The news that Third Yang brought back shocked everyone for a while before they came to their senses. Third Yang had ridden back on horseback, drenched in sweat in the sweltering heat. He sat down in a chair and fanned himself with a fan; the weather was unbearably hot.

Zhong Yan lost his appetite. “Who told you this news? Is it accurate?”

Third Yang replied while fanning himself, “Brother Zhong told me.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yan was still somewhat skeptical that the Emperor had killed Jiang Qiansui. “The Emperor has relied on Jiang Qiansui for many years. Without Jiang Qiansui, the Emperor couldn’t have ascended the throne. How could he have killed Jiang Qiansui?”

Moreover, Jiang Qiansui held immense power; how could the Emperor have killed him?

Third Yang didn’t know. “Brother Zhong learned this from the prefectural city, but I don’t know the specifics.”

Seeing that Zhong Xu and the others weren’t eating, Zhou Yu gestured for Zhong Xu to take Bai Lang and the others to rest.

Zhong Xu pulled Bai Lang, who didn’t want to leave, out the door. The younger ones obediently followed. Ye Shi and Miao Shi also got up and left, leaving only Yang Xi among the women in the room.

Zhou Yu spoke up. “At the time, I suspected that Jiang Wang and Jiang Qiansui had colluded with each other. Could it be that the Emperor discovered their alliance, and that was why he killed Jiang Qiansui for betraying him?”

Otherwise, there was no way to explain the Emperor’s actions. Killing Jiang Qiansui was like cutting off one of his own arms. The Emperor relied heavily on Jiang Qiansui, and if there had been a way to deal with Jiang Qiansui while suffering minimal losses, the Emperor would have acted long ago. It was precisely because killing Jiang Qiansui would mean suffering heavy losses himself just to defeat an enemy that the Emperor had held back and refrained from moving against him for so long.

Zhong Yan said, “Even if the Emperor is incompetent, he is still the Emperor. He can tolerate Jiang Qiansui’s arrogance and greed, but he cannot tolerate betrayal.”

How could the Emperor tolerate a threat to his own life?

Yang Xi spoke up, “I think it’s not just Jiang Qiansui who betrayed the Emperor, but also the northern rebels. The northern rebels initially used the pretext of eliminating treacherous officials, and the biggest traitor in the court was Jiang Qiansui.”

Zhou Yu pondered, “It seems the various rebel factions in the north have formed a leader.”

The rebels have integrated into a force, no longer a disorganized mob, seriously threatening the safety of the capital. The Emperor killing Jiang Qiansui to appease the rebels makes sense.

Zhong Yan gestured for Third Yang to sit down and fan him. “If the Emperor could appease the rioters, Jiang Wang would not dare to act rashly in his rebellion either, and the country could remain stable for a few more years.”

Zhou Yu pointed out the key point: “His Majesty is incompetent. To maintain stability for a few years, His Majesty needs far-sighted and capable ministers by his side.”

Zhong Yan was speechless.

There was clearly still a chance to salvage the situation, but unfortunately, His Majesty brought it upon himself. Capable ministers either left or were dead, and now there was no one left to use.

The North and South were far apart, and news traveled slowly. By the time the news of Jiang Qiansui’s murder reached the South, Jiang Qiansui had already been dead for some time.

Everyone in the country knew of Jiang Qiansui, this great traitor. The people were overjoyed at the death of this treacherous minister; their thoughts were very straightforward: they thought that with the traitor dead, good days would come.

Unfortunately, the people didn’t know that Jiang Qiansui’s death was just the final calm. The chaos was already unstoppable, but Jiang Qiansui’s death did indeed bring stability to the situation.

Yang Xi and his wife knew the specific details seven days after they learned of Jiang Qiansui’s death.

Yang Xi blinked. “So the Emperor sent people to the north to offer the rebels amnesty? And he even granted the leader of the rebels the title of Yixing Wang?”

Zhou Yu also looked at a loss for words. “He even sent people to bring Jiang Wang’s eldest legitimate son to the capital.”

