Chapter 111

Huo Jilin's official robe was deep blue. As a military officer, his attire differed from that of civil officials.

Civil officials' robes ranged from green to purple to red, with red further split into bright red and deep red. Grand Tutor Liang's robe was a deep crimson.

The purple robe belonged to a high-ranking official of the second rank.

The man looked to be about forty, with an honest face, but his eyes betrayed a shrewdness—the same look shared by the veteran officials present. Maybe this was the face you developed after too many years in office.

Huo Jilin waited for the man to reach him. The man asked hesitantly, "Are you the Marquis of Beiping, General Huo?"

Huo Jilin nodded. "That's right. And you are...?"

The man's face lit up with excitement. "Nephew Huo, I'm your Uncle Jiang!"

His beard quivered with excitement as he grabbed Huo Jilin's sleeve and looked him over.

"Uncle Jiang?" Huo Jilin paused. He did have an Uncle Jiang in his previous life, but they looked nothing alike.

Of course, people in ancient times with long beards looked completely different.

Huo Jilin decided not to overthink it. Not everyone would happen to end up here.

Huo Jilin was sure he didn't recognize the man in front of him.

He was a member of the Huo family who had been exiled over twenty years ago. This Uncle Jiang looked about forty, the same age as the original body's father, and seemed to be a friend of his.

Huo Jilin politely clasped his hands in a salute. "Uncle Jiang."

Thanks to Uncle Jiang's lead, many people soon came over to greet Huo Jilin.

From how they addressed him, Huo Jilin learned that Jiang Tingxin held the second-rank position of Vice Director of the Secretariat and belonged to Grand Tutor Liang's faction.

Naturally, he had many officials from the same faction under him.

"So this is the General Huo who did great service in the plague relief—truly dignified and imposing."

"Just like the late General Huo back in the day—the Huo family has a worthy successor."

"General Huo has accomplished so much at such a young age—like father, like son, indeed."

"General Huo is highly favored by His Majesty—his prospects are limitless!"

Out of respect for Uncle Jiang, these bearded men all heaped praise on Huo Jilin.

Huo Jilin greeted each of them in turn, his expression as indifferent as ever—neither warm nor cold. This attitude made those present inwardly wonder.

This Huo Jilin from the countryside didn't seem as enthusiastic as they'd expected. He didn't even try to suck up to Vice Director Jiang. Whether this was his natural disposition or something more subtle—maybe His Majesty had told him not to align with either faction?

They'd already served under two emperors; they were old hands at court politics. One look from someone and they could imagine three hundred chapters of scheming behind it.

This was exactly the effect Huo Jilin wanted.

First, this was simply his nature, so he might as well set up this persona. That way, no one would try to recruit him. Peace and quiet.

During the court session, Huo Jilin also felt the force of the factional struggle—even a minor topic could spark long debates between the two sides.

Huo Jilin mostly stayed silent. He'd been enfeoffed as General of the Northern Pacification Army, but his specific post in the capital hadn't been assigned yet. For now, he was classified as a military officer, and unless it involved matters of war, he generally didn't have to speak.

Finally, near the end, the emperor brought up Huo Jilin amid all the contentious matters.

"The Huo family of the Marquis of Beiping has been loyal unto death. Forty years ago, the old General Huo fell on the battlefield. Twenty years ago, the Huo family was wronged by villains and forced to flee to a distant land. Yet through all these years, the descendants of the Huo family have never forgotten their loyalty to our Great Liang."

The emperor paused, then continued: "I'm sure you all remember how severe the plague was three months ago—tens of thousands of lives at stake. In that moment of crisis, General Huo stepped forward and, together with his husband, saved the day. Therefore, I hereby confer upon Huo Jilin the title of Marquis of Beiping, the rank of third-grade Brave General, and the post of Commissioner of the Left Battalion of the Capital Army."

The forty-year-old emperor seemed a very refined man. His words were authoritative yet logical—first recalling the past, then affirming Huo Jilin's current achievements, so everyone could accept him without objection.

