At this point, Aunt Ning sighed lightly. "I don't care about anything else, only you—you're the one I raised with my own hands. If you were to be schemed against by outsiders, how could I face your mother when I meet her in the underworld? Silly girl, do you think I'm so anxious for someone else? It's all for you!"
Grace looked at her for a moment and sat down. "Has my brother been informed about my engagement to the Xu family?"
"Because it hasn't been officially confirmed yet, we haven't announced it publicly. But such an important matter, he will eventually know. However, the matter about Master Xu and their cousin is something I only heard about recently."
At this point, Aunt Ning took Grace's hand. "Silly child, your father would never harm you. But you should have married into a noble family to enjoy happiness. Instead, he's marrying you into a family of a mere military general. How can the Xu family compare to the top aristocratic families? Not to mention, Master Xu has such a personality. After you marry into their family, you will suffer so much!
"This idea, I don't know who came up with it, or who whispered in your father's ear. Now that you've become sensible and considerate, have they considered you?"
Aunt Ning's words were heavy with concern, reminding Grace of the neighborhood gossiping Auntie next door...
But from this perspective, it seemed that the engagement was real.
She didn't want to oppose just for the sake of opposing. Fate doesn't always require love at first sight to be considered. Parental arrangements were just a way of forming a connection. So in her previous life, she didn't reject blind dates.
But if things were as Aunt Ning described, then of course, there was no need for any consideration.
And if she didn't consider it, how could she stop the situation from developing?
If earlier she just thought it was wrong when Empress Dowager Lu mentioned the detrimental effects of the male-dominated society, now that a marriage arranged by parents had fallen on her head, it felt more real. Regardless of whether Master Xu already had someone in his heart, she didn't want to go along with it!
This left her in a quandary. How could she sway Hou Qingyun when she had no idea where to start? And now, there was another engagement to deal with!
She wondered what procedures were required for canceling an engagement? Would it be possible to annul it if she requested it?
After all, since Empress Dowager Lu came, many things had changed. But considering that for thousands of years, Confucian ideology had influenced the people, with the concept of loyalty being passed down through generations, divorcing would tarnish the reputation of both families. If she proposed a divorce, it would be like shooting herself in the foot.
Even if she could convince Hou Qingyun to agree, the impact on the family's reputation would be irreparable.
This matter required careful consideration. So should she take the opportunity to investigate Master Xu's true intentions?
Just then, she noticed Aunt Ning still staring at her, and she slightly collected her thoughts. "Is Ning Cousin's house ready? Does Auntie miss him? Have you thought about visiting Tongzhou recently?"
"He just started his official duties. The yamen already has accommodation. Why the hurry to get a house? Let's talk about it later." Aunt Ning picked up her tea and took a sip. Then she advised, "You mustn't speak nonsense to your father like this again. Don't mention the remarriage matter, and be careful of traitors."
Grace looked at her and nodded. "I will be careful. I'll make sure my father sees things clearly."
...
Inside Qianqing Palace, Hou Qingyun couldn't control himself and sneezed twice in a row!
After stopping, he looked apologetically at the Emperor sitting across the low table and excused himself, then took out his handkerchief to gently wipe the memorial the Emperor was holding.
The Emperor, sitting steadily on the throne, folded the memorial. "Marshal, you've been busy lately, must be tired. You should take care of yourself."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I just had a little itch in my nose earlier, which caused me to lose my composure in front of the court."
The Emperor nodded slightly.
Hou Qingyun then got to the point, "Although I have collected evidence of Shi's crimes, the case has to be transferred to the Judicial Yuan and the Ministry of Justice for trial. The chief judge of the Ministry of Justice and the imperial censors are all former subordinates of the late Emperor and the Empress Dowager. Even if Your Majesty orders severe punishment, as long as the Empress Dowager speaks up, those two offices will find ways to delay the proceedings. I ask Your Majesty to make a decision as soon as possible."
The Emperor's face was calm. "Shi has been deeply trusted by the Empress Dowager. Before this incident, he had no record of misconduct. If the Empress Dowager doesn't believe he's guilty, it's understandable. In fact, whether this evidence of guilt is true or not remains to be verified. Although the Empress Dowager is clearly protecting Shi, I can't be rash and confrontational."
"Does Your Majesty also suspect that Shi has been framed?"
"I'm just saying it's a possibility."
The Emperor stood up with the support of the armrest.
With his graceful steps, the hem of his robe swept the ground, making the space feel a bit cramped.
"I've been wondering about something lately."
"What is it?"
"Because of Shi's case, I carefully reviewed the regulations since the establishment of the Flower Moon Society. I feel that the whole set of regulations and developments are very strict and organized.
"From the beginning, when there was only one leader, to now, with three, every aspect of it is well-planned and systematic, with rules, rewards, and punishments for every detail. It's like a well-prepared plan."
Hou Qingyun pondered, "Since I've known the Empress Dowager, I've often heard her sigh about equality for all beings. With the Empress Dowager's wisdom, it wouldn't be surprising if she had a plan in place."
"That's not what I meant."
The Emperor said.
What exactly did he mean, he didn't continue, but changed the topic directly, "Since the Empress Dowager won't relent, let's first send the confiscated silver into the capital and have the Ministry of Revenue speed up the process of counting it, so we can make up for the embezzled military funds.
"Whether Shi is wronged or not, the Empress Dowager probably wants to know the truth even more than us. Let him stay in jail for now, and wait for the investigation results from the Cining Palace."