Yang Xi was speechless. “Jiang Wang was even willing to abandon his second legitimate son. Would he really care about his eldest legitimate son? Why bring his eldest legitimate son to the capital? They should be bringing Jiang Wang himself!”

Zhong Yan frowned. “It seems that quite a few ministers in the capital are Jiang Wang’s people. Without anyone interceding for Jiang Wang before the Emperor, the Emperor would never let Jiang Wang off.”

Thinking of that old bastard Xu, Zhou Yu wondered how he was doing after losing Jiang Qiansui as his backer.

Zhou Yu said, “Human desires can never be satisfied. Bestowing the title of Yixing Wang on the leader of the rebels is like drinking poison to quench one’s thirst. The imperial court may have bought itself a period of stability, but it has also given the rebels a chance to continue growing stronger.”

His prediction was still correct; the north would become a battlefield, only the timing had been delayed.

Zhong Yan was heartbroken. “The imperial army is numerous and still has fighting power, yet the Emperor has allowed the rebellious people to grow. The country is doomed!”

Yang Xi retorted, “Who told the Emperor to be so incompetent!”

Zhong Yan was speechless.

Zhou Yu cleared his throat to suppress his laughter. His wife had really struck the old man where it hurt!

Zhong Yan couldn’t bear the pain any longer. “Forget it, it’s good to have some peace for a while.”

Zhou Yu said seriously, “The Emperor’s actions will restrain all forces. The Emperor even killed Jiang Qiansui; no one dares to drive the Emperor mad. This is good news for the people.”

The first piece of good news was that the price of government-issued salt had dropped by 10%. Although 10% seemed small, it was still good news for the people. Prices had only increased in recent years; this was the first time they had dropped.

Gu Zhifu of Ruizhou had also stopped his underhanded tactics, and the entire Ruizhou was peaceful. The tension of the first half of the year seemed like a dream.

The Zhou family’s school also held its first semester’s final exams. The front yard had six rooms; two were currently used as classrooms, but one was moved to the final exam room.

Exam rooms were determined by drawing lots, and the final exams were written with paper and brush. After a semester, the children had learned to write with calligraphy brushes.

Yang Xi became the proctor, overseeing the exams of Bai Lang, Ye Qiheng, Wu Qianyi, several children from the Zhao family, and the rest of the village children.

Wu Qianyi was the only girl, sitting in the first seat on the right, quite conspicuous. The male students in the exam room frequently glanced at her.

Since the Wu sisters started school, Wu Shan and Li Shi hadn’t let their daughters work in the fields, keeping them busy with chores at home. The Wu sisters’ skin had become fairer, and being from the north, Wu Qianyi was tall and had good features. Her studies had enhanced her temperament, making her quite attractive to young men.

Wu Qianyi was so focused on not embarrassing her teacher that she didn’t notice the glances directed at her. She was determined to get good grades and humiliate the male students.

Yang Xi, holding a ruler, announced, “Time’s up! No whispering, no passing answers. If I find out, your grade will be canceled, and you won’t be coming back for next semester.”

The students had already experienced the benefits of studying; expulsion was too harsh a punishment. Everyone sat up straight, their eyes fixed on the front.

Yang Xi picked up the chalk and wrote the test questions on the blackboard.

Yang Xi had practiced calligraphy since childhood, and her handwriting was meticulously crafted. She disliked cursive script, preferring regular script, each stroke perfectly precise.

Her beautiful handwriting stunned the students in the exam room. Only those who practiced calligraphy themselves knew how difficult it was to write well.

Yang Xi even included illustrations in her arithmetic problems, showcasing her perfect model drawing without a ruler.

Ye Qiheng remained calm, while Bai Lang’s mouth gaped slightly. Oh no, Yang Xi was so skilled; he really couldn’t beat a girl this time.

The most shocked were the village students. They were the only ones who gossiped about Yang Niangzi behind her back, looking down on her. The test questions on the blackboard were a harsh slap in the face to them.

Yang Xi put down the chalk, ignored the students’ grim faces, and sat down to supervise the exam.  

Time passed slowly, the weather grew hotter, and the rain lessened. The windless classroom was stiflingly hot, and the students taking the exam became increasingly irritable.

(End of Chapter)

---