"Well done, this is my husband! Luckily, things at home aren't all packed yet, so we can move tomorrow."
Staying here is worse than going back to the countryside. Fewer troubles.
My husband speaks his mind, and who knows what he might say in court that could offend someone, leading to him being targeted and facing a disastrous outcome. It's better to toil in the fields and live a free life.
As soon as the couple finished speaking, Huangfu Yifan outside the door felt ashamed. It was a good thing he came, otherwise, where would he find them if they left tomorrow!
"Does the Great General no longer wish to be a sheltering tree for his wife and child? Did Father Emperor scold you a couple of times, and you're throwing a tantrum!"
Flipping aside the curtain that kept mosquitoes and flies away, Huangfu Yifan walked in with a smile.
Zhao Jiaqi put down the clothes she was holding and saluted him, "Your Highness, the Crown Prince."
She had learned half a lesson in saluting from the maidservant at Xie Kun's house. Huangfu Yifan saw it but didn't correct her. Instead, he lightly supported her, "Please rise, Madam."
Zhao Jiaqi had just stood up and was about to leave, but the Crown Prince stopped her, "Please sit, Madam. We haven't chatted for a while. Sit down and talk. Don't be formal; just treat me as that Young Master Huang."
"Your Highness is joking. Back then, I truly didn't know your true identity, so I was reckless. Now that I do, of course, we must follow protocol, but it doesn't prevent us from chatting."
Her composure and articulate speech pleased the Crown Prince, who nodded in satisfaction.
He turned sideways, took a brocade box from his close attendant, and handed it to Fan Jiaqi, "Madam, this is a hundred thousand taels of silver notes, a reward for the Great General. Please keep it safe!"
Zhao Jiaqi was confused, "Wasn't my husband dismissed from his post by the Emperor?"
"Wife, the Emperor gave it, so you should accept it. My dismissal and this reward are two different matters."
Why is my wife being so foolish today? She doesn't even want a hundred thousand taels of silver notes.
Though a string of questions filled her mind, it didn't stop him from taking the money.
His large hand reached over Zhao Jiaqi and took the brocade box directly from the Crown Prince's hand, then turned and placed it beside their daughter.
"Mengmeng, Daddy is giving you this silver. Take it and buy candy!"
Huangfu Yifan and Zhao Jiaqi were stunned. A hundred thousand taels to buy candy for a child?
Zhao Jiaqi put her hand to her forehead. Her husband was a complete doting father.
But their daughter was only a few months old and didn't even know what candy was.
"Madam Fan, the Emperor is currently in a fit of anger, and his words were harsh, but he still thinks highly of General Fan. In a few days, his official position will be reinstated. During this time, the General can accompany you, purchase some necessities, and get familiar with the capital!"
Fan Zehao pouted, letting out a cold snort through his nostrils, "I am poor and have no money for necessities. Why don't you donate some to me, Your Highness?"
The Crown Prince frowned, "I just gave you a large sum of silver notes, and you're still crying poverty to me!"
"That silver was given to my daughter, so it's no longer mine."
A dignified Great General spoke so ridiculously, crying poverty to the Emperor earlier and now crying poverty to him.
Huangfu Yifan's head ached. He really shouldn't have spoken. He should have just conveyed his father's words and left. Now, he'd inexplicably lost more.
Zhao Jiaqi beside him felt embarrassed. She truly had never known her husband could act like this.
Where did he learn these wild ways? How could he be so brazen!
As the Crown Prince was leaving, he left all the silver notes he had on him, which amounted to just over a thousand taels. He repeatedly stated, "This money is for Mengmeng. Whether you choose to buy necessities with it or not is up to you. Next time you see me, don't say I didn't give the child a meeting gift!"
Huangfu Yifan genuinely feared that the next time they met, he would find fault with him again.
Rather than giving more money for reasons like not giving the child a meeting gift, it was better to be direct.
When speaking with Fan Zehao, one had to be perfectly clear. He genuinely feared the Great General would demand a fortune.
Anyone who spent time with him knew what General Fan would do next.
This was a case of "the righteous are no match for the wicked." He, Huangfu Yifan, wouldn't always be fooled.
Fan Zehao, with a sullen face, escorted the Crown Prince out. As he was about to board his carriage, he muttered to the daughter in his arms, "Your Uncle Crown Prince, such a grown man, only gave you such a small meeting gift. Isn't that embarrassing to hear about!"
Hearing this, Huangfu Yifan's foot landed on the edge of the carriage, nearly sending him tumbling to the ground. He glared angrily at him.
It served him right to be dismissed. He should have been dismissed for a few more days. Now he finally understood his father's exasperated yet helpless mood.
After everyone left, Zhao Jiaqi began to lecture her husband, "What kind of grown man goes around crying poverty? Aren't you afraid of losing face in front of them!"
"Wife, between face and money, which is more important? Don't worry, your husband knows what he's doing!"
Fan Zehao smiled and said something light to his wife, then carried Mengmeng back to the manor.
Inside the manor, in the main courtyard.
Less than an hour after he returned from the palace, the child cried several times. Each time, she was coaxed to cry and then patiently comforted.
The large manor was vast and silent. Now, it was lively. From a distance, one could hear the child's cries, and the mother-in-law's scolding shouts at Fan Zehao.
Occasionally, Fan Zehao's retorts could be heard. Zhao Jiaqi, however, had withdrawn from the battlefield. It was harmless for the child to cry a few times to train her lung capacity.
Besides, Mengmeng was Fan Zehao's biological daughter, and he wouldn't actually hit her.
The next morning.
Fan Zehao, who was accustomed to waking early, practiced a full set of boxing techniques in the courtyard, followed by some saber practice. He was drenched in sweat, which made him feel comfortable.
Chunri carried a basin of water, with a sweat towel placed beside it, and stepped forward to serve him.
"Master, this servant will help you wash."
Seeing this, Fan Zehao quickly retreated a few steps, his thick, rugged brows furrowed. It was improper for an unmarried girl to enter a man's courtyard.
"Get out. I don't need your service; I have hands!"
With a stern and severe expression, he didn't give Chunri a chance to explain and directly ordered her away.
Chunri was confused. She was a bought maidservant, meant to serve the masters. She didn't understand what she had done wrong to be dismissed!
In her desperation, she knelt before him, "Master, where did this servant go wrong? This servant will change. I beg Master not to sell this servant!"
Her cries were not loud, but they startled Fan Zehao. He quickly glanced at the bedroom, afraid his wife might misunderstand seeing her like this, thinking he had bullied her.
"You... go serve my mother. This main courtyard does not need any maids or servants. Get out immediately."
Upon hearing this, Chunri, relieved that she wasn't being sold, wiped her tears and left with the basin of water.
Fan Zehao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Zhao Jiaqi, who had seen everything through the bedroom window, smiled wryly.
She came out of the bedroom, smiling as she tidied his clothes, "Husband, what are you doing? Chunri is here to help you wash, not to serve you in other ways. Why the cold face! Look how scared that girl was, she even cried."
Fan Zehao pinched her fair cheek hard, displeased, "I only need you to serve me. Others are unnecessary; I'm not used to it."