This vinegar jar just gets sourer with age. Yi Qing thought that one day it might even turn into a vinegar spirit.
Xiao Jinghan still wasn't happy. "Forget his name."
"Okay." Yi Qing readily agreed. "What about the others?" She quickly changed the subject. "How did Xue Bozheng die?"
"The Embroidered Uniform Guards are still investigating." Xiao Jinghan didn't reveal the result.
The people involved back then had scattered. Even if they found out the truth, it would take time to track them down.
Yi Qing was the kind who never bothered about the aftermath. Whether it was the matter of the Di family or that of the poor scholars, it wasn't her business anyway. She thought it was already good enough that she had taken action. She wasn't going to play the role of a nanny to clean up the mess.
As long as no one troubled her, she thought the world was a wonderful place.
After breakfast, Yi Qing went to check on the Duke of Xie. He was recovering well and had woken up once, but was still a bit dazed.
He was old. When his cardiovascular problem occurred, his brain had been deprived of oxygen for a long time. Even if he woke up this time, his life would be troublesome in the future.
When she came out of the Duke of Xie's room, Yi Qing saw Song Zhiyu waiting in the corridor. He bowed to her when he saw her.
"Have you changed the dressing?" Yi Qing asked out of habit.
"Yes. My injury is almost healed. Thank you, Lady Xiao, for your hospitality. I'm afraid I can't trouble you any longer." Song Zhiyu came to say goodbye.
"You're in a hurry to celebrate with Mo Dengxian and the others, aren't you?" Yi Qing looked at Song Zhiyu. He must have known that the poor scholars had won.
"I want to offer a stick of incense to my master to console his spirit in heaven." Song Zhiyu was really excited.
Yi Qing nodded. "It's right that you've fought for a way out for the poor scholars. But ultimately, one's path is one's own choice. It's normal that it's difficult for poor scholars to rise to nobility. Their experiences and aspirations limit their horizons, and they're prone to getting lost in wealth and beauty, becoming the black sheep among you. You should be self - disciplined."
"Thank you for your reminder, Lady Xiao." Song Zhiyu became even more respectful to Yi Qing.
"Go."
After Song Zhiyu bowed and left, Yi Qing couldn't help but sigh.
"Why did you want to help him, my lady?" Ruohong was curious.
"I'll give a hand to anyone who strives for self - improvement." Yi Qing did this not because the person was Song Zhiyu.
Ruohong nodded.
Yi Qing went to the pharmacy to prepare medicine for the Duke of Xie. In the past few days, there had been a constant stream of people from the Xie family coming, as well as those who were close to the Duke of Xie. Yi Qing refused them all. She only cared about keeping the Duke of Xie alive and nothing else.
"Lady, Miss Chen is here to visit." Jushuang came in to report.
"Which Miss Chen?" Yi Qing didn't really care. The noble ladies had been quiet these days. Why were the young ladies starting to come?
"Miss Chen from the Marquis of Chunan's Mansion."
Only then did Yi Qing look up. "Chen Feiyan?"
Jushuang nodded.
In Pyongyang, she had fawned over Xiao Jinghan, and now she even chased them back home. "Let's go and have a look."
After more than a year, Chen Feiyan had become more dignified but less lively. She looked more like a proper young lady of a noble family. It seemed that she had made a lot of efforts since coming to the capital.
"Greetings, Lady Xiao." Chen Feiyan bowed.
The matter of Yi Qing's banquet for the noble ladies in the capital was quite serious, but few people talked about it. Yi Qing's words "Under whose gorgeous robe isn't there a mess?" had silenced many people.
So people in the capital only knew that Lady Zhou had been arrested, but didn't know the details.
"Alright, sit down." Yi Qing said as she walked over and took the seat of honor. "How have you been, Miss Chen?"
"Thank you for your concern, Lady Xiao. I've been well." Chen Feiyan couldn't help but take a glance at Yi Qing.
She had heard that Yi Qing was highly skilled in medicine but was cold - hearted. She guessed that Yi Qing must have used her medical skills to threaten General Xiao into being with her.
