Chapter 31 Chapter 31 "In an emergency, I have to make decisions. I am sorry for the inconvenience"...

It was three days later that Zhao Manyi was sent to the old house.

During these three days, she finally managed to leave the ancestral hall, but had to go to Qionghua Hall to pay her respects. The so-called paying her respects was just an excuse for Luo to use Qiao to set rules for her.

The housekeeper came to Lanyue Pavilion several times to secretly report that Zhao Manyi had to kneel under the Luo's corridor before dawn, with Luo's mother watching her. If her waist bent, she would be hit with a ruler twice.

He knelt until Mrs. Luo slowly woke up, then went to serve her by her bedside. He had to serve her three meals a day, and could only eat what Mrs. Luo had left. At night, he had to wash her feet...

Under all these tortures, Zhao Manyi cried until her tears dried up. When she heard that Luo was going to send her to the old house, her first reaction was not anger, but the joy of being freed.

After Zhao Qingyi learned this, things from her previous life involuntarily emerged in her mind.

Zhao Manyi now has experienced all the sufferings she had suffered in the past.

The housekeeper was still terrified. "I had no idea the old lady could be so demanding. Aunt Zhao has become so thin that she's become unrecognizable..."

"Mother-in-law, this is just the beginning." Zhao Qingyi said indifferently.

Zhao Manyi's current situation is hundreds and thousands of times better than her previous life. At least Zhao Manyi still has her parents secretly supporting her, while in her previous life, she was just an orphan with a completely wiped out family. The Luo family had no bottom line when it came to bullying and humiliating her.

She was forced to do so at that time, but Zhao Manyi was asking for trouble, so she didn't feel sorry for her.

The next morning, Zhao Manyi was sent away before dawn. She was eager to leave immediately, so she left quietly without crying or making a fuss.

She thought that by going to the old house, she could escape Luo's torture, but after arriving at the old house, she realized how naive she was.

The so-called old house is just a small, dilapidated yard. It is very old and no one has lived in it for three years. The walls of the house are peeling and the yard is overgrown with weeds. If you want to move in, you have to clean it up.

But Mrs. Luo sent her to the old house not for her to enjoy herself, so she sent an old maid over.

Zhao Manyi naturally ordered the old maid to clean up, but she was ignored. The two sides were in a stalemate. It was almost dark. In order not to sleep on the street, she reluctantly walked in through the weeds.

As soon as she pushed the door open, it creaked and fell down, splashing dust all over the sky. She choked and coughed repeatedly, and the mouse that jumped to her feet scared her so much that she covered her ears and screamed.

The old maid then came over to help and managed to clean up a room. However, the doors and windows were dilapidated and drafty. Even the tiles above were broken. After an autumn rain, the room was full of water and there was no clean place to stand.

Zhao Manyi completely collapsed and huddled in the dark and damp bed, crying.

She couldn't bear it on the first day. If she had to wait for Yuxiu to give birth, it would take another six or seven months. During this period, she would have to go through a winter. How could such a delicate young lady bear it?

The next day, Aunt Fang learned about her daughter's situation. When she rushed to the old house to visit, the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly.

Aunt Fang wanted to take her away, but the old maid stopped her because Zhao Manyi was now married into the Li family and had to abide by the Li family's rules. If Aunt Fang wanted to take her away, Mrs. Luo had to agree.

Aunt Fang gnashed her teeth, "She promised to give money to my Man'er to buy a new courtyard, and in the end this is all she got? I'll go to the government and sue her!"

The old woman rolled her eyes. Zhao Manyi was now the concubine of the Li family. If Luo was sued in court, Li Che would dislike Zhao Manyi. In the end, Zhao Manyi would have to swallow her anger.

Zhao Manyi slowly pushed Aunt Fang away.

Aunt Fang beat her chest and stamped her feet, and in the end she could only blame her daughter for not listening to advice and ending up in the situation she was in today.

Zhao Manyi had suffered and felt regretful, but at this point it was useless to say anything, so she whispered to Aunt Fang and begged her to do something for her.

The old maid next to her wanted to come closer to listen, but was glared back by Aunt Fang.

After hearing what Zhao Manyi said, Aunt Fang's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of cruelty. "Just wait, I will help you avenge this."

The old woman was confused.

And Aunt Fang's actions were indeed quick enough.

On that day, Li Jiao, who had always been low-key and well-behaved in the Zhao family school, was bullied for the first time.

