Chapter 110 Li Chu is doomed

In fact, the head of the Cui family only found out that the second young master Cui started to retaliate against the Cui family because of Li Chu's instigation, and he didn't know that Li Chu had any relationship with Zong Zhengxiao.

He schemed to cause Li's mother to fall, set fire to the goods, and asked people to cause trouble in the store, all just to test whether Li Chu had any other tricks up his sleeve.

Because Patriarch Cui had seen Li Chu's intentions, he knew that Li Chu would not risk handing over such a large Li family to him alone to take care of. Moreover, the affair between Li Chu and Second Young Master Cui could be exposed to him at any time, causing him to turn from guilt to hatred towards the Li family.

After all, there are not many people who have the ability to protect the Li family and allow Li Chu to leave the capital without worry.

The Cui family did these small things to the Li family just to catch the big fish behind them. He thought it would take some time, but he didn't expect the fish to react so quickly.

But what Patriarch Cui didn't expect was that the person behind Li Chu was actually Emperor Zong Zhengxiao!

As for the candidate for Li Chu's backer, Patriarch Cui had never considered Zong Zhengxiao before, because he always firmly believed that no matter how much infighting there was among the noble families, no one would switch to the royal camp.

It would be a lie to say that he was not shocked. It could only be said that Li Chu kept it a secret so well that Patriarch Cui couldn't even figure out when Li Chu changed his mind.

When he thought about how Li Chu had kept a secret from him for so long, and even the fact that Li Chu had asked him to look after the Li family before leaving Beijing was probably a carefully planned plan by Li Chu, Patriarch Cui felt so choked up that he almost vomited blood.

He had been so powerful for decades, but in the end he was schemed against by two young men, and both schemes succeeded. How could he feel at ease?

In addition to the Chen family, Li Chu was also one of the culprits for his second son's suicide.

Now that the Chen family has fallen, it is Li Chu's turn.

In the study, surrounded by the fragrance, the murderous intent in the heart of the head of the Cui family became stronger and stronger.

Before winter, Ji Xie delivered the last batch of seafood. As the cement roads covered wider and wider areas, the speed of shipping goods also increased a lot.

Although Ji Xie did not find much grain seeds while traveling along the coast in recent years, he promoted the development of the local seafood industry, which can be considered a good deed.

Zong Zhengxiao praised him in front of Duke Ji many times in the court, and also sent him many gifts during the New Year as a reward for his hard work.

Ji Xie also wrote a reply letter, which was full of gratitude to Zong Zheng Xiao. He used various words and sentences to praise Zong Zheng Xiao as a god-like figure who had no predecessors and no successors, which made Rong Yin feel disgusted.

Rong Yin: "Ji Xie is indeed a flatterer."

Zong Zheng Xiao laughed: "When he heard what you said, he probably thought you were complimenting him."

Rong Yin looked disgusted: "He would definitely think so."

Zong Zhengxiao laughed out loud again.

After finishing the work at the end of the year and before closing the store, Rong Yin went to find Ning Yue with a New Year gift, and Ning Yue served him fruits and tea.

There was a charcoal brazier in the room, which was a little too hot for Rong Yin, who was not afraid of cold. But Ning Yue was wearing thick clothes and covering her neck tightly with a scarf. Rong Yin felt very hot just looking at her.

Rong Yin was curious: "Ningyue, are you afraid of the cold? Why are you wearing so many thick clothes indoors?"

Ning Yuegan smiled and pulled at her scarf, saying, "This winter is a bit cold."

Rong Yin saw that Ning Yue's nose was sweating, and he couldn't tell whether what she said was true or false. But seeing that she was hiding something and probably didn't want to tell other little secrets, he didn't ask any more questions.

After Rong Yin left, Ning Yue, who was almost burned by the heat, quickly took off her scarf, looked at the conspicuous red mark on her neck in the bronze mirror, and hammered the table lightly in frustration.

I told her not to leave any marks, but she just wouldn't listen. Before I left, she insisted on pulling me close to her, and finally pecked me when I wasn't paying attention.

After Ning Yue came back, she always avoided her boss and didn't even dare to tell her maid, saying only that she had accidentally touched him.

