Liang Xiao fell silent as he listened to the elders' account.
Ye Qingyi had publicly handed over the position of Hundred Springs Pavilion Mistress to Yi Rou, and then Ye Qingyi herself vanished!
"After Miss Yi Rou became the Mistress of Hundred Springs Pavilion, she possessed quite a bit of Ye Qingyi's demeanor, as if she had transformed into an entirely different person. This indicates she was always a deeply hidden strength, not a weak woman!" Liang Qing exclaimed with emotion.
It was truly a pity that these two peerless beauties had no fate with his grandson. However, it would have been a far greater problem if Liang Xiao had taken them in.
After all, the Son of Heaven intended to make Liang Xiao a consort.
The aristocratic families, led by the Dugu clan, were all waiting for Liang Xiao to make a mistake so they could impeach him.
Jian Qinnan, eating alone at a small table, also felt complex emotions upon hearing Liang Qing's words, unsure whether to lament the two women or admire Liang Xiao's respect for them.
As the daughter of the Medical Saint, Jian Qinnan had learned some medical skills and, following Mu Xueqin's teachings, had always insisted on eating at separate tables.
At the time, Jian Qinnan had worried Liang Xiao would be angry, but to her surprise, Liang Xiao had praised her and even reminded Luo Qingxue and the others to learn from her and also eat separately!
Liang Xiao nodded slightly and sighed, "I don't believe I have the ability to make Ye Qingyi fall head over heels for me. I'm more worried that she was being manipulated by someone else, but I can't state it plainly and falsely accuse her."
Liang Qing and Luo Changfeng nodded, saying no more.
As old and experienced individuals, they had naturally considered this point. However, Ye Qingyi had been famous for a long time, making it too easy to let down one's guard.
In the Hundred Springs Pavilion, when she was alone, Yi Rou, with a calm expression, gazed at the poem by Liang Xiao that she had meticulously copied onto the table.
"Marshal, must we finally oppose him?"
After hearing Liang Xiao's story that day, Yi Rou and Ye Qingyi departed in satisfaction, their lingering resentment towards Liang Xiao vanishing.
Liang Xiao had not mistreated them, and had even affirmed their charm!
Ye Qingyi had left to seek help from her master.
"The leader of the Huichun Sect is currently in a terrible predicament because of the book 'Refutation of Huichun Sect.' They likely have no intention of dealing with Liang Xiao..."
Yi Rou mused inwardly, then suddenly realized with a shock, "Could this book, 'Refutation of Huichun Sect,' also be written by Liang Xiao?"
A book that appeared out of nowhere had systematically refuted the devious theories and fallacies used by the Huichun Sect to bewitch people, and it was now effectively suppressing the Huichun Sect's expansion across various regions!
The remnants of the Great Heng Kingdom also kept their distance from evil cults like the Huichun Sect. However...
"The leader of the Huichun Sect owes a life-saving debt to Mistress Ye. It's unlikely she can completely sever ties with the Huichun Sect..."
Yi Rou was filled with worry.
If they were associated with the Huichun Sect, even if they succeeded in restoring their nation, they would likely be caught by the aristocratic families and manipulated at their will. This was not a good outcome!
But at present, even restoration seemed a distant hope!
Thinking of Liang Xiao, Yi Rou's expression was complex. She clenched her fists slightly, and finally made a decision. She summoned her personal maidservant: "Make arrangements according to the Marshal's orders, but do not harm the Marquis of Anguo..."
The next day, an announcement from the imperial palace startled the surrounding populace!
"What is this 'Conquest of Land Edict'?"
Dugu Qun, Ouyang Ji, He Wanli, Dugu Liang, and others were in a secret chamber of the Dugu family, discussing how to deal with Liang Xiao. Upon hearing of the Conquest of Land Edict, they frowned and immediately went to investigate.
The so-called "Conquest of Land Edict" was vastly different from previous land-related policies!
Xiao Qing issued a decree, ordering personnel in all prefectures and counties to report their landholdings. In the future, the state would repurchase these lands at a price at least ten percent higher than the market transaction price.
What truly made Dugu Qun and the others suspicious was the supplementary content of the Conquest of Land Edict.
