Chapter 99099 A Shot in the Head
Du Qingtang returned to the palace from the west of the city and made a request to Emperor Qingyuan.
"Your Majesty, I wish to take my mother back home to live with her."
Emperor Qingyuan continued to review the memorials, his tone unpredictable: "She treated you so well, why do you repay evil with kindness?"
If Du Qingtang didn't have his own abilities, he would have already returned to the underworld by now.
Du Qingtang raised his head slightly, his eyes falling on the dragon pattern on the imperial desk, and said frankly: "After all, she is my mother."
Daxia ruled the world with filial piety. No matter how many mistakes parents made, their children could not have any complaints.
Du Qingtang did not agree with this, but this was the general trend.
As a woman serving as an official, she was already in the spotlight. There was no need for her to be criticized and have her reputation damaged because of a woman named Yuan.
It's just one more mouth to feed, but once she moves into Du's house, Yuanshi will have no say.
Not to mention, Yuanshi was so thin that her bones were visible, and there was a sick look between her brows. It was unknown how long she could live.
By the time Du Qingtang returns from Shaoqing Prefecture, Yuan Shi might no longer be around.
Yes, because she is a mother.
Therefore, I must hold her in high esteem, obey her in everything, and not disobey her.
Even if she hurts me again and again for others.
Emperor Qingyuan raised his head from his endless nonsense and looked at Du Aiqing, who was sitting below him with an indifferent expression, neither happy nor sad, and he felt a rare sense of sympathy.
"I agree, you can take her back."
Emperor Qingyuan suddenly thought of something and said, "Lord Yang has already selected 5,000 Tiger Guards and assigned them to the Firearms Battalion. They will depart tomorrow and head for Loushan Pass."
Du Qingtang agreed and retreated respectfully.
......
Du Qingtang walked out of the palace, and Du Ba had been waiting for him in a carriage for a long time.
Du Qingtang reported the address of a house in the west of the city and leaned over to enter the carriage.
Halfway through the journey, the carriage suddenly stopped.
Du Qingtang was resting with his eyes closed when his body leaned to the right due to inertia. After stabilizing himself, he lifted the curtain.
Looking closely, I saw that someone was blocking the road.
The middle-aged man, dressed in a brocade robe, was respectful and humble: "Master Du, my master would like to invite you to have a chat."
He was dressed richly, but spoke in the tone of a slave.
Looking around Xiajing, there is only the Cheng'en Mansion.
Du Qingtang didn't want to play along with Cao Yuan, but the man's position was very clever. Unless he took the initiative to give way, the carriage would have to run over him if it wanted to move forward.
Du Qingtang said calmly, "Lead the way."
The man smiled and pointed to the rosewood carriage parked on the street: "Master Du, please."
Du Qingtang entered the carriage and Cao Yuan was leisurely sipping tea.
After she sat down, Cao Yuan raised his hand and gestured, "Master Du, please have some tea."
"Thank you, sir."
Du Qingtang picked up the teacup as she was told. The tea was fragrant and refreshing, but she didn't drink it. She just held it in her hand.
Cao Yuan spoke casually, his tone casual: "I haven't congratulated Lord Du yet on surviving a desperate situation and returning to the court."
Du Qingtang focused his gaze on the tea leaves, and said calmly, "Your Excellency is too kind."
Cao Yuan said casually, "I have pleaded with His Majesty to grant us a marriage. As long as Lady Du marries the Fifth Prince as a concubine and is included in the imperial royal register, her death penalty will be exempted."
Du Qingtang raised his eyes.
Sure enough, the imperial edict from Emperor Qingyuan was related to Cao Yuan.
"But His Majesty refused, and the next day he decreed the death of Lord Du." Cao Yuan changed the subject, "Fortunately, Lord Du was blessed by heaven and survived this ordeal."
Du Qingtang stared at the person in front of him.
Cao Yuan was nearly seventy years old, but his hair was mostly gray and his eyes were slightly cloudy, but they could not hide his sharpness and shrewdness. At first glance, he looked a few years younger than Yuanshi.
Du Qingtang couldn't help but sigh that power is indeed an excellent tonic.
"I know my crimes are grave, but Your Majesty has shown me mercy. I am overjoyed. I volunteer to take the blame and work with the soldiers at Loushan Pass to repel the Qi bandits and defend my country."
"I am very grateful to you for your plea, but I am devoted to serving my country and have no intention of getting married..."
The smile on Cao Yuan's face gradually faded until it disappeared completely. He interrupted Du Qingtang's perfunctory words and said, "Master Du is a smart man. He should understand what I mean."
He held up two fingers and said, "If Lord Du is willing to serve me, I will transfer you back to the capital when your three-year term is up, and then I will grant you this position."
The second-in-command of the civil service, the second assistant.
I have to say that Cao Yuan’s cake is very big and round, and very tempting.
If Du Qingtang was a young man who had just entered the officialdom, if she had not repeatedly tested and clashed with Emperor Qingyuan, finally reaching a delicate balance, if that bastard Xia Qixuan had not killed her...
Du Qingtang would really turn against Emperor Qingyuan and become a member of Cao's party.
Unfortunately, there is no if.
Du Qingtang put down the teacup, his palms burned by the scalding tea, "Thank you for your kindness, my Lord. I don't want to do this."