The one who took the initiative to cause trouble was not someone else, but the second son of the Zhao family, who was also the only son of the second branch, Zhao Jiangyan. He was the son of Zhao Huailiang and Aunt Fang, and was three years older than Li Jiao.

Although he was born out of wedlock, the Zhao family had few male descendants. In the eyes of the Zhao family, this illegitimate son of the second wife was also a treasure. In terms of seniority, he was considered Li Jiao's uncle.

He first snatched Li Jiao's Duan inkstone and accused him of stealing it, saying, "This Duan inkstone is worth a fortune. I've only seen it in my father's study. How could an adopted son like you get such a fine thing?"

“Give it back to me!”

Li Jiao cherished the set of four treasures of the study that Chu Yuanhe gave him very much. He carried it with him in his bookcase almost every day. When he saw it was taken away, he pretended to snatch it away.

Zhao Jiangyan, who was older than him, stood on a chair holding the Duan inkstone. "Give it back to you? You clearly stole it!"

"This was given to me by the prince!" Li Jiao argued and tried to take it back, but it attracted other Zhao family members in the clan school.

They were all children around ten years old. They were either related to the Zhao family or came from the Zhao family's side branches. They usually followed Zhao Jiangyan's lead in the clan school. As long as Zhao Jiangyan needed them, they would consciously protect him and keep Li Jiao out.

Li Jiao couldn't get close, his eyes red with anxiety, "Give my things back to me!"

"If you don't pay it back, then don't pay it back!"

Zhao Jiangyan was extremely proud, "You little thief, I'm going to tell Mr. Kong and see if he will still accept you as his student!"

The other children followed suit, pointing at Li Jiao's nose and calling him a thief.

"I said I'm not a thief. This Duan inkstone was given to me by Prince Pingxi." Li Jiao was honest and well-behaved, not good at arguing, and he was so angry that his face turned red and his neck became thick.

"You said the prince gave it to you? Did anyone see it?"

"That's right, you're just a bastard born to a foot-washing maid. How could the prince give you such a valuable gift?"

The children laughed and laughed.

"I'm not a thief! And even less a bastard!" Their words angered Li Jiao. He clenched his small fists and glared at the arrogant Zhao Jiangyan.

Seeing that he was angry, Zhao Jiangyan's face became even more excited. "So you're most afraid of people calling you a bastard?"

"Your mother was a foot-washing maid. Was she wrong to call you a bastard? Now you're just a cuckoo occupying the magpie's nest. You coaxed my eldest sister into giving you the title of legitimate child, and your slutty mother even framed my third sister."

"Like mother, like son. I think your son, a lowly servant, is not only a bastard, but also a bad seed! People like you are not worthy of entering the Zhao family school and studying on an equal footing with us!"

"Yes! Get out! Get out!" The people nearby were watching the fun and started to make trouble one after another.

Li Jiao couldn't stand it any longer and trembled all over, "Don't you dare talk about my mother!"

The small body rushed straight over and tried to pull Zhao Jiangyan off the chair.

Li Heng came in at the right time and stopped him, "Be quiet!"

The noisy school fell silent for a moment.

Li Heng was a substitute teacher invited by Zhao Huailiang, so Zhao Jiangyan naturally had to give him some face. He got down from his chair and bowed to him.

Li Jiao wanted to go over and take the Duan inkstone back, but was held back by Li Heng.

He frowned, "What's going on?"

Li Jiao pointed at Zhao Jiangyan with red eyes, "He took the Duan inkstone from my bookcase without my permission, and even slandered me as a thief, and... he even insulted the student as a bastard."

Zhao Jiangyan didn't feel guilty at all. "Stop talking nonsense! I'm a good student taught by the teacher. How could I possibly say such bad things? Besides, I have no grudge against you, so why would I make things difficult for you?"

"It's just that my father just happened to have lost a Duan inkstone in his study, exactly like the one you have. I was just suspicious and asked a few more questions, and you got angry and wanted to hit me. Now that Mr. Li has caught you red-handed, you are still slandering me with empty words."

"you--"

Li Jiao was still young and had never met such a scoundrel.

Who is slandering whom?

Li Heng was caught in the middle, with his eldest nephew on one side and the master's son on the other. He had no choice but to ask Zhao Jiangyan to hand over the Duan inkstone. After a closer look, he said, "This Duan inkstone is indeed a gift from the prince. I saw it with my own eyes that day."

After Li Heng said this, Zhao Jiangyan could only curl his lips and say, "Oh, that's a misunderstanding." He didn't mean to apologize.

