Chapter 54 Chapter 54 23
After Qi Ruiyi left, Nan Xu limped back in the evening with difficult steps in the night.
He thought Ruoruo would be taken away by that man, and he came to Ruoruo's yard again at this time without even asking others because of his unclear mentality. However, he found that her room was brightly lit, and it was obvious that someone was there.
Nan Xu did not choose to go in, but looked at the light and shadow inside through the window. In such a quiet night, he was satisfied just by looking at it.
He knew Ruoruo wouldn't stay in the Jiaofangsi for much longer. They were supposed to be two separate lines, never intersecting. He was lucky to have the opportunity to spend some time with Ruoruo.
He had lived a life of hardship and difficulty, and this sweetness, which shouldn't have been his, felt like a gift from heaven. Some people can't be kept, but he should be content with just the memories of their time together.
"Nan Xu, why don't you come in?" Just as he was standing in the yard in a daze, the door was suddenly pushed open.
Ruoruo was standing at the door of the room, wearing a white middle garment with a light yellow dress draped over it. Her straight black hair was draped over her shoulders. She was not wearing any makeup but was still stunningly beautiful, making people's breath take a breath.
No matter how many times he saw her, Nan Xu would still be amazed by her beauty. And this scene would probably be forever engraved in his heart.
"I just came to take a look, I'll be leaving soon. It's so late, Ruoruo. Next time you see someone standing outside, don't open the door." Nan Xu smiled. "Nan Xu, can't you?" Ruoruo asked softly, leaning against the door railing and tilting her head.
"No one can do this." Nan Xu lowered his eyes and didn't look at Ruoruo. "Go back to the house quickly. It's cold outside and you can easily catch a cold. I should go back too."
After saying that, he turned around and walked away with steady steps. He stopped slowly only after he was out of the gate of the yard. He couldn't help but grin and walked slowly, holding his waist.
Ruo Ruo watched his back disappear into the night, lowered her eyes and stood there for a while before turning back to the room. The medicine on her sleeve was also put back in its original place.
Qi Ruiyi did not come to the Jiaofangsi again for the next two days, but he sent people to deliver things. Naturally, the people he sent out would not be stopped, and the things were delivered to Ruo Ruo in time.
All kinds of rare treasures, coveted treasures, and priceless jewelry were sent to the Jiaofangsi openly. It was not uncommon for high-ranking officials to send gifts to the Jiaofangsi in the past, but never before had such a large amount of money been sent.
Bai Yunmeng also heard about this in her spare time. She suppressed her jealousy and asked which young man and which girl was so lucky.
When Bai Ruoruo learned that these things had been given to her, she found it hard to accept. Her younger sister had always been her subordinate, even living worse than her servants. Even after her father's return, she had already developed a cowardly character, completely unworthy of mention. How could she be so lucky now? While she was living in hell, being humiliated by a waste.
However, no matter how angry she was, she couldn't do anything. After all, although she had a lot more freedom in her work since she started taking on clients, she was not qualified to have contact with Ruoruo.
There was a way to find someone to look after her relatives in prison, but she couldn't think of any. Whether it was her father, who reprimanded her after the incident but didn't betray her, or her mother, who doted on her since she was a child, after they were taken away in disgrace by the officers and soldiers, they no longer had any value in Bai Yunmeng's heart.
Even Qi Ruifeng, whom she seemed to be deeply in love with at the beginning, gave up hope after she learned that he was not only unable to rescue her but was captured and had no chance of making a comeback. Now she only hopes to meet a handsome and noble young man who can save her from danger.
Unfortunately, this noble man seemed to have appeared, but it was not her luck. Apart from this, she could not think of any other way to escape from her current situation and return to her previous life.
Had she known the consequences would be so severe, perhaps she would have not persuaded her mother to join her in stealing the tiger talisman. This feeling of regret, already set in motion, reached its peak upon learning that the Sixth Prince had become the new Emperor and the Fourth Prince had been imprisoned.
However, even though she felt regretful, she still hated her father and Bai Ruoruo the most. If it weren't for these two people delaying time, she would have been able to escape with Qi Ruifeng and the Bai family's fortune.
But Bai Ruoruo is lucky now, and no one knows who the little bitch has hooked up with. She has not received any customers until now, but has been praised to the sky.
She always felt that things shouldn't be like this, but nothing ever went as she wished.
Meanwhile, Qi Ruiyi also learned the reason why Qi Ruifeng was able to obtain the Tiger Tally. It turned out that it was due to a fire in the backyard. But it must be said that Qi Ruiyi was not surprised to see that it was Bai Yunmeng and Mrs. Bai who were being clever. After all, in his mind, these two people had long been stupid and vicious.
