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Chapter 156
The plain truth is that Li Shan had given birth prematurely as early as the past autumn. Any calculation would reveal that she conceived her child before the marriage ceremony. The Zhao Family has always kept this as a secret, hiding the child and having Li Shan continue to pretend to be pregnant.
By the time it was calculated to be full term, they allowed Li Shan to feign going into labour. After Li Shan had given birth, Mrs. Lu, along with other ladies from her maiden family, came to see the newborn child.
As they walked towards the courtyard gate, they heard the sound of objects being shattered from inside. Mrs. Lu, Li Xin and Li Xia all stopped.
"Auntie Wang, where is Liang?" Li Xia asked earnestly, appearing desperate to meet her little nephew. Li Shan’s child was named Zhao Shunliang, affectionately known as Little Liang.
"In the young lady's courtyard," answered Auntie Wang. Mrs. Zhao didn't trust Li Shan to raise her grandson. The child was Zhao Decheng's only offspring, and only under her care she could rest assured. Everything, including the wet nurse's arrangements, was already taken care of.
“I would like to see my little nephew first, Auntie Wang, please lead the way," Li Xin requested too. Li Shan was still causing a ruckus inside. The last thing Li Xin wanted was another run-in with Li Shan when she's in a tantrum, throwing hot tea at everyone.
"Both children have always been spoiled by me," Mrs. Lu smiled and told Auntie Wang.
"Both young ladies are showing affection to little Master Zhao," Auntie Wang said, referring to Li Shan's child. In the line of Zhao grandchildren, the child came in third order. Auntie Wang escorted the few to Mrs. Zhao's courtyard.
Left behind was Aunt Wang, who stood by the courtyard gate displeased by Mrs. Lu escorting everyone away. But, Li Shan's erratic behavior left her helplessly sighing as she walked into the courtyard.
Li Shan had given birth, but before she could even see the infant, Mrs. Zhao took him away, saying that it shouldn’t be disclosed to outsiders just yet and kept him away from her courtyard. Li Shan agreed, considering her future and reputation.
Now that her delivery was public, Li Shan thought she could have her child by her side again. However, Mrs. Zhao asserted that she would be responsible for the child's upbringing and forbid Li Shan's involvement.
Naturally, Li Shan refused to accept this, creating a scene and threatening to report the matter to her family. Mrs. Zhao, however, using her recent childbirth as an excuse, prohibited her from leaving.
What Li Shan didn't know was that Mrs. Zhao had already discussed this matter with Mrs. Lu and Li Ming. Based on Li Shan's past actions, they all agreed that the child was probably better off being raised by Mrs. Zhao.
When the child grew older, the Li family could pay more attention to him, hire a esteemed private tutor to instruct him properly. The child should not turn out to be as unreliable as his parents.
Li Ming told Aunt Wang to persuade Li Shan to live in harmony with Zhao Decheng and let Mrs. Zhao raise the child. Reluctantly, she did what she was told if not, Li Ming would ignore her. She still had her own son to care for, of course, she had to sacrifice her daughter.
The one most affected by Li Shan's scenario was Li Yao. He had been devotedly studying before but now became even more diligent. Years of previous life's scholarly efforts paid off, making his progress rapid. His teacher suggested he could go for the county examination next year.
Even though his teacher assured him, Li Yao was nervous. He especially visited Li Xia. When he saw her, he immediately greeted her respectfully as 'sister'.
"Have some pastries," Li Xia handed a plate of desserts to him.
"Sister, I feel nervous," Li Yao confessed. He took a piece but didn't eat he was too anxious to taste anything.
"Ask your elder brother what the exam environment is like. Simulate it at home and take a few more tests - then you won't feel so nervous" was the blunt advice Li Xia gave, knowing that this was currently the most suitable for Li Yao.
Li Yao saw merit in the advice and asked Li Hui about the exam environment, setting up an identical scenario at home to sit the test in.
Once Li Ming found out, he prepared the same for Li Chou and Li Guang's upcoming exams. He arranged monitored mock exams every two days. He sorted all the different situations they could encounter during the exam. He gave the instructions for the plans to be executed, keeping the three of them on their toes.
However, the efforts paid off and all three showed marked improvements in their scores. The teacher had praised them several times in class, further boosting their morale.
Li Xia found their exam papers quite impressive and asked Li Ming and Li Hui, who set the questions, if she could take, print, and sell copies at her bookstore. The income would be split 70-30, with the former going to the two and the latter to the bookstore.
In a month, they had made a few hundred silvers. Li Ming didn't lack money, but after Mrs. Lu's estimation for future dowries and marriage expenses, his wealth was not that impressive. Now with money flowing in, Li Ming was quite pleased and showed extra affection and care for Li Xia. He gifted her one of his treasured inkstones.
Li Xia happily accepted and took it to the Fuqing Courtyard to give to Li Xin.
"This has been a treasured collection of our father" Li Xin said, carefully examining the inkstone. Li Ming was known for his passion for collecting precious inkstones, which he rarely showed off.
"Well, so what? It's no use. Can't eat it, can't drink it," Li Xia expressed her lack of interest in such valuables.
"You can just sell it to me. I'll give you silver for it," Li Xin offered, genuinely attracted to the inkstone. "Sure thing!" Li Xia agreed instantly, beaming as if she struck a sweet deal. Li Xin held back a chuckle at her younger sister's joyful appropriation, always the heart of their shared moments.
Next, an imperial censor indicted Li Ming for profiteering. Li Ming was baffled at this accusation. When he got the full story, he couldn't comprehend how it was wrongful to sell a few extra question sets that he initially made for his children.
He had not done anything else illicit the exercise merely served to aid the scholars in their practice. So, Li Ming submitted a plea to justify his actions. The final verdict cost him half of his monthly office salary, while the complainant faced a demotion.
Li Xia received a mild reprimand from Mrs. Lu, advising her against the sale of these papers. Obligated, she agreed to cease the practice.
Initially, the students were thrilled to have a chance to work on real-life-based questionnaires curated by a seasoned official like Li Ming. They learned practical knowledge and gained a unique insight that academic books didn't provide, bridging a gap in their scholarly pursuit.
After he provided the answers, Li Ming would often suggest a few reference books for the students to study further. Working on Li Ming's question sets significantly expanded their sphere of knowledge.
The students were hoping that Li Ming could produce more mock tests. However, to their surprise, not only were there no new ones, but the previously sold ones were being called back. Although the bookstore did not state the reasons, people soon inquired and found out. The buzz was around how producing a few sets of mock papers could become a controversy over profiting off the people. This was a benefit to the people, wasn't it? These young scholars couldn't take action physically, but they certainly could through their words. They wrote numerous articles satirizing the censor.
In the night, Li Xia visited Tian Yi Pavilion, where Zhou Heng handed over the investigated material to her. Li Xia was taken aback to find that the Ning Family and the Wu Family were involved in the controversy.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Lu had come to the capital, doing everything she could to help her husband. But leading the mockery against her were the Ning and Wu families, criticizing Mrs. Lu for not abiding by her womanly duties.
But who would have guessed, the Empress praised Mrs. Lu's actions to save her husband and even presented her with a reward. Those who had helped Mrs. Lu also received their fair share. The initial mockery of Mrs. Lu by the two families was harsh. However, in the later stages, they faced a backlash that was equally intense.