ROHYX Chapter 656 : A Pleasant Surprise

Huo Changqing felt a bit of a headache. Women were just troublesome. They could create problems out of thin air for no reason. Alas, this i...

Huo Changqing felt a bit of a headache. Women were just troublesome. They could create problems out of thin air for no reason. Alas, this is why it's better not to take a wife.

Calling Xu Wu over, Huo Changqing said, "Write a letter to Gao Song and ask him to keep an eye on things. Make sure Yun Qing doesn't have any contact with other women. If he can't keep them at bay, write back and tell me."

Xu Wu let out a surprised 'Ah!', but quickly caught on and said, "Yifu¹, the General is so busy to the point of being unable to split his body²—how could he have time to get involved with any women? Yifu¹, could it be that Madam heard some idle gossip and came crying to you?" He had just heard from a servant boy that when Madam went out, her eyes were swollen and red.

Huo Changqing replied, "No, but it's still better to prevent such things before they happen." Given Han Shi's temperament, if Yun Qing dared to take a concubine outside, their marriage would be as good as over. If the couple fell out, it would undoubtedly allow outsiders to exploit the situation. He felt it was better for him to intervene for the sake of future peace and stability in the household.

Xu Wu asked in surprise, "Yifu¹, what did Madam say to you?"

Huo Changqing briefly summarised what Yuxi had said: "She's capable of wearing herself sick over something that isn't even remotely true. If Yun Qing does take a concubine outside, either the family will break apart, or the couple will turn against each other into bitter enemies." Neither outcome was something he wished to see.

Xu Wu suddenly understood. No wonder he had felt that Madam's mental state had been off lately. So that was the reason! "Yifu¹, I will remind Gao Song about this matter. But I think Madam is worrying needlessly. How could the General possibly be taking a concubine outside!"

Huo Changqing also thought Yuxi was a remarkably broad-minded person, but this incident had changed his view. "No matter how clever Han Shi is, she's still a woman." And an extremely jealous one at that.

Xu Wu, however, had a different opinion from Huo Changqing. "If Madam didn't care about the General, she wouldn't be so anxiously fretting over gains and losses³. Yifu¹, don't you think so?"

Huo Changqing didn't respond to Xu Wu's comment, but instead inquired, "I remember you telling me that an old woman came to seek refuge with Han Shi. Is this old woman Han Shi's momo?"

Xu Wu nodded. "Yes. Her surname is Quan, and she's from Yanzhou, Shaanxi. She was sent into the Imperial Palace as a maid at the age of six and left at thirty-two. After leaving the palace, she was hired by the Duke Han's household to serve as the Madam's momo."

Huo Changqing said, "This woman is no ordinary person." She had only arrived that morning, yet by the afternoon, Han Shi had come to apologise to him. How could such a coincidence exist?

Xu Wu's expression turned serious as he said, "Yifu¹, are you suggesting this woman is suspicious? I was wondering myself—how did she manage to seek out Madam at just the right time?"

Huo Changqing shook his head. "Not necessarily. Han Shi isn't a fool; if she thought that woman was suspicious, she wouldn't have kept her in the inner courtyard. I just think this woman is very skilful." Moreover, they all knew Han Shi's mental state had been off lately. But he had only thought it was because she was displeased about him letting Zaozao learn martial arts. He hadn't expected that she had drilled herself into an ox's horn tip⁴. Yet none of them had noticed anything wrong with Han Shi for so long, whereas Quan Shi had noticed right away as soon as she arrived. That was impressive.

Hearing this, Xu Wu smiled and said, "Madam was taught by her. As the saying goes, a renowned master produces outstanding disciples⁵, so this Momo Quan must be quite impressive, too."

Huo Changqing grunted in acknowledgement. "With this woman at Han Shi's side, we'd better tread carefully in the future." He would rather Han Shi confront him with an aggressive, pressing aura while negotiating terms than see her wiping away tears and apologising as if he were bullying her. Alas, I admit I might have a little tendency to bully others.

Xu Wu's eyes flashed with a smile upon hearing this. Of course, he knew—his Yifu¹ was the type of person who would eat the soft, not the hard⁶. Just look: Madam had just run over to his Yifu¹, cried a little, and Yifu¹ had agreed to help keep an eye on the General so he wouldn't go touching flowers and stirring up grass⁷. But, on second thought, Madam's momo was really impressive!

Xu Wu was a tactful man who knew how to handle things; naturally, he wouldn't go against anything Huo Changqing instructed him to do. Moreover, he pretended to be indifferent and informed Yuxi of the task assigned to him by Huo Changqing.

