You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 63 The Particularly Conservative Censor Jiang
Four hot dishes, four cold dishes, a soup, a dessert, and a pot of warm rice wine.

As a family dinner, it wasn't extravagant, but it was still appropriate.

Jiang Qingyun sat in the main seat, and Hong Shiming sat on the lower left.

"Hey, what are you doing on the table?"

Hong Tao, who was about to sit down, froze. She stared blankly at Jiang Qingyun, who was questioning her.

Hong Shiming was also dumbfounded.

"How can women sit at the table to eat?"

brush~
Hong Tao's face instantly turned blood red; he was so ashamed he wanted to die.

……

Jiang Qingyun didn't take it to heart, treating the little incident as normal as one plus one equals two.

She smiled as she poured him wine and served him food.

"Brother, don't be shy, make yourself at home."

Hong Shiming suddenly realized that, according to the customs of the conservative area, women were not allowed to sit at the table and eat with men.

However, Hong Tao had never experienced this while in the mansion.

"Brother Qingyun, just now my sister~"

"Our Great Qing is a land of etiquette, and etiquette cannot be abandoned. A woman sitting at the table may seem like a small matter, but it is actually a big one. Its impact is second only to adultery. We must be vigilant! We must be extremely vigilant!"

Jiang Qingyun looked serious and righteous; anyone who didn't know better would have thought Hong Tao was about to urinate on the table.

……

Overwhelmed with shame, Hong Tao ran out of the restaurant, only to be intercepted by Wan Chun in the corridor.

"Oh, you must be Miss Hong?"

"Yes, I am. And you are, elder sister?"

"From now on, we'll be sisters sharing a tatami mat and wielding ladles together!"

Hong Tao disliked the way this woman looked at him, from head to toe, front to back, unrestrained, like a madam picking out men.

"Miss Hong, you must have read a lot of books, right?"

"Yes, I started my formal education at the age of five, and my family hired several tutors. I am well-versed in the classics, history, philosophy, and literature, and I also have some knowledge of Tang and Song poetry."

"Oh, a female scholar?"

"Well, it is."

Have you seen "The Painting of Exquisite Romance"?

"No."

"What about the painting 'Emperor Xiling Visits Empress Xiao Zhou'?"

"No."

Hong Tao's face flushed bright red instantly.

"What about 'Flower Camp Brocade Array'?"

"No."

What about *Jin Ping Mei*?

"No."

"Young lady, you haven't read a single book you should be reading. What kind of female scholar are you? You're clearly illiterate."

……

More than a decade of pride and arrogance were shattered by such unreasonable actions, and Hong Tao, a young lady from a prestigious family, collapsed instantly.

Late spring persists relentlessly:

"You're a woman. You're here to serve the master and bear his children. And you're supposed to be well-versed in classics and history? What, are you planning to give lectures on these subjects in your boudoir?"

Hong Tao cried even louder.

Kind-hearted Wan Chun took out her handkerchief and gave it to her.

"Don't cry. I'm just trying to remind you. First of all, you have to act like a woman."

Hong Tao took the handkerchief and was about to wipe his tears when he saw the embroidered pattern on it. It felt like burning hot coals, so he threw it far away.

Jiang Qingyun, even a dog wouldn't marry her.

She ran erratically down the corridor.

Wan Chun followed behind, shouting, "Miss Hong, why are you running? What kind of behavior is this?"

Hearing the chaotic noise, Hong Shiming ran out of the restaurant, dumbfounded.

Jiang Qingyun's face darkened:
"Arrange a sedan chair to escort Miss Hong back to her residence."

"What kind of behavior is this?!"

Hong Shiming was also embarrassed. He didn't know if Jiang Qingyun was scolding the servants in the mansion or the Hong family for being ill-mannered.

……

After seeing off the Hong siblings, Jiang Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief. Although he hadn't completely broken the deadlock, he hadn't gotten trapped either. It was a draw, neither winning nor losing, and the status quo was basically maintained.

Tired of heart!

He closed his eyes and rested on the recliner.
The calico cat crept in again, and the two of them, one human and one cat, swayed together.