All reported lands were to be deemed as available for national acquisition at any time. However, the reports could also be withdrawn at any time, with the caveat that the state would prioritize repurchasing lands that had already been reported in the future!
"What is this foolish emperor planning? Does he have too much money in his national treasury?" Dugu Liang sneered.
Ouyang Ji also couldn't help but laugh coldly, "A lot of thunder, little rain. Where will the national treasury get the funds to repurchase all this land? I fear he's merely seeking an excuse to directly confiscate these lands!"
He Wanli asked, "Then should we report our lands?"
Dugu Yuncheng, who was already resentful about his demotion disguised as a promotion, stood up and said, "We can report some, to see what this foolish emperor is scheming. If he intends to buy lands cheaply through coercion, then we can seize the opportunity to secretly incite the common people and gentry of the realm to rise up against him. The throne will change hands before long!"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Undeniably, judging by its literal meaning, the Conquest of Land Edict posed no harm to landowners.
If they were worried about their land being exposed, they simply wouldn't report it. The initiative was entirely in the hands of the landowners!
Ouyang Ji chuckled, "The national treasury doesn't have that much money. But I've figured it out. If the foolish emperor wants to repurchase land, we'll fan the flames and urge him to increase his repurchase efforts. Then, the national treasury will be empty, which will inevitably affect other policies. We can then fish in troubled waters and make another profit..."
Dugu Qun also smiled, "Perhaps it's because the revenue from the newly established salt fields is substantial, giving the foolish emperor confidence. I will contact the countries of Chuyun and Taiji to disrupt salt production in the East Sea!"
Dugu Liang snorted coldly, "So what if the revenue from salt administration increases? Even in ten years, he won't be able to repurchase all the land! Has this foolish emperor drunk Liang Xiao's bewitching soup and thinks his wings have hardened? The realm should change hands, to be held by the virtuous. It is necessary for the country and the people!"
As they spoke, the group adopted an air of righteousness, claiming to act for the good of the nation and its people.
At night, Ning Xuejun led Liang Xiao into the Western Palace Villa.
"Brother Xiao..." Xiao Qing sat shyly on the bed, gazing at Liang Xiao.
"Why aren't you happy that your Brother Xiao is back?" Liang Xiao asked with a smile.
Xiao Qing clutched her bedsheets with her slender hands and said weakly, "Is Brother Xiao going to spank my bottom..."
Liang Xiao chuckled, "Then I won't."
"Y-yes, you should spank me..." Xiao Qing's face flushed with embarrassment.
Ning Xuejun wore a strange expression and, with a knowing gesture, slipped out of the room, closing the door.
Liang Xiao blinked in surprise, "Huh? Why?"
"As long as Brother Xiao is happy..." Xiao Qing's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum.
Under Xiao Qing's shy gaze, Liang Xiao sat by her bedside and asked, "Has the smallpox healed?"
Xiao Qing nodded obediently, deeply touched.
Compared to being spanked, he was more concerned about her safety!
"Where has it scabbed? Let me see?" Liang Xiao asked again.
Xiao Qing immediately turned pale with fright, "It's, it's..."
In fact, there was one spot on the back of her neck, not noticeable unless one looked closely.
If he were to discover that the scabbed location of Princess Ningshuang and Little Shuangzi was the same...
"It seems inconvenient to look. In any case, it's not on your face, so Shuang'er doesn't need to worry." Liang Xiao smiled and pinched Xiao Qing's small cheek.
"What if I really accidentally end up with a pockmarked face..." Xiao Qing murmured.
"Didn't your imperial brother convey my words to you?" Liang Xiao sighed.
"Yes..."
"We will grow old and ugly together. If such an misfortune were to happen, Brother Xiao would accompany you and grow ugly ahead of time." Liang Xiao held Xiao Qing's hand, his eyes filled with unprecedented sincerity.
In his previous life, he had feared implicating his family and had remained single.
In this life, how could he fail to cherish this maiden who deeply cared for him?
Xiao Qing leaned into Liang Xiao's embrace, her trembling hand caressing his chest, her heart pounding like a drum.
Today, the imperial physician Yuan Jin had told her that she had been nourished with mild tonics since childhood and was in excellent health, capable of intercourse and childbearing at any time.
Ning Xuejun was also urging her...