Chapter 32 - ARTTEDSBGT Chapter 32
Seeing Li Cen’s thoughts, Lady Li’s heart sank instantly. She composed herself and spoke in a feigned gentle tone, saying, “I don’t feel that way at all. It’s just that the storm last night was a bit more severe. In previous years, such things have also happened. Remember the summer two years ago when the wutong tree in the garden was blown down?”
Afterward, she scolded, “It’s just a coincidence. I think my husband is scaring himself.”
However, Li Cen was not convinced this time. Frowning, he said, “But that old pear tree, after all these years, it didn’t fall earlier or later, and it chose to fall at this time. Don’t you find it a bit suspicious?”
He sighed and lamented, “If this matter is indeed due to my wrongdoing, how can I face our ancestors in the future?”
Lady Li had always been irritated by his frequent mention of ancestors. Over the years, they had offered incense and paid respects on the first and fifteenth days of each month, but it hadn’t brought any advancement in his position as a household department a.s.sistant. He was stuck in this position, not moving up or down, just barely getting by, which was truly frustrating.
She was fed up with being the wife of an a.s.sistant. Whenever she went out to socialize with the royal wives and n.o.ble ladies, she had to be careful, smile politely, and even give up her seat to others. She had to engage in small talk, always mindful of her social standing, and endure condescending remarks from others.
Thinking about this, she was filled with resentment and frustration. Unfortunately, Li Cen was still pondering the situation and said, “In my opinion, we should follow what the Daoist suggested and make Zhizhi acknowledge her origins. That’s the only way to resolve this.”
Upon hearing this, Lady Li’s heart tightened, and she exclaimed, “But what about Wan’er?”
Li Cen didn’t hesitate and replied, “We’ll send her back, of course.”
“No way!” Lady Li blurted out, “How can we send Wan’er back? Are you out of your mind? She’s the daughter I’ve raised for fifteen years!”
Li Cen furrowed his brow, looking at her in confusion, and asked, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve raised Wan’er for over a decade, but Zhizhi is your biological child. How can you bear to do this?”
Lady Li, not holding back, retorted, “Even if I’m heartless, you’re even more heartless! I’ve never believed that Wan’er is not my biological daughter. I gave birth to her, and I know it in my heart.”
Li Cen was shocked, “Zhizhi looks so much like you did when you were young, and you still don’t believe it?”
“In this world, there are countless people who look alike. Should I accept them all as relatives?” Lady Li remained unswayed, her eyes red, and she said, “Only you believe it. You say our family’s flesh and blood should not be left outside, and you want to bring her back. I don’t want to argue with you. If it makes you happy, go ahead. It’s just one more mouth to feed, and it won’t make us poor. But now, if you want to send away my daughter, whose origins are unknown, I absolutely refuse!”
She wiped her tears with her handkerchief and said, “In my heart, Wan’er is my own daughter. If you want to send her away, then you might as well send me away too.”
Li Cen, seeing her cry, couldn’t bear it anymore and said with a headache, “You foolish woman! Why can’t you understand? Haven’t you ever considered the possibility that you might be wrong?”
Lady Li covered her face and wept, saying, “How dare I even think of such a big matter? Li Zhizhi is already in our mansion, and she won’t lack for anything in the future. We won’t mistreat her. But if Wan’er is sent away, it’ll be like parting ways at the ends of the earth!”
“What’s more, now everyone knows she’s the adopted cousin of our Li family. If we change our stance tomorrow, won’t it be like slapping ourselves in the face? How will Zhizhi cope with it?”
Li Cen scolded, “This was your idea in the first place. I told you not to do it!”
Lady Li retorted, “But the master didn’t oppose it later.”
The couple had a heated argument, each sticking to their own point of view. Li Cen, feeling overwhelmed by her tears, paced back and forth with his hands on his back. Finally, he said, “Leaving aside whether she’s genuine or fake, what about the blind Daoist’s prophecy? If what he said is true, and we ignore it, won’t it harm our Li family in the future?”
