Chapter 4 Heart Disease
The spring sun gently kisses the clouds, and the clouds dance in the breeze.
When the imperial edict bestowing a title arrived at the Li family, Li's father was granted the title of Duke Cheng'en.
Li's mother was granted the title of Lady of Li, which facilitated her access to the palace.
The Li family's status has risen accordingly.
Lin Xiaocong leaned against a ginkgo tree that was so large that it would take two people to encircle it, and closed his eyes to rest.
In the distance, one could hear the Li family members laughing and discussing the imperial edict.
Occasionally, Li Rong's cheerful discussions would be interspersed throughout.
She was in a good mood and it didn't affect her mood at all because he didn't want to be her male concubine.
At most, I'll curse him a couple of times while we're in bed.
As if recalling something, a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
Only after the shoving and pushing of the Li family members disappeared did he straighten up and walk towards Li Rong's courtyard.
As soon as Lin Xiaocong returned to Li Rong's courtyard, the maidservant stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Young master, there is a reward in the manor; this is your share."
The maidservant handed over the purse with both hands, her ears blushing as she looked down.
Today's top gossip headline in the mansion is not the imperial edict bestowing a title upon the emperor.
Instead, the pregnant second young lady had taken a favor with a gentle, humble, and handsome male concubine early on!
When the master is weak, the servants will become arrogant.
With Li Qu extremely busy and unable to personally oversee the Cheng'en Duke's residence,
The head maid, who was sent to teach the Li family manners, had more airs than the master of the house.
The servants were undisciplined and only showed respect to their masters.
Behind her back, everyone laughed at the Empress for being so lucky. Her father was mute, and her mother was a disfigured ugly woman, yet she still had the destiny of a phoenix.
Heaven is unjust!
Lin Xiaocong reached for his purse and felt his fingertips brush against someone's fingertips.
He looked up and saw the little maid's bright red, blood-dripping ear tips.
Male concubines who rely on their good looks to please women are even less principled than these maids.
So what if I touched it?
Would you dare tell the second young lady?
Lin Xiaocong smiled and pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, placed it on his fingertips, and lifted the little maid's chin.
The maid was startled, and when she looked up, she met the man's gentle eyes.
"Your face is covered in dust, let me wipe it off for you."
The maid's cheeks flushed instantly, and she looked at Lin Xiaocong with a shy and timid expression.
After wiping her face with a handkerchief, Lin Xiaocong lowered his hand and asked with a smile, "Do you know who I am?"
The maid asked in a low voice, "What is your surname, young master?"
"His surname is Li. He is Li Rong's husband who married into her family and is the biological father of the child in her womb."
“From the Marquis of Weiwu’s mansion in the north, the seventh son of the main line, skilled in medicine.”
"He once worked at the Northern Imperial Medical Bureau and was highly regarded by the Northern Royal Family."
"The Xiao family of the North was bestowed the title of 'National Physician Master' by Emperor Hong."
The more Lin Xiaocong spoke, the more terrified the maid became.
"However, I prefer the way they call me in private."
The maid felt her face burning uncontrollably: "Wh-what's your name?"
"The Poisonous Hand Healer, haven't you heard of him?"
Upon hearing this, the maid covered her face with her hands, screamed, and knelt down in front of Lin Xiaocong with a thud.
"My face, my face is getting hotter and hotter, and it hurts more and more!"
"What use is a lackey who has lost his manners?"
The handkerchief slipped from Lin Xiaocong's fingers: "The antidote is on the handkerchief."
The maidservant hurriedly climbed forward to get the handkerchief.
He stomped on the hand that had defiled him, the sound of breaking bones mingling with the maid's scream, startling everyone in the courtyard.
A languid sound passed over the maid's hands, and a faint scent mixed with herbs drifted away.
"Even the heavens can't bear to see me become a male concubine."
*
The news that Lin Xiaocong had injured the maid reached the Li family.
He was summoned to the Shihua Hall for questioning.
In the flower garden.
Wearing a brightly colored gold-decorated mask, Li's mother sat in the main seat of the living room, her back straight, exuding the air of a matriarch.
Lin Xiaocong stepped forward and greeted her: "Mother."
Li's mother slammed her hand on the table and stood up, still using the same ingredients as before.
"Shut up! Why are you hurting my maid?"
"Mother~ She said I was a male concubine and that she was flirting with me."
Lin Xiaocong sat down in the lower seat.
“I have brought all the people from Rongrong’s courtyard here. They are right outside the gate. Mother, you can interrogate them.”
With Lin Xiaocong taking action, there was no room for argument regarding the maid's actions.
After dealing with the maid's matter, Li's mother's unfriendly gaze fell on Lin Xiaocong.
"My third daughter is now the Empress, ruling the inner palace!"
“The plaque above my house has just been changed to read ‘Cheng'en Gong Mansion’.”
"A legitimate hereditary first-class noble title."
“Rongrong is the second young lady of my Chengen Duke’s Mansion who is divorced and is pregnant with her posthumous child.”
"We turn a blind eye to him keeping a male lover."
"But I hope that Young Master Lin has the self-awareness to not harbor any unrealistic ambitions!"
"We'll only tell outsiders that you're the doctor we invited to help Rongrong with her pregnancy."
"You should behave yourself and watch your mouth."
"Don't talk nonsense and ruin Rongrong's reputation."
"If you can't control your mouth, I will immediately have my third son-in-law drive you out of the south!"
"Neither the North nor the South will accept you, so you have no choice but to go to the barbarian lands!"
Lin Xiaocong listened silently with his eyes lowered, very obediently: "I will obey Mother's orders."