Returning to the back courtyard, Yuxi first went to check on Liu-er. Seeing Momo Quan there as well, she smiled and asked, "Momo, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Momo Quan replied, "At my age, if I sleep too much during the day, I won't be able to sleep at night. I heard from Mama Qu that you went to the front courtyard to see Old Master Huo." In front of outsiders, Momo Quan never overstepped propriety.

Yuxi nodded. "I went to apologise to Uncle Huo for what happened last time." Earlier, she had drilled herself into an ox's horn tip⁴, causing her mind to be muddled, leading her to foolishly try to negotiate terms with Huo Changqing. Who was Huo Changqing? Not only had he done great favours for Yun Qing, but he was also the Yifu¹ of Feng Dajun, Du Zhengfeng, and others. Feng Dajun and Du Zheng were Yun Qing's closest aides—men capable of holding their own in the outside world—yet even they had to act with the utmost respect in front of Huo Changqing.

Fortunately, she had once saved Huo Changqing's life; otherwise, given her actions, she would probably have fallen out with him. In a dispute with Huo Changqing, she would undoubtedly be the one to suffer.

Momo Quan nodded. "This counts as a hurdle for you—once you step over it, you'll be fine." Everyone had their vulnerable moments, but as long as one realised it in time and corrected it, everything would be fine.

Yuxi also felt it had been a close call. Thankfully, Momo had arrived in time to wake her up. Otherwise, she would surely have suffered a significant loss.

Momo Quan smiled. "I find myself getting along well with this girl Liu-er. Mama Lan can't do everything on her own, so I'll lend her a hand from now on." Calling it 'getting along' was an understatement; it was more like saying she felt sorry for her.

Yuxi was more than happy—how could she possibly object?

Momo Quan handed Yuxi a list of medicinal herbs and told her, "Have someone go and buy these herbs, and make sure to select them according to the specifications." She had even marked on the list how old each herb needed to be.

Yuxi quickly glanced through the list and said, "Momo, I'm afraid these herbs can't all be gathered in Yu City. We'll need to go to Xinping City to purchase them."

Momo Quan didn't say much; a few more days wouldn't make a difference. "You've had your share of hardships living here these past few years." If even buying medicinal herbs was this difficult, there was no need to mention anything else.

Yuxi smiled and said, "Though life has been a bit hard, it's still freer than in the capital. Besides, in two or three months we'll be heading to Haocheng, and after that we'll be able to buy whatever we need."

News of Momo Quan's arrival had spread to those who needed to know. Er Nainai⁸ Zhao came to visit Momo Quan and, lowering her voice, said to Yuxi, "Yuxi, forgive me for saying something you might not like, but isn't it strange that this Momo Quan didn't come earlier or later, but chose to come right at this moment? Could she have some hidden agenda?" Even if Momo Quan had no other motives, she must be aiming for a life of wealth and honour. Otherwise, why didn't she come when Yuxi was struggling, but suddenly appeared when success was now in sight?

Yuxi smiled slightly and responded, "I know fully why Momo has come."

Seeing this reaction, Er Nainai⁸ Zhao said no more, as doing so would make it seem as though she was trying to cause trouble. "Yuxi, speaking of which, this Momo Quan is really stern. Just looking at her makes my heart shrink."

Yuxi recalled the first time she had learned proper etiquette and had seen Momo's stern face. Smiling, she said, "Back then, learning manners from Momo felt like shedding a layer of skin⁹."

After muttering about household matters, Er Nainai⁸ Zhao brought up some news from outside to Yuxi. "I heard that quite a few officers over there have taken concubines. That Feng Dajun reportedly took two. Yuxi, you'd better keep your eyes open about this; don't let yourself be hidden inside a drum¹⁰."

Yuxi let out a soft laugh. "The sky is high and the Emperor is far away¹¹; How could I possibly guard against such things?" If it had been before, hearing this *would have made her overthink, but now, she had let it go.

Er Nainai⁸ Zhao sighed in frustration. "Alas, while we sit at home worrying ourselves sick, they're out there having a carefree, indulgent time."

Upon hearing this news, Yuxi asked, "Don't tell me Second Master Zhao has also taken a concubine out there?"

Er Nainai⁸ Zhao shook her head. "My husband hasn't, but my Dabaizi¹² has. My Dasao¹³ was furious when she found out." The Zhao family didn't encourage taking concubines. Since Da Nainai¹⁴ Zhao had given birth to two sons, Zhao Hao had not taken any concubines.

Yuxi didn't express any opinion and said, "With things like this, one can only come to terms with it oneself." If a man wanted to take a concubine, even if the wife cried, made a scene, or even threatened to hang herself, it would still be useless.

As the two were speaking, Gancao came over and reported, "Madam, Guard Xu requests an audience."

