Chapter 29: He followed you to meet you in private?

"You're returning the forty acres of paddy fields in Dongshan and the title deed to the Jiang Mansion to the Second Branch... What do you mean? Are you trying to kick our First Branch out? You're so unfilial and unfraternal! Aren't you afraid of being criticized?"

Cai's hands were shaking with anger. Second Lady Jiang nervously whispered, "Are they going to take my dowry too?"

The eldest branch of the family has spent a lot of money on management over the years. When it comes to preparing dowries for their daughters, they have to rely on assets embezzled from the second branch to keep up appearances.

Congying took the initiative to back down. "The Second House won't bring up the old accounts of the money previously spent by the First House, nor will they drive the First House out of the Jiang residence. We simply want to hold the title deed in our own hands, so that the orphans and widows can have peace of mind."

Cai said coldly, "This means that the eldest branch of the family will have to depend on the second branch of the family to survive from now on."

She is the daughter of an official, why should she be suppressed by a bitch from a music troupe!

Cong Ying smiled gently. "The pain of living under someone else's roof is certainly less than the pain of losing a child. What do you think, aunt?"

Cai remained silent. Uncle Jiang pulled her aside and whispered, "After the mourning period ends at the end of the year, that troublesome Fourth Miss will be married off. Even if the land and house deeds are given to them, they will still be in Zhao's hands. Zhao is weak and can be bullied. You were able to take them from her once, but can't you do it a second time?"

Cai thought about it carefully and realized that this was the truth, so she swallowed her breath, gritted her teeth, and signed the property deed of division with Uncle Jiang fiercely.

Cong Ying carefully put away the deed. At this moment, the eunuch from the palace arrived to deliver the imperial edict.

The eunuch glanced at the Jiang family and read out the imperial edict: "Jiang's son, Congjing, is suspected of cheating in the Spring Imperial Examination and stealing the emperor's words. After investigation, this accusation has been found to be unfounded. He will be released immediately and allowed to return home. However, his impulsive behavior has attracted slander, so his father, Jiang Congjing, is ordered to admonish him. To avoid public criticism, he must take his wife and children to Pingzhou within a month to take up his post. He will be required to improve his behavior and conduct. He must not be transferred for ten years, and the Ministry of Personnel may not recommend him for a position in Beijing."

He must take his wife with him to take up the post and must not be transferred out of Pingzhou within ten years... This means that the eldest branch of the Jiang family will grow old and die outside!

Uncle Jiang was unable to come to his senses for a moment. He only felt thunder in his head, and the abacus that was ticking in his mind suddenly clattered to the ground.

The eunuch put away the imperial edict with a forced smile and held it before him: "Jiang Shanggu, are you unwilling to accept the edict?"

Uncle Jiang, sweating profusely, accepted the imperial edict with a nod. He turned to look at Congying, who was kneeling at the side with proper etiquette, her expression humble, as if accepting the fate of the emperor.

Only then did I realize how wrong I had been about her.

＊

A few days after Ying sent the eldest son of the Jiang family away, she was about to send her younger siblings to the Xie family's private school.

Early in the morning, Cong Ying pulled Ah He out of bed and, while combing her hair, she gave her instructions: "Congshan Academy is divided into four dormitories: A, B, C, and D. D is for young children who have just started learning, and A is for scholars who are about to take the imperial examinations. I don't expect you to be a brilliant genius, but I just hope you can get into D and not be kicked out by the teacher."

Ah He raised his misty eyes and said, "Youxue Qionglin, I have memorized it."

Cong Ying smiled and praised her a few times, then warned her: "Most of the classmates in Ding She are younger than you. Even if you like them, don't listen to or believe everything they say."

Ah He nodded.

The carriage was already ready in front of the door. His younger brother Jiang Congqian arrived a few steps late. Congying checked his books for him and found that the book bag was filled with snacks prepared by his mother, as well as a bag of small change.

Jiang Congqian hesitated and said, "My mother told me to share it with my classmates so that they won't bully me."

Cong Ying shook her head disapprovingly and said, "Most of the children in Congshan Academy come from aristocratic families. How can they be bought off with just a few coins?"

"But...but this is what mother said." Jiang Congqian stared at the purse in Congying's hand, as if he was afraid that she would confiscate it.

Cong Ying returned it to him without saying anything more.

Since it was the first day of school, students had to be assessed by the teacher. Congshan Academy had a rigorous academic system, and there were precedents of students being expelled by the teacher on the spot even in the Dingshe School for failing the assessment.

