Seeing Things Clearly
The old lady's reaction was exactly what Zhao Ruxi had expected.
From a cost-benefit perspective, it would indeed be more advantageous to grant her the title of County Princess or to elevate her Earl's Mansion to Marquis status. That would benefit her for a lifetime and the Zhao Family for two generations, especially the latter, which would truly be more worthwhile.
Zhao Yuanxun was promoted to Marquis; when the title passed to Zhao Jingtai, he would still be an Earl. If he could secure some more official positions, the Zhao Family could continue to exist for two generations without being excluded from the circle of nobles.
This was a rational choice, so Zhao Ruxi was not saddened by the old lady's words.
If it weren't for the need to avoid trouble, Zhao Ruxi would have thought the same way as the old lady.
"I mentioned to my master that I wanted my father to go to Jiangnan to take up an official post," Zhao Ruxi said. "Since we can't change it now, why don't we discuss going to Jiangnan?"
"Go to Jiangnan?" The old lady and Lady Zhu looked at each other in bewilderment.
They hadn't expected this at all.
"I'm not going." The old lady immediately became angry. "I'm not going anywhere. I've spent my whole life in the capital. Now that I'm old, I'm going to have to leave my hometown and go to another place. What if I die there? I don't care where you go, I'm not going."
Lady Zhu was in a difficult position.
If things are really as her daughter says, and her husband is going to take up his post in Jiangnan soon, while her mother-in-law has decided not to go, then she, as the daughter-in-law, can't just abandon her elderly mother-in-law and go with her husband to his new post, can she? Not to mention what others might say about her, even her own conscience wouldn't allow it.
But if she stayed in the capital to serve her mother-in-law, she couldn't bear to leave her husband.
Zhao Yuanxun's health wasn't very good. He was suffering from the change in environment and the strain of official duties; what if he fell ill? He definitely needed someone by his side to care for him.
Ever since she gave birth to her son, Zhao Yuanxun has stopped visiting his concubine's room. Did she really have to wait until now only to have her husband take another concubine and accompany him to his new post? The thought alone made her angry, let alone any intention of doing so.
The old lady had also thought of this.
She grabbed Zhao Ruxi's hand. "Miss Xi, I beg you, please go and talk to the Emperor. Can we change our minds? Grandmother can't leave the capital, your father's health isn't good, and who will take care of your mother? Aren't you putting our whole family in a difficult position? Why do we have to go to another place? Can't we stay in the capital?"
Zhao Ruxi's expression turned serious. "Grandmother, listen to me. I've arranged for Father to go to Jiangnan, and I'll go after I take the imperial examination. This is a special arrangement I made to avoid trouble. If our family stays in the capital, we might not survive."
The old lady was startled and asked, "What do you mean?"
Zhao Ruxi dismissed all the maids and had Qingfeng guard the door. She lowered her voice and said, "Haven't you noticed how urgent the border war is this year? What's the reason? Although it's said that the foreign tribes suffered a disaster and came to the Great Jin to plunder grain, the real reason is the struggle for the throne among the princes."
As she spoke, she recounted to Xiao Lingpu and Xiao Lingyan the several crises they had encountered.
"We're not involved in the succession struggle, and no one in our family holds a high-ranking position. But when the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. I have a feeling the fiercest battle will begin next year, and our family will also be in danger. Let's go out and avoid the limelight for a year or two. We'll come back once the succession struggle in the capital has subsided."
As Zhao Ruxi spoke, she patted the old lady's hand again. "Grandmother, you are in good health, and Jiangnan is not far from here. Just go out for a walk to clear your mind. I promise, within three years, I will definitely bring the whole family back safely. Do you believe me?"
The old lady's lips trembled, and she couldn't speak for a long time.
Don't believe me? My granddaughter has an uncanny eye; her predictions are never wrong. Since she knows so much about the court, even about the prince being assassinated, how could her judgment be inaccurate?
But having lived in the capital her whole life, it's not something she can just leave on a whim. Especially for an elderly person like her, she's genuinely afraid of dying away from home and not being able to return to her roots.
"Grandmother, not only the Zhao Family, but even your Tang Family, aren't exactly native to the capital, are they? Back then, everyone was able to move to the capital, so why can't we go somewhere else now? 'Home is where the heart is,' as long as the family is together, what does it matter where we go?"
These words truly touched the old lady's heart.
She not only thought of her ancestors, but also of her exiled father and brothers, as well as the Tang Family's nephews and nieces.
Her father and brother had died and were buried in another place long ago. Her nephews and grandnephews had also settled down in another place.
Strictly speaking, the Tang Family were not native to the capital. Going back three generations from her, their ancestors had all followed the founding emperor in conquering the country and eventually rose through the ranks to remain in the capital. Therefore, after her father and brothers died, they did not instruct their descendants to escort their coffins back to the capital for burial, but rather to bury them at their place of office.
If that's the case, why should she insist on this and put her son and daughter-in-law in a difficult position?
Although she married into the Zhao Family, and was destined to be buried with the Duke of Sui after her death, their relationship was never deep, and the Duke of Sui had wronged her greatly. So even if they weren't buried together, it wouldn't matter.
If she's not satisfied, she can have her children and grandchildren escort her coffin back to Beijing for burial; it's no big deal.
Having thought it through, the old lady nodded. "Alright, I'll do as you say. Wherever you go, I'll go."
Seeing that her mother-in-law had been persuaded by her daughter, Lady Zhu breathed a sigh of relief.
However, there was something she hadn't had a chance to ask.
She turned to Zhao Ruxi: "Aren't you going to participate in the imperial examination? What will you do if the Emperor issues an edict that your father will soon be taking up his post?"
In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient. Many people from other places had to travel to the capital six months or a year in advance to take the imperial examinations. They would rather arrive in the capital early to rent a house and adapt to the environment than set off just before the exam.
Although Jiangnan is not far from the capital, the imperial examination is less than three months away, and it is really inappropriate for Zhao Ruxi to travel back and forth.
"I will stay in the capital," Zhao Ruxi said. "You will all go with your father to his new post."
She glanced at the old lady. "If Grandmother is reluctant to leave the capital all at once, she can stay in the capital with me. Mother, you and Young Master Tai go to Jiangnan first. After I finish the imperial examination, we'll go together."
Lady Zhu and the old lady exchanged a glance, then suddenly laughed, "We're discussing this so seriously here, but maybe the Emperor has no intention of letting your father leave the capital at all."
No sooner had she finished speaking than a man strode in, calling out, "Mother, Madam!" It was none other than Zhao Yuanxun.
His face was flushed, his excitement overflowing, and his voice was louder than ever before. "Mother, Madam, Lord Zhang just said that the Emperor plans to send me to Jiangnan to take up my post. I'm going to Jiangnan to take up my post."
Lady Zhu: "..."
The slap in the face came so quickly that it caught everyone completely off guard.