Chapter 82 [V] Couples Control Group
In that lifetime, when Xue Yi met him, he was already a figure revered by thousands.
The prevailing trend in this dynasty for many years has been to "value civil affairs over military affairs." At that time, he achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, which made him famous overnight and caused a sensation throughout the capital.
If he hadn't married early and hadn't had a harmonious marriage, he might have even been able to marry the daughter of a prime minister. Back then, he was so full of vigor and arrogance.
And now, this promising future prime minister stood before him, humbly and respectfully addressing him as "General." At this moment, he was devoid of even a trace of the arrogance he had possessed in his previous life.
Xue Yi couldn't help but find it quite novel.
"Han Xiucai." Since he was addressed by his official rank, Xue Yi didn't call him "brother-in-law," but simply addressed him as "Xiucai" (scholar) before asking, "What's wrong?"
Li Yan, who was standing to the side, although she had many prejudices against Han Yue, still greeted him and called him "brother-in-law".
Han Yue was also deeply shocked by this incident. Although it did not concern him, it made him realize something... that is, they were just scholars who had not even passed the provincial examinations, let alone held any official position, yet they dared to think that they could disregard the fifth-rank military officers of the imperial court.
Although civil and military officials have always been at odds, and there are often differing opinions in the court, those matters are still extremely distant for scholars like them at present.
No matter how crude or even tyrannical a military general may be, they still earned their titles and honors through their own genuine abilities. Regardless of the means by which they became officials, they must have possessed real skills.
It's not that they lack the skills, it's just that they don't want to get entangled until the right opportunity arises. But once they seize the chance, they won't let it go easily.
This incident made him realize one thing completely: he should cultivate good relationships rather than bad ones.
Furthermore, one must be careful in making friends and not be as open to making friends as before. After all, if one were to encounter someone like Zhao Xiucai again and be unable to extricate oneself in time, and were implicated by him, one would not be as fortunate as one is today.
Today's events have served as a lesson for Han Yue's life and a wake-up call for him.
Han Yue was waiting here specifically for two reasons: first, to sever his ties with Brother Zhao from Xue Yi's stigma; and second, to apologize for what happened that day.
He was about to speak when he caught sight of Li Yan beside him, and the words caught in his throat as he hesitated to speak.
Li Yan knew he wanted to avoid her, and she wasn't particularly interested in his affairs, so she wisely said goodbye, "I'll wait for you in the car."
But Xue Yi didn't let his wife leave. Instead, he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to his side. He then looked at Han Yue and said, "You don't need to hide anything from my wife. Whatever you say, I can hear, and she can hear too." This meant that there were no secrets between them, and no need for them to be on guard.
Although Li Yan didn't want to hear what they were saying, she still felt quite favorably toward Xue Yi's actions.
At least in front of outsiders, Xue Yi takes her very seriously and respects her greatly.
This move was undoubtedly a slap in the face for Han Yue, and it was a loss of face for him.
Since Xue Yi told her not to leave, Li Yan wouldn't insist on going anyway. So, she stayed and waited to the side.
After a moment of silence, Han Yue said sincerely, "I've been wanting to apologize to you for what happened that day. But I've been busy lately, so it's been delayed until now." Han Yue's words weren't entirely untrue. He had been thinking that if they met again, he would express his apologies to the person in front of him.
Although that's what he thought, he didn't really take it seriously.
If you are truly sincere about this, then there is no such thing as being busy or not.
Xue Yi understood, but didn't point it out. He just smiled and said, "It's nothing, Scholar Han, you don't need to take it to heart." He added, "Besides, what happened that day wasn't your doing, it was someone else's. Why do you need to apologize?"
Han Yue said seriously, "Although it wasn't my doing, I was the one who organized the banquet that day, and I was the one who brought the people over to toast. I just didn't expect that Brother Zhao would be that kind of person. In the past, I never saw him act impulsively. But since it has already happened, I can only blame myself for misjudging people."
Xue Yi: "Let bygones be bygones. There's no point in dwelling on it now." Xue Yi felt that now that things had already happened, it was meaningless to argue about who was right and who was wrong.
Han Yue nodded: "General, you are a man of great principle and do not concern yourself with trifles. This is the magnanimity of a general. But I have been keeping that matter in my heart. If I do not apologize to you in person, I will feel very bad." As he spoke, Han Yue clasped his hands towards Xue Yi, "I have disturbed you today, General. I will take my leave." Then he glanced at Li Yan to the side and nodded slightly to show his respect.
Han Yue's current appearance is a far cry from the aloofness of a scholar.
Thinking back, when she made a scene with her father, Li Shangping, over the dowry, Han Yue showed no mercy to Xue Yi, a fifth-rank commander.
Circumstances are more powerful than people.
Now, when Xue Yi, a fifth-rank military officer, easily disqualifies a scholar from taking the exam with his status and power, he realizes that the military officers whom they, as scholars, usually look down upon, are not to be underestimated.
Previously, Li Yan only felt that his title of fifth-rank commander sounded impressive, but now, after experiencing this incident, she truly felt the benefits that his status and power brought.
It turns out that Xue Erlang is even more reliable than I imagined.
People naturally admire strength, and Li Yan was no exception. The reliability Xue Yi displayed today gave her a sense of security.
After leaving the prefectural government office, Xue Yi took Li Yan to a restaurant in the bustling city center.
While not as luxurious as the Star Moon Restaurant, frequented only by the wealthy and powerful, the environment here is still quite pleasant. Because of the moderate foot traffic, it's not noisy, offering a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Xue Yi said, "I usually come here to eat and drink with my colleagues."
