The sage and Qi Wangshu did not listen for too long and left when the time came.
The main reason was that the saint heard Qi Wangshu say what Miao Wan said before coming to Taiji Hall, and he really couldn't wait to see her wonderful performance.
When he was in the northwest, the saint knew that this little cousin's wife was usually timid and cowardly, but she could be quite powerful when she got angry occasionally.
The most noble couple in the world looked at each other and confirmed with their eyes that they were both eager to eat the melon.
Qi Wangshu also instructed Sun Cheng, "My cousin's wife gave me some melon seeds, saying they are best eaten while chatting. Put a plate on the low table between me and the Saint."
Sun Cheng: “…Yes!”
After the saint left, someone immediately popped out.
Now that Qiao Ruichen is back, family and national affairs are naturally more important than singing and dancing. If the border is unstable, there will be no singing and dancing.
The incident of the envoy leaving without saying goodbye a while ago has been weighing on the minds of the ministers and clan members for some time. When they saw Qiao Ruichen and his wife being invited to the Taiji Hall, they naturally had no mood to enjoy the singing and dancing.
Therefore, even though it was New Year's Eve and the whole palace was celebrating, the censors and ministers from the regent's lineage could not wait to stand up and bring up old matters.
"Your Majesty, General Qiao Ruichen of the Gubei Army has returned to the capital, but General Cheng Shao of the Gubei Army has disobeyed the imperial decree and should be executed!"
"Not only that, Your Majesty, please investigate the Gubei Army's unauthorized attack on foreign tribes."
"Although Dayue is now a country of peace and prosperity, it is also true that foreign tribes are eyeing us covetously. We must have a reliable plan to deal with them. Otherwise, if the border is unstable, it will affect the people of Dayue!"
Cheng Shao's absence was easy to explain. The sage simply sighed, "General Cheng was seriously injured and unable to return to the capital. He has already submitted a letter of apology. There is no need to mention this matter again."
As for the private attack, it was easier to explain. Qiao Ruichen stepped forward and presented the evidence he had collected during his escape to the Western Regions.
It was Dayuan and the Western Regions that took action first. There were correspondences about the other side's deployment of troops, testimonies from checkpoints between the Western Regions, Northern Mongolia and Western Tibet, and soldiers of the Gubei Army who could provide evidence. There was complete evidence, both human and material.
After reviewing it, the Regent spoke slowly, "The witnesses are all soldiers of the Gubei Army. Doesn't that mean whatever General Qiao says is true?"
Qiao Ruichen's face remained calm. "After the Gubei Army captured the capital of the Western Region, the Western Region royal family compensated my Qiao family for their losses and also presented the head of the general who pursued me, along with a letter of apology. I can forge witnesses, but a letter from the credential certainly wouldn't be a forgery."
The Regent laughed. He had just argued with Miao Wan, but he had just said a few casual words from a superior position with the mentality of teasing cats and dogs. He had been in a high position for many years, so how could he take a woman seriously?
But facing Qiao Ruichen, the Gubei Army, and even the saint's intention to fight, the Regent had already made preparations and certainly would not give in just because of what Qiao Ruichen brought out.
He sighed, stood up and saluted the saint, "Your Majesty, I didn't want to say this, for fear that Your Majesty would misunderstand that the Honglu Temple was collaborating with the enemy.
But after the Northern Mongolian envoys left, I questioned officials at the Honglu Temple. They heard firsthand what the envoys from the three kingdoms said: "The so-called letter was forced upon them by the Gubei Army. The soldiers were killed by the Western Regions and Dayuan who endured humiliation for the sake of the people. There were also letters from the royal family complaining. Otherwise, how could such a small country dare to make such excessive demands in the Dayue court?"
The Regent ordered someone to present the evidence sent by the Honglu Temple.
The sage had a blank expression on his face. He didn't look at the evidence. He just lowered his eyes and stroked his thumb ring. "So, according to the Regent, Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen lied about military intelligence and used Dayue soldiers to carry out shady activities?"
The Regent glanced in Miao Wan's direction and said, "The Qiao family is now the richest family in Northwest China. The Northwest's logistics center and the Qiao family's goods are extremely popular throughout Dayue. Your Majesty has also been persuaded by General Cheng and General Qiao to open the Silk Road.
