Chapter 90: I can’t quit, and I don’t want to quit…

Yunsheng watched helplessly as his aunt was taken to prison by the police, and his heart was in turmoil.

"Sister Huan, you must save Auntie. You must have a way. Auntie trusts you the most..."

Song Huan pursed her lips, she was also thinking about what to do best.

The night was dark and the rain was falling heavily, but the wind had stopped temporarily. People could be seen everywhere in the rain, and many of them were kneeling and kowtowing excitedly.

"It's raining, it's raining..."

It was at this time that Chen Qi and Zhou Miao arrived one after another.

"Where's my aunt? Song Huan, where's my aunt?"

Song Huan turned her head and wiped away her tears. "Auntie's been taken to prison. We have to find a way."

Zhou Miao was filled with worry. "Why? Auntie has never been impulsive. Back in Jiangxi, those people pointed at our faces and cursed us, but Auntie didn't get angry. Why can't she hold back this time?"

Song Huan murmured, "Because she has no way to retreat. We can retreat, the ladies-in-waiting can retreat, but Auntie can't retreat. We have Auntie as our backing, but what does Auntie have behind her?"

There is only a thousand-foot cliff.

She said fiercely, "Auntie has reached her current position, yet she can still endure such humiliation. How can we know that this is not our future?"

Those people can do it. After all, forcing a mute to swallow bitter herbs is not that difficult.

Chen Qi comforted the two, "Auntie is definitely fine for now, you don't have to worry too much."

The three of them did not dare to delay and immediately got on the carriage and turned back to prepare for the next steps.

When Chen Qi learned that his aunt wanted to make a scene, he immediately guessed the reason.

"The court is full of men. Even if it would benefit my aunt, it would be useless. Even if my aunt is highly valued and favored by the emperor, as long as they unite, she will not be able to clear herself of the charge of killing officials."

Zhou Miao couldn't help swallowing, "Then what should we do?"

Song Huan said calmly, "Unite everyone we can, report corrupt officials, fabricate rumors, and expose what happened tonight, no matter how much money it costs. Tell the people that my aunt had no choice but to draw her sword. Time is precious, we must seize it. Those people are best at using their pens to distort right and wrong..."

Yunsheng looked at the increasingly dense raindrops outside the window with tearful eyes, and suddenly thought of a way.

"It's raining, and it's winter rain. It's been dry for so long, and now it's raining right after my aunt kills someone. This isn't murder, it's to get rid of the treacherous villains for Dayong. It must be the Bodhisattva and the Taoist God's blessing. The nobles in the palace love gimmicks that can communicate with the gods, so we can use them."

He has been in the palace for so long, but he has learned nothing but some crooked ways.

Song Huan's eyes lit up and he patted Yunsheng's eyes, "Good boy, you finally came up with a good idea."

Chen Qi also nodded. "We have to find Taoist temples and Buddhist temples, ask masters to perform rituals, set up a Taoist temple, and do everything that can benefit Auntie. Don't miss out. I don't believe those people can cheat God."

Zhou Miao clenched his fists and said, "Yes, my aunt is waiting for us."

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and only then did thunder roar, coming from far away and exploding in the sky. Following it, there was also golden lightning that could illuminate half the sky. The earth shook, as if it wanted to rain all the rain that had not fallen in the whole summer in one breath.

I guess the drought would be resolved. What a coincidence, the emperor's edict of repentance was almost issued.

Zhao Changning's eyes were calm. He looked up at the sky for a while, then calmly lowered his head and walked into the prison. There was nothing special inside, but it was a little cleaner than usual.

"Please come in, female secretary." As the prefect, Chen Mi personally escorted Zhao Changning in.

He found that there was no fear of killing in Zhao Changning's eyes, only a calmness that dared to take responsibility, and it was strangely calm.

A woman who could enter the court and become an important official beside the emperor by virtue of her status as a woman must have her own strengths. He also put away the contempt that he could not control in his heart in the past.

"Nu Shu Ling, you..."

Zhao Changning sighed, "Don't worry, Prefect. You can't handle this matter. Wait for the three courts to hear it, or for the emperor to summon you."

Chen Mi heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing this. It was convenient to talk to smart people.

