Chapter 339: 339 Standing Up for Justice?

Chapter 339: 339 Standing Up for Justice?

The emperor glanced at Empress Jia, knowing her idea of women not being inferior to men was resurfacing, and chose not to respond.

In any case, he was aware of his little daughter’s capabilities. It would likely take several years of hard training for her to master even thirty percent of Qin Xiaoyao’s martial skills.

And given her limited perseverance, it would be difficult—one word: challenging.

“Thank you, Mother! You always care for me the most!” Young Princess quickly went to Empress Jia’s side and gave her a hug.

She also didn’t forget to glare at her father in the process.

This display of her youthful charm made both the emperor and empress smile with affection.

Qin Xiaoyao watched from the side and also found the scene exceptionally harmonious.

Clearly, Xiangyang was a favorite…

With a goal in mind, Xiangyang pulled Qin Xiaoyao, asking her to start teaching her martial arts right away.

However, after only a few moves, Xiangyang was already struggling.

Fortunately, Xiangyang wasn’t one to give up easily. She gritted her teeth and persevered.

At noon, Qin Xiaoyao was invited to stay for lunch with the emperor, empress, and young princess.

It was only in the afternoon that she left the palace, guided by the palace attendants to her own mansion.

Her Marquis of Xiaoyao’s mansion and the King of Huaiyin’s residence were on the same street but were separated by more than half a block, which was quite far.

Qin Xiaoyao suspected this might have been a deliberate arrangement by the emperor.

However, she didn’t dwell on it and followed the steward inside.

The Marquis of Xiaoyao’s mansion was also staffed with servants. Although there weren’t many, there were people in every necessary position. This too was arranged by the palace.

Upon entering, the steward quickly gathered the servants so Qin Xiaoyao could address them.

Qin Xiaoyao didn’t say much, only instructing them to do their jobs well and follow the rules of the residence.

She then asked the steward to give her a tour of the marquis’s mansion.

After walking through and seeing the state of the residence, Qin Xiaoyao was very satisfied.

Just as she was about to rest in her own courtyard, a reward of money was sent to her from the palace.

Qin Xiaoyao had to go to the front courtyard to receive the money and give her thanks.

She then put some of the money into her room and gave the rest to the treasurer.

Receiving a marquis’s mansion should have been a good thing, but with so many more servants now, the expenses in the future would likely be significant.

Additionally, if she wanted to establish herself in the capital, there would inevitably be social expenses.

Alas, relying solely on her salary wouldn’t be enough.

Perhaps she would need to invest in some properties to supplement her income.

With this in mind, Qin Xiaoyao headed to her study to write a letter home.

It's been so long since I left Lingquan Town; I wonder how things are back home now.

Now that she has settled down in the capital, it would be possible to bring the family here.

With more people around, things will be easier to manage. If my younger siblings come, they can help me set up and run a few porridge shops.

After writing the letter, Qin Xiaoyao had a servant call the steward to arrange for the letter to be sent.

She then left the mansion and went to the King of Huaiyin’s estate.

Upon hearing that Qin Xiaoyao had arrived, the King of Huaiyin personally came to the front courtyard and invited her to the study.

The King of Huaiyin showed no surprise when he learned that Empress Jia had asked Princess Xiangyang to formally become Qin Xiaoyao’s student.

“That young one, Xiangyang, loves practicing with weapons and dreams of becoming a female general.”

“In the past, everyone thought she was talking nonsense, but now our Great Jin has indeed produced a female general like you.”

“Now that she’s been pestering the Emperor and Empress Jia to let her become your student, it makes sense.”

“When you have time, give her some guidance. If she truly has the ability, it’s not impossible for her to lead troops into battle with you in the future.”

“That’s better than being trapped in the capital and forced into a political marriage when she reaches adulthood.” The King of Huaiyin said.

Qin Xiaoyao was somewhat surprised.

“Your Highness and Princess Xiangyang—”

The King of Huaiyin smiled.

“Although Empress Jia targets me, Xiangyang is different. That young one is worthy of everyone’s affection.” He explained.

When he left the capital all those years ago, it was thanks to that young one that he wasn’t persecuted to death by Empress Jia.

That young one truly sees me as her second brother.

He had long since realized that Xiangyang is not only Empress Jia’s daughter but also the Emperor’s child and his sister.

He and Empress Jia’s grudges should be resolved by themselves; there’s no need to involve more people.

Qin Xiaoyao nodded, agreeing with the King of Huaiyin’s words.

She then mentioned the situation in her own residence.

“The mansion does need some capable servants. The palace-assigned servants likely include some of Empress Jia’s people.”

“But there’s no rush. Once your family arrives in the capital, you can slowly replace them when the opportunity arises.” The King of Huaiyin said.

Qin Xiaoyao nodded.

The family not getting used to the current servants would be a good excuse to make changes.

The King of Huaiyin then looked towards Qin Xiaoyao.

“Empress Jia clearly wants to win you over.”

“From now on, you should visit here less frequently. If anything comes up, we can meet at the military camp.”

After all, they both held military positions, and even after returning to the capital, they would need to report to the camp every day.

"Yes!" Qin Xiaoyao responded, feeling a deep sense of gratitude for the trust that the King of Huaiyin had placed in her.

The two exchanged some more information before Qin Xiaoyao finally took her leave.

Returning to the marquis's residence, she enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and soon retired to bed early.

Qin Xiaoyao slept soundly on the warm, comfortable bed, dreamless through the night.

The next day, she rose very early.

After breakfast, she mounted her horse and set off for the military camp.

However, just after leaving the street where the marquis's residence was located, she encountered a commotion up ahead.

Several carriages were blocking the road, and a large number of onlookers had gathered, causing a traffic jam.

Qin Xiaoyao dismounted and led her horse forward to investigate.

She saw three young men in elegant attire bullying another young man.

The young man was in a sorry state, having been knocked to the ground.

Qin Xiaoyao instinctively frowned, about to leave and find another route.

But then, the young man suddenly lifted his head, revealing part of his face.

In that moment, Qin Xiaoyao's eyes widened in surprise.

The young man bore a striking resemblance to her husband.

As one of the young men in fine clothes raised his whip again, Qin Xiaoyao instinctively tossed out a copper coin.

The coin struck the whip, sending it flying from the young man's hand.

"Ah! Who dares to ambush me!" the young man cried out in pain, shaking his injured wrist as he turned to look back.

At the same time, the other two young men in fine clothes also glared fiercely in Qin Xiaoyao's direction.

Qin Xiaoyao met their gazes, her own brows slightly furrowed.

"It was me," she replied calmly.

The three young men immediately turned to face Qin Xiaoyao, their expressions turning unfriendly when they saw the slim figure before them.

"Hmph, quite bold of you. To injure this young master and still dare to admit it!"

"Men, grab him!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the retainers accompanying the young men moved forward towards Qin Xiaoyao.

Qin Xiaoyao's frown deepened as the onlookers dispersed, leaving her surrounded by the retainers.

Soon, one of the retainers wielding a stick came at her.

Qin Xiaoyao remained still, then suddenly kicked out just as the stick neared her, sending the retainer flying.