Li Heng looked at his expression and knew that he was spoiled by the second wife, so he didn't say anything. Finally, he looked around and punished everyone to copy the book twenty times.

Li Jiao suffered an unprovoked misfortune, but he had a good attitude and regarded the punishment as a way to practice his calligraphy.

He thought that today was over, but when school was over in the afternoon, Zhao Jiangyan and his men blocked his way.

Li Jiao subconsciously clenched the bookcase slung across his shoulder and said, "Get out of the way."

Zhao Jiangyan refused, "You made all of us copy books as punishment, and you think you can just leave?"

"Then what do you want?" Li Jiao frowned and looked serious.

Zhao Jiangyan glanced at him sideways, scratching his ear out of boredom. "If you kneel down and apologize to me right now, I'll let you go today and not bother with you."

Li Jiao remembered what the book said, "A man's knees are made of gold. I only kneel to heaven, earth, and my parents...ah!"

Just as he finished speaking, someone kicked him in the knee from behind. Li Jiao was caught off guard and fell to the ground. However, he was stubborn at heart and tried to get up. Several children rushed over and held down his shoulders and arms.

Li Jiao struggled frantically. Just when Zhao Jiangyan was about to teach Li Jiao a lesson, Zhao Lanyan rode over on horseback in the training ground not far away.

"What are you doing!"

He had a loud voice, and with just one shout, the children were frightened and let go and stepped back.

Zhao Lanyan loves martial arts and rarely goes to the clan school on weekdays. He spends most of his time practicing riding and archery in the training ground. Today, because he borrowed the Taxue machine, he practiced a little late, which led him to see Zhao Jiangyan bullying others.

Zhao Lanyan tightened his whip and walked over aggressively. He was the tallest and strongest among the group of children. When he pushed Li Jiao in front of him, the others were so scared that they dared not move.

"Are you bullying my nephew?"

Zhao Lanyan pointed his whip at Zhao Jiangyan and asked, "Who gave you the courage?"

"Big, big brother." Seeing him, Zhao Jiangyan lost all his arrogance. He lowered his eyebrows and looked at him with a mixture of respect and fear. "I didn't bully him. I just wanted to say a few words to him."

My aunt has instructed us not to let Li Jiao have an easy time. It would be best if Mr. Kong got tired of him and thought he was troublesome, forcing Li Jiao to drop out of school.

But he also reminded that this matter must not be witnessed by the people in the first wife's house.

Aunt Fang had the courage to ask him to do this because she was sure of Li Jiao's personality. He was as soft as mud, and he didn't like to cause trouble for the Zhao family. He would not go to the adults to complain if he was bullied.

Even if it really gets out of hand, it's just a conflict between children, and no one would think that it was an adult who instigated it behind the scenes.

As long as Li Jiao could be forced to leave the Zhao family school, or be disliked by Mr. Kong, Li Jiao's reputation would be ruined, and no famous teacher would dare to teach him in the future, and Li Jiao would naturally be ruined.

In this case, the Li family can only place their hopes on Jun Ge'er, and Zhao Qingyi must also recognize Jun Ge'er as his legitimate son, and then...

Once Zhao Qingyi dies, Zhao Manyi will be able to take over.

Aunt Fang had a nice idea, and Zhao Jiangyan just followed Aunt Fang's instructions. However, Zhao Jiangyan found out after only one day of bullying.

Li Jiao wouldn't complain, but Zhao Lanyan had a bad temper.

Zhao Jiangyan tugged at the corner of his clothes nervously, trying to hide his true intentions. "Brother, I really didn't bully him..."

How could Zhao Lan not know his character? He always bullies the weak and fears the strong.

But for the sake of my second uncle, I will forgive him this time.

Zhao Lanyan put his hands on his hips and snorted coldly, "I'm making this clear today. Anyone who dares to bully my nephew in the Zhao family from now on will be opposing me! Do you understand?"

Several children quickly echoed, "I heard it, I heard it."

Zhao Lanyan helped Li Jiao up. "It's true that when there's no tiger in the mountain, the monkey becomes king. Although I rarely go to school, you're still my nephew and my eldest sister's son. It's shameful to be so timid!"

He scolded Li Jiao, but implicitly he was cursing Zhao Jiangyan.

Zhao Jiangyan usually avoided the eldest wife's sharp edge, but he was just a little boy after all, at the age of showing off and being competitive. Hearing Zhao Lanyan scolding him, he couldn't help but ask, "Who are you calling a monkey?"

