173 – Single Out as a Point of Attack

Two days later, Steward Fu sent a detailed investigation result of Princess Yanqing.

Princess Yanqing’s mother was Empress Jingxian, the first Empress of Emperor Xiaohui, who died to save Emperor Xiaohui after an assassin invaded the palace. Empress Jingxian was also the niece of the Empress Dowager. Therefore, both the Empress Dowager and Emperor Xiaohui doted on Princess Yanqing, which led to her arrogant and unreasonable personality. This was what Lei Tie told Qin Mian a long time ago after Qin Mian and Lei Tie got to know each other.

Princess Yanqing was now 24 years old and had yet to marry. In modern times, of course, it was nothing, but in this dynasty, she already belonged in the old maid category. The Emperor had chosen seven to eight son-in-law candidates for her, yet she was dissatisfied. Because of Empress Jingxian, it was hard for the Emperor to force her to marry anyone. Thus, she could only continue to be kept in the Palace……

This Princess Yanqing was a discontented person. Qin Mian had finished reading her investigation report for nearly two moments and already knew roughly how things stood. A sneer appeared on his lips.

Lei Tie didn’t ask him what his plan was. He said that no matter what his wife did, he would support him. Even if his wife rushed to misfortune, he would peddle him.

The next day, Lei Tie got up early and went to court. He rode to the South Gate of the Palace, dismounted, and threw the reins to his bodyguard.

At this time, there was only a glimmer of dawn in the east. Many ministers of civil and military still had lanterns on their carriages. The ministers got out of the carriages, and those with lower official rank than Lei Tie politely bowed to him.

Lei Tie nodded slightly and said nothing.

The ministers gathered together and whispered among themselves. The words “stepmother”, “prison”, and so on were vaguely heard.

After entering the Palace, they came to the Hall of Supreme Harmony. All the ministers entered into the hall and gathered together in twos and threes, chatting in low voices while glancing at Lei Tie from time to time.

A good few officials, who had been in the Court with Lei Tie a long time ago, exchanged greetings with Lei Tie in a friendly way. Lei Tie gave a brief reply. These ministers knew his temperament and didn’t mind it.

After a while, Eunuch Li’s announcement sounded in the hall, “Here comes His Majesty——”

All the ministers quickly divided into two groups of civil and military and stood in the hall. After hearing the Emperor sitting on the Dragon chair, they knelt neatly and shouted out, “Long live His Majesty, absolutely long live!”

“Stand up.”

“Many thanks, Your Majesty!”

Eunuch Li announced again, “Present a memorial if there is, adjourn if there isn’t——”

The Imperial Guard Commander, Liu Tiande, made a signal to a rank four minister from behind the line of the civil ministers.

The minister immediately stepped out and said, “Reporting, Your Majesty. Your subject heard a rumor about State Defender Duke yesterday. State Defender Duke is the cornerstone of the government, how can he be slandered? Therefore, your subject thinks that investigation ought to be done to give justice to State Defender Duke.”

A good few ministers looked at Lei Tie with gloating looks.

Lei Tie remained calm as if the subject of conversation was not him.

“Oh?” Emperor Xiaohui looked very interested, “What is the rumor?”

“Reporting, Your Majesty. It’s said that State Defender Duke ordered his bodyguards to send his stepmother to prison yesterday afternoon. A stepmother is also one’s own mother. It’s unfilial to disrespect one’s own mother. How can Defender Grand General of the State do something unfilial?” The minister’s face was indignant, outraged by the injustice in Lei Tie’s stead.

Emperor Xiaohui looked at Lei Tie and asked, “My dear subject Lei, is this true?”

“Yes,” said Lei Tie.

Emperor Xiaohui looked interested. Unintentionally or intentionally, his gaze flitted past Liu Tiande, the Imperial Guard Commander. “Do you admit your guilty?”

Lei Tie lightly said, “The State of Great Xia’s law stated: If one disrespect the first rank official of the Imperial Court, one will be flogged for ten times and sentenced to ten days’ imprisonment. However, if Du Shi had not done many evil things when your subject was young, your subject might not run away from home as a child, or else, there would not be Lei Tianren. As far as this point is concerned, Du Shi is truly without faults and instead has rendered great service.”