Money can move people's hearts. If the Qiao family can use the power of the Gubei Army to intimidate foreign powers, and open up this financial route in the future, it will naturally not only benefit the Qiao family... The Gubei Army's private deployment is also justifiable."
The ministers of the Regent's lineage echoed each other, as if they had seen Cheng Shao and Qiao Ruichen plotting with their own eyes.
I'd almost swear on my ancestors for eighteen generations that Cheng Shao and even the entire Cheng family must be in cahoots with the Qiao family. For the sake of profit, they disregard the lives of the people in the northwest and even the lives of the people in other territories and borders of Dayue.
It was the same few words repeated over and over again, and some even threw dirty water on Qiao Ruichen—
"General Qiao is probably eager for the war to start soon so that the Qiao family can make more ill-gotten gains.
Putting aside the danger to the lives of the people, if a war breaks out in the northwest, the rest of the territory will be destabilized, and the fate of our Great Yue will be in jeopardy. The Qiao family will be the sinners of the entire Great Yue!"
Qiao Ruichen naturally had something to say, but the saint wanted to hear what else they could say. It would be best to provoke all the ministers of the regent's lineage to come out. So he lowered his eyes and listened to these people's nonsense.
But Miao Wan became angrier and angrier as she listened. If Te Niang continued to talk, the Qiao family would probably be worse than Qin Hui, and they might have dug up the ancestral graves of everyone present.
She couldn't bear it any longer, so she sneered and deliberately pushed over the wine bottle in front of her. The sound of the wine bottle breaking interrupted the passionate ministers and censors.
Oh yes, they were so preoccupied with the matters at court that they had forgotten about the young lady's rude and unfilial behavior. Since Miao Wan insisted on having others pay attention to her, they would just do as she wished and criticize her as well.
Miao Wan had no intention of listening to their nonsense about morality and justice. She laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back. She waited until someone scolded her for being inappropriate in front of the emperor before she stood up, wiping the unnecessary tears from the corners of her eyes.
Her voice was crisp, yet filled with a murderous aura. "Your Majesty, please forgive me for being disrespectful in front of you. It's because this is my first time in the palace. I thought the Imperial City was the most prestigious place in the world, supposed to be as elegant as the finest spring flowers. But who knew that both the court and the harem were noisier than the common people's market. Some adults even spoke as if they had left their brains at home, even worse than my four-year-old daughter. I really couldn't help but laugh. Please forgive me, Your Majesty."
Censors: "..." Can't you be more tactful? We're insulting others by quoting scriptures, and you're just calling us stupid. How can we still have a pleasant argument?
But Miao Wan came here today just to curse people. They came in without brains, and she came in without shame, only with a heart full of anger.
This fire started the year Xining Town burned down.
Miao Wan stood up and threw away her wide sleeves, then walked forward and stood next to the group of officials, level with Qiao Ruichen. Although she was the smallest, her aura was no less than those ministers.
She even glanced at the Regent coldly with disdain on her face, which made the Regent feel furious and want to clean up the mess for Uncle Jingyang.
"You are such an unfaithful woman..." The censor pointed at Miao Wan and turned blue with anger.
Miao Wan interrupted her directly, "Your Majesty! I have something to say!!"
The saint suppressed his laughter and disappointed Qi Wangshu, who was eager to grab a handful of melon seeds, and calmly grabbed a few in his palm.
"speak!"
Miao Wan took a deep breath, turned around and looked at the ministers who wanted to kill her with their eyes. She felt regretful that there was no chair for her to stand on, as her height somewhat affected her aura.
So she tried to raise her chin, let out her contempt, and spoke in a calm, sharp voice.
"Yes, I am a vulgar woman and I don't speak nicely. The problem is that some people just don't deserve to hear nice things."
"When Dayue was first established, the border was bitterly cold, and the people had a hard time. They also had to endure humiliation from foreign tribes. But the people at that time, as well as Taizu and the late emperor, never gave up the struggle and defended the country!"
"Ever since the traitor Chen Sixu became General Dingbei, I wonder if you've heard about the shop my Qiao family opened where everyone can challenge obstacles. In it, as long as you pass the checkpoints and defeat the Xiban dummy, you can get valuable goods for free. But when the people first tried to challenge the checkpoints, the mere sight of the dummy scared them so much they couldn't even stand straight. Tears welled up in their eyes, but no one dared to step forward. Where has the backbone of the people of Dayue gone?"