Cong Ying was a little worried, so she went along.

Congshan Academy was located on the west side of the Xie Mansion, with a single gate for students from outside the family, and a veranda connecting it to the Xie Mansion. The gatekeeper, noticing the Jiang family's carriage and a graceful woman stepping down first, warmly invited them in while sending someone to inform the Third Young Master.

Cong Ying brought her younger brother and sister to visit the teacher first. The teacher in charge of the Ding Residence today was named Zheng, a very serious-looking man. After asking for their names and ages, he invited Cong Ying out and began to examine their basic skills.

Jiang Congqian took a step back, so Ah He was the first to be tested.

Cong Ying quietly climbed to the edge of the window, tiptoed to look towards the main hall. Just when he was getting nervous, he was suddenly patted on the shoulder.

"ah!"

She screamed in fright, but when she turned around she saw a smiling face.

Xie Xuanlan had been dressed for the day, his dark hair neatly tucked into a white jade crown, his temples trimmed to a single, unbroken strand, like the carefully combed feathers of a crane perched by a cold pond. From the crown dangled two jewel-shaped ears, adorned with coral beads. Such a garish design, even on his head, didn't overshadow him; instead, it only accentuated his sharp brows, prominent nose, dark eyes, and red lips, making him look radiant and dazzling.

Taking a quick look at him, he was wearing new clothes and black boots, with a slim waist and long legs. The early spring beauty was exaggerated by him to the fullest.

When Ying was annoyed with him, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, how could he be born so beautiful.

Xie Xuanlan leaned against the window and whispered to her, "Cowherd boy, you're so engrossed in learning that your cows have already run two miles away. What do you think? Do you want me to be kind and support you in your studies?"

Congying suppressed his laughter and glared at him, ignoring him and turning around to listen to Ah He answer Master Zheng's questions.

Ah He answered smoothly several calligraphy questions that Master Zheng had given her, which were about connecting the upper and lower lines of "Youxue Qionglin". Master Zheng nodded, pointed to the pens and ink on the small table, and gave her another question to explain the meaning of the sentence and test her calligraphy.

While Ah He was busy writing, Master Zheng called Jiang Congqian over.

First, a postscript is given to the next sentence: "A gentleman's body can be big or small - please continue with the second sentence."

Jiang Congqian stumbled, "A man's ambition can...can it bend and stretch?"

"It is the ability to bend and stretch." Master Zheng added: "To take the good and support the benevolent, all of which are beneficial to friends - continue with the last sentence."

Jiang Congqian hadn't memorized this line last night. He swallowed and started making up a story: "Take the melon seeds and put them all into your stomach?"

Master Zheng frowned and slammed the table: "Little mediocre, this is not the place for you to make jokes!"

Looking out the window, Ying heard him sigh repeatedly: "This child is really..."

Xie Xuanlan couldn't help laughing, gloating and saying, "Is this really your brother? Is there only one dou in your family, and you've taken one and a half, leaving your brother in arrears of two liang?"

Cong Ying was annoyed: "He's not my brother, he's your brother. He looks a lot like the Third Young Master when he was young."

He was referring to his famous line: "The bright moon in the cold autumn shines so little, and whoever walks on the night road will suffer."

Unexpectedly, Xie Xuanlan didn't feel guilty at all about being exposed. Instead, he said in an ambiguous and ambiguous way, "Okay, you're my brother after all."

Cong Ying then realized that she had said the wrong thing, but she pretended not to hear the hidden meaning. Unfortunately, her ears were not keeping up and turned red.

Xie Xuanlan stared at her meaningfully for a long time, until Cong Ying's earlobes were almost numb. Suddenly, he gently patted her shoulder and said, "Stop looking. I'll take you somewhere."

"No, I..."

Xie Xuanlan pretended to hold her wrist, but Cong Ying quickly took her hand behind her back: "Okay, okay, I'll go with you."

The two left the Dingshe and walked inside along the locust wood corridor, passing by one teaching room after another. They could hear the sound of reading or the fragrance of ink. One room was full of half-grown girls who were learning to make incense seals with the palace maids.

As they walked, Xie Xuanlan introduced Cong Ying, "In the Xie family's Congshan Academy, boys and girls learn calligraphy and sentence reading from a teacher until they are ten years old. After that, boys and girls live separately. Boys study the Xie family's classics and theories, while girls learn accounting, housekeeping, needlework, dance, and music. Those with talent can also learn poetry and prose."

