Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

The sourness in her tone was like that of a woman resentful in her boudoir. If Jiang Sese couldn't even hear that, then she had read all those novels in vain.

Jiang Sese immediately clarified, "Even if bones are broken, they are still connected by tendons. We're all family. I was just asking casually, just asking casually."

Jiang Sese's smile was relaxed and carefree, without any pretense or guilt.

Xie Jue understood everything at a glance.

After dinner, Fei Ying came to find Xie Jue, and Xie Jue went to the outer study.

Jiang Sese then took Fuyun to the inner study so she could familiarize herself with Xie Jue's room.

Fuyun consciously stopped outside and did not go in.

Only two of Xie Jue's maids, Qing Shuang and Shu Tong, were allowed to enter this place.

Now Qing Shuang and Shu Tong are in charge of personnel scheduling and daily operations, such as the scheduling, dispatch, reward and punishment of maids and servants, the verification of purchasing accounts in the small kitchen in the courtyard, and the daily meal arrangements.

The two remained first-class maids, receiving their monthly stipends in full, and their individual duty rooms were still kept. However, they no longer needed to stand by Xie Jue's side every day, serving tea and water, laying out paper and grinding ink, as before.

The inner study is much quieter and the lighting is slightly dimmer than the outer study.

By the window was a large rosewood desk, complete with the Four Treasures of the Study, with several open scrolls weighed down by a paperweight, and next to it was an antique-style bronze goose-foot lamp.

Behind the desk was a grand master's chair of the same material.

The study is decorated in a minimalist style, yet it exudes a sense of solemnity and austerity.

The tall bookshelves that covered the walls reached all the way to the ceiling, densely packed with all kinds of books, files and letter boxes, neatly categorized and spotless.

In front of the bookshelf were several armchairs and a low table, on which sat an elegant porcelain tea set. A plain brocade cushion was laid on the couch by the window.

Jiang Sese walked behind the desk and her gaze fell on the open files.

The vermilion annotation above is written in a vigorous and powerful style, with strong and elegant strokes, clearly the work of Xie Jue.

Jiang Sese picked up a copy of "Qingjian Yuji," a book of unofficial histories written by famous scholars of the previous dynasty. It was dedicated to recording the integrity, anecdotes, and stories of court officials that were not included in official histories. It was a favorite among literati, and while the government did not prohibit it, it was not officially recognized as history.

Another book is "Old Tales of Sichuan and Yue", which describes the local customs, governance, people's livelihood, and natural disasters.

Jiang Sese sat down and began to look through the pages with great interest.

……

In the outer study, the two first discussed serious matters.

Xie Jue: "Your Majesty's tacit approval of officials impeaching noble and powerful families is intended to weaken the foundation of these families, which is a predetermined strategy. However, the current atmosphere in the court is no longer as simple as just cleaning up official corruption."

Fei Ying immediately replied, "Yes. According to the investigations conducted by the Northern Garrison Command, the court is now subtly divided into two factions."

"There is a tendency to try to guess the emperor's intentions, which is close to flattery. Whenever they encounter nobles, aristocratic families, or even middle-level officials with some influence, regardless of the size of their mistakes, they will seize upon rumors and launch a massive attack, fearing that if their impeachments are not strong enough, they will not be able to please the emperor."

"The other group is the silent type. These people, either because of their family ties or because they fear His Majesty's ruthless methods, are always hesitant and timid in the face of matters. They dare not report the true situation in the localities, the hardships of the people, or even the illegal acts of officials."

Fei Ying: "Furthermore, there are some officials who appear to be upright and honest, but in reality, they secretly collude with and are attached to the imperial clan. Their duty is to advise on merits and demerits, but now they have become the mouthpiece of the imperial clan. Whenever a memorial mentions reducing the expenses of the imperial clan, regulating the behavior of imperial relatives, or restricting their encroachment on land, these people will invariably rise up to attack it, accusing the cabinet of mistreating the imperial family and sowing discord between the emperor, his officials, and the imperial clan!"

Xie Jue chuckled casually: "Ha, mistreatment? Sowing discord? The imperial clan's extravagance has become a festering wound for the nation. Although His Majesty cannot speak openly due to kinship, how could His Majesty not understand?"

No matter when or where, one must not speak ill of the emperor.

"Has the Northern Garrison Command been secretly monitoring us, or have they made any progress?"

"We have already made some progress." Fei Ying took out a blank booklet from her sleeve and respectfully presented it with both hands.

"This is a summary of evidence of recent private dealings between some officials, their acceptance of gifts from members of the imperial family and those with ulterior motives, and their deliberate framing of colleagues. It records who met with whom in secret, when and where, what kind of fees were received, who was framed, and what their motives were."

Xie Jue took the booklet but did not immediately look at it.

Fei Ying glanced at Xie Jue, seemingly wanting to say something but then hesitated, and said, "It's just..."

"There's no need to rush into a reckoning." Xie Jue knew what he was going to say. "While swift and decisive measures may feel satisfying, they could easily cause turmoil in the court and among the people, putting His Majesty in a passive position."

"Yes, I understand." Fei Ying nodded.

After Fei Ying finished speaking, she didn't leave immediately. Her gaze lingered on Xie Jue's calm profile for a moment before she finally couldn't help but speak up: "I heard that the two maids around you, sir, can't even touch the ink in the study anymore. Serving such intimate tasks as writing brushes and ink has been replaced by servants?"

Xie Jue glanced at Fei Ying and simply hummed in response.

Fei Ying raised an eyebrow, genuinely puzzled: "Why is it like this? The new servant is inexperienced and clumsy; when it comes to serving people with meticulous care, he can't compare to the old ones."

Ordinary idlers and ordinary officials have a relaxed life with plenty of time to kill, so a few trivial matters that are difficult to handle are naturally not a big problem.

But for people in high positions like them, time is never their own, and they can't afford to waste a single moment.

Xie Jue paused for a moment, then said, "Actually, it's not that troublesome."

Could anything be more troublesome than having Fu Chong adopt an orphan girl as his goddaughter?

There's no reason for him to upset her over something so trivial, after having come this far. He never gives up halfway.

He always knew very well what was most important and what was secondary. Sometimes, you have to give up some less important things for the sake of what's most important.

Indecisiveness leads to disaster.

Fei Ying's playful expression faded slightly.

Xie Jue: "Since I like her, I should treat her well." A lot of people are waiting to steal her away from him.

But there's no need to say that.

The study fell silent for a moment. Fei Ying looked at Xie Jue, speechless for a long time, only thinking that she was glad she hadn't gotten stuck in a rut.

At the time, I did consider killing Jiang Sese, but then I remembered Xie Jue's protective nature. He wouldn't allow outsiders to bully even the most insignificant members of the household, let alone such a beautiful cousin.

So I never intended to kill her.

fortunately.

Fei Ying's eyes were complicated: "Then what about your own feelings? The Lord never backs down an inch in court, so why does he completely back down in front of the Madam?"

It's really unlike the Xie Jue he knows, that he would humble himself for a woman.

Xie Jue said calmly, "Her feelings are my feelings."

Her heart's desire was his heart's desire.

Fei Ying was completely speechless.

What's wrong with this?