Lady Li knew that he was giving in. This time, she didn’t bring up the matter of Li Suwan being a Phoenix-born. She followed his lead and said, “If the Daoist foretells a disaster, there must be a way to avert it. How about this, I’ll go find that expert tomorrow and ask for their help. What do you think, my lord?”
Li Cen thought this was a workable solution and said, “We should act quickly, don’t delay.”
Lady Li asked, “My lord, where did you meet that Daoist? Do you know their name or t.i.tle?”
Li Cen hesitated, trying to recall. He said, “I encountered him on my way back to the mansion. It was at the corner of Zhuque Street. As for his t.i.tle, he didn’t reveal it.”
Not having much information, Lady Li fell silent. She said, “I’ll send someone to inquire tomorrow to see if we can find more details.”
As long as they didn’t send Li Suwan away, everything would be fine. She had seen that expert personally predict Li Suwan’s future, and for the sake of avoiding a conflict with Li Cen, she had to compromise.
Two more days pa.s.sed, and the weather began to clear up. It was April, almost summer, with most peach blossoms having fallen. After several rains, the vegetation had started growing vigorously, and a warm southern wind blew often.
On this day, Ming Garden had a day off, and there was no need to go to school. Li Zhizhi wore a new summer outfit – a light ivory dress with a sky-blue waistband. The attire accentuated her slender figure, reminiscent of the delicate willow branches in late March. Her outer garment was a pale blue jacket, embroidered with intricate patterns of stone chrysanthemums at the hem. She looked stunning.
Yulan fastened a small sachet to her waist, complimenting her, “Miss, you look really beautiful in this outfit.”
Haitang, on the other hand, expressed her concern, “Miss, are you really going to the temple fair alone?”
“I’m not alone,” Li Zhizhi hesitated for a moment and whispered, “I’ll be with the Princess Consort.”
Both maids were taken aback and whispered, “Little Miss, please rest a.s.sured. We won’t breathe a word of it to anyone.”
They exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
Yu Lan replied, “If this gets out, you can just slap the mouth of this servant.”
Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but chuckle and said, “With a mouth like yours, I can’t bear to do that.”
After that, the three of them, master and servant, all burst into laughter.
A few days ago, the Princess Yongning invited her to the Cien Temple for a temple fair. Because she didn’t want Lady Li to know, Li Zhizhi didn’t bring her maidservant with her today, nor did she call for a carriage. She left the mansion through a side gate and headed in the direction of the princess’s mansion.
However, she didn’t expect that not long after, a carriage also left the Li Mansion. It pa.s.sed through the main street, crossed the eastern market, and reached the Zhuque Street. The coachman said, “Madam, this is the place.”
Lady Li lifted the carriage curtain to take a look outside and instructed her maidservant, “Go find out if there’s a blind Taoist around here.”
The maidservant complied, and just as Lady Li was about to lower the curtain, her gaze suddenly fixed on something not far away. There was a very luxurious carriage with four horses, decorated with gold and silver, and adorned with pearls and jade ornaments. This was the highest standard of carriage, second only to the emperor’s.
Lady Li had seen the owner of this carriage get down from it before, looking dignified and n.o.ble. It was the younger sister of the current emperor, Princess Yongning.
And now, she saw the seemingly inconspicuous Li Zhizhi standing next to the carriage. Princess Yongning lifted the carriage curtain, smiled warmly, and said something to her in an affectionate manner. After that, she reached out and pulled her onto the carriage herself.
Lady Li stared intently until the carriage had started moving forward. She hurriedly ordered the coachman, “Quick, follow them!”
Inside the carriage, Li Zhizhi had just settled down when her eyes were covered by a pair of hands. She heard Xiao Rulei playfully ask, “Guess who I am?”
Li Zhizhi couldn’t help but smile and said, “Qingluo?”
The girl proudly replied, “No.”
“Is it Princess Yongning?”
“Wrong.”
Li Zhizhi went along with her for a while, naming all the people she could think of, even including Xiaoling, and Xiao Yan. Xiao Rulei laughed so hard that she hiccupped, and finally she let go of Li Zhizhi’s hand. “It’s A’yang, silly sister!”
She happily hugged Li Zhizhi’s neck and affectionately rubbed against her. Princess Yongning watched with a smile and said, “Only you are willing to make her happy. Last time, she used this trick to tease Xiaowu, and he ended up crying.”
