Chapter 73 Ayin, help me scold him
Li Ao died halfway through the journey. According to the news, the escort team was resting in the woods and encountered a wild beast looking for food. Li Ao was the weakest and was the first to be targeted. The officers and soldiers were not paying attention and he was carried away.
The Li family took great pains to save his life, but in the end he still couldn't escape the predetermined fate, which could even be said to be worse than being beheaded.
At least beheading could collect the body and bury it, but now nothing is left of the body and the person can only become a wandering ghost.
The moment Li Ao's mother heard the news, she shouted "My son" and fainted. The head of the Li family widened his eyes, screamed and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"Dad!" Li Chu rushed over to support the head of the Li family, and the smile on the corner of his lips could hardly be suppressed.
God must be helping him. He thought that being exiled to the frontier and never being able to return to Beijing was the greatest punishment for Li Ao, but he didn't expect that he would lose his life along the way.
This was undoubtedly another heavy blow to the head of the Li family and his aunt. The more they loved Li Ao, the more pain and regret they felt at this moment!
"Blame me, it's all my fault!" The head of the Li family burst into tears, regret pounding his chest.
If he had been stricter with Li Ao at the beginning and asked him to be more restrained, would he not have ended up in this situation today?
No, no, no, it should be said that if he had stepped higher, wouldn't his son have been made a scapegoat and died in a foreign land?
Thinking of this, Patriarch Li was extremely distressed. He usually humbled himself in front of Patriarch Cui and was willing to charge and break through the enemy lines for their small group, but he never expected that in the end, he would end up following the old path of the He family.
The head of the Li family grasped Li Chu's hand and looked up at him, as if he was looking through him at another person he had been thinking about day and night, "It's my fault that I don't know people well. The Cui and Chen families should not be close friends!"
After saying this, he just like Li Ao's mother, closed his eyes and passed out.
The master of the house and his favorite concubine fell ill at the same time. Everyone in the Li family was busy trying to help them for a while, and medicinal herbs and supplements were sent in like water, but the two masters just didn't get better.
At the same time, people in the mansion gradually lost their morale and there were a lot of chaos. In the end, it was Li Chu who stepped in and took charge on behalf of Li's father. He used some drastic measures and cooperated with his mother to calm the chaotic people.
Now everyone in the Li Mansion knows that the head of the Li family only has Li Chu as his son, and the future of the Li family will definitely be handed over to him. The concubines and their daughters who used to cling to Li Ao and Li Ao's mother are now flocking to Li Chu and Li Chu's mother.
There was a complete transformation between the bustle in the Matron's Courtyard and the desolation at Li Ao's mother's place. Li Ao's mother was bedridden day after day, and saw that all the people who had flattered her in the past had run away one by one. She couldn't help feeling sad that people had left and the tea had grown cold.
From the moment Li Ao was sentenced to exile to the frontier, she had anticipated her current situation.
When she was in power in the past, she was as arrogant and domineering as her son, and offended many people in the mansion. Now that she has fallen on hard times, those people come to step on her openly or secretly. Even the servants follow suit, and the quality of the food and other supplies sent to her has dropped by more than a level.
If the head of the Li family was not still alive, those people would probably be even more excessive.
After a long time, Li Chu and his mother finally came back and noticed the embarrassment of their aunt.
Li Chu announced to the whole family in a big way that Li Ao was his most beloved brother and his aunt was half his mother. Now that Li Ao was gone, he would fulfill his responsibilities as a son for him.
Anyone who dares to bully my aunt again in the future would be against Li Chu.
Li Chu's mother also punished the concubines and servants who took the opportunity to bully her aunt, supporting her son's decision with actions.
The two of them worked in unison and actually rescued my aunt from the predicament. At least on the surface, those people would no longer show disrespect to my aunt.
Before long, the story of the mother and son spread throughout the streets and alleys of the capital. Now everyone is praising the mother and son for repaying evil with kindness. After all, who doesn't know that Li Ao and his son always suppressed Li Chu and his son in the past?
