As his voice fell, the young master of the Li family shuddered.
She had been ill and looked completely different from when we first met.
Yuan Yao remembers that when she first met the Li siblings, she only thought they were lively and knowledgeable.
Unexpectedly, she was proven wrong in the blink of an eye.
Now, the Li siblings, who have just recovered from the plague, have sallow skin, are thin, and their facial features are somewhat distorted.
It must be unpleasant to be infected with the plague.
Li Zhenzhu pleaded, her voice trembling with tears, "Your Majesty, please spare us! We didn't mean to contract the plague..."
The Ninth Prince glanced at Li Zhenzhu and asked casually, "Are the tea and snacks at Xiangsu Pavilion delicious?"
Li Zhenzhu was puzzled and exchanged a glance with her brother.
Unexpectedly, Li Rui suddenly kowtowed, his body trembling as if he were shaking: "We were wrong..."
We shouldn't have gone to see people infected with the plague, and we shouldn't have gone to Xiangsu Pavilion for tea and snacks afterwards..."
Li Zhenzhu then realized that the Ninth Prince was blaming them for spreading the plague to the people.
At this moment, Madam Li, with tears in her eyes, bowed gracefully and said, "Your Majesty, it is my fault for failing to properly educate the children, which has led them to make mistakes. I am willing to accept the punishment with them."
Li Tingfeng looked at his wife and children with disappointment and said helplessly, "This humble official also bears responsibility for failing to properly restrain them."
I am ashamed before His Majesty and His Highness, and also before the people of the Huai River region…
"I, your humble servant, am willing to resign and give an explanation to the people who have contracted the plague because of Li Rui and Li Zhenzhu!"
Resign from office?
Yuan Yao then looked up from the Xuan paper.
Li Tingfeng's eyes were slightly red, and his ears and neck were also red.
His expression was one of deep shame.
Behind her, Madam Li clenched her handkerchief, wanting to say something, but she didn't.
Only Li Zhenzhu and Li Rui were so surprised they almost cried out, "Father, are you really going to resign from your official post?"
Is this how their status as sons and daughters of officials is going to end?
Li Tingfeng's expression was resolute: "My mind is made up!"
“Father…” Li Zhenzhu was somewhat disappointed.
Li Tingfeng knelt deeply before the Ninth Prince, and then said, "Your Highness, Li Rui and Li Zhenzhu have caused hundreds of people to contract the plague..."
They, brother and sister, must bear the consequences of their mistakes! Your Majesty, please punish them!
Li Rui and Li Zhenzhu looked at each other and burst into tears.
"Father, no..."
"Please, Your Majesty, spare us, sob sob..."
"We know we were wrong, and we won't do it again..."
The brother and sister were crying with tears streaming down their faces.
Madam Li lowered her head, heartbroken.
Li Tingfeng also clenched his fist.
The Ninth Prince picked up his teacup and took a small sip: "If you want to cry, save it for when you get home. I hate it when people shed tears in front of me."
It's filthy.
She was crying her eyes out.
He lowered his eyelashes slightly and said coldly, "Li Tingfeng, do you know that I originally planned to promote you?"
Li Tingfeng lowered his head even further.
Beneath his wide sleeves, he clenched his fingers in anguish.
As a man, who wouldn't want to be ennobled and appointed as prime minister?
Unfortunately... he ultimately didn't have that chance.
At this moment, the Ninth Prince continued, "If you can't sweep your own home, how can you sweep the world?"
Li Tingfeng bit his cheek: "It is this humble official who has failed His Highness..."
His voice was slightly hoarse.
The old man's gaze fell on Li Tingfeng's sunburnt neck, which was almost peeling, and he said slowly, "After the floods and plagues in the Huai River are over, you will go to Guangyang and become a sub-prefect."
Tongzhi...
This means he's been demoted.
Later, the prefect became his superior...
Moreover, Guangyang is located to the north of Daqi, where there is much wind and sand and little rain.
That place was both dry and poor...
Li Tingfeng showed no resentment and kowtowed, saying, "This subordinate obeys the order."
Mrs. Li collapsed to the ground.
Seeing Madam Li like this, Li Rui and Li Zhenzhu suppressed their sobs.
The Ninth Prince glanced at the two of them and said coldly, "As for you two siblings, starting tomorrow, you will hang up your confessions and distribute porridge to the people in Huai River City."
I will have people keeping an eye on things; if they dare to slack off, they will not be let off lightly!
Wearing a confession while distributing porridge to the people?
So, would the people who contracted the plague because of them spare the brother and sister?
Those people probably wish they could tear them apart!
Li Zhenzhu and Li Rui sobbed, exchanged a glance, and saw the fear on their own faces reflected in each other's eyes.
Li Tingfeng turned around and scolded, "Why haven't you thanked His Majesty yet!"
The brother and sister then kowtowed again, crying, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for sparing our lives..."
The Ninth Prince waved his sleeve: "Step down."
Madam Li got up, helped Li Tingfeng up, and then pulled up Li Zhenzhu and Li Rui.
Once you're part of the family, you should step down.
At this moment, the Ninth Prince spoke again: "Lord Li, those who are supposed to be officials should first and foremost be good parents."
Li Tingfeng turned around and bowed deeply to the Ninth Prince, saying, "This humble official understands."
The door was closed from the outside.
Yuan Yao put down her brush and shook her slightly sore wrist.
Tired?
The Ninth Prince's voice returned to its gentle tone.
Yuan Yao shook her head: "I just think it's too noisy."
When the Li siblings cried, she lost all interest in practicing calligraphy.
but……
She looked at the Ninth Prince: "Father's method of punishment is quite good."
"Hmm?" The Ninth Prince looked at her.
Yuan Yao flexed her wrists and said, "The Li siblings are not young anymore."
Despite the strict regulations in the city, they acted recklessly, relying on their father's position as prefect!
While they are still young, we must educate them properly so that they know what they should and should not do.
If they aren't properly disciplined this time, they might make even bigger mistakes in the future.
Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince smiled slightly: "I am kind-hearted. Otherwise, I would have skinned this kind of person alive long ago."
Yuan Yao smiled and showered him with compliments: "Daddy is a good person!"
The kind-hearted old man immediately handed over a book: "Here, today, first copy down the contents of this book."
Yuan Yao: "..."
What a blunder!
Copying books with a calligraphy brush is just too painful!
At times like this, I miss my phone, computer, and pen terribly...
I hate calligraphy brushes!
Holding the calligraphy brush, Yuan Yao tried her best to calm herself down.
This copying took up the entire afternoon...
The next day, the Ninth Prince was not there, and there was another person in the study.
Xie Zhi sat at his desk, staring at the thick book in front of him, scratching his mouth and cheek in frustration: "Sister Danqing, are you sure? Qian Sui said that this book has to be copied today?"
Danqing said gently, "Young Master, hurry up and copy it. His Highness said that if you don't finish copying it, you won't have dinner tonight."
Xie Zhi: "..."
Yuan Yao gripped her pen and wrote furiously, pulling at her hair.
"Pfft..."
She looked up.
Xie Zhi said in a low voice, "Little Yao'er, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat today."
"Come on, let's go out for a meal first. We can write again when we get back."
Yuan Yao refused: "I'm not going!"
It's scorching hot outside.
Xie Zhi twirled his calligraphy brush, coaxing, "When I came here, I ran into the Li siblings, I was so happy! Serves them right!"
"You really don't want to go see them?"
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