His worries were gone, and his tone became more relaxed. He sighed, "Nüshu Ling, why are you doing this?"

Zhao Changning ignored him and said gently, "Can you get some water?"

Chen Mi waved his hand decisively, "Get some water and buy some clean clothes."

The jailer looked at him with some embarrassment.

Zhao Changning pulled out a silver ingot from his sleeve and said, "Warm water and a coarse cloth coat that can cover the blood on my body will be fine."

The jailer thought Zhao Changning looked like a ghost, so he took the money tremblingly and ran away.

Seeing that there was no one beside him, Chen Mi whispered, "Nu Shu Ling, do you need me to inform the emperor? Or is there anyone you want to inform?"

He took the initiative to explain, "My sister is Chen Qi. She is now an eighth-rank female official. She used to admire you very much at home."

Zhao Changning nodded slightly. She had known about this relationship for a long time. When he was escorting her just now, he had been protecting her in a subtle way.

She shook her head slightly and smiled, "The late emperor once told me something. He said that if you start showing your vicious claws to outsiders, you must keep them exposed, no matter how difficult or dangerous it is, and never retreat. I didn't quite understand it at first, because someone also told me to be humble and modest. But when the bare-breasted actor appeared before me, I suddenly understood what he meant."

In fact, wasn't it she herself who was giving those bastards the opportunity?

Every smile, every soft word, every attempt to fit in, made them feel that she was someone who could be bullied, that she was nothing special, and that once she entered officialdom, she would become the same as them.

It was obvious that she was fundamentally different from them, and it was her own fault. The previous emperor had never been stupid and never relaxed his oppression until his death.

Lord Chen seemed to be lost in thought, his face solemn, his mind constantly thinking about how his sister had used to talk about the Nvshu Ling, proudly and flamboyantly.

"But you were really impulsive today. The person you killed was Princess Huachang's grandson. You know best what kind of person Princess Huachang is."

Zhao Changning sneered, "Even if he is the son of the emperor, I dare not retreat."

The cell window was very small, and the lightning flashed intermittently, accompanied by huge thunder. A strong wind blew in, bringing with it thick moisture and coldness. The dark and damp cell suddenly smelled unpleasant.

Chen Mi listened to her answer which was not too loud but calm and steady, and shuddered at the cold wind.

Zhao Changning felt the raindrops hitting his face, and felt the dried blood on his face melting.

"Master Chen, believe it or not, if I had retreated today and not drawn my sword, those people would have dared to completely expose the actor in front of the world and smash it in my face, even in the court. They have never cared about other people's face, they only care about themselves, and they just want to step on me. If I sit there and watch today, and I want to object and speak up in the future, they will ask, why did you watch it so happily in the first place? Why didn't you object? I can even imagine that face, and I can imagine how they will treat the female officials in the future. Female officials are few and hard to come by, and they have too many tricks. If they don't intimidate and stimulate them, I dare not bet on how long the female officials can hold out, so..."

She turned around, her face once again covered in blood, and sneered, "I can't retreat, and I don't want to retreat."

Originally, she and the female official were one, and now they were just even closer, which was not a bad thing.

Chen Mi was shocked by the determination in her words.

He stared blankly at the slender and tall female secretary in front of him, and realized that he had never really understood her in the past and had only regarded the gossip of those people as the real fact.

Today I finally understood why my sister said that he was as shallow as ordinary men.

At this time, hot water and clothes were delivered.

The jailer was a little embarrassed. "Sir, it's raining so hard right now. We brothers knocked on the doors of several shops before we bought a piece of ready-made clothing. It's a men's style."

Zhao Changning thanked him and said, "It's okay. Give it to me."

She put on her clothes and bent over to wash her face in the copper basin filled with wisps of smoke.

Chen Mi sighed and ordered, "Go and paper the windows to keep the rain out. The smell is too strong."

The jailer nodded quickly upon hearing this, "Yes, sir, I'll go right away."

When Chen Mi was about to leave, he couldn't help but look back and saw Zhao Changning smiling at him indifferently. This gave him an illusion that perhaps the emperor was protecting him in this matter.

