Cowardly Stepmother Dressed As the Hero

The mother and son quickly returned to the palace.

Cao Miji worried about the rest of the children, and after returning to the house, he let the twins sleep first.

Qi Rui stayed by her side and watched her place the two children.

Cao Mi never favored one over the other, and instead prepared to send Qi Rui back to his room.

On the way, Qi Rui said hesitantly, "Mother."

"Huh?" Cao Mi looked away from the snowflakes piled up on the branches, looked at Qi Rui and asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Ruidao: "Actually... I think Mrs. Qin's method is not without merit."

"Ah?" Cao Mi didn't react for a while.

Qi Rui explained in detail: "Eldest son Qin doesn't like to read, so Mrs. Qin seduced him to read hard.

"Although this method looks a bit stupid, it's not without benefits. At least I see the appearance of the eldest son of Qin, which is much better than that of the average noble family. I have read all the books that should be read."

He gently brushed away a small pile of snow on the ground with his foot, and after stepping over the threshold, he turned around and said to Cao Mi, "Mother, be careful with your feet."

When Cao Mi also stepped out, he continued: "Qi Ran's situation is actually similar to that of the first son of Qin.

"Above the school, Andi and I can consciously study hard, but Qi Ran is easy to be disturbed by the outside world, and when learning is difficult, we even have some discouraged thoughts.

"We are three brothers, only he is not keen on reading."

While listening to him carefully, Cao Mi nodded, agreeing with his evaluation of Qi Ran.

Seeing her affirmation of her thoughts, Qi Rui continued: "The royal palace has more profound wealth than the Qin palace.

"If Mrs. Qin can persuade the eldest son of Qin to study with the 'reward method', why should mother be stingy with money?

"It would be a beautiful thing to imitate Mrs. Qin if it could make Qi Ran go to school with peace of mind."

When he said this, Cao Mi also understood what he meant.

When he was on the carriage just now, Qi Ran told her about Mrs. Qin's methods, and she was indeed envious.

In the mind of the third child, I am afraid that Cao Mi, like Madam Qin, promises him to learn from him.

But Cao Mi's words on the carriage sounded more reasonable, but in fact they firmly refused Qi Ran's request.

Obviously, the eldest son of the palace does not agree with his approach.

He first admitted that Mrs. Qin's method was a bit "stupid", but then affirmed the merits of this method. In his words, he wanted to persuade Cao Mi to meet Qi Ran's request.

After Cao Mi heard this, he smiled and shook his head.

"Do you remember what I said on the carriage just now?" she asked first.

Qi Rui nodded naturally.

He has an excellent memory, and it is impossible for him to forget things at this moment.

Cao Mi smiled and said, "Actually, those words at that time were just a superficial reason for rejecting Qi Ran. My mother has some opinions of her own on the matter of 'respecting benefits and persuading students'. Would you like to hear it?"

Qi Rui looked at her sternly, nodded and said, "Naturally."

Cao Mi took some time to organize the language, and then asked: "Qi Ran doesn't like reading, but no matter what he learns in the book, or the environment and people around him, he always emphasizes to him that reading is an important thing. Meaningful, very good things.

"An obvious example is that when I was in the carriage, what I said, although he did not want or like to hear it, was acceptable to him.

"right?"

Qi Rui thought for a while and said, "Yes, that's true."

"Well, we have sorted out the prerequisites, then the next question is..." Cao Mi paused, then looked at Qi Rui with a smile: "In this case, do you think that I promise him to continue to study with heavy profits, and he will Make him like studying more?

"Would it be better to keep it as it was, and do nothing, would it make him more interested in studying?"

Qi Rui blurted out the answer almost immediately: "Of course it is the promise of heavy profits."

After listening to the story of Prince Qin, Qi Rui already agreed with this point of view.

He added: "Isn't the establishment of reward and punishment rules since ancient times to better facilitate results?

"Do nothing, how can Qi Ran make a change?"

