The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 1075 - 244: I Enjoy Slapping Faces_4

Chapter 1075: Chapter 244: I Enjoy Slapping Faces_4

GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SHEN laughed upon hearing this, "No matter how formidable the Rong Clan might be, Great Chu fears them not now! General Pei established the Manufacturing Bureau, created the long spear, and set up the Long Spear Camp. The Rong Clan is nothing to worry about. I believe when General Dou returns, he will come back with distinguished military honors once again!"

She was praising others now, yet in the morning, she had been seizing every chance to cause difficulties for them. Madame Dou smiled and said nothing much. After sitting for a short while, she excused herself, taking her daughter Dou Mingying home.

Dou Mingying, puzzled, asked her, "Mother! There was nothing urgent for us, and leaving early like this, we might be seen as impolite."

"It was just some boring amusements. I had no interest in watching any longer," responded Madame Dou, telling her to go back to their courtyard first. She wanted to talk to Old Master Dou.

Old Master Dou himself was once a general who fought on the battlefield, but after suffering a severe injury on a military campaign, he spent two years convalescing in his prime years. He now held a nominal position in the Ministry of the Army, staying at home to recover.

After sending the servants away, Madame Dou brought tea to Old Master Dou and sat beside him to discuss the troubles Pei Qin faced at Shen Mansion today.

Although Old Master Dou was a military general by profession, he was not a foolish man, "My lady, have you uncovered something significant?"

Frowning, Madame Dou said, "Pei Qin drew a Divine Turtle Painting and gave it to Elder Shen with her seal on it."

Old Master Dou could not help but laugh, "That Turtle Painting must be a dig at Elder Shen! And you’ve prettied it up by calling it a Divine Turtle!"

"The seal bears the characters ’Jin Tang.’ I was close enough to see it clearly," Madame Dou said to him.

"What sort of trickery is this?" Old Master Dou would indeed be foolish if he could not see that she was troubled by something.

Sighing, Madame Dou said, "When General Pei accompanied the late emperor to fend off the Wa Ci incursion, the former emperor commented on her lack of a title and granted her the name ’Jin Tang.’"

Pei Qin’s claim to fame was that she was suitable for both the hall and the kitchen, a wife and mother who was also a warrior!

Old Master Dou was shocked to his core, springing to his feet, "What did you say?! Are you saying that Pei Hansan... She is Mo Heng’s wife, Pei Qin?!"

Determined, Madame Dou nodded, "She is the spitting image of the portrait in our son’s study. She was hurriedly summoned away before the banquet ended, and I suspect some trouble has arisen in the land of Liaodong."

Old Master Dou struggled to come to terms with the revelation, "That a woman of all things... Such a... savior of the entire Great Chu is a woman! Indeed, the soldiers of Great Chu are incompetent, and a talent touched by the heavens was born in the wrong body!"

"It’s laughable that those people are unaware, thinking that one born of humble origins can be trampled upon at will," said Madame Dou, shaking her head. Pei Qin really had a generous spirit, unlike ordinary women.

"Father doesn’t know about this yet, does he?" Old Master Dou asked.

Madame Dou thought that although her father-in-law attended court meetings and knew Pei Hansan, he probably had never seen Pei Qin and was unaware of who she was.

The couple went to Old General Dou’s courtyard to inform him.

Old General Dou recalled that extraordinarily talented youth, who, when named General Protectorate, found no place to stand and pretended not to see him, squeezing him aside to stand there, thinking his youth meant incompetence in governance. It took him a moment to come back to his senses, "So, it turns out to be a young lady!"

"This morning, she said she would compete in all manners, but after lunch, she was hurriedly summoned away. I worry that something has occurred in Liaodong," said Madame Dou.

"That seems very likely," Old General Dou considered and then stood up. "I’ll go to the Palace to check on it!" He got ready and went out the door.

Pei Qin had already changed her attire and left the Tiance General Mansion by carriage, heading straight for the Palace.

Old General Dou arrived at the Palace gates and saw the Tiance General Mansion’s carriage outside the gates. On inquiring, he learned it had just arrived not long ago. Feeling certain, he too entered the Palace for an audience.

The Rong Clan Envoy had not yet arrived, only sending a letter indicating their intentions for peace talks.

"Beloved Officer Pei, what do you think should be done about this matter?" Emperor Yongle asked in a calm voice.

"I was under the impression that the Rong Clan Princess had already arrived. Should we not first ask them to send the Princess over to see if she’s good-looking or not?" Pei Qin offered her opinion.

"What? General Pei is also considering marrying a Rong Clan Princess?" Elder Liang, who also held the position of Scholar of Chinese Literature, asked with a laugh.

"The Princess is presumably sent for a marriage alliance to serve the Emperor! The Emperor’s harem is vacant, and the line of succession is thin. Although the late Emperor’s filial mourning period has not yet ended, not securing an heir is also an act of unfilial piety. The Emperor should consider expanding his harem soon, for the sake of an heir!" Pei Qin spoke righteously, her inner monologue adding, "Aren’t you just wanting to marry Liang Sansan and wanting to marry your daughter into the Palace as Empress? Good-hearted mother that I am, let me help you out!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Liang immediately said, "Those not of our race will surely harbor different designs. The Rong Clan’s intentions are deceitful; they have sought to occupy the territory of My Great Chu, their hearts filled with malice and cunning. They have taken the land of Liaodong from us. Now, it is out of the question that a Rong Clan Princess should enter the Palace as a consort, nor can we allow her to bear the bloodline of the Great Chu Royal Family!"