"No need to answer, Zhuo Zifang interjected, 'Alas, it's all Liang Xiao's fault for scaring her, and not clarifying things sooner!'
Hearing this, Liang Xiao's brow twitched, and he almost kicked Zhuo Zifang to the Northern Army camp.
At this moment, Zhuo Zifang pouted, with the expression of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, as if to say: I'm shameless, what can you do about it?
Li Jinyu behind Liang Xiao couldn't help but roll her eyes at Zhuo Zifang, while Yue Lian and Jian Qinwan suppressed their laughter.
Zhuo Lingjun, a great Confucian of his time, could be so rogue in front of Liang Xiao!
Old Madam Zhuo wiped away her tears and looked earnestly at Liang Xiao, saying, "Marquis An Guo..."
"Just call me Liang Xiao."
"Alright, Liang Xiao, if you go to Daliang in the future, can you persuade Xiao Yun for us..." Old Madam Zhuo pleaded.
Liang Xiao asked, "Is she safe now?"
Zhuo Zifang replied, "She's safe. The Emperor of Daliang specially sent people to protect her. However, young talents from all over Daliang are coming to visit and pursue her. I suspect the Emperor of Daliang is intentionally doing this, wanting to prove that Daliang men are superior to Daqian men. Alas..."
Liang Xiao fell into silence.
He couldn't go to Daliang now. The matters in Jiangnan had not yet been resolved, and upon his return, he still had to marry Princess Ning Shuang.
But Zhuo Zifang's words were not without reason. In matters between nations, face was important, and this could affect the confidence of both sides in various aspects.
A woman who eloped from the Marquis An Guo's household, fled to Daliang, and was then pursued by Daliang men—even if it were just a rumor spread by Daliang, it was still not good.
In the future, when the people of Daqian interacted with the people of Daliang, and the latter brought this up, the people of Daqian would inevitably feel embarrassed.
At the very least, she should be brought back to Daqian.
After thinking for a moment, Liang Xiao nodded and said, "I will find a suitable time to go to Daliang to see her and bring her back."
Old Madam Zhuo finally felt relieved and, with immense gratitude, nodded, "Thank you. With you involved, Xiao Yun will surely be able to return to Daqian."
Liang Xiao left the others to converse with Old Madam Zhuo and Madam Zhuo Lin, while he followed Zhuo Zifang to the side hall to inquire about the situation in Jinling.
"Nie Yuan is currently safe, but it's impossible to overturn the case for the time being," Zhuo Zifang sighed.
Liang Xiao took the dossier handed over by Zhuo Zifang and frowned.
Treason and murder!
"It's like this, when Nie Yuan led the villagers to fight back against the massacre of villagers by the members of the Rejuvenation Cult, it should have been a great merit. However, not long after, he was framed and hastily convicted. The yamen in Jinling are under the 'Sect Master,' not the Prefect. And this Sect Master insisted on sentencing Nie Yuan to death." 138 Reading Network.
As Zhuo Zifang spoke, he seemed to recall something else and added, "However, with Prefect He and myself questioning the case, that Sect Master dared not be too presumptuous. The guards watching Nie Yuan were also replaced by Prefect He. When the Marquis of Dingguo arrives in Jinling, with you both, one civilian and one military, accompanied by your imperial edict and the Emperor's Sword, the case can be re-examined."
Liang Xiao frowned, "Why is the other party in such a hurry to sentence Nie Yuan to death?"
Zhuo Zifang sighed, "We don't know for sure yet! After Shi Liuyun visited Nie Yuan, he said that when Nie Yuan broke through the members of the Rejuvenation Cult, he accidentally discovered the faces of several important leaders of the Rejuvenation Cult. One of the leaders dodged his spear, but his mask was knocked off by the spear. Perhaps they are afraid of Nie Yuan identifying them."
"Rejuvenation Cult! Those demonic monks at the Southern Prince's mansion need to be dealt with!" Liang Xiao's expression darkened.
The enemy had indeed infiltrated Jinling.
"This matter might be related to the Southern Prince, which is why the Southern Prince and the Grand Tutor are inciting public opinion with all sorts of plausible excuses, trying to pressure Prefect He. However, Prefect He has also found something strange about this case, because he knows Nie Yuan and firmly believes that this person would not commit treason, nor would he kill innocent civilians," Zhuo Zifang explained.
