The capital of the Jing Kingdom was the most prosperous and affluent place in the Jing Kingdom. It was also the holy land in the hearts of scholars in the Jing Kingdom.
There were many wealthy families and great scholars here. Countless scholars in the Jing Kingdom flocked to this place. Compared to the places outside the capital region, there were undoubtedly more opportunities here.
In the private garden of a famous scholar in the capital.
Dozens of young scholars were scattered around the garden in groups of three to five, chatting and laughing with each other.
Somewhere, a young man in green frowned and said, "No matter how I look at it, Lord Li doesn't look like a treacherous official. Think about it, he has done so much for our Jing Kingdom in the past few years. Even you and I have benefited a lot from him. How did he become a treacherous official?"
"He has repeatedly tried to stop the King of Shu from entering the capital and obstructed His Majesty from assigning the position of the Eastern Palace. He must have some kind of wild ambition …" The eyes of the person beside him flashed and he shook his head. "You don't even trust the Grand Tutor and the great scholars?"
Hearing this, the young scholar's face quickly showed hesitation.
In other places in the garden, people's conversations were also limited to the matter of purging the Emperor's side that had caused an uproar.
"The King of Shu is the legitimate Crown Prince. It is in line with the ancestral system and ethical principles …"
"Although the Eldest Princess is as talented as a man, she is a woman after all. It is not a solution to go on like this."
"He thinks that he can interfere with the selection of the Crown Prince by relying on His Majesty's favor. If he isn't a treacherous official, what is?"
"This kind of treacherous official usually doesn't have a good ending …"
…
In a pavilion in the garden, two old men were sitting opposite each other and playing chess.
After the old man with the white piece put down a piece, he said, "Brother Chu has never cared about these court affairs. Why is he so radical this time? Strange, strange …"
The old man with the black piece picked up a piece and thought for a moment before putting it down. He said, "Not to mention that Brother Chu is a little strange, the position of the Eastern Palace should not be left empty. It is the right way for the Eldest Prince to enter the Eastern Palace. How can the court affairs be controlled by a woman for so long …"
Pa!
The old man holding the white chess piece suddenly put down the chess piece and said angrily, "Women taking over the government … Her Majesty's move is really stupid. The Women's Union, the Women's College, look at what she has done. What a mess …"
"A few days ago, I visited an old friend. That old friend's granddaughter actually told me that the teachers of the Women's College told them that it was impossible for parents with single eyelids to have children with double eyelids. That's utter nonsense. His Majesty and Imperial Consort Cui both have single eyelids. I've seen the King of Shu with my own eyes. He clearly has double eyelids …"
His tone was resentful. "When I'm done with this part, I'll definitely submit a memorial to the Women's College!"
"Let's focus on the matter at hand first." However, the elder did not pay much attention to what he said. After placing down another black chess piece, he smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, you've lost."
…
"Although the Zeng Family's mansion is big, it's not a good idea for you to live here all the time." Li Yi looked at Drunken Mo and asked, "Why don't you just move over? Whenever you miss this place, you can come back and stay for a few days."
She shook her head and said, "I won't leave Sister Ruoqing behind."
Li Yi comforted her, "Who said you two should separate? When the time comes, Ruoqing will move over together, and you two can still live together."
"That's nothing. Even if you agree, Sister Ruoqing won't," she tilted her head and looked at Ruoqing. "Don't you think so, Sister Ruoqing?"
Wan Ruoqing just smiled and did not answer.
Li Yi looked at her and said, "Alright, but the Old Madame has been talking about you for a long time. Let's pick a time, and I'll take you to see her."
"Ah, the Old Madame of the Li family?" Her expression immediately became a little flustered.
Li Yi nodded and said, "If you don't go, I'll have to bring the Old Madame to see you."
"This matter …" She stood up, and the panic and nervousness on her face were even more obvious. She stammered, "I, I, I haven't brushed my teeth today …"
Seeing her run into the room in a panic, Li Yi could only shake his head. He understood her concerns, and it was not good to force her on such a matter.
After she left, the smile on Ruoqing's face gradually faded. She looked at him with some worry and said, "I've heard the rumors outside. Mrs. Chen also asked me to bring you a message. Don't have a direct conflict with those people. Has the matter really reached such a serious point?"
"Don't worry, it's just a small trouble. It will be solved soon." Li Yi stood up and looked at the closed door. He estimated that it would take a long time for Drunken Mo to brush her teeth this time. After saying goodbye to Xiaocui, he looked at Wan Ruoqing and said, "Let's go out for a walk."
It was early May, and the weather was not very hot. Out of the Zeng mansion, Wan Ruoqing comforted him, "Drunken Mo should still be a little worried. I've been persuading her these days. I think after a few days, she will agree to move over."
Li Yi tilted his head, looked at her, and asked, "What about you?"
"Me?" Wan Ruoqing was stunned and said, "After all, I've lived here for a long time. I'm still used to Willow Lane. I'll probably move back there. The house is too big, and it's always a little lonely with only a few people living there."
"It won't be lonely if there are more people." When walking to the door of the brothel, Li Yi smiled and said, "You go in first. I have something to do. In a moment … forget it, let's talk about it later."
Wan Ruoqing looked at him and asked, "Will you come back in a moment?"
"Depends …" Li Yi wanted to say that he would see how it went. Seeing her look at him, he swallowed the words that were in his throat and nodded. "Come here."
On the street, the sloppy old man limped behind him, but his speed was not slow. He shook his head and said, "When you're young, you do what you think in your heart. It's better to regret now than to lament when you're old …"
Li Yi looked at his legs and said, "You go to Second Uncle every day, but you can't beat him. Why bother?"
"What do young people know?" The sloppy old man curled his lips disdainfully and said, "If I meet Taoist Nun again now, I can let her use one hand …"
Li Yi stopped before the guru finished bragging, because they had arrived at the Chu family.
The gatekeeper of the Chu family was very polite. When he saw the young man and the old man, he asked them very politely if they had an invitation. When he learned that they did not, he also politely told them that the Grand Tutor was meeting some old friends today and would not see any guests. If they did not have an invitation, they should come back another day.
Li Yi smiled and said, "Please inform them that I'm here to visit the Grand Tutor. If the Grand Tutor really doesn't want to see us, we can leave."
The gatekeeper saw that the young man in front of him was extraordinary. Although the old man behind him was not very agile, his eyes were very scary. He could not figure out their identity and said, "Wait a minute, I'll go inform them. However, it's not certain whether the Grand Tutor will see you or not."
"Ning Chen …" He murmured the name and quickly ran in.
Somewhere in the capital, two figures walked out of a brothel. Hearing the gossip of the people around them, the middle-aged man turned his head and asked the man beside him, "Some people in the capital say that Sir Li is a pillar of the court, and some say that he is a traitor. Wu Er, what do you think?"
"I don't know. I'm not very familiar with Sir Li." The man beside him shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "However, I still think that Sir Li has been wronged."
The middle-aged man looked at the crowd and murmured, "Since he has been wronged, why doesn't he respond to the rumors in the capital and the fights in the court?"
Wu Er sighed and said, "Who knows …"
"Don't worry." The middle-aged man patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Sir Li is a hero of his generation. These clowns won't last long in front of him. We have to believe in him …"
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