"Tell me, what's the matter?" Yi Qing asked directly.
"I heard that Lady Xiao has a maid named Xue Miao'er who used to be a bandit and is extremely hard to discipline. There are powerful and noble people everywhere in the capital. Don't let her bring disaster to Lady Xiao."
Yi Qing tilted her head and gently rubbed her temple with her index finger. She remembered what Ruohong had told her about Chen Feiyan having a crush on Yuan Hecong, and because of this, Xue Miao'er had been targeted by Chen Feiyan.
Yi Qing wasn't interested in this kind of one - sided love thing, but it was a different story when it came to her.
"Do you know the saying 'When one attains the Dao, even his poultry and dogs ascend to heaven', Miss Chen?" Yi Qing sat obliquely and looked at Chen Feiyan.
Chen Feiyan's expression changed slightly. "Please enlighten me, Lady Xiao."
"No one else has the right to dictate what to do with the people in my mansion, no matter who they are."
"Does Lady Xiao really want to go against our Marquis of Chunan's Mansion for a mere maid?" Chen Feiyan threatened.
"A maid is also one of our own in the General's Mansion. Others are just outsiders." Yi Qing had never regarded Xue Miao'er as a mere maid, and no one else had the right to say anything here.
"Fine." Chen Feiyan gritted her teeth and replied.
"By the way, isn't there a murder case in the Chen family recently? Miss Chen still has the leisure to come and talk about others. Don't end up losing your own home."
Chen Feiyan held back her anger. She really didn't dare to lose her temper with a first - rank imperial - conferred noble lady who held the eight - dragon golden bell. "I'm just being kind. Since Lady Xiao doesn't care, I'll take my leave." She got up, bowed, and left.
Xue Miao'er had been eavesdropping on the side. She ran out only after Chen Feiyan left.
"Look at how cowardly you are. You're only brave in front of me." Yi Qing said angrily.
Xue Miao'er came up to Yi Qing with a flattering look on her face. Now she finally realized how powerful the thigh she was holding was. "I just didn't want to cause you any trouble."
"Just don't embarrass me. Be honest. Did your leaving the capital have anything to do with Chen Feiyan?"
Xue Miao'er compared her thumb and index finger. "It was just a little bit..."
Yi Qing wondered how she had ended up with such a bully at home. She'd better marry her off quickly and let her cause trouble for someone else.
When Xiao Jinghan came back at night, he said that the trial of Mo Kong's case had started. It was presided over by Xu Maozhi. In order to delay the time before, he had investigated the case thoroughly, leaving the Chen family with no room for argument.
Surprisingly, no one even mentioned the matter of hiding the body. After all, the poor scholars had won this time, and the emperor didn't allow any more accidents regarding this matter. Song Zhiyu had just taken advantage of this situation.
"How will the emperor deal with the Chen family?" Yi Qing was quite interested in this.
"The one who directly drowned Mo Kong was Chen Hong, the youngest son of the Chen family. He's only ten years old. At most, the Marquis of Chunan will have his salary deducted, and he'll be ordered to take the boy back for strict discipline."
"He's only ten years old and can do such a vicious thing. What will he be like when he grows up?" Yi Qing was angry.
"The laws of the Great Jin Dynasty are lenient towards children. Moreover, Mo Kong was just a servant of the Chen family. If a servant of another family died like this, no one would even bother to investigate."
Yi Qing was almost angry when she heard what Xiao Jinghan said. Did the lives of servants not matter? She thought for a while and didn't argue with him. Instead, she turned to the side, sulking.
Xiao Jinghan knew that in Yi Qing's eyes, there was no such difference in status. "Alright. Go to bed early today. Come to the palace with me tomorrow."
"I'm not going." Yi Qing was in a bad mood.
"The Duke of Xie is in our mansion, and you've refused to see anyone who came because of him. It would be hard to explain if the emperor doesn't ask about it." Xiao Jinghan coaxed her.