Liang Xiao nodded slightly, lost in thought.
He Jingyun was indeed a good official, but the He family in Jiangnan was too small compared to the Gongyang clan.
The Gongyang clan, having retreated from the capital to Jiangnan, and with the support of the three major families from the capital, had almost absolute control over the officialdom in Jiangnan.
Fortunately, military power was in the hands of Marquis Dingguo, Gongsun Ye, otherwise, what kind of chaos might have ensued!
Emperor Wen's decision to appoint Gongsun Ye and Lü Yi as the two marshals of the north and south was also to prevent the disarray of civil and military affairs. However, with the two generals holding military power, they were inevitably impeached by civil officials.
But Gongsun Ye, as a hereditary Marquis Dingguo, had the right to command troops throughout generations, which was much more legitimate and far better than Lü Yi's situation.
Gongsun Ye's forcing Gongsun Jing to find him a son-in-law back then was also out of consideration for the future situation.
Thinking of this, Liang Xiao asked, "Can't that Nie Yuan draw those Rejuvenation Cult leaders he saw?"
Zhuo Zifang smiled bitterly and shook his head, "His drawing skills are truly terrible, and the other party has a face without any distinctive features..."
Liang Xiao was speechless.
It seemed Nie Yuan could only identify them in person?
Or, should Nie Yuan learn to draw?
The other party was so eager to execute Nie Yuan precisely because Nie Yuan possessed information that was extremely detrimental to them.
Perhaps that Rejuvenation Cult leader was a well-known dignitary of Daqian!
Once this person was identified by Nie Yuan, even if there was no conclusive evidence, it would make that person a target of close scrutiny and vigilance by Gongsun Ye and others.
Zhuo Zifang patted Liang Xiao on the shoulder, his face filled with concern, "You should discuss it after the Marquis of Dingguo arrives. For now, rest well in Jinling and perhaps go sightseeing. You've worked hard, coming all the way to Jiangnan and still having so many matters to attend to!"
"Oh! Right!" Zhuo Zifang suddenly remembered something and reminded, "You also need to be wary of Xiao Feng, the eldest son of the Southern Prince, and Xiao Chan, the second son. These two originally coveted Princess Ning Shuang, and now that you've snatched the position of驸马, they must hate you to the bone."
Liang Xiao merely smiled and nodded.
The Southern Prince had always used the excuse of "marriage within relatives" to have one of his sons marry Princess Ning Shuang. This was common knowledge, but Princess Ning Shuang had sternly refused and did not allow the father and sons to come to the capital.
For a long time, the Southern Prince's family had been confined to Jinling by the Marquis of Dingguo's family, daring not to act rashly, as military power had always been in the hands of the hereditary Marquis of Dingguo.
The old man and the young man conversed in detail for a while longer before returning to the main hall.
By then, Jian Qinwan and Yue Lian had also gained considerable favor with Old Madam Zhuo, and everyone was chatting cheerfully, with only Li Jinyu sitting in a corner, saying nothing.
Zhuo Zifang looked at this and opened his mouth, but felt as if something was stuck in his throat, unable to say anything.
Liang Xiao did not rush to mediate the conflict between the two parties.
This old rogue had been in the wrong from the start, and now that Li Jinyu had no children, he was undeniably responsible.
The women of Daqian were deeply influenced by traditional beliefs such as "many children bring much happiness" and placed great importance on whether they had borne children.
Upon learning that Zhuo Xun would accompany Liang Xiao to the capital, Old Madam Zhuo and Madam Zhuo Lin, despite their reluctance, could only agree with tears in their eyes.
They naturally understood that following Liang Xiao was a good thing, especially since Zhuo Xun had fallen in love with Liang Xiao.
After a moment, a guard ran in to report, "Master, scholars from Jinling have come to visit, wishing to pay their respects to you and the Second Young Master!"
Zhuo Zifang asked, "Who is leading them?"
"The foremost talent in the capital, Du Gu Xiao, and Ouyang Sheng, among others. They are all disciples of the Grand Tutor!"