Chapter 164 Qian Baokun: Xiao Yan, the Honest Man
When Xiao Yan and Song Tangning arrived at the Qian family, the family was in chaos.
Qian Baokun's way of disciplining his daughter was particularly unique. When Qian Qiyue was kneeling pitifully on the mat with her stomach growling with hunger, the three brothers of the Qian family knelt behind her with bruised faces and noses.
The second brother of the Qian family was kneeling with his legs numb. He had just moved half an inch when Qian Baokun, who was flipping through the account books above him, suddenly looked at him with a stack of books, as if he had eyes on his forehead. He said, "Do you have worms? Why are you twisting your back so crookedly? Straighten your back!"
Brother Qian covered his forehead and said, "Dad, I wasn't the one who lied to you!"
Just punish the little sister, why drag them into it?
Qian Baokun looked at him: "What's your last name?"
"Money."
"What did Ah Yue call you?"
"Second brother..."
"Then you will accept it. Elders should be respected. A sister's debt should be paid by a brother. Kneel down!"
The second brother of the Qian family: "..."
The third brother of the Qian family rolled his eyes as he watched the second brother being scolded. He had known for a long time that his father was partial and that the second brother was just asking for trouble. He turned around and saw his newlywed wife standing outside the door with his second sister-in-law looking at them, and he quickly winked at her to ask her to help plead for mercy.
The little girl with a bun and a childish look in her eyes had just started to move when she was pushed back by the older-looking young woman next to her.
"Second sister-in-law?"
Mrs. Weng had just married into the Qian family and wasn't familiar with anyone there yet. When her hand was pulled, she couldn't help but whisper, "Father seems very angry. Shouldn't we go in and try to persuade him?"
The second sister-in-law of the Qian family was surnamed Zhou. Her smile was as gentle as a magnolia: "It's impossible to persuade her. This is not the first time that our family has favored a girl."
Seeing that Weng's brows were furrowed, obviously thinking in the wrong direction, she quickly explained, "Don't let your imagination run wild. Father and his men are not just partial to A Yue, they are partial to all the girls in the mansion, including you and me who married into the family."
Seeing that Mrs. Weng's eyes were wide open, Mrs. Zhou pulled her aside and talked about the "house rules" of the Qian family. In the Qian family, women are "heaven". It's not that the men in the Qian family are afraid of their wives, but Minister Qian had caused his wife to suffer in his early years, so he loves his wife and daughter very much, and as a result, he especially dislikes men who bully and neglect female relatives.
In the Qian family, no matter whether it is a girl or a daughter-in-law, as long as they do not commit unforgivable mistakes, both the father-in-law and the mother-in-law will never punish the daughter-in-law.
When the wife and daughter make mistakes, the husband will be punished.
The husband and wife are not harmonious, and the husband is punished.
The family is in turmoil and the husband is punished.
Minister Qian was exceptionally "fair and just". No matter what the problem was, he would definitely teach his own son a lesson first. According to him, if the husband was virtuous, everything would go smoothly. If not, then there must be something wrong with the son-in-law.
The Qian family had no habit of taking concubines. Minister Qian was particularly fond of Madam Qian. The young masters in the mansion were influenced by this and, over time, almost tacitly accepted this set of "family rules".
Zhou smiled and said, "Don't look at Qingyu and the others shouting loudly, but have you ever seen any resentment on their faces? Don't worry, they are just joking..."
If the father-in-law is really angry, he will do more than just kneel down.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Weng couldn't help but look towards her newlywed husband. Sure enough, although the Third Son of the Qian Family was mumbling something with a resentful look on his face, he looked more like a playful child. Even his eldest brother, who had just returned to Beijing and looked a bit serious, was very lenient and allowed Qian Baokun, the boss, to teach him a lesson. There was a helpless smile in his eyes, as if he had been accustomed to it.
"Have they...always been like this?"
"Always."
