Full House Spring

Xia Li was led by the servants of Cao's mansion to the room where Princess Yongxin was temporarily staying.

Since Cao Shixiang didn't want too many people to know about this, he deliberately settled her in a remote place and had someone guarding outside the door.

Xia Li stood in front of the door, waved away the servants, and gently pushed the door open. The room was dim, and the light was blocked by thick curtains. Princess Yongxin was lying quietly on the bed, and she looked terribly thin.

Hearing Xia Li's footsteps, Li Wanning did not look up. She said in a hoarse voice, "I don't want to eat anything. Get out and don't bother me."

Xia Li was not surprised by her reaction. He took a step forward and said softly, "Princess, I am Xia Li. I used to be a maid beside the old lady of the Duke of Liang's mansion. I made Tongcao peony and gave it to Concubine Shu. Do you still remember?"

Li Wanning sat up slowly, looked at her indifferently, and said calmly: "I remember that the Tongcao peony you made was very realistic, and my mother liked it very much at that time. I went out of the palace to watch the lanterns and was knocked unconscious and taken away by kidnappers. It was you who saved me, right? My cousin told me about this when she came to the palace to visit me."

Xia Li didn't expect Lu Qinghe to tell her the truth. She smiled and said, "It was just a convenience at that time. Princess, are you feeling unwell? Do you want to find a doctor to check your pulse?"

Li Wanning looked at Xia Li with curiosity and inquiry in her eyes. She looked her up and down, not missing any details, as if she wanted to see through Xia Li. She said in a slightly cold voice, "It's really fate that a little maidservant would become a noble lady from a noble family one day, and I, a princess of the royal family, would end up in such a miserable state."

Although her words were mixed with contempt for Xia Li, they were mostly lamentations about her difficult situation. Xia Li said gently and calmly: "I am in this situation because I was born to live this kind of life. I just made a mistake accidentally, and now I have made things right."

Li Wanning's eyes suddenly darkened, and she said in a cold tone: "Set things right? You have a chance to set things right, but the court has no chance. All of my father's descendants were killed by Li Fengmin. He is not worthy of inheriting the throne. He is a thief!"

Although Xia Li sympathized with the princess, she could not agree with her point of view. She said calmly: "How did the late emperor get the throne? Since ancient times, the struggle for succession has been so cruel. The current emperor is just taking back what belongs to him. You just have a different position from him. Whether you are worthy of the throne will be known in a few years. It is too early to say now."

Li Wanning's face was filled with anger, and she stared at her with a pair of eyes. She said indignantly, "Since you are on his side, why bother coming to me to seek a sense of existence? Anyway, I am already a discarded pawn. You can't squeeze any value out of me. It's just a waste of words."

Xia Li raised her eyebrows frivolously and said with a warm smile: "Princess, you are overthinking. I have no other purpose in coming here to visit you. I just want to know what your plans are for the future."

Li Wanning's eyes were cold and her tone was calm as she said, "Can I do whatever I want in my current situation? You seem to be asking a very stupid question."

Xia Li was not angry because of her bad tone. She raised her eyelids and whispered, "If I say that I can convince my brother-in-law to let you go and let you live an ordinary life, are you willing to leave?"

Li Wanning looked at Xia Li with a scrutinizing look in her eyes. She said defensively, "You have no feelings for me at all, so why are you helping me? Why don't you just tell me honestly what you want from me?"

Xia Li shook his head and chuckled, "I have got what I wanted now. I can't get any benefit from you. I just want to help you."

Li Wanning prides herself on her ability to judge people. Xia Li looked into her eyes without dodging, and it seemed that he had no ill intentions. She looked away and was silent for a moment. After a moment, she said, "When my third brother escaped from the palace, he always kept me by his side. Even in the most critical moment, he did not abandon me. In fact, on the day he was captured, I had enough opportunities to escape, but I did not do so..."

Xia Li did not interrupt her, but looked at her with a puzzled expression. Li Wanning pulled the corner of her mouth and said in a cold tone: "I have had enough of the hard life on the road of escape. I am a pampered princess and should live a life of luxury. Even if the third brother is dead, it doesn't matter. I am still of royal blood. I should be high and mighty. Why should I live the life of an ordinary person?"

Her fierce words were like thunder rolling over one's head in spring, deafening and jaw-dropping. After a long while, Xia Li finally said quietly, "This marriage failed, and the Dongyi people attacked us. Aren't you afraid of being punished when you return to the palace?"

