Think it over. If they were going to target us, it should have happened right after that incident. Why would they wait until now?
Moreover, Lu Tianxun won that time. For the sake of interests, those people would surely try to get on good terms with Lu Tianxun rather than offend him at this moment.
Although Lu Tianxun never entered officialdom, he was temporarily appointed when in Minnan. With his capabilities, if he did enter officialdom, he would surely rise rapidly. Who would be so stupid as to offend such a person?
"I have no idea," Wu Min replied listlessly.
She was quite curious when she first came to the Great Jin. But now that the novelty has worn off, all these rules are getting on her nerves. Even though she doesn't have to follow them, others do. So she's been so bored that she came to find Yi Qing to play with.
"I'll ask around for you," Yi Qing motioned to Ruo Hong. "Go and find out what's going on."
"Yes," Ruo Hong said and went down to give the order.
Wu Min watched Duke Xie walking unsteadily. "Your medical skills are really good. He can even walk now."
"Anger is a kind of strength," Yi Qing joked.
Wu Min thought Yi Qing meant that she got angry and cured him. "I thought you'd be so angry that you'd kill him instead."
"That would dirty my silver needles," Yi Qing retorted irritably.
Hearing this, Duke Xie quickened his steps a bit. He turned his head and stared at Yi Qing, but Yi Qing just ignored him.
At noon, the people Ruo Hong sent out came back. Since many shops in the capital had taken orders from the Mu family, they had not only turned down the Lu family's orders but also those of many other families.
Yi Qing was stunned. Is Duke Mu still not giving up?
"Is the Mu family more powerful than yours?" Wu Min couldn't believe it.
"You may not believe it, but those shops might actually belong to the Mu family."
Wu Min really couldn't believe it. "Does that mean the Mu family is more powerful than the Southern Border?"
Yi Qing thought there was a difference in their understanding. "Don't worry. I'll definitely prepare everything for you."
She thought of the Imperial Household Department. She'd talk to the queen later and ask the department to make a batch of things. It should be no problem. She might as well go to the palace and give the emperor a heads - up, so that when the matter of Duke Xie was exposed, the queen wouldn't be too shocked.
Xiao Jinghan also agreed with Yi Qing's plan. Early the next morning, he took Yi Qing to the palace.
The queen had been keeping a low profile these days, obviously trying to avoid suspicion. She even cancelled the daily greetings from the concubines.
When Yi Qing arrived at the harem, she heard several maids whispering. They seemed to be saying that the queen had fallen out of favor and were speculating about who would gain the emperor's favor.
Yi Qing glanced at the maids. "Ruo Hong, is it okay to beat the maids in the harem?"
"Should be okay," Ruo Hong thought that since her mistress wasn't even afraid of the emperor, beating a few maids was really nothing.
"Okay, go and beat them up. Teach them a lesson," Yi Qing ordered.
"Actually, we don't have to do it ourselves. We just need to give an order," Ruo Hong thought her mistress was being too low - key. "Mistress has the Eight - Dragon Golden Bell."
Yi Qing almost forgot about it again. So she made the maids slap each other in the face. The maids had no choice but to kneel there obediently and slap each other.
"All the noble ladies in the palace, no matter what, are noble. They're not some low - class maids who can talk nonsense about them," Yi Qing looked at the kneeling maids. "Kick them out of the palace later. I don't want the palace to be in such a mess. I don't even want to come here."
The maids knelt there begging piteously, but Yi Qing didn't even look at them.
Playing such tricks under her nose. These maids dared to discuss matters beside her. It was obvious that there were some restless women in the harem trying to test her. She was just making her attitude clear.
When she reached Jiaolan Palace, the queen was wearing casual clothes and teaching the crown prince to walk. The crown prince staggered and rushed straight into Yi Qing's arms. He hugged Yi Qing's leg and looked at her with his big, bright eyes, so cute that it could melt anyone's heart.
When the queen saw this, she wanted Mu Yu to take the crown prince away, but then she saw Yi Qing bend down and pick up the crown prince. Yi Qing used the golden bell in her hand to amuse the crown prince.
"Why did you come to the palace today?" the queen thought Yi Qing probably had something up her sleeve.
She and the emperor had reached a consensus on this. Whenever Yi Qing came to the palace on her own initiative, it was never a good thing.
"I think I'd better tell you something in advance," Yi Qing sat down with the crown prince in her arms and put him on her lap. The queen involuntarily reached out her hand in fear, but then retracted it when she saw that Yi Qing was holding the crown prince firmly.
"About the Xie family?" the queen sat down on one side and told someone to pour tea for Yi Qing.
Yi Qing had told her about it before. Now that she came to the palace again, the matter must be quite serious.
"Yes," Yi Qing nodded. "If the Xie family is ruined, you..."
The queen smiled. "Do you know why the emperor crowned the crown prince so early?"
Yi Qing had never thought about it. The queen's son was the legitimate eldest son. It was normal for him to be crowned the crown prince, wasn't it?
"Even if I lose everything, I'm still the crown prince's mother," the queen looked at Yi Qing.
Because of this, the queen also thought the emperor would take action against the Xie family. It was a matter of balance.
"Is that so?" Yi Qing thought she had over - thought.
"If the Xie family really does something to ruin themselves, it's their own problem," the queen wasn't stupid.
Her grandfather was the leader of the literati in the world. If he didn't have some tricks up his sleeve, how could he have achieved such a position? As for the matter of her grandfather punishing his own family members for justice, she never thought deeply about it. After all, it was a matter during the reign of the deposed emperor, and no one would pursue it.
"I'm relieved to hear you say that," Yi Qing let out a sigh of relief. It turned out that the queen didn't rely on the Xie family to sit in this position.
The queen smiled. "You're worried about me. That means you care about me."
"No, I'm just afraid you'll hold a grudge against me and come after me later."
"Would I dare?" the queen joked.
Although they were being honest with each other, some things were better left unsaid.
"By the way, there's another thing. Duke Mu is going to marry off his daughter. Most of the silver shops and weaving workshops in the capital are making things for the Mu family. There's nowhere to make the dowries for my mother and Wu Min. Your Majesty, could you do me a favor and ask the Imperial Household Department to make a batch of things? The quantity isn't very large."
The queen thought this was really asking for special treatment. "The Imperial Household Department sometimes asks outside silver shops to make things. Now that the outside silver shops aren't taking orders, the Imperial Household Department must be very busy."
Yi Qing thought that made sense.
"I'll check the inventory of the Imperial Household Department. You make a list of the things you need and send it to me. I'll try to put them together for you," the queen agreed.
"Great!"
"Duke Mu marrying off his daughter is a big deal. The emperor will surely give a reward. He might even ask me to go to the Mu family to add to the dowry. Why haven't I heard about it?" the queen looked at Yi Qing suspiciously.
"Well," Yi Qing didn't know how to explain. "Duke Mu's daughter has taken a fancy to Xiao Jinghan."
"What?" the queen looked at Yi Qing in surprise. "Not to mention that Xiao Jinghan would never marry Mu Lixue. Duke Mu would never let his daughter be a concubine either."