Zhou's answer shocked Weng. She was the legitimate daughter of the Enyuan Marquis's family and was highly regarded by her parents. Before she got married, she was respected and dignified both at home and outside. However, compared with her brothers and sisters in the mansion, she would never be as good as them.
She was also very clear that she was loved by her parents, and she knew that they would protect her under certain conditions, but the premise was that it did not involve her future in the family. Once there was a real choice, she would never be put before the men of the Weng family.
She was like this, and her sisters-in-law who married into the mansion were even more so. Even though her mother was not a mean person and the Weng family was considered a kind family, there were always ordinary quarrels and occasional disputes. Once something happened, it was always the sisters-in-law who were blamed, not the brothers.
Which family in Beijing doesn't care about their sons? Most of the powerful and wealthy do this, but it's unheard of for the Qian family to do so.
Zhou took a look at the "bustling" atmosphere in the ancestral hall and said to Weng beside her, "The Qian family is different from other families. It is a blessed place for women. You will understand after you stay here for a while."
"Don't blame Ah Yue for what happened today. She's a good girl with a sincere nature. And if you and I were to encounter the same thing someday, father and the others would stand up for us without hesitation."
Mrs. Weng's heart skipped a beat, and she was instantly at a loss: "Second sister-in-law, I didn't..."
The second sister-in-law of the Qian family looked at her with understanding. She was also a woman and had experienced the same state of mind as Mrs. Weng when she first married into the Qian family. She naturally knew what a new bride like Mrs. Weng would think.
She didn't expose Weng's accusation, but simply said softly, "No, then no, I was just saying it casually. Don't let this little thing affect your relationship with your third brother."
Someone came over from outside and looked up to see that it was Madam Qian. Zhou patted her hands and said, "Mother is here."
Mrs. Weng looked up quickly.
Mrs. Qian, dressed in a lake green gown, came up and said, "Are you still punishing me?"
Zhou smiled and said, "Father is still angry."
"He saw Ah Yue being wronged and rushed to the Lu family without caring about anything. Now he blames Qing Ran and the others." Madam Qian glanced at her two daughters-in-law, stepped into the ancestral hall, and said to the inner room, "Stop kneeling, everyone, get up."
Qian Baokun frowned: "Madam, they haven't admitted their mistakes yet..."
"If they want to admit their mistakes, shouldn't you kneel down too?" Madam Qian glared at him. "Governor Xiao and Princess Yiyang are here. Go and entertain them."
Qian Baokun stood up instantly: "Is Xiao Yan here?"
His tone was visibly filled with joy, and the account book in his hand was rolled up.
After Qian Baokun returned home, he always felt that there were some omissions in his previous conversation with Xiao Yan in the palace, and he still had a lot of things about the Lu family that he wanted to ask him.
It suddenly started to rain heavily outside. He was regretting that he could only see Xiao Yan tomorrow, but he didn't expect that his new friend, who was of different ages from him, would be so considerate and actually come to see him in person despite the wind and rain.
Qian Baokun didn't bother to teach his children a lesson. He straightened his sleeves and said, "You guys are lucky today."
He hurriedly turned and left the ancestral hall. The three Qian brothers finally breathed a sigh of relief. Qian Qiyue also stood up happily, "Tang Ning is here, I'm going too..."
"Kneel."
Qian Qiyue froze: "Mother..."
Seeing Mrs. Qian glance at her, Qian Qiyue, who had clearly said nothing but had just glared at Qian Baokun without any fear, knelt back timidly.
Mrs. Qian then turned to the three Qian brothers and said, "You three should go back and pack your clothes first. You look like you've rolled in mud."
"Big brother, have you arranged to report to the Ministry of Personnel? If not, go and do it sooner rather than later, or the noble families will have trouble with you and block your report. Second brother, you can ask someone to take a look at your wound and bandage it if necessary. Just don't let it heal too quickly, or else you'll give them something to hold against you. Your father might need it later."
Mrs. Weng, who was sitting outside, was stunned when she heard this, but the three brothers of the Qian family were already used to it.
