Professional Ethics of a Concubine

Ye Qingzhi was also surprised when she heard what her son said, and asked with a smile,

"You and your father have been to Qingyuan County before? How did you get to know this Mr. Zhou? Tell us in detail."

"Well, three years ago, my father and I went to Qingyuan County. At that time, Mr. Zhou's wife had a difficult childbirth and almost died. It was my father who saved his wife and children. Then we lived in Mr. Zhou's house for half a year, and I became very familiar with Uncle Zhou."

"Mr. Zhou is already over 40 years old. He has several children. His wife gave birth three years ago, so she must have been an elderly mother. No wonder it's dangerous."

Ye Qingzhi asked curiously.

This woman is more concerned about things like having children.

If King Jing were to ask, he would ask about Zhou Shutian's family background, how many people are in his family, how he behaves on a daily basis, his relationship with the people, his relationship with the county government, etc.

However, after Ye Qingzhi asked these questions, King Jing did not interrupt and just listened from the side.

"Yeah, Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou only had one daughter, and they had no children for many years. Uncle Zhou never took a concubine, but I didn't expect Aunt Zhou to get pregnant a few years ago.

Aunt Zhou is younger. My father told me that she got pregnant at the age of 35 and she was hoping to give birth to a boy to carry on the family line, so she was determined to have the baby no matter how difficult it was.

Fortunately, she met Daddy and Aunt Zhou gave birth to a boy safely, otherwise this happy event would have turned into a funeral.

Although Uncle Zhou has a bad temper and is stubborn, he will not change his mind easily once he has made up his mind, and he will not be persuaded by any persuasion.

However, he was not an old stubborn man who stuck to the rules of etiquette. After knowing that his father was actually a man, he did not care. Instead, he praised his father for his noble character.

Because Aunt Zhou was weak after giving birth and needed care, Uncle Zhou let us live in his house.

Then we lived there for half a year. I thought it would be difficult for me to see Uncle Zhou again in this life, but unexpectedly, Uncle Zhou went to Beijing to take the imperial examination.

Where does he live now? Dad and I will go to visit Uncle Zhou tomorrow."

"Stay at Yuelai Inn." King Jing said.

After hearing what Xie Niankang said, King Jing was no longer in a hurry to win over Zhou Shutian.

With Xie Niankang and Feng Yuxi around, Zhou Shutian is now a member of his camp. King Jing doesn't believe that he can jump onto someone else's boat.

Moreover, Zhou Shutian is now his father's man, so he just wanted to meet him and listen to his strategies for governing the people, but he didn't necessarily want him to be loyal to him right away.

"Oh, Yuelai Inn is so expensive. Uncle Zhou's family is not rich." Xie Niankang said immediately.

"Uncle, do you have a small courtyard with two entrances? Let Uncle Zhou stay there for a while. He can bring Aunt Zhou and other family members to live in the capital later."

"Of course there is a yard." King Jing raised his eyebrows and said,

"I will have someone give you the deed later, and the yard will be yours. They took you in at the beginning, and now you are the Marquis of Pingnan and have the ability. Now it's your turn to take them in, and it's also a way to repay their kindness back then."

Xie Niankang nodded heavily, thinking that what his uncle said made sense.

Hehe, now he is a young marquis, there are still many things he can do.

Also, isn't it time to save up his little piggy bank?

-

The next day, Yuelai Inn.

"Master Zhou, a distinguished guest has come to see you. He claims to be an old friend of yours, surnamed Feng, who once stayed at your house for half a year."

The waiter knocked on Zhou Shutian's door respectfully and shouted inside.

Apart from the number one scholar, this Mr. Zhou is a newly rising celebrity in the capital. Because of him, their Yuelai Inn has also benefited from it.

In recent days, because of this Lord Zhou, more and more dignitaries have come to their inn.

Upon seeing this, the employer not only waived Mr. Zhou's accommodation, food and other expenses, but also instructed them to serve him well and make sure that Mr. Zhou would feel comfortable and live here permanently.

However, this Lord Zhou was also the most courageous person he had ever met. Faced with so many banquet invitations from dignitaries, he refused them all. What a tough guy!

Look at Song Zhuangyuan, he is very good at networking, he always accepts invitations to banquets and never refuses.

When Zhou Shutian heard what the waiter said, he immediately opened the door and asked, "Where are they? Take me there."

"It's in the lobby on the first floor." The waiter said with a smile, "Master Zhou, please follow me."

Zhou Shutian went downstairs and saw Feng Yuxi and the others at a glance. Although he was full of thoughts, he still smiled because he saw old friends again.

"Uncle Zhou, here!" Xie Niankang also saw him and waved at him happily.

"I never thought that we would be reunited in Beijing." Zhou Shutian quickly came to their side and said with emotion,

"It seems like you've had good luck in the past few years."

Zhou Shutian was a little surprised to see Feng Yuxi and Xie Niankang now wearing brocade robes and exuding the noble air of superiors, but he was also happy for them.

"Uncle Zhou, I have returned to my roots. I am now a young marquis. My father is also a seventh-rank imperial physician. Taihe Medical College was founded by my father."