"Whoever responds will be the one to take the responsibility."

Zhao Jiangyan was so angry that he was about to leave with his arm around Li Jiao's shoulders, so he trotted over and pushed Li Jiao towards him.

Li Jiao didn't pay attention and fell to the ground, scraping the palm of his hand.

Zhao Lanyan became furious and turned around to punch him in the face. Not satisfied with that, he sat on Zhao Jiangyan and started fighting him.

He said he would protect his nephew, but this damn Zhao Jiangyan dared to take action!

Young people all care about their reputation, and he felt that he had been humiliated.

Zhao Jiangyan was beaten black and blue, but he still grimaced in pain and said, "Go ahead and hit me! You're just a fighter! I wonder how you'll ever be able to take the martial arts exam!"

After the new emperor ascended the throne, he advocated martial arts, so Daliang also started martial arts examinations. The martial arts examinations had rules. Criminals were not allowed to participate, and those who liked to fight would also be expelled.

Zhao Jiangyan felt that it was worth it to suffer these two blows if it could ruin the eldest wife's future.

When my uncle and aunt are gone in the future, the eldest wife will only have Zhao Lanyan left who doesn't like to study and can't pass the martial arts exam. What future can he have?

In the end, everything in the Zhao family will belong to my father, and in the future, it will be his!

Zhao Lanyan hesitated upon hearing this, and paused his fist in the air.

Just when Zhao Jiangyan thought he was scared, he gave a malicious smile, "What fight? I'm just teaching my brother a lesson as an older brother!"

He punched down hard, but he used it skillfully, making it painful without breaking any bones. But looking at the face, it was really horrible.

After the fight, he stood up calmly, and no one dared to touch Li Jiao anymore.

Zhao Jiangyan covered his nose, two streams of heat rushing out, "I, I want to tell my aunt!"

He burst into tears and turned around and ran to Fangfeiyuan.

How could Zhao Lanyan be afraid of the concubine of the second house? He respected his second uncle and aunt, but he didn't take Concubine Fang seriously. After all, the good daughter she raised was trying to steal his eldest sister's husband.

Looking at Zhao Jiangyan's back as he fled in a panic, he deliberately pinched his voice and repeated, "Wuwuwu, I'm going to tell my aunt." His expression was extremely sarcastic.

Li Jiao couldn't laugh. He was silent for a long time and thanked Zhao Lanyan. He had originally just endured it, but he didn't expect to involve his uncle.

As expected, he caused trouble for his mother's family.

Zhao Lanyan was a careless person, so he had no idea what Li Jiao was thinking. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Okay, it's okay. No one will dare to bully you from now on. Just focus on your studies. I'm leaving now."

Watching Zhao Lanyan ride away on horseback, Li Jiao felt guilty.

He didn't want to get into trouble again, so he deliberately avoided other people in the clan school for the next few days and devoted himself to studying. In his spare time, he would find a secluded place to study by himself.

That day he found a waterside pavilion not far from the school. The environment was quiet and peaceful. Other children preferred the hustle and bustle and would not come here. So Li Jiao went over with his bookcase, took out a copy of the Analects of Confucius, and began to recite it under the corridor while shaking his head. When he got tired, he took out fish food and teased the red-tailed carp in the pond.

A pair of large feet slowly appeared behind him.

Li Jiao hadn't noticed it yet, he was just observing the fish in the pond, thinking back to the carp painted by the teacher in the painting class, which was so lifelike and vivid.

He wanted to observe more closely, but the big feet moved closer and closer.

When Li Jiao was about to turn around, the person behind him pushed him into the pool with lightning speed.

Li Jiao didn't even have time to scream before he sank into the pool.

The man showed a ferocious smile on his face, kicked Li Jiao's bookcase into the pool one after another, turned around and left in a hurry.

…

As the weather grew colder, Zhao Qingyi no longer sat in the octagonal pavilion in the courtyard. Instead, he cleared out a separate room to store the account books. This was where he would check the accounts or receive the shopkeeper and steward on weekdays.

Zhao Qingyi leaned over the rosewood table with a Ruyi cloud pattern, with a light scent of benzoin at her fingertips.

Tan Yue came in and handed over a secret letter, which came from Tongxiang, Luo's natal hometown. The person staring at Luo Gui briefly explained the situation in Tongxiang and what Luo Gui did in daily life. Finally, a thick stack of copied IOUs was attached, which the servant bought from a distant relative of Luo Gui for five taels of silver.

