Chapter 86
At noon, Old Madam Lu declared that since there were no outsiders, they would dine at one table, five people together. The meals at the Lu family weren't as exquisite as those at the Lu and Gongshun Marquis Manors, but the portions were generous. Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu were truly eating, not counting grains of rice. This allowed Li Xia to loosen up a bit and eat two bowls of rice before stopping. Although she hadn’t eaten her fill, it was already much better, and she was quite satisfied.
Old Madam Lu was fond of Li Xia's unpretentious manner. Young ladies should eat more, she believed. Whenever they attended banquets, she saw those young girls counting grains of rice as they ate, becoming so thin they looked like paper. Yet they still complained that they were not thin enough, which she felt was not good.
After the meal, Old Madam Lu had someone lead Li Xin and Li Xia to the guest room to rest. When Li Xin and Li Xia woke from their nap, they heard from Qiu Shui that Old Marquis Lu was testing Li Hui’s martial skills.
Somewhat worried, Li Xin pulled Li Xia to the training ground. Seeing that Old Madam Lu was already there, they came forward to pay their respects. Old Madam Lu beckoned Li Xin to come forward, seeing her look a little worried.
"Don't worry, the old man knows his limits and won't let anything happen," Old Madam Lu comforted Li Xin verbally, but in her heart, she scolded Old Marquis Lu for wanting to test every young man's martial arts.
Old Marquis Lu did not take action himself, but selected a veteran soldier to spar with Li Hui. Li Hui's martial skills, mainly learned from the officers at the government office, were sufficient to deal with ordinary thieves. But in front of an old soldier experienced in life and death on the battlefield, he was out of his league. If the opponent hadn't been lenient, Li Hui would have been on the ground within three moves.
Li Xia watched with a bit of eagerness, really wanting to join in. It's been a long time since she had a fight. The last time, due to seasickness, she injured herself badly. Auntie Mei had been very strict with her. At last, Auntie Mei relaxed a bit, but then after a plum banquet, Li Xia injured her hand again. Now Auntie Mei ignored Li Xia's words completely, watching her even more closely every day. Unable to do anything, Li Xia's hands had been itching for a long time.
Li Xia's expression could deceive Li Hui and Li Xin, but not the cunning Old Madam Lu. Seeing Li Xia like this, Old Madam Lu grew curious about her.
At first, Old Madam Lu didn't pay much attention to Li Xia. When Li Xia first arrived at Marquis Mansion, she followed behind Li Xin quietly without a word. But now, Old Madam Lu felt that she had misjudged her. This girl's eyes didn't seem to belong to a quiet person. Li Xia felt Old Madam Lu's gaze on her, suppressed her boiling thoughts, and quietly watched the sparring match.
After the match, Li Hui was covered in sweat. He took a bath, changed his clothes, and chatted with Old Marquis Lu for a while. Declining the invitation for dinner, the three siblings said their goodbyes and left.
Watching the three of them leave, Old Madam Lu and Old Marquis Lu discussed Li Xia’s performance. "Among the three from the Li family, I originally thought Li Hui was the interesting one. Now, I think this girl Li Xia isn't simple either."
Hearing this, Old Marquis Lu laughed. He then mentioned what Lu XuanNing had told him before. The person who saved Lu XuanNing in the alley when he was on the verge of death was Li Xia. Li Xia's martial arts skills were only higher, not lower, than Lu XuanNing's.
Lu XuanNing was brought into the Li family's residence to recover from his injuries. Many assassins were dealt with before they could even enter the Prefect's Mansion, although it was unclear who was responsible. However, Old Marquis Lu and Lu XuanNing later analyzed the situation. They concluded that the only person capable of taking such action must have been Li Xia.
As for why Li Xia knew martial arts, and why she was so formidable, they could find no explanation. Regardless, they were grateful to her for saving their grandson. Old Madam Lu, upon hearing this, contemplated whether she should offer more support to Li Xia.
Being a long-time couple, when Old Madam Lu had thoughts that others didn't understand, Old Marquis Lu would comprehend them. "This girl is concealing her talents. Let's not expose her."
Old Madam Lu nodded, then sighed, "If only her background was better, she would make a fine match for our XuanNing."
"The children have their own destinies. You should not worry about this." Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu didn't care much about family backgrounds. However, Madam Lu, XuanNing's mother, placed great importance on such matters. She had long been partial to a niece from her maternal family to be her daughter-in-law. That girl was also quite impressive.
When the trio returned, Auntie Mei had dinner prepared. After they had eaten their dinner and returned to their respective courtyards, Auntie Mei couldn't help but ask Li Xia, "How is the Marquis Mansion? Is Old Madam Lu easy to get along with? Have you met the young master Lu?"
Listening to Auntie Mei's barrage of questions, Li Xia looked at her and quipped, "Auntie Mei, are you considering Lu XuanNing as your son-in-law?"
"Do you think you are worthy of him?" Auntie Mei's disdainful words displeased Li Xia.
"Auntie Mei, I'm your own daughter. How can you belittle me like this? Where am I lacking?" Li Xia said, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest to show off herself.
Auntie Mei stepped forward and slapped Li Xia's hands off her waist. "Put your hands down. Look at yourself, you don't have the slightest resemblance to a lady of high status. Can't you learn from your elder sister?"
"Can I really compare myself to my sister? She's a proper lady." Li Xia relaxed and sprawled on the couch.
Auntie Mei took deep breaths, reminding herself that this was her own daughter. She was not only hurting her own feelings but also had to spend money on her treatment. Suppressing the speechlessness in her heart, she sat down next to Li Xia, "Quickly, tell me about the situation in the Marquis Mansion."
Seeing Auntie Mei's eagerness to know, Li Xia stopped beating around the bush. She sat upright and roughly recounted their experiences from entering the Beining Marquis Manor to leaving it.
"Did Old Madam Lu take a liking to your elder sister?" Auntie Mei pondered after listening.
"No," Li Xia was very sure of this. Old Madam Lu liked both of them as young people, but she had no other intentions.
"It's good that the eldest son made friends with young master Lu. It shows that young master Lu has a good character. He would make a good match for your sister." Auntie Mei had never thought of Lu XuanNing as a match for Li Xia. She was thinking of him for Li Xin.
"They are not suitable," Li Xia shook her head immediately at the thought of the two of them together.
"Yes, young master Lu was injured last time. In the future, if he inherits the title, he will have to continue fighting on the frontier. If your sister marries him, it won't be much different from being a widow." Auntie Mei agreed with Li Xia's words.
"Auntie Mei, let's wait until my elder brother passes the imperial exam. It's not too late to discuss my sister's marriage. Moreover, my mother is taking care of it, you don't need to worry." Li Xia tried to dissuade Auntie Mei from this concern.
"I was entrusted by Mrs. Lu to take care of you all, so naturally, I need to understand the situation. I should report back to her in due course." Auntie Mei intended to repay Mrs. Lu's kindness.
The sound of the night watchman's call echoed from outside the house, indicating the late hour. Auntie Mei stood up, "I'm going home now, you should rest early too."
Li Xia obediently agreed. She washed and lay down to rest with the assistance of her maid. After everyone in the house fell asleep, Li Xia changed into her night clothes and climbed the window to the rooftop. Standing on the rooftop, she looked out at the Capital City at night. Except for the brightly lit night market, the rest of the city was tranquil.
The daytime sparring between Li Hui and the old soldier had left Li Xia itching for a fight. She decided to find someone to spar with tonight. She pulled out the bounty list from Shuntian Prefecture. It displayed the individuals with the highest rewards. She remembered clearly the faces and distinctive marks of these individuals.
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