The reason why Ning Yue avoided Rong Yin was because she knew that Rong Yin had a deep relationship with the guy in his family. She had also seen similar ambiguous signs in Rong Yin several times. Rong Yin would definitely be able to easily expose her lies.

Ning Yue stroked the red mark and sighed softly.

Ever since the window paper was pierced, He Yan has become more and more domineering. Ning Yue often wonders where the He Yan who used to be so elegant and cheerful even in the midst of the world has gone.

Or was it that all that gentleness and patience were just He Yan's disguise from beginning to end?

Ning Yue pursed her lips, feeling a little uneasy. He Yan was such a smart person, and after all these years, was it possible that she really hadn't seen through her true intentions?

Just as she was getting anxious, a maid suddenly pushed the door open and came in, carrying several things in her hands. After putting them down breathlessly, she rubbed her wrist and said, "Miss, this is a New Year gift from Miss He. It's so heavy to hold, and I don't know what's inside."

Ning Yue was already filled with anger and panic at this moment. When she suddenly heard He Yan's name, she immediately became like a cat with its feet burned, and she wanted to jump three feet high.

"Whoever wants her New Year gifts, return them all to me." Ning Yue opened her mouth with anger.

The maid was a little dumbfounded, because her daughter had always had a good relationship with the He sisters. Every time they sent something, she would happily accept it and then choose an equally expensive gift to return it.

This is the first time I've seen someone so anxious and panic-stricken.

"Do you really want to go back?" The maid asked again, fearing that she had heard wrongly.

"Go back, all of you, no one is allowed to stay." Ning Yue said, then turned away and no longer looked at the maid.

Half an hour later, inside the Jiaofang Bureau, He Yi'er looked at the pile of returned New Year gifts and smiled gloatingly at her sister, "I let you tease them, let's see how you can get them back."

He Yan put on her makeup and said with a smile, "After all these years, you finally dare to lose your temper with me. Is that a good thing?"

He Yi'er was puzzled: "Is being angry with you a good thing?"

He Yan said, "You will understand when you grow up."

He Yier: "..."

Ning Yue was so angry that she lasted from the end of the year to the beginning of the next spring. During this period, He Yan sent gifts many times to seek reconciliation, but Ning Yue returned them all.

It was not until early spring that He Yan presented Ning Yue with a basket of newly-bloomed peach blossoms with a note of apology written among the flowers. Ning Yue felt He Yan's sincerity and finally relented and continued to associate with her.

But that’s all for later.

At night, snow fell from the sky, and Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao sat together to eat hot pot.

Rong Yin was happily eating mutton slices when he heard Zong Zhengxiao say to him, "After I intervened, the Cui family never touched the Li family again. However, Madam Li asked the guards to tell her several times that she wanted to see me, but I refused."

Putting the cooked mutton into Zong Zhengxiao's bowl, Rong Yin took another chopstick and put it into the soup pot, saying, "After the Cui family knew that you were helping the Li family, they must have guessed that Li Chu had switched sides. It's impossible for Old Cui not to hate you. Since he didn't continue to attack the Li family, he must have dealt with Li Chu. Madam Li is here to ask you to save Li Chu."

"Ayin is a great cook, the mutton is cooked just right." After eating the mutton, Zong Zhengxiao praised Rong Yin again. After getting a big smile from Rong Yin, he slowly continued the previous topic.

"When Madam Li asked me for help, she was also sending a letter to Li Chu. As for whether Li Chu could receive the letter and whether he could escape the Cui family's assassination after receiving it, that is not something I can control."

Rong Yin was a little worried: "Li Chu is following Ji Xie now, won't that cause trouble for Ji Xie?"

"No." Zong Zhengxiao said, "I have hinted to Ji Xie before that if Li Chu's identity is exposed and the noble families come to hunt him down, don't help him or add insult to injury. Just pretend you didn't see it."

Rong Yin: "What if he plans to drag Ji Xie into this, forcing Ji Xie to help him?"

Zong Zhengxiao said: "It's up to Ji Xie to deal with it himself. After all, the emperor is far away and I can't take care of them. The only thing I can do is to keep my promise and help Li Chu protect the Li family."