When Li Ao was alive, Li Chu treated him like his own brother and respected his aunt. Now that Li Ao is gone, Li Chu even calls his aunt half his mother, fearing that the family would neglect her.
Li Chu's mother was also kind-hearted. Knowing that her aunt was ill, she sent supplements to her courtyard every day and did not allow anyone to disobey or bully her.
As the reputation of the Li family's kindness spread, Li Chu wiped out the negative influence brought by his younger brother Li Ao in the officialdom and became a well-respected upright person, with a reputation louder than ever before.
Li Chu's mother also became a new topic of conversation among officials' wives in the capital. Some said she was stupid, as she had finally made it through, but she still wanted to cling to the concubine. Others said she was clever, as she knew the concubine would be unable to make it without her son, so she used small favors to preserve her own reputation.
But no matter what the outside world says, it is a recognized fact that the mother and son of the Li family became the final winners.
No one knew what the head of the Li family thought of the rumors outside. He was really sick this time and took a long leave. He sighed all day long and looked very haggard, as if he would die in the next second.
Li Chu would go to accompany him every day and tell him what happened in the court.
Whether it was because he was satisfied with Li Chu's recent behavior or because he considered that he was his only heir, the Li family head's attitude towards Li Chu became much kinder than before.
He would discuss state affairs, the current situation and future direction of the Li family with Li Chu, like a truly loving father. In the end, Li Chu's eyes would always turn red with an expression that said, "Father, you are so good to me."
But only Li Chu's mother, his accomplice, knew that he was just pretending.
Ever since Patriarch Li decided to abandon them and their mother, they felt nothing but hatred and resentment towards Patriarch Li.
The head of the Li family gradually began to train Li Chu. Due to his physical reasons, some matters that he was unable to handle would be handed over to Li Chu, and Li Chu gradually gained some power.
So when Zong Zhengxiao put his own paper on the market at a price lower than that of Cui's paper, it received widespread acclaim and won the support of the people, thus severely tarnishing the Cui family's reputation and angering them. When they summoned other family heads for a meeting, it was Li Chu who went in place of his father.
When the other two saw that it was him, they didn't look surprised at all, probably because they had heard the news that the head of the Li family was seriously ill.
Li Chu dutifully played the role of the younger generation during the meeting. He greeted humbly, helped to serve tea and water, and his back was always bent. He looked like he was very afraid of the other two senior and authoritative family heads.
The other two did not think highly of him, especially Patriarch Cui. After all, Patriarch Li was nothing compared to him, not to mention that Li Chu was only his son.
But when they really started discussing the matter, Cui and Chen realized that this guy was not simple.
Li Chu is an expert at playing dumb. Compared to the active and emperor-hating head of the Li family, he is like a stubborn stone. When asked his opinion, he says he doesn't know. When asked if he has any solution, he says he is stupid. When asked if he hates the emperor for harming his Li family, he says he doesn't understand what you mean.
Anyway, he didn't know anything about anything, didn't express his views, didn't take sides, didn't give any opinions, and only said, "I'll pour tea for you two."
Patriarch Cui thought that this was a revenge planned by Li Chu and Patriarch Li, revenge for making Li Ao take the blame and causing Li Ao to die without a complete body.
The Li family's way of revenge was to refuse to join them in dealing with Zong Zheng Xiao without breaking off relations with them.
Patriarch Cui's face was a little cold: "Little Li, I don't know what your father told you before you came, but now the royal family is gradually gaining power, and our families are tied together. If we prosper together, we prosper together, and if we suffer together, we suffer together. Don't ruin the friendship between our families just for a momentary anger."
Li Chu still had that silly expression on his face: "I am not angry. I am not as old as you two, so I am naturally not as experienced as you two. You two couldn't think of a solution. If I could think of it, my father would have given me the position of head of the family long ago."
This is actually true. When Li Ao died, Li Chu wanted to sing a song to celebrate. Of course he would not be angry.
He really had no idea what to do about Zong Zhengxiao suddenly selling cheaper paper that was of better quality than Cui's paper. He couldn't just run up to Zong Zhengxiao and threaten him not to make paper or do this business, right?
