When Lieutenant Li saw his opportunity coming, how could he let it go? Seeing a beautiful girl alone in the deserted alley, he immediately rubbed his hands and pounced on her like a hungry tiger.
Hearing the sound, Mei Qingxue dodged to the side and narrowly escaped Lieutenant Li's pounce.
"I was wondering who it was. It turns out that the person who had got 150 slaps is coming to ask for more. You're such a cheapskate!" Mei Qingxue said with disdain.
"Miss, let your uncle love you well." Lieutenant Li said with a lecherous smile and pounced on Mei Qingxue again.
Just as he made a pouncing movement, his body left the ground all of a sudden.
"Love me? Let this princess love you well. Let's go to the downtown." Mei Qingxue said to Shadow who was holding Lieutenant Li. There was another person who had ideas about her. She was not to be bullied.
"Yes!"
"Let me go. I'm an official with rank. Let me go!" No matter how Lieutenant Li struggled, Shadow's hand was like a pair of iron pincers and held his collar tightly.
"Princess, what should we do when we get to the downtown?" Seeing a man being held in the hand of another person, many people gathered around. Seeing the princess there, more people gathered. "So many people. What do you want to do? This lieutenant was ordered by the first prince to handle affairs."
"Really? It must be really hard for you!"
"Do as I say."
"Yes!"
Shadow threw Lieutenant Li on the ground. Just as Lieutenant Li wanted to get up, he was grabbed back by Shadow.
"Whoever can slap this lascivious man 150 times, this princess will give him five taels of silver. Declare in advance that this princess won't be responsible for hand aches."
"Can this subordinate slap 30 times and get one tael of silver?"
A man who looked like a peddler came over. Mei Qingxue nodded: "Yes, but don't be gentle. Don't knock him out, nor beat him to death. Didn't you hear that he was handling affairs for the first prince?"
"This subordinate will show mercy."
After saying that, he rolled up his sleeves and slapped Lieutenant Li on the left and right sides. "Pa pa pa". This time, Lieutenant Li bit his teeth tightly and didn't make a sound. After the peddler took the lead, another four people stood out. Among them was a fat female butcher with lard all over her hands. "I can't earn one tael of silver even if I kill meat for a day. If I beat this lascivious man, I'll feel relieved and can get money."
"How dare you flirt with our princess. I'll beat you to death."
"Come on, wife. Come on, wife." A man behind the pork stall waved a knife to cheer the female butcher on. "It's really relieving. Princess, if there are such things in the future, be sure to call me. I won't beat others. I'll just beat those who bully women."
"Okay." After the five people finished slapping, they happily received money from Mei Qingxue. Mei Qingxue stood in front of Lieutenant Li who was all limp.
"This princess won't make things difficult for you. You just handle the affairs your master told you to handle. Remember, there's only one emperor in the South of the Yangtze River."
"All of you do business well. If there are people like Su Minghui and Geng Junhu again, just go to the yamen to beat the drum. If the yamen doesn't handle affairs, the prince will surely come forward for you. The prince's body is weak and needs to recuperate. Now the yamen is not that bastard Su Minghui. You can rest assured."
"Thank you, princess."
"Thank you, fairy."
More and more voices sounded. That Lieutenant Li ran away dejectedly. How could he handle affairs with his present honor? He'd better go back to the capital with his tail between his legs and make plans slowly in the future.
"This prince told you to handle affairs. What did you handle?"
When Du Gu Ming saw that the wounds were the same as last time, he knew what Lieutenant Li had done again. "This subordinate saw that the princess of Rui was beautiful..."
There was no need to say the rest of the words. Du Gu Ming could also guess. That Mei Qingxue was Du Gu Qing's apple of the eye. She didn't bring guards out, but could call his hands?
A good-for-nothing was a good-for-nothing.
"You'd better go back and recuperate well." After saying that, he waved his hand and ignored him. When he went to court tomorrow, he'd tell his father-in-law to lead some people to make suggestions to his father. The position of the crown prince should be determined. Otherwise, people would be panicky.
During the morning court, Du Gu Ming winked at Du Yueshu, the Minister of War. Du Yueshu nodded understandingly. "If you have something to report, report it. If not, withdraw from the court!"
Just as the little eunuch finished shouting, Du Yueshu took a step forward.
"This minister has something to report."
Du Gu You had seen Du Yueshu's hesitating look for a long time. He didn't want to pay attention to him at first. Who knew that he really had something to report.
"Report!"
Du Yueshu cleared his throat. "I report to Your Majesty that a country can't be without a foundation. The crown prince is the foundation. Please think twice, Your Majesty."
The censor also took a step forward. "This minister has something to report." As soon as he heard them talking, Du Gu You knew what it was. The first prince, his good son, couldn't wait.
He specially united his faction and put pressure on the court today. Du Gu Ming looked proud. Du Gu Jue looked at him coldly and knew that his elder brother couldn't achieve his wish today. All those in power didn't like to be forced. Du Gu Ming violated their father's taboos one by one. I'm afraid that their father's impression of Du Gu Ming would be even worse.