After the three agreed, Qian Qingran, the eldest brother of the Qian family, said, "Mother, Ah Yue has realized her mistake today. Don't make her kneel for too long."
Qian Qiyue was immediately incredulous, staring and muttering, "Are you my brother?..."
Snap——
After receiving a blow from Madam Qian on the forehead, Qian Qingran saw Qian Qiyue, who had just been threatening, holding her head and crying out in pain. A smile stained his eyes. "Then mother will take care of herself first. My second and third brothers and I will leave first."
The second brother of the Qian family said with sympathy: "Mother, please don't hit me too hard."
The third son of the Qian family: "Just give him a few dozen slaps to teach him a lesson..."
"Qian Qingyao... Ouch!"
Mrs. Qian pinched Qian Qiyue's ear and said "Hmm" very calmly amidst her cries of pain: "I understand."
Qian Qingran turned and left, followed closely by the second brother of the Qian family. The third brother of the Qian family gave Qian Qiyue a gloating and particularly sympathetic look, then followed him out.
Qian Qiyue was so angry that she wanted to curse, but as soon as she glared, she was grabbed by the ears and turned around.
"It hurts, it hurts... Mom, my ear is about to fall off..." Qian Qiyue screamed in pain.
Madam Qian grabbed her and said, "You still feel pain? I think you are really brave. You are just a little girl, don't use your innocence to fool your father. Do you know how much trouble you have caused by lying to your father and brother and others to go to the Lu family?"
"If the Lu family hadn't already been in trouble, and if His Majesty hadn't happened to be looking to liquidate the aristocratic families, you would have chopped off your father's head!"
Mrs. Qian became angrier and angrier as she spoke, and she twisted the man hard before letting him go.
"Didn't I tell you before to stay out of Song Tangning's affairs with the Lu family? It's fine if you're just interacting with her privately, and I didn't stop you. But you actually dragged your father and brothers into this mess as well."
She became angrier and angrier as she spoke, her tone becoming heavier: "Qian Qiyue, you've gone too far this time!"
Qian Qiyue covered her ears and looked at the angry Madam Qian, kneeling on the futon with her head hung low: "I know I was wrong..."
She was angry about what Lu Zhinian had done and wanted her father to stand up for her, but after the Lu family incident came to light, she was already scared.
Qian Qiyue tugged at Madam Qian's skirt and said, "I just wanted to protect Tang Ning and teach Lu Zhinian a lesson. I didn't think it through at the time."
She said in a stammering voice, "I just thought that if I didn't say it too seriously, my father wouldn't go to the Lu family to cause trouble. Then Governor Xiao might not be willing to do that for Tang Ning. She has no relatives to protect her. If no one stands up for her, she will be bullied by Lu Zhinian in vain."
"Are you really that close to Song Tangning?" Madam Qian was puzzled. "You've only known her for a short time, haven't you?"
Qian Qiyue whispered: "She is the little sister."
Mrs. Qian was stunned for a moment. Seeing her little daughter's red eyes, it took her a moment to realize who the little sister she was talking about was. "Are you talking about the little girl who protected you in the capital when you fought with others? She was also the one you came back from Lingnan to look for?"
Qian Qiyue said "hmm".
Mrs. Qian was a little surprised. Her little daughter had an abnormality in her hip bone when she was born. Because one of her feet could not bear the weight, she walked with a limp when she was a child. At that time, Qian Baokun was still a low-ranking official, and Qian Qiyue was bullied by the children in Beijing because of her abnormality. It was a little girl who saved her and took Qian Qiyue to "play crazy" in Beijing for a long time, which made her little daughter, who had always been extremely inferior, smile again.
When Qian Qiyue was sent back to her Lingnan clan for treatment, Mrs. Qian was by her side. She watched with her own eyes as her daughter's broken bones were reconnected. She cried all night long in pain, but she was obsessed with returning to Beijing to find her little sister. After several years of recuperation, she was finally able to walk normally. She returned to Beijing with joy, but gradually stopped mentioning it.
