Chapter 16 The number one scholar’s father is a charlatan who always wins in gambling!
Although old Uncle Jingyuan and Mother Li have not officially appeared yet, someone has already reported to the couple what happened to Li Jingyuan and Si Yuan.
Mother Li was very dissatisfied. Today was her 50th birthday, and Li Jingyuan, a bastard, came to celebrate her birthday, but he ended up trying to gain fame by stepping on her own son at her birthday party. Did he still take her, his biological mother, seriously?
Now that Li Jingyuan was not around, Li's mother took out her anger on old Marquis Jingyuan. She sneered and said, "Look at your son, a Jinshi who you had high hopes for. He hasn't even made it big yet, but he doesn't take me, his legal mother, and his legal brother seriously. When he does make it big, I'm afraid he won't recognize you as his father. You think you can't write two Li characters with one stroke, but people might want to use you up and kick you out."
Old Earl Jingyuan also had an ugly look on his face. After all, Li Jingyuan's behavior was indeed a slap in the face of the legitimate lineage. However, he was angry only because Li Jingyuan acted inappropriately and had no sense of the overall situation at all. Even if he was at odds with his legitimate brother, he didn't think about the fact that he still needed the help of his legitimate mother and eldest legitimate brother. He only acted according to his own preferences, which was really unworthy of the important task.
The most important thing is that you cannot write two "Li" characters with one stroke. Any conflicts among brothers should be resolved privately. Even if an arm is broken, it should be hidden in the sleeve instead of being difficult with brothers in front of so many outsiders.
Old Earl Jingyuan felt that his son Li Jingyuan might be too pedantic due to his studies and had no idea about the ways of the world. He originally thought that he was the only son of the Li family who could pass the imperial examination and become an official, so he placed the hope of the Li family on him. But now it seems that Li Jingyuan, who is so unskilled in dealing with people, may not be able to rise quickly in officialdom in the future.
After all, being an official is not about being an official, but about dealing with the human relationships and worldly affairs.
If Li Jingyuan were to be pushed to a high position using the connections of the Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion, and he were to turn around and bring trouble to the Li family, it would be better to keep the status quo.
Old Earl Jingyuan couldn't help but start thinking again whether he should continue investing in Li Jingyuan, his illegitimate son.
As for what Li's mother said about Li Jingyuan not recognizing his brothers and father after he became successful in the future, old Earl Jingyuan did not take it to heart. Even if Li Jingyuan did not recognize him, it was impossible for him to really announce to the public that he had severed ties with the Earl Jingyuan's Mansion. At most, he would be unwilling to help if someone came to him for help in the future.
Even so, if the Li family has a high-ranking official, even if this high-ranking official is unwilling to pay attention to his brothers and relatives, the brothers and relatives can still use the official's skin as a banner, after all, you can't write two Li characters with one stroke.
Old Earl Jingyuan ignored his wife's sarcasm and did not express his own considerations. In his opinion, women should just take care of their husbands and children. There is no need to talk to them about these things outside. Anyway, they can only see the immediate benefits and are short-sighted. They do not know how to put the interests of the family first. He still has full authority over the Li family's affairs, and his wife's complaints will not get in the way.
When Li Chengyuan came to ask Old Jingyuan Bo and Li's mother to leave, Old Jingyuan Bo asked him, "I heard that your third brother is friends with the third son of the Duke of Weiguo's mansion?"
Li Chengyuan was slightly startled and replied, "That should be it. After the conflict between the fourth brother and the third brother, it was the third master Zhao who stood up for the third brother."
In fact, if there was a conflict between the third and fourth brothers, Li Chengyuan would choose to stand on Li Jingyuan's side after consideration. After all, he had invested so much in Li Jingyuan as his father had said. If Li Jingyuan was offended because of a playboy younger brother, wouldn't his investment be in vain?
But in the conflict between Li Jingyuan and Si Yuan, Si Yuan hardly spoke the whole time, and it was Zhao Lin who stood up for him. So, between Li Jingyuan who was not in the right and Zhao Lin who was in the right, who should Li Chengyuan choose to stand with? Isn't it an easy choice to make?
Li Chengyuan and old Lord Jingyuan are the same kind of people. They have affection for their relatives, but it cannot compare to interests.
Li Chengyuan said to the old Earl of Jingyuan, "It seems that the Third Young Master Zhao is not very familiar with the Third Brother, but he speaks for the Third Brother very much." So he was not sure what the relationship between Si Yuan and Zhao Lin was like.
Old Uncle Jingyuan didn't say anything else: "Let's go."
After the birthday lady Li's mother came out, what attracted more attention was the old Jingyuan Earl, the real ruler of the Jingyuan Earl's Mansion.
Although the current Marquis of Jingyuan is Li Chengyuan, the Li family's connections and reputation all depend on the old Marquis of Jingyuan. Most of the people who came to attend Li's mother's birthday party did so for the sake of the old Marquis of Jingyuan.
The guests greeted old Uncle Jingyuan and wished Li's mother a happy birthday.
Old Earl Jingyuan was socializing with a smile on his face, but he soon realized something was wrong, because many families who did not have a very close relationship with the Earl of Jingyuan's mansion actually came to give gifts, and the gifts they sent were quite expensive.
This made Old Lord Jingyuan feel strange. After all, there was a set of unspoken rules for the gift-giving between the upper class families. Close relatives gave expensive gifts, and those who were not close but needed help also gave expensive gifts. Those who were not close but just going through the motions also gave gifts that were acceptable, just to give each other face...
So these families, which had no close relationship with the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion, and even had higher status than the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion, actually sent people to the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion to present such valuable gifts. Old Jingyuan Marquis really couldn't understand it. Could it be that they had some other request from the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion? Their Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion has already gone downhill, so how could it be worthy for those families with higher status than them to send expensive gifts to visit them?