She was clearly Ruoruo's closest relative, yet she was also the one who bullied her the most. Bai Yunmeng could still understand this, after all, it was not uncommon for brothers to turn against each other and scheme against each other. Although Bai Yunmeng and Ruoruo were sisters, the Bai family only had two girls like them. If someone was scheming, he would probably be thinking about his own family property and resources, so it was not surprising that he would suppress his only sister.
But this Mrs. Bai treated her own daughter as an enemy, and I don’t know what she was thinking.
"Come here, bring Bai Jing to see me."
Qi Ruiyi gave orders, and the guards were very efficient. Although the prison was not close to the palace, it didn't take long for Bai Jing to be brought in.
Bai Jing entered the imperial study with a nervous mood. It was not his first time here, but it was the first time he felt so embarrassed.
Of course, he had heard about the new emperor's ascension to the throne from the officers and soldiers guarding him, but he had already made plans to wait for death. He did not expect that the new emperor would actually summon him.
Involved in rebellion and mutiny, he never thought that he would have the opportunity to set foot in the imperial study again.
"Your Majesty, I, Bai Jing, pay my respects to you." Bai Jing obediently performed the ceremony. As for the late emperor's passing, he had no other thoughts in his heart. The late emperor had been a wise ruler in the past, but he had grown more confused with age. Sometimes, leaving early can be a blessing.
The late emperor’s own fortune is also the fortune of the people of the world.
In prison, he sometimes thought, isn't this what he should say to himself? Sometimes dying early is a blessing.
Qi Ruiyi showed him no courtesy. Instead, he sat at the head of the table, seemingly oblivious to his voice, still writing with his head bowed. It wasn't until some time had passed that he suddenly looked up, as if he had just noticed someone kneeling below him.
"Asshole, why didn't you remind me when General Bai came?" He was angry at the eunuch beside him, but his expression was calm and there was no blame in it.
"General Bai, please stand up quickly." Qi Ruiyi smiled and seemed to be quite polite and respectful to him.
But Bai Jing was really worried about what the meaning behind this politeness was.
He hadn't had much interaction with the Sixth Prince before, but he had a general idea of his personalities. He believed the Sixth Prince would be a good king, but because of this, he knew that the best outcome was for the Bai family to disappear from the king's eyes.
But the new emperor unexpectedly summoned him.
"How can a guilty minister like me be worthy of the title of general?" Bai Jing laughed bitterly at himself.
Qi Ruiyi didn't respond. If it weren't for Ruoruo, Bai Jing would have been nothing more than a dead man in his eyes. He had achievements, but his death wasn't unjust. But for Ruoruo, it didn't matter if he put in some effort. After all, after what had happened, it wouldn't be easy for the Bai family to return to the way they were before.
"General Bai, do you know why I summoned you here today?"
"I am a sinner, I am terrified, I don't know."
"I heard that Fourth Brother was rebelling, and General Bai lent him the Tiger Talisman to help him?"
Bai Jing was silent for a while, then he lowered his head and said, "Yes, it is the sinner who has been bewitched by the devil."
A real man shouldn't just blame his daughter or wife when something goes wrong. Someone has to die, and the Bai family will eventually perish. What is the truth? It's the least important part, the one no one cares about.
What's more, he also has his own selfish motives. He has fought on the battlefield for many years and has made great contributions. If he is guilty of participating in the fight for the throne and aiding the prince's palace coup, it is always better than the farce of the Bai family's daughter having an affair with someone for the sake of gaining power and wealth or being infatuated with love, and stealing the family's treasures.
When people talk about him in the future, it is better to say that he stood on the wrong side and made the wrong bet than to have such improper education and his wife and daughter had bad character.
The most important thing is that none of the men in the Bai family will be able to escape, but the girls still have a glimmer of hope. If the truth gets out, the chance of survival for the girls in the Bai family will become slim, and they will only be bullied more miserably no matter where they are.
"Is it really General Bai's idea?" Qi Ruiyi asked with a raised eyebrow, as if smiling.
Bai Jing didn't know if he had investigated. In reality, some things were easily discovered by those in power if they wanted to. It just depended on whether they wanted to or not.
He knelt again, but this time he said nothing.
Qi Ruiyi didn't force him to tell the truth. After all, he was Ruoruo's father, so he couldn't be too aggressive. So he simply threw the report of the investigation results to him.