Patriarch Cui was powerless to refute. He suppressed his anger and asked Li Chu, "Where do you think Zong Zhengxiao's papermaking method came from?"
Li Chu shook his head: "I don't know."
Anyway, they wouldn't be stealing the Cui family's ideas. After all, the paper they make is much better than the Cui family's paper.
But Li Chu was also very curious. He probably knew that it took a certain amount of time to make paper, which meant that Zong Zhengxiao had known the method of papermaking for a long time. Then why didn't he take it out when he first ascended the throne?
If he had revealed his trump card at the beginning, he would not have been suppressed by the aristocratic families in the beginning.
Patriarch Cui did not give him a chance to think, and continued, "You say, if he can make paper, will he also know better techniques for weaving cloth and firing porcelain?"
The pillar industry of the Li family is cloth, and that of the Chen family is porcelain. The head of the Cui family is warning them that if you stand idly by and watch the Cui family's business being taken away, sooner or later the fire will burn you too.
Patriarch Chen lowered his eyes and remained silent, but Li Chu said with admiration: "Your Majesty is really a genius. He knows everything."
The two heads of the Cui and Chen families: "..."
This meeting ultimately did not produce any results. Without the Li family as the scapegoat, and without the head of the Chen family remaining silent, even a strong head like the Cui family could not avoid hitting a wall.
Naturally, the Cui family did not dare to confront Zong Zhengxiao head-on about the matter of selling paper. Zong Zhengxiao's selling of paper at a low price was what the people wanted, and the people benefited from Zong Zhengxiao and would definitely be on his side. If the Cui family stood up to oppose it, they would be seeking death and making themselves a living target.
雖然世家很看不起那些底層的普通百姓，可蟻多咬死象，非必要的情況下，他們不會惹衆怒。
要是崔家使了不正當的手段被發現了，反而是給宗政逍送把柄對付他們。
