"My father is looking for you! What does he want?" Du Yutong jumped up from the soft couch.
Jiang Shuyue responded to the outsider, then turned and pulled Du Yutong aside, "Why are you so excited? Your father knows I came from Yannan, he's bound to ask me about things there."
Du Yutong's nervous expression vanished instantly, and she pouted, "That's good. I was just afraid my father would offend you because he's not polite."
Jiang Shuyue understood. In this damned era, it was common for noble families to take concubines who were about the same age as their own children.
In addition, Jiang Shuyue is beautiful, and in other people's eyes, she is just a skilled female doctor, who may very well attract the covetousness of those who overestimate their abilities.
"Yutong, what are you thinking? Your uncle is a high-ranking official, so he is naturally well-educated and polite. Don't think nonsense. Get some rest. We'll meet again after things have settled down outside." Jiang Shuyue patted Du Yutong's back and walked out.
Du Yutong quickly caught up, "Sister Jiang, after tonight, will my father still be the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?"
Jiang Shuyue stopped and turned around to ask, "Does my sister hope for the sun and moon to change, or for everything to remain the same?"
After Du Yutong successfully broke off the engagement, she met with Jiang Shuyue several times. Each time, the two would chat about everything from family matters to the various aspects of life.
Jiang Shuyue told her about the people outside the capital who were displaced and what they saw and heard on their journey to escape famine after the drought.
A girl who has lived a life of luxury since childhood has no idea what hunger is.
Hearing that the woman had to submit to another man for a little rice, she realized how lowly some people in the outside world could be in order to survive.
Du Yutong, a young lady from a sheltered family, didn't think so much, but when Jiang Shuyue asked her that question...
She paused for a moment, then frowned and sighed, "My father has invited many colleagues to the mansion tonight. I... I'm afraid that once the new emperor ascends the throne, my father will no longer be the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. I don't want to live a life of constant wandering."
Jiang Shuyue smiled faintly, "You're right. A new emperor brings a new court. Those who disagree with him will certainly not be given important positions."
You've heard how many people the King of Yan and his crown prince have saved. Such a benevolent ruler—it's wise to abandon your former master and follow him."
Jiang Shuyue's words were clear enough.
Du Yutong suddenly realized, "Thank you for your guidance, Sister Jiang. I'll have breakfast with my parents tomorrow morning."
"My sister is a blessed person. I believe Lord Du will make the right choice."
"Sister Jiang is my lucky star. I can finally get a good night's sleep tonight."
In another courtyard of the Du family home, the windows with straight latticework were brightly lit.
From afar, one could see the shadows of people reflected in the window moving back and forth.
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw a tall figure walking over from under the eaves.
It is Zhen Jingxiu.
“Miss Jiang, don’t be afraid. I’ll go in with you. Lord Du and several ministers want to learn more about the Prince of Yannan. It was Jing Xiu who rashly recommended you. Please don’t take offense, Miss Jiang.”
Faced with Zhen Jingxiu, who was more mature and polite than his actual age, Jiang Shuyue suddenly thought of Su Hui.
The two were a perfect match, both talented and beautiful, and both were well-mannered and respectful.
His thoughts returned in an instant, and his eyes shone brightly.
Jiang Shuyue bowed slightly, "Young Master Zhen, you don't need to be so polite. It is my honor to be able to answer everyone's questions."
Those inside the house, hearing the conversation on the veranda, immediately stopped arguing.
Zhen Jingxiu led Jiang Shuyue into the house.
More than ten pairs of eyes in the room turned to look at them.
Jiang Shuyue's gaze swept quickly over the crowd, and she bowed to Du Zhong at the head of the table, saying, "May Uncle Du be blessed."
He then bowed to the rest of the people in the room, saying, "Greetings to all of you."
"This is the Miss Jiang I mentioned to everyone. She comes from Yannan and lives next to Zhenfu. Today, we happened to meet Miss Jiang at the Du family's residence."
After Zhen Jingxiu's introduction, his respectful and polite attitude towards Jiang Shuyue was evident in his words, and everyone could see that this woman was no ordinary person.
To earn the respect of the prestigious Qingliu family and to have such a good relationship with the Du family's daughter, everyone stood up to return the greeting.
Du Zhong had naturally heard his wife mention Jiang Shuyue before. He nodded slightly and said, "Miss Jiang and my daughter are close friends. Please don't stand on ceremony and have a seat."
Jiang Shuyue sat near the door, and Zhen Jingxiu also sat down a few feet away from her.
Although Du Zhong returned home and changed out of his official robes, he still had a dignified appearance and eyes that seemed to hold a cold star. Perhaps because he spent his days immersed in the torture chambers of the Dali Temple, the aura he exuded was still frightening.
The other officials remained silent, and no matter how many questions they had, they couldn't stare at a woman for too long.
This was the first time Du Zhong had met Jiang Shuyue. She was poised and graceful, with a resolute and confident gaze that shone with intelligence, unlike other young ladies from humble backgrounds.
With her stunning beauty and extraordinary demeanor, he couldn't help but feel that the person sitting opposite him didn't look like a female doctor.
“Miss Jiang, Uncle Du will not beat around the bush with you. In today’s situation, no one is sure what to do. Everyone has heard about the reputation of the Prince of Yannan. The one who has come to the capital is the Prince of Yannan’s heir. I wonder how much you know about the Xiao family?”
Du Zhong spoke up, and everyone echoed, "Yes! We are all civil officials. If the throne changes hands and a reckless person comes along, Wanling Kingdom will be finished."
They can believe these words themselves, but Jiang Shuyue knows perfectly well what they mean by "nation and the world." What they care about is their own official positions.
"You gentlemen have lived in the capital for a long time, so you naturally know the Emperor better than my daughter."
"The capital is prosperous, but on my way here I saw people suffering. I wonder if you gentlemen are aware of this?"
"this……"
To everyone's surprise, Jiang Shuyue was fearless and instead of answering, she asked a question.
They weren't stupid; of course they knew what kind of person the emperor was.
They were all civil officials, so they had naturally seen what was happening outside the capital through the memorials submitted by their subordinates.
Before anyone could answer, Jiang Shuyue continued, "The people of Yannan are wealthy and peaceful. Doors are left unlocked at night, and no one picks up lost items on the road. As for what kind of person the young master is, I don't really know much about him."
Zhen Jingxiu: "..."
Just as everyone's attention was focused on Zhen Jingxiu, Jiang Shuyue continued, "My family is in business, and we have never seen local officials arbitrarily collect a single coin in taxes. The displaced people are homeless and wander aimlessly, and the young master has provided relief and resettlement for no fewer than 100,000 people."
Hearing that the plague had not yet spread to Yannan, the Crown Prince quickly developed a prescription and bought up all the medicinal herbs in Yannan, delivering them to the disaster victims to prevent a large-scale death toll.
"If you were the heir apparent of the Prince of Yannan, how far could you possibly go?"
Jiang Shuyue spoke calmly, but her gaze swept aggressively over everyone.
The officials were all seasoned courtiers, but the young woman spoke with conviction and eloquence, exuding an aura of righteous indignation.
Everyone already knows what kind of person the Crown Prince is.
These words caused the officials present to look ashamed, and they all expressed their feelings one after another:
"It turns out that the fact that the plague did not spread to the capital was thanks to the Crown Prince."
"I never imagined that the Crown Prince would have such a broad mind; this is the behavior of a wise ruler."
"We are ashamed! We are not as good as them."
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