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

Chapter 275 Little Jiang's lustful nature is aimed at Zheng Sen

Jiang Qingyun felt embarrassed for mistaking her daughter for her mother.

He carefully examined Liu Rushi and saw that she was dressed in luxurious clothes, had a slender figure, exquisite makeup, and a dignified and composed demeanor.

Upon closer inspection, the marks of time become visible.

Yes~
As time flows by day after day, how can ordinary people who struggle to make their way through this river not be eroded?
Seeing that the other party remained silent, Liu Rushi immediately guessed eight out of ten of the answers.

Although Canglang Pavilion wasn't as heavily guarded as the governor's yamen, it wasn't a place anyone could just enter. And the guest who could be let in without a word by the garden's owner was so young.

There was only one person!
The person who kidnapped her husband!

Liu Rushi took a step back and bowed again.

"This humble servant, Liu Rushi, pays her respects to the Grand Secretary."

Her daughter, who was standing to the side, was instantly stunned. She let out a scream and then covered her mouth.

……

Jiang Qingyun nodded slightly. Liu Rushi was worldly-wise, shrewd, and clever; it was not surprising that she could guess his identity.

"It's a hot summer day, so please, Prime Minister, take a short rest at the Wangshan Tower over there."

"Shu'er, you should go back to your room."

"Yes."

Liu Shu bent down, stood up, turned around, turned her head, and glanced back—all in one smooth motion.

Jiang Qingyun felt an itch. Damn it, that little vixen had a hook in her eyes and a knife in her body. She's got a deep family background in martial arts.

Watching the graceful figure disappear into the distance, Jiang Qingyun took a while to come back to his senses. He waved to his personal guards who were watching from afar, signaling them not to disturb him since there was nothing to do today.

The two walked one in front of the other.

Walking ahead, Liu Rushi felt a mix of emotions—anger and relief. She was annoyed that her daughter seemed a bit frivolous, but relieved that her daughter had indeed matured.

The two remained silent as they walked, the scenery changing with each step. After passing through a winding covered corridor, they finally arrived at Wangshan Tower.

The so-called Wangshanlou is a three-story wooden viewing tower.

"Please, Grand Secretary."

The two went upstairs one after the other. After going upstairs, Jiang Qingyun first observed the environment inside the building, and then opened the window.

This building is quiet and ideal for private conversations.

"This humble servant will brew tea for the Grand Secretary."

"Ah."

Jiang Qingyun lifted his long robe and deliberately sat down a little further away, with his back against the wall.

Liu Rushi was incredibly shrewd; she knew that Liu Rushi was guarding against a sudden attack with boiling water over charcoal, but she remained calm and quietly rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair wrists.

The movements of scalding the teapot, adding tea leaves, rinsing the tea, brewing, and serving the tea are as smooth as flowing water.

The final step – serving tea.

Liu Rushi stretched out two fingers, gently picked up one of the teacups, brought it to her lips without covering it with her sleeve, and after drinking it, picked up another cup.

She moved with graceful steps, head bowed and eyes lowered, offering the gift with both hands.

"Please, Grand Secretary, have some tea."

Jiang Qingyun reached out and took it, first examining the color of the tea, then smelling its aroma, and finally taking a light sip, softly praising, "Good!"

……

When men and women meet, they should drink freshly brewed tea, as is the custom of the Zhou Dynasty.

After having tea, it's time to get down to business.

"Liu Rushi, please sit down."

"Yes."

The two sat facing each other, their eyes locked.

Jiang Qingyun:
"Xu Fo is back too."

"Where is Xu's mother?"

Liu Rushi's expression became somewhat agitated, and her breathing suddenly became unsteady. Xu Fo was her mentor, her guide, and her "mother."

Xu Fo was Liu Rushi's mentor.

"She is at the Imperial Envoy's residence; you can go see her anytime."

"Thank you, Chief Minister."

Liu Rushi felt a huge weight lifted from her heart. She sensed a hint of leniency in his words and was secretly delighted.

……

Jiang Qingyun seemed to have a built-in X-ray scanner; with just one sentence, he brought her down from her pedestal.

"Qian Qianyi will be executed in accordance with the law."

"Why?" Liu Rushi's eyes were slightly red, and she was clutching her handkerchief.

