C59. Sending Warmth.

C59. Sending Warmth.

The hotpot didn't have chili, and the two soups in the hotpot were not spicy soup and original soup. Instead, one was a chicken soup, and the other was a mushroom soup.

The chicken soup and mushroom soup had been simmering since Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan bathed and rested in the afternoon, already taking two hours. The milky white broth, bubbling and fragrant, tantalized the taste buds and made mouths water.

The brothers stared intently, unable to resist swallowing saliva.

The table was filled with a variety of vegetables and meats, including fresh beef sliced thinly into rings by the chef, not as thick as meat rolls in later times. These cattle had fought, with one directly puncturing the other's belly, leading to their slaughter and delivery to the estate.

Yuan Li froze the beef outside, planning to use it for hotpot or to serve during the Lunar New Year.

Eating hotpot in winter is a very pleasant experience, especially for those who have never tasted such delicacies before. The flavors explode in the mouth, warming the body and immensely satisfying, almost addictive.

Sharing a hotpot enhances camaraderie, and halfway through the meal, the bond between the three men noticeably strengthened.

Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan had let go of their inhibitions, sharing their excitement along the way, especially the joy and pride they felt upon learning that Yuan Li had temporarily taken on the role of Provincial Governor in Youzhou. Their faces were flushed with excitement, and they were still elated.

Yuan Li listened gently, extracting many stories about their hometown from them. The descriptions painted a lively and joyous scene in Ruyang County.

Relatives cried with joy, clansmen were worshipped in the ancestral temple, and many guests came to celebrate after Yuan Li's father was honored with the titles of Ruyang Jun the Marquis.

He listened and felt content.

In addition to the stories, Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan brought many things with them.

Yuan Song sent six hundred loyal followers and thirty talented individuals who had joined his cause to Youzhou.

Hearing about Yuan Song's followers, Yuan felt invigorated and delighted.

Although most of the followers were not as talented as Liu Jixin, Yuan Li knew that they were capable of handling administrative tasks and had some knowledge. They were only loyal to Yuan Song, a minor marquis in the imperial court, so the quality of his followers was not particularly high.

Nevertheless, Yuan Li considered them invaluable since he lacked basic civil servants.

A Provincial Governor had to manage a multitude of governmental affairs and documents, requiring dozens of officials such as secretaries, aides, clerks, military officers, and more, all under Yuan Li's command.

The thirty people sent by Yuan Song were likely decent individuals in terms of character and knowledge, capable of assisting Liu Jixin with daily administrative tasks and easing his workload.

Once Yuan Li officially assumed the position of Provincial Governor, he would have the authority to appoint and dismiss officials in Youzhou, granted by the Chu family's fiefdom, independent of the emperor's court.

To exert full control over Youzhou, a sufficient number of officials, especially at the grassroots level, were necessary.

Yuan Li had not yet formally taken on the role of Provincial Governor in Youzhou, so he technically had no authority to recruit officials or attract followers. However, once he assumed the position, he would have the power to recruit officials through appointments.

Recruitment referred to the emperor or high-ranking officials summoning distinguished individuals to serve as officials. Recruitment did not have strict qualifications, allowing anyone with the desire to serve the government or people to do so, with the freedom to leave at will.

While the imperial examination system was a bottom-up approach, recruitment offered an alternative top-down method of selecting officials.

Those appointed officials no longer need to rely on their family background of filial piety, which is one of the reasons why people today are so eager to show off and use various means to gain prestige.

As long as his reputation is loud enough, he can wait at home for the emperor and high officials to appoint him as an official. In this era, smart individuals with a bit of ambition for official positions will actively promote their reputation.

It is quite normal for scholars to praise themselves, show off, or collaborate with other influential families. Everyone knows that when everyone is filial, if he doesn't use any means, how can he stand out from the crowd?

Yuan Li had already thought about this. If he couldn't enter the Imperial Academy and walk the path of filial piety, then he would continuously promote himself and take the route of being appointed as an official.

But if given a choice, he actually didn't want to be appointed by others.

For those appointed officials, they will become subordinates of the appointing person.

For example, if a county governor appoints Yuan Li, then Yuan Li becomes a subordinate of that county governor, and he will call the county governor his lord, establishing a relationship similar to a lord and vassal. Yuan Li didn't like the feeling of serving under someone else, so from the beginning, he saw this path as a last resort.

The officials with the power of appointment are only a few. Needless to say, the emperor, the imperial cabinet, the three princes, and the grand general have the power of appointment, as do county governors and provincial governors in local areas.

In the end, it all comes down to waiting for the appointed positions.

Yuan Li sighed and asked the Yuan brothers if they had brought anything else besides these.

