Upon receiving the punishment, Princess Yunxia was so angry that she smashed all the porcelain ornaments in the room. She held a deep grudge against Li Xia.
At this time, Li Xia was lying on a recliner, listening to Qiu Ling talk about Princess Yunxia. When she heard that Princess Yunxia was fond of Lu XuanNing and had even publicly declared that she would not marry anyone but him, she was puzzled. If Princess Yunxia liked Lu XuanNing so much, why didn't she marry him after his death in her previous life?
"I heard that Yun Prince even asked the current emperor for a marriage decree between her and Heir Apparent Lu," Qiu Ling shared the information she had found.
"If the Lu family wants to last, they won't agree to this marriage." The Lu family held military power, and if they were to form a marriage alliance with the royal family, the emperor would probably lose sleep over it.
"Old Marquis Lu used his military merits to request the emperor to allow Heir Apparent Lu to choose his own marriage," Qiu Ling admired Old Marquis Lu for his foresight.
"Parents' love for their children is deep and far-reaching," Li Xia sighed.
Qiu Ling nodded in agreement, "Miss, should we continue to monitor Princess Yunxia?"
"Yes, and we should also investigate Yun Prince's mansion. If we run out of money, we can get it from Qiu Shui." Given Princess Yunxia's temperament, there was no chance of reconciliation between them. Her backing was Yun Prince's mansion, so they needed to find a way to control it.
Just as she was thinking, Li Xin walked in. Seeing the bowl in Dan Mo's hands behind her, Li Xia wanted to run away. But she knew that if she ran, Li Xin would definitely cry. In the past, Li Xia couldn't stand Auntie Mei's crying, and now she had to add Li Xin to the list of people whose crying she couldn't bear.
Qiu Ling tactfully excused herself. Li Xin held the medicine bowl to feed Li Xia. Li Xia took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp, then made a face as if she was at death's door. Li Xin laughed and stuffed a piece of candied fruit into her mouth.
"Sis, look, my hand is better," Li Xia stretched out her left hand for her to see, there was only a faint scar in the palm of her hand.
Seeing the conspicuous scar on Li Xia's fair hand, Li Xin couldn't help but tear up. She took the scar removal cream that was set aside and applied it to Li Xia's hand. This scar removal cream was given by Cao Fugui, who said it was used by the masters in the palace and was particularly effective.
"Sis, I'm really fine. Don't be sad," Li Xia handed her own handkerchief to Li Xin.
"It's my fault. If I had stepped forward at that time," Li Xin felt even worse because she had been scared when facing Princess Yunxia. So there was a moment of hesitation. This was what she couldn't forgive herself for.
"That's the crown princess, it's natural to be afraid."
"You weren't afraid," Li Xia's performance at the time made Li Xin feel somewhat ashamed. No matter how well she behaved normally, she was still not as good as Li Xia when it mattered.
"Who said I wasn't afraid. I was scared too. Otherwise, my wound wouldn't be so deep," Li Xia said, rubbing her hand.
Hearing Li Xia's words, Li Xin wiped her tears and said solemnly, "Xia Xia, don't worry, I won't be like this in the future." This incident made Li Xin grow a lot. But this kind of growth was something Li Xia didn't want to see. She liked her sister and hoped she would always be happy.
"We should live each day happily. Being sad will only make those who look down on us happy." Seeing Li Xin let go of her worries, Li Xia breathed a sigh of relief. She looked up to see Auntie Mei rolling her eyes at her from a distance.
"Auntie Mei, what are you doing?" Li Xia noticed Auntie Mei and Qiu Chan moving things around.
Li Xin, standing aside, answered, "The New Year is approaching; we're preparing some gifts to send back to Liuzhou, as well as gifts for the various families in the capital."
Li Xia was injured, and Li Xin didn't want her to overwork, so she and Auntie Mei prepared the New Year's goods and gifts together. The furs in the capital were cheaper and of better quality and color than those in Liuzhou. Li Xin bought five large boxes of fur, and Li Hui added another box. They arranged for six large boxes to be sent back to Liuzhou.
Watching Li Xin and Auntie Mei busying around, Li Xia thought it was good to be injured. She could avoid this task; gift-giving was too troublesome. Li Xia was relaxed when she was hit with, "We're going to the Beining Marquis Manor tomorrow."
When they first arrived in the capital, someone had gone to the Beining Marquis Manor to present a greeting card. At that time, Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu had gone to a hot spring villa outside the city.
Now Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu have returned to the capital. After hearing the butler's report, they sent someone to Guihua Lane to invite Li Hui and the others to visit the Manor tomorrow.
Auntie Mei, with Qiu Shui, rummaged through Li Xia's wardrobe and picked out a set of clothes suitable for meeting the elderly, "Be careful tomorrow, you can't cause trouble for me again." God knows how scared she was when she saw Li Xia return with her hand bandaged.
"The last time was an accident. Nothing will happen this time." The Li family owed the Beining Marquis Manor a life-saving favor; they would not repay kindness with hostility. Although Li Xia repeatedly assured that she wouldn't cause trouble or have accidents, Auntie Mei was still worried. She repeatedly instructed Qiu Shui and Qiu Chan to pay attention, "At crucial times, Qiu Chan, you're tough, you have to block for Xia."
Qiu Chan patted her chest and promised, "Auntie, don't worry, I will definitely protect the young lady." Li Xia, listening to the side, felt helpless. She was going to meet two elders, why did it feel like going into a battle?
The next day, the three of them took a carriage to the Beining Marquis Manor. The Lu family's servants led them into the Manor. The Beining Marquis Manor, worthy of its military background, had a large training field right at the entrance, with two long racks on the side holding eighteen types of weapons. Li Xia's eyes lit up; she wanted to touch and try them. However, she controlled her eager hands and followed Li Xin.
The Lu family's butler led the three of them into the courtyard and into the grand hall. There, they saw an elderly couple sitting in the main hall. It was obvious that they were Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu. Old Marquis Lu, although his hair was graying, still emanated a powerful presence, clearly a man who had faced life and death on the battlefield. Sitting next to him, Old Madam Lu looked like a kind and benevolent old lady, watching the three of them with affection.
Li Hui had met Old Marquis Lu before, and he led his sisters to greet the two elders.
Lu XuanNing knew that Li Hui was coming to the capital, so he wrote a letter ahead of time to his grandparents, asking them to take care of Li Hui. Even if Lu XuanNing hadn't mentioned it, facing the saviors of their grandson, the two elders would not mistreat Li Hui and his sisters.
Old Madam Lu beckoned Li Xin and Li Xia over. She looked at the two girls, as lovely as flowers, and sighed inwardly; the Lu family had no luck with daughters, and their lineage was thin.
Last time Lu XuanNing had an incident, it was kept from Old Madam Lu. But when the matter of Prince YongKang blew up later, Old Madam Lu found out. Worried about her grandson, she fell ill. Her illness has been on and off and never completely healed.
Feeling unwell in the cold weather, Old Marquis Lu accompanied the Old Madam to the outskirts to soak in the hot springs. They only returned as the end of the year approached.
Old Marquis Lu took Li Hui to the study to inquire about his studies.
Old Madam Lu was talking to Li Xin and Li Xia. Li Xin was a bit nervous at first, but soon relaxed. He shared with Old Madam Lu about the customs and people of Liuzhou, as well as their experiences along the way. Meanwhile, Li Xia was enjoying the desserts on the table, which tasted fantastic.
