Xiao Jinghan nodded. This was the most troublesome part.
Yi Qing thought for a long time. Just when Xiao Jinghan was waiting for her to come up with some conclusion, she actually fell asleep.
It was rather cool in the morning, and Yi Qing wanted to sleep a little longer. But then she heard Jushuang come and say that Baozi was back. She wondered why Baozi was back so early in the morning when it wasn't a day off.
As soon as Baozi came back, he went to his own yard to practice martial arts. When Yi Qing arrived, he glanced at her and then continued his practice.
Yi Qing walked around Baozi and observed him. He looked exactly like when he was a child and came home after being bullied. He wouldn't say a word but just wanted to get stronger.
But with Baozi's character, who would still dare to bully him now?
"Tell me! I'll go and avenge you," Yi Qing said seriously. "Who in the capital would still dare to..."
She didn't finish her sentence. She remembered Xiao Jinghan gently touching her arm in the imperial study. Although she was fearless, she was afraid something might happen to her family.
Xiao Duo didn't wait for his mother to continue. He turned his head and looked at her. "It's okay. When I grow up, no one will dare to bully Mother."
"No one is bullying me," Yi Qing looked at Xiao Duo. "Tell me. What on earth happened?"
"Yunyang Academy was built by others. They said that if there was no explanation for the matter of the Duke of Xie, they would raze Yunyang Academy to the ground," Xiao Duo came over and sat beside his mother. "Did the trouble come because I wanted to help Mo Kong?"
"It has nothing to do with you at all," Yi Qing knew what was going on. "Did they ostracize you?"
"They don't dare," Xiao Duo wasn't afraid of those people. He just didn't want Yunyang Academy to disappear.
"Don't worry, Duo'er. I'll definitely solve this matter," Yi Qing stroked Xiao Duo's head. Even the Mu Family wouldn't be allowed to do this.
The Mu Family had always been very low - key. The blue bricks and black tiles of their courtyard wall were a few shades dimmer than those of others. They had lost their sharp edges and only left a sense of heaviness.
The front gate wasn't very tall either. The bluestone steps were rough in just the right way. Walking on them, one wouldn't slip or feel uncomfortable. It seemed nothing special, but they were replaced once a year, and each time they were made exactly the same. Even the imperial palace couldn't achieve this.
The Duke of Mu inherited his title and wasn't very old. He had two sons and a daughter, and he doted on his daughter so much that he would give her anything she wanted.
Mu Lixue was charming and cute. She had a small face the size of a palm and almond - shaped eyes that were full of charm. She was just like a little fox running out of the mountains. Her skin was as smooth as congealed fat and seemed to break at a touch. Her voice was as clear as that of a lark.
"Daddy, how much longer do I have to wait?" She pulled on the Duke of Mu's sleeve and acted coquettishly.
"Almost done, almost done," the Duke of Mu coaxed her. "Don't just think that Xiao Jinghan is handsome. He has been in the military for years. He must be a rough man. What do you like about him?"
"I just like that he's a rough man," Mu Lixue raised her chin willfully and acted coquettishly.
"Okay, okay, okay," the Duke of Mu nodded.
That day when Xiao Jinghan returned to the capital and was welcomed by all the officials, Mu Lixue, who was playing outside, happened to see him. She immediately fell in love with him at first sight. Later, she heard that Xiao Jinghan doted on his wife extremely. Mu Lixue was even more attracted. She thought that being doted on by such a man was what she wanted.
How could the Duke of Mu let his only daughter marry someone as a concubine? So he tried to find a way to make Xiao Jinghan divorce Yi Qing. Just then, the matter that Yi Qing failed to cure the Duke of Xie happened. He unscrupulously fanned the flames and deliberately let the emperor know about it.
Now, as long as Yi Qing was sacrificed, all the problems could be solved. Any fool would know what to choose.
No wonder both the emperor and Xiao Jinghan thought this matter was strange. It was indeed strange for the Duke of Mu to intervene. He was a doting father. Whatever his daughter wanted was reasonable and normal.