He shook his head, gave a few instructions and then went out. As the prefect of Yujing, he was also qualified to find out the truth and report to the emperor.

A heavy rain put an end to the drought. Although the rivers of all sizes in Yujing were not as full as before, they were connected again. The dry cracks in the crop fields were re-moistened and restored to their original state.

This is not just rain, it is a life-saving elixir.

Jinguang Temple and Qingfeng Temple were suddenly crowded with people, all of whom were ordinary people who came to fulfill their vows. They were gathered in groups of three or five, their faces full of smiles of having survived a disaster.

"Have you heard? This rain is unusual."

"What's going on?"

"This rain is unusual. Someone must have angered the gods. You don't know what happened in Qianjiao Tower yesterday, do you?"

"Qianjiao Tower? That's a place for the rich and powerful, how would we know about it?"

"I know. Didn't we have a female leader in Yujing? Hey, what a powerful one! It was she who killed the traitor yesterday, and finally made the heavens relent. We eat coarse food and can't wait to wash from head to toe with a bowl of water, but those corrupt officials of theirs drink wine like water. What a bunch of corrupt officials..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Can the rain be manipulated by humans?"

"Why not? What's going on that God doesn't know? Didn't you hear those kids singing today?"

"I heard it," the man said suddenly. "I was wondering why it sounded so creepy. So it's about singing?"

Just then, a few children came over barefoot and arm in arm, jumping and singing happily, with a few copper coins clinking in their pockets.

"There was a severe drought, scars appeared on the ground, and a female Bodhisattva descended from the sky. It started to rain heavily, and the wells were full. All the corrupt officials disappeared. Where did they go? They went to see the Bodhisattva in the sky, hahahaha..."

Everyone thought of the miserable days of drought and began to curse the corrupt officials with anger on their faces. After learning what happened in Qianjiao Tower, they couldn't help but applaud.

"It's a good killing, a wonderful killing. You should kill them ruthlessly, so that they can just eat and drink and do nothing."

The incident at Qianjiao Tower spread throughout the streets and alleys of Yujing overnight, like rain.

The officials who were about to take a day off gathered in the court again. They were not happy that the rain had alleviated the drought, but were arguing over a trivial matter.

At this time, Chen Mi was sweating profusely. Looking at Princess Huachang with silver hair and a crutch in front of him, he felt his vision getting darker.

"Princess, no one is allowed to enter without the emperor's order."

Princess Huachang's eyes were filled with cruelty. "How dare this bitch kill my grandson? I have already asked the emperor for permission to execute this person. Open the prison door quickly."

Chen Mi thought of his sister's words, and then recalled the slender figure standing alone. He straightened his chest again and said, "Then please wait until you get the imperial edict. I'm sorry that I can't obey your order without it."

"Asshole." Princess Huachang was so angry that she almost fell to the ground and shouted angrily, "Kill him, kill him for me, and I will reward you handsomely."

No one dared to move.

Chen Mi said coldly, "Princess, without the emperor's oral instructions and decree, I will do my duty. I hope you will not be angry and embarrass me."

The emperor in the court was also angry.

"Okay, okay, okay..." He seemed to be laughing out of anger, slamming the armrests of the dragon throne and sternly saying, "Even the Qingjun Consorts have come out, wondering if I'm like King You, Jie, or Zhou? Am I a tyrant?"

Because of the drought and the worries day and night, the emperor has lost a lot of weight.

All the court officials knelt down, shouting "Long live the emperor" and saying nonsense like "I know my crime, please calm down, Your Majesty."

Xu Jiawen immediately stood up.

"Your Majesty, I wish to accuse the officials of the six ministries. They allow them to engage in debauchery and extravagant spending. Do you think the imperial treasury just came from the wind? They've been allowed to do whatever they want, and overnight, the streets are boiling with resentment, with countless insults directed at the officials. Are we going to let everyone bear all the blame for these idiots?"

Song Zongheng immediately followed up, "Your Majesty, I also want to report the officials of the six ministries. In this time of national crisis, they still have the mind to indulge in wine and women, treating Your Majesty as nothing, treating Dayong as nothing, and treating Dayong's laws as nothing. If we don't punish them severely, how can we calm the public anger?"

