Chapter 35 Li Qing probably wasn't even listening. ...
Li Pan had a nine-day wedding leave. He was busy with some serious matters and some unserious things every day, and the wedding leave ended in a flash.
When the day finally came to attend court, Li Pan lay in bed, looking at the warm and fragrant woman he held in his arms, and felt extremely reluctant to get out of bed.
Alas, the allure of a gentle life is a graveyard for heroes; it truly erodes one's spirit! He never imagined he'd be unable to get out of bed one day!
Li Pan reluctantly released Lou Xueying and struggled to sit up.
Lou Xueying was startled awake. Looking at the dim light outside, she asked, "Is the Marquis leaving?"
Li Pan hummed in agreement.
Lou Xueying propped herself up on the bed, trying to sit up: "I will help the Marquis change his clothes."
"No need, you go to sleep." Li Pan tucked her back into bed, ruffled her hair, smiled, and left.
Although he held no official position in the capital, he was still the General Who Pacifies the Capital. Even though he was not usually involved in court assemblies, he still had to attend.
Upon entering the palace and arriving at the Ganyang Hall, many colleagues were already lined up.
Upon seeing Li Pan, whom they hadn't seen for many days, everyone rushed to congratulate him. Li Pan beamed with joy and, unusually, genuinely reciprocated with their compliments.
After greeting these people, Li Pan walked to Lou Shu's side, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said with a smile, "Father-in-law."
Lou Shu: "My Lord."
Li Pan: "Don't worry, Father-in-law, Susu is still sleeping at home. She hasn't gotten up at all."
Lou Shu: "..."
Who asked you?
Lou Shu's lips twitched: "It is my daughter's blessing that the Marquis dotes on her."
The two chatted for a few moments when a voice announced, "His Majesty has arrived!"
The officials quickly returned to their positions and awaited the emperor's arrival.
A few days ago, His Majesty caught a slight fever and rested for two days before returning to court. He is still perfectly healthy today.
Li Pan followed the others in bowing and paying his respects. When he straightened up, he secretly glanced at the emperor on the throne and saw that he looked calm and dignified as ever, and seemed to have no signs of illness.
It was naturally a good thing that the emperor was free from illness and disaster. But for some reason, Li Pan inexplicably recalled the emperor's expression when he and Lou Xueying went to the palace to express their gratitude before returning home that day.
He was smiling, but for some reason, Li Pan felt that the emperor didn't seem so satisfied with the marriage.
Could it be that seeing his own satisfaction has displeased the emperor? Or perhaps he fears that his marriage alliance with the Lou family, a seemingly harmonious union, would make him too powerful?
Then why did he arrange the marriage in the first place?
And when he thought about Lou Xueying's reaction when she met the emperor, he felt even more strange.
It wasn't entirely fear, nor was it excitement. Moreover, after learning that His Majesty had canceled the morning court session due to illness, even the Lou family father and son seemed indifferent. Lou Xueying, on the other hand, appeared preoccupied and didn't say a word throughout breakfast.
Moreover, on the night before she entered the palace, she even had a nightmare in which she was in tears.
What could possibly make a pampered young lady like her cry like this? They say that what you think about during the day manifests in your dreams at night, but she seemed perfectly normal during the day.
These past few days have been too fulfilling, spent all his time with his new wife, and Li Pan hasn't had time to think about many things in detail. Now that he finally has some time alone—let's just call it that—he finally has time to slowly sort out the doubts that have been lingering over the past few days.
He stood absentmindedly in the main hall, the voices of the ministers discussing matters going in one ear and out the other, occasionally interspersed with a few words from the emperor.
He couldn't help but glance at the emperor again.
In that instant, his gaze met that of Emperor Jinghui, who was sweeping his eyes over.
Li Pan: "..."
Emperor Jinghui looked at him and said coolly, "Minister Li, what are your thoughts on the matter I just discussed with the other ministers?"
Li Pan: "..."
What were they discussing? He had absolutely no idea.
Li Pan coughed and said, "I believe that what the officials have said makes sense, and what His Majesty has said also makes sense. I am not an expert in this field, so I dare not speak presumptuously."
Emperor Jinghui chuckled: "I'm afraid Minister Li wasn't listening at all."
Li Pan said with shame, "I was momentarily distracted and have failed Your Majesty's high expectations. I know I was wrong."
Emperor Jinghui: "What has distracted Minister Li so much? Is it perhaps related to the border? Why don't you tell me and all my beloved ministers?"
Li Pan said, “This has nothing to do with the border; it is my private matter. This Ganyang Golden Hall is where state affairs are handled, and I think it is inappropriate to speak about it here. But if I lie to cover it up, it would be deceiving the emperor, and I do not want to deceive the emperor. Perhaps Your Majesty should not ask any further, and I will not speak about it.”
