Chapter 46 Lord Bai is indeed more responsive to gentle persuasion than force.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! The Marquis of Zhenbei has only just achieved military merit and yet he is being punished so severely. How will the world view Your Majesty?" This time, the one who stood up to speak for the Marquis of Zhenbei was Qi Hai, the Minister of War, who rarely spoke in court.
The Minister of Rites, who had always been at odds with the Minister of War, rolled his eyes without any attempt to hide it, and said, "Minister Qi, you are mistaken. The country has its laws. If His Majesty were to let this matter go so easily just for a few military merits, it would only chill the hearts of the people."
Qi Hai emphasized, "Lord Mu has never been to Xiling and has no idea what significance the Zhenbei Marquis holds in the eyes of the people of Xiling for blocking the foreign tribes on the border of Xiling."
As he spoke, he bowed deeply to the emperor and earnestly said, "Your Majesty, even for the sake of the people of Xiling, you cannot punish the Marquis of Zhenbei so easily."
The emperor remained silent for a moment before speaking: "Bai Xiuming, you grew up in Xiling. Tell me, should I spare the Marquis of Zhenbei for the sake of the people of Xiling?"
"Your Majesty, I slaughtered all the rebellious demons in Youzhou. Some people even erected a longevity stele for me. Even so, the name on that longevity stele was written below Your Majesty's."
I believe that if I do something wrong and am punished by Your Majesty, the people of Youzhou will never dare to blame Your Majesty; they will only think that I have not done enough.
Xiling is located in a remote area and has been frequently invaded by foreign tribes. Youzhou is also remote and plagued by demonic disturbances. I am very curious, why do the people of Youzhou have such unwavering faith in Your Majesty, while the people of Xiling dare to disrespect Your Majesty and only show respect to the Marquis of Zhenbei?
Bai Xiuming's words were truly devastating. Qi Hai turned to look at him, a layer of cold sweat beading on his forehead.
He secretly thought to himself that he had underestimated his opponent and forgotten that Bai Xiuming was no longer the naive child he had easily manipulated in the court more than ten years ago. Today, he had actually been outmaneuvered by Bai Xiuming.
Qi Hai hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, Lord Bai is slandering us. Marquis Zhenbei is wholeheartedly devoted to the people and has never done anything improper, nor has he ever had any selfish motives."
“His daughter killed someone, which is wrong.”
“But the Marquis of Zhenbei was unaware of this,” Qi Hai retorted.
Bai Xiuming sneered: "Lord Qi understands himself better than Marquis Hai of Zhenbei. What Lord Qi is trying to say is that with such profound cultivation, how could Marquis Hai of Zhenbei not notice his daughter's underhanded actions? It seems quite inappropriate to let such an easily deceived person take charge of the military power in Xiling."
Qi Hai said sternly, "Lord Bai, be careful with your words. The allocation of military power is decided by His Majesty. How dare your Mingjing Division covet military power?"
After much back and forth, the two finally got to the point.
What they were fighting for was never the three months that the Marquis of Zhenbei was confined to his quarters to reflect on his mistakes, but rather the ownership of the Xiling military power in the Marquis of Zhenbei's hands.
"Lord Qi is indeed adept at fabricating charges against me. I still remember the last time you were so dedicated to defending others in court. It was more than ten years ago in the case of the Prince of Xiling murdering his princess. Thanks to Lord Qi's eloquence, the Prince of Xiling was released without charge."
Not long after that case, Lord Qi's eldest daughter was made the principal wife of the Prince of Xiling. Now, with all your efforts, are you planning to marry your granddaughter to the Marquis of Zhenbei and make her his wife?"
Seeing that Bai Xiuming dared to speak of what happened back then in the court without any scruples, Qi Hai was filled with shame and anger: "Bai Xiuming, you brat, you're spouting nonsense!"
"Not as hypocritical as Lord Qi."
As the two went from arguing to poking each other's sore spots, and then to hurling insults at each other, the surrounding courtiers watched with great interest.