"General Bai, do you really want the Bai family to be buried with these two idiots?"
Bai Jing's hand, which was originally about to pick up the letter, suddenly stopped and he looked up abruptly.
"What does the emperor mean? Is there any way for the Bai family to avoid being buried with him?"
To be honest, given the law and the emperor's position, he didn't think the Bai family had any hope of survival. His greatest hope was that his youngest daughter could survive and that the girls from the side branches could survive. But now, according to the new emperor's opinion, there seemed to be a turning point.
"General Bai, you are wrong. General Bai simply mishandled the tiger talisman. Now that the truth has been uncovered, there is no question of whether he should be buried with the deceased or not."
Qi Ruiyi originally wanted to put the blame on the two culprits, but on second thought, that was indeed not right. He wanted to marry Ruoruo as his queen in a legitimate and legitimate way. If Ruoruo had such a mother and sister, some people would have reason to criticize and blame her.
He could certainly protect Ruo Ruo from the wind and rain, but a person like that shouldn't suffer any injustice for no reason. She had already suffered enough injustice in the past, how could she bear any more injustice for the rest of her life? Not to mention being wronged because of the sins of those two people.
"I believe that although General Bai has neglected his duties, he has made great contributions to Daling. His merits and demerits should be balanced out. Military power should be handed over, and some individual positions should be revoked. What do you think, General Bai?"
"Of course, after what happened to Madam Bai, I'm afraid she will voluntarily become a nun and practice Buddhism. As for Bai Yunmeng, I heard that she and a businessman in the Music Bureau have a good relationship. I will also fulfill their wishes in the future."
Originally, he wanted to give her to Qi Ruifeng, but when he thought about marrying Ruoruo, it would be strange to give Bai Yunmeng to Qi Ruifeng, who had already become a prisoner, so he changed his mind.
The businessman is not bad, but that one... or three businessmen, the third one's wife died during childbirth, and the first two sisters-in-law and the children left behind don't seem to be easy to get along with.
Every evildoer will be punished by his own evildoer. Bai Yunmeng is just right for the job she is in. It all depends on who can get the better of whom. If she can make a name for herself in this environment with her own abilities, Qi Ruiyi will not target her anymore. If she can't, it's her fault. If she can't, she can choose to die. After all, being involved in treason is a dead end.
Qi Ruiyi paused, "Also, the legitimate daughter of Duke Qi has been in mourning for her husband for eight years. She is childless and a pitiful person. Her father has made great contributions. I often heard my father say that when she was young, she was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and wielding a sword and a stick was no problem. It's a pity that she has wasted her life in the backyard of the Ouyang family. She is still worthy of being the mistress of the Bai family."
Most importantly, she was decisive, intelligent, and had a very good reputation. With her as the mistress of the Bai family, even if the news leaked out, no one in the court would be able to accuse Ruo Ruo of anything. In the future, when Ruo Ruo entered the palace, she wouldn't have to worry about the Bai family causing trouble.
Bai Jing knelt on the ground in a daze, unable to speak for a long time.
The teachings he had received did not allow him to abandon his first wife. Even if she made a big mistake, he would think that he had failed to discipline her. But in his heart, he also knew that following the new emperor's instructions was the best outcome.
To the Bai family, to him, to his confused wife who never knows what she is thinking, to his selfish eldest daughter, to his timid, pitiful little daughter who has suffered so much grievance, and to everyone.
"Can I, a guilty minister, know the real reason of the Emperor?" He did not believe that the person who ascended the throne was such a kind-hearted person. If he was really a soft-hearted and weak person, let alone competing for the throne, it would probably not be easy for him to survive to adulthood.
Qi Ruiyi then smiled sincerely. He was not afraid of him asking, but was afraid that he would not ask.
"To be honest, I am very fond of the Second Young Lady. I am afraid that she will be sad, so I also want to marry her."
"What?" Bai Jing went through all the answers, but he didn't expect this answer.
But the thought of his youngest daughter's face seemed more real than any of the possibilities he had imagined.
With Ruoruo's appearance, it was not surprising that the new emperor would do such a thing. Of course, the new emperor's serious attitude towards Ruoruo was also evident. If his methods were despicable and he was simply attracted by her beauty, he probably would not have considered his youngest daughter's feelings.
Thinking about it this way, he understood the new emperor's arrangements. He had originally wanted to plead for his wife, or at least refuse to remarry, but he also understood the new emperor's intentions and attitude.
Bai Jing smiled bitterly. After all, there must be a cause for every effect.
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