Li Wanning's eyes were lazy and distant, and she said indifferently: "I was just a puppet from the beginning to the end. It was not up to me to marry or not. Now this situation is not caused by me. I went back to Kyoto and cried everywhere. In the end, everyone sympathized with me. Li Fengmin still had to choose a husband for me again. I still received a salary and lived a carefree life. It is better than running around and toiling."

Xia Li was speechless for a moment. She had no intention of persuading him, and said calmly, "In that case, when the situation in Jiaozhou stabilizes, I will let my brother-in-law arrange for someone to send you back to Kyoto. Princess, please wait patiently."

After that, Xia Li felt that there was no need for her to stay any longer, so she wanted to turn around and leave. However, Li Wanning did not want to let her go, and asked very quickly: "Do you look down on me from the bottom of your heart? Do you think I have no integrity?"

Xia Li paused, turned around and said with a smile: "Who am I to look down on you? As a human being, there is nothing wrong with wanting to make your life easy. It's just that some people pursue material enjoyment, while others pursue spiritual freedom. Everyone just wants different things. As for character, you are not a gentleman as everyone claims, so it doesn't matter whether you have character or not."

Xia Li's words made Li Wanning's eyes twinkle slightly. She looked at Xia Li deeply and sighed softly, "You are indeed different. No wonder cousin Lingchuan still can't forget you, and cousin Qinghe also praises you highly."

Xia Li was a little dazed when she heard the name of an old friend. She said calmly, "I'm not as good as they say. I'm just an ordinary person."

Li Wanning dropped her guard and spoke in a much more relaxed tone, continuing, "Although cousin Lingchuan is still in mourning, there are many girls who want to be the wife of the Lord. With the support of Queen Lu and the eldest prince, he has become a good candidate for husband in the eyes of the ladies in Kyoto. Many families don't mind waiting for him to mourn, but cousin himself doesn't want to get engaged. Guess who he is doing it for."

Xia Li did not react much to her words. She smiled and said, "After the misfortune that Master Bo experienced, his character was inevitably affected. It is understandable that he does not want to get married in the short term. Anyway, he is still young, and it will not be too late to choose a suitable partner later."

Li Wanning's eyes were full of amusement, and she teased, "You are eloquent and eloquent. Everything you say is different. If the Cheng'en Marquis's Mansion really had a mistress like you, it might really prosper for decades."

Xia Li smiled and tilted her head, "Thank you for the compliment, Princess. My uncle and I used to be master and servant, but now it is absolutely impossible. Please don't make fun of me."

Li Wanning hadn't talked to anyone for a long time. She invited Xia Li to sit down and talk to her. Xia Li didn't plan to stay for long, but he couldn't refuse her, so he sat down again. The two sat opposite each other. Li Wanning lowered her eyes slightly and said, "Cousin Qinghe has also been engaged. He is the grandson of Princess Duansu, the eldest son of the Zhou family. He is also in Jiaozhou Garrison now. He seems to be the deputy envoy. He is also a capable person."

Xia Li had never expected that Deputy Envoy Zhou was Lu Qinghe's fiancé. She smiled sincerely and said, "Deputy Envoy Zhou and my husband are comrades in arms. He is indeed a man of good character. It is a good thing for the young lady to have such a marriage."

Li Wanning nodded slightly and said, "She has finally come to this day after all the hardships. It is not easy for her to be where she is today. She has become much calmer now."

Xia Li knew that Lu Qinghe was not a bad person at heart, she just couldn't control her emotional fluctuations. She had experienced a lot and gradually matured. Xia Li wanted to ask about Queen Lu's situation, but swallowed the words back. He knew that there were too many things in the palace involved, and if he was not careful, he would get into trouble, so it was better not to say it easily.

The two of them were obviously not very familiar with each other, but they could chat and laugh like close friends. It was not easy. Xia Li stayed for a cup of tea before saying goodbye. After conveying her wish to her brother-in-law, she immediately rushed home.

As soon as she returned to the mansion, she saw Butler Fang standing at the door waiting for her. When he saw her, he immediately went to greet her and said respectfully, "Grandma, the old master asked me to pass on a message to you, asking you to go see him first when you return."

Xia Li also had something to say to him, so he went straight to the front yard. At this moment, the old man was instructing Kuang Chengzhi in martial arts in the yard. He did not demonstrate it himself, but just explained the key points. He looked not as strong as before.

Xia Li walked up to the old man and bowed. After Kuang Chengzhi finished his set of punches, he said, "Grandfather, I'm going to the Cao family to discuss something with my sister and brother-in-law. I don't know what you want me to do."