Cao Yuan's face suddenly darkened, and the authority he had cultivated over the years in a high position was tangible as he pressed towards Du Qingtang. "Master Du, a man who understands the current situation is a hero. I hope you will carefully consider this and then give me an answer."
Du Qingtang's expression didn't change at all. He rolled his fingertips over his palm, feeling a sting. "No need. I still have to go get my mother back home. I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, he bowed, ignored Cao Yuan's cold gaze, and calmly got off the carriage.
The heavy curtains fell, keeping the cold wind out.
Cao Yuan looked at the exquisite cloud patterns on the carriage curtains and laughed in anger: "Let's go to the Fourth Prince's Mansion."
"yes."
Cao Yuan arrived at the Fourth Prince's residence. Upon hearing the news, the Fourth Prince rushed over, his tone rather anxious: "How is it? Did Du Qingtang agree?"
Cao Yuan shook his head.
The Fourth Prince's face immediately darkened and he slammed the table in anger: "You ungrateful woman!"
Cao Yuan recalled Du Qingtang's decisive response to him, and his face became solemn.
If Du Qingtang cannot be used by the Cao family and the Fourth Prince, he will become a great threat to him one day.
Correspondingly, Xia Ming will be even more difficult to deal with.
It was for this reason that he condescended to personally recruit Du Qingtang.
Unexpectedly, Du Qingtang was able to resist the temptation of Ci Fu and rejected his recruitment without hesitation.
The Fourth Prince paced with his hands behind his back, his expression unable to conceal his anxiety. "Father is still reluctant to appoint a crown prince. Recently, he has entrusted important tasks to the eldest brother and others, but has repeatedly overlooked me and the fifth brother. This is not a good sign."
He used to think that the throne was in his pocket, but now he has become shaken and not so sure.
Last year, Wu Guangwu committed suicide out of fear of punishment, and the Hu tribe fell into the hands of the emperor.
Since then, the conflict between my father and my grandfather has almost been exposed.
If it weren't for the numerous Cao cliques in the court, if it weren't for my grandfather's command of the Three Thousand Battalions and the Five Military Battalions, my father would have long ago...
One is his grandfather who cares for him in every way, and the other is his father who is not very close to him. The Fourth Prince naturally does not want his grandfather to end up being abandoned after the bird is killed and the bow is discarded after the rabbit is dead.
Du Qingtang has gunpowder and muskets in his hands. If he can take the firearms battalion into his possession, he will be one step closer to that position.
As long as he sits in that position, he can protect his grandfather's family and make the Cao family more prosperous.
Unexpectedly, Du Qingtang refused.
A sinister look flashed across the Fourth Prince's eyes. He gestured at his neck and smiled grimly, "Since you can't be used by me, I might as well just kill you."
Since his father doesn't care about their relationship as father to him at all, don't blame him for cutting off his father's wings.
"No!" Cao Yuan met the Fourth Prince's puzzled gaze and said earnestly, "Gunpowder and muskets are extremely powerful. Daxia needs Du Qingtang to lead the firearms army to repel the enemy."
Cao Yuan paused and gave in: "Let's talk about it after the war is over."
Cao Yuan is not a short-sighted person who only cares about the present.
Only when Daxia was there could he be a powerful official in peace and security, or even...
The Fourth Prince had not noticed Cao Yuan's gleaming eyes. He had always listened to Cao Yuan's advice, so he had no choice but to give up and said harshly, "Then let her go for now!"
As for the fifth prince's request to marry Du Qingtang as a concubine, both of them tacitly put it aside.
The Fifth Prince is a lazy prince and will be a lazy prince in the future. It is impossible for them to disrupt the overall situation for him.
-
Du Qingtang returned to the house in the west of the city and found that the originally quiet courtyard was now noisy and noisy, and there was even faint sound of crying.
Du Qingtang frowned slightly. After entering the room, he called out to the maid that Fu Rui had assigned to serve Yuan Shi: "What happened?"
The maid recognized her identity and burst into tears: "Master Du, something bad has happened to your mother..."
He was halfway through his words when he started to hiccup and couldn't utter another word.
Du Qingtang's eyebrows twitched, and he asked patiently, "Tell me slowly, what's going on?"
The maid took a deep breath and said in a tearful voice, "Just now, I brought medicine to your mother and found... found that she was dead!"
Even though Du Qingtang had some idea of this, he was still stunned at this moment: "Why would it happen..."
The palace maid had heard of Du Qingtang's deeds and admired her very much. Fearing that she might misunderstand, she quickly explained, "It has nothing to do with me. Your mother has been having persistent bleeding. The doctor said it's been a while, and her health is very poor."
"She was also poisoned. The doctor said it couldn't be cured and could only be treated with medicine. I didn't expect that while I was boiling the medicine, she...she..."
Du Qingtang squeezed his palms, the burning sensation still lingering. His throat moved twice, and his voice was calm and composed: "Can I go in and take a look at her?"
"Of course, we have already dressed her." The maid glanced at Du Qingtang and whispered, "Master Du, please accept my condolences."
Du Qingtang didn't say anything.
She did not feel sad when Yuanshi passed away suddenly. Instead, she felt fortunate that her territory would not be tainted by Yuanshi's aura.