At his words, Yuan Lou quickly nodded and handed Yuan Li a well-preserved envelope, saying, "There is also a letter that our eldest brother (Yuan Song) entrusted us to bring to you."

Taking the letter, Yuan Li wiped his hands and opened the envelope to read the contents.

The letter was thick, with about ten pages, detailing the events that happened in Ruyang over the past year.

The first three pages were dictated by Mrs. Chen and written by a servant, asking about Yuan Li's situation in Youzhou, whether he felt cold, if he couldn't get used to the local food, if he had health issues, and mentioning the current situation at home, especially the changes after Yuan Song was enfeoffed.

After reading through the three pages, Yuan Li saw that the following pages were written by Yuan Song himself.

The content was more detailed than Mrs. Chen's, detailing the things Yuan Song did after being enfeoffed, including recruiting followers and servants, building city walls, widening moats, and so on. Yuan Li nodded as he read.

But when he continued reading, the smile on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by shock in his eyes.

Yuan Song informed him in the letter to treat the Yuan brothers well, keep them close to him, and that it was the clan leader's wish.

The clan leader would pass away this winter, leaving behind a final wish for Yuan Li to be crowned a year early. Yuan Song instructed Yuan Li to prepare for the coronation in spring.

All of this was to help Yuan Li avoid the emperor's decree.

Yuan Li's hand holding the letter began to tremble.

Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan, seeing this, asked with concern, "Yuan Li, what's wrong? Did the letter bring bad news?"

Looking at their innocent faces, Yuan Li said in a hoarse voice, "Do you know what the letter says?"

Yuan Lou's expression changed, "Rest assured, I have kept this letter all this time and no one else has seen its contents except our eldest brother."

Yuan Li remained silent for a long time, a hint of sadness faintly showing on his face, before he quickly lowered his gaze, "Before you came to Youzhou, did the clan leader mention anything to you?"

"He didn't say anything," Yuan Dan interjected, "He just let us learn how to work with you, to protect your safety and let us learn from mistakes. Apart from that, there wasn't much else. Do you remember what our grandfather said?"

Yuan Lou thought for a moment, "Grandfather told me to tell you, 'In the harsh winter, protect yourself well.'"

The sourness and angst surged from the bottom of Yuan Li's heart, causing him to tear up on the spot.

The clan leader was telling him this.

However, the grandsons, Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan who were sent to deliver the letter were still unaware that their grandfather would pass away this coming winter.

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Li stood up and almost tripped over a chair. He forced himself to put on a calm expression and smiled at the Yuan Lou brothers, saying, "You two continue eating, I'm going out to do something."

The brothers didn't notice anything amiss and just responded with an okay.

Outside, the sky had darkened.

The last traces of sunlight disappeared, and the night was shrouded in darkness. The cold wind cut like blades on the face, instantly dispersing the warmth brought in from the house. Youzhou, on the verge of the new year, felt as cold as ice.

Yuan Li stared blankly at the sky for a while, his breath turning into white mist between exhales. He lifted his feet and slowly walked towards a less crowded area.

His steps were heavy.

Unaware of how long he had been walking, Yuan Li found himself at the place where the windmill was being erected during the day.

The windmill, almost complete, stood silently in its place, with the wood shavings on the ground already cleaned up by the servants.

Yuan Li walked absentmindedly to the side of the windmill and lightly touched one of its support pillars.

The windmill was finished?

Did Chu Hechao make it?

He took a deep breath.

Someone had died for his career aspirations, and this burden was heavier than a sack filled with stones. Yet Yuan Li rationalized that this was the choice of Yuan Song and the clan leader; they believed it was the best course of action.

As the beneficiary, what he should do was to carry the weight of this burden and move forward resolutely. Only then could he do justice to the sacrifices made for him.

Yuan Li would never falter; he was just saddened by the voluntary sacrifice made by an elderly person who had cared for him in his childhood.

He leaned against the windmill, hands clenched into fists.

The feelings of guilt and reluctance weighed heavily on his heart, as if carrying a thousand pounds. Yuan Li even felt the air around him becoming thin, making it difficult to breathe.

This pain almost made Yuan Li believe he was crying, but a touch of his face revealed it to be dry, with his eyes feeling gritty.

He forced a bitter smile, rubbing his face vigorously, and then heard footsteps approaching.

Yuan Lu immediately turned his head and saw Chu Hechao walking towards him while adjusting his belt.

Upon seeing him, Chu Hechao's eyes also showed surprise, pausing his steps.

Yuan Li said, "General, it's late. Why are you still here?"

