Duan seemed to be irritated by this disrespectful tone, and her expression became even more ugly.

"Why, after the death of the Queen Mother, you can trample me, the Princess of Hengyang, under your feet? This princess wants to take her son to the palace to see the imperial doctor today, who dares to stop her!"

Duan's voice lit up, he waved his sleeves, and he stood there in a domineering manner.

"Princess, you have misunderstood us. It is our duty to protect the safety of the palace. We knew that the Eighth Young Master was infected with smallpox and brought him into the palace. If the disease spreads in the palace, we cannot bear this responsibility.

ah!"

"Who said my son had smallpox? He didn't!" Duan covered Ye Anshu's sleeves tightly, looking like she was trying to quibble.

The imperial guards smiled helplessly, "Princess, the symptoms on Eighth Young Master's hand are undoubtedly smallpox. We won't stay any longer today and take our leave."

After that, those people didn't care what Duan said, they ran away in a hurry and returned to the palace to resume their duties.

"Hey, come back! Come back!" Duan stood there with a look of reluctance, her face turned livid with anger.

After the group of imperial guards walked away, Duan stopped yelling and cursed, looked at each other with Ye Anshu, turned around and fluttered her sleeves.

"Close the door." Mrs. Duan pulled Ye Anshu to the threshold, and the door of the Duke's Mansion slowly closed again.

In the four-bedroom courtyard, Ye Ningyu, Jiang, Ye Yonghe, Ye Yongde and Ye Ningxi gathered together.

Seeing Mrs. Duan coming back with Ye Anshu, everyone hurriedly stood up and asked, "How is it?"

"They have gone back." Duan sat down, "But he will not give up just yet."

Ye Yonghe sighed, "Laosi and I both took leave last night and won't be going to work these days."

"Seventh brother also took leave and will not go to the Imperial College." Ye Anshu seemed to have grown up a lot overnight.

"My subordinates, everyone should perform their duties. Don't take advantage of the Eleventh Young Master's illness to talk too much. If you are discovered by me, you will be severely punished. From today on, the doors of our government will be closed!" Jiang looked at him.

Fang manages the family affairs.

"Yes. I will go and pass the message right now." Butler Fang hurriedly retreated.

Seeing everyone's serious faces, Ye Ningxi walked up to Duan with a very solemn expression. "Mother, my daughter is not afraid!"

Everyone laughed when they saw Ye Ningxi pretending to be calm.

"Third Uncle." Ye Ningyu looked at Ye Yonghe. "Recently, my niece has heard that many girls have gone missing for no reason, not only in the capital city, but also in other prefectures. Many people have reported it to the official. Does Third Uncle know about this?"

"Why don't you know?" Ye Yonghe sighed. "I wanted to remind you to go out less during these days, but now it seems that there is no need to remind you. You don't know that the memorials from various states can't be piled up in the General Affairs Department.

."

"Have all the states issued memorials for this matter?" Ye Ningyu was a little surprised.

Logically speaking, it would be rare for a prefecture to go to heaven to hear a few people kidnapped by someone. But now, with so many memorials, it seems that the situation has become very serious.

"It's not all because of the abduction." Having said this, Ye Yonghe looked at everyone, "I feel like everything is not peaceful lately."

"How do you say it?" Ye Ningyu had a vague guess in her heart, but she didn't speak first.

Before Ye Yonghe could speak, Ye Yongde asked, "What brother is talking about is taxation and banditry?"

Everyone looked at Ye Yongde again.

"Ah Huai has been busy recently. He said that the household department is in chaos because His Majesty imposed taxes last year and most of the state governments did not pay enough. His Majesty was furious and threatened to kill several prefects as a warning. What can he say?

If a place pays the full amount, then this tax policy is reasonable. Mr. Xue from the Ministry of Revenue has advised you several times, but your Majesty did not listen..."

"Last year during the war, most of the military pay came from taxes. After the autumn taxes, winter taxes were levied, and the people couldn't get the money at all. I know all the places where the full amount was paid. If not mentioning others, Quanyang.

Don’t you know what the virtues of parents are?” Ye Yonghe sighed.

"It's nothing more than squeezing the people and leaving them desperate." Ye Yongde also sighed.

"How come the life of the people is so miserable now! Even though Dayu is not a kingdom, the people are peaceful and happy when the late emperor is still alive." Jiang murmured. In the beginning, the Jiang family in Jiannan Road made a fortune in business when the late emperor was in power.

of.

Everyone looked a little heavy when talking about these topics.

"So, because of the increase in taxes, the people are miserable and desperate. Some people become bandits on the spot, leading to frequent banditry in various places?" Ye Anshu listened to the adults' words.

"Exactly." Ye Ningyu nodded.

"So, Ren Yazi started abducting and selling little girls?" Ye Anshu asked again.

Ye Ningyu frowned, "I don't know if the reason for this is the same. But these days, it's better for the people in our house to go out less often."

After saying that, Ye Ningyu looked at brother Ye Yongde.

"Third and fourth uncles, do you still remember what day it will be in half a month?"

"Half a month later..." Ye Yongde frowned and thought. But Ye Yonghe spoke without almost thinking about it. "Second sister's birthday."

Ye Yongde suddenly realized it and glanced at Ye Yonghe guiltily.

"Three years ago, the old man of the Zhuo family passed away. As the daughter-in-law of the Zhuo family, my second aunt stayed in mourning for three years. Now that the period of filial piety has passed, my second uncle has always loved my aunt. This year's birthday will definitely be arranged for my aunt.

"

Ye Yongde quite agreed. "When the Zhuo family came to propose marriage, the eldest brother was reluctant at first, but my father said that I was a military general in the Ye family. If the daughter of the Ye family got married to a colleague in the court, it would inevitably be suspected of forming a clique for personal gain. Therefore, my father quite

In order to satisfy the Zizhou Zhuo family, who is a businessman. Now I see that this marriage is really good, and how good Zhuoran is to the second sister."

Ye Yonghe glared at Ye Yongde, "What Zhuoran, that's your brother-in-law!"

Jiang smiled and said, "The Zhuo family's kindness to the second sister is not entirely due to luck, but also because the second sister is good herself. Zhuoran couldn't take his eyes away from the second sister's vigorous and resolute look when he first saw it. Dalang often said

, Ayun’s temperament when she was a child was most like the second sister.”

When everyone mentioned Ye Nianhua, they couldn't help but think of many past events.

Ye Ningyu listened quietly without interrupting the elders.

Duan didn't have much say, because when she married into the Ye family, Ye Nianhua was already married. The two of them had no experience of living together at home.

Finally, Mrs. Duan dropped the topic. "Why did Ayun suddenly mention the second sister?"

"For my second aunt's birthday this year, we have to go to some of my natal family members."

"Ayun is right." Ye Yonghe thought for a while, "But the door of our government is closed now, and news of smallpox has been released. If we go to Zhuo's house now, we are afraid that we will be exposed."

Ye Ningyu smiled and said, "Third uncle, don't worry about this problem. I have a way to send people out. But I have some things to do in those few days. I'm afraid I won't be able to go. Please ask mother to take my brothers and sisters. It's spring now.

The scenery in Zizhou is very beautiful, you can stay there for two months before going back."

As soon as Ye Ningyu said this, Jiang, Duan, Ye Yonghe, and Ye Yongde looked at each other and said nothing.

Jiang took a deep look at her daughter and spoke after a long time. "Your eldest brother has just left for a year. Logically speaking, I have to stay at home for three years before I can go far away. This trip to Zizhou is still very inconvenient.
Chapter completed!