As for whether they can hold on in the end, it depends on the Cui family's intention, not him, Zong Zhengxiao.

On New Year's Eve, other families gathered together happily, but ever since Li Chu left, the Li family has been extremely deserted, no matter whether it is a normal day or a festival, without any lively atmosphere.

Madam Li knew clearly the real reason why Li Chu was transferred away from the capital, so she has been keeping a low profile in the past few years, neither provoking the Cui and Chen families nor offending the emperor.

But no matter how reluctant she was, Li Chu's actions were still discovered by the Cui family.

Before she was deliberately pushed down at the banquet, Mrs. Li realized that the Cui family was taking action. She thought that Zong Zhengxiao did not trust Li Chu and would not help. Unexpectedly, Zong Zhengxiao not only helped the Li family, but also helped in an open and aboveboard manner.

As a result, the Cui family soon discovered that Li Chu had actually already defected to the royal family.

Madam Li was no fool, she quickly realized that Zong Zhengxiao had done this on purpose.

Zong Zhengxiao not only did not want to conceal the relationship between the royal family and Li Chu, he also wanted to let everyone in the world know about it, because he wanted to use the aristocratic family as a weapon to kill Li Chu, whom he hated.

Madam Li naturally understood why Zong Zhengxiao did this. In order to plot against Li Ao, Li Chu did not hesitate to drag the innocent Rong Yin into it. When Rong Yin was kidnapped by Li Ao, Li Chu, in order to make Li Ao more guilty, did nothing even though he knew Rong Yin was in danger, and even welcomed it.

What Zong Zhengxiao is doing now is nothing more than an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

He accepted Li Chu's surrender, used Li Chu to deal with the noble families, and deliberately transferred Li Chu away from the capital, so that no matter how many conspiracies and tricks Li Chu had, they would have nowhere to display them.

Now Zong Zheng Xiao has taken advantage of the situation and let the aristocratic families know that Li Chu has betrayed them and harmed them so badly. The aristocratic families will definitely not let Li Chu go, and Li Chu, who is far away and not well-informed, can only wait to die.

宗政逍不加害，也不幫助李楚，這袖手旁觀的一幕，與當年戎音被綁時李楚的作為何其相似！

李夫人知道這是宗政逍的報複，也知道李楚活該。

可那是她的兒子，與她相依為伴這麽些年，愛她敬她，連離開京城前都一直在為她謀劃的孝子，李夫人怎麽可能忍心親眼看着他去死。

她知道自己送給李楚的信被崔家截走了，而唯一有能力幫她的就只有皇帝宗政逍，所以她一再給宗政逍寫信求見，但每次收到的回複都是拒絕。

李夫人是真的真的沒辦法了。

今夜家裏的廚子準備了年夜飯，但李夫人只象征性地吃了幾口就放下了筷子。

她叫人扶着她來到李家主居住的院子，面不改色地走進臭氣熏天的屋子裏，讓下人都退出去以後，她在床邊坐下，擡手掀開了床幔。

李家主一動不動地在床上躺着，像一截幹枯的樹枝，裹在發舊的被子裏，皮膚緊皺在一起，還有幾處開裂的地方，像是落一點火星子上去，就能讓他整個人都燃起來。

知道李夫人來了，他卻連眼珠都沒轉一下，除了還有一口氣在以外，他和一個死人也已經沒區別了。

李夫人咳嗽了幾聲，看他的眼神像是在看一只蝼蟻。

“當初我和兒子留你一命，就是想看你求生不得求死不能，每瞧見你的慘樣一眼，我當初受的那些氣就會消去一分。”

聽着李夫人挑釁的話，換作以前，李家主可能還會憤怒地瞪眼睛，可此刻他卻置若罔聞，渾濁的眼神直勾勾地盯着床頂，連呼吸都跟之前一樣輕飄飄的，跟沒有差不多。

李夫人繼續道：“前些日子你住的這院子失火，差點把你燒死，你知道是誰做的嗎？”