The old man had been standing for a long time, and his waist and legs were aching. Kuang Chengzhi helped him sit down on the armchair and said solemnly, "The Dongyi general Abuler led 10,000 people to seize the salt transportation route. Unfortunately, the situation in Mobei is not peaceful either, and the court is unable to send troops to help. Now we are being strangled by them, and I am afraid the situation is not optimistic."

Xia Li did not expect the Dongyi people to act so quickly. He said in a deep voice: "The city is still relatively peaceful at the moment. They do not dare to attack yet."

The old man frowned and said in a low voice, "That Abuler fought against Chengrui and was defeated by him. As long as Chengrui is guarding, Abuler dare not act rashly. But the salt is controlled by them. Sooner or later we will fall into the crisis of salt shortage. They just need to wait patiently. By then, we won't have the strength to resist without any effort."

The old man has been through many battles and has his own judgment. Xia Li lowered his voice and said, "Grandfather, don't worry. I went to my brother-in-law today to discuss with him how to break the deadlock. In fact, in addition to salt wells, seawater can also be refined into fine salt after drying."

The old man's facial muscles instantly became stiff, as if he was struck by an electric current, and his eyes were full of disbelief as he said, "Are you telling the truth? This matter concerns the life and death of the people of Jiaozhou, there can't be any water in it."

Xia Li raised his eyebrows slightly, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said calmly: "Grandfather, don't worry, I never brag. My brother-in-law has already started building salt fields. When the salt fields are completed, we can use seawater to dry out coarse salt, and then refine it into fine salt. We have such a large sea area, so we can have as much salt as you want."

The old man's eyes sparkled with excitement, his facial muscles trembled involuntarily, and he raised his voice slightly and said, "Chengzhi, go to the city gate tower and secretly tell your eldest brother what your sister-in-law said, so that he can focus on fighting the Dongyi people without being distracted, and don't worry about anything else."

Although Kuang Chengzhi was a half-grown boy, he knew the importance of the matter. He looked at Xia Li with more respect, saluted her with a fist, turned around and ran out.

After Kuang Chengzhi walked away, the old man managed to calm down and said sincerely: "Thanks to your advice this time, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. When the sea salt is made, for your safety and for the reputation of the Kuang family, this matter must be spread."

Xia Li was a little surprised and said with a smile: "Grandfather, aren't you afraid that my fame will overshadow Chengrui's?"

The old man shook his head and laughed, "As long as he makes achievements and gets the rewards he deserves, it will be fine. The glory is on you, which can be regarded as protection for him. A female relative will not be more meritorious than her husband. For our family, it is safer."

Xia Li immediately understood the deeper meaning of the old man's words. The couple wanted both prestige and power, and she would not suffer any loss with this arrangement, so she had no reason to object.

Kuang Chengzhi rode on his horse and galloped all the way. When he arrived at the city gate tower, the soldiers below were bandaging the wounds of the wounded. It was obvious that the two sides had just fought again. Shunzi said solemnly: "Brother, Deputy Envoy Zhou was slashed on the shoulder, and Guo Ziyi also had a wound on his face. That Abuler is not easy to deal with. If I had known this, it would be better for you to lead people to guard the main road."

Kuang Chengrui clenched the sword in his hand and said expressionlessly: "If I go to defend, Abuler will definitely attack the city gate. He won't confront me so quickly."

Shunzi said anxiously, "Our salt wells have been occupied and the roads have been robbed. Are we going to be trapped to death? What should we do if we run out of salt later?"

As soon as Shunzi finished speaking, Kuang Chengzhi shouted, "Brother, my grandfather asked me to tell you something."

Kuang Chengrui glanced at Shunzi, signaling him to speak later, then walked towards Kuang Chengzhi and said in a deep voice: "Grandfather, what instructions do you have?"

Kuang Chengzhi stopped, motioned for him to come closer, then leaned over and told him what Xia Li had said about the sea salt. Kuang Chengrui was a little surprised to hear this, and was stunned for a moment.

Kuang Chengzhi continued, "My sister-in-law said that Lord Cao has ordered people to build salt fields. Soon we will be able to supply Shanghai salt. Then my brother won't have to worry about anything."

Kuang Chengrui came back to his senses. He seemed to be re-energized. He said firmly, "I know what's going on. Tell your sister-in-law that I will beat the Dongyi people back to their homeland and make them dare not invade again!" (End of this chapter)