If there were truly nothing wrong, Xiao Jinghan wouldn't have shut himself up in the study, wanting to be alone.
Yi Qing ran her hand along Xiao Jinghan's ribs until she reached his soft spot and pressed hard. "Does it hurt?"
Xiao Jinghan had no idea what Yi Qing was up to. "No, it doesn't."
Yi Qing felt that her effort had been in vain. "I'm pressing on your soft spot. It's easy to feel pain when pressed."
"Really?" Xiao Jinghan held Yi Qing's hand and gently rubbed it against his chin. "Maybe it's because my wife can't bear to press hard on me."
Why did Yi Qing feel it was so hard to reason with Xiao Jinghan?
"I'm telling you that everyone has their soft spots. It's an innate human trait. No matter how powerful a person is, they can't avoid it. You're a man of deep emotions. It was the same with Bai Chengyi before, and now it's the same with the military households. It's not your fault. It's just that they're greedy. You can't doubt yourself because of their mistakes."
Xiao Jinghan looked at Yi Qing and held her hand, gently rubbing it against his chin. "Is my wife comforting me?"
"Of course. You're my husband. No one else can make things difficult for you." Yi Qing said domineeringly.
Xiao Jinghan hugged Yi Qing a little tighter. "Actually, my wife has an easier way to comfort me."
Damn it!
Yi Qing felt that she didn't want to comfort Xiao Jinghan at all. Although he had soft spots, he had a thick skin.
The next day, those military households surrounded the mansion again, telling everyone about their hardships. Yi Qing thought that it was a pity there was no habit of making slogans. If there was, they would probably write something like: Unscrupulous General's Mansion, Return Our Hard - Earned Money.
Yi Qing and Xiao Jinghan were making pills in the pharmacy. The antidote for the Ruyi Cake was actually quite similar to the cake itself. Yi Qing didn't want others to participate in the production.
"What are you going to do about the New Year gifts?" Yi Qing asked Xiao Jinghan.
Just as Di Shi said, since they were in the capital now, they still had to maintain some social relationships.
"No need." Xiao Jinghan really didn't care about these things.
This time when he came back, he was punished by the emperor, and hardly anyone pleaded for him. He didn't really care about this, but it just allowed him to see some people clearly.
Anyway, it was the same in the court. People would curry favor with those in high positions and look down on those in low positions. Others' attitudes towards him only depended on his position.
Yi Qing also felt relieved. She wasn't familiar with the powerful and noble people in the capital. Who knew what would happen if she sent them gifts?
While the Huai'en Marquis Mansion remained unscathed, Xiao Jinghan was impeached on the grounds of withholding the pensions and rewards of the fallen soldiers. The emperor summoned Xiao Jinghan to the Taihe Hall.
The Taihe Hall was the place where the court was held every day. When they saw Xiao Jinghan coming, most of the court officials lowered their heads and remained silent. Some secretly glanced at the legendary God of War.
"Greetings to Your Majesty." Xiao Jinghan bowed.
"General Xiao, do you know why I've summoned you?" The emperor looked at Xiao Jinghan's relaxed appearance and thought he was doing it on purpose.
After making Xiao Jinghan reflect, the emperor realized that Xiao Jinghan was indeed doing it on purpose.
In the past, with Xiao Jinghan's assistance, he didn't have to be so busy. Now he was as busy as a dog every day, while Xiao Jinghan was enjoying a happy family life at home. He felt unbalanced and must find an opportunity to call Xiao Jinghan back.
"I haven't bothered about the matter of the military households surrounding the General's Mansion." Xiao Jinghan said seriously.
If it weren't for the court session, the emperor would have thrown the memorials at Xiao Jinghan.
Xie Hongyi stepped forward. "General Xiao, those military households said that you withheld their pensions and rewards."
Everyone secretly glanced at Xiao Jinghan. Xiao Jinghan was the God of War of the Great Jin Dynasty. In the past, he had a fierce reputation. It was said that he was a savage, using skulls as wine cups and drinking three hundred cups of wine without getting drunk.
Now it seemed that the rumors were unreliable.
"Do you have any evidence?" Xiao Jinghan didn't look at Xie Hongyi.
"Those military households are already surrounding the General's Mansion. What more evidence do we need?"
"Then does it mean that if anyone says that Lord Xie is neglecting his duties, forming cliques, selling official positions, and disregarding the law, I can impeach Lord Xie?" Xiao Jinghan finally glanced at Xie Hongyi.
Xie Hongyi hurriedly bowed. "Your Majesty, Your servant..."
Why did the emperor feel that Xiao Jinghan's eloquence had improved? "Lord Xie, do you have any evidence?"
Xie Hongyi was a little panicked. "Those military households are outside the city. Your Majesty can summon them into the palace for confrontation."
"Lord Xie wants a few common military households to confront me. Is this an insult to me?" Xiao Jinghan mocked.
Xie Hongyi was startled.
He had been looked down upon by Xiao Jinghan before and couldn't swallow this humiliation. Just in time, Xiao Jinghan was punished by the emperor. He knew about the matter of the military households and wanted to take this opportunity to make things worse for Xiao Jinghan, so he ignored these issues.
After all, Xiao Jinghan was a first - rank general of the Great Jin Dynasty. Now, without any proof of his guilt, but being asked to confront a few commoners, this was not only an insult to Xiao Jinghan but also an insult to the emperor's intelligence.
"Vice General Lu is seeking an audience." The palace servant outside announced.
"Admit him." The emperor glanced at Xie Hongyi.
The emperor didn't like the queen, and by extension, he didn't like the people of the Xie family either. However, the Xie family's influence in the court was deeply rooted, so he had to endure.
Lu Tianzuo came in with a thick stack of documents in his arms and bowed. "Your Majesty, these are the detailed information about the military households outside the General's Mansion."
"Present them." The emperor thought that Xiao Jinghan had acted quickly. He wondered if this was a deliberate trap for the Xie family. If so, it would be exactly what he wanted.
The palace servant presented the memorials to the emperor.
"Those military households had already received their pensions and rewards. They had cultivated General Xiao's land without paying any rent. The general took pity on them and would give them some silver every year. This year, there were changes in the General's Mansion, and those military households had taken advantage for so many years and were all living in prosperity. So the general didn't give them any more silver, and they went to the General's Mansion to ask for money." Lu Tianzuo briefly explained.
"These lawless peasants!" The emperor angrily closed the memorials.
Xie Hongyi's face turned pale. He just wanted to make Xiao Jinghan look bad, but he didn't expect it to turn out like this.
"Someone, convey my order. Those lawless peasants who disturbed the General's Mansion and slandered our general of the Great Jin Dynasty shall be flogged forty times as a warning." The emperor ordered.
How could he bear to see the people who protected his country being bullied by a few lawless peasants?
"Yes." Lu Tianzuo bowed.
"Long live our wise emperor." The court officials hurriedly bowed.
The emperor glanced at Xie Hongyi, who was kneeling on the ground. "Lord Xie listened to one - sided words and couldn't tell right from wrong. He was too subjective. He is not suitable to serve in the Ministry of Personnel. He shall be fined three years' salary and shall reflect at home. He is not allowed to enter the palace without a summons."
Xie Hongyi looked at the emperor in horror. Was this the end of his official career?
"Lord Xie, why don't you accept the order and express your gratitude?" Xiao Jinghan looked at Xie Hongyi.
"Your servant accepts the order and expresses gratitude." Xie Hongyi kowtowed deeply.
Now that the Xie family was gradually losing power and the queen was out of favor, he had to be more cautious. He would think of a way later. Sooner or later, he would make the Xiao family pay the price.