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Chapter 157
The Ning and Wu families were unwilling to give up, constantly keeping an eye on the Li family. When the opportunity arose, they naturally wanted to submit a good accusation. The court official who accused Li Ming had received favors from the Ning family years ago and had been wanting to repay them. Upon receiving information from the Ning family, he accused Li Ming in court. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
After reading the message, Li Xia looked up to see Zhou Heng curiously observing her.
"Lu XuanNing has a lame leg and a scarred face, and you don't mind at all?" Zhou Heng asked directly.
"Am I such a shallow person?" Li Xia put down the documents in her hand and expressed some displeasure at Zhou Heng's words about Lu XuanNing.
"Originally, I had researched a special scar removal cream to give as a congratulatory gift, but since someone isn't shallow, forget it." Before he could finish speaking, Li Xia's fingers twitched, and the box in Zhou Heng's hand appeared in her own.
"Since it's a gift, how could I not accept it?" Li Xia didn't mind, but she could see that Lu XuanNing did care. After taking the medicine, Li Xia looked at Zhou Heng and asked, "Lu XuanNing's leg, it can't be cured?"
"Xiao Changyou and I have researched it, and currently we can only improve it so that his leg hurts less on rainy days," Zhou Heng and Xiao Changyou had never given up on their research.
"Thank you," Li Xia said sincerely. Zhou Heng, who was used to Li Xia's domineering side, felt a bit unaccustomed to this. He promised Li Xia that they would definitely cure Lu XuanNing's leg.
After leaving Tian Yi Pavilion, seeing that there was still time, Li Xia went to the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South.
Lu XuanNing suddenly opened his eyes in his sleep and reached out. When he saw it was Li Xia, he quickly withdrew his hand.
"You... why are you here?" Lu XuanNing was so startled by Li Xia's sudden appearance that he started to stutter.
"I came to see you," Li Xia's words made Lu XuanNing blush.
Li Xia surveyed Lu XuanNing's room: a bed, a wardrobe, a desk, and nothing more.
Lu XuanNing put on his clothes and got up to light a candle. Turning back, he saw Li Xia's gaze wandering around, "In the future, you can arrange our room."
"We still have two years, no rush," Li Xia took the cup of water Lu XuanNing offered and took a sip. She then took out the medicine box from her bosom.
"What's this?" Lu XuanNing's eyes lit up as he accepted it.
"It's a scar removal cream developed by Zhou Heng." Li Xia's words made Lu XuanNing's expression dim. He should have stopped his grandfather from proposing to Li Ming.
Noticing Lu XuanNing's expression, Li Xia reached out and touched the scar on his face, "I don't mind this, but you do." That's why Li Xia brought the scar removal cream.
"I won't in the future," Lu XuanNing held the hand on his face. A moment of quiet tenderness flowed between them until the sound of the night watchman came from outside.
Li Xia withdrew her hand, it was getting late, and she had to go back.
"I'll see you off," Lu XuanNing stood up to escort Li Xia.
"No need," before Li Xia finished speaking, she had already left the room. Lu XuanNing looked at the medicine box in his hand, opened it, scooped out some, and gently applied it to his face, feeling sweet in his heart.
Li Ming and Li Hui also investigated the people behind the scenes. Li Ming never thought that this cause and effect was actually on himself. He was even more surprised that Mrs. Lu had endured so many rumors and gossip for him.
Mrs. Lu, however, had found out about the incident at the plum blossom viewing party where Li Xia was injured in place of Li Xin. She called for Li Xia and carefully examined her hand, finding a faint scar on her palm.
She had been in the capital for so long and never knew about this incident. These children were indeed good at keeping secrets.
Li Hui and Li Xin didn't want Mrs. Lu to worry. Li Xia just had a big heart and forgot about it.
Mrs. Lu was surprised that her three children were so capable. They had actually taken on a prince and hadn't fallen behind. She was no longer as worried about Li Xia marrying Lu XuanNing as she had been initially.
