Chapter 16: Do you look like a lady?

The girls' school started late but ended early, and when the sun was still high in the sky, the girls left one after another.

As Qin Xiaoning and the Sixth Girl walked out of the private school gate, they saw the eldest son's wife, Li, standing not far away waiting for them.

I'm here to look for the Sixth Miss.

In the Ningguo Duke's branch, Lu Ji is the legitimate son. Above him, the Duke also has a stepson, who is the eldest son of the Duke's mansion, named Lu Yu.

The current Duke's wife is the Duke's second wife. The Duke's original wife was in poor health and could not get pregnant. She had advised the Duke to take a concubine to continue the family line. The Duke did not want to rub salt into his wife's wounds, so he did not take a concubine. In order to have children, he adopted a son from the family, the eldest son. Unexpectedly, the original wife passed away within two years. Many years later, the Duke married a second wife, the current Duke's wife, who gave birth to his son Lu Ji, and naturally inherited the title.

The eldest son of the Duke's Mansion is also a capable person. He was born as a top scholar and has now entered the cabinet. The lady he married is named Li Lanchun, who is the niece of the Duke's wife.

"Sister-in-law, you came to pick me up to pick out fabrics to make clothes?" The Sixth Girl asked with a smile when she saw the grandmother.

Li was about 60% similar to her aunt, the wife of the Duke. She was tall, capable, with an oval face and wheat-colored skin. Although not fair, her skin was firm and healthy.

The voice she spoke was very similar to that of the Duke's wife, a little loud and cheerful: "That's right, summer is coming soon, so I'll make new clothes for you earlier." Then she turned to look at Qin Xiaoning who was beside the Sixth Miss and asked, "A Ning is here to look for the Sixth Miss too?"

Qin Xiaoning smiled and saluted the grandmother, and replied: "I am here to study in the private school."

If it were an ordinary woman, she would definitely be surprised that Lu Ji doted on his concubine so much that he allowed her to go to school. However, this lady had the same temperament as the Duke's wife and had a masculine character.

"Aning can read? That's amazing." Grandma looked surprised.

Qin Xiaoning said modestly: "I only roughly recognize a few of them, but I have nothing to do and want to learn more from you."

The grandmother said straightforwardly, "It can be seen that Aning is a person with great ambition. If it were an ordinary girl, she would just want to enjoy a peaceful life. Who would come here to study so hard?" As she spoke, she lowered her voice and chuckled, "I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. When I was in school, I couldn't stand sitting in school for a whole day. My mother took a broom and chased me to school. I jumped out of the back window and ran away. My mother was so angry that she chased me all over the house with a broom."

Qin Xiaoning and the Sixth Girl were so amused that they giggled. Qin Xiaoning jokingly asked the Grandmother, "Did the old lady catch up with you in the end?"

"How could my mother catch up with me?" Seeing that Qin Xiaoning's question was interesting, the grandmother laughed even more heartily: "I was out walking all morning, and finally I was so hungry that I had to go back to find something to eat. Then my mother caught me and took me back to the school. I ate too much, and I fell asleep in less than half an hour. I didn't even know that the school was over. When I opened my eyes, it was dark and everyone had left. My mother saw that I was really not cut out for studying, and finally she was too lazy to care about me anymore."

As she said this, the grandmother spread her hands and said, "It's a pity, alas, I can't read or write at all now."

Qin Xiaoning said: "The eldest son is the top scholar, which just makes up for the regret of the eldest grandmother."

When talking about the number one scholar, the grandmother was full of pride and said cheerfully, "That's right. When the Shen family's eldest son said he wanted to marry me, everyone in the capital was shocked. Even I didn't expect that I could marry a number one scholar."

The women in the general's mansion were famous for their lack of knowledge in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but this did not affect their finding a good home. The Duke's wife and the Duke had been living in harmony with each other all their lives. This illiterate lady happened to catch the eye of the well-read top scholar, and the couple lived a loving life.

The few of them chatted and laughed as they walked to the fork in the road, and the eldest grandmother and the sixth girl went to the front yard.

Qin Xiaoning returned to Qingsong Garden, walked along the bluestone corridor through the bamboo forest, and vaguely saw a figure standing on the arch bridge in front.

If it’s not Lu Ji, then who else could it be?

Qin Xiaoning smiled unconsciously and her steps quickened. When she passed through the bamboo forest, she was already jogging.