She just...
I just feel a little emotional and a little dazed.
Yuanshi never gave her motherly love, but most of her sufferings were caused by Yuanshi.
Yuanshi was a huge mountain weighing on Du Qingtang's head during her childhood, and also a thorn in her heart.
The disaster lasted for a thousand years, and Du Qingtang thought that Yuanshi would die of old age like in her previous life.
Unexpectedly, Yuan died when she was just in her early forties. She had bleeding problems before her death and was also poisoned.
The persistent bleeding is probably due to the advanced age of pregnancy and the failure to take good care of the body after the miscarriage, which has left a root of illness.
Only Yuanshi would end up like this for a non-existent son.
As for poisoning...
Most likely Qi Heming's work.
Apart from him, no one would use such a vicious method to harm a woman.
"Master Du, please come in."
When Du Qingtang walked into the room, the palace maid had already dressed Yuanshi neatly.
Her white hair was tied into a bun with a silver hairpin pinned on it, and her thin body was wrapped in a dark green short shirt and long skirt.
Yuanshi lay there, sleeping peacefully.
I will no longer tell her what to do or say bad things to her.
fine.
Du Qingtang left after just one look, sent someone to prepare a coffin, went to a private house in the west of the city to bring Yuan back, and then entered the palace alone.
Emperor Qingyuan had already learned of Yuan's death. When Du Qingtang came in, he preemptively said, "State affairs are more important than family matters. 100,000 Qi troops are waiting covetously outside Loushan Pass. My dear Du, I grant you special permission not to observe mourning for your mother."
Du Qingtang: “…”
Emperor Qingyuan had already said it, and Du Qingtang himself was unwilling to give up the easy opportunity for the Yuan family, so he agreed to it.
"Yes, I will obey your majesty's wishes."
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I was leaving the palace earlier and met the Prime Minister on the way."
Emperor Qingyuan received the news early in the morning, but he feigned ignorance: "Oh? Minister Cao is not working in the cabinet right now, so why did he go outside the palace?"
"I don't know." Du Qingtang said succinctly, "The Prime Minister said that he can let me be the Deputy Prime Minister."
Emperor Qingyuan, who was unaware of their conversation, said: "......"
In order to win over Lord Du, Cao Yuan really went all out.
Although the second son was demoted to a commoner, Emperor Qingyuan currently has no intention of taking action against Qi Lianmao.
Qi Lianmao was shrewd and resourceful. Although he was no match for Cao Yuan, he was able to check and balance him.
Emperor Qingyuan would not remove him from his position as second assistant unless he found someone more suitable than Qi Lianmao.
Emperor Qingyuan was speechless for a rare moment, and after a moment of silence, he finally spoke: "Don't worry about him. You're leaving the capital tomorrow anyway."
Then he waved his hand again and said, "If you have nothing else, go back. Your mother's funeral needs someone to take care of it."
Du Qingtang responded respectfully, "I will take my leave."
A thin figure descended the stairs, and Emperor Qingyuan snorted with an ambiguous tone, "She was clever for once."
Fu Rui had wanted to laugh for a long time, and now he finally couldn't hold it back and burst out laughing.
When Emperor Qingyuan looked over, he quickly covered his mouth and said, "Your Majesty, Lord Du is in the prime of his youth."
Emperor Qingyuan remained silent.
According to Qi Heming's confession, even in his previous life, Du Aiqing only lived to the age of 26 and was forced to drink poison and die.
Emperor Qingyuan looked into the distance, over the high red walls, at the towering buildings in the distance, his tone melancholy.
"Feudal ethics and morals are cannibalistic. Even I, the supreme ruler, am trapped in a cage, restricted in every way."
"Just wait and see how far she can go and how high she can fly."
Emperor Qingyuan pondered for a moment, picked up his pen and dipped it in ink, and began to write the imperial edict to confer the title of imperial concubine on him.
Since the second one is useless, the third one will take over.
By conferring the title of Concubine Yi on Concubine Yi, the third son's status would be second only to the Empress's legitimate son. This would also appease Tian Xiu and allow him to guard Loushan Pass honestly.
Emperor Qingyuan thought again of the booklet that contained many future events.
With it, you can seize the initiative.
It is still uncertain who will win or lose between him and Cao Yuan.
-
After several trips, it was already evening when Du Qingtang walked out of the palace.
The golden rays of light pierce through the clouds, like a dream, extremely beautiful.
On the way back to Du's house, the evening breeze lifted the curtains of the car and blew the conversations of the people on the street into Du Qingtang's ears.
"I never expected that the Second Young Master Qi died in the morning, and the Third Miss Xue hanged herself in the afternoon."
"What a cruel fate! They should have been a loving couple, but unfortunately, Second Young Master Qi was implicated by that person and died of illness in prison. Third Miss Xue was a devoted lover and died with him that same day."
"I hope they can continue their relationship in the next life and grow old together."
Du Qingtang laughed with an ambiguous meaning.
If that bastard Qi Hezhang heard this, he would probably be so angry that he would pretend to be dead on the spot.
As for Xue Yishu...
When a person dies, all grudges are gone, and Du Qingtang doesn't care about the real cause of her death.
