The legitimate daughter was reborn, and the emperor’s little Jiaojiao went crazy.

Chapter 1093 Why toast to the setting sun with an empty cup?

Ming Zhao ultimately failed to go.

According to my mother-in-law's letter, the ship had already entered the sea, and the Beiyi and Xiliang embassies were jointly visiting each of the nations, following the established protocol. Each time the embassy arrived, it was necessary to go through a series of formalities, including an audience with the emperor, presenting credentials, and receiving a banquet. The duration of their stay could range from three to five days to ten to several months.

Ming Zhao's words turned out to be prophetic, and the Ma family was indeed turned upside down.

When General Ma first returned home, he was truly honored. The clan specially cleared out the main courtyard for him to live in, and a constant stream of gentry visited him daily. Even distant relatives who hadn't seen him in years came with their sons and nephews to kowtow and pay their respects.

The old general was very proud and happy, enjoying a period of happy days with everyone's attention. Some people even tried to find him a second wife, and they all mentioned a well-educated and well-mannered young lady in her twenties.

They all said that he wanted to outdo his ex-wife. Old Ma had met a few women, but none of them caught his eye. He was young, but he couldn't even compare to Qin Fangfei now.

He felt a little annoyed.

The members of his Ma family gradually became annoyed because they discovered something.

Old Ma did not hide it and admitted that he gave all the retirement rewards to his eldest son Ma Chuyi.

This caused an uproar. People in his hometown were unhappy and forced Lao Ma to get the reward back.

Old Ma had always been a general, his word was final in the barracks, and even after returning to his hometown, his energy had not yet slackened. How could he possibly listen to his family's orders?

Moreover, Mingzhao still remembered the good things he said to his grandchildren that day. How long had it been since then? How long could he go and get the land back?

Then where would he put his old face?

When Old Ma refused to take back his land, his family members started to look down on him. First, the food became less delicious, then there was no one to arrange a second marriage, and finally the maids and servants who served him also left.

Finally, he was not allowed to live in the main courtyard and was driven to a side courtyard.

Not only that, the old family members even went directly to Ma Chuyi under the guise of General Ma. They spoke very harshly, saying that it was his father who sent them to reclaim the land.

Ming Zhao is such a smart person, and Ma Chuyi listens to his beloved wife and is such a strong man, how could he be scared by those old family members?

Throwing a tantrum makes one appear weak in the face of any powerful force. Ma Chuyi not only drove the Ma family out of Bixia Pass on the grounds that they were disturbing the military camp, but also sent someone to send them to the government office, beat them up, and imprisoned them for several months.

General Ma had truly lived through a period of misery, experiencing the ups and downs of life. He recalled how his family had demanded money and property from the Qin family under various pretexts.

At that time, he always thought that the Qin family was petty, so what if the old family asked for something? But now he knows that wealth can reveal evil spirits.

Old Ma felt regretful and thought of all the good things his ex-wife had done for him.

He wanted to reconcile with his ex-wife, but it was too late. She was alone and would not live with him again.

In Qin Fangfei's words, "Do I think my life is too long, or do I think my life is too good? How ridiculous! I, Qin Fangfei, was blinded once before, can I be blinded again?"

If she hadn't had two good sons, her blindness would have really brought her no benefit at all.

At this very moment, a devastating event occurred in the Ma family. The imperially bestowed jade wine vessels with dragon-shaped patterns had disappeared. The words "Retire after Success" written on the bottom of the cups were inscribed by Emperor Wenxuan himself.

General Ma summoned the entire clan to the ancestral hall overnight to question them.

His dignity remained, and he stood before the ancestral tablets, sword in hand. His voice was as cold as iron, "I'll ask you one last time. Who has touched the gift bestowed by the Emperor?" He slammed the scabbard of his sword against the altar, causing the incense ash to fall. "I wouldn't dare take the gift bestowed by the Emperor even if I had to melt it down in a pawnshop. If anyone is found guilty, not only will the thief be charged, but even those who knew about it but didn't report it will all be punished for deceiving the Emperor!"

However, he was now worthless in the eyes of his clansmen, and no one listened to what he said. Moreover, he had always assumed that Old Ma would handle it himself, and he didn't take it seriously.