Since Baozi came back, Yi Qing began to take this matter seriously. It was okay to mess with her, but not with her son, especially a bunch of adults.
"Madam, I've found out. Yunyang Academy was built by the Mu Family, and the land it's on also belongs to the Mu Family," Ruo Hong said carefully.
"The Mu Family?" Yi Qing thought she hadn't offended the Mu Family. "What's the relationship between the Mu Family and the Xie Family?" Yi Qing thought the Mu Family was avenging the Xie Family.
"They rarely interact."
"They rarely interact," Yi Qing repeated. This was even stranger.
It made sense. The Mu Family was a merchant family rich enough to rival the state, while the Xie Family was the leader of the literati in the world. Merchants thought literati were pedantic and smelly with their bookishness, and literati thought merchants were fraudulent and full of the stink of money.
"Did the general offend the Mu Family?" Yi Qing looked at Ruo Hong.
"The general has been on the border all year. Madam knows all the things that happened after he came back. He has no interaction with the Mu Family," Ruo Hong couldn't figure it out either.
"Forget it. Since the Mu Family is using the matter of the Xie Family, I'll solve the Xie Family's problem," Yi Qing didn't know what the Mu Family's purpose was, but she was ready to face it. She didn't believe she couldn't get through this hurdle. "Get ready. We're going to Fuyun Cottage."
Back then, Xue Bozheng was implicated and died because of the fraud case in the imperial examination, but Fuyun Cottage still existed. It was converted into a private school by a scholar named Yu Yike.
"The general has given an order that if Madam goes out, he must accompany her. Madam can't go out when he's not at home," Ruo Hong was in a dilemma.
"Isn't he not at home now?" Yi Qing thought Xiao Jinghan was being too cautious.
"I'll send someone to call the general back right away," Ruo Hong bowed.
Xiao Jinghan was in the Ministry of Personnel. All the officials in the ministry were standing there with their heads down, reporting in detail about the officials who had impeached them recently.
The faces of the officials were extremely ugly, but no one dared to go against Xiao Jinghan. He was not only a first - rank general but also the Marquis of Zhenbei. And there was a shining sword in front of him. No one dared to provoke him.
Hetai came in and bowed.
"Speak," Xiao Jinghan didn't avoid the other officials.
"A servant from the mansion came to say that Madam wants to go out," Hetai remained calm.
The officials in the Ministry of Personnel turned their heads slightly and stole glances at each other with the corners of their eyes. What kind of situation was this in the general's mansion? Even Madam Xiao had to report when she wanted to go out?
Xiao Jinghan stood up and put away the sword in front of him. "You all receive the imperial salary but impeach a doctor who saves lives. If this goes on, who in the world would dare to be a doctor? If my wife really made a mistake, I'll take the responsibility. You don't need to talk nonsense here. Sort out all the officials who have impeached and send the list to the general's mansion before the ministry closes today. I'd like to see whose hands are clean."
"Yes," everyone bowed hurriedly. As long as this "King of Hell" wasn't staring at them here, it would be okay.
Xiao Jinghan left. All the officials in the Ministry of Personnel heaved a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off their brows. Their actions were so synchronized.
"Why hasn't Lord Ke come yet?" the vice - minister of the Ministry of Personnel looked around.
"I think this matter has the emperor's tacit approval. Otherwise, the emperor wouldn't have said a word even though things have gotten so out of hand," someone whispered.
"Hurry up and sort it out. Don't forget that the God of War of the Great Jin is also known as the Living King of Hell."
...
Everyone shook their heads and sighed and began to sort things out. Some of them had also impeached Yi Qing and were thinking about how to solve this problem. It was just that when the gods fought, the little devils suffered.
Yi Qing was bored waiting for Xiao Jinghan. She carefully read the three articles of the Duke of Xie that were famous all over the world. These three articles were full of confusion and doubt at first, but finally showed a firm determination to move forward. They were so inspiring that no wonder they were admired by scholars all over the world.