"Stop calling me 'Mom'!"
"Your mother is at the Marquis of Weiwu's residence in the North!"
"Don't try to claim kinship with me." Mother Li rolled her eyes and arrogantly served tea.
He felt very satisfied to have Lin Xiaocong outdone.
"Let me tell you something else."
"The child in Rongrong's womb has nothing to do with you."
"The baby will take Rongrong's surname."
Lin Xiaocong raised his eyelids and looked at Li's mother.
“Mother, it’s the same whether you take my surname or Rongrong’s surname, because I also take Rongrong’s surname.”
"You can call me Li Xiaocong from now on."
Li's mother choked on her tea and coughed incessantly.
He seemed oblivious to his mother's flustered and embarrassed state, withdrawing his gaze, lowering his eyes, and remaining as well-behaved as ever.
"If I had known the world would turn out this way, I would have promised not to offend Rongrong."
"There's no point in saying more now that things have come to this."
"Mingxu is willing to spend his whole life making amends."
“Mother, if you ever need Mingxu’s help, just ask him.”
"And what about Third Sister's side?"
“The Southern Land has just been established, and the National Medical Bureau must need to be established and improved. Mingxu has worked at the National Medical Bureau in the Northern Land for a period of time and has some experience. If my brother-in-law does not mind, Mingxu is willing to serve and help him.”
"However, the most important thing right now is the family affairs within this vast Cheng'en Duke's mansion."
He said in a very pertinent tone: "We can't rely on our third sister for everything."
"Now that the Southern Land has just been established, my third sister, as the Empress, has to face the court officials, the ladies of the inner palace, and the people of the world."
"We don't ask to help our third sister, we just ask not to cause her any trouble."
"Now, the Chengen Duke's Mansion is not only my third sister's maternal home, but also her face."
“If anything happens to the Duke of Chengen’s mansion, my third sister will definitely be implicated.”
"There are more rich and noble ladies who want to replace the third sister than there are fleas on a dog."
He then looked at Li's mother, who was in the head seat.
Li's mother has recovered.
Granny Changfu is patting Li's mother's back.
“There are more servants than masters in the mansion now. Brother Peng and Fourth Sister are still young, and Rongrong is about to give birth.”
"Father is not good at domestic and foreign affairs, and Mother, you don't understand the workings of the government."
"If these servants are used by the political enemies who covet the position of empress, chaos is inevitable."
Upon hearing this, Granny Changfu immediately knelt down beside Mother Li.
"Madam, you are wise. We were chosen and sent by Her Majesty the Empress, and we would never dare to have any disloyal intentions."
Lin Xiaocong picked up the cup beside him, still maintaining his docile demeanor.
"Putting aside everything else, just the fact that the maids in Rongrong's courtyard dared to lay hands on Mingxu is the best proof."
"Forgive Mingxu for speaking frankly, but Father and Mother, you are both commoners. If you rely on them for everything, even if the servants are as loyal as Granny Changfu now, in the long run, it is hard to guarantee that there won't be any cunning servants who will try to deceive their masters."
A gentle push of the fingers against the cup produced a subtle clinking sound from the porcelain.
“Mingxu is different from these people. Mingxu is willing to give up his future, status and everything he has in the North for Rongrong and go there alone.”
"The heavens and earth can bear witness to Rongrong's heart."
"And Mingxu's offspring will be members of this household in the future."
“Mingxu is more trustworthy than any servant.”
He knew how to win people's hearts to achieve his goals.
He took a small sip of tea and put down the teacup.
"Mother, instead of using a ready-made son-in-law, do you want Third Sister to hire outsiders to help manage the affairs of the Cheng'en Duke's Mansion?"
He looked at Li's mother.
"Mother, you wouldn't want people to question the child's father after he's born, would you?"
"If I marry Rongrong, this problem can be solved."
Li's mother's chest heaved.
Lin Xiaocong clearly grasped several of her sensitive points.
She's just an ordinary person, used to ordinary things, and only uses ordinary ideas to solve problems.
Finding a son-in-law for Rongrong to temporarily uphold the prestige of the Cheng'en Duke's mansion and give the child in Rongrong's womb a complete family is the best option.
Lin Xiaocong saw through everything.
“Mother, Mingxu promises that he will never touch a single copper coin that belongs to Pengdi.”
“In the future, Mingxu will definitely return to Pengdi a Chengen Duke’s Mansion that is even richer than it is now.”
What a wonderful son-in-law! He works for free and doesn't even need to pay.
Li's mother weighed the pros and cons and her mind began to waver.
Li Han's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.
"mother!"
Li's mother was startled and looked up.
Then Li Han ran in with a smile and greeted Lin Xiaocong warmly: "Second brother-in-law!"
Lin Xiaocong felt that he hadn't spoiled this little girl for nothing.
"Didn't Fourth Sister go to school? Why is she back at this time?"
"Oh, I'll learn to swim this afternoon."
Li Han sat down opposite him, smiling as she looked at him.
"The incident where I somehow ended up sleeping in the water during my afternoon nap has left me with a lingering anxiety."
"This has caused me to be terrified of water now, trembling with fear, for fear of drowning."
As the clever boy spoke, he shivered, seemingly terrified.
The smile on Lin Xiaocong's face cracked slightly.
Li's mother's wavering instantly turned into a volcanic roar: "Get out of the mansion immediately!"
Lin Xiaocong's smile completely shattered.
"Mother, please let me explain. I only meant to scare Rongrong; I didn't dare to actually hurt Fourth Sister..."
His response was a teacup that flew towards him from Li's mother.
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