The carriage rumbled steadily towards the south of the city, leaving the people's discussions behind.
......
When they returned to the Du residence, Fu Ci and Yao Jingzhou had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time.
Seeing Du Qingtang come in, the two of them hurriedly stood up to greet him.
"Offer jade!"
"Uncle Master."
The two secretly looked at Du Qingtang's expression. Fu Ci coughed lightly and whispered, "Xianyu, I'm sorry."
Du Qingtang glanced at the coffin placed at the entrance to the courtyard, his expression calm. "There's nothing to mourn. She didn't love me much when she was alive, so I won't be sad because of her passing."
If you give me a peach, I will give you a plum in return.
Liu Tongsheng and Yao Xuan taught her everything they knew, so she asked Liu Tongsheng to be a village tutor to avenge Yao Jingzhou and overthrow the second prince.
Yuanshi had never done anything for her, so she would not be sad, but only relieved.
Yao Jingzhou was speechless. His parents had passed away young, and he had a deep relationship with his grandfather. Naturally, he couldn't understand his uncle's feelings. He only asked, "When will you leave Beijing?"
Du Qingtang: "Tomorrow."
Fu Ci looked at the coffin: "Xianyu, where do you plan to bury your aunt?"
Du Qingtang thought for a moment and said, "As the fallen leaves return to their roots, let's send them back to Baoding Prefecture."
She has enough manpower to perform the whole show.
After the affairs concerning Yuan Shi's funeral came to an end, Yao Jingzhou mentioned Du Qingtang's appointment: "Uncle Master, did His Majesty send you to take up the post in Shaoqing Prefecture?"
Fu Ci noticed that Yao Jingzhou looked a little serious, and he didn't understand why. "Is there a problem?"
Yao Jingzhou traveled around in the past few years and had broad knowledge and extraordinary experience. He had heard people talk about Shaoqing Prefecture.
For various historical reasons, Daxia had several autonomous prefectures, and Shaoqing Prefecture was one of them.
During the reign of the third emperor of Daxia, the grandfather of Emperor Qingyuan, he sent a highly trusted relative to serve as the prefect of Shaoqing Prefecture.
This relative by marriage is a useless person who is incompetent at anything and is always the troublemaker.
He served in Shaoqing Prefecture for three years, during which time natural and man-made disasters occurred frequently and the people were living in dire straits.
Relying on his sister who was a favorite concubine, he accepted bribes on a large scale, made friends with local wealthy families and businessmen, and even colluded with neighboring small countries, desperately trying to make money for himself.
The people of Shaoqing Prefecture could no longer tolerate this, so they rose up in rebellion, killed the relative, occupied the land and became king.
It was not until this time that the affairs of Shaoqing Prefecture could no longer be concealed.
The imperial court sent troops to suppress the rebellion, but it only caused the rebels to split up and retreat into the deep mountains and forests, where they continued to rule the mountains.
For many years thereafter, no official sent by the court survived more than three years.
They were either killed by bandits or by wealthy families and businessmen.
In order to survive, later officials colluded with bandits, nobles and wealthy businessmen, completely disregarding the suffering of the people.
As a result, more and more people became bandits.
"It is said that Shaoqing Prefecture is now plagued by banditry, with countless large and small bandit camps."
"In addition to banditry, refugees are everywhere. Most of these refugees have committed crimes elsewhere and have fled to Shaoqing Prefecture. There are even refugees from various small countries around the country."
Fu Ci took a deep breath and said, "Banditism is rampant, refugees are everywhere, Shaoqing Prefecture must be in such a state of chaos."
Yao Jingzhou took over the conversation: "Zizhan, you don't know, Shaoqing Prefecture is notoriously chaotic and disorderly. Murder and robbery are commonplace, and people die almost every day. That's why I was so surprised when I heard that Your Majesty sent my uncle to Shaoqing Prefecture."
"People die every day?!" Fu Ci was dumbfounded, and it took him a long while to find his voice. "Is Shaoqing Mansion a place where people can stay? Why did Your Majesty arrange for Xianyu to live in such a place?"
Du Qingtang certainly knew how chaotic Shaoqing Prefecture was.
She also knew that the greater the danger, the greater the reward.
This was Emperor Qingyuan's punishment for her, and also a test.
If Du Qingtang succeeds in taking over Shaoqing Prefecture and governs the local area in an orderly manner, then all the past exploitation and deception will be wiped out.
When her three-year term ends, she will be promoted to a higher position and hold great power.
If she failed, or died a violent death or became corrupt like the previous prefects of Shaoqing Prefecture, Emperor Qingyuan would abandon her without hesitation.
By then, she might end up like Qi Heming.
Du Qingtang met the worried gazes of his friend and nephew, smiled, and said mischievously: "Who can guarantee that when I go to Shaoqing Mansion, it will be them who die, or me, Du Qingtang?"
"Don't worry, I have the ability to protect myself, and I'll bring enough people with me, so nothing will happen."
Fu Ci sighed in worry, "The imperial decree has been issued. There's no turning back. How can I disobey it? I was so happy for you back then."
Yao Jingzhou looked around and said gently, "Uncle Master, Zizhan, I plan to ask for a transfer after my leg injury heals."
The reason why he stayed in the Hanlin Academy was to secretly collect evidence of the second prince's crimes.