聽到這裏，李家主的眼珠子終于動了一下。

李夫人唇角上揚，像是在說一件很好笑的事情，“是你從前鞍前馬後唯首是瞻的崔大人，他發現自己被我的楚兒算計了，就想教訓一下李家，李家這麽多地方，他沒挑別處，就挑了你的院子點火，呵呵，他還真是物盡其用，哪怕你已經成為現在這樣了，也還是想拿你撒氣。”

李家主艱難地張了一下嘴，似乎是想說什麽，但他連大口喘氣都做不到。

李夫人的眼神裏滿是嘲諷：“我啊也是受他啓發，忽然想起來還有你這麽一號人物可以利用，老爺，過去這麽些年，你待我和楚兒有多差你也清楚，所以我今天向你索要點賠償，你應該不會介意吧？”

說着，李夫人俯身拿起旁邊一個空閑的枕頭，對準了李家主的臉。

“楚兒有難，只有陛下能幫他，可我又沒有足夠的條件能說動陛下，老爺你從前經常跟陛下唱反調，他一定非常讨厭你，你說我要是殺了你，他會不會很高興？他一高興，說不定就會答應救我的楚兒了。”

李夫人說話時并未低頭看李家主 ，是以她沒有發現，當枕頭一點點靠近時，李家主原本平靜的臉忽然變得猙獰起來。

盡管這麽些年過得生不如死，可貪生怕死的本能還是讓李家主畏懼死亡，他努力張大嘴巴，眼睛瞪得像是要凸出來一般。

他想擡起手臂去擋落下的枕頭，可身體早如石頭一般失去了活力，于是乎，他只來得及在臉被蓋住前發出一聲輕微得幾不可聞的“呵”，緊接着便被奪走了呼吸的權利。

死到臨頭，李家主連掙紮都做不到，李夫人甚至沒怎麽用力，沒過一會兒，他就已經沒有了呼吸。

李夫人拿開枕頭，伸手試探了一下他的鼻息，确認他真的死了，才緩緩坐了回去。

像只是走路走累了，李夫人坐在椅子上歇息這段時間，連表情都沒有變過。

她眼裏沒有一點殺人的後怕或者快意，有的只是一片淡然。

這個折磨了她幾十年的男人，終究還是死在了她手裏，她甚至特意挑了除夕這天，就是讓他不能活到明年。

對李夫人來說，過年和死丈夫，也算是喜上加喜。

李家主身死的消息是第二天清晨才放出去的，在不知情的人看來，他癱了那麽些年，突然有一天死了，也不是那麽讓人震驚。

可被宗政逍派來，名為保護實為監視的侍衛，昨晚在窗外，親眼目睹了一切的發生。

第二天清晨，李夫人照舊寫了一封信，拜托護衛上交給宗政逍。

護衛将信送到的同時，也跟宗政逍講了李夫人殺李家主的原因。

宗政逍聽完，還是沒有同意見李夫人，只是讓護衛轉達了一句話。

“朕不會救李楚，但無論李楚能否從世家的追殺中活下來，朕和李楚的恩怨都一筆勾銷，不會再設計報複他和李家。”

宗政逍恩怨分明，既然李楚已經為當年的錯誤付出代價，那他就不會再抓着不放。

從護衛口中知道宗政逍的意思後，李夫人清楚這件事已無轉圜的餘地，她怔愣了半晌，面對着皇宮的方向磕了幾個頭，而後回去了自己的屋子，許久都沒有再出來。

李夫人開始每日向上蒼祈求，希望她的兒子能平安歸來。

至于李家主，葬禮的事情李夫人沒有過問半分，全權交給管事去辦。

害怕外人對他的死因起疑，李家主的葬禮還是按照一家之主的規模去辦的，只不過因為才過完年，辦白事實在不合适，于是又等了半個月左右，才把人擡到李家祖墳給埋了。

按照李夫人和李楚當初的交代，李家主被埋在了姨娘和李傲的衣冠冢旁邊，既然他們生前恩愛美滿，就讓他們死了也一家團圓。

春季，天空淅淅瀝瀝下着小雨，滋潤着剛剛播種完的土地。

銀鲛園裏，戎音正帶着已經長成大狗的小豆子們在庭院裏遛彎，宗政逍步履匆匆地走了進來，快步到了戎音面前，遞給他一張信紙。

“季燮的來信。”宗政逍道。

戎音打開，只見上面寫着：李楚遇海盜，落入海中，遍尋不見，不知死活。臣并未牽涉其中，無恙，勿挂念。

戎音合上信紙，心裏忽然有種塵埃落定的寧靜。

他道：“李楚終究還是沒有鬥過世家。”