"Oh? How come I don't know when you became so united?" Du Gu You showed sarcasm in his eyes. If they wanted to threaten him, "Minister, you're old. It's time for you to retire." He was probably old and muddled and couldn't see the situation clearly.
"This minister is still in good health and is reluctant to leave Your Majesty." How could Du Yueshu not know what the emperor meant? At present, he couldn't say much. As soon as he spoke, the emperor would use retirement to block his mouth.
Du Gu Ming winked at the others. Du Gu Jue looked at him coldly. Did he think that he could threaten the emperor just by getting a few officials entangled? It was childish.
Either learn from him.
The letter to the Dog Rong in the West had been sent out. I'm sure there'd be a reply soon. If you wanted to do something, do it thoroughly. A man should stand up to heaven and earth.
He himself hid behind a few old men. Du Gu Jue didn't believe that Du Gu Ming could achieve anything. If he couldn't achieve anything, Du Gu Ming wouldn't be able to either.
"Father, this son has something to report."
Du Gu Jue took a step forward. A look of playfulness appeared on Du Gu You's face.
"Speak. I'm listening."
"This son thinks that the matter of the crown prince can't be rushed." Du Gu Jue was also anxious in his heart, but he couldn't and wouldn't make the emperor suspicious of him. "Oh?"
Du Gu You looked at his third son. Du Gu Jue also had many small movements. Now saying this made him feel strange in his heart.
"It's like this, father. Whether to establish the eldest or the virtuous is up to Your Majesty to make the final decision. A subject should act according to his duty and can't overstep the mark."
"What you said is reasonable."
When Du Yueshu, the Minister of War, heard Du Gu Jue's words, he knew that they were said to him. However, he had a thick skin and just pretended not to hear them.
Du Gu Ming's face began to look ugly. Du Yueshu was his father-in-law. Saying his father-in-law was not saying him in a roundabout way. "Father, what my younger brother said is wrong. The hearts of the people should always have a direction."
He wanted to say that most of the court officials were on his side.
A cold smile appeared on Du Gu You's mouth: "If it's about the hearts of the people, none of you have a chance." It was that plum blossom fairy. Others were also towards Du Gu Qing. It was just that the child had been regarded as an abandoned son by him early.
Concubine Qin also didn't want Du Gu Qing to be involved in this circle of right and wrong. Du Gu Qing himself didn't care. When his body was better, it was originally the time to discuss the crown prince. However, he asked for a fief.
"Father, the hearts of the people are not up to you." What Du Gu Ming said made the officials present sweat. This fool. How dare he say that?
Du Yueshu was so angry that he wanted to leave. However, the emperor was sitting high. He wouldn't look for trouble for himself at this critical moment.
"Hehe, really?" A trace of mystery appeared on Du Gu You's mouth. He was really a fool. How could he think that he had the style of himself back then?
He was really blind. Only Du Gu Qing was really the most like himself. However, he didn't like this position. An abandoned son was an abandoned son. As long as he fulfilled his wish, he wouldn't regret it.
Besides, it was also Concubine Qin's wish.
"Withdraw from the court. This matter will be discussed again." Du Gu You waved his hand and got up and left first. He didn't expect that his eldest son whom he had taken a fancy to would actually challenge him in public and make him unable to get off the stage. Why did those officials all speak for him? Was Du Gu Ming really suitable for that position?
Du Gu You's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.
On the way, he saw Concubine Yue salute him and didn't pay attention to her. He went straight into Concubine Qin's yard. Concubine Qin was sitting in front of the flowers with a small teapot in her arms and quietly looking at the white magnolias.
This was the flower her father liked most. So there were the most of this kind of flower planted in her yard. As soon as Concubine Qin looked up, she saw Du Gu You with a black face. "You, what's wrong with you?"
"My good son almost pissed me off today." Du Gu You angrily took the teapot from Concubine Qin's hand and took a big sip. "He actually united his father-in-law to put pressure on me in the court. Is he so impatient for that position?"
"Don't be angry. You should make a decision early. Otherwise, they'll bother you."
"I know too." Du Gu You pulled Concubine Qin's hand. "However, I really want to call Qing'er back."
"No. He's recuperating in the South of the Yangtze River. You can't disturb him." Concubine Qin flatly refused Du Gu You. He had finally left this place. How could she call him back?
"I'm just saying."
Du Gu You thought in his heart that if his two elder brothers were not suitable, Qing'er's body was really weak. There really wasn't a suitable person.
A look of contradiction flashed across Du Gu You's face. He didn't know whether that child resented him for regarding Qing'er as an abandoned son. After all, he hadn't been close to him for many years. The father-son relationship was estranged.
He didn't know what his third son could do. In short, the bad premonition in his heart was even stronger. I'm afraid that his son was definitely not comparable to Du Gu Ming, that fool. He was too insidious. He had known since he was a child that Du Gu Jue was extremely insidious and wouldn't stop until he achieved his goal.
It was a pity that what he could do wasn't something his father could think of. The precautions he could take had been deployed. However, he always felt that there was something missing.
It was still Du Gu Qing who saved trouble. He didn't need him to worry about anything. He was quiet. He governed the South of the Yangtze River well. He even handled the people's grievances well. The people he used were also flawless.