Chapter 56: Disciplining the Talented Woman

It turned out that little peach stinky girl was the one who snitched. Next time, he must make the Madam properly discipline her.

Faced with Bai Qiannuo's questioning, Li Qi smiled coldly and said, "I am merely stating a fact. Can that possibly be called malicious slander? How ridiculous. May I ask, Lady Bai, was there anything wrong with those eight characters of mine?"

Bai Qiannuo retorted, "Sister Wang stays at home in mourning for her deceased husband. This is moral propriety and the three obediences and four virtues. What is wrong with that? But a despicable villain like you, how could you possibly understand what moral propriety is?"

Li Qi said with contempt, "Moral propriety and the three obediences and four virtues—I indeed do not understand them, nor do I wish to understand them, because those are nothing more than a load of utter nonsense."

"Audacious! You scoundrel, how dare you insult the Way of the sages? Could it be that you intend to make an enemy of all the scholars in the world?" Bai Qiannuo scolded.

"My timidity knows no bounds."

Li Qi glanced at her disdainfully and said, "Scholars? What kind of rubbish are they? I make an enemy of them? Are they even worthy?"

"You---!"

Li Qi's mouth full of foul language made Bai Qiannuo's chest heave violently with anger, leaving her unable to even speak.

Li Qi was also burning with irritation, so how could he spare a thought for cherishing jade and pitying flowers? He continued, "Ever since the founding of our dynasty, the Khitans have repeatedly invaded our borders, plundering, looting, and committing every imaginable evil. Where were those scholars back then? And look at these elderly folk and orphaned children who cannot even afford a full meal—where on earth have those scholars hidden themselves this time? Hmph, all they know all day long is clutching a book, chanting 'Confucius says' and 'Laozi claims'—I claim your mother's! They don't even understand a principle as superficial as taking pleasure in helping others. In my opinion, all their book-reading has gone straight into the dogs' bellies. Not a single constructive deed have they ever done, and all day long they only know how to bully a woman with a pure and kind heart like the Madam. To think you still have the shamelessness to drag them out to make a public spectacle; I feel a sense of shame on your behalf."

Following this head-on, blistering reprimand, Bai Qiannuo was left completely stunned. Every single word of Li Qi echoed in her ears; although filled with vulgarities, every single word made complete sense.

Yet Bai Qiannuo had never suffered such a grievance before. Her eyes filled with tears, but she bit her lip and forcefully held the tears back, retorting, "You're talking nonsense! When have they ever bullied Sister Wang?"

Only, this retort sounded somewhat pale and weak.

Upon hearing this, Li Qi immediately felt amused in his heart, and with a laugh, he asked, "Lady Bai, do you know what the most despicable and shameless thing in this world is?"

Bai Qiannuo snorted, "The most despicable and shameless thing in this world is only known by the most despicable and shameless of people."

Hearing this, Li Qi was slightly taken aback. Damn it! This young lady is beating around the bush to insult me! He retorted tit for tat, "That's precisely why I am asking you!"

"You---!"

Bai Qiannuo was known as the second most talented woman in Tokyo. Naturally, she was learned and quick-witted, and previously, when debating with those scholars and literati, she had never encountered a match. But now, she was being toyed with by Li Qi time and time again, and what was even more frustrating was that she could find no grounds for a counterattack.

Seeing that her pretty face had flushed red with anger, Li Qi smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said, "Fine, fine. Since you find it hard to put into words, let me say it for you. The most despicable and shameless thing in this world is none other than depriving others of their thoughts."

"Depriving others of their thoughts?" Bai Qiannuo murmured softly.

Li Qi asked, "Correct! Tell me, do you understand what thought actually is?"

Bai Qiannuo revealed an expression implying she barely understood, and slightly nodded her head.

Li Qi sighed heavily and said, "From the moment every single person is born, they possess the right to pursue freedom, happiness, and love. This right is bestowed by the heavens, and no one should attempt to strip it all away. Yet those muddle-headed scholars you speak of utilize the nonsensical Way of the sages in a vain attempt to defy the heavens and change fate, stripping away the rights bestowed upon each person by the heavens. Is this not even more despicable than those plunderers and looters?"

