Yi Qing knew that the emperor wouldn't readily agree. She had already made up her mind that if necessary, she would exchange the amnesty token. Anyway, when she was away from the capital, Baozi couldn't be bullied by others.
"I don't know how others see it. Maybe they overestimate or look down on us. That's their business." Yi Qing didn't intend to reason when she came to ask for something.
The emperor grimaced in pain: "Does General Xiao know that you two are coming to the palace to ask for something?"
"Of course not. If he did, how could we come?" Yi Qing said righteously. "If I hadn't seen with my own eyes today that Baozi was bullied in the academy, I wouldn't have known that the first - rank general appointed by the emperor was so worthless that his son would be bullied in the academy."
"My first - rank general holds real power and is crucial for the stability of the country. Maybe it's because you've been too arrogant outside and have been targeted?"
"Maybe it's the Grand Princess who targeted us." Yi Qing said seriously. "The Grand Princess is a member of the royal family, representing the royal family. So it's the emperor who is targeting our General's Mansion. It's really too difficult to be a general. Later, I'll persuade my husband not to be a general anymore. He bleeds on the frontier and still has to be bullied and cry when he comes back..."
The more Yi Qing spoke, the more aggrieved she became. She was on the verge of crying.
"Alright, alright." The emperor looked at Yi Qing. "Your acting skills are getting better and better."
However, for Yi Qing to come and ask for something, something must have happened. If someone really bullied Baozi, he wouldn't allow it.
"I'll bestow the golden whip on Duo'er. He can beat anyone with a title lower than a baron." The emperor said irritably.
"Baozi, quickly kowtow to thank the emperor." Yi Qing immediately looked elated.
Xiao Duo knelt down to thank the emperor.
The emperor looked at Yi Qing's elated look: "Can't you act for a while longer? Don't I have any dignity?"
"Doesn't the emperor like his subjects to be honest with him?" Yi Qing said seriously.
The emperor was instantly speechless.
"By the way, with the capital in such a mess now, why does Commander Deng have the time to kneel outside?" Yi Qing asked curiously.
What did it mean that he had the time to kneel outside? Was kneeling to admit mistakes a waste of time?
The emperor felt a pain in his chest: "He was slack in his work, so I punished him."
"Then choose a better time to punish him. This is a time when we need people. How about letting him atone for his sins by doing meritorious deeds?" Yi Qing negotiated.
"Why do you interfere in everything?"
"Then the emperor can continue to punish him. Anyway, he's not my subordinate and not doing things for me." Yi Qing pulled Baozi. "We'll go back first. Make a grand show of bestowing the golden whip so that no one will be ignorant and get beaten for no reason."
The emperor was at a complete loss with Yi Qing. This woman was really exasperating.
As soon as Yi Qing left the imperial study, the emperor summoned Deng Xiao in. Now was indeed a time when they needed people. They could talk about punishing Deng Xiao later.
When Yi Qing returned to the General's Mansion, she saw Mrs. Fan and Ranran waiting at home. Mrs. Fan's eyes were red from crying, while Ranran on the side was quite rational.
"Madam Xiao, how is General Xiao?" Mrs. Fan always addressed Xiao Jinghan respectfully.
"It's still unclear. He needs to recuperate." Yi Qing didn't think she was lying to Mrs. Fan. The poison in Xiao Jinghan's body was still undetermined.
Hearing Yi Qing's words, Mrs. Fan's tears fell like broken beads: "Why can't I take this suffering for my son?"
Yi Qing helped Mrs. Fan sit down: "The general is a lucky man. Madam, don't worry too much."
How could Mrs. Fan not worry?
"Can we see my brother?" Ranran asked seriously.
Yi Qing shook her head: "It's not convenient to see anyone in this situation. But because of this incident, he may not be able to attend your wedding. Come with me. I've prepared some dowry for you."
Ranran looked at her mother, and Mrs. Fan nodded. It was her son's intention.
Yi Qing took Ranran to the back storeroom. Ranran looked around and lowered her voice: "Sister - in - law, I've noticed that someone has been watching our family recently."
"Who?" Yi Qing was vigilant.
"I don't know. I just feel that there are some strangers around our house. Xu Maozhi has sent two people to guard our house." Ranran whispered.
Yi Qing had wanted Deng Xiao to keep an eye on the Marquis Huai'en's Mansion but had received no news yet, and now something had happened to the Cao family.
The Cao family had only been in the capital for a short time and had always been very low - key. Yi Qing thought there would be no problem, but unexpectedly, something still happened. "It'll be fine with Xu Maozhi guarding."
"I want to take my parents to live in the Xu family for a while after I get married." Ranran was worried about her parents but knew it wasn't appropriate.
"Although there are no elders in the Xu family, it's not suitable to take them there. I'll send some bodyguards over then."
"Thank you, sister - in - law."
The dowry Yi Qing prepared for Ranran was very rich. It filled three large boxes. Together with the dowry from Xu Maozhi, Ranran would have a grand wedding.
Just as the two of them returned to the main courtyard, the emperor's imperial edict arrived. The whip bestowed was one that the emperor had used. It was a bit big for Xiao Duo now.
Xue Miao'er's eyes lit up when she saw the whip but could only watch helplessly as it was put on Xiao Duo.
"Madam Xiao, this is a royal bestowed item. You should keep it carefully." Xiao Dezi reminded.
"Is there anyone in the Great Jin who would dare to steal a royal bestowed item? Then the emperor would lose too much face." Yi Qing was confused.
Xiao Dezi now understood why the emperor always got so angry that he wanted to smash things. Madam Xiao's words were impossible to respond to.
After Xiao Dezi returned to the palace, Yi Qing saw off Mrs. Fan and the others. She greeted Xiao Jinghan and then took his secret guards directly to the vegetable market.
It was afternoon, and there were not many people in the vegetable market. Flies were swarming around several meat stalls.
She had sent someone to inquire. There was a female butcher named Gan Ermei in the market who was very skilled with a knife. When she arrived, there was still a lot of meat on Gan Ermei's stall.
Although the meat on Gan Ermei's stall was good and neatly cut, she had a bad temper and easily offended people. As time went by, people only came to her stall when they had no other choice, so her business was not good.
Actually, it was because Gan Ermei was a beautiful woman. Some men always came to say inappropriate things to her. Gan Ermei would rather fight than talk nonsense. As a result, the wives of some men would come to scold her, and her reputation was ruined.
Gan Ermei was only about 1.6 meters tall. Her skin was a healthy wheat - yellow color, and she looked neat and tidy. When Yi Qing came to her stall, she greeted her warmly.
"This is the pork just butchered today. I've put ice under it. It's very fresh." Gan Ermei showed it to Yi Qing.
Yi Qing carefully observed Gan Ermei's knife skills. They were indeed very skillful.
"Yo, little lady, you dare to buy her meat. Who knows what kind of meat it is? Come and buy mine." A fat and burly man from the neighboring stall was patting his belly with one hand and holding a dirty piece of meat with the other. Flies were buzzing around it.
A look of disgust flashed in Yi Qing's eyes. Xue Miao'er whipped the man.
"Do you think you can address our madam like that?" Xue Miao'er roared fiercely.
"Someone is beating someone! Someone is killing someone!" The man saw a bloodstain on his belly and started shouting at the top of his lungs.