Cao Mi smiled and said: "Well, your understanding is relatively common, but my mother wants to tell you, no."

Qi Rui looked at her in surprise.

After the conversation between the two, they have returned to Qi Rui's courtyard.

Cao Mi removed his heavy cloak and led Qi Rui to the warm couch.

The maid in the courtyard brought two cups of hot tea in time, and the mother and son drank one cup each to warm their bodies.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Cao Micai continued, "I think in this situation, doing nothing can make him actively learn."

Qi Rui frowned, put down the teacup in his hand, and asked, "Why is this?"

"Well..." Cao Mi thought for a while: "You may not be convinced by the conclusion I'm going to say next. I think... We can do a small experiment and explore it."

Qi Rui was a little surprised: "Experiment?"

Cao Mi nodded: "Practice brings true knowledge, and you will be convinced when there is a result."

"Well." Qi Rui agreed, and he continued to ask, "How to do the test?"

Cao Mi thought for a while, and said, "In the wool workshop, there is a job called 'wool yarn wrapping'. It is to ask the female workers to wrap the spun wool yarn into **** of yarn, which are convenient for the sweater knitters to use later.

"This kind of thing doesn't require any craftsmanship at all, it just takes time, and the process is very boring."

Qi Rui gave a "hmm".

He didn't know why Cao Mi brought it up instead.

Cao Mi smiled mysteriously and said, "In this way, I will send people to the wool workshop to pick up a few baskets of wool, and we will find a few maids in the mansion to do the job. Let them put down their work first and wrap the wool. An hour. After wrapping, they have to tell others that wrapping yarn is a very interesting job, and they want to keep doing it. (Note 1)

"Look, in this way, their situation is a bit similar to Qi Ran."

Qi Rui opened his mouth and seemed to have something to say, but after thinking for a while, he finally nodded and agreed, "Yes."

"Well, then, the maids who have done the same thing will be divided into two groups." Cao Mi continued: "The first group will be watched by you. After the work of wrapping the wool, you will give each of them one or two silver coins. , as extra wages for this hour of tangled wool.

"I will be in charge of the second group. After the work is over, I will give them two extra wages each."

The maids of the palace are all carefully selected. Although their monthly money is not low, it is very tempting for most people to get a tael of silver after working for an hour. But two copper plates...

It is estimated that even the rough servants who are responsible for the lowest level of cleaning work in the palace are not interested in it.

Cao Mi's arrangement distinguishes the control group of "inducing heavy profits" and "doing nothing".

Qi Rui has been aroused all interest.

He asked with bright eyes, "Well, then what?"

"Then... we'll just wait one night." Cao Mi smiled: "After the night, we'll send people to test their true attitude towards tangled wool.

"Look which group is really in love with the trick of twisting wool!"

Qi Rui knocked on the table: "Okay!"

Seeing his confident appearance, Cao Mi couldn't help but tease: "What do you think?"

Qi Rui raised his head and said: "In the mansion, except for big maids like Dongli, most of the other maids don't have a high monthly salary.

"If entangling the wool for an hour can make them get a tael of silver directly, wouldn't everyone be rushing to do this?"

His eyes shone brightly, and he affirmed: "It must be the people who got a tael of silver, who really liked the tangled yarn."

Cao Mi nodded: "Well, your analysis seems to make sense."

She winked at Qi Rui playfully: "Then I'll let Dongli prepare the wool, we'll see."

Qi Rui nodded heavily: "Let's wait and see!"

—

"...A spies set the fire! There are spies setting the fire! Hurry up, get up and put out the fire!"

"They fled to the east, chase! Quickly chase!"

"The general has an order, all the soldiers should gather and go to Nancheng to search for spies! The fugitives are caught first, and a hundred sheep will be rewarded!"

"…"

In the silent winter night, the Rong army barracks in Jurong City suddenly burst out with panicked shouts.