With doubts in his heart, old Earl Jingyuan paid special attention to these guests who had no close relationship with the Earl of Jingyuan's Mansion but presented expensive gifts. Then he was surprised to find that after giving gifts and wishing him a happy birthday, these guests actually went to his playboy son Li Siyuan to toast one by one, and their attitudes were particularly polite.
What's going on?
Old Earl Jingyuan just couldn't understand why. His third son had a reputation as a playboy. Even though he had been staying at home to raise his child in recent years and rarely went out, making him less of a playboy, he still didn't have the capital to ask these young masters from wealthy families to come up and toast him.
After realizing that these wealthy families who were not close to the Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion came to attend Li's mother's birthday party and presented expensive gifts just because of Si Yuan, old Jingyuan Marquis's mind suddenly began to waver.
Although no one knows how his third son got connected with these people, it is obviously a good thing for the Li family.
After the birthday banquet, old Earl Jingyuan asked Li Chengyuan to keep Si Yuan. He wanted to find out the reason clearly. Only when he had a clear idea in mind could he use Si Yuan's connections to gain greater benefits for the Earl of Jingyuan's Mansion.
But what old Earl Jingyuan didn't expect was that Si Yuan couldn't wait to go home right after the birthday banquet, and Li Chengyuan didn't even have time to notify him to stay.
Old Jingyuanbo glared at Li Chengyuan angrily: "You can't even handle such a small matter."
Li Chengyuan also felt that he was wronged. There were always people surrounding his third brother, either the son of this Duke's Mansion or the young master of that Marquis' Mansion. He did not dare to step forward and interrupt their conversation.
He had originally planned to wait until his third brother had finished communicating with those distinguished guests before going up to him and asking him to stay for a few days. However, he did not expect that the moment he turned around, his third brother had left with his wife and children without even saying hello to him.
After knowing that there was such a huge benefit to be gained from his dandy third son, old Earl Jingyuan naturally did not care about Si Yuan's behavior of leaving without saying goodbye after the birthday banquet. Instead, he found excuses for him: "Maybe one of his friends invited him, and he couldn't refuse, so he left without saying goodbye."
Li Chengyuan: “…” This is too realistic, father. "Father is right."
Li Chengyuan added: "My third brother invited my fourth brother to visit him before, why don't I take Changji to visit my third brother as well."
Li Changji is Li Chengyuan's eldest son and is eight years old this year.
Old Uncle Jingyuan nodded and said, "Well, then you can go with your fourth brother."
Li Chengyuan said, "My third brother and fourth brother just had a conflict. It's not appropriate for me to visit them together. I'd better bring Changji to visit my third brother alone." What if Si Yuan took his anger out on him because of Li Jingyuan?
Old Uncle Jingyuan thought about it and agreed, "You decide for yourself."
Si Yuan took his wife and children home in a carriage. Yu Yan asked in confusion, "My husband, didn't you say that you wanted Chang Qing to stay in Jingyuan Marquis's residence to study? Why did you come back without even saying hello to your father, mother, elder brother and sister-in-law? This is too rude."
Si Yuan smiled and said, "It's okay. Chang Qing will definitely have no problem going to school."
Originally, he was planning to talk to Li's mother about this matter. It was just to let his own grandson take advantage of the educational resources of the Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion. It was not a big deal, and Li Chengyuan would also give his own brother some face.
But this means that Si Yuan has to go to the Jingyuan Earl's Mansion for the sake of little Changqing.
Originally, there was nothing wrong with asking for favors at the Jingyuan Marquis's residence for the sake of his baby. Si Yuan was flexible and didn't care about it. However, he noticed that many of the guests at the birthday banquet came for him, and this was also noticed by the old Jingyuan Marquis.
Si Yuan knew that with old Earl Jingyuan's temperament, he would definitely not miss such a good opportunity and would definitely send someone to find him.
So he took his wife and children home first. Instead of asking the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion for help, it would be better to let the Jingyuan Marquis' Mansion take the initiative to go to his house and beg for his son to go to school.
If you have the opportunity to take control of the situation, why not? Li Siyuan and old Lord Jingyuan and Li Chengyuan are not father-son or brotherly lovers. Now that they have separated, they must clearly settle accounts regarding matters of interest.
Si Yuan is ruthless in taking advantage of what is due and in showing off what is due.
As expected, just as Si Yuan brought Yu Yan and Xiao Changqing back home, he received a letter from the original owner's good elder brother the next day, saying that Li Chengyuan would bring his eldest son Li Changji to visit their family.
Si Yuan took the invitation sent by the Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion and said to Yu Yan with a smile: "Isn't this the opportunity for Xiao Changqing to go to Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion to study?"
Yu Yan was confused: "Why did Big Brother take the initiative to visit our house?"
Not long after Yu Yan married into the Li family, the family was separated. She didn't really know her eldest uncle Li Chengyuan very well, but she also knew that Li Chengyuan and his wife were the kind of people who would not do anything without benefits and were very proud of their status. After the family was separated, her son was born. At the third-day bath, full-month banquet, and first-year birthday banquet, the Jingyuan Marquis's Mansion would either have only the eldest sister-in-law condescend to attend, or send a housekeeper to give gifts. Anyway, the marquis Li Chengyuan never showed up, as if he disdained to set foot in their humble home.
Now Li Chengyuan is actually going to bring his eldest son to step into the lowly land?
Of course, Yu Yan didn't really think that her home was a lowly place, but she used that description and she thought that was probably what Li Chengyuan thought.
Si Yuan said: "Big brother has some brotherly love for me, but not much. He is willing to take the initiative to visit our house this time, but he will not do it without benefit."
Yu Yan asked, "What benefit can our family bring that is worth him plotting against?"
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