The whole hall was speechless.

Emperor Xiaohui laughed, “So then, there is nothing wrong with what State Defender Duke did. My dear subject Jiang, Zhen will discourse a better joke next time.”

Jiang-daren’s face was deathly pale. Shamefaced, he said, “Yes, your subject is guilty.”

“No, you have rendered great service.” Emperor Xiaohui said with a smile, “It’s the first time Zhen has heard State Defender Duke say so much at once. Zhen should reward you.”

Jiang-daren’s face turned green and red.

The rest of the ministers were secretly surprised. It seemed that the State Defender Duke was really going to be the most favorite person around the Emperor.

After the Court adjourned, Emperor Xiaohui came to Empress Dowager’s Palace of Mother’s Consolation to chat with her. Unwittingly, the conversation turned to State Defender Duke.

“My Imperial Son, this widowed empress still thinks it’s too risky to let the State Defender Duke command the army. In case he… Duanning is already 16 this year, why not——”

“Absolutely not.” Emperor Xiaohui quickly waved his hand, “Imperial Mother, the State Defender Duke now is a family of four that get along very well. If anyone dares to squeeze in people into the State Defender Duke Establishment, that person in his family isn’t an easy person to deal with. Imperial Mother just waits and sees. This morning’s Court Session came such a scene. Someone must have already informed you; it didn’t come to a good end. Your Son has a sense of propriety in the affairs of the State Defender Duke. Imperial Mother, so long you help your Son watch over Yanqing, you lighten some of my worries.”

“Is that male-Lady of the State Defender Duke really so great?” Empress Dowager put down her scissors and asked curiously. Empress Dowager was the Empress of the late emperor and the biological mother of Emperor Xiaohui and Imperial Prince Ming. She was more than 60 years old this year, yet she looked like she was only in her early 40s, dignified and graceful. Her appearance of picking up the egg showed a mature and charming charm. It could be imagined that she must be extremely beautiful when she was young. However, from the sharp glint in her eyes, one could see that she was not as kind as her appearance made out to be.

Emperor Xiaohui nodded, “That’s right.”

“Such being the case, this widowed empress won’t supervise you.” Empress Dowager smiled, “If there is an opportunity, this widowed empress would like to meet the Lady of the State Defender Duke.”

Emperor Xiaohui said, “There will be opportunities in the future.”

……

Qin Mian planned to build a pharmacy and a silverware shop in the Capital. Although he and Lei Tie had a real salary to get now, they couldn’t afford to consume without producing and earn from the few industrial for their two children. And yet, as he walked around the Capital all morning, he didn’t find a suitable shop. It was thus clear how difficult it was for outsiders to get involved in the Capital.

Depressed, he returned home. Steward Fu came to report.

“Reporting, my Lady. Chancellor of the Directorate of Education, Yang-daren has just sent a…. gift to the Old Lord.”

“Hm?” Qin Mian noticed that something was wrong with his look. “What gift?”

Steward Fu fumbled for words, “It’s… two young women.”

“Oh?” Qin Mian was not angry but smiled, “They must be two great beauties?”

Uncle Fu was unable to perceive that he was angry. “Your servant didn’t look carefully.”

Qin Mian pulled out the folding fan hung in his belt and said, “Steward, did you say that our family doesn’t accept this kind of gift?”

Steward Fu said, “Of course, your servant said that, but the two misses weren’t willing to leave. Your servant has no way to go about it…”

“Unwilling to go? Fine then.” Qin Mian said with a smile, “Escort them out and stuff them on the carriage. Do you know where Yang-daren’s residence is?”

Steward Fu didn’t hesitate, “To answer my Lady’s question, your servant already told someone to ask about it.”

Qin Mian looked at him approvingly, “Very good!”

In a short time, the servant brought the two women. As expected, they were young, beautiful, and charming. Without explanation, Qin Mian stuffed a pill into the mouth of each of them.

The two women turned pale with fear.

“Y-you, what did you give us to eat?”

“What you take is a disfigurement pill, which will take effect in six hours. If you don’t want to disfigure your face, find a way to feed this pill to Yang-daren.” Qin Mian took out a small porcelain jar. He had expected that there would be today’s event, and so he refined the pills in advance. Since someone was not able to hold back, he couldn’t let that someone down.