Qi Hai was furious, pointing at Bai Xiuming: "You disloyal, unfilial, and ungrateful wretch—ah—"
Before he could finish speaking, his right cheek suddenly swelled up as if he had been slapped.
Standing before the assembled court officials, the Ming King dusted off his hands, as if to tell everyone that the slap that Minister Qi had received was delivered by him.
“I am still alive, yet someone dares to say that my son is disloyal and unfilial. Such a heart is despicable.”
When the courtiers saw that the Ming Emperor, who was usually a figurehead in the court, was actually angry, they immediately gave up their desire to watch the spectacle and all fell silent.
After being beaten, Qi Hai's anger finally subsided. If Bai Xiuming hadn't suddenly brought up the matter of his eldest daughter, he wouldn't have lost his composure like this. But it was too late now; he knew he had lost completely this time.
"Enough with the noise. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were some kind of shrewish commoners." The emperor on the dragon throne scolded, then said, "The Minister of War has spoken rudely. He is to be fined three months' salary and dismissed from his post... Go back and reflect on your actions for three days. Court is adjourned."
As for the Marquis of Zhenbei, who was at the center of the controversy, he seemed to have been completely forgotten by the emperor, and naturally, there was no way to change his punishment.
From beginning to end, the Marquis of Zhenbei was not able to utter a single word, yet his crimes were lightly dismissed, and his face was ashen when he left the court.
The court officials and nobles who had been trying to curry favor with him just two days ago now all avoided him when they saw him.
Everyone knows that this Marquis of Zhenbei has probably offended His Majesty. He was imprisoned for three months before being rewarded for his military achievements in Xiling. By the time he is released from the Marquis's residence after three months, it will probably be too late.
After the court session, Bai Xiuming did not go to the Mingjing Division, but went directly back to his residence. Since His Majesty had punished him with three days of reflection, he naturally had to comply.
His mansion was also bestowed by His Majesty, and the servants in the mansion were all transferred from the Ming Prince's mansion. There weren't many people, after all, he was the only master in the mansion, so the whole mansion seemed particularly cold and desolate.
As soon as he entered the door, Eunuch Ning, who was in charge of all matters in the mansion, stepped forward and said, "Young Master, the Prince has arrived."
Where is he?
"They're admiring the flowers in the garden."
Bai Xiuming waved to him and strode towards the garden.
The Prince had no interest in admiring flowers, but he was very interested in the golden and silver dragon carp that Bai Xiuming had raised with dragon blood. These dragon carp not only breathed out clouds and mist, making them extremely beautiful, but they also tasted exceptionally delicious. He planned to secretly catch two of them while his son was away and take them back to the palace for a special meal.
When Bai Xiuming arrived, he had already grabbed the fattest one and thrown it into a net that had been prepared at some unknown time.
"Father, His Majesty has reserved the golden one."
"Nonsense, His Majesty prefers silver." King Ming would never let go of the fat meat he had already obtained.
Seeing that he hadn't been fooled, Bai Xiuming had no choice but to give up. This was because the Ming King was prone to violence when enraged, and Bai Xiuming was no match for him.
The Ming King straightened up, tied a knot in the net, and held it in his hand: "You did well today. How did you come up with the idea of starting with the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei?"
"What a coincidence." Bai Xiuming didn't want to say much about A Chan's persistent pestering, and only asked, "Whom does His Majesty prefer to take command of the Xiling Army?"
"The eldest son of the Duke of Song has already set off."
Bai Xiuming shook his head: "If Qi Hai knew, he would probably regret standing up for the Marquis of Zhenbei today."
"Why do you think he stood up for the Marquis of Zhenbei?" King Ming asked.
Bai Xiuming looked at Ming Wang: "Because the people behind him also want the military power of Xiling. Unfortunately, things happened too suddenly, and they were not prepared to take over. Naturally, it is safest to let Zhenbei Hou continue to hold the military power."