Petting cats can relieve stress and requires very little physical exertion, making it perfect for an 18-year-old's health regimen. Jiang Qingyun guessed that the Hong siblings were either genuinely unaware of the situation, or they were top-tier actors.

Hong Chengchou's statement, "The Great Qing cannot be without the Han Army flag for a single day, and the Han Army flag cannot be without Jiang Qingyun for a single day," has become extremely popular.

In just a few days, the number of people who spread the message increased exponentially.

Simply put, the sentence structure is brilliant and catchy.

The consequence was that I was morally blackmailed.

Hong Shiming cannot be killed, but he also cannot be used. He needs to be protected appropriately, otherwise the world will think he is a shameless scoundrel.

……

"Young Master, Young Master Hong Shiming has donated 200 taels of silver to the orphanage," the steward quietly reported.

"understood."

After a long while, Jiang Qingyun muttered to himself.

"Heng Jiu, you've put yourself in this game and put your family on my side. That's a clever move. But have you considered what if I actually go after your daughter and get confirmation from her?"

"Daughters are soft-hearted and may not be able to keep secrets. There are even countless examples of them falling in love with their father's killer."

Boom~
Summer thunder rumbles, approaching from afar.

Jiang Qingyun opened his eyes and looked at the sky filled with dense clouds.

"Heng Jiu, are you angry? If you're so capable, then chop me up."

Before long, several streaks of lightning fell from the sky like silver snakes, and judging from their location, they should have landed in the direction of Jingshan.

Jiang Qingyun grabbed the calico cat's two front paws, lifted it up, and their eyes met.

"My beloved consort, tell me, there is no such thing as divine retribution in this world, is there?"

"Meow~"

Calico cats are always gentle and virtuous.

……

The next evening.

Wu Jinyan, the magistrate of Daxing County, entered the mansion discreetly through the back gate in a small sedan chair, accompanied by another sedan chair laden with gifts.

"Magistrate Wu, please. The magistrate is waiting for you in his study."

"Hey."

Wu Jinyan was excited.

Receiving guests in the study was no ordinary privilege. What does this show? It shows that the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief highly values ​​himself.

"Your humble servant pays respects to the Chief Censor."

"Sit down, pour yourself some tea and drink it yourself."

"Yes."

Wu Jinyan was even more excited, pouring tea for herself and drinking it herself, showing no sign of neglect.

On the contrary, this precisely demonstrates that they are being treated like family.

You dared to accept being addressed as "Grand Censor" (another title for the Left Censor-in-Chief) to his face, without even bothering with a feigned refusal. This shows that Censor Jiang is confident that he might actually one day sit on the throne of the Left Censor-in-Chief.

Thinking of this, Wu Jinyan couldn't help but move her bottom forward a little more, sitting only on the edge of the chair.

……

Jiang Qingyun looked up after finishing working on the roster.

Wu Jinyan quickly put down his teacup.

"These are all impeachments against you; take them and see for yourself."

"Ah~"

Wu Jinyan took the papers and flipped through them one by one, instantly breaking out in a sweat.

From embezzlement to taking concubines, from accepting bribes to selling jobs, the records are clear and detailed. Although not entirely accurate, they are basically true.

"General, these are all rumors."

"is it?"

“These accusations are not true. I guarantee them with the lives of my entire family.”

Jiang Qingyun remained silent.

Wu Jinyan's mind raced. If he could be confronted directly, it meant he was safe. This was called a warning, a tactic used by superiors to control their subordinates.

But ~
One cannot be complacent; one must still feign fear and trepidation.

“Your Excellency, I have indeed made some mistakes during my tenure, but they are certainly not as outrageous as described above. I am willing to confess and hope that Your Excellency will give me a chance to make amends.”

Balabala~
For a full quarter of an hour, Magistrate Wu spoke while Jiang Qingyun listened.

……

“Magistrate Wu, I am speaking to you on behalf of the imperial court. Your honesty and attitude are commendable. I have sent people to investigate, and while you are not entirely incorruptible in your official duties, you have not made any mistakes in matters of life and death or disaster relief. This shows that you still have a bottom line and can be redeemed.”

"Thank you, my benefactor! Thank you, my benefactor!"

"Now, come closer and listen to me. There's something I need you to do for me."

(End of this chapter)