Brave General, Capital Army Commissioner. A military post.

Huo Jilin's eyelids lowered slightly.

Though he would've been more capable as a civil official—his administrative skills and ability to navigate officialdom were stronger than his martial prowess.

But Huo Jilin said nothing.

He no longer had the same enthusiasm for this dynasty or these matters.

He'd exhausted his passion for work in his previous life.

Or rather, the moment he watched Chen Jue die, nothing else seemed to matter anymore.

His past life had been devoted to work; after death, he'd come to see things differently.

In this life, he just wanted to live well with Chen Jue and raise their kid.

If his official career went poorly, he'd retire into seclusion with Chen Jue.

So Huo Jilin had no objections to this appointment.

This dynasty valued civil over military affairs. As a military officer, a third-grade rank didn't count for much in the eyes of civil officials, and Grand Tutor Liang didn't object.

Huo Jilin stepped forward to give thanks: "I thank Your Majesty for your grace. These are merely my duties."

Though his words were simple, they were neither humble nor overbearing—just as Lord Liu had described. The emperor on the throne felt comforted. He said kindly, "Jilin, step forward and let me have a good look at you."

Though Huo Jilin found his kind tone a bit awkward, the emperor was in his forties with a full beard, looking closer to fifty. He decided to just think of him as fifty.

Huo Jilin stepped forward a few paces, standing at the same spot as Grand Tutor Liang. Thus, Grand Tutor Liang and the others couldn't help but size him up as well.

Huo Jilin also discreetly glanced back at them. These were all old foxes, much like the shareholders at his company.

But this world was no longer his previous life, and this dynasty was no longer his company. He didn't need to waste his energy on such matters anymore.

From now on, he'd keep as much distance as possible.

The morning court session lasted a full two hours, with a meal served in the palace in between.

It was afternoon by the time Huo Jilin got home.

Meanwhile, Chen Jue had gone back to sleep with Huo Yu in his arms after Huo Jilin left for court that morning.

Huo Yu, like a little bun, burrowed into his chest, and Chen Jue patted his back gently. Huo Yu hadn't been weaned yet and smelled faintly of milk—quite nice.

Chen Jue didn't know when he'd fallen back into a deep sleep.

The two of them slept until the sun was high.

When they woke up, they played peek-a-boo in the blankets again, just like before. It was Huo Yu's favorite game, originally taught to him by Uncle Liu—covering your face with your hands, then suddenly pulling them away, and Huo Yu would burst into laughter as if flipped by a switch.

Now Chen Jue had learned it too. He hid his face under the blanket, then suddenly yanked it down, pulling off the classic Sichuan opera face-change trick. It got a giggle out of Huo Yu every single time. Even though every time the blanket came off it was still Chen Jue's face, the little guy's eyes would light up, and he'd launch himself at him, hugging his neck and smearing drool all over his face.

Kids are so easy to win over, Chen Jue thought to himself every time.

Steward Su heard the sound of his giggling from inside and was craning his neck, waiting outside.

He'd never been married in his past life. After his beloved passed away, he'd decided to stay single for good.

He regarded Huo Jilin as his own child, so he'd been beyond excited for Huo Jilin's child to be born. And then, through some twist of fate, he got to see that child in this world.

The kid was all soft and squishy—just adorable.

By the time Chen Jue was dressed and led Huo Yu out, Steward Su couldn't wait to pull out all the tricks to win Huo Yu over, so he could look after him going forward.

Steward Su hung out with Huo Yu and Chen Jue in the pavilion by the pond, while filling Chen Jue in on the big families in the capital.

Chen Jue had just arrived in the capital, and Steward Su had already put together a rundown of all the nobles and families with hereditary honors, so Chen Jue could get the lay of the land at a glance.

You had to know who these families were in the capital. With the Huo family's standing being rebuilt, there'd be a ton of social obligations coming up. In the future, whether it was palace banquets, ones thrown by other ladies, or their own events, Chen Jue, as the Marquis's consort, had to handle all of it.