Xie Niankang patted his chest and said to him confidently,

"From now on, when you are in the capital, I will protect you. No one will make things difficult for you or cause you any trouble."

"That's enough, you're just a little marquis, showing off every day. Sit down quickly. Thank you, little marquis. Everyone is looking at you."

Feng Yuxi put his hand on his son's shoulder and said speechlessly.

I feel like my son has been a little bit arrogant recently, and is showing signs of developing into a dandy young marquis. I'll ask him to write a few more self-criticisms. He needs to reflect on himself.

Zhou Shutian looked at Xie Niankang in surprise and confirmed with him, "The child that Pingnan Marquis's Mansion recognized some time ago is you?"

This matter was also one of the hot topics in the capital. Zhou Shutian lived in an inn, a place where all kinds of people mixed together, so naturally he heard about it.

"That's right, Uncle Zhou, now you know how powerful my background is." Xie Niankang winked at him and spoke in a low voice.

Zhou Shutian wanted to laugh, but he nodded, "Yeah, it's really hard."

"Uncle Zhou, you don't need to stay in this inn anymore. Live in the small courtyard under my name. I will bring Aunt Zhou and her family over later. It will be convenient for the whole family to live here."

Xie Niankang spoke up.

Zhou Shutian shook his head and refused, "No, I don't plan to take them to the capital."

"No way, Uncle Zhou, are you going to abandon your wife and try to climb up the social ladder in the capital and become the Chen Shimei that my father talked about?"

Xie Niankang widened his eyes and asked in pretended surprise.

Zhou Shutian glared at him helplessly and explained in a low voice,

"I have important things to do in the capital. If they come, I will have too many concerns and it will have an impact."

Upon hearing this, Xie Niankang immediately looked at his father and thought that Uncle Zhou’s purpose of coming to the capital was not purely to take the imperial examination.

He is planning on doing something big, and he doesn't even plan to bring his wife and children to live with him.

"Uncle Zhou, what do you want to do?" Xie Niankang asked him, "I'm telling you seriously, no matter what you want to do, I can definitely help you.

Don't be stubborn. Think about Aunt Zhou and little Ruirui. When doing things in the capital, it is important to borrow help. It's easier to get things done if you have someone in the court, do you understand?

Don’t think that you can’t drag others into this, and just bang your head against the wall by yourself. This kind of behavior is not worthy of praise at all, it is just courting death.”

"...Yuxi, is this something a ten-year-old child should say?" Zhou Shutian asked Feng Yuxi beside him with a complicated expression.

Your education is too successful.

"He is now Young Marquis Xie, and every day he meets either the princes and grandchildren of the emperor, or nobles and ministers. Even the emperor praises him highly.

The emperor likes to listen to his nonsense, to hear him bring up old scores, and to hear him sue those local tyrants and county magistrates who think they are far away from the emperor. "

Feng Yuxi finished his speech slowly and smiled gently at the end, "So, please ignore his age."

"..."Zhou Shutian.

Zhou Shutian took a deep breath and felt that he had been staying in a poor place for too long and was indeed backward in his thinking.

"Okay, let's find a place where we can talk properly. I do have something to ask of you, Young Marquis."

Zhou Shutian bowed to Xie Niankang and spoke seriously.

Feng Yuxi raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn't expect him to be so easy to persuade.

"Hehe, no problem, no problem." Xie Niankang smiled and bowed, "Come on, Uncle Zhou, I'll take you to see my thick thighs."

Zhou Shutian, "..."

"After all, she is still a child." Xie Niankang smiled and said confidently,

"I can act as a go-between or a messenger, but I can't really do anything."

Zhou Shutian, "..."

No, why did he believe this brat in a fit of excitement and was willing to say it out loud?

However, now that he has taken this step, Zhou Shutian can only keep his head down and move forward.

He still trusted the character of Feng Yuxi and Xiao Niankang. At least they would not kill him.

Not long after they walked out of the inn, Xie Niankang stepped on horse manure. "Ouch, this is unlucky."

Feng Yuxi looked at him silently, then looked at Zhou Shutian, and immediately understood why Zhou Shutian changed his words so easily.

After Xie Niankang slipped for the third time and stepped on a pile of cow dung, they finally arrived at the gate of the two-story courtyard given by King Jing.

"Xiaokang, why do you still step on feces when you walk?" Zhou Shutian asked puzzledly, "You were like this three years ago."

“…Haha, it’s because the sanitation of the streets in Beijing is too poor! The feces on the ground are not even cleaned up!” Xie Niankang said angrily.

Zhou Shutian silently took back what he was about to say.

Feng Yuxi gave his son a sympathetic glance, but the sympathy was short-lived because it was just stepping on some poop.

Xie Niankang just received the title deed yesterday. This was also his first time visiting this courtyard. He found that all the beddings and daily necessities were complete and he could move in right away.

"Uncle Zhou, are you satisfied with this courtyard?" Xie Niankang asked, "It's inconvenient to contact you at the inn, it's too messy, why don't you stay here temporarily, okay?"