Congying nodded, thinking that it was a little worse than the girls' school she had visited in Xuzhou, but in the Yunjing family, at least before the age of ten, the teaching of girls was quite open-minded.

"Come here." Xie Xuanlan stood at the window of the most spacious and luxurious teaching room at the innermost side of the corridor and beckoned to Congying.

Walking over from Ying, I saw that the students in the room were older and more talented. They must be from Shejia. They were discussing a line from the Tao Te Ching: "When the people have too many weapons, the country will become chaotic."

Some were reserved and modest, while others were eager to show off their achievements. Each held their own opinion. As Cong Ying was silently pondering her own answer, she suddenly heard a gentle female voice echo from within the schoolhouse:

"A sharp weapon can kill or save; it can make one a Buddha or a demon. It's not the moment the blade strikes, but the thought of the wielder. A benevolent person wields a weapon to eradicate evil, support the weak, and protect their homeland. A cruel person wields a weapon to bully and harm their comrades, destroy their families, and steal their country. Those who govern the people should exercise caution. This is not about locking up the sword in the streets, but about guiding the people with benevolent methods."

This coincided with what Cong Ying was thinking. She hid behind Xie Xuanlan curiously and looked into the room.

Xie Xuanlan introduced: "That's my sister-in-law, and the one next to her is my eldest brother."

I had heard about their wonderful couple from Ying, and now I saw that they were indeed a perfect match.

Xie Xuanlan said, "My eldest sister-in-law is also a learned woman. Since she is the wife of the Xie family, she can often come to Congshan Academy for leisurely discussions and leisure. She is the poetry teacher of the women's dormitory C, sometimes accompanied by my eldest brother, and she often discusses and debates with the scholars of the men's dormitory A. There is nothing wrong with this."

Cong Ying looked at her sister-in-law and nodded: "That's good too."

"Although I don't like idle conversation, I can only be considered to have a basic understanding of literature in front of you."

Xie Xuanlan cleared his throat a few times, then suddenly bent down slightly. His low voice and gentle breath landed beside Cong Ying's ear: "But if you like, I'm willing to come over here often, just like my elder brother does with his sister-in-law."

Cong Ying's hand, which was stroking the window, paused slightly. Because of his words, her chest seemed to explode with sparks, or as if a startled bird suddenly flew up, and began to beat violently.

It was as if her breath was held tight, and she didn't know how to react, so she remained silent for a moment.

Xie Xuanlan took a step closer and whispered, "You can't pretend to be asleep this time, and you can't pretend you didn't understand like you did just now. You should at least give me a definite answer as to whether your feelings have changed. If not, I'll come to propose marriage tomorrow—oh, since you haven't finished your mourning period yet, I'll also go to your house first to make things clear. If... if your feelings have changed, I'll find a way to make amends. In short, Jiang Congying, you have to give me a definite answer."

Cong Ying's attitude seemed uncertain: "Master Xie, do you want to marry me?"

Xie Xuanlan laughed in anger: "What else, if I say all this, do I have to become your sworn brother?"

"I……"

Cong Ying was very confused.

She couldn't be as straightforward and open-minded as the Third Young Master, so she didn't dare to agree rashly. But if she had to go against her conscience and say she had changed her mind, she couldn't bear it... nor could she bear it.

Xie Xuanlan stayed with her patiently until he heard the movement of tables and chairs in the classroom behind him, and he congratulated her loudly, saying that they were about to leave school.

Cong Ying finally said, "Can you give me some time to think about it? Marriage isn't as simple as just being in love. There are other things to consider. It's a lifelong matter. Please give me some time to think about it. Don't press me any further today."

Xie Xuanlan looked at her with a frown, seemingly not very satisfied with this ambiguous answer.

Cong Ying had no choice but to gently pull his sleeve.

Xie Xuanlan's heart softened immediately and he sighed, "Alright, that's all for today. You can go home too."

When I returned to Dingshe from Ying, Master Zheng's examination had just ended.

Ahe Moyi's calligraphy is mediocre, but he writes fluently on the sutras. Although he is not smart, he is down-to-earth, which is exactly what Master Zheng likes.

On the other hand, Jiang Congqian spoke nonsense when he copied the scriptures, and his ink meaning and calligraphy were even more difficult to describe. Seeing that Master Zheng was about to kick him out, he took out a bag of silver from his book bag and stuffed it into Master Zheng's arms.

Firefly could hear Master Zheng's scolding from a long distance away.