"Just now I heard someone say that my Qiao family is now the richest in the Northwest and that we have plundered the people's wealth. But the Northwest is not afraid of anyone seeing it. Nowadays, most people can eat and wear warm clothes, earn money, afford education, and see a doctor. They can also knock down the Xiban dummy without blinking an eye."
"Now that His Majesty and the Imperial Concubine have entered the palace, they are all the most distinguished people in our Great Yue. Do you know why the people dare to do this? How did our Qiao family become the richest family?"
"Not to mention we haven't exploited the people's wealth. Back then, the sage gave the Qiao family money, and every penny was spent on the people. This can withstand any scrutiny. We even stabilized prices, regulated trade, and built bridges, roads, and city walls. So where did our Qiao family's money come from? I'm sure everyone is curious, right?"
When she said this, her throat felt a little dry. She was speaking in the hall, being watched by everyone, even the saints were listening attentively, so Miao Wan was still a little nervous.
She wasn't so nervous that she forgot what she was saying. To a certain extent, nervousness would amplify one's emotions, causing her voice to grow louder and louder until her throat couldn't hold up.
Sun Cheng quickly brought tea to Miao Wan to moisten her throat.
Everyone present was a little anxious. They didn't say anything else and just wanted to be honest... Of course, they wanted to know how the Qiao family became the richest family!
No matter how noble a family is, it is impossible for them to live on dew. Who would be willing to live a hard life if they can make money?
The saint cracked some melon seeds and listened attentively. He didn't quite understand how Miao Wan made so much money.
Miao Wan finished her tea but was still not calm. Being excited is not a bad thing sometimes.
She continued—
"The Qiao family has only done one thing, and that is to spare no effort to suppress merchants, forcing them to do business according to Dayue's rules, otherwise they will get out of our Dayue territory."
"The Qiao family even donated countless military pay and supplies, gave up a lot of profits, and gave away even more prescriptions to earn their current wealth."
"Back then, the thief Chen overstated the status of merchants and traveling merchants, disrupting the Northwest economy and allowing them to amass wealth at will. I can responsibly say that the majority of the Qiao family's wealth today comes from suppressing the traveling merchants."
"In the past, in the northwest, the people of Dayue were becoming increasingly destitute, their lives becoming increasingly difficult, while all their money was taken away by merchants and foreigners. After being suppressed by the Gubei Army, they were unwilling to accept this, and so they started a rebellion."
"Now the officials in the court are still trying to fabricate charges against us for our resistance. You could have lived your life standing up, but you insisted on kneeling and enduring it."
"How long will we endure this? Until the people and soldiers of the northwest no longer have the courage to fight? Until Dayue has to obey the will of foreigners? Until Dayue's territory is trampled by foreign cavalry?"
"You're all speaking nonsense here now, just to kill General Cheng and my husband to give an explanation to the foreigners. If you allow yourself to be bullied and refuse to fight back when you have the ability, I just can't understand. Isn't Dayue Jiangshan your homeland? How can you lose your mind like this and leave a bad name for yourself forever?"
The ministers and the regent's lineage were so pale from what Miao Wan said that some of them were so angry that they pointed at Miao Wan and cursed, "What do you, an ignorant woman, know..."
Miao Wan finished her memorized lines passionately, and her mood improved a bit. Upon hearing the words, she slapped the man without thinking, and the armor cover scratched three bloody marks on the man's hand.
She thought that this might be the most eloquent moment of her life. "Women especially know how to protect their homes and children. When they are irritated, they will slap, scratch, and tear people apart. What about you?
Being forced into a corner by foreigners, you only know how to bully others at home, and you don't even have the courage of a woman. How dare you point fingers at me?"
The censor who was pointing at her let out a howl, trembled all over, his face flushed red, and he lay on his back without saying a word.
There was a panic in the hall, and Saint Qi Wangshu took a deep breath.
Wow, there really is one lying here.
Both of them thought that this cousin's wife was much more cruel than her/him.
The author has something to say:
Although it's a bit shameless, this part where she went on a rampage in the hall was the passion of Empress Dowager Mi admonishing the soldiers after being assassinated. I couldn't help but watch it again. Oh my god, it gave me goosebumps. I can't stand this kind of domineering. It's a pity that Miao Shiren is not so domineering, but she did throw her face at home.
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