After drinking two cups of tea, He Youyou finally stopped complaining of thirst.
But then my head started hurting again.
"Why does my head hurt so much?" she said, disgruntled.
"Don't drink so much next time," Zhao Changqing said, then added, "If you want to get drunk, tell me, and I'll be with you."
He Youyou didn't know if she had taken those words to heart.
All they do is shout and yell.
"Zhao Changqing, my head hurts so much. I want to sleep. Let's talk after I wake up."
"Okay, I'll wait for you."
He suddenly realized this wasn't a good place to sleep: "Youyou, don't sleep here, I'll take you back to your room."
"good."
"Stretch your legs out."
As he spoke, he opened his arms and picked He Youyou up in his arms.
Zhao Changqing carried He Youyou down the stairs of the corner tower.
However, since it was his first time visiting the He residence, he did not know where her bedroom was.
He went out and found a maid to take him there.
The maids and servants in this courtyard were all brought out by Steward Qian from the Han family.
Naturally, he recognized Zhao Changqing.
Seeing that the master was carrying the mistress down, he didn't ask any questions, silently led the way, took them to their room, and then left.
Zhao Changqing placed He Youyou on her large rosewood bed.
He Youyou was no longer fully conscious at this point.
She felt that her body was already lying on the bed, but it wasn't a bed she was familiar with.
Zhao Changqing helped her take off her shoes and was about to pull the blanket over her...
The person in the bed was gone.
Gone...
Zhao Changqing looked around in alarm but found nothing unusual.
But just now, the person he had personally placed on the bed was gone.
He held his breath, not daring to make a sound.
He reached out and touched the spot on the bed where she had just been lying; it was still slightly warm.
My gaze fell on the floor beneath the bed; her shoes were still there.
But a living person just vanished into thin air right in front of him.
Zhao Changqing shivered.
He opened his eyes wide, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared blankly at the empty bed.
He Youyou...
He wasn't afraid of any supernatural or superstitious beliefs. Even if she were a monster or a fairy, he wouldn't be afraid.
What he feared was that she had disappeared and would never come back.
Time passed little by little, and the sun outside the window began to slant.
Only the man by the bed sat quietly, motionless.
In the courtyard, Steward Qian asked the young maid, "Where is Master?"
The maid blushed slightly: "Master carried Mistress into the room."
Which room?
"The mistress's bedroom."
"How long have you been inside?" Butler Qian's voice trembled slightly.
"It has been more than an hour."
"They're still not out?!"
The maid blushed and shook her head.
Butler Qian frowned and touched his cheek.
This unreliable master of mine is so worried that his teeth ache all day long.
"Alright, you can go now. Don't tell anyone about this."
"yes."
At that moment, in Han Wenzheng's room, the two children were chatting casually.
After all, they're about the same age, so they have things to talk about.
Zhao Wenqi thought about his experiences attending court hearings with He Youyou these past few days, and picked out some cases that he found interesting to tell Han Wenzheng.
"Brother Ali, tell me, in this case, the two people covered for each other, so why weren't they punished?"
Since listening to He Youyou's words, Han Wenzheng has searched for many relevant books on the laws and regulations of the current dynasty and reads them from time to time to understand the national conditions of the current dynasty.
At this moment, seeing Zhao Wenqi ask him this question, he immediately got up and took out a copy of "The Great Law" from the bookshelf.
The Great Law is divided into several parts, namely General Regulations, Guarding and Prohibition, Official System, Household and Marriage, Stables and Storehouses, Unauthorized Construction, Theft and Robbery, Disputes and Litigation, Arresting Fugitives, and Adjudication.
The book that Han Wenzheng is holding is called "The Law of Names and Examples".
He turned to one of the pages and explained it to Zhao Wenqi.
"According to the laws of our dynasty, relatives of the highest degree of mourning may conceal each other's crimes and avoid punishment. Furthermore, officials presiding over cases are not allowed to force relatives to testify against each other."
(Greater Merit: Cousins within the fifth degree of kinship, relatives of the same grandfather. Greater Merit and above: Cousins and even closer relatives.)
Zhao Wenqi asked doubtfully, "What if that person commits a serious crime? Can they still be protected?"
“As long as it is not a crime of treason or rebellion, they can conceal each other’s crimes.”
(By the Yuan Dynasty, it had surpassed even the Tang and Song Dynasties in its leniency, even allowing crimes of treason to be concealed.)
"Why?"
Han Wenzheng explained: "Confucius said, 'A father should conceal the wrongdoing of his son, and a son should conceal the wrongdoing of his father.' Since ancient times, the greatest Confucian scholars and monarchs of all dynasties have revered human relations and filial piety. From ancient times to the present, the law has allowed relatives to conceal each other's wrongdoings. If the principle of concealment is abandoned, then the duty between ruler and subject will be abandoned; if the duty between ruler and subject is abandoned, then treason will arise. Furthermore, accusations must not violate ethical norms. A son cannot accuse his parents, a wife or concubine cannot accuse her husband, and a servant cannot accuse his master. Anyone who violates these rules will be guilty of a serious crime."
Zhao Wenqi blinked, seemingly understanding but not quite.
“Brother Wenzheng, although what you said makes a lot of sense, that’s not what Auntie said.”
"Oh? What did Mother say?"
“My aunt said that the laws of this dynasty are too outrageous. Husbands can beat and scold their wives, but wives cannot sue their husbands. If the husband is guilty, the wife has to help him cover it up. Even if the husband kills his wife, he usually will not be sentenced to death. Fortunately, she is a widow and has no husband, so she does not have to worry about being abused and bullied without any way to seek justice.”
Han Wenzheng remained silent after hearing this.
Actually, he had considered that his mother was still young and in the prime of her life.
There is no shortage of excellent men around her.
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