His voice came out hoarse. Chu Hechao hesitated in his steps before walking over, standing in front of him, and peering down at him for a moment, asking in a serious tone, "What's wrong?"

Although the words seemed abrupt, Yuan Li knew he was being asked.

Trying to maintain a façade of normalcy, Yuan Lj replied, "I'm fine."

Chu Hechao narrowed his eyes coldly, "I'll ask you one more time."

Yuan Li shook his head, "Really, I'm fine, General. I have something to attend to. I'm leaving."

As he turned to go, his wrist was grabbed, and Chu Hechao's tone grew impatient, "Is it because of your two uncles that you're upset?"

"Do you fear when you have the backing of the Chu Mansion and me?" Chu Hechao pressed, offering some advice, "If you don't like it, just send them away. A true man doesn't hide in a corner to cry."

Yuan Li's initially heavy mood turned into a mix of laughter and tears, "General, it's not as you said."

Turning Yuan Lj towards him, Chu Hechao raised an eyebrow, his gaze resembling that of someone looking at a child making excuses, "Then what is it?"

Surprisingly, Yuan Li, who had just been unable to utter a word in front of Yuan Lou and Yuan Dan, now felt the desire to confide in Chu Hechao. After hesitating for a moment, he led Chu Hechao to sit under a tree at a stone table, and quietly revealed the clan leader's sacrifice for him.

In sharing these words, it felt like a release of inner pain. Yuan Li even felt that just speaking to Chu Hechao had already made him feel much better than before.

After Chu Hechao listened, his expression remained unchanged as he calmly stated, "He died as he should have."

Yuan Li fell silent for a moment before saying, "Perhaps."

The two sat in silence, the evening wind causing the tree branches to sway, casting crooked shadows in the moonlight.

Observing the patterns on the table for a while, Yuan Li suddenly asked, "General, how do you cope with the pain of losing someone close to you?"

He realized that whether it was the death of Chu Mingfeng or Han Jin, Chu Hechao would only feel brief pain for a while before swiftly moving on from the grief brought on by the deceased, whether they were a relative or a subordinate.

It seemed like he had an iron will, undeterred by anyone's death, moving forward with unwavering rationality.

"People can't come back to life," stated Chu Hechao with a cold and even cruel expression, devoid of the demeanor he had when picking up a copper coin from mud and water for a soldier, "Everyone will die sooner or later; it's just a matter of when. The ones who have died are already gone, no amount of longing or sadness can bring them back. Therefore, the wisest course of action is to detach early and move forward to live a good life."

Yuan Li knew he was being sincere; Chu Hechao lived by these words.

When Chu Mingfeng died, no one knew how Chu Hechao felt, including Yuan Li. However, he understood that the feeling was definitely not pleasant.

Perhaps his current emotions were somewhat similar.

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Li composed himself and said, "You're right."

With that, he stood up, "I should go back to my room, General, you should too."

Chu Hechao also stood up.

Yuan Li decided not to return to continue eating hotpot; he sent a servant to inform the Yuan Lou brothers to fend for themselves. He prepared to rest in his room.

Chu Hechao's room was next to his, so they walked together. Along the way, Chu Hechao wrinkled his brow upon smelling a scent from Yuan, "What's that smell on you?"

Yuan Li raised his sleeve to sniff and suddenly realized, "It's the smell of hotpot."

"Hotpot?" Chu Hechao looked puzzled, "What is that?"

Yuan Lj remembered that Chu Hechao had not yet tasted hotpot and chuckled, "It's a delicious dish for winter. General, does the smell on me stimulate your appetite?"

Indeed, the aroma could whet one's appetite, and Chu Hechao sniffed again, his stomach growling slightly.

At that sound, Yuan Li immediately looked at Chu Hechao with a subtle gaze. Though Chu Hechao remained composed and upon noticing Yuan's gaze, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "What, am I not allowed to be hungry?"

Suppressing a smile, Yuan Li said, "Of course, you are. Allow me to ask, General, have you had dinner?"

Chu Hechao replied calmly, "No."

"Not eating this late will surely make you hungry," scolded Yuan Li with a stern look at Chu Hechao, "Come on, let me take you to experience the taste of hotpot."

Chu Hechao didn't move.

Firmly, Yuan Li added a tone of authority to his voice, "Chu Hechao."

Chu Hechao closed his eyes momentarily.

As Yuan Li's demeanor became increasingly affectionate towards him, it was evident that of a sister-in-law towards his deceased husband's younger brother attitude.

In that case, he would treat this young brother's wife well.

Given enough time, everything would eventually settle down.

Chu Hechao opened his eyes, calmly following Yuan Li's footsteps, "Alright."