great intelligence may appear to be stupid'. Su Fūrén also made a lot of food for him to eat and, in just a short few days, Su Ming Lang had grown even rounder.
When he saw that Xie Jing Xing was still present, he could not help but to lower his voice. He did not know why, but he was always somewhat afraid of this handsome friend of his Eldest Brother.
Su Ming Lang placed the snacks on the table and turned to run away after saying, "Dàgē, I am leaving." He did not think that someone would grab a hold of his collar.
He turned back and saw the brocade clad youth gently squat down and pat his head with a pair of vivid and smiling eyes, but his eye expression was incomparably cold.
He asked, "Who taught you that sentence?"
Su Ming Lang stared wide-eyed.
"Boil the hound once the rabbit is caught." Xie Jing Xin smiled extremely wickedly.