Dòu Zhāo gave a faint smile, and the self-confidence that flowed from the corners of her eyes and eyebrows made her look radiant.

  "When I read history books, I think the emperor is most afraid of powerful generals becoming too self-important." She said calmly, "Ding Guo Gong was impeached for killing good people and taking credit for himself, and for nurturing rebels to become powerful. This crime should be quite serious, shouldn't it?"

  This, bookworms should all know, right?

  Yan Chaoqing smiled and said, "Indeed, it's a bit of trouble." His tone was perfunctory.

  Dong Zha seemed to be unaware, slowly saying: "Ordinary people who have been wronged will cry out to the heavens and the emperor, telling the truth, presenting evidence, or finding neighbors to testify for themselves."

  Yan Chaoqing was taken aback and Song Mowang left.

  Just then, Song Mo suddenly stopped rubbing the tea cup lid with his finger, and Du Zhaoqing's voice continued to echo in his ear: "If the officials are wise, it will naturally be clear soon, but if the officials are muddled, they may even suffer injustice after being punished. Moreover, the emperor is not the one who handles official cases!"

  Two people leaned in to listen closely.

  "Even if the emperor is wise and enlightened, he still has his own private thoughts." Dou Zhaoleng said calmly, "Often when people say you are loyal to the king and love the people, then you are; but when they say you harbor evil intentions, then you do."

  This is quite...

  Yan Chaoqing couldn't help but wipe his forehead with his sleeve.

  Song Mo suddenly sat up straight, staring at Du Zhao's eyes, which flashed a dazzling light, and his gaze became brighter.

  Dou Zha's attention was focused on Yan Chaoqing, and he said slowly: "Han Xin was proud of his achievements, lost all military power, and had no chance to rebel. Empress Lü killed him. Xiao He controlled the finances and government affairs of the King of Han with one hand, but asked for land and houses, and the King of Han did not suspect anything. Wang Jian led the army to conquer the country, repeatedly sending envoys to ask the Qin king for wealth and property, and the Qin king laughed loudly. But I heard that Dingguo Gong is diligent in politics, loves the people, is honest and upright, is a pillar of the state, and a key figure in the court. Is there such a thing?"

  Yan Chaoqing stared at Dou Zhao, his face full of shock.

  Dingguo Gong was accused of a crime, and everyone thought Dingguo Gong was very wronged. The lady had already contacted some former subordinates of Dingguo Gong to prepare for shouting injustice for him.

  Some people have also made suggestions similar to Wei Zhao's, but the lady felt that this would not only humiliate Ding Guo Gong's reputation, but what if the emperor really believed it?

  The proposal was soon drowned out by other voices.

  Did they really go wrong?

  The emperor is worried. It's not that the imperial censor impeached Ding Guo Gong for something, and then Ding Guo Gong did something else, but rather after Ding Guo Gong's reputation rises, what will he do to the emperor? What will he do to the court?

  If those memorials pleading injustice for Ding Guo Gong were submitted...

  Thinking of these things, he was like a cold winter's night drinking a bowl of cold water, his whole body radiating a chill.

  Song Mo lowered his head and fell into deep thought. Elegant words and emotions were about to be expressed.

  When he was a child, his mother often took him back to her hometown. His earliest memory is of himself standing in the Jiang family's martial arts hall and playing with his cousins by pushing a stone millstone together.

  The eldest uncle was accused of a crime, and his mother was anxious like burning fire, not only running around in the inner palace garden, but also frequently contacting various noble families. Because he most admired the eldest uncle. His mother feared that he would be involved in it, causing people to misunderstand that this was his father's intention. Implicating his father being questioned by the emperor, leaving the eldest uncle without even a person to shield him from the wind and rain, only then did she decide to let Yan Zhaojin accompany him to escort the fifth uncle's child southward.

  They thought he knew nothing.

  He actually knew it very well in his heart.

  He had originally planned to hand over the child to the person designated by Wu Jiu and return to Beijing to stir up public opinion for several uncles...

  Song Mo looked at the child who had been taken away by Bei Zhaoyi, but hesitated.

  When Eldest Uncle was young, he used to be the Emperor's personal bodyguard. Who is Eldest Uncle, doesn't the Emperor know?

  How could he easily believe the impeachment of the censor and ask his elder brother-in-law to be punished?

  Or should he think it over again?

  Chen Qu looked at Dou Zhao's smiling but silent face, full of confusion.

  Before Song Mo and Yan Chaoqing arrived, she had discussed this matter with him. The only way to break the deadlock was to surrender to Song Mo.

  He agrees on this point.

  Easier said than done.

  They want to submit their names to Song Mo, but it depends on whether Song Mo accepts or needs them.

  So he proposed to take each other as hostages at that time: "……I will represent the young lady to Kyoto, they can send someone to follow the young lady, and then pretend to be a bodyguard. Anyway, these bodyguards are all invited by you, and Dong Tuo won't know if there is one more or less. As long as the young lady can return to the Dong family safely."

  They wouldn't go so far as to lay hands on the Duan family, would they?

  Even if the person following the young lady wants to harm her, it depends on whether the guards around her agree or not.

  "But what if the Dingguo Duke's estate is completely exterminated?"

  That child became the only bloodline of the Jiang family.

  She's afraid that even if she hides at the ends of the earth, Song Mo will still kill her.

  He was stunned, and after a long while, he muttered: "It shouldn't be, right?" But in his heart, he knew that if it wasn't a matter of life and death, why would the British lady send Jiang Wulao's flesh and blood to be raised by others, and even dispatch her own son to escort them personally...

  Ke Wenzhao's assumption is also astonishing!