“阿音你說，李楚是生是死？”宗政逍看向戎音。

戎音搖頭：“這得看他自己的造化了。”

崔家。

收到刺殺成功的消息後，崔家主那總是緊緊蹙起的眉，今天總算是松開了一些。

只不過活不見人死不見屍，這一點還是讓崔家主有些擔心。

管事連忙解釋道：“刺客說了，李楚掉下去的時候正值起浪，船只又遠離岸邊，而且李楚還被斬斷了一條手臂，量他有通天的本事，也很難在這種情況裏活下來。”

崔家主還是不放心，語氣嚴肅地道：“當初陳家不也堅信保護炘兒的侍衛都已經死了，結果其中一個護衛不僅活了下來，還回到了京城，這種事情不得不防，你多派點人過去，在那片地方監視着，絕不能讓李楚有活下來的機會，否則後患無窮。”

“是。”管事應了一聲後走了。

不等崔家主緩口氣，緊接着教導崔三少的管事來報，說三少爺嫌整天學習管家太煩太累，趁着下人不注意，自己偷溜出去了，沒人知道他去了哪裏。

來報的管事本以為崔家主會大發雷霆，但沒想到他只是蹙了蹙眉，淡淡道：“找人把他給我抓回來，也不用帶他來見我，先讓他去祠堂裏跪滿三天三夜再說。”

不等管事回應，崔家主就離開了書房，獨自朝某個方向走去。

管事想了想，那邊似乎是崔二少院子的方向。

崔二少死後，他的院子就一直空着，沒人住進去，也沒人去打掃。

崔家主推開落灰的大門，入目是滿地雜亂的野草，角落的花牆早已枯萎，即便已經到新春了，也沒見其有複活的跡象。

踏進院門的那一刻，崔家主好像産生了幻覺，他看見二兒子站在不遠處的臺階上，一雙酷似他的眼眸陰沉沉地看着他，薄唇微微上揚，是一個諷刺的笑容。

再眨眼，幻象消失，崔家主的腳步卻就此停下了。

“看來你不願意讓我進你的院子。”崔家主自言自語，“那我就在這裏跟你說。”

崔家主微微挺直了背脊，像是很驕傲似的。

“陳家沒了，李楚也被我殺了，你想帶着崔家一起下地獄的計劃落空了，看吧，兒子終究還是鬥不過老子，你到了下面會被列祖列宗戳着脊梁骨謾罵，而我則是力挽狂瀾的大英雄，會得到崔家往後世世代代所有後輩的尊重和敬仰。”

崔家主越說越大聲，語氣裏甚至帶上了幾分瘋狂的意味。

“哦對了，你千算萬算，應該沒算到，李楚是皇帝的人吧，你從頭至尾都是一個被皇帝算計的可憐蟲，你還真以為你能報複到崔家？”

說到宗政逍，崔家主眼底多了幾分怨毒。

"Speaking of which, the source of all the tragedies of the aristocratic families was actually Zong Zhengxiao. If he hadn't insisted on going against the aristocratic families, nothing would have happened to the He family, the Li family, and the Chen family, and I wouldn't have lost you and Xin'er..."

Sending away two sons in a row made Patriarch Cui feel pained and angry. "And what about Rong Yin? If he hadn't shown up and helped Zong Zhengxiao, how could our family have been defeated?"

"No, no, it's the others who lost. My Cui family is still fine." The head of the Cui family looked a little crazy. He held the door tightly, his eyes full of bloodshot. "It's the He family, the Chen family, and the Li family that are useless. My Cui family will not lose. My Cui family is a century-old family. How can they defeat me!"

He gritted his teeth and said, "My Cui family must win, and Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin must die."

Unbeknownst to anyone, a vicious plan had already taken root in the mind of Patriarch Cui.