Now that the second prince has been demoted to a commoner, he can finally put his mind at ease.
It's just a pity that all the evidence that his uncle had worked so hard to find was wasted.
He had also thought about handing over the evidence, which would become the last straw that broke the camel's back for the second prince.
The evidence had been compiled, but before it could be made public, my uncle was thrown into prison, missing the best opportunity.
However, for the prince, unless he committed the crime of treason and there was irrefutable evidence, being demoted to a commoner was the most severe punishment.
Yao Jingzhou planned to present the evidence to the emperor before leaving Beijing, so that his majesty could at least give justice to the victims.
In addition to these evidences, there is also evidence of the guilt of another murderer who killed his father - Qi Changtai.
The evidence against Qi Changtai was enough for him to be sentenced to death, and he had to go to the underworld to apologize to his father.
"When I traveled extensively in my early years, I saw many people living in dire straits. Now that I am an official in the court, I also want to go deep into the local areas to seek benefits for the people's livelihood and alleviate their worries."
Du Qingtang cast an approving glance at Yao Jingzhou: "The emperor cannot see the suffering of the people at his feet. Serving as an official in the local area is good. It can be considered a meritorious service to hone your character and do practical things for the people."
Yao Jingzhou chuckled and said, "If I can pass through Baoding Prefecture, I would like to go back and see my grandfather."
Speaking of Baoding Prefecture, Fu Ci stroked his chin and said, "It's been almost a month. It's time for the news of us two women disguising ourselves as men to get back, right?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "Almost done."
Fu Ci hissed, a headache coming on. "Master will definitely be furious if he finds out. He might even assign me a lot of extra math problems. I've already finished the imperial examination, so I don't want to do math problems!"
Du Qingtang and Yao Jingzhou's eyes met, and they both couldn't help laughing.
......
The news that Du Qingtang and Fu Ci were women had indeed reached Baoding Prefecture.
Early that morning, the eldest sister Du Qingqin drove an ox cart from Xiaoxi Village into the city.
Since running the fur shop, Du Qingqin has been able to earn at least several dozen taels every year.
Although they were well-off, the couple did not dare to spend money recklessly.
There is still a long time to go, and no one can guarantee what will happen, so we still have to save more money.
Two years ago, the couple discussed and bought a cow. It was convenient for them to drive the ox cart into the city on weekdays, and they could also use it to plow the fields during the busy farming season.
Just as she tied up the old ox, the owner of the cosmetics shop next door called her over and winked at her: "Sister Du, you are so tight-lipped. We only just found out that your youngest child is actually a woman."
Du Qingqin didn't understand: "What did you say?"
The proprietress put her hands on her hips and said, "You're still playing dumb with me. It's all spread everywhere. Your mother went to Xiajing to file a complaint with the emperor, saying that your youngest child is a woman. The emperor then dismissed her from her position and had her thrown into prison."
"I heard that this is a serious crime of deceiving the emperor, and it is definitely punishable by death. I guess your youngest child is... Hey, why are you running away?"
After listening to the proprietress's words, Du Qingqin felt as if someone had hit her in the face with a club. Her eyes went dark, her legs and feet went weak, her head was buzzing, and she almost fainted on the spot.
Her mother filed a complaint with the emperor?
Tang Ge'er is a woman?
Is it a serious crime to deceive the emperor?
Lose your head?
Du Qingqin thought about it carefully with trembling lips, and felt dizzy again.
It must be her mother!
It must be Yuan Ruyi!
Tang'er was born a boy, but now her mother went to complain to the emperor, saying that Tang'er was a woman.
Then there is only one possibility -
Her mother lied to others about the gender of her youngest child, saying it was a boy instead of a girl.
Du Qingqin had never hated Yuanshi as much as she did now.
Even though she suffered from hunger and cold, even though the youngest child refused to marry Yuanshi, she had never felt such strong hatred.
If Yuanshi was in front of her, she really wanted to pick up a knife and chop her into pieces!
Du Qingqin couldn't imagine how much injustice the youngest had suffered over the years, and how scared he was every time he took the imperial examination.
She didn't even bother to open the door for business and ran all the way to the Du family.
Half an hour later, the eight Du sisters gathered here.
Obviously, they all knew that Yuanshi had sued Du Qingtang.
"How can there be such a mother in the world as her?"
"If she were in front of me, I'd beat her to death!"
"She ruined the youngest's life, and now she wants his life?"
Du Qingqi covered her face and burst into tears: "What should we do? Is it too late for us to go to Xiajing now?"
"It's too late."
Du Qingqi cried even louder.
"What should I do? Can I just watch..."
Thinking of the consequences of deceiving the emperor, the eight sisters burst into tears and cried uncontrollably.
While feeling sorry for the youngest child, they all wanted to cut Yuanshi, the incompetent mother, into pieces.
Du Qinghua gnashed her teeth and asked, "Why didn't she die in the Hu family?"
Du Qingzhu rolled up his sleeves and sharpened his knife: "If she dares to come back again, I will chop her into eighteen pieces!"
Among the furious sisters, Du Qingju was the calmest. After a long moment of contemplation, she said, "I'll go find Principal Yao. He's renowned throughout the land and perhaps he can persuade His Majesty to rescind his order."
