Fu Xin Ci did not act surprised and stop him, but instead squatted beside him, grabbing his little hand and immersing it in the seawater.
"Is it cold?"
"Yes."
"Does Ning'er want to wade through the water again?"
"No." Seeing the little fellow shake his head like a rattle drum, Fu Xin Ci released Ning'er's chubby little hand, consciously refraining from lecturing him.
"Sister, what is that?"
As the tide gradually receded, it revealed the two broken ships that had been damaged yesterday.
"Broken ships that were damaged."
"Sister, can we go play on the broken ships?"
"Let's wait and see."
"Okay." Ning'er was very well-behaved in front of his sister, afraid that if he misbehaved, she would not bring him out to play again.
Fu Xin Ci, who was playing with her younger brother by the sea, did not know that General Liu's urgent imperial report had already reached the Emperor's desk.
General Liu's report was very clear, filled with joy at the defeat of the Japanese pirates, praise for the talent of Qi Yuanshan, and commendation for the righteousness of Meng Qingping.
At the morning court that day, the Emperor ordered his attendant eunuch to read General Liu's report aloud in front of all the civil and military officials.
At first, it was fine. Everyone flattered the Emperor, mostly with good words.
They said that it was divine protection and the Emperor's benevolence that the dynasty had such a capable general.
Later, upon hearing Meng Qingping's name, the tone of some officials dropped drastically. Especially those who were originally enemies of the Duke of Meng's mansion, their words were mostly disparaging.
Facing these blatant attacks spoken with wide eyes and direct verbal assaults.
The Emperor could no longer stand it.
Initially, the Emperor remained silent, merely watching them with a sarcastic expression. Only then did these officials reluctantly stop speaking.
"This is not the first time I have heard such baseless slanders in the Golden Hall. I truly cannot fathom it. You have read extensively and are learned, and you all consider yourselves disciples of the sages. You speak eloquently and appear as noble as if you were untouched by dust. Yet, when it comes to denigrating others, your contemptuous demeanor is no different from that of women in the marketplace."
The Emperor was truly enraged, and his words were exceedingly harsh.
When those officials were compared to common shrewish women by the Emperor, their legs trembled, and they hunched their necks, daring not to utter another word.
However, the Emperor did not intend to let the matter go. He continued, his words seeming to strip away the pretense of certain individuals.
"I know that some people in this Golden Hall are irreconcilably opposed to Meng Qinghong. So what? You are all ministers of the Great Ming. As long as you prioritize the nation, I will turn a blind eye. But now, is the empire about to change its surname? Are loyal ministers and capable generals to be slandered at your will?"
The Emperor's words were too heavy. Someone immediately took the lead and knelt.
"Your subject dares not."
With someone taking the lead, the few who had been most vocal also hastily knelt down to admit their mistakes.
"Your subject dares not."
"Your subject dares not."
"I see that you dare nothing. As long as you find someone displeasing, regardless of their usefulness to the state, you will suppress them."
"Your subject is frightened, your subject dares not."
"Your subject is frightened, your subject dares not."
This time, there was only genuine fear in the tone of these few individuals. They were so terrified that they prostrated themselves on the ground, not daring to look up.
If the Emperor's words just now had been proven true against them, they would have been labeled as treacherous officials.
That was a capital offense, punishable by death. Not only could they not bear such a grave charge, but their entire families would also be unable to withstand it.
The ultimate outcome would likely be far more tragic than that of the Meng family.
After all, the Meng family was not executed in the end.
But if their crimes were confirmed, it could mean summary execution and the extermination of nine generations of their clan.
The Emperor looked down at the ministers who had crawled to the foot of the jade steps and snorted.
He motioned for the chief eunuch to immediately read out the Emperor's oral decree. The officials who had participated in the slander would each have their rank reduced by two levels, be fined a year's salary, and be confined to their homes for three months of introspection.
Upon hearing this, the few individuals broke out in a cold sweat. At least their lives were spared, but their future careers seemed to have come to an end.
Comparing career prospects with one's head, the importance of each was clear.
Having a head was more important. Living was the hard truth. If one lost their life, everything was in vain.
After dealing with these foolish individuals, the Emperor was in quite a good mood and ordered a young eunuch to summon Yan Yi.
Yan Yi was now the Commander of the Imperial Guard. To reach this position at such a young age was truly a mark of great success and ambition.
Seeing a young eunuch summon him, he knew the reason without asking.
Alas, it was a good matter, and if everyone had spoken fitting words to add luster to it, it would have been wonderful.
But some people always liked to stir up trouble. Now, everyone was quiet.
Yan Yi grumbled silently all the way. He didn't even notice who he met on the palace road. As he approached the Imperial Study, he immediately adopted his usual demeanor.
Standing before the imperial desk, listening to the Emperor's chatter, Yan Yi understood everything. The Emperor wanted to reward those who had contributed to defeating the Japanese pirates and did not want those who had rendered meritorious service to be disheartened.
However, the Emperor was somewhat uneasy about letting others handle this matter, fearing they might mess it up.
Thus, Yan Yi, who often relieved the Emperor of his worries, willingly accepted this task.
In fact, Yan Yi had already planned to go to Liaodong, but he had been held back by various matters.
Today, receiving this assignment from the Emperor, he was free of any further concerns.
Yan Yi returned to the command post, arranged his current duties at the fastest speed in history, assembled a troop, and prepared to depart for Liaodong.
Liu Chenfeng, upon receiving the news, immediately rushed after him, giving the impression that if he wasn't taken along, he would refuse to leave.
Yan Yi was so pestered by him that he had no choice but to pass the buck to their aunt and uncle.
He stated emphatically, "Chen Feng, as long as your uncle and aunt agree, I, your cousin, will take you to Liaodong."
Upon mentioning his parents, Liu Chen Feng's handsome face lit up with a myriad of colors, as if painted with a palette.
After a long silence, he revealed the truth to Yan Yi. "Cousin, if it weren't to escape my mother, I wouldn't be chasing after you and insisting on going to Liaodong."
"Why are you hiding from your mother?" Yan Yi needed to clarify this, though he already had a hunch.
"It's your good aunt. She's been nagging me day in and day out."
"..." Yan Yi really didn't know how to intervene in this matter.
"I have already listened to my mother and married the woman she likes the most. What more does she want from me?"
Yan Yi knew that his cousin did not care for the Song family girl, but his aunt was also being stubborn, insisting that his cousin marry the Song family girl into the family. Otherwise, she threatened to sever their mother-son relationship, forcing his cousin to comply.
His cousin had no particular girl he liked in his heart, thinking it made no difference who he married, so he agreed.
Who knew that after the wedding, his cousin became unwilling to return home, spending eight out of ten days at his place.