As night fell, dinner was prepared at the Earl's mansion.
But no one returned, and the gate remained quiet.
Old Mrs. Li was getting anxious. She sat under the eaves, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan, and couldn't help but sigh.
As people get older, they enjoy being surrounded by their children and grandchildren, with a lively and bustling home.
But now that we're living a life of wealth and luxury, why is it so deserted everywhere?
Jiayin had just cooked two dishes herself, and feeling that she smelled of cooking oil, she went to take a shower and change into a fresh dress.
As soon as she returned to the main courtyard, she saw that her grandmother looked forlorn. She quickly went up to her and said with a smile, "Oh dear, is my grandmother lonely? You seem to be having trouble getting along with the children around?"
Grandma Li chuckled and playfully scolded her granddaughter, replying, "Silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? I was just wondering why your second uncle and fifth brother haven't come back for dinner yet."
Jiayin hugged her grandmother's arm affectionately, "Grandma says she loves me the most, but she's actually biased towards boys. Grandma can't even eat without my second uncle and brothers around!"
Grandma Li slapped her granddaughter in anger, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"Don't try to fool me. Everyone in Tianwu knows that our family favors girls over boys!"
That's what they said, but after her granddaughter's unreasonable nagging, the old lady's mood did improve a lot.
Jiayin seized the opportunity to persuade her grandmother, "Grandma, in another month, my godfather and my dad will come back, and our whole family will settle down in Quanzhou. Let others argue all they want here in Xindu, we won't get involved."
"Speaking of which, you've all gone out to sea on big ships, and I'm the only one left. I haven't even seen a big ship, let alone gone out to sea. It's so pitiful!"
"Good, good!" Grandma Li patted her granddaughter's hair and laughed, "Then your third brother will take you out to sea. He has a lot of soldiers under his command. He'll kill pirates and Japanese pirates everywhere. It'll be very impressive!"
Just then, Li Lao Er finally returned.
Grandma Li smiled even more happily and quickly started preparing dinner.
The table, which used to be full of people, is now empty except for the three of them, an old man and a young girl, which is truly heartbreaking to see.
But Li Lao Er and Jia Yin tried their best to coax the old lady, telling her interesting stories or jokes, and the meal ended up being quite lively.
But Old Mrs. Li, having been the matriarch of the family her whole life, wasn't so easily fooled.
After the dinner table was cleared, Li Lao Er made an excuse and said to Jia Yin, "Fu Niu'er, there were a lot of people donating outside the city today, and the accounts are a bit messy. Could you go to the study later and help your second uncle take a look?"
Jiayin understood immediately and agreed, "Okay, Second Uncle, I'll go in a bit!"
Unexpectedly, Old Lady Li waved her hand and said, "You two shouldn't try to fool me. If there's anything, just say it to my face. There's only a few of us in the family now, and it's pointless to keep things from each other."
Li Lao Er chuckled dryly, clearly feeling guilty.
"Mother, well... it is indeed a small matter. I was thinking of investigating it thoroughly before telling you! I didn't expect you to notice it first..."
Old Mrs. Li snorted and replied, "You were born from my womb and have been by my side for so many years. Do you think I wouldn't see that something's on your mind? Hurry up and tell me, or I'll keep worrying about it."
Jiayin was also curious; what did her second uncle have to say?
She deftly sliced two peaches, but before she could put them in her mouth, she heard Li Lao Er say, "The court said today that they would pray for rain, but there were no specific procedures. As a result, by evening, rumors began to circulate among the refugees outside the city that only a naturally blessed young girl could be sacrificed for the rain to be successful."
"Bang!" The bowl of sour plum soup in Old Lady Li's hand smashed to the ground.
The term "lucky girl" is absolutely taboo in the Li family.
Previously, even the Empress's maternal family was brought down by the Li family because of this.
Unexpectedly, even after so much time has passed and the Empress's body has decomposed, there are still people who dare to use those two words to make a fuss.
Li Lao Er was afraid that his mother would be too angry, so he quickly added a few more words.
"Mother, don't worry! This is just a folk tale, it hasn't spread far yet. Besides, our family found out so early, we have a plan, so we're not afraid of anyone plotting against us behind our backs, right?"
"Even if we take a step back and assume the Jiangning Marquis's family failed to scheme against Fu Niu'er, no one else would!"
Old Mrs. Li took a few deep breaths and cursed, "Have we been too easy to talk to, doing too many good deeds, that people think we're easy to bully! Why do they keep trying to scheme against Fu Niu'er? Do they think our family is all dead?"
Jiayin quickly patted the old lady's chest and said with a smile, "Grandma, Second Uncle said that it's just a sign for now, and we don't know the specifics yet. We should wait until we investigate and find out the truth before you get angry!"
"Yes, Mother, don't worry, I've already had someone investigate. I believe we'll have results soon!" Li Lao Er said confidently, but deep down he was a little unsure.
Not to mention the ever-changing political landscape at court, the Emperor's attitude towards the Li family and the Marquis is now ambiguous.
If someone is indeed using underhanded tactics behind the scenes, it will probably not be easy to find out.
Jiayin suddenly remembered something and said, "Second Uncle, if you have someone investigate, try your best to link it to the Marquis of Dingbei. The Crown Prince's concubine is the daughter of the Marquis of Dingbei, and the Emperor has ordered the Marquis of Dingbei to come to the palace to visit her."
"Logically speaking, there's nothing wrong with this. After all, since that incident, the Emperor has probably felt that his days are numbered and has been very good to his children. But today, when I met Steward Yi, he also mentioned this matter to me. I'm afraid that the Marquis of Dingbei's entry into the palace is not so simple."
Li Lao Er narrowed his eyes and thought about it carefully. His family had always been kind to people in Xindu, but there were also a few families with whom they had antagonized, and the Marquis of Dingbei was the worst of them.
It's not impossible that the Marquis of Dingbei was behind it all.
But Marquis Dingbei only took action against the Li family after meeting the Emperor.
His expression gradually turned grim...
Clearly, Grandma Li had figured this out as well.
For a moment, the feelings in her heart were indescribable.
Has the emperor who loved soup noodles and was approachable changed in the end?
Or perhaps he was always this selfish and ruthless, and everything before was just a facade...
The evening breeze blew slowly through the courtyard, startling the three silent people, and they quickly slipped away against the wall.
As night deepened, the entire city of Xindu returned to tranquility.
But beneath the calm, something is brewing, and no one knows what is going on.
The next morning, the old lady originally planned to go outside the city to take a look, and then return to the village to stay for another day.
But preoccupied with what happened last night, she lost her focus and stayed home doing needlework to pass the time, but unfortunately, she pricked her hand several more times.
Jiayin took care of some household chores, and seeing her grandmother like this, she tried to coax her to go out for a walk.
Unfortunately, the old lady wasn't fooled at all.
"It's hot outside, the shops at home are closed, and the migrant population outside the city is in disarray. Let's just stay home."
Jiayin had no choice but to let the little maids and servants play shuttlecock in the yard, just to entertain her grandmother.
But at this moment, Madam Liu suddenly arrived at the door.
Today's update is here!
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