沒辦法，崔家只能吃下這個悶虧。
因為他們大部分紙的質量都沒宗政逍的紙好，所以只能選擇降價，降到比宗政逍那邊的紙價還低，這樣才會有客人來買。
好在宗政逍沒有跟着降價，好在即便賣現在這個價，他們也有的賺，不然崔家主是真的會被氣死。
不過他也不會永遠忍氣吞聲下去，今天的仇，他會牢牢記在心上，等到以後找到機會，再百倍千倍地報複回去！
“嘶，阿音，我耳朵又燙了，快來給我捂捂。”
銀鲛園裏，宗政逍還沒進屋就開始求救上了，進去後找準戎音的位置，跑過去坐下，然後一頭栽進了他懷裏。
戎音給宗政逍捏着耳朵，奇道：“還真挺燙的，罵你的人怕是把你祖宗十八代都問候了一遍吧？”
宗政逍笑道：“估計是，而且我猜最有可能的是崔家。”
戎音也笑：“你賣紙的行為，跟從人家手裏搶錢差不多，人家不恨你才怪了。”
宗政逍攬着戎音的腰，把人撈進懷裏，讓他坐到自己腿上。
“他這就受不了了，那以後我要是拿出他們沒有的衛生紙，他豈不是要氣得一天罵我八百遍？”
“還真有這個可能。”戎音點頭。
宗政逍擡眼看他：“阿音，你就任由我被那麽罵啊？”
戎音疑惑：“總不能讓我跑去他家把他嘴割了吧，我覺得我暫時還沒有這個實力。”
“我不是這個意思。”宗政逍道：“你嘴巴那麽厲害，你幫我罵回去吧。”
“淨胡說，我嘴巴哪有你厲害，要罵回去也是你自己罵。”
宗政逍委屈：“你不幫我罵人，你都不疼我了，我還是不是你的好老公了？”
戎音逗他：“不是，你是壞老公。”
宗政逍像是被戎音氣到了，低頭隔着衣服就在他胸脯上咬了一口。
猝不及防的戎音下意識驚叫出聲，而且這聲音聽起來有些不太妙，戎音自己反應過來後也紅了臉。
“宗政逍！”戎音氣呼呼地推他，看了眼旁邊不好意思地低下頭去的宮人，臉蛋瞬間更紅了，“你幼不幼稚啊，不幫你你就咬人。”
宗政逍沒被戎音推開，反而伸手将他摟得離自己更近，嘴唇向上，吻住了戎音的喉結。
他不說話，也不管戎音罵他，在戎音身上施展的手段越來越大尺度。
這大白天的，旁邊還有人，雖然宮人們都低着頭不敢看，但戎音覺得這跟掩耳盜鈴沒什麽區別，他怕宗政逍真混蛋到在這裏跟他親密，便趕緊認輸：“我錯了我錯了，我幫你罵崔家好不好，罵到他們耳朵燙到爆炸。”
宗政逍聞言果真停下了動作，他直起身看着戎音，舔了舔嘴角，像是在回味什麽，眼神示意戎音可以開始了。
戎音瞪着他，道：“崔家這種小心眼的家夥，走路必摔跤，吃飯必被噎，喝水必被嗆，圍觀別人打架必被殃及……”
他越說越多，語氣也越來越認真，只是視線從未從宗政逍臉上移開過，一時也讓人分不清他究竟是在罵崔家，還是眼前這個男人。
宗政逍想，可能各占一半吧。
等戎音罵累了，宗政逍才體貼地遞上果茶，笑眯眯道：“辛苦我們阿音了。”
戎音喝完果茶，看着宗政逍似乎并不在意剛才被他含沙射影，愣了幾秒，忽然反應了過來。
“其實你的本意不是想讓我幫你罵崔家吧？”
這只是宗政逍占他便宜的借口！
宗政逍一臉無辜：“阿音你說什麽呢？我真的只是想讓你幫我罵崔家，沒有其它心思。”
戎音：“……呵呵。”
他在心裏道：你看我信你嗎？
宗政逍還想說什麽，戎音直接放大招：晚上分房睡。
宗政逍老實了。
因為戎音一旦認真起來，是寧願把自己全身捆住，也不會給自己半夜去找宗政逍的機會的。
“好吧，其實我就是想找理由跟阿音你親親。”宗政逍撒嬌，“老公想跟老婆親親有錯嗎？沒錯。”
“哼。”戎音扭頭不理他。
宗政逍湊過去蹭他的臉：“老婆，阿音老婆，乖乖老婆，世界上最好看的老婆，原諒我好不好？我只是愛你愛得太過深沉罷了，誰叫我的老婆是那麽的優秀惹人愛呢。”
他說得越多，戎音的嘴角就越難下壓。
宗政逍這番話不止說得戎音心花怒放，連旁邊的宮人們也忍不住感嘆，陛下在小主子面前真的一點架子都沒有，跟個十幾歲的少年似的，态度熱情又奔放。
要是朝堂上那些被陛下罵得狗血淋頭的大臣知道他居然還有這一面，估計也會覺得難以置信到像是編的吧。
“好了，別說了，旁邊還有人呢，不知羞。”戎音憋不住笑，伸手去捂宗政逍的嘴。
宗政逍拉住他的手，跟他十指緊扣，道：“我跟我老婆說話有什麽害羞的？他們沒老婆，他們不懂我也正常。”
宮人們：“……”
天天看他倆膩歪，宮人們自然也是知道老公老婆是什麽意思的。
他們只感覺心好痛，陛下在小主子那裏沒使用的攻擊力，都轉移到他們身上來了。
這個世界沒愛了，只有多吃幾個面包，多喝幾杯奶茶他們才能緩過來。
在宗政逍這邊造出的紙力壓崔家紙的同時，春耕也在不知不覺中結束了。
京城周圍的村民或多或少都用上了肥料，而季世子帶回來的玉米種子也在皇莊種下了，只等秋季就能收獲。
因為是新種子，大家都沒有種植經驗，皇莊那邊也是根據季世子在玉米産地打聽到的信息，逐步摸索照顧玉米的方法，用心程度堪比養育一個剛出生的小嬰兒。
宗政逍偶爾也會帶戎音去皇莊看看，見玉米長勢不錯，想着來年就能收獲更多的玉米種子，未來大晟人民又多了一種能果腹的糧食，他臉上的笑意就沒有斷過。