Ordinary Rong soldiers didn't know what was going on, so they were pulled out of their beds and hurriedly started getting dressed, preparing to line up.

A centurion caught the herald who came to give orders.

He grabbed the reporter's collar, and through the bonfire around the camp, he could clearly see his Rong face with deep eye sockets and high nose bridge.

Taking a deep breath, the centurion asked, "What happened? Where's the general?"

The briefing officer shook his head blankly: "No... I don't know, I'm just here to deliver the letter."

"Bah!" The centurion spat on the ground. "The generals are not there, how can I trust you as a little brat?"

The briefing officer took out a pair of cloth from his arms: "You, see for yourself!"

The centurion unfolded the cloth and saw clearly the Rong characters and the special seal used by the general.

He threw the cloth back to the briefing officer, pushed him away again, turned around and followed the orders on the cloth and went back to assemble the troops and prepare to set off.

Soon, a series of messy footprints broke through the snow-white streets of Jirong City, and fires erupted everywhere in the city, shouting and neighing.

The defender of Jirong City woke up beside Luo Ke, frowned and looked out: "What's going on? Why is there chaos outside?"

Luo Ke brushed the strands of hair that fell on his temples, put his head on his shoulder, and said softly, "Did the group of people who came to the city yesterday made a mess?"

She folded her arms and said timidly, "The slave family still remembers that prince's eye-catching eyes, which really scared the slave family."

"Don't talk nonsense." The bearded guard glanced at her and got up quickly, "No, I have to go out and have a look."

Luo Ke grabbed his hand and said, "Sir..."

The guard hugged her: "It's okay, you hide here, don't go out and run around, I'll find time to come back after dawn."

Only then did Luo Ke feel at ease, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and nodded.

The guard tidied up his attire three or two and went straight out the door.

As soon as his front foot stepped out of Luo Ke's courtyard, Luo Ke's back foot changed his face, and he gave a cold "hum".

Qi San brought Zhang Wangxiang and others in from outside the hospital.

He didn't talk nonsense at all, and went straight to the topic and instructed Luo Ke: "I will take Zhang Wangxiang and the others out of the city first, and if anyone asks, you can say that these Han slaves were panicked and fled.

"You put away the forged documents of the Rong tribe, and I will come back to meet you after the guards' 'criminal evidence' is discovered."

Luo Ke nodded expressionlessly: "I know, you can go."

Zhang Wangxiang hesitated.

He looked at Luo Ke, but his words were directed at Qi San: "One... Do you have to leave Sister Luo Ke behind? Just wait for the prince to search for the crime evidence. Sister Luo Ke should go with us."

Qi San frowned, and before he could speak, he saw Luo Ke glaring at Zhang Wangxiang.

"I won't leave until I see the death of those people." She clenched her fists, "Let's go, don't cause me trouble!"

Qi San knew that she was helping, and did not waste this opportunity. Taking advantage of the moment when Zhang Wangxiang and others were intimidated by her, she took Zhang Wangxiang and his party out of the courtyard and walked to the route they planned out of the city.

After walking for a while, before they reached the city wall, they saw a blazing fire burning in the direction of the east. The billowing black smoke that rose along with the fire melted into the dark night, and soon filled the sky with the wind over the entire city.

From so far away, Qi San felt that he could smell the burning smell of the flesh.

Everyone's footsteps stopped involuntarily, and Zhang Wangxiang swallowed: "There is the residence where the prince lives temporarily... You... your people did it?"

He was a Han slave in the city. Before he went to work, he was still working in a stable. His face was covered in black, black, yellow and yellow stains of different sizes.

At this time, these mottles are distorted into an abstract and complex expression against the background of the orange fire.

Qi San nodded.

With a low voice, he woke everyone's attention and said, "Quick, I will take you out of the city first, and then go back to meet my master, keep walking, don't stop!"

Everyone was awakened by him and started running again.

Zhang Wangxiang followed closely behind Qi San, and asked as he ran, "Your master... did you really kill that prince?"