“No, no,” the two women trembled with fear. “Yang-daren is the official of the Imperial Court. Can’t kill…”

Qin Mian was speechless. “Who told you that this is a medicine that can kill people? It’s a panacea that will give men powerful endurance to last for three days and three nights.”

Uncle Fu and the few servants shivered at the same time. Oh Mother, the Lady is fearsome!

The two misses were stunned.

“This Lady doesn’t lie to you. If you aren’t willing, this Lady won’t force. Just wait for the disfigurement then.”

Qin Mian finished his sentence and shook the folding fan leisurely, ready to leave.

“Wait!”

Qin Mian smilingly handed the small medicine jar to them, “So long I receive the news from Yang-daren, I’ll send someone to deliver the antidote to you immediately. It’s not easy for women to make a living in this world. I’ll have someone give you 5 taels of silver by the way.” He patted them on the shoulders with a comforting look on his face.

Glistening teardrops gathered in the eyes of the two women. More than half of their resentment against him disappeared immediately.

“Uncle Fu, escort them to Yang-daren’s house.”

“Yes!”

Qin Mian shook the folding fan, hummed a song as he walked away with a smile.

The servants looked at each other, determined not to offend the Lady most of all.

Lei Tie returned from the army camp. He unfastened his combat uniform and saber, handed them to Lei-Qin Zhong, and returned to the inner courtyard.

“Wife, I’m back.”

“Back already?” Qin Mian put off his smile and went to hold Lei Tie’s face.

“What?” Lei Tie didn’t know what happened at home. He hugged Qin Mian and let his wife shake his head.

“Nothing. Why are you so handsome?” Smiling, Qin Mian kissed him on the lip, “Wash first, and then have lunch.”

When his wife was in a good mood, Lei Tie was in a good mood. A faint smile floated from the bottom of his eyes. “En.”

The servants outside sent hot water in, saluted, and retreated without a sound.

Lei Tie looked at Qin Mian, who was sitting back at the table, and washed his face as he asked, “What are you doing?”

“Interior design.” Qin Mian said, “By the way, tomorrow’s court session, Chancellor of the Directorate of Education, Yang-daren, may ask for leave. My husband, I wonder if you can find a way to prevent him from taking leave?”

The corners of Lei Tie’s mouth perked up. Without asking the reason, he said in a spry tone, “Alright.”

“There’s more.” Qin Mian propped up his chin, turned his head, and looked at Lei Tie with a grin, “If he uses something to block a certain part of his body, you find a way to ruin it.”

Lei Tie felt uncertain but responded the same, “Alright.”

The next day in the court session, Lei Tie specially searched the civil minister group for Chancellor of the Directorate of Education, Yang-daren. Owing to the different official uniforms of each position, Lei Tie soon found him and saw that he was dressed too thick to move. Lei Tie had some understanding.

Many ministers had heard that the beauties sent by Yang-daren to the State Defender Duke Establishment had been sent back by the Lady of the State Defender Duke, who seemed to make some counterattack. They stared at Yang-daren and couldn’t guess what was wrong with him for a while.

Yang-daren shrank behind the minister in front of him, trying to reduce his sense of existence.

Emperor Xiaohui took a look at Yang-daren and then at Lei Tie – a shadow of a smile on his face.

As usual, Eunuch Li announced, “present a memorial if there is, adjourn if there isn’t”. Lei Tie secretly waved out his vital spirit and slapped the minister behind Yang-daren without any trace.

The minister’s legs suddenly weakened. He fell forward and accidentally pushed Yang-daren down.

Caught off guard, Yang-daren fell on his stomach to the ground and let out a shrill cry, “AH——”

Emperor Xiaohui was startled, nearly spilled his tea. His face was overcast, “My dear subject Yang!”

Yang-daren turned pale with pain. He turned over and covered his lower side awkwardly. For a long time, he couldn’t get up and kneel. His face turned red with anxiety and tears were almost streaming out. “Y-Your Majesty… p-please forgive your subject’s crime for the… failure of etiquette.”

Emperor Xiaohui was stunned. Once he saw it, he was simmered with laughter, laughing aloud.

As if everyone had been given order, they all burst out laughing.

“Hahahahaha…”