"Thank you for your care, young marquis." Zhou Shutian considered what would happen next and decided not to refuse. After all, he was already on his boat.

"Hehe, then let's just wait patiently." Xie Niankang smiled and comforted Zhou Shutian.

"Uncle Zhou, don't worry, my thick thigh is very powerful and will not let you down."

Zhou Shutian,……

-

When leaving the inn, Xie Niankang sent someone to invite King Jing. They waited in the small courtyard for a while and then King Jing arrived.

Zhou Shutian naturally also knew Prince Jing and had special knowledge of him. He was once the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and is now the eldest prince, who is highly regarded by the emperor.

Recently, King Jing proposed a method of donating gifts to fill the national treasury. He is indeed not lacking in capabilities and means.

Moreover, the key point is that Prince Jing is definitely not a member of the prince's party, and he is a prince who can slightly compete with the prince.

He had thought about it before, if he couldn't rely on himself and had to choose to join someone, he would choose King Jing.

Yesterday, someone around King Jing approached him, but he hadn't made up his mind yet and planned to observe the situation, so he refused.

After many twists and turns, he finally came back to King Jing. His original idea was consistent with what he had thought, so Zhou Shutian breathed a sigh of relief.

"I pay my respects to His Royal Highness Prince Jing." Zhou Shutian stepped forward and knelt down to greet him.

"Master Zhou, please stand up." King Jing raised his hand and said gently,

"I heard from Xiaokang that Lord Zhou and Xiaokang are old acquaintances. Lord Zhou once let him and Imperial Physician Feng stay at his home, and they have a very good relationship.

Xiaokang is the youngest in my family, so I have to think of Lord Zhou's kindness. If Lord Zhou has any problem, I will definitely help him with all my strength."

As soon as Prince Jing opened his mouth, he pointed out that he and Xie Niankang had a close relationship, which brought them closer and once again eliminated some of Zhou Shutian's concerns.

"Your Highness, you are too kind. I would like to thank the young marquis and his men for their great kindness to me!" Zhou Shutian also quickly expressed his opinion.

“It is my good fortune to be introduced by Young Marquis Xie and to meet His Highness.

In this case, I will not beat around the bush. I came here under the pretext of going to the capital to take the imperial examination, but in fact I came to file a complaint. I never expected to be chosen by the emperor as the runner-up. I can only thank the emperor for his great grace!"

King Jing,

This means, I took part in the Spring Palace Examination just to take the test and just wanted to see the Emperor, but I didn't expect to get second place.

Haha, if other candidates heard this, they would be so jealous that they would curse at them, saying, "If you have this ability, what have you been doing before?"

"Oh? File a complaint with the emperor? Who do you want to sue?" asked King Jing.

"I want to sue the crown prince." Zhou Shutian said, "Your Highness, you think this is ridiculous, right? You think I am overestimating my own abilities, right?"

"No, I think your words are very appealing and your complaint is very good." King Jing smiled, "Tell me in detail why you want to sue the prince and what is the crime?"

Zhou Shutian looked at King Jing and felt that his smile was so creepy that it made him look like a treacherous minister.

However, since Prince Jing said this so blatantly, it meant that he had the ambition to seize the throne, and I was indeed in the same boat with him.

Zhou Shutian breathed a sigh of relief and said,

"I want to sue the crown prince for selling official positions and titles, supporting his subordinates to sell private salt, and collecting a large amount of silver."

"Do you have any evidence for this?" King Jing frowned and asked.

"Yes, but I know myself well. I cannot overthrow the prince with just one or two things."

Zhou Shutian said,

"The Emperor is a wise ruler who cares about the people, so after reading my essay, he was able to select me as the runner-up. This is a blessing for me and the people!

However, even if the emperor believed me and sent someone to investigate, the prince could still say that the people below were doing this under his name and he was unaware of it. After all, the prince is in too high a position. "

"You know all this, but you still want to do something like this?"

King Jing asked him.

"There are some things that are known and are the right thing to do. Even if you know it's difficult and like a moth flying into a flame, someone has to do it," Zhou Shutian said lightly.

King Jing said nothing more, but bowed to him respectfully.

-

At the same time, the palace.

The Crown Princess was crying to the Crown Prince in the Queen's Palace, saying that the Crown Prince had been extremely fond of two lowly maids from Yangzhou who were born skinny horses, and that he had even lost face for her because of these two maids.

"Two lowly servants, are they worthy of you coming to this palace to cry?"

The Queen looked at her anxiously.

"Aunt..." The Crown Princess felt wronged. The Queen waved her hand to shut her up and said with a look of regret.

"You should also learn from Princess Jing. The women in Princess Jing's house are completely submissive to her."

"Aunt, there haven't been any new people in Prince Jing's Mansion in the past six months. Princess Jing is only managing old people, so of course she feels relaxed."

The Crown Princess said unconvincedly,

"Aunt is also the legitimate mother of Prince Jing. Prince Jing only has one legitimate son and one illegitimate son, so he doesn't have many offspring. It would be better if Aunt gave Prince Jing two beauties, so that he could have two more children in Prince Jing's mansion."