Professional Ethics of a Concubine

Two days later, Yancheng.

The King of Qi rushed back exhausted with Xie Wenyuan's secret letter.

He changed horses twice on the way. Except for solving physiological problems, he rarely got off the horse. Even when he was very sleepy, he would take a nap on the horse.

So, after a journey of nearly three days, he returned in two days.

After finding the prince, the King of Qi gave him the letter. Without saying a word or changing his clothes, he just lay down on the couch and fell asleep.

Xie Jin, ...

"Guard King Qi, prepare meals, hot water, and clothes, and notify me when he wakes up."

Xie Jin covered him with a blanket, then walked out of the room and gave instructions to the eunuch beside him.

Afterwards, Xie Jin looked at the secret letter in his hand. After reading it, his eyes lit up and he immediately ordered his men to follow him to arrest the person.

Through the strong man, Xie Wenyuan learned that there were several Chu people like Li Yuanwai who wanted to report the news.

In the letter, he told Xie Jin this information and informed Xie Jin that they would camp outside Yongchang City and wait and see.

If too many secrets were revealed in Yancheng, he would choose to drug the army outside Yongchang City and let Xie Jin be prepared to cooperate.

In fact, Yongchang City is only two hours away from Yancheng by fast horse riding, and the army can reach it in one day on foot.

Once the army arrives at Yongchang City, it will be much more convenient for the two to communicate. If the situation changes, they can discuss it again.

There are still five or six days left. Whether this tactic of luring the enemy into a trap will succeed depends on this one move.

-

The home of Mr. Li in Yancheng.

Looking at Xie Jin and others who suddenly broke in, Mr. Li knew that the plot was exposed, and the strong man Da Niu who was out delivering the letter was caught.

"I passed on the message. You can kill me or chop me up as you like. I have nothing to say."

Li Yuanwai knew that resistance was hopeless, and with a look of dejection on his face, he looked at Xie Jin and said,

"I only ask that you really do what you preach and not harm women, children and young children. As long as you let them live well, you can take all my property.

If you feel that the money in the mansion is not enough, I have some shops outside and I can tell you about them."

"Don't worry, Mr. Li. All the women and children in the family will be fine." Xie Jin said.

"You can also leave all your wealth to them, as long as you can provide a few more rebels who want to leak the news."

"I can't say that. You are making me a disloyal and treacherous person!" Mr. Li flatly refused.

Xie Jin raised his eyebrows and said calmly,

"I admire Mr. Li's loyalty, but it's a pity that your monarch doesn't care about your loyalty and your friends have betrayed you, otherwise I wouldn't be able to find you.

I can tell you clearly that in the days ahead, whether your family will live a decent life or live like animals is actually up to you. "

Li Yuanwai was furious and roared, "Is this the usual trick you Zhao people use? You only know how to threaten people like this. I don't care. If I lose my country, how can I talk about having a home?"

At this moment, a woman rushed over, hugged Mr. Li's thighs, and begged with tears in her voice,

"Master, is it really that important to be a Chu citizen or a Zhao citizen? Master, you are not afraid of death and want to be known for your loyalty. I understand and I am willing to die with you!

But, master, you must also leave a way out for our son and daughter!

The Zhao people had occupied Yancheng for a month, but they did not burn, kill, loot, abuse women, bully the weak, or take human lives.

Instead, they taught the people new planting techniques that could increase grain production. They also vindicated the people of Yancheng and punished the bullies.

Even if the wealth of those bullies was plundered, it was distributed to the people.

Master, you can go and listen to how the people in the city are expressing their gratitude. Many of them are willing to be Zhao people instead of Chu people..."

Mr. Li angrily interrupted his wife and said stubbornly,

"Stop talking! This is just a trick the Zhao people deliberately used to win people's hearts.

When their goal is achieved, their true colors will be revealed, and they will only treat us Chu people as livestock and slaves."

"Master, do you still remember my niece Rong'er? Xiong Dayong took her away as a concubine, and within a month, Rong'er died!

Wuwuwu...If I hadn't kept our daughter from going out, Xiong Dayong would have snatched her back and abused her as soon as he saw her!"

The woman cried even more bitterly, no longer begging, but accusingly,

"The Emperor has recalled General Jiang Tai and appointed a bandit like Xiong Dayong as a general. I think it would be better to destroy the State of Chu!"

"Madam, you are smart and righteous, and you see things much more clearly than Mr. Li." Xie Jin looked at the woman and clapped his hands in praise, "It's not in vain that I came to the Li Mansion to hear what you said.

Let’s put it this way. Everyone has their own aspirations. Since Mr. Li is determined to uphold his loyalty, I will fulfill his wish and let him die to prove his will.

As for my wife, please don't commit suicide for love. You still have children to take care of and finances to manage.

I admire your intelligence and insight even more, and I plan to appoint you as a ninth-rank official to assist the chief clerk in household registration and to help educate the people of Yancheng."

Mrs. Li, "???"

Why did she feel like she didn't understand?

Mr. Li, “!!!”

What a shame!

Do you think you can make him surrender by taking advantage of a woman?

"Alright, take Mr. Li away. Don't touch anything in the Li Mansion." Xie Jin said very straightforwardly.

"Madam Li, once you have taken care of your husband's funeral, you can report to the county government. The county government has a lot of affairs to attend to, so don't delay any longer."

Mrs. Li, “?!!”

Even more dizzy!

Did she really hear it right?

She doesn't have to die anymore, and she will be an official. Although she is only of the ninth rank, she is still an official!

Her daughter and son will be fine too!

Because she will be a ninth-rank governor, more powerful than the master who has no real power, she can protect her two children by herself!

