***
Qiao'er lowered her head and said nothing. The atmosphere at the table suddenly became heavy. Dong Xiaowan was the most soft-hearted and tried to comfort Qiao'er softly, but no matter how she tried, Qiao'er just didn't say a word.
"Okay, girl, I was wrong. Let's not talk about that anymore..." Qin Mu gently rubbed Qiao'er's head. After he said a few words, Qiao'er's eyes turned red and she threw herself into Qin Mu's arms, sobbing silently.
At this time, a maid came to the waterside pavilion and reported that there was a man who called himself Yunduan outside the mansion asking to see her.
After hearing this, Qiao'er burst into tears and hugged Qin Mu tightly, crying, "Master, don't see him, don't pay attention to him..."
"Okay, okay, I won't see anyone. Don't cry, girl. Don't cry."
Not only Qin Mu, but also Dong Xiaowan and Li Xiangjun, could roughly guess who that person in the cloud was.
Yun Qiaoer's father failed the imperial examination three times and became angry with the world, so he defected to Li Zicheng. After the incident was exposed, his family members who stayed in Yueyang were charged with treason by the government. Although Qiaoer escaped with her life by chance, she suffered countless hardships at a young age.
What made it even harder for her to let go was her mother’s tragic death. This was probably the main reason why she didn’t want to see Yunduan.
In such a situation, no matter how Dong Xiaowan and Li Xiangjun tried to comfort him, it was useless and they could only look at Qin Mu.
Qin Mu ordered the maid outside the pavilion, "Go out and tell her that my Qiao'er is crying. I don't have time to see guests. Let him go."
"Sir, don't say anything, ignore him..."
Qin Mu quietly waved to the maid outside the pavilion, then hugged the person in his arms and comforted her: "Okay, let's ignore him, Qiao'er, don't cry, it's not good for you to cry like this when the master just came back. By the way, I have sent someone back to Ganzhou to pick up your sister Zhi'er. When your eldest nephew arrives in Wuchang, someone will call you aunt..."
"It's my aunt!"
"Okay, okay, it's my aunt."
After a lot of effort, Qiao'er was finally calmed down. After the banquet, Qin Mu and Bian Hansai took a walk in the back garden of the palace. There were paths filled with the fragrance of flowers, strange mountains made of stacked stones, slanting pines like twisted trees, banana trees like canopies, and pavilions that were quiet and leisurely.
Bian Saisai was slim and slender, almost as tall as Qin Mu, and her waist was as thin as a snake under her belted clothes, making her look even more slender.
"Sir, I was too reckless just now. Military and national affairs are not something that someone like me can comment on. I hope you won't take it to heart."
"In fact, what you said makes a lot of sense. I have long heard that Miss Saisai is both talented and beautiful. Today, it seems that her reputation is well-deserved."
Qin Mu unconsciously compared her with Li Xiangjun and Dong Xiaowan. In terms of temperament, she lacked the brightness and charm of Li Xiangjun, nor was she as elegant and gentle as Dong Xiaowan; but her noble and melancholy qualities were equally heart-warming.
In terms of figure, she was even more slender than Dong Xiaowan, forming a sharp contrast with Li Xiangjun's petite figure. Her breasts were particularly impressive, towering and majestic, setting off her willow-like waist, and her round buttocks, like a full moon, drew an extremely moving curve. It was very tempting.
"You are joking, my lord. I am a lowly slave who entertains people with my beauty all day long. How can I be said to have any talent?"
"Miss Saisai, don't underestimate yourself. As for the matter of deregistration, how difficult is that? Miss Saisai, just wait for a few days, and I will have someone take care of it."
"Thank you, sir." Bian Saisai replied calmly. For her, getting rid of her status as a prostitute was not a problem, but after all, she had been a prostitute, and this could never be changed.
"By the way, I remember that the Tongzhi of Hanyang was called Bian Di. He was a very good official, but he had no children. The son he adopted from his family also died in the battle of Hanyang a few days ago. If Miss Saisai is willing, how about I let Bian Di adopt you as his daughter?"
"My Lord, I am so kind to you. How can I not know what is good for me? However, I was once a prostitute. I am afraid that Bian Tongzhi will not agree. If that is the case, my Lord, please do not embarrass Bian Tongzhi."
"Miss Saisai is beautiful and intelligent, talented and pretty. I think many people would be happy to have a daughter like you."
Bian Saisai blushed slightly. Qin Mu was praising her on the surface, but she knew very well that if Qin Mu was really interested in her, there would be many people who would be willing to adopt her as their daughter.
Her shy look, like being slightly drunk, was extremely attractive. Qin Mu half-extended his hand, intending to hold her hand, but he held back in the end.
The moment he stretched out his hand, Bian Saisai's heart inexplicably tightened and she felt a little at a loss. When he retracted his hand, she couldn't help feeling relieved, but also a little disappointed.
"If Miss Saisai is willing, she can stay in the mansion for the next two days and try not to go out in public. I will discuss this with Bian Di and then have him take Miss Saisai back. By then, Miss Saisai can change her name. Let me think about calling her Yujing."
Bian Saisai was very touched. Qin Mu had good intentions. If she followed his instructions, it would not be difficult to completely erase the stain of her being a prostitute. From now on, a brand new daughter of a Tongzhi, Bian Yujing, whom the world had never heard of, would appear before the world.
“Sir…” Bian Saisai’s bright eyes were slightly moist, and she bowed gracefully, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Qin Mu helped her up, and when he touched her wrist, he clearly felt her tremble slightly. Her majestic breasts rose and fell faster, and a faint and intoxicating fragrance came.