Jiang Qingyun's voice was calm yet resolute.

"Qian Qianyi, a literary giant of the southeast, was famous for his time. Such a person should have died for his country when the country fell and made a name for himself. Even if he had to live a life of shame, he should have shaved his head and hidden in the mountains to live out his remaining days in humiliation. Instead, he put on a show and desperately sought a high-ranking official position but failed. Qian Qianyi, what a beast."

“I killed him to warn the world. I killed him to get to the root of the problem.”

"Grand Secretary, can you spare his life?" Liu Rushi knelt down from her seat.

Jiang Qingyun, standing high above, did not offer any assistance.

"If Qian Qianyi hadn't died, what would Chen Zilong, Xia Wanchun, Shi Kefa, or even Ma Shiying have been?"

Liu Rushi burst into tears, and after crying for a quarter of an hour, her emotions gradually calmed down.

"I wish to wear mourning clothes and see him off on his final journey."

Jiang Qingyun nodded.

With a grand wedding procession and a formal marriage, Qian Qianyi may have failed the world, but he was true to Liu Rushi.

Such a request is perfectly reasonable.

"That's right."

……

"Liu Rushi, do you know Zheng Sen?"

“He studied in Jiangling when he was young and was Zhuofu’s favorite student.”

I want to recruit him.

“That’s impossible.” Liu Rushi added, “Zheng Sen is a young man with ideals and ambitions. He and Chen Zilong are both upright heroes.”

Jiang Qingyun smiled.

"Then what kind of person do you think I am?"

"The Grand Secretary was a ruthless and powerful figure of his time."

A tyrant? A hero? The difference between the two is quite interesting to ponder.

"Liu Rushi".

"I am here."

"What's your assessment of the Qing Dynasty's entry into China? Give an honest evaluation."

Liu Rushi wiped away her tears, her eyes clear and cold, and slowly began to speak.

"The barbarians beyond the Great Wall are cruel, bloodthirsty, ignorant, and savage. Under their iron hooves, the moral order is destroyed, and the land of China is sinking. Who knows when it will be restored? When the Qing army entered Nanjing, I originally intended to follow my husband and drown myself in the river to die for our country, but who would have thought that he..."

"What's your assessment of Qian Qianyi?"

Liu Rushi burst into tears, forcing out two words.

"Traitor!"

"Good~"

Jiang Qingyun slammed his fist on the table and stood up, pressing closer and closer.

Liu Rushi retreated step by step, until she was forced into a corner.

Facing the Imperial Prime Minister, whose gaze was as fiery as burning embers, she turned her head away, waved her hands repeatedly, and whispered.

"Prime Minister, no."

"Why not?"

"It is unethical."

Jiang Qingyun was taken aback. "That makes perfect sense." "Then I'll quickly behead Qian Qianyi, and you'll become a widow. Once you're a widow, there won't be any ethical issues."

……

"The Grand Secretary is busy with countless affairs of state. If I linger too long and neglect state affairs, I will be deeply guilty."

"Madam, please make some tea."

"Yes."

Liu Rushi, her face streaked with tears, her makeup slightly smudged.

The longer tea is brewed, the better it tastes; the older a woman gets, the more sensible she becomes.

"The land is in ruins, and the orthodox tradition is lost. Fortunately, a hero like the Grand Secretary has descended from the heavens and turned the tide. But I wonder if the Grand Secretary's heart is with the Ming Dynasty?"

Faced with the probing, Jiang Qingyun made no attempt to hide anything.

After all that commotion over the past two years, who in Beijing doesn't know what they've been doing? So what? Everyone's just burying their heads in the sand like ostriches.

“Every dynasty that falls should have fallen long ago. A glorious dynasty, with millions of armored soldiers, a vast territory, and hundreds of millions of people, how could it suddenly perish? It was already rotten to the core, already utterly disillusioned. All the fall of a dynasty is not a matter of a moment, but rather a matter of destiny. So, Madam, do you think there is any point in saving the Ming Dynasty?”

Liu Rushi looked sad and shook her head.

However, she keenly noticed the change in address, from calling her by her given name to addressing her as "Madam," what kind of signal did this send?
(End of this chapter)