Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 427 - 422: End of the Disaster

Chapter 427: Chapter 422: End of the Disaster

Mrs. Song was more than pleased when she heard this. House prices in Dingzhou turned out to be much cheaper than in the capital city. Such a nice house only cost just over five hundred taels of silver.

If they bought a house like this, did some renovations, and bought some furniture, it would still only cost them about six hundred taels of silver. They would still have four hundred taels left to live on from the original one thousand taels. Adding this to the two hundred or so taels her husband had saved, as well as her dowry and the official salary, she was starting to think they could lead a comfortable life.

Mrs. Song added with a laugh, "Once we move to Dingzhou, I shall also start a business like my sister-in-law and make some extra silver. Her Fuyunlai Trading Company not only has made a lot of money, but it has also been commended by the emperor. Business in future is likely to be even more prosperous."

Chen Afu said with a smile, "If there’s anything you need help with, just say the word. I’ll definitely help if I can."

Wen, now more comfortable, pulled at Chen Afu’s lapel and said, "Aunt Chen, Wen wants to see the puppies."

Chen Afu answered with a chuckle, "Very well, Aunt Chen will ask someone to bring them here." She said in a hushed tone, "The dogs at our house are very sensitive. They don’t like to be called ’puppies.’ Their names are Sasa, Chang Chang, and Duan Duan. When you see them, you should call them by their names."

Little Wen quickly covered his mouth with his small hand and nodded his head.

Sasa and her puppies were led to the east room. Little Wen, his shoes put on by the nursemaid, hopped off the bed and began playing with the puppies using some treats. Chang Chang and Duan Duan wrestled with him for the food, making him laugh giddily.

Seeing how much Wen was enjoying himself, Chen Afu let the mother and her puppies stay until after lunch, before they finally left.

Soon enough, New Year’s Eve arrived. After eating breakfast, Chen Afu, rushing her children along, hurried to Anrong Hall.

In the side room, only the Third Lady was sitting on the bed. Seeing Chen Afu, she quickly urged her up onto the bed. The palms of the Third Lady were all sweaty - she was extremely nervous.

Chen Afu was also nervous, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Today, the Third Master was not in court. He had gone to the Liyun Studio. Certainly, both the old Marquis and Marquis Chu would also be there.

Just then, a maid entered to report that the Third Master had sent someone to deliver a message to the Third Lady.

The Third Lady immediately sat up and said, "Let him in."

An attractive lad came in with his head bowed. After paying his respects, he reported softly, "The Third Master sends me to report to the Third Lady and Madam Chen that at seven ’ke’ (about 16 minutes) before the Chen hour (about 7-9 A.M.), the eight adult princes will start the blood sacrifice to Heaven at the Temple of Heaven."

The Third Lady nodded her head and said, "Understood, off you go."

Today, Chu Lingwei and Chu Lingzhi, who usually have school, came to greet the Third Lady.

Although they didn’t know what had happened, seeing the solemn expressions on both the Third Lady and Chen Afu’s faces, they knew something serious must be going on. They did not want to get in the way and took Sasa and her puppies back to their own yard to play.

Chen Afu and the Third Lady sat on the bed beside themselves with anxiety, grateful for the diversion provided by the two children. When the children fell asleep, the two adults would zone out. When they woke up, after Chen Afu had finished feeding them, they would play with the children again.

At high noon, a maidservant abruptly started shouting, "Third Lady, Madam Chen, the snowfall has lessened, the wind has stopped!"

The Third Lady and Chen Afu heard this, exchanged a glance, and hurriedly got off the bed to rush to the hall.

The servants put cloaks on them and the maid drew back the heavy door curtain to look outside. The snowflakes, once as big as feathers, had indeed become tiny and the howling winds had stopped.

Both of them stepped outside and stood on the porch for less than a quarter of an hour. The snow became smaller and smaller, eventually stopping completely.

A lot of people came out to see. When they saw the snow had stopped, they cheered loudly. They didn’t want to go back inside, so they continued looking up at the sky.