They didn't know the specific goal of the operation, and thought that it was the prince in the team that Qi You wanted to assassinate.

Qi San thought for a while, and explained vaguely: "It's not the prince, it's another important person... Now that the fire is lit, it should prove that the matter has been done."

Zhang Wangxiang grinned and said with a smile: "Well, it's a good job, you guys are amazing!"

Qi San shook his head solemnly: "The assassination is the easiest part. From now on, things will enter the most critical part..."

- How to get out of the body is the biggest problem!

Zhang Wangxiang said "Ah" with some doubts.

Qi San closed his mouth, no longer responding to him, and just ran forward.

The route was already planned, and everyone came to the city wall without any risk, and one by one, they went out of the city through a dog hole.

Zhang Wangxiang walked at the end, and Qi San told him: "After you get outside, comfort your brothers and friends, don't panic, and follow the arrangements.

"You have already left the city. No matter what happens in the city, someone will come to pick you up and bring you back to Changling safely."

Zhang Wangxiang opened his mouth, but couldn't make a sound.

There was no time for him to sigh at this time, so he could only nod his head, then followed a companion and got out.

Qi San took care of these people and immediately got up and returned to Luo Ke's courtyard.

The fire in Jirong City burned for a whole night, and no one in the city and outside could sleep peacefully.

On the second day, when the morning light dawned, the prince of the Rong family named Zuoyi finally relied on his own identity and the head of the former general defending the city to rectify the violent soldiers in the city.

Geer took his subordinates, dressed in the clothes of the soldiers of Jurong City, and mixed in the army.

At this time, the city had just settled down, and the soldiers died quite a bit.

Although Geer and the others were Qi You's subordinates, they were the faces of the Rong tribe, and no one noticed that something was wrong with them.

He honestly followed the orders of his "superior" and patrolled the city all morning. At noon, I finally found a space to rest, and under the cover of my men, I went to a hidden corner behind the barracks.

The most dangerous place is the safest place!

Now the city is full of soldiers who are hunting for spies, and only the barracks are left empty.

"My lord, my lord!" Geer groped outside the corner and shouted in a low voice.

Qi You's voice quickly sounded: "Come in."

Geer then bent over and walked in carefully: "My lord, how is your injury?"

The assassination last night was smoother than they had imagined, but when they retreated, they were almost discovered because of Qi You's obvious appearance.

In order not to cause a commotion and expose his position, he just took a knife and quietly resolved a crisis.

At this time, because of the lack of comprehensive care and rest after the injury, Qi You's lips turned pale: "It's okay, I have already taken medicine."

Geer looked at it and felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

He nodded, then handed Qi You a few pancakes, and said, "The patrol route in the city has been modified, but tonight at the latest, we will find an opportunity to send you out! Please hold on for another half a day."

Qi You nodded and asked again, "Is everything going well with Qi San?"

"Well, it should be very smooth." Geer replied: "I haven't found a chance to meet him yet, but there is no news about Han slaves in the city. I think he should send people out smoothly."

Qi You nodded and said, "Well, I understand."

He then ordered: "You leave first, and come back to me when you find an opportunity at night."

Gal nodded.

He knew the priorities and didn't dare to stay any longer, so he quickly withdrew and continued to infiltrate the Rong army in the city.

—

After lunch.

Tianquan and Tianxuan, who were sent out to do business, returned to Qi Rui's courtyard one after the other.

Qi Rui was holding a book for entertainment, and when they came back, he put the book down directly.

Even though he was anxious, he could still maintain his composure on the surface. He took a sip of the hot water next to him and asked, "How is it? How is the situation over there?"

Yesterday, he and Cao Mi agreed on a small experiment for tying wool.

In the palace, the princess and the eldest son are concerned about the things that the people below naturally dare not neglect.

After the order was given yesterday afternoon, the wool workshop that received the order sent the wool out overnight, and in the early morning, it had already delivered the things to the palace.