Yuxi stood up and told Er Nainai⁸ Zhao, "Wait here for a moment; I'll be right back." If Xu Wu had come, there would certainly have been something important.

Er Nainai⁸ Zhao watched Yuxi's departing figure with a trace of envy. She had heard many rumours about other generals taking concubines, but none about Yun Qing. Given his current status, he didn't even need to seek them out — if he wished, beauties would be sent to him automatically. The fact that he hadn't taken any concubines himself showed that he didn't want to.

Xu Wu had brought a letter from Yun Qing. Yun Qing's letter was quite long this time, spanning more than ten pages. He talked about the situation in the northwest and his own recent affairs, and finally asked whether she had suffered any grievances, urging her not to keep them to herself.

After reading the letter, a faint smile appeared on Yuxi's face. This big brute had finally shown some attentiveness for once—a pleasant surprise indeed.

Xu Wu carefully asked, "Madam, the General asked me in his letter whether you've been wronged. Madam, do you think we should tell him about this matter?"

Yuxi shook her head. "I'll talk to him about this myself." The root of the problem actually lay with Yun Qing—Huo Changqing had just happened to walk right into the blade of the spear¹⁵.

Xu Wu felt slightly relieved. It would be better if he didn't have to be the one to bring it up.

Yuxi recalled what Er Nainai⁸ Zhao had said: "Is it true that many of the officers have taken concubines over in Haocheng?"

Xu Wu didn't hide it and nodded. "It's true."

Yuxi frowned. "There are so many soldiers in Yu City who can't even find wives—why hasn't anyone thought to solve this problem?"

Xu Wu explained, "Madam, only a few men have taken concubines. But it's true that most of the soldiers who followed the General have now married." Seeing Yuxi's puzzled expression, Xu Wu added, "Among the maidservants from the confiscated households of wealthy officials, there were many with clean backgrounds. The Great General gave these maids to the soldiers as wives." Most of those who followed Yun Qing into battle ended up getting married, as long as they survived. Of course, those with higher ranks married women from better families.

Yuxi's face lit up with joy, and she said, "That's indeed a good thing." What did these people follow Yun Qing in rebellion for? They did it because they wanted a better life!

Footnotes Full List

1. 义父 yìfù: adoptive father
2. The phrase, 忙得分身乏术 (máng de fēnshēn fáshù), describes being overwhelmingly busy, to the point where even if one could clone themselves, it still wouldn't be enough to handle everything.
3. This idiom, 患得患失 (huàn dé huàn shī), is used to describe a state of mind where a person is constantly anxious about both the potential for gaining something and the potential for losing something they already have. It captures a deep-seated insecurity and a fear of the unknown.
4. 钻了牛角尖 (zuān le niú jiǎo jiān) — meaning to become fixated on an issue and unable to think clearly.
5. This Chinese idiom, 名师出高徒 (míng shī chū gāo tú), is used to convey the idea that a great teacher is essential for cultivating a great student. It highlights the importance of mentorship and the influence a skilled master has on their apprentice.
6. This Chinese idiom, 吃软不吃硬 (chī ruǎn bù chī yìng), describes a person who responds well to gentle persuasion and kindness but becomes resistant and defiant when faced with force or pressure.
7. This idiom, 沾花惹草 (zhān huā rě cǎo), is a figurative way of saying someone is flirting or having romantic affairs with multiple people. It has a strong negative connotation, suggesting promiscuity and disloyalty. It is often used to describe a man who is unfaithful to his partner.
8. 二 èr: two/second, 奶奶 nǎinai: (dialect) young mistress of the house
9. This phrase is often used metaphorically to describe going through an extremely difficult or exhausting experience, similar to the English expressions 'went through the wringer' or 'had a tough ordeal'. However, the literal translation refers to the biological process of shedding skin, as snakes and other animals do.
10. This Chinese idiom, 蒙在鼓里 (méng zài gǔ lǐ), is used figuratively to describe someone who is unaware of the truth or a situation that others know about. It implies being kept in the dark or completely ignorant of what is happening.
11. "天高皇帝远 (tiāngāohuángdìyuǎn)" — literally "the sky is high and the emperor is far," meaning those in power are too distant to control what happens in remote areas; used here to express powerlessness over faraway matters.
12. husband's elder brother; brother-in-law
13. 大嫂 dàsǎo: eldest brother's wife; sister-in-law
14. 大 dà: eldest, 奶奶 nǎinai: (dialect) a young mistress of a house
15. This idiomatic expression, 撞枪口上来了 (zhuàng qiāngkǒu shànglái le), is used to describe someone who has foolishly or unfortunately put themselves in a dangerous, difficult, or compromising situation. It implies they've run right into trouble, often by saying or doing something at the wrong time.

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