The officials behind him couldn't help but exchange glances—only the Marquis of Wu'an dared to speak to His Majesty like that.
Emperor Jinghui's smile turned cold: "Minister Li, are you perhaps thinking of something shameful? Even if it is a private matter, what's wrong with telling everyone and letting it go with a laugh?"
Since the emperor had said so, Li Pan had no choice but to say, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. I was just thinking that after court, I would take a detour to Taoyuanju near Zhuque Bridge to buy some milk taro cake. My wife specifically asked for this yesterday, but Taoyuanju only makes one hundred servings a day and does not allow reservations. I was worried that I might not make it in time after court."
Before the words were even finished, several suppressed laughs could be heard from various parts of the hall, followed by a chorus of chuckles and whispers.
After Li Pan finished speaking, he stood there calmly, without blushing or panting, as if he didn't care at all.
Lou Shu, who was standing a few rows behind him, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and his temples throbbed as he tried his best to suppress the urge to strangle Li Pan.
On the throne, the crown curtain swayed slightly.
Eunuch Zheng looked at Li Pan in horror.
When the laughter in the hall finally subsided, Emperor Jinghui said quietly, "Minister Li is an honest man, and he certainly managed to make everyone laugh. Since Minister Li is in such a hurry to leave court to buy pastries, do any of you gentlemen have anything else to report?"
No one answered.
"Since there is nothing else to report, I will now speak of one last matter." Emperor Jinghui spoke slowly. "Although the Quanrong have been pacified, I recently received a secret report stating that other tribes besides the Quanrong are stirring up trouble, seemingly poised to encroach upon the Quanrong and threaten our Great Yue. Minister Li, you are a pillar of the court and a key figure in the nation. Who else but you can handle matters on the border? After buying pastries for the Lady today and allowing her to rest for the night, we shall set off immediately tomorrow."
Li Pan looked up in astonishment, staring at Emperor Jinghui in shock.
Lou Shu's eyes widened in disbelief.
The other ministers were also clearly caught off guard by the news; they looked at each other, all with bewildered expressions.
Other tribes are getting restless? When did this happen? I haven't heard anything about it. How are they getting restless?
Emperor Jinghui narrowed his eyes and looked at Li Pan: "Minister Li, do you have any objections?"
Li Pan snapped out of his shock and clasped his hands in a fist salute, saying, "When the state summons me, I have no objection! However, besides the Quanrong, there are other tribes on the border that have reached a certain size, such as the Wusun, Diqiang, and Xunjie. There are also more than a dozen small tribes that are not yet a threat. I wonder which tribe is so audacious as to disregard the Great Yue? The Quanrong's fate is a stark reminder of this, yet they still dare to invade?"
"It doesn't matter who started it. These barbarian tribes are utterly uncivilized, constantly causing trouble and provoking us. They are working together, their power growing stronger as they turn against us, coveting the resources of our Great Yue and plundering as if it were their own backyard. Even if they are not a match for Great Yue for the time being, they will seriously hinder trade routes and affect the lives of our soldiers and civilians!" Emperor Jinghui said in a deep voice. "Minister Li, you must go and eradicate this long-standing problem in the Northwest, nip it in the bud, and restore peace and tranquility to our soldiers and civilians!"
Li Pan's throat tightened: "Your subject—obeys the decree."
"Alright, now that the matter has been settled, let's adjourn the court," Emperor Jinghui said.
"Court adjourned—"
Emperor Jinghui stood up, and Eunuch Zheng quickly stepped forward to help him disappear from the sight of the assembled officials.
As soon as the emperor left, the Ganyang Palace erupted in chaos.
"Why is there suddenly another war? Are they really that bold?"
"The Marquis of Wu'an seems to know nothing about this either. Where did Your Majesty get this information?"
"His Majesty is quite considerate of Marquis Wu'an, allowing him to go only after his wedding leave has ended. In that case, the war isn't so urgent, is it?"
"His Majesty fell ill a few days ago. Could it be because of this?"
...
Li Pan frowned, put his hands behind his back, and strode quickly out of the hall.
"My lord!" Lou Shu quickly caught up. "Shall we talk as we walk?"
"good."
Lou Shu: "Was the Marquis aware of the border situation beforehand?"
Li Pan: "I know absolutely nothing about it."
Lou Shu: "So, what are your plans now, Lord Marquis?"
Li Pan: "His Majesty wants me to depart tomorrow. What else can I do?"
"Does Your Excellency know what it means to 'cut the weeds and eliminate the roots'?" Lou Shu asked. "Does 'cut the weeds and eliminate the roots' mean wiping out all the foreign tribes, leaving not a single one alive? It has taken so many years for the Quanrong to submit, so when will 'cut the weeds and eliminate the roots' finally be achieved?"