  He couldn't help but say, "Even so, the Dingguo Gong Mansion is full of masters and strategists, how can we turn the tide when even they are powerless to do so?"

  Dong Zhaosheng smiled silently.

  Chen Qu Shui knew she had already made up her mind.

  Dou thought that although Dou Zhao was sometimes impulsive in his actions, he never lost sight of the details. He didn't ask any questions.

  She didn't expect her to come up with such an idea!

  Although this suggestion is simple and everyone wants to get it, the key is how to choose!

  Being able to bring a governor like Dingguo Gong to justice is no longer just a matter of guilt or innocence, but involves interests from all sides, relationships up and down, even the British Consulate cannot find the mastermind behind the scenes. It can be seen that the water is deep, and even he, who has been immersed in power struggles for most of his life, dares not to speak out casually. What about her, a little girl who has never left Dingzhou County?

  Thinking of these things, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

  I hope Miss Fourth is right!

  Otherwise, this bloody storm might engulf her too, putting her own life in danger!

  In silence, perhaps only Du Zhao was the most determined one.

  In previous generations, whenever people mentioned Dingguo Gong, they would mention the blood book of ten thousand words that the Fujian people wrote to the Jiang family after Dingguo Gong's death.

  Since this method doesn't work, then we can only change to another method.

  Maybe there will be some changes.

  Yan Chaoqing felt he couldn't stay a moment longer.

  You must inform your wife of this possibility as soon as possible and let her discuss it with the staff in the house to come up with a decision.

  He had a kind of anxious look on his face and suddenly shouted "Young Master".

  Just as Yan Zhaoqing's words had not fallen, Chen Quanshui, who had been silent, suddenly stood up and shouted loudly "Young Master", making a bow: "Now we can still tell outsiders that the young lady saw your suspicious behavior and thought you were kidnapped by some wealthy family's children escaping. The young master saw that we were numerous and powerful, and each of us was skilled in martial arts, so he thought he had fallen into a den of thieves. The young lady wanted to save the child, and the young master wanted to escape, which led to this misunderstanding. But if reinforcements come, this matter will be difficult to cover up. Why don't I follow you to Beijing, and then you can send someone to follow our young lady back to Zhending? When the people who came to pick up the child arrive, we can directly hand over the child to them..."

  Although he didn't know the reason, he keenly sensed the changes in Song Mo and Yan Zhaoqing.

  Since things have changed, let's hurry up and send Fourth Miss back to the Duan Mansion!

  He decided to add fuel to this matter and stood out at the right time...

  Dòu Zhāo was somewhat surprised at Chen Qūshuǐ's decisiveness, but since he had already spoken his mind, she couldn't say anything more.

  Ke Song Mo wasn't an ordinary person, and she didn't know if he would accept her or not. She was uncertain in her heart, and couldn't help but look at Song Mo again.

  For a moment, everyone's eyes fell on Song Mo.

  ※※※※※

  The heavy rain poured down, and the sky was dark and gloomy, as if it would collapse at any moment.

  In the woods not far from Diao's estate, two men wearing conical hats and rain capes stood on a slope gazing at Diao Zhao's estate. One was tall and sturdy, the other slender and refined. Behind them stood thirty or so robust men dressed in black oilcloth jackets with their faces covered in black cloth, looking like charred wooden stakes from afar.

  A twelve or thirteen-year-old boy jumped agilely to the side of the well-proportioned man, and respectfully reported: "Sixth Master, I've contacted the people with Young Master. However, the situation is not good - the child has been kidnapped, Young Master and Mr. Yan are negotiating with the other party."

  "How is that possible!" The burly man looked up in astonishment, revealing a round but unremarkable face. "Who kidnapped the child?"

  "It's the owner of the house!" said the boy. "I heard that the person taking care of the child was struck by a hail of needles in the storm, and everyone is helping him pull them out."

  A well-built man exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Someone still has this thing? Who is the owner of that house?"

  The boy glanced at the burly man and said in a low voice, "It's the Dou family's estate, it seems like we've encountered Fourth Miss..." His voice grew even softer.

  The well-built man was startled and exclaimed loudly, "How could it be the fourth miss of the Duan family? On such a big rainy day, she shouldn't be out, what is she doing here?"

  The boy was asked and couldn't help but laugh and cry, saying: "This is the Fourth Miss's farm! It has been raining for a long time without clearing up, and the Fourth Miss is worried about the crops in the field..."

  Then the tall and sturdy man noticed that the well-proportioned man's face turned red and white, and he couldn't help but ask: "Do you have a past with Miss Duan Si?"

  "I don't know." The well-built man's face turned slightly green, and his voice was hoarse as he said, "However, Miss Duan of the Duan family is chivalrous and righteous. When a brother on our side was framed, it was Miss Duan who helped clear his name. Later, when that brother died from severe injuries, Miss Duan also spent money and effort to help with his funeral and took in his family members. Many brothers on our side went to the Duan residence to serve as guards because of Miss Duan's chivalry... including one person from my own sect..." He spoke, gritting his teeth, "We had an agreement beforehand that you would resolve your own grudges among yourselves, and we would just help keep watch outside. But now it involves Miss Duan of the Duan family... Please trouble yourself to inform Young Master about this, saying that I, Tan Mou, am not talented but want to be a peacemaker for Miss Duan..."

  The tall and sturdy man was stunned.

  ※

  Sisters, brothers, Ka Wen, the updates have not been timely for the past two days, but thanks to everyone's love and support with pink tickets, this month will definitely double update, I will remember to add more chapters, only more and not less, it will be delivered!

  o(n_n)o~

  Thank you everyone.

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