In no time, the thick clouds dispersed and the sun, not seen for so long, finally came out. Suddenly, the clear blue sky appeared before everyone’s gaze, crystal clear and cloudless. The rarely seen blue sky was so stunning at that moment that it was dazzling.

The sounds of people cheering filled the entire courtyard and beyond.

The Third Lady swayed a little, and Chen Afu rushed over to steady her. She was trembling slightly. She was scared! Master Wu Zhi’s first prophecy had come true. What about the next one?

Chen Afu’s feelings were mixed; she felt happy that the snow disaster had ended, but also worried about the uncertain future of the Chu family. If anything happened to Dabao, Marquis Chu, or the Third Master, it would be the end of the Chu family.

She helped the Third Lady back to the side room and whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, Third Aunt. Thanks to Master Wu Zhi’s hints, we managed the first matter so well. The second matter will be solved too, also thanks to his hints. Don’t we still have the divine medicine? If anything really happens, the divine medicine will save people."

The Third Lady said in a low voice, "I hope so."

The two ladies ate lunch listlessly. Chen Afu then took the children back to the Bamboo Pavilion.

The snow had stopped, it was time for her to pack and return to Dingzhou.

Just before the ’Wei’ hour (about 1-3 P.M.), Marquis Chu and the old Marquis, who hadn’t shown up for days, came to the Bamboo Pavilion together.

The two children hadn’t seen their grandfather for days. When he arrived, their eyes lit up with excitement, their limbs flailed about, their giggles became louder, and they got overly excited.

Chen Afu laughed and said, "Oh my, they’re so happy to see their grandfather."

Marquis Chu was also pleased. He bent down to pinch their little faces and said, "Grandpa has been busy. I’ll come see you some other day." He then left without even sitting down.

When the two brothers saw their beloved grandfather stopped playing with them, they started crying loudly in protest. Normally, they were very well-behaved, prone neither to crying nor to tantrums. Yet, this time, they felt extremely wronged.

Marquis Chu, who was at the courtyard door, still heard their crying. His steps faltered, but he still walked away.

The old Marquis instructed Chen Afu to take the children back to Dingzhou first. He didn’t want to go back yet. After resolving this issue, there was still another matter that made the Chu family fearful. He intended to stay until that was settled too. In his mind, it was more likely that either of his two sons, instead of the Eleventh Master, would encounter problems.

The blood sacrifice by the eight princes finally managed to stop the month-long snow disaster that had been ravaging the world. The emperor was overjoyed and the people were grateful for the imperial grace. Streets and alleyways were filled with praises for the benevolent and filial princes who had moved the heavens. Rumors had it that an opera troupe in the capital was hastily preparing a couple of plays to sing their praises. One was called "Eight Dragons Sacrificing to Heaven", the other "Sick Dragon Sacrificing to Heaven".

The emperor issued a proclamation praising and rewarding the eight princes. He particularly commended the Second Prince, who had suggested the "Blood Sacrifice to Heaven", Prince Rui who had suggested "Brothers Are of the Same Mind", and the Third Prince, who had fallen ill, but still insisted on attending the fasting and the sacrifices. He gave each of the three of them a Ferghana horse as an extra reward.

As the son of the empress, the Eighth Prince was assigned to the Ministry of Revenue as a trainee and, despite the emperor’s previous lack of regard, the Ninth and Tenth Princes were also respectively assigned to the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Industry as trainees. In addition, the Third Prince was asked to learn in the Inner Court alongside the Second Prince and one of the Third Prince’s maternal uncles was chosen to fill the vacancy for vice minister in the Ministry of Personnel. An ally of the Third Prince was also appointed as a temporary deputy general of the Central Army Commandery...

It was clear that, through the blood sacrifice to heaven, the Third Prince, who seemed so earnest, seemed to have gained more favor from the emperor, receiving the most tangible rewards.

This was a relief to the Ninth Prince and the Chu family. The emperor may have improved his opinion of the Second Prince, Prince Rui, and the Third Prince slightly, but he had not changed his original preference...