"That's a good idea."
"I hope it's not too late."
So Du Qingju took a carriage to Yao's house.
In the study of Yao's house, Yao Xuan was holding a letter, staring at the flamboyant handwriting on it, lost in thought.
"Master taught me poetry and literature, and I will kill my old enemy for him."
Thinking back to the beginning of the first lunar month, when an old friend in the capital sent him a letter saying that the second prince had been stripped of his status as a prince and demoted to a commoner, Yao Xuan put down the letter and raised his hand to cover his eyes.
Not long after, the housekeeper came and knocked on the door: "Master, the Lord of Deyang Township is here to visit."
Yao Xuan wiped the moisture from the corners of his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I know. I'll be right there."
After the butler left, he took out another piece of letter paper from the envelope and glanced at it.
After reading it, Yao Xuan's eyes went blank, and he murmured in disbelief: "It's actually a girl?"
He did not forget Du Qingju who was waiting in the flower hall. He stood up, tidied his appearance, and went to meet the guest.
After entering the flower hall, Du Qingju came forward quickly and bowed her head, saying, "Please, Shanzhang, please save Xianyu's life."
Yao Xuan held her up and said, "I was just about to tell you about this."
"I just received a letter from Xianyu. She asked me to tell you that her life is not in danger and she will be released from prison soon. Don't worry."
Du Qingju was stunned.
"Xianyu also said that she would come back to apologize to you after everything is settled."
Yao Xuan's words echoed in her ears again and again. Du Qingju blinked, as if waking up from a dream, and the tears that had been suppressed for a long time burst out.
"Thank you, Headmaster, for telling me. I'm relieved now," Du Qingju said in a trembling voice. "I don't need her to apologize. I can't imagine how hard her life has been all these years, keeping such a huge secret all by herself, and in the end, she was... imprisoned."
Yao Xuan never expected that the disciple he treated as his own son was actually a girl, and he never expected that Yuan would go to Xiajing to file a complaint with the emperor.
How much hatred and resentment must one have to be so cruel as to send his own daughter to her death?
"Xianyu seems to be very capable in what she does. Since she said so, she must be very confident. All you have to do is wait for her good news."
Du Qingju raised her hand to wipe away her tears, thanked them repeatedly, and rushed back to the Du family to tell her sisters the good news.
The sisters breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad you're okay."
"Let me be frank. When that woman comes back, I won't recognize her."
"Me too."
"She doesn't care about blood ties, so there's no need for us to save face for her."
"That's right, just shoot it out."
-
On the 22nd day of the first lunar month, Du Qingtang got up at the sound of roosters crowing.
She tied her hair with a wooden hairpin, wore a round-necked, tight-fitting robe with narrow sleeves, and black boots, which was simple and neat.
When tidying up his clothes, Du Qingtang felt a touch of warmth.
Looking down, she saw the jade pendant that had helped her conceal her identity and pass the body search during the imperial examination.
Now that Du Qingtang has regained her female identity, she no longer needs to hide it, but she still wears the jade pendant with her, but she has not activated the camouflage function.
Du Qingtang raised his eyes and looked at the woman in the mirror.
She was dressed like a man, and her superior facial features were like thick ink and heavy colors, outlining a bit of gorgeousness, which was cleverly mixed with the cold and sharpness between her eyebrows. Under her calmness, there was an indescribable sense of oppression.
He has a tall, thin and upright figure, with long hands and feet.
Turning sideways, her throat is flat and her chest has a beautiful curve.
She is a woman.
She will start a new life.
Du Qingtang smiled at the bronze mirror, turned around and walked out of the house.
When we arrived at the firearms camp, the firearms troops were already ready to go.
Du Qingtang didn't waste any time. He tied the luggage to the horse's back, climbed on, and shouted, "Let's go!"
......
Du Qingtang and five thousand firearms soldiers traveled day and night, rushing westward.
In order to reach Loushan Pass as quickly as possible, even though it was pouring rain, the people in the Firearms Battalion did not stop and continued on their journey in the rain.
A month passed in a flash.
"Commander, Loushan Pass is just ahead."
Lu Ping, deputy commander of the Firearm Battalion, rode his horse beside Du Qingtang and pointed into the distance.
Looking around, everywhere you look, there is yellow sand all over the sky, and the wind is howling as if it wants to tear people to pieces.
"Commander, you haven't rested for two days. Why don't you stop and rest for a while before continuing on your journey?"
Du Qingtang tilted his head to look at Deputy Commander Lu: "No, I'm fine."
Suddenly meeting those eyes as cold as frost, Deputy Commander Lu felt his scalp tingle and he almost bit his tongue, feeling secretly annoyed.
It's over, the flattery hit the horse's leg.
Although the man in front of him was young, he was even more terrifying than Commander Yang of the former Tiger Guard Camp.
At first, some people were not convinced and thought that Commander Du, a woman, was not qualified to be in charge of them, which caused a lot of trouble.
Commander Du was not angry. He took out his musket and fired at those troublemakers.
Although he missed, the troublemakers were all scared out of their wits.
Since then, no one dared to go against Commander Du, and everyone was more obedient than a rabbit.
Du Qingtang's eyes fell on the skinny people whose faces were filled with traces of suffering. He tightened his grip on the reins and said, "Keep going."