Li Pan: "I don't know."
"My lord!" Lou Shu said anxiously, "If you return to the Northwest, what will happen to my daughter?"
Li Pan's gaze was deep, and he remained silent.
Lou Shu took a deep breath, knowing Li Pan wouldn't be able to offer any answers. His Majesty's order for him to depart urgently tomorrow clearly meant he couldn't bring his family. But who knew when Li Pan would return? Was he really going to leave his daughter, only a few days into her marriage, alone in her empty room? Besides, even if he could bring his family, he didn't want his daughter to suffer in the Northwest!
"How could this be?" Lou Shu murmured. "Just a few days ago I was having dinner with people from the Imperial City Garrison, trying to see if there were any ways to smooth things over, but who knew..."
“There’s no point in saying more now,” Li Pan said. “Father-in-law must still have official business to attend to, so please don’t worry. I will investigate the border matter more carefully. Now I must return to the manor and inform Su Su and my mother about this.”
Having said that, he abandoned Lou Shu and hurriedly left the palace.
-
Inside the Marquis's residence, Lou Xueying was sitting in Li's mother's room, gently teaching her to recognize characters.
She knew that Li's mother dared not meet those high-ranking officials because she was afraid that her lack of education would make her a laughingstock. If she was illiterate, she would not be able to break out of this predicament. So she persuaded her mother with all her might and finally convinced her to learn to read.
She specially had someone buy those early childhood education books and started teaching from the very basics.
Li's mother's eyesight wasn't very good; she could only read the words on the book as if they were crawling on ants. She would feel dizzy after reading just a couple of pages. So Lou Xueying wrote the words in large characters on the paper and taught Li's mother to read them one by one.
She had just taught Li's mother how to pronounce the words on one page, and with great difficulty, she had gotten Li's mother's mind to read them. But when she rearranged the words, Li's mother's mind went blank, and she couldn't match the shapes of the words with their pronunciations anymore.
Li's mother sighed, "I'm just not cut out for this! It's too difficult!"
Lou Xueying said patiently, "It's alright, Mother, we'll take it slowly. You can't get fat in one bite; you'll get it after a few tries."
However, Li's mother hesitated, saying, "Forget it, Susu, I'm too old to remember so many things." She looked out the window and tried to persuade Lou Xueying, "How about we go see the new flowers you planted in your yard? See how they're growing?"
Lou Xueying sighed softly.
She wasn't really interested in looking at flowers right now. For her, looking at flowers was a pastime, but teaching Li's mother to read was the important matter. She was currently restless and had no interest in pastimes. Only by doing something important could she barely concentrate and stop thinking about those messy things that she was powerless to change.
Ever since she entered the palace to express her gratitude, Emperor Jinghui's gaze had haunted her like a nightmare, constantly appearing in her mind and relentlessly pursuing her, regardless of time or place. She was becoming increasingly certain that Emperor Jinghui knew she was Su Jun, but until Li Pan's wedding leave ended, apart from missing two days of court due to illness, Emperor Jinghui made no other unusual moves. Even after recovering from his illness, he continued to attend court, as if nothing had happened.
Li Pan went to court today... Will Emperor Jinghui make things difficult for Li Pan?
Just then, Cui Cui suddenly pushed the door open and came in: "Madam, Madam, the Marquis has returned!"
"You're back?" Mother Li asked in surprise. "What time is it? Why are you leaving court so early today?"
Lou Xueying paused for a moment, a sense of foreboding rising within her.
A hurried figure soon appeared outside the window.
Lou Xueying supported herself on the table and stood up.
Cui Cui stepped aside, and Li Pan crossed the threshold, stood at the doorway, and looked at the two women inside the house.
"Mother, Susu," he called out, his voice slightly low, but his face remained expressionless. "What are you doing?"
Li's mother said, "Susu is teaching me to read! Alas, it's a pity that my eyesight is failing and my memory is not good. I forget what Susu teaches me after a while. It's really hard on Susu!"
Li Pan nodded: "It's good that you can read. Nobody expects you to be a scholar, so just learn as many characters as you can. Don't take your good fortune for granted. Where else can we find such a good female tutor for you if you leave Susu?"
Li's mother said awkwardly, "Oh, I was just afraid that Susu had never seen anyone as stupid as me before."
"My lord..." Lou Xueying pressed on the paper on the table, her voice trembling, "Why did you leave court so early today?"
Li Pan took a deep breath: "His Majesty has received a secret report that tribes other than the Quanrong are causing trouble on the border, and has ordered me to set off immediately tomorrow to quell the rebellion."
"What?" Li's mother exclaimed in shock, "Another war? How long will it last this time?"
Li Pan: "I don't know, His Majesty only said, 'Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots'—"
He rushed forward and caught the staggering Lou Xueying.
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