In such a moderately priced place, besides military generals like Xue Yi who came from impoverished backgrounds, there were also scholars who had participated in the autumn imperial examinations. Often, they would gather in groups of three or five to chat about everything from court affairs to people's livelihoods.
Or, we could chat about the strange and interesting things that have happened in Jiangning City recently.
Today, the most interesting thing in Jiangning City is the incident of a scholar beating another scholar. So, as soon as Xue Yibu entered, he heard several scholars sitting in the corner discussing this matter.
When talking about scholars beating each other, one cannot help but mention Xue Yi, who dragged that scholar Zhao to the courtroom.
Opinions differ regarding Xue Yi's actions.
Some say he is fair, upright, and incorruptible, while others say he has ulterior motives and is settling personal scores.
Xue Yi simply ignored all of this, pretending that it wasn't about him.
"General Xue, what would you like to order?" Xue Yi used to be a regular customer at this restaurant, so the manager and waiters already knew him.
Upon seeing him arrive, they naturally gave him a warm welcome.
The scholars sitting in the corner fell silent upon hearing the name "General Xue." The previous commotion ceased, and they all silently lowered their heads to eat, glancing at the group out of the corner of their eyes.
Xue Yi kept his eyes straight ahead and ordered a few of the restaurant's signature dishes from the waiter.
.
After saying goodbye to Xue Yi and his wife, Han Yue returned home looking rather dejected.
Li Jiaojiao had been anxiously waiting at home for some time. As darkness fell and the alley became completely silent, her husband still hadn't returned home... Li Jiaojiao couldn't help but feel uneasy.
But since she was in an unfamiliar place, she didn't dare to go out rashly.
So she could only keep the door tightly shut and wait anxiously at home.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally heard two knocks on the door.
The sudden knocking on the door in the dead silence made Li Jiaojiao, who was already highly nervous, even more tense.
"Who?" she asked nervously in the darkness, then waited expectantly for the other person's answer.
Upon hearing her husband's voice say "It's me," Li Jiaojiao's anxiety immediately turned to joy, and she quickly ran to unlatch the gate to the yard.
"You're finally back!" After opening the door, Li Jiaojiao rushed into her husband's arms without thinking.
Faced with this sudden embrace, Han Yue slightly raised his hand, momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
His feelings were pure, and he was absolutely devoted, but now he no longer felt the same excitement he had when they first got married.
They had sex less and less often, and whenever she brought it up, he would politely refuse on the grounds that he was "too tired".
He was truly exhausted; he hadn't deliberately lied to her. But if it weren't for their current situation, but rather the past, even if he were exhausted, he would still think of their marital bliss.
Today, he appears outwardly unchanged, but he knows in his heart that something is slowly changing inside.
Han Yue's raised hand never touched his wife's back. Finally, it fell to his side, and he comforted her wearily, saying, "It's alright, let's go inside and talk."
Li Jiaojiao nodded vigorously, then wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve and replied, "Okay, let's go inside and talk."
But after entering the house, Han Yue did not tell his wife the whole story of what had happened that day. He only briefly mentioned a few things and then said, "I'm tired today, let's rest."
The fact that a scholar could beat another scholar was shocking to Li Jiaojiao. She wanted to ask more, but her husband said he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so she had no choice but to give up.
After Han Yue finished speaking, he stood up and went to his bedroom, leaving Li Jiaojiao alone in the main room.
Having experienced being loved, she can deeply understand that her husband no longer loves her much.
Li Jiaojiao suddenly felt very wronged and scared. She was already struggling in the Han family, disliked by her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law. If she lost her husband's favor, she feared her future would be difficult.
At this moment, she felt a pang of jealousy and resentment. She felt that everything had changed since her stepmother had helped the young master of the Xue family steal Zong'er's place in school.
From then on, the second aunt's life went smoothly, while hers went downhill.
Thinking of her second aunt's face now, and then looking at her own, she found it hard not to believe that her second aunt had brought her down. Everything that originally belonged to her was gradually being taken away by her second aunt.
When they were both daughters of the Li family, the second daughter was in an awkward situation and was ugly. The third daughter, on the other hand, was loved by her mother and adoptive father and possessed an exceptionally beautiful face.
Although she wasn't exactly a beauty that could topple kingdoms, in that small place of Huating County, she was enough to make Han Yue fall in love at first sight and overcome all obstacles to marry her.
Now, seeing that Second Sister is becoming more and more beautiful every day, while her face is becoming more and more ordinary... If you stand in front of Second Sister now, I guess no one will praise her beauty anymore, and all the praise will be for Second Sister.
She thought that besides her mother and younger brother holding her back, her current appearance was also the reason why she had fallen out of favor with her husband.
She simply couldn't understand why things had turned out this way.
It's like... the second aunt secretly used some kind of witchcraft to take away everything that originally belonged to her.
The night was quiet, and Li Jiaojiao sat silently alone in the main room. The full moon hung high outside, and she suddenly remembered the first full moon night when she married into the Han family at the beginning of last year.
At that time, she leaned against her husband's chest, admiring the moonlight in the sky with great interest.
My current state of mind is completely different from what I feel now.
She suddenly felt terrified, unsure of how to face her future. The last time she felt such fear and confusion was when her father passed away. After that, her mother remarried into the Li family, and her life had been peaceful and smooth ever since.
But now, it seems that everything has returned to the year my father passed away.
It's as if all these years of Jiao Rong have been a beautiful dream.
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