Who would have thought that the old Ma, who had been confused for half his life, would be unusually lucid this time. He sent an urgent secret memorial directly to the emperor, and the four words "Imperial Gift Stolen" on the red lacquer seal were shocking.

Emperor Wenxuan was furious after reading the report and immediately dispatched the Dongyu Satellite to investigate at night. This investigation was extraordinary, and it even implicated the local magistrate in a black market, the registrar in collusion with bandits, and even the sons of the clan in the sale of stolen goods.

The investigation ultimately revealed six beheaded members of the Ma clan alone. The bluestone tiles in front of the county government office were stained a glaring crimson, two of whom were the victims of Old Ma's nephews.

In this way, Lao Ma could no longer stay in the tribe.

It was when his father-in-law was at his lowest point in life that Ming Zhao took him to the farm in the names of the brothers Ma Chuyi and Ma Chuyang to live out his days.

In this way, the infamy that Ma Chuyang kicked his father into the river was completely eliminated, and instead a happy rumor of them putting aside their past grudges and reconciling was created.

Rumors were, of course, just rumors. Ma Chuyang didn't care about fame and didn't associate with Old Ma, but he appreciated his eldest sister-in-law's concern for his reputation.

At some point, a poem began circulating: Iron armor once glazed with frost from a thousand miles of travel, bows and swords corroded with rust, hair graying. The imperial cup faces the moon on the steps, empty, while the war horses leave only the incense from their scabbards. Family scattered, homeland deserted, six skulls offered as sacrifices in the ancestral hall. If I had understood my wife's feelings, why would I have offered an empty cup to the setting sun?

Old Ma felt that his daughter-in-law had written it to mock him, but he could find no evidence. However, every time he heard someone read it, a wave of heart-wrenching regret washed over him, and he burst into tears.

I realized that I still miss my ex-wife. The more lonely I am, the more I think of the difficulties my ex-wife has gone through.

However, if you keep thinking about someone, there may not be a response. There is also a saying that belated affection is cheaper than grass, and no one will stay in place and wait for another person to grow up.

At this time, Qin Fangfei was truly enjoying a comfortable life. Her face was rosy and she looked even younger. "What a wonderful saying, 'Why toast to the setting sun with an empty cup?' Shuang'er, you are becoming more and more adept at piercing people's hearts."

Chi Shuang just smiled and said nothing. Since her marriage, she had been loved by her mother-in-law, looked after by her eldest sister-in-law, and cherished by her husband. Her life was as sweet as honey and as happy as ever.

In addition, there was an unexpected surprise. During Qin Fangfei's diplomatic mission to various countries, her noble demeanor in every gesture attracted the favor of Huang Haoqing's cousin Huang Haofeng.

Huang Haofeng was a man of integrity, known for his calligraphy skills. His wife had passed away many years earlier, and his children had all remarried, leaving him with no extra family members.

When the ship docked at the Huaixing River, Huang Haofeng expressed his feelings to Qin Fangfei.

The two happily married. When the news reached General Ma… the sky fell, and his heart was broken. There was still a long way to go, but this is a story for another time.

After more than 400 days of sailing, the ship set sail from the Huaixing River, circled the various states of the Beiyi Liang State, crossed the sea, and finally returned to its hometown port.

This voyage not only measured the waves of thousands of miles, but also forged a sworn brotherhood among the courts of various countries.

When the flags on the mast once again brushed against the weeping willows on the banks of the Huaixing River, the waterline of the ship was already deeply immersed in the mists of foreign lands, and the sounds of distant foreign shengs and pipes seemed to still echo between the wood grain of the ship's side.

San San ran down the gangway with her skirt lifted, her hairpins jingling in the morning light of the Huaixing River. "Father, Mother, I can finally eat the food from my hometown! I'm so hungry!"

Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. Yet, viewing the beauty of the world is not as good as a bowl of soup in one's hometown.

The river breeze brought the familiar scent of cooking smoke, and Shi Anxia suddenly felt that the more than four hundred days and nights of traveling thousands of miles were ultimately for this moment, when she could savor the dawn and dusk of her hometown and taste this greatest joy in the world.

She smiled faintly and said, "Husband, let's go back to the North Wing first."