Female Master
The young man on horseback listened to the curses of the surrounding crowd, a hint of schadenfreude flashing across his face.
"He Nanxing, before you got married, you were a renowned talented woman, even more talented than us. I never thought that you would fall so low in just a few years. You are truly pathetic."
Upon hearing the words "talented woman," Jin Xiaoxiao's heart stirred. Just as she was about to speak, she heard a commotion in the crowd and turned to look.
Yue Xiao's attendants roughly pushed through the crowd to make way, and Yue Xiao walked over leisurely.
Upon seeing Yue Xiao, He Nangao, who was riding on horseback, immediately dismounted, bowed, and greeted Yue Xiao, "Greetings, Second Young Master."
When the Marquis of Wenxin, who was hiding inside the door, saw Yue Xiao appear outside, he hurriedly ran out and greeted him.
Yue Xiao smiled and nodded to the two of them, then glanced at He Nanxing standing on the other side and asked knowingly, "Nangao, what brings you here?"
He Nangao curled his lips into a sneer and glanced contemptuously at He Nanxing. "He Nanxing's affair with a servant has brought shame to the family. The clan has sent me to sever ties with her."
Yue Xiao agreed with his approach, saying, "Women who do not uphold the virtues of womanhood are like pests that eat away at trees. If they are not removed, they will eventually affect the lifespan of the trees. Nangao's approach is correct."
"What the Second Young Master says is quite right."
Hearing Yue Xiao publicly declare He Nanxing a pest, Jin Xiaoxiao felt a surge of anger.
"Pests? I think some people are more like locusts! One can't jump around, so they like to gather in a group to wreak havoc on crops."
Yue Xiao followed the sound and saw Jin Xiaoxiao. His smile vanished. "Kid, who are you calling a locust?"
Jin Xiaoxiao stared coldly at Yue Xiao, "Anyone who feels guilty after hearing my words is a locust."
He Nangao suddenly walked up to Jin Xiaoxiao and raised his hand to hit her. "At such a young age, you dare to talk back to someone important. You have no manners at all. Today, I will teach you a lesson on behalf of your parents."
His hand was held tightly by He Nanxing, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't bring it down.
He Nangao gritted his teeth and called out, word by word, "He Nanxing!"
He Nanxing looked up at him with a burning gaze. "You publicly humiliated me by name, and I tolerated it because I knew the truth would prevail. But she's just a child under ten years old who said something unintentionally. You criticized her for being ill-mannered, and that's one thing, but you even tried to hit her! Are you feeling guilty and think that the locusts she mentioned were referring to you?"
The veins on He Nan's forehead bulged. "He Nanxing, you're actually siding with outsiders?"
Jin Xiaoxiao poked her head out from behind He Nanxing and added insult to injury, "You're not that old, how come your memory is so bad! You said it yourself that Sister Nanxing was expelled from your He family. Sister Nanxing helped me, not because she's an outsider."
He Nangao was so angry that he coughed up a mouthful of blood. Jin Xiaoxiao quickly pulled He Nanxing back two steps.
Jin Xiaoxiao patted her chest. "I didn't say anything, so why did you vomit blood?" Jin Xiaoxiao looked up at He Nanxing and asked, "Sister Nanxing, has he always been so petty?"
He Nanxing shook his head. "I'm not familiar with him and don't know his magnanimity."
When He Nangao learned that the clan intended to expel He Nanxing, he bribed his cousin who had taken the job to replace her. He hated He Nanxing. From the moment he entered the clan school, He Nanxing, despite being a woman, had always outshone him, causing his parents and brothers to greatly disappoint him and making him lose face within the clan.
Today, I finally have a chance to avenge my previous defeat, but He Nanxing says that he is not familiar with me!
Thinking of this, He Nangao rolled his eyes and fainted.
Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in shock. "Sister Nanxing, he didn't die of anger, did he?"
The two men with He Nangao quickly knelt down to check his breathing. After confirming that he was breathing, they looked at each other and realized that neither of them wanted to stay and embarrass themselves. So they worked together to lift He Nangao onto the horse and led it away.
Seeing He Nangao faint from anger, Yue Xiao felt disgusted with He Nangao, but that didn't stop him from using He Nangao's fainting as a way to criticize Jin Xiaoxiao.
"Nangao only wanted to scare you, but you were so vicious that you made him faint. The ancients were right: the most poisonous heart is that of a woman."
"I'm not a woman."
"As the ancients said, you can tell a child's future from age three and their character from age seven. Judging from your current behavior, you're bound to grow up to be a madwoman."
"A madwoman?" Jin Xiaoxiao pinched her chin, then suddenly smiled sweetly at Yue Xiao, her eyes crinkling. "Thank you for your blessing, Second Young Master Yue."
He Nanxing stared blankly at Jin Xiaoxiao. This child was clear-headed and definitely understood that the word "madwoman" was meant to be derogatory, yet she took pride in being called a madwoman. Meanwhile, he himself had been bound by these very words, wasting several years of his life in this secluded mansion. He wasn't even as brave as a child!
Yue Xiao remained silent for a long time, feeling that it was beneath him, as the legitimate son of the royal family, to argue with a mentally challenged child.
He flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
Suddenly, they heard the little devil shout cheerfully, "Young Master, you've come too!"
Yue Xiao looked up and saw Yue Jia slowly walking over under the close protection of dozens of servants.
He bowed his head and, along with the others, paid his respects to Yue Jia.
Yue Jia glanced at Yue Xiao, then walked past him to Jin Xiaoxiao. "Everyone, no need for formalities. Xiaoxiao, the steward said you arrived a while ago, but you haven't entered the Prince's residence. Is something wrong?"
