Although Xu Jiang had the support of officials such as Lou Jing, Lin Fuzi and Lou Yunchun, there was no need for her to use a jade bottle to hit the rat, thus making them dirty and tarnishing their reputation.
Moreover, now that the major issues are still undecided, there are so many eyes watching them, so they have to be cautious in every step and cannot be criticized because of her affairs.
Driving him out of Beijing is the easiest and most appropriate way.
And it would be best if she could do this herself.
"Don't worry, after this incident, I won't give him another chance to threaten me."
Master Lin calmed down and found a wooden box under the bookshelf. He took out a stack of letters and handed them to Xu Jiang, saying, "These are the letters your master and I exchanged back then. I'm giving them to you, along with my reply, as a souvenir."
Xu Jiang took it carefully, and when he saw the familiar handwriting on the envelope, his eyes suddenly felt hot.
"Thank you." She knew that Master Lin was comforting her.
Master Lin looked at her, sighed slightly, and then said, "Since you're here, why don't you stay and have dinner with us?"
Xu Jiang nodded, "Okay."
The two men left Bajizhai, and Zeng Zhui was still standing outside. Master Lin took him into the study, tested his knowledge, and asked him to put the scattered books in order.
Xu Jiang asked a guard to go back and inform Liu Mei to stay in the academy for dinner in the evening to avoid Madam Lou waiting, and then went to the backyard to see what the two little girls Lin Hongchu and Yinyin were doing.
As soon as he entered the backyard, he found Lin Hongchu and Yinyin preparing food in the kitchen. Xu Jiang stood at the kitchen door, staring at Yinyin's little bitter face, smiling for a long time, then walked in and pushed Lin Hongchu away.
Yin Yin's expression suddenly brightened up, and she kept circling around Xu Jiang. Lin Hongchu was annoyed and grabbed her and started kneading her.
Xu Jiang looked at the two people making a mess and her heart softened.
"Okay, stop making trouble and come help me."
The golden sun sets in the west, and the afterglow shines through the windows. I steal a handful of joy, which rides on the wind and dyes half the sky red.
————The dividing line between annoying people————
The three-day deadline had arrived, and that day was also the day of Xu Si's trial. Xu Jiang stood outside the court and listened to the verdict of the Dali Temple. Xu Si was sentenced to fifty strokes of the cane in court, and then demoted to a lowly official and sold as a slave.
Xu Si refused to accept the trial and shouted a few times. He was then gagged and dragged out by the prison guards, put on a torture bench, and beaten with sticks.
Furious at being demoted to a slave, he bravely endured the fifty strokes of the cane, climbed down from the torture bench, and cried out, "I am a good citizen, not a slave! I am a good citizen, not a slave."
When Xu Jiang saw him like this, an idea came to her mind.
Xu Si looked up and saw her, and hurriedly crawled towards her, begging, "Xu Jiang, please plead for me. For the sake of our common surname, please plead for me. I don't want to be reduced to a lowly status, I don't want to be sold into slavery!"
Xu Jiang took two steps back to avoid his outstretched hand and said, "I am just a commoner and cannot influence the government's decision."
"You can, please redeem me. As long as you redeem me, I will apologize to you, make amends to you, and then disappear from your sight forever. As long as you redeem me, I will do anything you ask me to do!"
"It cannot be redeemed." Those who were demoted to the rank of slave by the government for committing a crime were never redeemed for life, but their descendants could be redeemed by money if they continued to be slaves. Xu Twelve was able to redeem himself because he was a descendant of slaves, not because he had committed a crime and was demoted.
"Even if I could redeem myself, I wouldn't. I'd be clapping my hands in joy." She laughed heartily, then looked down at him, as if he were a puddle of mud. "You deserve what you have today. You'll have to bear the consequences."
Hearing this, Xu Si screamed twice and said angrily: "I will not be a pariah, I will not be a slave, I will not be a pariah, I will not be a slave!"
The man in front of him no longer had any of his previous arrogance and domineering attitude. He crawled towards Xu Jiang, yelling, and wanted to crawl into the court. In the end, he was gagged and dragged away by the guards.
The court had left, and the patrols had dispersed. The man who had delivered the message to Xu Jiang saw that she had not yet left. He then remembered that today was the date she had agreed to meet with Xu Twelve in three days. He stepped forward and asked, "Madam Xu, are you here to see Xu Twelve?"
"That's right." Xu Jiang bowed to him, "I'm going to trouble you again."
"It's okay. The court is about to adjourn. I'll take you there." He also wanted to see what decision Xu Jiang would make. "Let's go."
The two then went to the veranda room.
Xu Twelve craned his neck in anticipation. He hadn't been able to sleep or eat in the past three days, fearing Xu Jiang wouldn't show up. As noon approached, and Xu Jiang still hadn't shown up, he stood at the door, restless, staring, as if a nail had grown out of his buttocks.
When he saw Xu Jiang and the patrol guards coming in, he couldn't help but feel happy. He hurried over and stared at her eagerly.
The patrol guards drove him back, and he walked backwards, almost tripping several times.
He was forced back to the veranda, and the two continued to confront each other in front of the door.
Before Xu Twelve could speak, Xu Jiang spoke first, "I was going to agree to your request."
Xu Twelve was happy at first, but then he felt something was wrong, and waited anxiously for her next words.
Xu Jiang changed the subject and asked, "Did you hear the drums just now?"
"I heard it." In fact, he was so focused on Xu Jiang that he didn't pay any attention at all.
"That was Xu Hao's trial."
When Xu Twelve heard Xu Hao's name, a trace of disgust appeared on his face.
"What was his sentence?"
Xu Jiang secretly observed his expression and continued, "He was sentenced to be demoted to a lowly position and sold into slavery."
"Demoted to a slave?" Xu Twelve was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily, "Good! Good! He deserves this!"
Xu Si never treated him as a human being. Whether it was when Xu Yuan was alive or when he joined the family after Xu Yuan's death, Xu Si would order him around and beat him up if he didn't agree. Later, he even sold him to a horse caravan for gambling, causing him to suffer terribly. Although Xu Jiang later redeemed him, she never gave him a full meal or a good day. After arriving in Beijing, he was imprisoned because of him, and he has been suffering ever since.
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