Li Hui's one-year period was up, and Mrs. Lu brought out the girls she had chosen for Li Hui to select from. If he liked any of them, arrangements could be made for meetings. Li Hui had no particular requirements and left everything to his mother's discretion. Mrs. Lu was satisfied with her son's attitude and spread the word that she was looking for a wife for her son.
Li Hui was loyal and affectionate, talented, and capable in his work, well-liked by his superiors. Many people had their eye on Li Hui. After thorough investigation, Mrs. Lu was satisfied with two families' daughters.
Mrs. Lu asked for Li Hui's opinion again, wanting to find someone Li Hui was satisfied with to make up for the debt owed to him. Just as they were in the process of matchmaking, Li Ming said it wasn't possible.
"Why not?" Mrs. Lu frowned and asked. Previously, it was delayed because of Li Ming's affairs, then because of the fiancée's incident. Now that there were no problems, why wasn't it possible?
Li Ming had to explain. The Emperor had approached him recently, asking about Li Hui's situation. There was an intention to have Li Hui marry a princess.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lu immediately blurted out that it wasn't possible. A princess! That's a member of the royal family. After marrying a princess, Li Hui's status would be lower than the princess, and he would be under her pressure in everything. And how should the Li family interact with the princess? Would she, as the mother-in-law, have to bow to her daughter-in-law princess?
"The Emperor has spoken, can you or I prevent it?" Li Ming was equally unwilling, but the Emperor had hinted at this intention.
No matter how unwilling Mrs. Lu was, she had to stop the matchmaking. She stopped talking about this matter outside, so other families would understand that Li Hui's marriage was settled. They also stopped asking about matchmaking with other eligible young men.
Seeing that the two families' daughters she was satisfied with had been matched with new in-laws, Mrs. Lu felt indescribably upset.
The princess Li Hui was to marry was the youngest daughter of the current Emperor and Empress, Princess Chang'an. Thinking about how this most favored princess was just entering her teens, Mrs. Lu didn't know how long Li Hui would have to wait. She really didn't know what to say.
Princess Chang'an was the An'an that Li Hui had saved years ago. In their subsequent interactions, Chang'an had taken a liking to Li Hui. Previously, when Li Hui had a fiancée, she had given up. But when Li Hui's engagement hit a snag, she saw hope.
She begged the Emperor and Empress to agree to betroth her to Li Hui. Li Hui was almost ten years older than Chang'an. Although he was personally capable, his family background was ordinary. The Emperor and Empress were not very satisfied with this son-in-law.
But Chang'an liked him and told them many things about Li Hui, begging her parents to agree. The Emperor and Empress had people carefully investigate Li Hui and the Li family. They found that the family background was clean, without factions or private interests, and no corruption or bribery. Li Hui was diligent in his work, had voluntarily observed a year of mourning for his deceased fiancée, had no concubines, didn't philander outside, and took good care of his younger siblings.
After repeated investigations confirming that apart from his unremarkable family background, Li Hui was excellent in all other aspects, the Emperor and Empress relented and agreed to this marriage.
Li Hui wasn't happy at all. This marriage was nothing but absurd to him. He had no interest in his colleagues' congratulations or mockery. After leaving, he went to the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South.
Knowing that Li Hui had come, Lu XuanNing prepared some wine.
Li Hui really needed this right now. He took the wine cup handed to him by Lu XuanNing and drank it in one gulp. Drinking too hastily, he choked a bit. Li Hui coughed for quite a while, then picked up his chopsticks and helped himself to some food.
Lu XuanNing refilled his cup without saying much, keeping him company as he drank and ate. They drank late into the night until Li Ming arrived at the Marquis' mansion. Seeing the drunken Li Hui, he wanted to take him home.
"Uncle, let Zi Hou stay here for the night," Lu XuanNing said. It wouldn't look good for him to go out in such a drunken state at this hour.
Li Ming considered that tomorrow was a day off, so staying here for one night wouldn't be a problem. "Thank you for your trouble, nephew," he said.