After reading, Chen Jue sighed: "I thought I'd be living it up once I got to the capital, but turns out I still have a mountain of stuff to do. And stuff I'm not even good at."

Steward Su laughed heartily. Before he'd found out that Huo Jilin's consort was Chen Jue, he'd pictured a thousand times what kind of person he might be.

Huo Jilin's consort had to be someone truly extraordinary, right?

He'd made the antidote—the thing that basically saved everyone in Great Liang. He figured the guy must be like some kind of immortal.

And sure enough, now that he saw him—an immortal who'd come down to earth and didn't get how mortal stuff worked—wasn't that totally normal?

Steward Su smiled and said to him: "Doctor Chen, you're the most incredible person I've ever met. In my book, you're just as remarkable as Mr. Huo—saving lives, healing the wounded, with a heart full of kindness."

He continued with a smile: "I don't have your incredible medical skills, but over the years I've made my mark in the practical, everyday stuff. So I'll handle all that day-to-day business for you—no need to worry."

Chen Jue let out a relieved breath: "Good, that's wonderful. Thank you, Steward Su."

Steward Su held Huo Yu and said: "Doctor Chen, it's my job. From here on out, you don't need to be so formal with me. We should also do as the locals do. This capital is all about rules and family status, so let's get that proper noble image locked in first."

That noble image meant a strict pecking order—high and low, crystal clear. Those nobles acted all high and mighty, literally stepping on servants to mount their horses just to show off how important they were.

But Huo Jilin and Chen Jue just happened to be from the modern world. No matter how huge their accomplishments, they treated everyone with the same respect—just like Chen Jue thanking him just now. That wasn't the kind of thing a Marquis's consort was supposed to say to a steward.

That was the difference. And it was exactly what made them so special.

So Chen Jue didn't need to do a thing. He just had to keep being himself—Steward Su would handle the rest.

"The visiting cards are going to start piling up over the next few days. Let's accept them all for now and take things one step at a time. Once the palace banquet's done, then we'll get to everyone else," Steward Su said.

He'd spent years at the old Huo estate, putting together banquets and juggling connections way more tangled than anything in this era.

Right now, the palace came first. Only after the Empress's banquet would it be everyone else's turn. That order couldn't be messed with.

Chen Jue nodded. Then Steward Su walked him through a few more relationship charts, and Chen Jue understood. He wasn't dumb—he just hated doing this kind of stuff.

But now that he was in the capital, he had to play the social game. Huo Jilin was in officialdom, and he couldn't hold him back from the inner quarters.

"How many consorts and children does the Emperor have? Which families are they from?" Chen Jue asked.

Seeing him pinpoint the most important question so precisely, Steward Su immediately gave him a detailed introduction.

"The current Empress is the eldest daughter of Chancellor Liu. There's one Noble Consort—the daughter of Grand Tutor Liang, the current chief minister. Among the four Consorts, there are currently only two: Consort De is Wang Yue'e, daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites from the Wang family; Consort Hui is Cheng Yue, daughter of General Cheng of the Valiant Guard...

...There are three Zhaoyi ladies—Zhou Yun, daughter of the Vice Minister of Justice from the Zhou family, one of whom is a male consort...

Numerous talented ladies and beauties..."

Steward Su also listed in detail the imperial consorts and their families—this was the current Emperor's power structure.

It was like a spider's web. They say the harem has three thousand beauties, and indeed there were quite a few.

Chen Jue read through it all: "And their offspring?"

Seeing how quickly he grasped it, Steward Su continued: "The current Emperor has few children—only two princes, two princesses, and one prince. The eldest prince is born of the current Empress, already twenty-six this year, yet not yet appointed Crown Prince. The court disputes of the past six months have been over this.

The second prince is born of the Noble Consort, eighteen this year. At the beginning of the year, he was titled Prince Jin and has established his own household, just on Prince's Street ahead of us."

Steward Su lowered his voice here: "This Prince Jin has quite a temper. He gallops his horse through the streets daily. A few days ago, some trouble arose at a gambling house he privately established, and the Emperor reprimanded him. He's been barred from court these days, so the Marquis probably won't see him today."