Li Zhizhi asked in confusion, “Xiaowu?”
“Her brother,” Xiaoling Yue said with a displeased pout. “He’s so mean!”
Li Zhizhi became interested and asked, “What did he do?”
Xiao Rulei refused to say, and Princess Yongning laughed as she revealed her secret. “Xiaowu just said one thing, that her voice doesn’t sound like a person, it sounds like a pig. So, from now on, we’ll call her Ah Zhu.”
Xiao Rulei hurriedly covered her mouth and said, “Aunt! Don’t say that!”
Everyone burst into laughter, except for Xiao Rulei, who was furious. She had to eat two pieces of dragon’s beard candy before she calmed down.
She was sulking and protested loudly to Princess Yongning, “Don’t say these things in front of Sister Zhizhi from now on!”
Princess Yongning asked her, “Why not?”
Xiao Rulei hesitated and then whispered, “Sister Zhizhi might think A’yang is stupid.”
The air suddenly became still for a moment, and everyone stopped laughing. Li Zhizhi suddenly reached out and pinched her slightly puffy cheek, saying, “No, I heard that A’yang is so cute, I like her a lot.”
At these words, Xiao Rulei immediately laughed, her eyes squinting, and she quickly changed her tune, “Really? Can you say more nice things about her?”
…
In the capital city, as the spring day turned into evening, the streets were bustling with carriages and pedestrians, and in a teahouse, a young girl with a pipa in her arms was singing a song softly. Taverns, opera stages, and elegant towers and pavilions all sang within this capital’s fragrant atmosphere.
There were not many people coming for tea early in the morning, and the hall was quite quiet. However, one guest by the window was gazing at the moat outside, where the water was a fresh green, and the willows were swaying gently.
He tapped the table lightly with one hand, as if following the rhythm of the song. A string of sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist reflected tiny rays of light in the daylight. He appeared calm and relaxed, as if he were in his own garden, making the teahouse waitstaff and the singing girl treat him as a guest.
At that moment, someone entered the teahouse and approached a waiter. They inquired, “I’d like to ask about someone.”
The waiter asked, “Who are you looking for?”
“Is there a Taoist priest around here?”
“Oh, there are plenty of Taoist priests on Zhuque Street, and they all have various skills, from fortune-telling and feng shui to exorcising spirits. Which Taoist priest are you looking for?”
The person hesitated and said, “It’s a blind Taoist who can read fortunes and predict good or bad luck. He once did a reading for our master.”
“Oh, I see,” the waiter couldn’t help but be curious, “So, did his predictions come true?”
The person continued, “Absolutely. This Taoist said that a disaster would happen to our family within a month, and sure enough, a few days ago, an old pear tree in front of our ancestral shrine fell and crushed the roof. Our master and madam were worried, so they wanted to find this Taoist to seek a solution.”
The hand tapping the table comes to a halt. After the person leaves, the guest lightly gestures, and a guard standing nearby bends down to listen to his question, “It seems like someone falsely reported that our ancestral shrine was damaged yesterday, who was it?”
Xu Tingfeng took out a booklet from his pocket, flipped through it, and replied, “It was Ministry of Revenue a.s.sistant Minister Li.”
Xiao Yan’s eyes narrow as he recalls the secret conversation he overheard on a quiet early spring morning in March.
Just then, another person enters from outside. He’s a young n.o.bleman wearing a stone-blue brocade robe, with a jade-studded cap, and charming peach-blossom eyes. It’s Pei Yanchuan, the youngest son of Marquis Jianchang. He spots Xiao Yan by the window and approaches, bowing, “You called me here so early; I thought it was for a drinking session. I hurried over without even bothering to disguise myself.”
He takes a seat, sips some tea, and talks about an encounter he had earlier, saying, “When I came, there was a blind Taoist who insisted on reading my fortune, claiming that there was a dark omen on my forehead. Can you believe he wanted to swindle me for money? Do I look that gullible?”
Xiao Yan raises an eyebrow, his expression subtle, and asks, “A blind Taoist?”