Saying this, Li Qi sighed once more and added, "Actually, you women are the ones who suffer the deepest harm in all of this. Just think about it: the Madam is such a fine woman, yet she has been deprived of her thoughts by others, forced to spend every day like a walking corpse inside that tiny room. Putting yourself in her shoes, would you be happy? Could you possibly be happy?"

This speech could be described as utterly daring. Had he encountered those pedantic scholars, they would certainly have fought him to the death.

Fortunately, Bai Qiannuo was not a pedantic person. In truth, she also harbored deep resistance toward those ritualistic worldly conventions; it was only today, in order to refute Li Qi, that she had dragged out these unwritten rules, completely unexpected of being thoroughly devalued by Li Qi.

Bai Qiannuo's expression softened slightly as she said, "What you said is not wrong. Ever since Sister Wang's husband passed away, the smiles on her face have indeed diminished greatly. But---but this still cannot serve as an excuse for you to hurl insults at Sister Wang."

Li Qi chuckled and said, "First of all, I must clarify one thing: I am by no means insulting the Madam. I simply wish to awaken her, to coax her into stepping out of that door. Perhaps my tone was a bit harsh, but she is too deeply poisoned; if not for this approach, how could she ever listen to me? As for you---hmph!"

Bai Qiannuo asked with trepidation, "What about me?"

Li Qi squinted at Bai Qiannuo and said with a wronged expression, "You always claim to be a good sister to the Madam, yet when you see her trapped in the mire, you don't think of rescuing her, and instead indulge the situation. Now, you even attempt to harm a kind-hearted person who is trying to drag the Madam out of a sea of suffering. Ah, well, as long as the Madam is happy, what does a little grievance suffered by me, Li Qi, even matter?"

You, suffering a grievance?

Bai Qiannuo shot Li Qi an exasperated look. However, she now understood the situation as well; she realized that Li Qi was actually doing this for the benefit of Madam Qin. Secretly blaming herself for rushing in to demand accountability without first figuring out right from wrong, which led to her current passive state, she looked at Li Qi's aggrieved appearance, chuckled softly, and said, "Could it be that you're still expecting me to thank you?"

Li Qi shrugged and said, "I feel that I am fully qualified to receive the gratitude of anyone who cares for the Madam. Even if it were the Madam's own parents, I would accept it with a clear conscience. I guarantee you, once the Madam steps forward to manage the Drunken Immortal House, she will be ten times happier than she is now—no, a hundred times happier. Is this not what you wish to see?"

This scoundrel truly was born with a silver tongue. I clearly came to demand accountability just a moment ago, and now I still have to thank him instead. How utterly devoid of justice!

The more Bai Qiannuo thought about it, the more unconvinced she felt. A flash of inspiration struck her mind, and she smiled, saying, "What you said is correct. I indeed must say 'thank you' to you, but you must first apologize to me."

"I apologize to you? Lady Bai, did you bump your head?" Li Qi asked in astonishment.

"Your head is the one that got bumped."

Bai Qiannuo gave a light snort and said, "You slandered me in front of others; do you mean to tell me you don't need to apologize to me?"

Li Qi said with annoyance, "I slandered you? Why don't you just accuse me of indecent assault!"

He certainly did not remember ever doing anything to wrong Bai Qiannuo.

"You're still arguing! Let me ask you, do you recognize Song Yuchen?" Bai Qiannuo asked.

"I know him. Just the last couple of days I even—even,"

Li Qi trailed off halfway through his sentence, his expression tightening. Anxiety gripped his heart: No way. That hack surnamed Song couldn't possibly have told this young lady everything he said to him, could he?

Then, he dismissed the thought in his heart, figuring that Song Yuchen was at least a scholar and wouldn't be stupid to that extent. He must have inadvertently let slip just a slight hint, and promptly changed his tune, saying, "We aren't very close."

"Then are you very close with me?" Bai Qiannuo asked again.

Li Qi grinned and said, "We aren't very close right now, but who knows what the future holds."

Bai Qiannuo gave a soft hmph and said, "Then that is far too strange!"

"What is far too strange?" Li Qi asked with curiosity.

The corners of Bai Qiannuo's mouth curled upward as she said, "You tell someone you aren't very close with that another person you also aren't very close with once praised you for being well-read and extraordinarily knowledgeable. Is that not extremely strange?"

"Uh!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qi was instantly left speechless. At that moment, he only wished to grab a knife and slice open Song Yuchen's skull to see what kind of dog-shit was packed inside it.