"yes!"
The group galloped another five hundred miles and finally arrived at Loushan Pass.
The Firearm Battalion remained stationed in place, while Du Qingtang took Deputy Commander Lu to meet Tian Xiu, the general of Loushan Pass.
......
"General, the commander and deputy commander of the firearms battalion have arrived."
When the soldiers came to report, Tian Zhengxiu, the general of Loushan Pass, discussed military affairs with the deputy general, lieutenant general and other generals.
"Firearms Battalion?"
Everyone immediately thought of the news that had come from Xiajing not long ago that His Majesty had withdrawn 5,000 men from the Huben Camp to form a Firearms Camp.
It's nothing.
In previous years when the two armies fought, the imperial court also sent people to support.
But the key point is that the commander of this firearms battalion is a woman.
She disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination. After entering the court as an official, her biological mother reported her to the emperor through beating the drum. After her identity was exposed, she should have been severely punished, but she survived with the help of gunpowder and firearms, and even became the commander of the firearms battalion.
"So, are gunpowder muskets really that powerful?"
"Maybe, who knows."
"Your Majesty is truly foolish to send a woman here. When the two armies clash and blood and flesh fly everywhere, she'll probably faint from fright on the spot."
Everyone laughed loudly, and the rough laughter was full of contempt and ridicule.
The man with green eyes and fair skin sitting in the first seat on the right frowned slightly and said nothing.
After his generals had laughed enough, General Tian spoke lazily, "Why don't you two come in?"
The soldier responded and left, quickly leading two people in.
The person in the lead was obviously a woman, with eyes like stars and moons, cold as ice.
Commander of the Firearm Battalion, Du Qingtang.
The middle-aged man was one step behind her. He was the deputy commander, Lu Ping.
"This woman is quite pretty." Someone murmured softly.
Du Qingtang ignored the contemptuous looks from the crowd and said, "Greetings to General Tian. I am here under the orders of His Majesty, leading the Firearms Battalion, to help you repel the enemy."
"Repel the enemy together? I'm afraid your legs will become weak and your eyes will be filled with tears before you even go to the battlefield."
"When the time comes, we'll have to carry them back. That would be a great job."
The snickers came one after another, but Du Qingtang pretended not to hear them and waited quietly for Tian Xiu's response.
General Tian glanced at his generals, and his laughter suddenly stopped. He then spoke slowly, his tone revealing a firmness that brooked no room for argument.
"Miss Du and Deputy Commander Lu have been exhausted from the journey. This general has already sent someone to prepare accommodations for you two. You two should rest well. I will take charge of the Firearms Battalion."
The Third Prince said in the letter that gunpowder and muskets were very powerful, and asked him to take control of the Firearms Battalion as soon as possible.
Du Qingtang is a woman, so I think she is the easiest to control.
Deputy Commander Lu's eyelids twitched when he heard this.
What the hell is Miss Du called?
They called the commander Miss Du and called him deputy commander, which clearly showed that they were looking down on the commander!
Moreover, what does it mean to take charge?
Tian Xiu wants to seize the Firearms Battalion and undermine them!
Deputy Commander Lu subconsciously looked at Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang's expression didn't change at all, and he said calmly, "General Tian, you don't know that the Firearms Battalion is subordinate to the Huben Battalion and is commanded and dispatched by His Majesty himself."
"Before leaving, His Majesty handed the Firearm Battalion's military token to me, Du, and ordered me to take full command of all operations of the Firearm Battalion."
As he spoke, Du Qingtang took out the military token.
He held up the military talisman made of black iron with his slender fingers, facing General Tian and the other generals to ensure that everyone could see it clearly.
"Also, I believe that military officials should address each other by their positions. General Tian, you should address me as Commander Du."
There was complete silence in the main tent.
General Tian's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it, and the carefree smiles of the others were frozen on their faces.
Deputy Commander Lu almost laughed out loud.
The commander is mighty!
Well done Commander!
We should teach them a lesson and let them know that we are not to be trifled with!
General Tian said in a deep voice: "Commander Du, do you know..."
"Report—"
The soldiers entered the main tent and interrupted what General Tian wanted to say.
"General, we've spotted an enemy force fifty miles west of the pass. There are about 20,000 of them. Judging from their direction, they seem to be heading this way!"
Everyone was cheered up and looked at General Tian at the same time.
General Tian hesitated for a moment and said, "Ma Teng, Liu Jin."
The two people whose names were called stood up: "I am here!"
"You two, prepare your troops immediately and get ready for battle!"
"I obey your command!"
Ma Teng and Liu Jin took the order and left.
General Tian looked at Du Qingtang, a smile on his face, but his eyes were sinister and determined to win. "Commander Du, why don't you come with us to the city wall to watch the battle?"
All the generals echoed.
"That's right. Commander Du is here with the firearms army. He should also personally observe the battle and see the brutality of the clash between the two armies."
"Is Commander Du afraid?"
Du Qingtang ignored the other party's provocative words and bowed slightly: "Then I will obey your command."
So, the group left the main tent and headed to the city wall.
Du Qingtang whispered to Deputy Commander Lu: "You go..."
Deputy Commander Lu responded and left. The generals saw it, but didn't take it seriously.