Jin Xiaoxiao remembered her purpose in coming to the Prince's Mansion to see Yue Jia. She glanced at Yue Xiao, who was staring at her with a gloomy expression, and tugged at Yue Jia's sleeve, signaling him to bend down.
Yue Jia, with good temper, bent over following her force.
Jin Xiaoxiao leaned closer to him and whispered, "Young Master, has General Han been released?"
Yue Jia raised an eyebrow and nodded slightly to her, "His Majesty has ordered General Han to return to his residence to repent, and he is not allowed to leave without permission."
Jin Xiaoxiao jumped up happily and gave Yue Jia a high five. "Yay, I knew the young master was the best!"
The child was innocent, lively, and lovable; no wonder the housekeeper specifically reminded him to come next door when he left.
A smile appeared in Yue Jia's eyes. "I have something to do. I'll play with you next time."
Jin Xiaoxiao waved goodbye to Yue Jia as she left.
Yue Xiao's eyes flickered as he turned to look at the Marquis Wenxin's heir, "Your Highness, don't you think it's too noisy in front of the Marquis's residence?"
The Marquis Wenxin's heir was stunned for a moment, but after understanding Yue Xiao's meaning, he immediately spoke up, "He Nanxing, are you regretting it now that you're lingering at the Marquis's mansion gate? With me here, don't even think about stepping into the Marquis's mansion again in this lifetime!"
He Nanxing came to her senses, her eyes were incredibly bright, and a vibrant, upward-moving life force surged from her body.
He Nanxing glanced at the heir of Marquis Wenxin and uttered two words softly, "Noisy."
The Marquis Wenxin's heir clenched his fists, furious. "You've been divorced by me, expelled from the He family, and your cousin Han Qing has committed treason. You've lost all your support. What are you pretending to be so high and mighty for!"
Jin Xiaoxiao looked up at his gloomy, vulnerable expression, her eyes darting around, and said loudly, "Sister Nanxing, do you know what the young master just said to me?"
He Nanxing gently knelt down to look her in the eye, "What did the young master say?"
Jin Xiaoxiao deliberately drew out her words, "The young master said that General Han has been released without charge."
Han Qing was acquitted, so all his scheming had been for nothing! Yue Xiao's expression changed, and he strode away with his men.
Han Qing will definitely come and beat him up! The heir of Marquis Wenxin turned pale and rushed into the mansion, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Close the door! Close the door now! No one is allowed to open the door for Han Qing!"
As long as the emperor isn't incompetent, given her cousin's character and the Han family's loyalty to the royal family, he would at most suffer some physical pain. She was only surprised that her cousin was released so soon. Who was behind this?
Compared to the others, He Nanxing appeared very calm. Jin Xiaoxiao asked curiously, "Sister Nanxing, why aren't you surprised at all?"
He Nanxing told Jin Xiaoxiao about her idea, and Jin Xiaoxiao's desire to win her over grew even stronger after hearing it. This was because winning over the villains was her strategy in dealing with Yue Xiao.
“Sister Nanxing, although General Han has been released, His Majesty still says that no one may leave without an imperial decree. You'd better not go to General Han's residence.” Seeing that she was silent with her eyes downcast, Jin Xiaoxiao suggested, “Sister Nanxing, why don't you come home with me?”
Before He Nanxing could say anything, Ji Jun suddenly stepped between the two and accused, "You've picked up someone again!"
This was the first time Jin Xiaoxiao had ever seen Ji Yun lose his temper. Although it was strange, this wasn't the time for internal strife. Jin Xiaoxiao quickly grabbed Ji Yun's hand and coaxed him, "Ji Yun, you are the most special person in my heart. You are the first person to live in the same courtyard as me, the person I trust the most, and the only person who can grow up with me. They are all adults, and they have many things to do every day. Even if they come home with me, it won't change our relationship, right?"
Ji Yun knew that she was only trying to appease him in order to bring someone home, but she was actually trying to appease him!
Ji Jun glanced smugly at He Nanxing and walked away from the two of them.
Jin Xiaoxiao secretly breathed a sigh of relief. What a close call! She almost had a disaster in her own backyard.
He Nanxing watched the interaction between the two with great interest, becoming increasingly convinced that this little girl would definitely be extraordinary when she grew up.
After coaxing her, Jin Xiaoxiao continued to try and win He Nanxing over, "Sister Nanxing, my family members are all very kind and easy-going. Would you like to come home with me?"
He Nanxing shook his head and refused, "I plan to find a quiet place to live."
Jin Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up. "Sister, have you heard of the Jinjin Textile Factory in the north of the city?"
After a moment's thought, He Nanxing remembered that her wet nurse had praised a textile factory in the countryside that was specifically for women and children, which seemed to be called Jinjin Textile Factory.
She asked uncertainly, "Is it a textile factory that only hires female workers?"
“That’s right. Sister Nanxing, I’d like to invite you to be both a teacher and the dean of Jinjin Girls’ Academy. Would you be willing?”
The idea of founding a girls' college came to her a few days ago when she went to the textile factory. That day, she saw a group of little girls in tattered clothes timidly but eagerly staring at Bai Guo writing by the door. At that moment, she wanted to do something for them who were thirsting for knowledge.
The moment she saw He Nanxing that day, she felt that their meeting was fate. Jin Xiaoxiao truthfully told He Nanxing what she had seen and thought that day.
Finally, Jin Xiaoxiao's clear and bright eyes burned with high spirits: "Sister Nanxing, this era is very unfair to women. We all have an invisible cage imprisoning us and preventing us from being free. I want to tear off the cage that is on me and on us and gain freedom. I know that this path is destined to be difficult. Perhaps it will take ten, twenty, or even a hundred years to see results."
He Nanxing's eyes welled up with tears. "Why did you choose me?"
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