It was not easy for Xiao Ruxun to marry Yang Caiyun. These days, there were not many examples of military families marrying civil officials. It was mainly to avoid arousing suspicion. Civil officials generally did not marry military officials unless there was some special relationship or connection. Both parties had a happy cooperation and then decided to marry. Moreover, the marriage would not be extravagant or large in scale, so as not to attract attention.
However, Yang Zhao was a Jinshi and held an important position. Although he was unemployed at the moment, he still had his prestige in the past. The main reason why Yang Zhao married his daughter to Xiao Ruxun was that both families were from Yan 'an and had known each other for many years. It was said that his father had once sponsored Yang Zhao's studies and imperial examinations. Therefore, after Yang Zhao passed the Jinshi and became a high-ranking official, he repaid the Xiao family by marrying his daughter to Xiao Ruxun, whom he admired the most among the four sons of the Xiao family.
It was not that Xiao Wenkui educated Xiao Ruxun the most, but that among the four sons, Xiao Ruxun was the most talented and intelligent one. He learned faster than his three elder brothers in reading and writing. He also made faster progress in martial arts than his three brothers. Yang Zhao saw that this youngest son was the most suitable for his daughter, so he married Yang Caiyun to Xiao Ruxun despite the objections of some former officials. This was quite an interesting story in Yan 'an and the capital at that time.
Xiao Ruxun also knew that Yang Zhao named the four sons of the Xiao family. The relationship between the two families was not simple. Therefore, in many matters, his father and Yang Zhao would help each other if they could. If they could not, there was nothing they could do. For example, Yang Zhao's current loss of power was not something that Xiao Wenkui could help with. Therefore, Xiao Wenkui also felt a little guilty, but Yang Zhao did not think so.
If a general could help a civil official reverse the situation, that would be terrifying.
However, the slight prejudice against generals could not affect Yang Zhao's appreciation for Xiao Ruxun. He had watched Xiao Ruxun grow up, so Yang Zhao was very attentive. After leaving Beijing, he also paid attention to Xiao Ruxun's news. After Ye Mengxiong came south from Beijing, he was the first to visit Xiao Ruxun, so he got first-hand information about Xiao Ruxun. He knew that Xiao Ruxun had won a great battle in Ningxia and was going to be conferred a title, as well as that Xiao Ruxun was appointed as the general to go to Korea.
Even so, he was still pleasantly surprised by the news of Yang Caiyun's pregnancy. He hurriedly requested a leave of absence from the Imperial Court and came to the capital to see his daughter and son-in-law. However, he had been delayed for several days and was unable to make it in time for his son-in-law's triumphant return ceremony.
Xiao Ruxun brought Yang Caiyun to Yang Zhao, who was drinking tea in the living room. Yang Zhao heard the noise outside and stood up to look. He immediately saw his pregnant daughter, supported by his son-in-law, walking over with the rest of the family.
"Father!"
Yang Caiyun saw her father, whom she hadn't seen for a long time. She was so happy that she couldn't restrain herself. She unconsciously quickened her pace. Xiao Ruxun quickly held onto Yang Caiyun and asked her to slow down. Yang Zhao also hurriedly came up and held his daughter's hand. He looked at his pregnant daughter with tears in his eyes. He was so happy that he couldn't speak.
"Son-in-Law pays respect to Father-in-law!"
"Your daughter pays respect to Father!"
After the initial excitement passed, Yang Zhao straightened his body and accepted the greetings of his daughter and son-in-law. Then he took his daughter's hand and led her to a chair to sit down. He carefully looked at his daughter's figure and happily narrowed his eyes.
"This must be a big fat boy! Hahahahaha! "
Xiao Wenkui also came forward and said with a smile, "Grand-in-law's words are timely. This must be a big fat boy! Hahahaha! "
As he spoke and laughed, Yang Zhao took out a jade pendant from his bosom.
"This is a beautiful piece of Hetian jade given to me by a friend in Nanjing. I'll give it to my little grandson as a greeting gift. A gentleman is as gentle as jade. Caiyun, Ji Xin, take this precious jade!"
Yang Zhao handed the jade to Xiao Ruxun, and Xiao Ruxun reached out to take it.
"Oh, we were delayed for a few days on the road, so we didn't have time to participate in the victory ceremony. But at least we arrived before Caiyun gave birth. This time, Father will definitely accompany you!"
Yang Zhao held Yang Caiyun's hand tightly. He was so happy that he was almost incoherent.
Xiao Wenkui ordered the kitchen to prepare wine and dishes to properly welcome Yang Zhao. In the evening, the whole family sat together for a reunion dinner and talked about their past friendship. Yang Zhao praised Xiao Ruxun's military achievements and was proud to have a son-in-law like Xiao Ruxun. He also hoped that his little grandson could be as skilled in both the pen and the sword as Xiao Ruxun in the future.
During the dinner, both the host and the guests were happy and harmonious, as if all the troubles didn't exist.
At night, in the room of Xiao Ruxun and Yang Caiyun, Yang Zhao accompanied his daughter and talked for a long time until Yang Caiyun was exhausted. After Yang Zhao gently watched his daughter fall asleep, he called Xiao Ruxun and left the room together. The father-in-law and son-in-law walked around the backyard while talking.
"Ji Xin, I know clearly what you've done these years, especially the two wars in Ningxia and Korea. You did a good job in these two wars. You used gunpowder to blow up the city wall of Ningxia, which prevented the loss of the army and wasted a lot of time. In the expedition to Korea, you were able to break Japan so that they couldn't threaten Daming. I'm deeply gratified by all these."
With his hands behind his back, Yang Zhao paced slowly and looked at Xiao Ruxun with a smile.
"It's all because of the soldiers' lives. Father and father-in-law have taught me well."
Xiao Ruxun couldn't help but be courteous.
"Hahaha, don't say more about this. You were able to combine five or six local troops, win their morale, and make them willingly serve you. This in itself is something that most of the generals of Daming can't do, especially the Li family. They can't do it. With this alone, Ji Xin, you can surpass the Li family and go further and higher than them."
Yang Zhao appreciated Xiao Ruxun's ability very much.
Xiao Ruxun smiled bitterly and said, "Even if he can fight, so what? Just one word and he has to run everywhere. Look, he's going to attack Dongwu Country soon. These days, Son-in-Law didn't dare to tell Caiyun, for fear that she would be worried. He didn't dare to say more and could only wait until Caiyun gave birth."
"Well, that's right. It's better for women not to listen to these things before they give birth." Yang Zhao nodded his head. "But Ji Xin, do you know why Li Chengliang and Li Rusong are able to stand tall in the Imperial Court and not fall, why the Grand Secretaries change so quickly, but why the Li father and son are as steady as Mount Tai, and why you have to leave the capital to go out to war after a great victory?"
Needless to say. Of course, it was the civil and military officials who didn't want to! They were worried that his strong rise would threaten the cake they had already distributed and make them unhappy, so he had to go to make a new cake.
But it was not easy to say this.
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