Her melancholy temperament makes her full of the beauty of a classical woman, like a painting of a lady emitting the fragrance of poetry and ink, with a quality as proud as the clear frost and the fragrance of autumn dew.
Seeing that she was becoming more embarrassed, Qin Mu quickly withdrew his hand, walked around the garden with her for a while, and then said goodbye and left.
In a side hall in the front yard of the palace, Qin Mu asked Li Shi to bring Yunduan in.
"I am from Yunduan, and I am here to meet Governor Qin."
"Why do you come to see me?"
"Master Qin, how could my daughter be with you..."
****************
On the imperial couch, sister-in-law Borjigit lay with her graceful body, her snow-white skin glowing pink under the surging tide of passion. Her towering breasts and entangled buttocks were enough to make people's bones melt with desire. How Dorgon wanted to pounce on her and ride his passion to his heart's content on this beautiful sister-in-law.
But he could only bear it, hurriedly put on his clothes and left Ciqing Palace.
When Dorgon rushed back to the Prince Regent's Palace in Nanyuan, Grand Secretary Fan Wencheng, Grand Secretary Ning Wanwo, Grand Secretary and Minister of Rites Feng Quan, Left Vice Minister of Personnel and Imperial Academy Attendant Academician Chen Mingxia, Grand Secretary Xie Sheng of Jianji Hall, Grand Secretary Guaerjia Ganglin of the National History Academy, Grand Secretary Hesheli Xifu of the Inner Hongwen Academy, Grand Secretary Feng Guozhu and others were already waiting for him with grim faces.
Dorgon strode into the hall, and everyone threw off their horse-hoof sleeves and bowed down: "Your servants pay their respects to the king."
Dorgon suppressed his anger and spoke in a somewhat unfriendly tone. He sat on the armchair at the top and said in a cold voice: "What do you think we should do about the British king's setback in Hanyang and his defeat in Xinyang?"
Dorgon was alert and suspicious by nature. In his heart, he despised most Manchus, thinking they were too crude and stupid. He despised Han officials even more, despising their lack of integrity and their hypocrisy and infighting.
But he was a shrewd man who seldom showed this mentality, and even less often did he speak so bluntly to his trusted ministers as he did today, without even a polite word. He just asked questions directly.
Fan Wencheng and others knelt on the ground and did not dare to get up. In addition, they had just learned the news and had not had time to think of a countermeasure, so everyone was silent.
"Have you all become mute?" Dorgon was furious and slammed the table beside him and shouted. He had just stripped the Holy Mother Empress Dowager naked and was about to turn over and ride on her when he received such news. His lust and anger were intertwined, and his emotions were inevitably out of control.
Xie Sheng, the Grand Secretary of Jianji Palace, said with sweat on his forehead: "Your Majesty, the southerners are resisting so fiercely. I think it is mainly because of the shaving order. Your Majesty, why not postpone the shaving order to weaken the resistance of the southerners..."
"Shut up!" Dorgon, who was already in a rage, shouted angrily, "You keep bringing up the shaving of your head, saying that it is not in line with the ritual and music system of the old dynasty. I want to ask you, does our dynasty not have a ritual and music system? Now our Great Qing Dynasty rules the world. You don't respect our dynasty's system, but still want to follow the old dynasty's system. What's your intention?"
"I deserve to die. I deserve to die. Please forgive me, Your Majesty. Please forgive me..." Xie Sheng had never seen Dorgon so furious. Being over seventy years old, he was so scared that he kowtowed hard, sweating profusely.
Dorgon was a calm and wise man after all. Seeing Xie Sheng's forehead bruised and even Fan Wencheng and others turned pale with fear, he quickly suppressed his anger, took a deep breath and said, "Everyone, get up."
"I dare not!"
"Everyone, get up. I am in a state of anxiety today. I am sorry to have frightened you. Everyone, get up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Everyone then climbed up carefully. The clothes on Xie Sheng's back were all wet with sweat. A gust of wind blew, and his back felt cold.
After Dorgon controlled his emotions, he asked in a deep voice: "Master Fan, you are full of wisdom and have always been relied upon by this king. Tell me, what should we do now?"
"this... ... .."
Fan Wencheng was in a dilemma. This matter had to be viewed from two levels. First of all, one had to consider the military impact that Ajige's defeat would have on the Qing Dynasty's control over the Central Plains. If that was the case, it would be easy to deal with.
On another level, we also have to consider the impact of this incident on the faction headed by Dorgon that advocated taking control of the Central Plains.
Ajige and Dodo were both brothers of Dorgon, and had always been his right-hand man in the internal power struggle of the Qing Dynasty. The reason why Dorgon was able to monopolize power was directly related to the fact that his two brothers swept across the Central Plains and pushed the Qing Dynasty to unprecedented glory.
But as the saying goes, success is due to Xiao He, and failure is also due to Xiao He. Ajige's defeat would have dealt a heavy blow to Dorgon's prestige, and in turn would have had a huge impact on his monopoly on power in the court.
It turned out that those ministers who supported Hauge in the struggle for the throne would definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble.
Therefore, Ajige's failure was no longer a simple military issue.
"Master Fan, please feel free to say whatever you want to say. There is no need to be shy," Dorgon urged.
Fan Wencheng gritted his teeth and said, "At this point, Your Majesty would be best to ask His Royal Highness Prince Ying about the responsibility for the defeat before anyone questions him."
When Dorgon heard this, he immediately understood that Fan Wencheng meant to sacrifice the pawns to save the chariot. By holding Ajige accountable first, he could minimize the political pressure on himself.
**(To be continued...)
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