Qin Yining was amused by his tone and burst out laughing. "If it was really hot tea, I'm afraid it would burn him."
"Do you feel sorry for him?" Pang Xiao snorted unhappily.
"I'm just afraid that things will get out of hand and it will damage our reputation."
Pang Xiao naturally knew that Qin Yining had a sense of propriety. She was not only doing this for her reputation, but also because she did not want to cause more trouble and fall out with the Lu family at an inappropriate time. However, she was his precious treasure that he was afraid of dropping and melting in his mouth. She had only been out for a day and she was already being bullied. Moreover, it was Zhong Yibo and his wife who ganged up on her.
"I don't think that group of women are easy to deal with. I don't know if they are doing it on purpose or not, but they are only trying to cause trouble. How can ordinary women with virtue speak so carelessly? They are even the matriarchs of noble families. "
Pang Xiao looked down on the noblewomen present today. To put it bluntly, these women only cared about gossiping about others behind their backs. They didn't think about how others would be criticized. They wouldn't take responsibility for their own words.
Especially the woman who deliberately brought up the matter of the Empress Dowager matchmaking Lu Heng and Qin Yining. She was obviously up to no good and deliberately led the topic in that direction.
Pang Xiao subconsciously wondered if there was someone who did not get along with her, so she framed Qin Yining. But on second thought, sometimes the hostility between women often came from jealousy. Perhaps someone was jealous of his Sister Yi's beauty. Who knows?
Pang Xiao hugged Qin Yining even tighter with her big hands. "Don't care about them. Anyway, let's not interact with those gossipy women in the future, so as not to make you angry."
"I know!" Qin Yining hugged Pang Xiao's neck and buried her face in his neck. "Okay, let's just forget about it. It has nothing to do with us. Don't take it to heart."
"That won't do." Qin Yining lowered his head and planted a kiss on Qin Yining's forehead. "I think that Mr. Lu is clearly not giving up on his evil intentions. He bullied my wife. Do you think a cup of herbal tea will resolve the matter? Don't worry about it. I'll think about it. "
A jealous man was not someone to be trifled with.
"Alright, alright, alright. I'll do as you say. I won't interfere." Qin Yining's voice was soft. He covered his mouth and yawned. "It's more tiring to talk to those unfamiliar people for a whole day than to fight a battle."
Hearing this, Pang Xiao's big hands massaged her shoulders and neck. His hands did not feel much flesh, only a layer of skin wrapped around bones.
"Well, I've asked them to prepare milk and bird's nest for you. Eat a bowl, and we'll go to bed." Pang Xiao said lovingly, "I promise I won't torture you tonight."
The first half of the sentence was still fine, but the second half started to be frivolous again.
Qin Yining hit Pang Xiao. Pang Xiao laughed loudly and hugged her.
He didn't know how to dote on such a big darling.
After a good night's sleep, the next day, Qin Yining and Pang Xiao stayed at home to "recuperate" as usual. They gradually started to decline the few visitors.
Pang Xiao secretly went out. Qin Yining didn't ask what he was going to do.
"Wang Fei, Wang Fei." In the evening, Bing Tang said excitedly, "Did you know? Yesterday, Madame Zhong Yibo followed Zhong Yibo into the palace to thank him for his grace. In the end, they made a big fuss at Ci 'an Palace and disturbed the Empress."
"Really?" Qin Yining was making Zhao Ge 'er's little clothes. Hearing this, he said with interest, "With her temper, she'll probably suffer in the palace."
"Not only that." Bing Tang lowered his voice and said, "I heard that Madame Zhong Yibo went to complain. She said that Zhong Yibo humiliated her. On their wedding night, the two didn't even take off their wedding clothes."
"You can even hear this?" Qin Yining was shocked.
Bing Tang said with embarrassment, "I'm not the only one who said it. The woman who went out to buy today came back and said it. She said that it has spread throughout the entire capital."
Ji Yun came in with a box and heard Bing Tang say, "Isn't that so. Wang Fei, you don't know. Zhong Yibo is such a big shot from an aristocratic family. It's not easy for him to remarry, but it happened to be that kind of person. Now, many people outside are talking about this matter. Supposedly, the people of Zhong Yibo's fu are fierce and rude. They offended the Empress Dowager and the Empress. Later, Your Majesty was alerted. Your Majesty reprimanded Zhong Yibo's madame. Even the favored Zhuang Pin suffered and was almost demoted to Zhaoyi. "
"Tsk, if I were Zhuang Pin, even if I had a marriage alliance, I wouldn't choose a cousin with such a temperament." Bing Tang clicked his tongue, "Wouldn't letting her out cause trouble for herself?"
"Zhuang Pin probably has a weak temperament, right? Supposedly, if it wasn't for Zhuang Pin's delicate beauty, and someone who stands aloof from worldly affairs, Your Majesty would have let her off. The Bian Family would have lost a lot of face. "
Qin Yining listened to the two yatou chatter and thought of Bian Ruohan's appearance. He couldn't help but shake his head.
Her life was too good, and her parents and elders spoiled her. That was why she was such a girl.
But this couldn't be blamed on her parents. There were many parents in the world who spoiled their children. Not all of their children were like Bian Ruohan.
Qin Yining shook his head. She didn't take this matter to heart.
Pang Xiao didn't bring this matter up again. He continued to claim that he was ill and recuperated. He left the court.
