Others may not have met the Imperial Tutor, but the Governor of Huai'an and the water official had. Yun Qing had personally met with them and carefully instructed them on how to develop this area in the future.
They had initially agreed with great confidence, but now that someone had suddenly appeared in front of them, they were almost so frightened that they jumped up from their seats.
A chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads. The governor of Huai'an and the water official were both terrified, their faces turning ashen. They stared intently at Yun Qing, but couldn't utter a single word. Their whole bodies were trembling. In an instant, the same thought flashed through their minds—It's over, it's all over!
Yun Qing's gaze fell on them, now filled with nothing but disappointment: "You two used to be reliable and capable, wholeheartedly serving the people, which is why we chose you to come to Jiangnan. I never expected people's hearts to be so fickle... You have truly disappointed His Majesty."
The governor of Huai'an and the water official finally managed to regain their senses. They suddenly knelt on the ground, their faces ashen. They no longer hoped to get away with it and could only beg for mercy: "Lord Li, please spare our lives! We were just momentarily bewitched..."
Everyone in the court knows that the Imperial Tutor is always decisive and has uncanny foresight. Now that they have been caught, he must have plenty of evidence. I only regret that I didn't clean up the mess properly back then. I should have made preparations earlier!
Yun Qing saw through their ulterior motives at a glance and sneered, "Spare you? Didn't you ever think about sparing the common people? Those who are corrupt officials deserve this fate!"
Ever since learning that something was wrong, Yun Qing had been in a bad mood. After she finished yelling, Xie Rang stepped forward and placed his indifferent gaze on the two men: "Grand Tutor, don't be angry with them. Pei Ren, imprison them both!"
The assassins and guards accompanying them were all highly skilled, far superior to the soldiers and officers of Huai'an Prefecture. They quickly took over the entire Huai'an Prefecture, and everyone inside was temporarily detained pending investigation.
The dancers were temporarily cleared out, and Pei Ren had already taken people to look through the existing official account books in Huai'an Prefecture. For the time being, only Yun Qing and Xie Rang remained in the hall, and no one disturbed them.
Am I... placing too much faith in historical records?
Yun Qing fell silent, which was unusual for her. After all, she was the one who suggested the selection of people in the first place, and she felt a little sad about the current situation.
Xie Rang silently watched her, then walked up to her at the right moment and asked, "Is the Grand Tutor blaming himself?"
Yun Qing smiled slightly. This is what happens when you spend a lot of time together. Not only can she see Xie Rang's emotional changes, but the little tyrant is also very perceptive of her emotional changes.
She calmly stated a fact: "It was my idea to choose them."
"But the Grand Tutor also said that people's hearts are fickle."
Xie Rang's attitude could be described as gentle. He had learned everything Yun Qing had taught him and had his own ideas of his own.
"When the Grand Tutor selected them, they were still capable talents. It was only later that they succumbed to temptation and turned into the villains they are today. Their circumstances are different now, so why should the Grand Tutor blame himself?"
"Their actions have absolutely nothing to do with the Grand Tutor. Besides, how many people in this world can truly remain true to themselves?"
Just like myself, at first I only wanted the Grand Tutor to stay, but now I have developed more delusions.
Xie Rang's words and sentences are all profound and reasonable.
Yun Qing's mind was unusually blank; she didn't think about anything. After a long while, she smiled with relief and said, "I've walked into a dead end."
I used to teach my little tyrant not to get stuck on trivial matters, but in the end, it turns out I was the one who was confused.
Seeing Yun Qing's brow relax, Xie Rang felt a little better: "Besides, if the Grand Tutor hadn't realized something was wrong and turned back here, we wouldn't have been able to get here so smoothly. It's not the Grand Tutor's fault."
Yun Qing chuckled: "Your Majesty really isn't afraid of me forming cliques for personal gain."
[This only applies to a minor tyrant. If it were any other emperor, these people would technically be labeled as his cronies, and those who wanted to reduce his power would probably already be eager to act.]
Historically, powerful ministers have never had a good ending, and Xie Rang's actions, by sheer chance, alleviated some of Yun Qing's worries.
"If that's really the case, how many people in the current court haven't received even the slightest bit of help from their teacher?"
Xie Rang had considered that if it weren't for the Grand Tutor's appearance, he might have really become autocratic and dictatorial. It was only Yun Qing who made him spare some trust.
He was actually somewhat relieved now, thankful that he had done that back then, so that no matter whether the Grand Tutor wanted to restore his status or not, no one would question her too much.
“That’s true.” Yun Qing realized that she had been easily coaxed by the little tyrant. She quickly cheered up and began to make arrangements. “Check all the account books of Huai’an Prefecture. Also, send someone to register how much tax has been overcharged and record it. As for the property of those two, confiscate it all.”
Xie Rang remained silent, but someone nearby naturally took note. Only after Yun Qing finished speaking did he chuckle softly: "Has the Grand Tutor considered who should succeed him as the Governor of Huai'an?"
Yun Qing was genuinely traumatized by this, so she waved her hand and said, "Your Majesty, please decide. I can't interfere in everything."
Xie Rang didn't insist. Yun Qing already had enough to do. It would be unpleasant for anyone to encounter such a distressing situation while out having fun. He decided to appoint someone first: "Gu Xingzhi will take over the position of Water Official."
Yun Qing paused for a moment: "The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review knows this and should be worried."
Xie Rang said, "Gu Xingzhi chose the path of becoming an official himself. Since he could not enter officialdom through the imperial examination, he had to demonstrate his abilities, which is fair."
In fact, as the emperor in a high position, Xie Rang had no reason to argue with Gu Xingzhi about fairness or unfairness. How could he refuse the emperor's favor? It was only because the Grand Tutor cared that he made a special explanation.
That's true.
Yun Qing was relieved that Xie Rang had a clear conscience.
Just then, Pei Ren arrived carrying official documents from Huai'an Prefecture. They could examine the account books, but not these.
To save time, Yun Qing and Xie Rang searched through everything. Apart from those who were sycophants and flatterers, they unexpectedly found a few people who were relatively loyal. They were of low status and their voices were weak. Some of them had been persecuted, and some were still imprisoned.
Pei Ren received the emperor's order to bring those people out of the prison. They all looked extremely weak and would need to recuperate for some time.
The situation in Huai'an Prefecture changed overnight. The emperor and his tutor temporarily took over, and within a few days the news spread throughout the surrounding areas. The people, who had been suffering terribly, finally saw hope, and for a time, the area became more lively.
After several days of rain, the sky gradually cleared, seemingly indicating that everything was moving in a positive direction.
However, unbeknownst to the common people, something happened that was neither a major nor a minor matter—
His Majesty the Emperor is ill.
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