Pan Jinhua's actions were not without reason. The Chengen Duke's Mansion had previously instructed the Li family to behave themselves in the near future.
She felt something was off, so she consulted Yan Min to figure it out together, and they came up with some ideas.
The Crown Prince contracted smallpox this time because of palace intrigue, which is essentially a power struggle. The struggle is happening both inside and outside the palace.
The Li family is affiliated with the Ouyang family; this arrangement was made on the very day Li Qingtong became Ouyang Cheng's godfather.
The Ouyang family is a natural ally of the Crown Prince and the Empress. To put it bluntly, the Li family is also under the Crown Prince's control, but the Crown Prince is too hairy to necessarily know the Li family.
Smallpox was almost an open conspiracy.
Sacrificing some people would yield enormous benefits, so initially, the balance tipped in favor of the enemy.
They only need to wait patiently to deliver a heavy blow to the Ouyang family.
But all of this was ruined by the Li family.
The Empress survived, and the Crown Prince was also safe. Therefore, all their previous efforts were painful and futile.
The Li family, as the "culprits," naturally have to bear the wrath of some people.
The emperor knew, but he condoned it.
This is a good opportunity to remove the nail. If the Li family falls into a trap, it's their own carelessness.
How can he allow someone else to sleep soundly beside his bed? To covet the position of crown prince is to covet the throne. How could he not be angry?
The Ouyang family also knew this, but because they were indebted to the Li family, they gave the Li family a signal.
The message has been conveyed. If the Li family doesn't listen, it's none of the Ouyang family's business. We've done our utmost. We've pointed out the way; we can't keep leading them by the hand, can we?
Since Pan Jinhua returned from the palace, the Li family has been living a life of extravagance, entering a period of false prosperity.
Li Qingzhi stayed at home every day, learning the rules and taboos of Kyoto, and had no time to go out.
Li Qing was also well, resting at home and taking the opportunity to work on a new soap recipe.
Li Qingduan and Li Qingyi can only go home once every two weeks. Pan Jinhua rushed back once on the day she returned to the mansion and is still in the military camp.
Li Qingjun studied under Li Qingyao, along with Gao Chuan and Wang Jiao. They spent every day together studying literature and discussing poetry. With the imperial examination just around the corner, they clearly understood the priorities.
Since Li Xushi had just arrived in Kyoto, he had nothing to do and ended up alone.
Once he recovered, his temper became irritable again. Coupled with the current bustling scene at the Li family's residence, they received a dozen or twenty invitations every day.
With nothing to do, he accepted several invitations to go out and socialize. He had been spending his days outside, and Pan Jinhua had long suspected something was wrong.
When Mo Qiaoniang came crying today, her heart skipped a beat, thinking that Li Xushi was going to take a concubine.
Later, when she heard that Li Xu wanted a noblewoman as his daughter-in-law, she realized that it all came down to this.
Before Bai Sha could bring Li Xushi back, others had already come knocking on the Li family's door.
"Madam, the son of Vice Minister Wen is requesting an audience!"
The gatekeeper ran in to inform Pan Jinhua.
"That young master has a token from the second master, and he says he's here to discuss marriage."
Pan Jinhua's face fell instantly. They really came. Helpless, she got up.
"Please come to the hall first, I'll be right there."
"Come on, let us see what our second master has been doing behind our backs."
Pan Jinhua's tone was harsh, and Mo Qiaoniang's face also looked unpleasant. As husband and wife, if Li Xushi really did something bad and brought shame to the Li family, she would also lose face.
The two hurried into the main hall.
A young man with a handsome face and a smile as gentle as a spring breeze stepped forward to greet him.
"I have met Madam Pan and Madam Li."
Even the old woman Pan Jinhua paused, her anger subsiding considerably, and her expression softened a lot.
You can't hit a smiling face, especially one that's so good-looking, like a modern celebrity.
"I dare not accept such a gift. I am just an old peasant woman. How could I possibly deserve such a courtesy from you, young master?"
Pan Jinhua quickly avoided the situation. Kyoto was troublesome; their status was low, and even the gatekeepers of wealthy families were of higher status than them.
"Madam, you are too kind. My father is the Vice Minister of Revenue, and I am the fourth son in my family. Ruyu has come here today to discuss our children's marriage."
Wen Ruyu got straight to the point.
Although she was momentarily captivated by his beauty, Pan Jinhua remained extremely wary when it came to this matter.
"The Li family, of such high social standing, would never dare to presume to associate with the Wen family."
Pan Jinhua refused outright, saying that no matter who it was, the Wen family was not an option.
The Wen family also had a concubine in the palace, who even had a son.
"Hahaha, Madam, Xu Shi and I hit it off immediately and got along very well. Yesterday, we were drinking outside and exchanged tokens of our affection, arranging our children's marriage. There are many witnesses to this. Could it be that Brother Li has not yet informed his family?"
"Madam, I, Wen Ruyu, do not value family background or such things. A man's integrity is what truly matters."
Wen Ruyu's words were well-chosen, but Li Xushi's part made Mo Qiaoniang and Pan Jinhua so angry they wanted to grind their teeth.
I wondered why he reacted so strongly. Turns out he had just had a couple of drinks of rice wine outside and sold his own son!
"Madam, this is a token given to me by Brother Li. He said it's something he keeps personally. Please investigate it. If you need witnesses, Ruyu can also be invited..."
"No need, Fourth Master Wen, I believe you. It's just that my second son has two sons, and I don't know which one you've decided on?"
Having said all that, the Li family had no way to defend themselves. Marriage was traditionally arranged by parents and matchmakers. Li Xushi certainly had the authority to arrange marriages for his children.
Pan Jinhua had no choice but to accept the situation.
"Madam, I love both children, and it's entirely up to them. My son, Leyang, will be in your care from now on, Madam and Madam Li. Thank you, in-laws!"
Seeing that Pan Jinhua had accepted the marriage, things were progressing smoothly. Wen Ruyu revealed a kind smile, his handsome appearance almost blinding Pan Jinhua.
——————
"Father, are we really going to do this?"
“My silly daughter, I’m doing this for your future. Such a good marriage, if you don’t hurry, it will be someone else’s.”
Unlike her innocent and kind self in the Li family, Wen Ruyu had a carefree and irresponsible attitude.
The girl was somewhat shy, but her father's words made sense. She was already old enough that there weren't many good marriage prospects, and the Li family was the best she could choose.
Father still cares about me the most.
After leaving the Li family, Wen Ruyu happily returned home to share the good news with her daughter.
The Wen family did want to marry a girl into the Li family, but the candidate was not Wen Ruyu's daughter.
Wen Ruyu's status is too low, and the Wen family has many daughters. The Wen family wants to establish a deeper connection with the Li family, so it's impossible for Wen Ruyu's daughter to be chosen.
However, Wen Ruyu, out of love for his daughter, had a wicked idea after hearing about this matter and went to the Li family first to put an end to it.
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