Two days passed like this. There was another rumor in the Bian Fu. Supposedly, when Bian shi returned home, she was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall and wasn't even given food. Zhong Yibo also returned after a short while. He left Bian shi at her maternal home and didn't stay at his father-in-law's home to eat.
A big wedding that caused such discord. This rumor was too widespread. It overshadowed many of the rumors on the day of the wedding.
Now, Zhong Yibo had married an unruly shrew. Everyone knew about it.
Because of the rumors that Your Majesty treated meritorious officials harshly and bullied great heroes, now it wasn't just Prince Zhongshun who was treated harshly by Your Majesty.
Many people in the streets were talking about it.
"Zhong Yibo's marriage was set up by Your Majesty. No matter what kind of woman Your Majesty set up, it wouldn't be good for a subject to refuse, right? "
"That's why the patriarch of a big family like the Lu Family, who also has a noble title, married such a shrew."
"Could this also be …"
Some people didn't dare to say more, but everyone understood the unspoken words. It was easy to associate this matter with the harsh treatment Prince Zhongshun received when he returned to the city.
It was obvious that Your Majesty's harsh treatment of his subjects wasn't accidental.
"It's said that Prince Zhongshun is still miserably recuperating in the Prince's Mansion. Your Majesty hasn't given Prince Zhongshun an official position."
"An official position? It's good enough that he hasn't been impeached. It's only been a few days. Who knows when a basin of shit will be thrown at him again. "
The person who spoke sighed.
This kind of rumor didn't exist only in the city. People were saying it almost everywhere.
Li Qitian quickly received the news.
"Your Majesty, this subject's words are true. Those ignorant commoners are indeed spreading this kind of rumor. As an imperial censor, it is this subject's duty to report the truth to Your Majesty. "In the imperial study, a middle-aged official knelt on the ground and spoke righteously.
Li Qitian naturally trusted him. This person was his trusted aide and had been very steady in his work for many years. Although he didn't have a meteoric rise, he had relied on his own ability to rise through the ranks in the Imperial Censorate.
"Minister Liu, you may rise."
"Thank you Your Majesty." Imperial Censor Liu stood up with an upright appearance. He didn't even look at Li Qitian's expression as he continued, "This subject has another matter to report to Your Majesty."
Li Qitian rubbed his forehead. "Speak."
Imperial Censor Liu said, "This subject has discovered that Zhong Yibo is privately selling official positions and titles to fill his own pockets. The officials who sell them clearly mark the price, and there are even times when the highest bidder wins. For example, the imperial envoy that was sent to the old capital of Dayan, Sir Lu, was an official position that Zhong Yibo sold. "
That one sentence was like a sudden clap of thunder, truly shocking the people who heard it.
For a moment, the imperial study was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. When Xiong Jinshui and the other servants heard this, they were so scared that they didn't dare to make a sound. They quietly hid in a corner, afraid that Your Majesty would notice them.
Imperial Censor Liu, who had lit the firecracker, was still standing there like a pine tree.
Li Qitian's head throbbed with pain. "Impossible. Lu Tingzhong was personally arranged by us. No matter how capable Lu Heng is, how could he make us listen to his every word? Not to mention this imperial envoy, just the appointments, evaluations, and promotions of officials above the level of county magistrate were all personally approved by us. You said that the Lu family sold official positions? Could it be that they fed us a bewitching potion to make us agree? "
"Your Majesty, this subject didn't mean that. However, it is an indisputable fact that the Lu family sold official positions. There were people in the Lu family who deceived Your Majesty, and there were also people who deliberately led Your Majesty to succeed in profiting from this. "
Imperial Censor Liu thought for a moment, then said, "This subject will give a concrete example. A few days ago, there was a merchant in the south. In order for their business to prosper, they wanted a reliable official to take care of them. However, the local officials were tough, so they thought of a way to buy a local imperial envoy. This way, they could run amok without any hindrance.
"This merchant begged the Lu family, and the Lu family completed the task of buying the imperial envoy. However, the merchant refused to pay the promised revenge to the Lu family. It was said that they didn't give the Lu family a single copper coin, and even ordered people to freeload in the Lu family for a long time.
"The Lu family completed the task, but they didn't receive any money. In a fit of anger, they tormented the merchant until he closed down. This subject dares to speak bluntly in front of Your Majesty today. The Lu family sold an imperial envoy, that is, Official Lu's position, but they didn't receive any revenge from the merchant. Not only did they destroy the merchant, but they definitely won't be satisfied. They will only be satisfied when the position of imperial envoy is taken back. "
Li Qitian's brows furrowed as he listened. "You're saying that the Lu family will try to influence us and have us replace Lu Tingzhong?"
Imperial Censor Liu said, "Whether it is true or not, Your Majesty will slowly find out."
Li Qitian knew that Imperial Censor Liu wasn't someone who spoke without thinking. At this time, he was somewhat skeptical.
At the beginning of the fourth month, it was time for the official political examination. Coincidentally, someone from the Ministry of Personnel just happened to send a memorial to Li Qitian, saying that the inspection of Lu Tingzhong, who was the imperial envoy in the south, should have been completed and that he could be transferred back to his original position. He explained the reason in the memorial and asked for Li Qitian's approval.
In the past, there were many appointments and removals of officials that were sent in memorials like this by the Ministry of Personnel, and Li Qitian personally reviewed them.
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