Chapter 29: He Striked the Imperial Censor's Grandson

"Fifth Miss, Master is waiting for you in the front hall."

Ji Qingwu strode out of the courtyard, his shoes almost burning with sparks.

Children who could enter the study room were all outstanding, and their families were all powerful and wealthy.

Her brows furrowed as she asked the servant beside her, "Do you know who Qiuqiu got into a fight with?"

"...He is Yan Bing, the grandson of Censor Yan Zongrang." The servant's voice was very nervous.

This news left Ji Qingwu completely stunned.

The censor's official rank was second only to the prime minister, but what was most special was that he had the privilege of supervising all officials and advising the emperor.

They just happened to mess with the one who was the most difficult to mess with.

She pressed further, "How old is the child?"

The servant replied, "I heard he should be six or seven years old."

Ji Qingwu suddenly stopped, feeling even more uneasy. If Qiuqiu were to fight with a boy much older than herself, wouldn't she suffer a great loss?

She was very anxious, and seeing that no one was around, she simply picked up her skirt and started running in the long corridor.

On the pavilion atop the artificial hill.

Several of the Qiao family's guests, who were enjoying the view from their high vantage point, were composing poems, playing chess, and engaging in other refined pursuits. They happened to see the figures running around in the corridor.

Daughters of noble families have always pursued chastity and quietness, and were expected to be as still as virgins. This was the first time they had ever seen a woman running so freely.

The young man in purple robes, a newly appointed retainer of the Qiao family, asked curiously to the person beside him, "Brother Li, do you know who this woman is?"

The white-clad man sitting behind the chessboard had long, willow-like eyebrows and a jade-like figure. He held a white jade chess piece in his hand and looked over upon hearing this.

The dark blue gauze skirt swayed with the woman's steps.

The white sash cinched her slender waist, and her flowing robes made her look like a beautiful woman in a traditional Chinese ink painting.

Even after her figure disappeared into the corridor, the man in purple still stared at her with lingering interest.

"Brother Li, this girl truly lives up to the saying, swift as a rabbit. You've been in the Qiao family for much longer, do you know which young lady she is, and whether she's married?"

Judging from the direction she was heading, she was probably going to the front hall.

Li Chengxun placed the chess piece in his hand and said calmly, "I have never seen it before either."

The person playing chess with Li Chengxun was named Liu Nian. He said, "I heard from the servants that the Ji family's granddaughter came today. I think this person came out of the old lady's courtyard, so it should be her."

The man in purple asked with some surprise, "Brother Liu, is this the young lady from the Ji family who was separated from her family and only recently returned home?"

Liu Nian scoffed dismissively, "What young lady? She's just a widow with a child, and her dead husband was a lowly soldier. So what if she's from the Ji family?"

Seeing the purple-robed man's regretful expression, Liu Nian's eyes gleamed, and he said in a flippant tone, "Don't be foolish. A woman like this is fine to play around with for a while, but marrying her as a wife will only make you a laughingstock."

Li Chengxun ignored what they were saying, placed the last chess piece, and raised his long eyebrows.

The outcome is already decided.

"Hey, Chengxun! Your killer move is too ruthless, you don't give me any face at all."

The two were not on the same level in terms of chess skills, but today Liu Nian insisted on playing chess with him.

Li Chengxun got up and left the pavilion.

*

Ji Qingwu arrived at the front hall.

I could see a lot of people gathered inside from the entrance, and the atmosphere was very heavy.

She immediately spotted a small figure standing in the corner. The little girl had her head down, her eyes fixed on her feet, and her little hands were neatly placed in front of her stomach. It was clear that she had just been scolded.

Seeing that he was unharmed, Ji Qingwu felt a little relieved.

"Chirp chirp".

The woman's soft voice broke the silence in the hall.

Everyone looked over.

Ji Qingwu stepped across the threshold and walked gracefully to the center of the room.

When Qiuqiu saw her mother arrive, she pouted and tears welled up in her eyes. Her pitiful appearance made Ji Qingwu's heart ache.

However, there were many people in the hall, so Ji Qingwu still had to follow the rules. Instead of directly hugging her to comfort her, he first bowed to Qiao Menghan, who was in the main seat of the hall.

"Maternal grandfather".

Old Master Qiao nodded with a displeased expression and said in a deep voice, "You've come."

Sitting below Qiao Menghan was an even more unpleasant-looking old man with a goatee, a thin face, and high cheekbones.

Upon seeing her, he coldly asked, "Are you the mother of this little girl?"

"Xiao Wu, this is Censor Yan Zongrang, Lord Yan," Elder Qiao introduced.

Ji Qingwu bowed again and greeted him, "Greetings, Lord Yan."

"I cannot accept gifts from the Ji family."

Imperial Censor Yan turned away, refusing her greeting. "I should have gone directly to the Ji residence, but it was Lord Qiao who persuaded me to come here. I apologize for disturbing Lord Qiao's peace and quiet."

Yan Zongrang truly lived up to his reputation as an eloquent and persuasive censor. With just a few words, he completely absolved the Qiao family of any responsibility. Although he spoke politely, the implication was that this was a matter for the Ji family, and that Lord Qiao was not allowed to interfere.

Despite being refuted on the spot, Ji Qingwu didn't feel embarrassed; she simply stood up straight.

His tone remained gentle. "Lord Yan, you've been waiting for me all this time. Is there something you want to say?"

Imperial Censor Yan glared at him and spoke bluntly, "You don't need to pretend you're deaf and dumb. Go and see for yourself what your daughter has done to my grandson, Yan Bing!"

Um?

Upon learning of the fight, Ji Qingwu instinctively placed her daughter in the position of the victim.

To my utter surprise, it was actually Qiuqiu who bullied someone else.

Following Imperial Censor Yan's finger, Ji Qingwu noticed the boy hiding behind the chair.

Compared to Qiuqiu, this child was tall and strong, like a white steamed bun, but now his face was bruised, with a large bruise on his forehead and scratches on his right cheek, turning him into a mottled steamed bun.

Ji Qingwu glanced at Yan Bing, then at Qiuqiu.

The meaning was easy to understand, but she really couldn't understand how Chiu Chiu could beat him.

Imperial Censor Yan also felt somewhat humiliated. "Your daughter is ruthless. My grandson has a good character; a good man doesn't fight with a woman, which is why he was bullied by her."

Then, with a fierce tone, he said, "Tell me, what are you going to do! If you don't give me a satisfactory answer, I'll go and file a complaint with the emperor tomorrow!"

Appealing to the Emperor...

Ji Qingwu's calm expression finally changed. Seeing her tightly pursed lips and somewhat flustered look, Imperial Censor Yan shook his robe and snorted.

"My patience is limited."

"Why don't we listen to what the children have to say?" Ji Qingwu sighed and suggested.

Imperial Censor Yan said, "What else is there to say? My grandson's face is the evidence, it's right in front of you."

Ji Qingwu approached Yan Bing, but the boy gripped the armrests of the chair tightly and didn't dare to look at her.

She looked him over closely; he really had a nice, round face.

She said softly, "Young Master Yan."

Yan Bing then raised his face to look at her, his lips trembling, he shrank back guiltily, and lowered his head again.