Chapter 174
Li Hui returned home after many days away, bearing both honor and injuries. During the process of investigating and apprehending the son of the Minister of Works, Li Hui accidentally overturned the Second Prince's carriage. Although it was understandable, the Second Prince injured his leg as a result.
The Second Prince's mother, Consort Wen, was displeased and demanded that Li Hui be held accountable. Li Hui was given 20 lashes and carried into Li Manor.
Li Hui took advantage of this opportunity to request leave and recuperate at home. The evidence had been prepared, and Liu Yuanchang would not be able to escape. As for the outcome of Liu Jie's case, it would depend on the power struggle among various factions at court.
"You injured the Second Prince's leg, didn't you?" When Li Xia came to visit Li Hui, this was the first thing he said. Over the past few days, Li Hui had been carefully recalling the arrest, and the Second Prince's carriage hadn't been that close. It wouldn't have been possible without someone intervening.
"Brother, to catch a thief, you need evidence. You need proof to convict someone," Li Xia's words essentially confirmed that she had done it.
"Well done," Li Hui said with a smile.
Li Xia also laughed, and the cheerful laughter of the siblings slightly eased the concerns of An'an, who had rushed over worriedly. Li Xin accompanied An'an into the room, where they saw Li Hui lying face down on the bed, with Li Xia sitting nearby. The two were smiling at each other.
"What's so funny?" asked An'an.
"I was telling my brother that when he's healed, we should go horseback riding again," Li Xia said as she got up to make room for An'an. She left Songtao Courtyard with Li Xin, giving Li Hui and An'an space to talk.
An'an sat close to Li Hui, her face full of concern. "Brother Hui, how are you? Does it hurt?"
"It's nothing, doesn't hurt," Li Hui replied. The punishers hadn't been too harsh; Li Hui had only suffered flesh wounds. With some medicine applied, he'd be fine in a couple of days.
"It's all because Consort Wen is unreasonable. Brother Hui was doing his job," An'an felt resentful towards Consort Wen and the Second Prince. lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.
"It was my fault for colliding with the Second Prince," Li Hui tried to calm An'an down. But how could An'an not be angry? However, she also knew that Li Hui's injury was actually a blessing in disguise.
Li Xia followed Li Xin to Fuqing Courtyard. They saw people packing things up in the courtyard.
"What's going on here? Are you moving?" Li Xia asked.
"Second Miss, our young lady is getting married in June. We need to pack and organize," Dan Mo, who was wearing a married woman's hairstyle, explained. After marrying Zhang Hu, Dan Mo couldn't bear to leave the mistress she had served for many years. Li Xin kept her working in Fuqing Courtyard. After Li Xin's marriage, Dan Mo would no longer work in the manor.
"There are still two months left, isn't this too rushed?" Li Xia was reluctant to see Li Xin leave.
"If we pack a little each day, it'll go by quickly," Li Xin sighed.
Time flew by, and soon it was the day before Li Xin's wedding. Li Xia presented her wedding gift to Li Xin.
Li Xin opened the box to find two items inside. One was a jade bracelet, with each bead carved with scriptures from the Medicine King Sutra, which was perfect for someone who believed in Buddhism.
This was prepared for Li Xin's entry into her husband's family. Lady Cao was a Buddhist, and this jade bracelet would surely please her.
Li Xia's gift was both valuable and thoughtful.
Li Xin then gave Li Xia the gift she had prepared. It was a set of jewelry that Li Xin had treasured, with a simple and elegant style that Li Xia liked. She gave it to Li Xia as a memento.
Li Xia's other gift to Li Xin was a miniature jade carving. Lu XuanNing had sent many pieces of jade, and Li Xia particularly liked one of them. After careful consideration, she had specially carved a miniature scene of the family gathering together. Li Xin could take it out and look at it whenever she missed her family.
Li Xin's eyes moistened as she looked at the miniature carving. It was her favorite gift so far. Although her interactions with the Cao family over the past few years had been pleasant, and Lady Cao had been kind to her, she knew that being a daughter and being a wife were different.
From now on, she would be a daughter-in-law of the Cao family. She would have to put the Cao family first in everything and couldn't do whatever she wanted like she could as an unmarried woman. When facing Lady Cao, she would have to be careful and couldn't speak as freely and comfortably as she did with Mrs. Lu.
"Just be yourself, don't think too much," Li Xia advised Li Xin not to be too nervous. Life had to go on, and being nervous wouldn't help.
Li Xia's words made Li Xin smile. "Your advice is always like this, making people not know whether to laugh or cry," she said as she took a handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Don't worry, I understand these things better than you."
"You're too tolerant by nature, that's not good. If you're upset, come back and tell us. Father and our brother are here for you," Li Xia said. Although she advised Li Xin not to overthink things, she also didn't want her to think too little. Li Xia didn't want Li Xin to endure concubines like Mrs. Lu did.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of myself. Mother has taught me a lot about being a daughter-in-law," Li Xin believed she could be a good daughter-in-law.
"Did Mother teach you how to please yourself? How to make your own life better?" Mrs. Lu was a perfect representative of the education of this era.
Li Xin didn't understand what Li Xia meant. How could she please herself after marrying into another family as a daughter-in-law? Did Li Xia mean... what she thought she meant?
"If my man dares to take a concubine, I'll dare to castrate him," Li Xia said in a light tone, but her words made Li Xin's jaw drop. Li Xin glanced outside and lowered her voice. Wasn't it proper for men to marry wives and take concubines?
"Nothing is proper just because it's said to be. Women are born to be confined in the back courtyard, take care of the family, watch their husbands take concubines, and call children not born to them 'son'. Enduring these things is what men have stipulated, but it's not what women must do," Li Xia's voice remained calm, but these words exploded in Li Xin's mind. If these weren't what women must do, then what must women do?
"You..." Li Xin didn't know what to say.
"These are my thoughts. I just feel that we don't need to be so accommodating and self-sacrificing. Like Mother, who appears to be the standard virtuous wife in others' eyes. But you and I both know Mother's private sorrows. I just think people should live a bit more selfishly, a bit more for themselves," Li Xia knew what Li Xin was thinking and hadn't said anything before. This time, she said a little before Li Xin's wedding.
"I understand. You mean well for me," Li Xin nodded. She wasn't a fool and understood Li Xia's meaning. Li Xia hoped she could live better. Before becoming a daughter-in-law of the Cao family, she should be herself first and consider herself more.
After Li Xia left, Mrs. Lu came with some things. She was here to give Li Xin some final instructions. In her hand was an exquisitely made album.
The contents were very detailed, and the illustrations were very clear. When she bought it, Mrs. Lu had glanced at it and blushed, saying that people nowadays were too bold to draw such clear pictures.
What Mrs. Lu didn't know was that this book had been commissioned by Li Xia. She had looked at the previous "fire-avoiding" diagrams and found them too abstract and artistic. How could such images enlighten anyone?
For this purpose, Li Xia specifically had Qiu Ling find an artist with decent painting skills and no reservations about such matters. She paid him to observe in a brothel for quite some time, resulting in the current more realistic depictions.
At the same time, Li Xia also spent a considerable sum to engage a doctor specializing in gynecology. She had the doctor compile information on common gynecological diseases and their prevention. Additionally, the doctor provided advice on improving marital intimacy, as well as guidance on personal hygiene practices for women.
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