It's not fair to blame them for not being thorough enough; rather, given His Majesty's personality, even if he wanted to take action against the Marquis of Zhenbei, he wouldn't be in such a hurry.
But no one expected that Bai Xiuming would have a handle on the Marquis of Zhenbei, and that he wouldn't wait even a day longer, directly overturning the table.
King Ming chuckled: "Not bad, much better than when you were a child. Before, Qi Hai spoke well of the Prince of Xiling, and His Majesty spared him, but all you did was get angry with me."
He was referring to the case of the Princess of Xiling more than a decade ago, who was Bai Xiuming's mother.
In the past, this kid would go crazy whenever he mentioned that matter, but now he can actually bring it up in public in the court to put Qi Hai down.
Bai Xiuming looked at the misty pond, where the dragon carp had gathered, breathing in and out the mist. The lotus leaves on the water were half-hidden in the mist, surrounded by an ethereal aura.
In the past, the Prince of Xiling's mansion also had a pond like this, and his mother loved lotus flowers.
He quickly collected his thoughts and said calmly, "I was young and didn't know any better back then."
"Alright, you've improved." Knowing he didn't want to elaborate, the Ming King didn't continue the topic but instead asked, "How was it fighting against the Marquis of Zhenbei?"
"Very strong."
"Please elaborate."
Weaker than me.
Ming Wang chuckled: "That's not necessarily true. Although the Marquis of Zhenbei may not be the brightest, he is a force to be reckoned with when he's fighting for his life. If you push him too far today, he will make a move against you sooner or later."
“If we don’t push him into a corner, how will he reveal his true colors? Don’t you and His Majesty want to know whether the Demon Seal will fall into his hands?” Bai Xiuming retorted.
After the court session, the Marquis of Zhenbei had just returned to his residence when, not long after, a eunuch led the Imperial Guards to the Marquis's residence to deliver an imperial edict.
The gist of the story is that the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei has harmed countless people, and the Marquis of Zhenbei failed to properly educate his daughter, so he ordered him to stay at home for three months to reflect on his mistakes and atone for his daughter's sins.
After the Marquis of Zhenbei received the imperial edict, the imperial guards immediately guarded all the entrances and exits of the Marquis's residence, clearly intending to keep a close watch on the Marquis's residence for the next three months.
After the gates of the Marquis's mansion were closed, the Marquis of Zhenbei finally couldn't hold back any longer and threw the imperial edict in his hand directly to the ground.
"This is outrageous!"
Seeing the Marquis of Zhenbei, who was filled with anger but had nowhere to vent it, Liu Zhou said quietly, "The emperor is trying to take away the Marquis's military power and sideline him."
"Does the strategist have any solutions?" Marquis Zhenbei suddenly looked at him.
Liu Zhou shook his head: "The Marquis has been caught red-handed, and this matter is already settled."
After all, the daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei had killed so many people in the capital, and the Mingjing Division had obtained evidence against her. This was undeniable. If he was only punished with three months of confinement, the people would only feel that the punishment was too lenient.
"I risked my life for the court, and now that they no longer need me, they kick me aside. The emperor is indeed as cruel and ungrateful as the strategist said."
The strategist smiled and said, "Emperors have always been ruthless. You should think more about yourself, my lord. If you can advance to the fifth realm soon, there is nowhere in the world you can't go, and you won't need to be restrained by anyone."
"you're right."
"My lord, do not forget that our return to the capital this time was not for the purpose of vying for power and profit, but for... the Demon Seal."
Liu Zhou looked at the increasingly relaxed Marquis of Zhenbei and smiled: "As long as you get the Demon Seal, you will have enough resources to advance. What will military power matter then?"
"The Demon Seal..." Marquis Zhenbei narrowed his eyes. It seemed he needed to take the Demon Seal from Yan Liru as soon as possible.
