After dinner, Wei Junpei, having washed up and changed into his home clothes, sat on a soft couch, where a servant brought him hot water to soak his feet.
"Master, since Madam Shen has that Miss Hong's letter of introduction, why didn't she hand it in to the gatekeeper?" Madam Qi asked, puzzled.
Wei Junpei smiled and said, "That's why the Shen family is so cautious. What else could it be? Of course, it's because they're afraid that if they send a letter, it will be intercepted by the gatekeeper or someone else in the mansion."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qi thought about it and realized it made sense: "But, the people working below us aren't like that."
"Whether it's true or not, they don't know. Even you, my lady, after seeing that food box, didn't you not want me to see them?" Wei Junpei asked with a smile.
"Alright, I know I was wrong, old woman." Madam Qi smiled. "However, after so many years of marriage, you know my temperament. I'm not a cowardly, selfish person. I just don't want those messy, ill-intentioned people bothering you, sir."
"Of course I know," Wei Junpei sighed as he looked at his wife's gray hair.
His wife is not yet fifty years old, but she looks so old, all because her only grandson was injured in an accident.
"My lord, I think I know why you and that young lady Hong have taken such a liking to each other. Her personality is truly extraordinary. Even strangers we met on the road, prisoners being escorted, would agree to do her a favor."
They even went through the trouble of walking such a long way to Nie Qing's house, and helped him arrange to go to the capital to appeal his case. Then, they even had to go to the military camp to give Nie Qing a response.
"It's truly a blessing from our ancestors that Nie Qing and his family met her," Qi sighed.
Mentioning Hong Xiaoduo, Wei Junpei's smile deepened: "That child, how should I put it, if you had the chance to meet her, you would like her too. She's so poised and natural, unlike any of the other young ladies from prominent families we see."
And those seven children with her, each one is exceptionally good-looking. And Kaiyang, that child, looks a lot like our son, but even more like our Tong'er.”
Upon hearing the name Tong'er, Madam Qi's eyes reddened again.
"Alright, don't be sad. It's all fate. There's no point in thinking about it. When I go to the underworld, I'll definitely ask King Yama to find out which member of our Wei family did something wicked that has brought retribution upon Tong'er." Wei Junpei wanted to comfort his wife, but he didn't expect to get angry himself.
Wei Junpei didn't delay. The next day at court, in front of all the civil and military officials, he reported the Shen family's plight to the emperor.
The emperor was furious when he heard this. How could such a thing happen?
Everyone says that the emperor is far away and the mountains are high, but these corrupt officials have gone too far. You should know that when the people are wronged, they curse and swear not only at the local incompetent officials, but also at the incompetent emperor.
After all, these officials are his, the emperor's, officials!
Therefore, the emperor was furious and immediately issued an edict ordering Wei Junpei and the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate the case. He also bestowed upon Wei Junpei an imperial sword, which allowed him to execute first and report later.
After the court session, Wei Junpei discussed with the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review how to investigate the case.
Among the civil and military officials walking out, some were nervous, while others were waiting to see what would happen.
Lord Wei of the Ministry of Personnel, wouldn't you say that you've crossed over into a different field?
Is he no longer busy with his duties at the Ministry of Personnel? He's actually quite interested in investigating cases now?
The year has passed, and spring is just around the corner. Unfortunately, some people's official careers are about to enter their coldest winter. They have been targeted by Wei Junpei, that stubborn and old-fashioned old man, and their official careers have come to an end.
Some people think that the one in Tongling City was not smart. It would have been much easier to just kill him instead of sentencing him to exile. Now look what happened.
Hong Xiaoduo had no idea how much of a stir her good deed had caused in the capital.
After obtaining water samples from mountain streams and springs in roughly the same location, I happily hummed a little tune all day.
After sending the two water samples into the space, I couldn't help but look at the bracelet on my wrist and check the weather forecast. It seemed that the rain would be dealt with before we reached the seaside.
With Feiyan joining the group, Hong Xiaoduo found herself with more leisure time.
Feiyan not only took on the task of washing everyone's clothes, but also styled Hong Xiaoduo's hair into a beautiful bun.
Feiyan was very skillful and could style hair beautifully, but Hong Xiaoduo only styled it once before refusing to let her style it again.
It's too much trouble, taking a while to comb your hair, and you have to undo it before bed.
Seeing that Feiyan was a little disappointed, Hong Xiaoduo comforted her, saying that in a few more months Yuheng and Yaoguang's hair would be combable.
However, Hong Xiaoduo also admired Feiyan quite a bit. She used to be the daughter of a wealthy family, never having experienced hardship, and always had maids serving her. She lived a life of luxury, protected from wind and rain.
Look at her now. The changes in her family have transformed her from a delicate flower in a greenhouse into a wild grass in the wilderness, showing remarkable resilience and adaptability.
What Hong Xiaoduo admires most about this girl is that she is living a good life now, without feeling wronged or complaining.
She eagerly helps the children with chores every day, and even practices martial arts with them. While the children practice calligraphy, she quietly does her needlework on the side.
In every town they visited, the children would follow Hong Xiaoduo to find local snacks and shops selling stationery to replenish their writing materials, while she herself would look for embroidery thread and fabric wherever she went.
She embroidered handkerchiefs, sewed cloth socks, and made underwear for the children and Hong Xiaoduo.
Once, Tianquan asked Feiyan in bewilderment why everyone else had a handkerchief, but his master didn't.
Feiyan blushed and said that a woman's embroidered handkerchiefs and purses should not be given to a man casually.
Tianquan still didn't understand and continued to ask why, only to receive a smack on the head from his elder brother: "If a woman does needlework, she can only give it to her own family."
Giving it to another man means she has feelings for him and intends to marry him.
Only then did Tianquan understand.
Hong Xiaoduo, who was standing to the side, found it amusing, while Quan Jinghuai pretended not to have heard anything.
However, Quan Jinghuai also felt that Feiyan was a pretty good girl. After joining, she was very clear about what she should and shouldn't do.
"Why have you been looking at the sky so much lately? Are you trying to figure out the weather?" Quan Jinghuai couldn't help but ask during their rest time that evening.
"Yes, I'm waiting for it to rain." Hong Xiaoduo felt the warmth in the wind and sensed that spring was not far away.
Upon hearing this, Quan Jinghuai felt somewhat puzzled: "Waiting for rain? What's so good about rain? It will delay our journey and also affect your plan to see the sea sooner."
Hong Xiaoduo looked up at the starry sky and said, "Brother Quan, you don't understand. After the next spring rain and after seeing the sea, I might have an unexpected gain. I'm really looking forward to it."
However, because we had to avoid the bandits on Da Lian Mountain, we took a longer route; otherwise, we could have arrived even earlier.
As Hong Xiaoduo was harboring resentment towards the bandits on Dalian Mountain, she suddenly heard Quan Jinghuai beside her whisper a reminder: "Shh, don't make a sound..."
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