Xie Xuanlan saw her frown and said to her, "Master Zheng has a clear distinction between what he likes and dislikes. It just so happens that he is in charge of Ding's residence this year. Don't worry, I will talk to him privately."

Cong Ying shook her head. "I owe the opportunity I have today to the Third Young Master. How can I continue to fail again and again? Send him back. My brother is really not cut out for study."

Xie Xuanlan asked her, "How will you explain this to your mother?"

As they were talking, Xie Xuanlan's guard walked into the school gate, stood under the screen wall, and saluted Xie Xuanlan from a distance.

It seemed like something urgent was going on. When Xie Xuanlan arrived, the guard reported, "His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin has come incognito and is currently in the Prime Minister's study to discuss matters. Everyone has been dismissed."

Xie Xuanlan was a little surprised: "King of Jin?"

He subconsciously turned to look at Cong Ying, wondering why she was still following him like a shadow.

He nodded and said he understood, then turned and walked over to Congying: "Did the King of Jin send someone to follow you?"

Cong Ying was also surprised: "How could it be?"

Xie Xuanlan began to tease Prince Jin, "If he's not plotting against you, then he's plotting against the Xie family. I was right when I said he had evil intentions and was aiming to seize the throne. Otherwise, he shouldn't have come to the Xie family after having just stirred up trouble in the Spring Examination. I think he's trying to instigate both sides and reap the benefits."

Cong Ying just smiled without saying anything. Her smile showed that she did not agree.

Xie Xuanlan raised his eyebrows and sighed: "Okay, I won't talk about people behind their backs. I am a mean person."

After saying goodbye to Cong Ying, Xie Xuanlan turned and went to Xie Xiang's study.

＊

The floor heating was still on in Xie Xiang's study, but Xie Xiang felt a chill slowly spreading up from the soles of his feet.

He held the list handed to him by the King of Jin, and it seemed as if he saw hundreds of impeachments pouring down on him.

The list includes the insiders he arranged to collect evidence in various places. Some of them have been lurking for several years, and some are hiding in the palace, and no third party knows about them.

During Prime Minister Xie's long silence, the Prince of Jin slowly put down his teacup and spoke calmly, "Isn't it enough for Prime Minister to believe that I have no ill intentions, since I haven't given this list to anyone else?"

Prime Minister Xie looked at him hesitantly and said, "Your Highness, Prince Jin, what brings you here? Please speak frankly."

The King of Jin said, "Today I want to make friends with the Prime Minister."

Xie Xiang said: "But during the Spring Examination, Your Highness's performance clearly showed that he wanted to befriend the Lord."

"Prime Minister, do you mind me turning the tables on your lord?"

Prince Jin smiled. "Given the Emperor's temper, the more you try to overthrow your Majesty, the more he'll protect her. Unless the Emperor himself grows tired of your Majesty, he won't be able to do anything to her. On the contrary, it was Xie Shi who was truly offended. That day, the Prime Minister threatened her with state affairs, and Xie San threatened her with a knife and an axe. If they hadn't smoothed things over in time, it would have been a disaster. Prime Minister, which one will die first, the fish or the net?"

Xie Xiang pondered in silence.

Sanlang had explained the same thing to him that day, saying that the Xie family's blade shouldn't be too bright, and certainly not pointed at the emperor. Although Prime Minister Xie disagreed, he at least understood that he was doing it for the Xie family.

The words of the King of Jin were surprisingly similar to those of Sanlang, and he held the upper hand but kept silent. Could it be that he really wanted to befriend the Xie family?

Xie Xuanlan, who had been standing outside the door listening for a long time, was also confused: "I didn't teach him this rhetoric, so why is he so confused?"

He pushed the door open and walked in, saying sarcastically, "Your Highness has such a clever tongue. If he were in the Warring States Period, he would have been able to obtain the seals of the six kingdoms."

The sudden influx of sunlight was dazzling, and Prince Jin drooped his eyelids, but when he saw Xie Xuanlan's outfit that looked like a peacock spreading its tail, he slightly widened his eyes.

He had worn this outfit in his previous life, at a spring outing party hosted by his mother, because he heard that Aying would also be invited.

He dressed up like this...

King Jin looked at Xie Xuanlan carefully and saw that the lustful look in his eyes had not faded yet, but his expression was one of impatience as if someone had disturbed his interest. He had a guess in his mind.

I guess it was Aying who came to see him and had a private meeting with him.

Prince Jin scraped the foam from the tea bowl, circling it again and again, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.