Affairs of the court usually had little to do with the common people of the capital, but the news that the Marquis of Zhenbei had been confined by the Emperor for indulging his daughter quickly spread throughout the city. After all, when this war god first entered the capital, everyone went to watch him; who would have thought that he would commit a crime in just two days?
The people who heard the rumors were filled with sighs, but Achan was somewhat surprised.
She hadn't expected that she had just coaxed Bai Xiuming yesterday, and today the Marquis of Zhenbei was confined to his quarters. Although it was only for three months, it was still quite an achievement. Lord Bai was indeed someone who responded better to gentle persuasion than force.
Achan thought to herself that next time she caused trouble, she would do her best to hide it well and never let Bai Xiuming suspect anything or go to great lengths for her, as a way of repaying him.
After receiving the five thousand taels of silver from the Marquis of Zhenbei yesterday, Achan and Huiniang discussed the plan to demolish and rebuild the two-story building. Huiniang also bought the back courtyard, which can be opened up and redesigned.
The old house was to be demolished and rebuilt, so the two of them could no longer live in the shop. So Achan took Huiniang to move into the house where Jichan's mother's dowry was kept.
The house was in Chongming Ward, not far from the East Market, in an excellent location, surrounded by the residences of officials and gentry.
Ah Chan and Hui Niang moved in last night, and they haven't bought many things yet, so they just slept in the house for one night.
Early this morning, Achan and Huiniang hired a carriage to move all the utensils that were originally kept in the shop to the mansion, and then went to the East Market to buy some daily necessities.
Because of the power of the Marquis of Zhenbei's spear, many of the things in the house were no longer usable, and they had to buy new ones.
When they finally emerged from the East Market, they were followed by two truckloads of goods.
The two men walked ahead, while the two peddlers pulling the cart followed at a leisurely pace behind.
Upon entering Chongmingfang, one can clearly feel the difference from Changpingfang. The people here are dressed much more luxuriously, but their attitude towards others is also much colder.
Achan didn't really like this environment. Perhaps it was a preconceived notion, but she preferred the approachable neighbors in Changpingfang.
Having finally arrived at her doorstep, Achan was about to open it when she saw the gate of the mansion across the street open, and several maids and servants threw out a pile of things.
Ah Chan nowadays loves to join in the fun, so of course she wouldn't miss such an opportunity.
She had Hui Niang bring the two peddlers into the house to unload their goods, while she herself hurriedly went over to watch the excitement.
As she approached the house across the street and saw the plaque hanging on the gate, she was momentarily stunned.
Last night was her second time visiting this residence. She only knew that the smallest residences in the area had three courtyards and were inhabited by officials and gentry.
Little did she know that the house across from hers was actually the residence of General Anxi.
After the maids threw the things out, one person was also pushed out the door by two old women.
Seeing that the figure being pushed out the door looked somewhat familiar, Achan couldn't help but take a few more steps forward.
Only when she got closer did she realize that the person was none other than Lin Sui.
Lin Sui looked extremely disheveled at this moment. Her cheeks were swollen and red, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth, as if she had been slapped many times.
After the maids and servants left, a beautiful woman was helped out by a woman of similar age to Lin Sui.
Lin Sui collapsed to the ground. She slowly got up, her eyes bloodshot, staring intently at the mother and daughter standing at the door.
General Anxi's wife, Madam Yao, ignored her gaze and coldly said to Lin Sui, "I thought that after two years of careful teaching, you should have made some progress. I never expected that you would take advantage of my indulgence and cause trouble in the family time and time again."
Hearing her turn around and accuse him, Lin Sui almost laughed out loud, and her words were exceptionally impolite: "You've been carefully guiding me? Your so-called guidance is just constantly reminding me not to take things from Lin Ting and to always give in to her? Why should I!"
"She's your sister, can't you even learn such a simple principle as sisterly love?" Madam Yao scolded sternly. "All these years you've spent in the countryside, all you've learned is the crudeness and shortsightedness of those farmers. Last time, I didn't even bother to hold it against you for stealing Ting'er's marriage, what do you want to do this time?"