Chen Jue made an "oh" sound, understanding his meaning. This Prince Jin was not to be trifled with—he'd avoid him in the future.

His backing was Grand Tutor Liang, the chief minister.

Steward Su smiled: "That's about all. The two matrons sent by the current Emperor are veterans of the palace. They'll teach you the court protocols, so you needn't worry when entering the palace."

Chen Jue hummed in acknowledgment.

Seeing it was almost noon, Huo Yu had played happily with his little companion and was hungry. Though there were various snacks, Chen Jue didn't let him eat too many, keeping his meals as the main priority.

So Chen Jue carried Huo Yu to eat.

The matron and two wet nurses followed behind. Huo Yu's milk today was switched to the wet nurse's—half goat's milk. He tried a few spoonfuls with some resistance, still preferring goat's milk.

Chen Jue wasn't worried. Huo Yu was older now, and breastfeeding wasn't as important. If he could drink a little, fine; if not, no matter.

After the goat's milk, he ate a bowl of chicken-shred noodle soup. The kitchen had made him hand-pulled dragon whisker noodles today—the chef's knife skills were impressive, the noodles like mist in the golden broth. Huo Yu quite enjoyed it, eating all the melt-in-your-mouth chicken shreds and drinking half a bowl of soup. After finishing, he let out a satisfied burp, a bit embarrassed, and turned to hide in Chen Jue's arms.

Chen Jue said to Steward Su: "The kitchen did well. Reward them."

Far better than him, Chen Jue thought. He couldn't figure out why, with his own knife skills, he'd never been able to make such dishes.

Steward Su smiled: "Very well. The young master enjoys eating—I'll have them make all sorts of variations."

A baby who loves to eat is so endearing. Watching him eat was like watching a food broadcast. Steward Su's heart was full of affection with nowhere to put it. If he weren't the chief steward of the marquis household with many duties, he'd have his eyes fixed solely on Huo Yu.

Huo Yu was full and soon fell asleep.

Chen Jue spread out paper in the study to write letters to Zhou Qingzhu and the others. He'd write a bit first—his letters were like notes, reporting safety and sending regards to his parents in Chen Family Village.

Having just arrived in the capital, Chen Jue wasn't in a hurry to open a branch of Chen's Pharmaceutical. He'd wait until they established a foothold, figured out the connections, and Huo Jilin's specific position was confirmed.

Having become an Imperial Merchant, everything inside and out needed to meet standards—especially this factory in the capital, which had to be flawless, so that pharmacies in other provinces could be established later.

Huo Jilin returned in the afternoon. After changing clothes, he went to the study. Chen Jue smiled and asked him: "What does the imperial palace look like?"

Huo Jilin chuckled: "You'll get to see it yourself in a few days."

After court let out, the emperor summoned him alone again—once court was over, it was all casual talk. The empress would invite his husband and child to the palace sometime soon.

Chen Jue clicked his tongue softly: "Steward Su called it."

Huo Jilin raised an eyebrow: "Steward Su's an expert in this area."

Chen Jue nodded as well: "Yeah, good thing you've got a Steward Su."

Huo Jilin corrected him: "He's *our* Steward Su."

Chen Jue glanced at him: "Fine, *ours*."

Huo Jilin walked behind him and massaged his shoulders: "You've written so much, take a break and give your eyes a rest."

Chen Jue was writing a medical book, recording all the medical cases from his previous life. The project was enormous and mentally taxing. Though Chen Jue was a genius with a super memory, even he couldn't keep up with this pace.

Chen Jue leaned forward under his massage, and Huo Jilin nodded: "Looks like you haven't moved in a whole hour! You're more exhausted than I am after court!"

Chen Jue, corrected by him, could only lean back against him to dodge: "Alright, alright, I'll go take a stroll in the courtyard. I've never lived in such a big yard before."

Huo Jilin chuckled: "Are you hinting at those three stone rooms I had you stay in before?"