The copy of the IOU clearly stated that the loan was fifty taels, with a monthly interest of ten taels. If the loan was not repaid on time, the property and land would be used as collateral. In addition, some people who had no house or land used their wives, concubines, and children as collateral. Tongxiang was already poor and remote, and most of the borrowers were poor people who had nowhere else to go.

The Luo family is allowing their relatives to lend money and exploit the common people. Moreover, they have been particularly harsh in collecting debts recently, and they have used all means possible.

Tan Yue Qiao Yue was shocked by what she saw.

Zhao Qingyi's expression remained calm as he locked up the copy of the IOU. "Keep sending people to monitor it. Report everything, no matter how big or small, on what day and month it was done."

In her opinion, before Li Susu gets married, the Li family will be destroyed by Luo.

But Zhao Qingyi couldn't be happy. The more he uncovered the truth, the more sad he felt that this world was.

Li Che simply took advantage of the Zhao family's favorable situation and entered the imperial court as an official. However, the family of such a minor official of the sixth or seventh rank could rely on his power and authority to bully others in the local area.

Take the usury, for example. It caused countless people to lose their loved ones and become homeless. Their fertile land and ancestral homes were seized, and then they could be exempted from taxes by being affiliated with a meritorious figure like Li Che. As a result, the people lost their land to farm, the court lost its taxes, and the treasury became increasingly empty...

When the imperial court's land and silver are completely eaten up, the treasury will be so empty that there will be no money for disaster relief in natural disasters and no money for military pay in wars. It will be only a matter of time before the country is destroyed.

Thinking of this, Zhao Qingyi felt that the implementation of the new policy was imminent.

However, the new policy has shaken the interests of too many powerful people, and it is difficult to implement it. It all depends on whether the current emperor has the determination. Otherwise, once the emperor turns against him, Prime Minister Zhang and their Zhao family will be the first to suffer.

Zhao Qingyi massaged the swollen and painful Taiyangxue, and a trace of worry appeared on his face.

I don’t know how my father is doing in the court.

Tan Yue brought a night-time soothing soup and said, "Grandma, that's all for today. Drink the soothing soup and then go to rest."

Zhao Qingyi nodded, took the calming soup and was about to drink it when she heard the housekeeper's loud shout.

"Oh no, oh no!"

The last time he was so panicked was when he caught Li Che and Zhao Manyi having an affair at Zhao's house. What happened today?

The housekeeper ran into the room, panting, and forgetting all courtesy, "Grandma, something's happened to the young master!"

The three people in the room were all startled.

What could happen to Li Jiao in the Zhao family's clan school?

"Just speak nicely."

The housekeeper then told the story of Li Jiao's "accidental fall into the water". He has been rescued, but he has been soaking in the pool for too long. He is breathing out more than breathing in. It is feared that only by inviting a doctor from the Imperial Hospital can Li Jiao's life be saved.

"You must keep this a secret from Yuxiu. She's pregnant and can't handle any excitement."

Zhao Qingyi spilled the tranquilizing soup and hurried out, preparing to go to the palace in person to ask the imperial physician to treat Li Jiao. Not long after he left the house, he saw Chu Yuanhe riding a horse carrying an old man with silver hair.

He came from the direction of the palace, and the old man was Liao Yuanpan from the Imperial Hospital.

Chu Yuanhe stuffed the man into Zhao Qingyi's carriage and said, "This old man is old and can't stand the bumpy ride."

Judge Liao entered the carriage and held his official hat steady in panic. If he had not been in the palace for many years and had not seen many storms, he would have been half dead by now.

However, since Judge Liao occupied the carriage, Zhao Qingyi had nowhere to go. The sedan chair was too slow, and it would take time to prepare a new carriage.

Chu Yuanhe sat on his horse and stretched out his hand to her, "Come up."

Zhao Qingyi glanced at the broad, slender hand and looked away, "No..."

Before she uttered the word "use", Chu Yuanhe took out a veil hat like a magic trick, covered Zhao Qingyi's head with it, and pulled her onto the horse with his big hands.

"It's an emergency, I'm sorry for the offense."

Chu Yuanhe said it was offensive, but his tone was full of unconcealed joy. "Cover your face well, and no one will know who you are. Your reputation won't be ruined."

After saying these words that were almost like trying to cover up one's own faults, Chu Yuanhe squeezed the horse's belly with his long legs and rode straight towards the Zhao family.