Sun Zhidao rushed out. The person who was killed was Princess Huachang's grandson, and also an official in his Ministry of War.

Today, these people looked at the people from the Ministry of War as if they were dirty things, and he still felt wronged.

"Zhao Changning killed court officials. This is a true disregard for the laws of Dayong. Your Majesty, I demand the immediate execution of this evil woman. Do not allow her to deceive the people with her lies, and do not let these officials feel disappointed."

Zhou Min snorted coldly, "Lord Sun, your words are unfair. You are well aware of what happened at Qianjiao Tower, and the female secretary also has her reasons. Besides, everyone knows that you are resentful of the female secretary and want to raid your house."

"You?" Sun Zhidao pointed at Zhou Min's nose and cursed, "Lord Zhou, were you defending Zhao Changning like this back then?"

Zhou Min was so angry that he fell backwards. He yelled angrily, "Sun Dapao, shut up right there! I have nothing to do with Zhao Changning, nothing at all—"

He couldn't help but feel even more disgusted with Zhao Changning, and deeply regretted speaking today.

Sun Zhidao felt humiliated when being called by his former name. He was so angry that he wanted to beat Zhou Min, but fortunately he was stopped.

The emperor at the top suddenly sneered, his dark eyes flashing with a strange light, "Witch? Elder Sun, if the female secretary is a witch? Then what am I?"

Sun Zhidao's eyes glared. "I was so angry that I spoke nonsense. I hope Your Majesty will forgive me."

Seeing Sun Zhidao retreat, someone immediately took over.

"Your Majesty, we serve as officials for the people of Dayong, protecting the country of Dayong, and obeying the Emperor's orders. We have never forgotten this. But if Zhao Changning is allowed to disrupt the government and act recklessly, our hearts will be broken. Please, Your Majesty, seek justice for the deceased officials..."

At this time, the family's daughter who worked in the six ministries also stood up.

"Bah, you're a drunkard, a whoremonger, and a gambler on a daily basis, who doesn't know that? You six ministries are rotten to the core, yet you're bullying those female officials. You bully women too, don't you have any shame?"

"That's right. The ladies-in-waiting are just as diligent and conscientious as we are. They do their work honestly and honestly. But what about you people from the six ministries? You're all so cunning and dishonest. Ugh."

"It's difficult to get things done with so many people here. You guys are so proud of yourself. When I was given an official certificate, I almost gave you a shoulder massage. I didn't expect that my daughter would have to endure this and be ridiculed by you after getting an official certificate. You deserve it..."

"When I received my official certificate, you guys cheated me out of a thousand taels of silver. Damn it..."

Once the topic started to shift, it was as if they could not be stopped, and everyone started to spout off their resentment. The court was like a vegetable market, and there was no sign of officialdom at all.

The emperor narrowed his eyes.

Song Zongheng's words shocked everyone.

"I beg the Emperor to prohibit women from becoming actors."

He knelt down, speaking sincerely, "Of course I have selfish motives. You all know that I have only one daughter in my life. I hold her in my hands and cherish her in my mouth, fearing that anything bad will happen to her. I feel for her. Everyone in the world is a parent and a child. Who can guarantee that their daughters and granddaughters will not suffer such humiliation in the future? Do you also want to watch them flirt with men and force smiles?"

For a moment, everyone in the hall was silent.

Even if someone has objections in his heart, or even disdains women, he would not be stupid enough to speak out at this time. Filial piety, like this doctrine, touches people's hearts.

"Lord Song, please stand up. I will consider this carefully." The emperor sighed. "I am not biased in today's matter, but the person who tied the bell must be the one to untie it. I cannot execute someone without even a word of defense. Do I really want to be a tyrant?"

Xu Jiawen immediately responded, "Your Majesty is wise, and we still need the Nv Shu Ling to come forward."

The emperor looked around the crowd with a cold gaze. Seeing that no one was shouting, he said with satisfaction, "Then please invite the female secretary to the palace."

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The author has something to say: Thanks to Bingdao Rushui Baby for the mines, and thanks for liking Changning.

Thank you to all the babies who like Changning, I like her too! [milk tea][heart]