"Why are you running? You're sweating all over."

When she came to him, Lu Ji scolded her, but took out a handkerchief from his sleeve pocket and handed it to her.

The little girl took the handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Lu Ji asked, "Who were you with just now?" As he spoke, his face darkened, "I heard you laughing from a distance, you have no manners at all." "When I came out with the Sixth Miss, I ran into the Grandmother." Seeing his cold face, the little girl muttered, "Everyone is laughing, why don't you allow me to laugh?"

"I didn't say you can't laugh." Lu Ji rolled his eyes at her and said in a lecturing tone, "Why are you laughing so loudly? Do you look like a lady at all?"

A big man like Lu Ji naturally likes the kind of smile that is gentle and without showing teeth.

Qin Xiaoning snorted in her heart, but she remained docile on the surface, and whispered back, "I know, I'll be careful next time."

Glancing at his gradually easing expression, she looked up at him with a smile on her face and asked, "Did the prince come here specially to pick me up?"

"Just passing by." He snorted coldly, "What are you thinking about?"

The little girl curled her lips, handed him the handkerchief, and said with a wooden face, "Thank you."

Lu Ji did not take it. He said, "Wash it clean and return it to me later." Then he left with his hands behind his back.

He came over here anxiously, as if just to scold her.

Qin Xiaoning stood where she was and stuck out her tongue at his back.

-

Reclaiming the homeland of Hexi consumed a large amount of national funds. The emperor issued an edict, ordering all vassal states to increase taxes and pay tribute to relieve the court's difficulties.

There were three vassal kings in the Great Zhou: King Xuanchen in the north, who was the mother's family of Concubine Chen; King Qin in the northwest; and King Pingyang in the south.

After the imperial edict was issued, the two vassal kings, King Xuanchen and King Pingyang, both paid tribute in compliance with the order. Only the King of Qin in the northwest kept delaying and was reluctant to pay tribute.

There have long been rumors that the King of Qin has been secretly communicating with the barbarians in the northwest, and seems to have ambitions.

During the morning court session, the envoys sent by the sage to the northern vassal states reported: "Your Majesty, I have been ordered to meet with the King of Qin and persuade him to pay tribute to relieve the court's needs. The King of Qin replied that the north has suffered from disasters for several years and cannot pay tribute. He also said, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

This is what it means to disobey an imperial order.

The sage did not react much when he heard this, and only asked Prime Minister Jiang: "In your opinion, what exactly does the King of Qin mean?"

Prime Minister Jiang was Concubine Duan's father. Hearing this, he stepped out and said, "It is true that there is a disaster in the northwest, but compared with the flood in the south, the disaster is not worth mentioning at all. The other two princes were able to obey the order and pay tribute, but the King of Qin used the natural disaster as an excuse to disobey the order. I think the King of Qin must have ambitions."

As soon as Prime Minister Jiang finished speaking, the Minister of War Zhang Tingjing retorted: "The King of Qin has always been loyal and has never been disobedient before. He just didn't pay tribute. Besides, he has already explained the reason. I think Prime Minister Jiang is framing a loyal and good person. I hope Your Majesty will understand."

The Zhang family of the Minister of War is the maiden family of Concubine Chen's mother, and the fiefdoms of Prince Xuanchen and Prince Qin are adjacent to each other. The two princes have in-laws, so they prosper together and suffer together. Someone in the court attacked Prince Qin, and as Prince Xuanchen's elder brother-in-law, he naturally had to speak on the side of the two princes.

Concubine Chen is in favor, and Prime Minister Jiang, who is determined to help his daughter, Concubine Duan, ascend to the throne of Queen, will not tolerate Prince Xuan Chen. He is determined to use this incident to overthrow the two vassal kings.

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Jiang retorted, "Minister Zhang said that I was framing a loyal and good person. Then I would like to ask you, the King of Qin controls twelve counties in the north and has a close relationship with the King of Xuanchen. If he really has the intention of rebelling, wouldn't it be dangerous?"

As he spoke, he kowtowed to the saint: "Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance. In order to nip it in the bud, I ask Your Majesty to take the initiative and send troops to the northern border to wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop."

The saint still had no reaction when he heard this, but his eyes fell on Lu Ji, who had remained silent, and asked, "Lord Lu, what do you think?"

(End of this chapter)