One morning passed, and the maids, who were divided into two groups, completed the boring task of twisting wool at the same time.

Tianquan and Tianxuan looked at each other and bowed towards Qi Rui.

Tianquan spoke first, and he said, "Young Master Qi, in the courtyard I went to, the maids received a reward of a tael of silver after wrapping their wool.

"Everyone was very pleasantly surprised by the windfall, and they were all delighted when they told others about the fun work of threading.

"According to the observations of the subordinates, these people should be really looking forward to the next time, and they can also get such a job."

Qi Rui nodded and looked at Tianxuan again.

Tianxuan said: "It belongs to another yard, and the maid in the yard did the same thing, but only got two copper coins in the follow-up.

"They... laughed very reluctantly. They talked with other people about wool entanglement. Although they followed the princess's words and said that it was an interesting thing, they obviously resisted their own words in their expressions."

Qi Rui nodded: "It's not bad as I expected.

"A person who gets two copper coins doesn't even believe his own lies. How can he really find wool-wrapping interesting?"

Tianquan and Tianxuan heard the words and cupped their hands: "Young master is wise."

Qi Rui asked again, "How do you feel?"

It was the first time he made a bet with his mother, and although Qi Rui was confident, he was still very concerned.

Therefore, he sent Tianquan and Tianxuan, not only to monitor the situation of the maids, but also to let them experience it personally.

When the two heard the words, they took out a tael of silver and two copper plates from their arms.

Tianquan said: "The wages are all here, please dispose of the son."

Qi Rui shook his head: "It's yours, don't give it to me. Tell me what you really think."

Tianquan said: "Yes."

He thought for a while: "To be honest, although the subordinate said that it is interesting to wrap wool several times in his words... But in his heart, he couldn't agree with this sentence at all...

"However, with these two pieces of silver, the subordinates feel that even if I have been verbally admitting that wool-wrapping is interesting, the subordinates are still willing."

Tianxuan, who got the two copper plates, looked a little bitter: "Subordinates...subordinates naturally think the same as Tianquan, but...if it wasn't for the princess's request, subordinates would definitely not want to say that."

When he said this, his brows were slightly wrinkled, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, obviously completely unacceptable that he did such a "conscience" thing for the sake of two copper coins.

The two were given to Qi Rui by Qi You, and now they are only loyal to Qi Rui and will never lie to their little master.

So what the two said at this time were all from their true feelings.

After Qi Rui heard it, he tapped on the table lightly, and made a sound of "um".

"So, wait until tomorrow, and then observe the thoughts of those maids and you, and then you will know the conclusion." He murmured.

Tianquan and Tianxuan actually didn't know the complete content of the whole experiment. At this time, listening to him muttering to himself, they were quite confused.

Only Qi Rui quietly closed his eyes, looked at the two loyal servants standing in front of him, and thought again in his heart.

"Mother dares to take the initiative to propose such an experiment, which shows that she is also confident in her heart.

"But now, everyone's reaction is actually within my expectations. The people who get how much money are actually the same. It is impossible to really like the thread tangling. People who only get a tael of silver will have a different attitude. much more positive.

"If this is put on the third brother, wouldn't it be a good change?

"By the way, we have to wait another night...

"Nothing will happen this night. For Tianquan Tianxuan and the maidservants who participated in the yarn winding, tonight is exactly the same as every night before.

"So...why does the mother dare to assert that after this ordinary night has passed, the attitudes of the two parties will change differently?"

He frowned, took a deep breath, and decided to put this matter aside for the time being and wait for tomorrow to come.

The author has something to say: Note 1: The knowledge points used in this chapter come from the theory of "cognitive dissonance" proposed by American social psychologist Festinger.

The "twisted yarn test" refers to some of the experiments he has done for this theory, and I have made some changes in the details.

Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 10 bottles of Bailu Weixi; 5 bottles of Febblue; 1 bottle of orchids on the lapel;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!