A Reprimand
He looked up at Xiao Ge with pleading eyes. "Your Majesty, why don't you talk to Mister Kumu and ask him to persuade Miss Zhao to lower the price?"
Xiao Ge didn't want to deal with Mister Kumu. That old man wasn't easy to talk to.
"Why don't you just go and talk to Miss Zhao directly? If that doesn't work, go to the Earl of Suiping's Residence Earl of Suiping's Residence," he said, frowning.
"Uh, if I said that, how would it be any different from forcing a young girl? Would we do something so shameless? Your Majesty, you don't know, that child is so pitiful..."
He recounted with great emotion Zhao Ruxi's earlier words to Kang Shilin, Wu Huaisi, and others: "Because I was poor, I used charcoal to draw," and "Because I was poor, I went to work for a silversmith to draw jewelry designs."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ge felt deep sympathy. "It's all Wei Qiu's fault for not raising his daughter well, causing this little girl to suffer."
"So, can we really ask that young lady to lower her price? It's not a good thing to take advantage of a young lady in such a Great Jin. If we do, the censors will impeach Your Majesty. Therefore, we can't go directly to Miss Zhao and the Earl of Suiping's Residence; we can only go to Mister Kumu. Mister Kumu is Miss Zhao's teacher, and he has promised that no one, regardless of who they are, can accuse us of bullying the young lady."
Xiao Ge was now in a real bind.
"Alright, alright, I'll talk to Master Kang." He had no choice but to compromise.
Compared to the stubborn and inflexible censors, Mr. Kang was better; at least if you gave him some benefits, he would reason with you.
Zhang Changshen then took his leave, satisfied.
He not only sowed discord among the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence, but also did a great favor for Mister Kumu and his disciples. Hmm, the sky is so blue today, the autumn air is crisp and refreshing—it's simply wonderful!
Xiao Ge sent someone to find Kang Shilin, but the guard returned quickly. "Your Majesty, Mister Kumu is not in the capital, but in Beining. It will take some time to inform him to return."
"Then let's call Fu Yunkai over first," Xiao Ge said.
He didn't need to confront Kang Shilin; it was all the fault of the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence. While waiting for the old gentleman, he would first call Fu Yunkai over and give him a good scolding.
Fu Yunkai was chatting in the Second Prince's villa when he heard the Emperor's summons and was still a little confused. But he didn't dare to discuss it with Xiao Lingpu and Xiao Lingyan, and quickly followed the Imperial Guards.
"Is your family short of money?" Xiao Ge asked as soon as he saw Fu Yunkai.
Fu Yunkai was even more bewildered, shaking his head and saying, "Your Majesty, my father receives a salary from the court, and our family also has land and houses bestowed upon us by Your Majesty. We live a very stable life."
"Is it because you have a problem with the land I bestowed upon you?" Xiao Ge asked again.
Fu Yunkai's mind raced, trying to figure out why the Emperor had suddenly become so angry. After much thought, he remembered Fu Yunlang's suggestion to buy land and houses at the Court of Judicial Review, and his expression immediately changed.
"I did not, I dare not," he knelt down and said loudly.
"Then what about you sending your brother to the Court of Judicial Review to force Lord Zhang to sell your family's estate? Is the Court of Judicial Review a place where he can boss people around? Do I lack food or clothing for your Marquis of Pingnan's Residence?"
Fu Yunkai was sweating profusely.
"Your Majesty is well aware that the situation on the border is unstable. If war breaks out, the Fu Family family's lands may yield nothing. I heard that the Court of Judicial Review has estates for sale, so I sent Yunlang to inquire about them. I only thought that having an estate in the capital would put my mother at ease; I had no other intentions."
Although Fu Yunkai was not old, he had been traveling between the border and the capital since he was fourteen. He was often summoned by Xiao Ge to inquire about the war situation, and he was already very experienced in dealing with the emperor.
He knew that when Xiao Ge got angry, he hated it most when people stammered, shirked responsibility, or made excuses to absolve themselves. If you were open and honest and expressed your selfish thoughts, you could actually gain his understanding.
"I suspect it was my second brother Yunlang, who was ignorant and offended Lord Zhang with his words. Although my brother is unruly, he would never dare to be disrespectful to Lord Zhang or to interfere with the Court of Judicial Review. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly."
"Furthermore, if my younger brother is ignorant and forcibly buys a estate that a certain lord wanted to purchase, I will certainly make him return it upon my return and personally lead him to apologize to that lord."
Xiao Ge knew that Zhang Changshen a cunning old man, and his words were often somewhat exaggerated. Perhaps it was just that Fu Yunlang, that young upstart, who didn't know how to speak or act properly, that had displeased him, and he was taking the opportunity to come to Xiao Ge's side and badmouth the Fu Family.
Civil officials and military generals have never had a moment of peace. Now that the border is unstable, he can't punish the Fu Family; he can only give them a few reprimands.
"Your younger brother is fifteen this year, isn't he? I remember you were already on the battlefield fighting the enemy when you were fourteen. Tell your mother what I said: spoiling a child is like killing a child. Your younger brother should also take responsibility for himself and stop spending his days fooling around and not doing anything productive."
Fu Yunkai a sigh of relief, "Yes, Your Majesty, I will certainly convey this to my mother."
"Go and handle this matter well. Don't let anyone gossip about your Marquis of Pingnan's Residence's residence, and even more so, don't let anyone say that I have mistreated you, forcing you to the point where you don't even have money for food. When the Court of Judicial Review sells more estates next time, I will have Zhang Changshen some for you."
Fu Yunkai broke out in a cold sweat again. "Your Majesty, I dare not. Under Your Majesty's rule, the Court of Judicial Review of Judicial Review to sell the land and houses of convicted officials. If I wish to acquire land, I can simply inquire through a middleman; I dare not trouble Your Majesty and Lord Zhang."
The Court of Judicial Review handles not only major and important cases, but also cases involving officials appointed by the imperial court. And what they sell are often only the property of convicted officials. If the Emperor's words were to spread, wouldn't all the court officials think that the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence was hoping for trouble so they could seize the land and houses under their names? The Marquis of Pingnan's Residence couldn't bear such a accusation.
Seeing Fu Yunkai's expression, Xiao Ge's anger subsided somewhat, and he smiled, "Don't be nervous, I was just saying. Alright, go ahead."
Fu Yunkai then kowtowed and withdrew.
Stepping outside the hall, Fu Yunkai realized that his back was soaked with sweat. He gazed at the upturned eaves and let out a soft sigh.
"Where is the Second Young Master? Send someone to find him and bring him home." Fu Yunkai rubbed his temples wearily as soon as he got into the carriage.
He felt that being at home was more tiring than being at the border. Mentally exhausting!
"Yes." The attendant replied, quickly mounted his horse, and headed towards the Marquis of Pingnan's Residence.
He needed to go back to the manor first to inquire, and if the second young master wasn't home, he would then look elsewhere.
In fact, after returning from the Court of Judicial Review, Fu Yunlang stayed at home obediently and did not go out. His only action was to send someone to inquire about Zhao Ruxi and Kang Shilin.
He couldn't understand how Zhao Ruxi had gotten involved with Kang Shilin and Wu Zong, becoming Wu Zong's junior sister.
When Fu Yunkai's attendant came looking for him, Fu Yunlang was listening to a servant report the news he had learned, "... It is said that Miss Zhao painted a portrait that looked remarkably like the real person, which was actually a portrait of Mister Kumu. In the end, Mister Kumu, appreciating her talent, took her under his wing and made her his last disciple."