除了宗政逍外，最關注玉米成長的就是季家了，因為他們嘗過奶油蛋糕的滋味，至今還回味無窮。
知道那種美味得用到玉米才能做出來，他們巴不得玉米當天種下去當天就能收獲。
為此季世子還特地跟宗政逍申請，讓他住到皇莊去，每天觀測玉米的生長情況，畢竟種子是他帶回來的，他想親眼看着它成長。
宗政逍答應了，還讓他最好用紙筆記錄下玉米的生長過程，以後可以出成小冊子，跟玉米種一起發放到百姓手裏，免得他們不知道新種子該怎麽種植。
季世子又借機笑嘻嘻地在戎音那裏預定了一個奶油蛋糕，生怕到時候自己搶不到。
因為不知道是家裏誰走漏了風聲，現在功臣集團圈子裏都知道季家吃到獨一無二的奶油蛋糕了，聽說滋味比面包還要好上幾倍，叫人吃了就忘不了。
男人們跟宗政逍旁敲側擊，女眷們則直接趁着去面包店喝下午茶的時候詢問了綠娥，知曉大概夏末店裏才能做出奶油蛋糕後，一行人紛紛開始掏錢預定。
面包店只接了幾個預定單子，等到京裏其他達官顯貴收到消息時，面包店已經拒絕預定了。
于是手握優先購買權的那幾位，立時成了朋友圈裏的焦點，不少人都過來跟他們搭交情，只希望到時候能跟他們一起，提前品嘗一下美食的滋味。
如今衆人也都悟了，得面包店福利者得人氣。
只可惜明白歸明白，做不做得到又是另一回事，非功臣集團的人，一般都只能看着他們享受特殊待遇，而自己擔任的永遠是站在旁邊羨慕的角色。
這日休沐，戎音拽着宗政逍出宮逛街，自從上次被李傲劫走後，宗政逍基本不讓戎音單獨出宮了。
即便要出來，自己也必須跟着，不僅帶的侍衛數量翻倍，戎音走到哪裏，他也要跟到哪裏，絕不允許戎音再消失在自己的視野裏哪怕一秒。
戎音捧着杯果茶，跟宗政逍一起進了書店。
見他倆氣度不凡，夥計知道是貴客臨門，連忙迎了上來，“二位想要買點什麽？最近‘不知名魚某’先生的新話本最是暢銷，昨晚賣斷貨了，今早剛上了一批，還剩三本，二位可要來一本看看？”
不知名魚某是戎音的筆名，新話本就是小夫妻倆的新冒險故事，作為作者，話本在印刷出來後老板就送了幾本給戎音收藏，而且原稿就在他那兒，所以他沒必要再浪費這個錢。
“不用了，謝謝。”戎音擺手拒絕。
夥計剛想繼續給他們介紹別的書籍，兩人身邊卻忽然擠進來一個人，差點把戎音撞到，還好宗政逍眼疾手快把他給拉到了身邊。
那人一邊跟他倆道歉，一邊對夥計道：“魚某先生的話本還剩多少？都給我吧，我全要了。”
The business came, and the clerk was delighted: "There are three more. I'll get them for you right away."
Rong Yin asked in surprise: "Why did you buy so much by yourself? You can't eat or drink this."
Perhaps because of his rashness just now, the man still felt guilty towards Rong Yin, so when he heard his doubt, he answered very straightforwardly: "I brought this for my friend. His family does not live in Beijing, but he had read the storybook written by Mr. Yu that I brought to him before. He fell in love with it after reading it once, and said that if there is a new plot for this story, I must buy him a copy. I went to several bookstores today and bought out all the books. Unexpectedly, I got lucky and this store still has three copies left."
Rong Yin felt a secret sense of pride in his heart. He asked, "Is this storybook also very popular outside the capital?"
The man was about to answer when a mocking voice interrupted him, "I don't know who likes this tacky and ugly thing."