As for the master...

Since he wanted to die to prove his integrity, just as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said, everyone has their own aspirations, and she couldn't stop him. She would give the master a grand funeral.

Madam Li figured it out in a daze, and then she knelt down in front of Xie Jin, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your grace!"

Mr. Li, “!!!”

No, something's wrong!

He disagrees!

This is simply ridiculous!

Outrageous!

He is not dead yet, how could he become a deceased husband!

What made him even more angry was his wife's attitude. She actually rebelled and defected to the crown prince of Da Zhao.

Moreover, they did not even plead for him but just let him die.

"You, you, you vicious woman!" Li Yuanwai pointed at her and cursed, "I don't agree! You must die with me!"

Madam Li suppressed the chill in her heart, looked up at Mr. Li, and said with an extremely firm look in her eyes,

"Master, I'm afraid I can't do it. If you want justice, I will help you, but I just want my children to live safely and decently.

Master, please go ahead. I will go to the underworld and confess my sins to you after I am dead for a hundred years."

"Why are you repenting? You don't owe him anything. You gave birth to his children, managed his harem, and tolerated his favoritism towards his concubines and neglect of you. You have done nothing wrong."

Prince Xie Jin said,

"Today I will be a good person and sentence you to divorce him. This man's life or death has nothing to do with you. You are still young. If you feel lonely, you can find someone to marry in the future and don't have to be a widow."

Mrs. Li,

Madam Li was deeply touched by the Crown Prince's protection. She burst into tears and said nothing, but kowtowed three times to the Crown Prince.

For the first time, she lived with such dignity, and it seemed that she understood for the first time what it meant to live.

She felt that her husband's death was like removing a mountain that had been pressing on her, making her look forward to the future.

"You, you disregard moral principles and ethics. How can you be qualified to be the crown prince of a country? In your hands, the Great Zhao will be in chaos and all rituals and laws will be gone..."

Mr. Li was so angry that he pointed at Xie Jin and started cursing at him.

Mr. Li appears to be loyal and righteous, but in fact he is just a stubborn moralist who talks a lot about moral principles. His loyalty is to defend his own interests because he is also part of the ruling class.

Xie Jin didn't care about his words at all. He waved his hand and had him taken away. "Leave him an intact body."

"Yes." The attendant replied, and was about to drag Mr. Li aside and kill him.

"Wait, wait!" When the knife stabbed at him, Mr. Li was completely defeated and roared.

"Don't kill me, Madam, save me! I don't want to die! I, I've figured it out, I, I still don't want to die!"

Mrs. Li,

Why do I still feel a little lost?

Madam Li couldn't bear to let him die, so she pleaded with Xie Jin to spare his life.

Xie Jin didn't care. He asked him to name a few informers and then left Li's house.

As for the mess in the Li family, no, it's a complete mess, he doesn't care.

However, before leaving, Xie Jin left a message:

"Since there is no need to hold a funeral, Madam, please report to the county government tomorrow. We are short of manpower now."

Mrs. Li quickly agreed, and her tense heart relaxed. She kowtowed firmly towards the place where Xie Jin left.

"Congratulations, Your Highness!"

Mr. Li sat slumped on the ground, looking at his wife, with whom he had been married for sixteen years, and felt that she was a stranger.

The servants in the house all read the lady's face. They knew that it was the lady who married the Crown Prince of Great Zhao, and that she would be the one in charge of the house in the future, so they all listened to her.

He only listened to Mr. Li's instructions, such as small things like pouring a cup of tea, but he didn't listen to anything related to his wife.

Mr. Li collapsed again and again, but he got used to it and became numb.

Of course, all the changes in the Li Mansion are a story for later.

Although Lady Li's appointment as an official had some influence on some customs in Yancheng, it gradually improved the status of women in Yancheng and changed their concepts.

But it had no impact on Xie Jin's subsequent plans, so it was not mentioned.

-

Another four or five days passed.

As for Xie Wenyuan, after several days of traveling day and night, they finally arrived at the south gate of Yongchang City. After going out from the north gate of Yongchang City, they rode fast for another two hours and arrived at Yancheng.

Because Yongchang City is a small county town and it is crowded, there is simply not enough space for the army to rest.

Therefore, tens of thousands of troops set up camp outside Yongchang City, preparing to further inquire about the news of Yancheng before deciding whether to enter Yongchang City.

"General, shall I call the officials from Yongchang here first and ask them about the situation in Yancheng?" Deputy General Lei asked Xie Wenyuan.

Xie Wenyuan responded, waved his hand, and told Lieutenant General Lei to go.

An hour later, Lieutenant General Lei came back on horseback and entered the tent to report to Xie Wenyuan. Also arriving with him were the county magistrate and county magistrate of Yongchang City.

Xie Wenyuan responded nonchalantly, let them in, and picked up a cup of tea and took a sip.

However, when Xie Wenyuan saw the magistrate and the county magistrate of Yongchang City who came with Deputy General Lei, he almost spit out the tea he had taken.

This county magistrate and county magistrate are so damn familiar!

Don't think that he won't be recognizable just by sticking on some more beard.

Xie Wenyuan's face twisted, and he swallowed the tea with force. He sat upright and said in a serious voice,

"Deputy General Lei, what should I address these two? They both seem quite arrogant and don't know the rules. They didn't even kneel down to greet me when they saw me."

Deputy General Lei looked at the general in surprise, wondering when did the general become so particular about rules and even provoke etiquette.

I guess he wants to establish his authority in this way so that they won't dare to lie.

"Did you hear that? When you see the general, why don't you kneel down and pay your respects?!" Deputy General Lei frowned and scolded.