"Sister? She doesn't deserve that title. Mother, have you forgotten that I have no sisters? Your good daughter was brought back from your parents' home. She may be a daughter, but she is definitely not my sister."
"How dare you!" Madam Yao clutched her chest, looking as if she was about to faint from anger.
Lin Ting, who was standing next to her, quickly called for a maid to help her up. After a while, Yao Shi gradually recovered.
Lin Sui watched as Yao Shi was surrounded by maids and comforted by her daughter, without moving an inch.
At this moment, Lin Ting stepped forward, her tone full of accusation: "Sister, I know you resent me for taking your place, but my identity has been acknowledged by Father, Mother, and all the elders in the family. Whether you acknowledge it or not, I am a daughter of the Lin family."
Lin Sui looked at Lin Ting, who was tilting her chin slightly and exuding arrogance, and remained silent.
Two years ago, she was brought back to the Lin family and was looking forward to seeing her relatives, but she met her cold mother, Lin Ting who was as close to her mother as a mother and son, and her second brother Lin Heng who doted on Lin Ting.
Later she learned that her mother didn't want to take her home at all; she only reluctantly agreed because her father had brought it up when she came of age.
Lin Sui had initially had some expectations for her father, but unfortunately, nothing changed after her father returned.
They all valued Lin Ting more. It was as if she, their own daughter, was dispensable. She couldn't understand it and was unwilling to compromise.
Lin Ting continued, "My sister likes my fiancé, and I gave in, as if I owed you all these years. But this time, you actually slandered my second brother's innocence for the sake of others, which I absolutely cannot tolerate."
"Slander? He went hunting with others, but forced my brother to be his guide. When they encountered danger, he pushed my brother out first. If my brother hadn't been lucky and only lost a leg, he would be dead now. Did I ever slander him in this whole affair?"
Lin Sui's words failed to move anyone; Yao Shi remained indifferent, as did Lin Ting.
“Sister is wrong. You have no younger brother. That peasant family is of low status. How could they possibly be worthy of our General Anxi’s mansion? Now that you have returned to the mansion, you should remember your place and not hurt Mother’s feelings for some filthy people.”
"You are the filthy ones!"
"Lin Sui, shut up! You really don't know what's good for you," Yao said shrilly.
"Did I say something wrong? How could my mother have the nerve to teach me to be an upright person? The son you raised is not even as good as one of my brother's fingers. You still expect him to be successful? Don't dream about it."
"Shut up!"
Lin Ting quickly turned around and comforted her, "Mother, my sister just couldn't understand for a moment. Please don't be angry, Mother. This is bad for your health, and I'll worry about you."
Lin Ting's words were like adding fuel to the fire, making Yao even angrier. She pointed at Lin Sui and said, "I knew you were an ingrate. Since you want your brother so much, go find him and don't come back."
"Do you think I care about this place!" Lin Sui's fiery temper was too much to bear. She didn't even glance at the luggage that had been thrown out with her, and turned to leave.
Madam Yao didn't even glance at her biological daughter again. She took her second daughter and went straight into the mansion, ordering the maids to close the gates and leaving Lin Sui outside.
Lin Sui walked a few steps away, then looked back and saw only the tightly closed vermilion gate.
"Miss Lin." Seeing Lin Sui staring blankly at the gate of General Anxi's mansion, A Chan took a few steps in her direction and called out to her.
Lin Sui turned around, somewhat surprised to see A Chan here: "What are you doing here?"
Achan smiled at her and said, "I just moved here. If you don't mind, Miss Lin, why don't you come and stay at my place for a while?"
Lin Sui hesitated, seemingly unwilling to agree.
Ah Chan added, "Miss Lin, please come along. Consider it a celebration of my housewarming today. My Hui Niang's cooking is excellent; you'll love it."
As he spoke, he took Lin Sui's hand and led her into his home.
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