Mrs. Qian just thought it was the nature of youth, or that the girl had long been away from the capital. After asking several times but being changed by Qian Qiyue, she never asked again. But she didn't expect that the little sister her little daughter was talking about was actually Song Tangning.
"But she..."
"She doesn't remember me." Qian Qiyue puffed up her face angrily. "She clearly made an appointment with me. She said that after my leg healed and I returned to Beijing, she would take me horseback riding and pick persimmons from the Taifu family's tree. She also said she would take me to her mother and her secret base, but she forgot about me!"
She deliberately approached Song Tangning several times and took the opportunity to talk to her about the past, but she always looked confused, as if she didn't remember anything.
Mrs. Qian frowned. Qian Qiyue was about the same age as Song Tangning. She was almost six years old when she was taken back to the old house to treat her leg. In the first year after she returned, her little sister in Beijing still sent her some things from time to time. Although they were all children's toys, and even the attached letters were mostly in sloppy handwriting that they could not understand, those things accompanied Qian Qiyue through the first year when her broken bones were reconnected. It was the second year that the letters suddenly stopped.
In other words, Qian Qiyue and Song Tangning lost contact when they were about seven years old. Children of that age should not remember anything.
Madam Qian was a little confused, but she didn't think too much about it. She just thought Song Tangning was slow to remember things. She looked at her daughter and asked, "So the fight you had in the palace earlier was also because of her?"
"Who told them to have dirty mouths..."
"How dare you say that!"
Madam Qian pointed a finger at her forehead and said, "I'm just confused. You always get into trouble and argue with other women, but no one ever complains to the Queen. I guess it's because Song Tangning is the daughter-in-law of the Lu family."
"I'm not stupid." Qian Qiyue muttered, clutching her forehead. "They insulted the niece-in-law chosen by Empress Lu in public, coveted her fiancé, and acted like they were in love with the Third Son of the Lu family and wanted to replace him. If they had the nerve to say it in public, I wouldn't be afraid of them."
Although she hit people, she did so with evidence. Those girls were all unmarried and valued their reputation above all else. She didn't believe that those gossipy girls would be so shameless as to tell Queen Lu and the others in the palace the reason for their quarrel.
"Are you still so proud?!" Mrs. Qian glared at her angrily.
Qian Qiyue quickly shrank her neck.
Knowing the reason why Qian Qiyue protected Song Tangning, Mrs. Qian was not so angry about what happened today. She knew her little daughter's temper too well, and she sighed.
"You, don't act like this next time."
Madam Qian spoke earnestly, "Your father's position is not easy. So many eyes are watching him. The position of the Ministry of Revenue may seem powerful, but the slightest mistake can cost lives, and it would affect more than just one or two people. Besides, you are using your reputation to provoke your father. If even a word of what you said today gets out, how will you ever get married in the future?"
Qian Qiyue hung her head and said, "I know I was wrong."
Mrs. Qian saw that her daughter's ears were red, so she reached out and rubbed them for her: "Does it still hurt?"
Qian Qiyue shook her head: "It doesn't hurt."
It was her fault, and she deserved to be punished.
Seeing her kneeling upright and admitting her fault so clearly, Mrs. Qian felt both amused and a little soft-hearted: "Alright, now that you know you're wrong, go back and copy the Ksitigarbha Sutra fifty times as punishment. Your sister-in-law's death anniversary is coming soon, so you can send it to pray for blessings."
The eldest brother of the Qian family married in his early years, but his wife died of illness not long after she got married. Qian Qingran was very sad and had to go out to work, so he never remarried and kept the "wife's death" to the outside world. It has been just three years this year.
Qian Qiyue was struck by lightning: "Mom, you'd better hit me with the stick."
Fifty times, her hands would be broken after copying it.
Madam Qian glared at her. "Stop talking nonsense. Do you want me to copy the scriptures or be put in solitary confinement? You've gotten into such a big trouble this time, there's no way I won't punish you."
