Chapter 88 I already have someone I love.
"What? You're saying that Bai Rongcai proposed marriage to the Jiang family, and Lord Jiang didn't immediately refuse?"
Xie Qi was leading his troops in drills and returned from the training ground, drenched in sweat. Upon hearing the report from his personal guard, he nearly broke the spear in his hand.
"That old bastard is like a toad trying to eat swan meat," Xie Qi said with a cold snort, raising his spear. "I'll go straight to the Bai residence and ask him what face he has to propose marriage!"
The guards repeatedly stopped him, saying, "General, please think it over. The Bai family is a prominent family in the capital, and Mr. Bai is the academy's supervisor, highly respected by all. If you barge into the Bai residence like this, you might be impeached by the censor the very next day!"
"Am I supposed to just stand by and watch her marry that old geezer?" Xie Qi thought for a moment, then suddenly grinned. "Since we can't do it openly, we'll do it secretly."
His smile was malicious, carrying a hidden meaning.
That evening, Bai Rongcai finished her meal at a restaurant with her colleagues from the academy and was helped home by a servant, stumbling along the way.
"Mr. Bai, please slow down. You're about to become a groom, so you can't afford to bump into anything," the servant flattered.
Bai Rongcai chuckled, emboldened by the alcohol, "She's just a woman with a tarnished reputation. She dares to act arrogantly because of her looks. Once she enters the Bai family, I'll see how I train her into a true virtuous wife and loving mother who only knows how to support her husband and raise her children."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a sneer came from behind him.
"who?"
The laughter was especially eerie in the alley at night, and the servant immediately got goosebumps.
Then he saw a man dressed in black with his face covered.
He was tall and imposing, and although his face was not clearly visible, his imposing presence made it clear that he possessed genuine martial arts skills.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"Robbery." The other party deliberately lowered their voice.
Bai Rong, still drunk, hadn't realized the seriousness of the situation. "Look at you, so young and already so delinquent, daring to rob someone? Do you even know who I am?"
"I don't care who you are." The man in black had barely finished speaking when he punched him hard in the face.
Bai Rong was carried back to the mansion.
The man in black hit him too hard, almost beating him to death.
It's pitiful that someone so old had to suffer such a calamity. His face was bruised and swollen, and he was covered in blood. Lying on the bed, he kept wailing, "Go report this to the authorities! You must find that scoundrel!"
Unfortunately, before he could find the man in black, news came from the academy the next day that someone in the court had submitted a memorial impeaching the Lanting Academy for prioritizing private interests over public duties, for forming cliques and engaging in corrupt practices, which had led to the decline of moral standards at the academy and shaken the foundation of its education. The court ordered a thorough investigation.
Bai Rongcai was still in a daze when the Imperial Guards took him away from his home, covered in injuries.
What exactly happened?
Having just encountered villains, and then someone in the court, having nothing better to do, came to impeach the academy, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, like flies to meat, threw him into the imperial prison without any delay.
No, he can't just sit here and wait to die.
He only became the abbot because of his nepotism with the headmaster; the Imperial Guards could easily find out with a simple investigation.
The headmaster must be notified immediately.
*
Inside the imperial study, Emperor Xuanzhao frowned deeply as he looked at the report presented by Lu Yuan.
"Shen Qing was right after all. As the largest academy in the capital, Lanting Academy should have been a place where scholars gathered and where education was passed down. However, it has become corrupt and nepotistic, with the entire academy filled with chaos and a bad academic atmosphere!"
He slammed the report onto his desk. “None of these people involved in the case should be let off lightly. Investigate them thoroughly and don’t let a single one escape.”
Lu Yuan, who was standing beside him, immediately accepted the order.
Emperor Xuanzhao's gaze fell on Shen Ci'an, who had been standing quietly below him.
"I am very pleased that Shen Qing was able to discover these corrupt officials in time and submit a memorial to share my worries."
"Your Majesty flatters me. These are merely my duties."
He stood ramrod straight, displaying an upright and unperturbed demeanor.
Lu Yuan watched him without showing any emotion.
When I last saw him at the Jiang residence, he was still a poor, uneducated scholar with no connections.
No one expected that he would become the emperor's close advisor, influencing the direction of the court in an unseen way.
The day before yesterday, as soon as the news came out that Bai Rong had proposed to marry the eldest daughter of the Jiang family, he immediately submitted a memorial to impeach him.
They must have been preparing for this for a long time, just waiting for the right opportunity.
The Emperor handed the memorial to the Crown Prince for consideration, and the Crown Prince stated that it should be thoroughly investigated and that there should be no leniency.
This gave him an excuse to accept the order and throw Bai Rongcai into prison.
Unfortunately, Bai Rongcai, being the supervisor and holding official titles, could not be tortured at will.
Otherwise, he will definitely be sent to the gates of the King of Hell.
At this moment, Xiao Xuanyou, who had been silently drinking tea, spoke up, "I heard that Lord Shen has refused the marriage proposals of many powerful officials in the court. It seems that Lord Shen must want to be a pure minister who does not rely on nepotism to rise to power."
Shen Ci'an seemed oblivious to the hidden meaning in his words, and calmly replied, "No, it's just that I already have someone I love."
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes, his wary gaze fixed on him.
The person they admire may not be known to the Emperor and the Crown Prince.
But she realized during that visit to the Jiang family that this Lord Shen harbored unusual feelings for the eldest daughter of the Jiang family.
Emperor Xuanzhao was intrigued when he heard him admit it.
"Oh? I wonder which young lady Shen Qing has taken a fancy to? As long as she is not yet married, I can arrange a marriage for you."
Lu Yuan's heart sank suddenly, and a strange sense of panic rose within him.
If Shen Ci'an were to ask the Emperor to grant him a marriage, the other party would have no way to refuse.
Xiao Xuanyou was still leisurely drinking his tea. “As the ancients said, one must cultivate oneself before one can manage one’s family, and only when one manages one’s family can one govern the country. If Lord Shen were to start a family, he would be able to serve the Emperor better.”
"Shen Qing, you might as well speak frankly." A smile appeared on Emperor Xuanzhao's majestic face.
Shen Ci stood solemnly and respectfully.
If the Emperor could grant her a marriage, the young lady could indeed resolve her current predicament.
But what happens after that?
He knew that the young lady's heart was not with him. If she wanted a divorce in the future, with the Emperor's decree of marriage, there would definitely be many obstacles, and she would not be able to get her wish easily.
He didn't want to trap her with these things.
Shen Ci'an bowed deeply to Emperor Xuanzhao, saying, "Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your kindness. Your Majesty has already bestowed upon me more than enough. I am overwhelmed with gratitude and have no way to repay you. I dare not accept any more of Your Majesty's favor."
Emperor Xuanzhao did not insist upon hearing this, saying, "Very well, if you wish to grant me a marriage in the future, you can come and ask for my decree again."
Lu Yuan's tense back relaxed.
The three of them came out of the Imperial Study together.
Lu Yuan cupped his hands in greeting to Xiao Xuanyou, "I have matters to attend to in the court, so I will take my leave now."
As Xiao Xuanyou watched Lu Yuan's departing figure, he became somewhat curious about who Shen Ci'an was.
He remembered that in his dream, this top scholar held a high position and great power, and had never married or had children, seemingly becoming a truly loyal and upright official.
Faced with such a pure and capable person, Xiao Xuanyou naturally wanted to know more about him, knowing that he could become his right-hand man when he ascended to the throne.
"A woman who can win the favor of Lord Shen must be a noble, dignified and virtuous lady from a prestigious family."
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