Chapter 659: Chapter 242: We Are Still Young
Before they knew it, the end of the year was upon them. Just a few days before the New Year, Xu Shizai and his family unexpectedly returned to Capital City. This was truly the most joyful news imaginable. At this point, Xu Shiling felt a pang of regret. Before coming to Capital City, he should have brought his own family along too. A grand family reunion would have made this New Year perfect.
It wasn’t just Xu Shizai who had arrived; Sheng Mingchuan had also come to Capital City. His return to the capital to report on his official duties was of critical importance this time. Fortunately, with the active lobbying of the Royalist Party, everything went quite smoothly overall.
Before the palace sealed the imperial brushes for the holidays on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, Sheng Mingchuan’s succession as the governor of Heyuan Province was finally finalized. Because of pressure from above, the Ministry of Personnel even managed to rush through all the procedures in just a single morning.
This was only because Your Majesty had specifically kept Sheng Mingchuan in Capital City for the New Year. Otherwise, he could have ridden straight back to Heyuan Province to assume his new post right away. But since Your Majesty had kept him and specifically instructed him to attend this year’s New Year’s Eve palace banquet, Sheng Mingchuan couldn’t leave just yet.
A provincial governor was considered a prominent regional official—a position of immense power. Sheng Mingchuan was staying at the Sheng Family’s residence in Capital City. The house wasn’t large, consisting of only three courtyards, but calling cards poured in like a blizzard every day, easily filling two large baskets at the front door. Even the calling cards sent by wealthy nobles were numerous enough to fill several heavy boxes. However, Sheng Mingchuan declined as many of these social engagements and visits as he possibly could. The only invitation he gladly accepted was a banquet hosted by the Xu family.
The twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month was the day the Xu family hosted their banquet for Sheng Mingchuan. On this day, Mr. Xu wasn’t at home; he had gone into the palace.
Although the palace was officially closed for the holidays, urgent matters concerning major disasters or the stability of the state still had to be handled. As it turned out, remnants of the previous dynasty were causing trouble again. This faction, operating under the name of the Hongshan Old Mother Sect, was recruiting followers everywhere. The local officials had ignored the threat and taken no action. Worse still, some harbored ulterior motives or had even been recruited by the sect themselves, allowing the Hongshan Old Mother Sect to grow into a formidable force.
Taking advantage of the approaching New Year, they were slaughtering their way toward the Capital. A mere mob, of course, couldn’t mount a true rebellion. However, they disguised themselves as ordinary commoners and blended into the villages, launching surprise attacks from time to time. This left the people in a state of constant panic. If this continued, how could the situation be contained?
Even though it was the New Year, and reporting such matters to the Emperor would ruin his mood, this was a matter concerning the stability of the state. How could they possibly hide it?
It was actually for the best that Mr. Xu had gone to the palace. Otherwise, as an elder—both in age and official rank, he was Sheng Mingchuan’s senior. Yet, the age gap between the two wasn’t very large, only a few years, making them technically of the same generation. Moreover, since Sheng Mingchuan was best friends with Xu Shiniang, he would have had to greet Mr. Xu with the etiquette of a junior, which would have been somewhat awkward.
On the day Sheng Mingchuan visited, the Xu family took the occasion extremely seriously. The old madam, who hadn’t managed household affairs in a long time, got up early in the morning to direct the maids and older female servants in sweeping the courtyards and preparing the feast.
Seeing this, Xu Su Ying and Mrs. Guo couldn’t help but laugh. They joked that at her age, running around so frantically just because her maternal grandson’s future in-law was visiting might make outsiders say she lacked composure if word got out. The old madam didn’t care what they said and continued to do exactly what she needed to do.
When the younger generation came to pay their respects, the old madam earnestly instructed De’an on how to show respect to his future father-in-law, how to speak with proper measure, and how to remain courteous without breaching etiquette. She lectured De’an as if he were a three-year-old child. What could De’an do? He could only agree with a bitter smile.
A little later, Sheng Mingchuan arrived at the door, bringing numerous gifts. He personally came to pay his respects to the old madam. The old madam greeted him warmly the moment she saw him and said sincerely that Mr. Xu had gone to the palace, otherwise he would have shared a drink with him today. Sheng Mingchuan respectfully replied that state affairs were paramount, and once he had free time, he would visit to share a drink with the Cabinet minister.
After chatting, Xu Shiniang, his two brothers, and Chen Song led Sheng Mingchuan to the front courtyard. Xu Yanlin, Xu Yanhe, Zhao Jing, De’an, and Xu Shizai’s two sons followed along.
At a glance, it was a massive crowd of people. The family’s descendants were truly flourishing. Seeing this, Sheng Mingchuan felt extremely envious. He didn’t envy other families for their high official ranks or generous salaries; to him, an abundance of offspring was the greatest blessing of all.
Xu Shiniang noticed his emotional state and jokingly teased, "There is no need to be envious. These are your nephews and your son-in-law, too. As their uncle and father-in-law, you can beat or punish them as you see fit. If they dare say a single word of complaint, watch me beat them to a pulp."