They just couldn't stand Du Qingtang. Is a woman qualified to lead troops to fight?
Once we get to the city wall, we must scare her and make her give up.
The group rode for about an incense stick's time and dismounted at the foot of the city wall.
General Tian raised his hand: "Commander Du, please."
Du Qingtang did not refuse and was the first to climb the city wall.
General Tian: “…”
Du Qingtang stood on the city wall, looking down at the Qi army coming from afar.
All the troops who went into battle this time were cavalry. The huge number of cavalry came in the dust, and for a moment the dust was rising and the ground was shaking.
Under the city wall, the Daxia cavalry was on full alert.
The two armies faced each other, unstoppable.
The generals looked at Du Qingtang, only to see that she had no expression on her face and no fear in her eyes. They did not see her trembling and crying, and they were disappointed and filled with malice.
"Commander Du, I heard that the Firearms Army can defeat a hundred enemies alone. As the commander of the Firearms Battalion, you should show us your abilities."
Du Qingtang looked down at the Qi army and ignored them.
However, the generals took her silence as fear, and like sharks smelling blood, they opened their bloody mouths and pounced on her.
"Commander Du wouldn't dare, would he?"
"That's right. As a woman, and a criminal, you should just stay at home and breastfeed your child."
"However, Commander Du spends all day around men, and I'm afraid she's already lost her chastity. Since Commander Du is quite pretty, and my wife just passed away, I wouldn't mind marrying you as my second wife."
Du Qingtang remained calm despite all the sarcasm, obscenities, and insults he heard. He turned to look at General Tian and asked, "Can we kill the Qi army's challengers?"
General Tian was stunned.
When two armies confront each other, usually neither side will kill the person who challenges them.
But there are always exceptions.
"You can kill them. The Qi bandits attacked with fabricated pretexts and used deception repeatedly, causing countless Xia soldiers to die on the battlefield. We don't need to follow the rules of the battlefield."
General Tian looked at Du Qingtang with a half-smile: "Why? Commander Du wants to kill him?"
"Commander, the muskets are coming!"
The generals looked in the direction of the sound and saw Deputy Commander Lu holding a tubular object and climbing up the city wall while breathing heavily.
Is this a musket?
Du Qingtang took the musket and placed it on the observation hole, while taking a horse stance to ensure that his line of sight was level with the gun barrel.
"What is she doing?"
"Are we really going to shoot the person who challenged us?"
"That's just wishful thinking. Only a powerful crossbow could hit it from such a distance. How could such a broken thing possibly kill it?"
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the copper bullet shot out from the gun barrel.
In the Qi army camp, the captain who was in charge of challenging the enemy only heard a sound of breaking wind coming from far away.
"Bang!"
Looking down, I saw a round hole on the ground.
"What?"
Qian Zong looked around cautiously, but found nothing, so he continued to challenge. His extremely derogatory words made Xia Jun furious.
After missing the first attack, Du Qingtang slowly adjusted the angle.
"Bang!"
The bullet hit the front hoof of the horse that the captain was riding.
"Bang!"
Shoot into the air.
"Bang!"
Still shooting into the air.
......
Repeat this six times.
The general of Loushan Pass, who had been shocked by Du Qingtang's attitude and had unconsciously fallen silent, burst into laughter.
"Six missed shots, Commander Du, you're no match for me!"
"The musket is a good thing, but the man is a waste."
"Commander Du, I advise you to give up. Hand over the Firearms Battalion to the General and stay behind."
On the city wall, the generals looked at Du Qingtang as if he were a clown.
Only the green-eyed young man who was standing alone in the corner, watching the battle calmly, looked thoughtfully at the musket in Du Qingtang's hand.
In the Qi army camp, the captain noticed that every time the bullets grazed him or the horse under him, they would go into the ground. He and the soldiers on both sides who were challenging him laughed so hard that they fell backwards, and shouted even more happily.
"Daxia is really full of trash!"
"If it doesn't work, go home and drink milk!"
The Qi army burst into laughter, and the laughter almost overturned the sky.
General Tian's face was irritated as he scolded Du Qingtang, who was adjusting the angle, "If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job. Because of you, the soldiers of Daxia are almost becoming the laughing stock of the Qi bandits!"
The other generals also looked at Du Qingtang with contempt.
"Okay, we know you're incompetent, so leave now."
"Women are like that, they have long hair but little knowledge. They can do nothing but stir up trouble..."
"Bang!"
A loud noise interrupted the unknown general's complaints, and the seventh bullet flew out at a speed that could not be captured by the naked eye.
In the Qi army camp, the captain was laughing and joking: "Before the war starts, I urge you to kneel down and beg..."
"Bang!"
The copper bullet was shot into the center of the eyebrows.
A bloody mist exploded from Qian Zong's head.
With a provocative smile on his face, he fell straight off the horse.
......
The scene was completely silent.
Whether in the Qi army camp or on the city wall of Loushan Pass.
The officers and soldiers stared at the captain's body in amazement.
"Now--"
The generals looked in the direction of the sound and saw the muzzle of a gun emitting white smoke.
Du Qingtang raised his musket and aimed it at General Tian and the several generals standing beside him.
"Apologize for the trash you said to me."
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