PEASANT WOMAN'S DECREED LIFE AS A WIFE

Chapter 1221: Chapter 1218: Missing

Indeed, attaining the position of Duke Zheng one wouldn’t covet those undeserved, overwhelming riches, and upon retiring in glory to one’s hometown, if the relationship with the sovereign was close, it could even benefit future generations.

However, as a Powerful Minister, the emphasis is ultimately on power, and how many men, given the opportunity, would prefer to be a Loyal Official?

She shook her head, pushing down the uneasiness in her heart, and simply noted that during this period, the servants had not brought any news from Madam Tang, indicating that she had not left the Duke’s Mansion recently.

Ye Muyu was meanwhile raising taels of silver, secretly buying grain and then secretly sending it to the Northern Region.

And at this moment, the very person he was concerned about, Chu Heng.

Was escorting the first batch of military supplies, half a month’s journey away from the Northern Region, in Cangzhou.

“Sir, please use some hot water first,” said the soldiers who had set out with Chu Heng, all of whom were his close subordinates.

Lu Chuan had stayed in the capital to take care of his wife, children, and parents.

Chu Heng instructed him to rest, “Ruying, take a break first. You seem a bit unwell. Is there somewhere you’re not comfortable?”

Liu Ruying was a young man from a noble family, and those who could enter the Six Ministries usually had certain abilities—being the second son from the noble family of the Marquis of Xibo in the capital, entering the Ministry of Revenue had entirely depended on his success in the imperial examinations.

However, even scions of noble families needed both ability and connections to climb higher. Making it into the third-grade ranks within ten years was considered highly capable, after all, the number of high-ranking officials was limited, and without committing any mistake, positions weren’t easily replaced, and now, the capital’s political situation was originally a power balance between two factions. The Marquis of Xibo’s family had blood relations with The Imperial Family going back three generations. By the time of Liu Ruying’s father, their status had declined, leaving only an Earl title.

A hereditary title in the family was quite ordinary, and if the younger generations lacked achievements, within five generations the family would be no different from common citizens.

By the time it came to Liu Ruying’s generation, only the title of Viscount was available to inherit, and as a second son, no title had any relevance to him, thus it was essential for him to make a name for himself. Fortuitously, he was quite good at his studies, especially skilled in calculations, hence he joined the Ministry of Revenue.

In fact, Duke Zheng had planted his people in all of the Six Ministries at present, but the Chiefs of Staff were all appointed by the Emperor.

Especially the most crucial ones: the Ministry of Revenue, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Personnel.

However, the Ministry of Personnel was currently under the domain of the Qi family’s Grand Secretary Qi, and even as an elder, Duke Zheng was balanced out, and that was why he had remained stable for so many years.

Getting back to the point, as a scholar, Liu Ruying had set out with the intention of seeking a career. After all, the Liu Family didn’t plan to take sides and naturally had to advance and retreat together with the Emperor’s close subject, Lord Chu Heng.

Therefore, when Chu Heng proposed taking a deputy, Liu Ruying deliberated for a long time before finally nominating himself and, after several rounds of examination, he secured the opportunity.

Thus, even though he felt a bit ill at the moment, he bore it, “Lord Chu, please rest assured, it’s nothing serious, I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

“There is a doctor with the convoy,” Chu Heng said without waiting for his refusal and immediately ordered a servant boy beside him to call the doctor over.

After examining Liu Ruying’s pulse, the doctor’s expression grew grave, “Lord Chu, Official Liu might have contracted a serious illness.”

“A serious illness?” Liu Ruying had not taken his condition seriously, but upon hearing this, his complexion changed. Though he had never faced much hardship since his childhood, surely he couldn’t have fallen seriously ill just from traveling?

Even Chu Heng was taken aback for a moment. “Doctor, please check Official Liu again and prescribe some medicine.”

He first reassured Liu Ruying not to worry, and then got up to go to the cook managing the soldiers’ food supply for the convoy.

“Where has the grain we’ve been eating lately come from?”

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