"I……"
Qian Qiyue was just about to mention confinement when Madam Qian said, "I was thinking of letting you meet Song Tangning now that she's here, but if you want confinement, then let's just do it for six months."
"It just so happens that the weather is getting hot. Since you've been complaining about how hot it is in the capital, then why don't you just stay in the mansion and cool off? You don't have to go anywhere."
When Qian Qiyue heard that she couldn't leave the house for half a year, she smiled and said, "I'll copy the scriptures, copy the scriptures!"
Compared to not being able to leave the house, a broken hand is fine, she still has a maid anyway...
"You are not allowed to have someone write for you." Madam Qian looked at her and said, "If you dare to let someone copy for you, you will be charged ten times for each copy!"
Qian Qiyue: “…”
The tail that had just been raised drooped down instantly.
…
When Song Tangning first came to the Qian family, she was a little nervous. She always felt that Minister Qian would not be in a good mood when he saw her. After all, it was for her that Qian Qiyue dragged the Qian family into the muddy water of the Lu family.
But who would have thought that when he saw Qian Baokun, the Minister of Revenue was not angry at all. Instead, he was very enthusiastic and spoke in a friendly manner, treating Xiao Yan like a long-time relative.
Xiao Yan placed the food box on the table and said, "Ever since returning home, I've been feeling really sorry for what happened in the palace today. I asked you to shield me from His Majesty's criticism, and Tang Ning also feels guilty about what happened to Miss Qian. Tang Ning and I still owe you an apology."
"I originally wanted to prepare some gifts, but I thought that everyone in the court is watching you and me. If we brought valuables, it would tarnish Minister Qian's integrity. So I specially prepared some wine, drinks and snacks. I hope Minister Qian will not dislike them."
Qian Baokun felt warmed when he heard Xiao Yan's considerate and thoughtful words.
Over the years, many people wanted to give him gifts, and countless people wanted to win him over by taking the position of Minister of Revenue. He had seen all kinds of precious things, but none of them were as thoughtful as a few plates of snacks.
He looked at the exquisite snacks and drinks in the food box and knew at a glance that Xiao Yan had specially prepared them for the mansion. He sighed in his heart that this man was too honest and could remember even the smallest things, and he couldn't help but complain.
"I've already told you not to take the palace's affairs to heart, and don't dwell on the kindness others show you. I've always been disgusted with the Lu family's actions, and what the palace did was just to go along with it. These are just trivial matters. Is it worth it for you and Yiyang County Master to make a special trip?"
"It's such a hassle to have people prepare all these things."
Song Tangning: "..."
Small matter?
She blinked in astonishment. Did she hear it wrong, or was Minister Qian too careless? How could such a big matter of the Lu family be turned into a trivial matter in his mouth?
Besides, weren't these snacks from Xijue Tower? They just went there and brought them back...
Xiao Yan, however, had no guilt at all and praised with a serious face, "Minister Qian is righteous."
Qian Baokun laughed: "Aren't you the same?"
Originally thought to be vicious and cruel, but in fact he has a heart for his country. The more Qian Baokun looks at this friend regardless of age difference, the more he feels that they have a common understanding.
"Alright, although you and I are in the court together, there are no outsiders here. Don't call me Shangshu or not. My name is Bohong, and I'm older than you. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Qian or Brother Bohong."
As soon as Qian Baokun finished speaking, he saw his little daughter peeking out from outside the hall and trying to come over. He smiled and waved:
"Ayue, come here. It's a good opportunity to meet your Uncle Xiao."
Qian Qiyue: “…”
???
Xiao? Uncle Shi? ! !
Xiao Yan: “…”
The originally relaxed smile froze in an instant. Seeing the shock in the eyes of the delicate girl beside him, Governor Xiao was silent for a moment and rarely lowered his head.
"I have long admired Minister Qian, but I dare not address him by name. I am truly fortunate to be able to call him uncle."
He is only in his twenties.
Uncle Xiao who saw a ghost!!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com