novelzi Chapter 132
Chapter 132
How could a perfectly good person just be gone? Mrs. Lu couldn't understand it, nor did she want to. She couldn't help but collapse onto the table and cry, unsure if she was crying for the daughter of the Wang family or for Li Hui.
"Mother, I want to return to Liuzhou for a while," Li Hui quickly calmed himself.
"No," Mrs. Lu refused. Li Hui had just started working at the Supreme Court, and she worried that taking leave now would be bad for his career. She was also concerned about the safety of the journey - if anything happened to Li Hui on the road, how could she go on living?
"The daughter of the Wang family was my betrothed wife. Now that she's gone, I should go back to pay my respects. Also, I want to go to Liuzhou to see how father is doing," Li Hui insisted. Unable to dissuade her son, Mrs. Lu had no choice but to agree.
As the New Year approached, most matters had been settled. Li Hui's superiors agreed to grant him three months of leave. Before leaving the Capital City, Li Hui visited the Orchid Courtyard.
The journey to Liuzhou, including travel time, would take three months. During his absence from the Capital City, Li Hui entrusted the Li family affairs to Li Xia. If he didn't know how capable Li Xia was, Li Hui wouldn't have been able to leave with peace of mind.
"Don't worry, big brother. This is my home too," Li Xia understood Li Hui's concerns.
"I trust you with this," Li Hui said after giving his instructions. He then set off on horseback with Zhang Hu, Wen Zhu, and Qing Zhu. Li Hui's departure sent Mrs. Lu back to her daily routine of burning incense and praying to the Buddha for blessings. The Li family spent a quiet New Year without him.
Li Xia contacted the Tian Yi Pavilion to secretly protect Li Hui and his servants on their journey to Liuzhou and back.
With Li Hui away, the Li family once again closed their doors to visitors. Cao Fugui brought An'an to pay respects to Mrs. Lu. This was his future in-laws' home, and with the head of the household absent, Cao Fugui came more frequently to see if there was anything he could help with. Of course, his more important reason for visiting was to see his fiancée.
Cao Fugui and Li Xin were talking in the pavilion, while Li Xia and An'an conversed outside. Li Xia kept an eye on Cao Fugui, ready to give a light cough as a warning if he overstepped any boundaries.
"Sister Xia, have some water for your throat," An'an said with amusement as she handed over a cup of tea.
Cao Fugui's face was full of helplessness. Li Xin was both shy and slightly amused.
"Let's go over there," Li Xin suggested, feeling too embarrassed to continue sitting in the pavilion talking with Cao Fugui. Cao Fugui rose reluctantly, holding back the extending branches to let Li Xin exit the pavilion first.
They arrived at the stone table and chairs in the garden. An'an smiled and offered a cup of tea, "Sister Xin, have some tea to moisten your throat."
Li Xia clapped her hands, showing complete agreement, "Lord Cao is right, it's good that they were caught."
Li Xin also gave Cao Fugui a supportive look. With his fiancée's support, Cao Fugui's frustration disappeared, and he was pleased with Li Xia's understanding of the greater good. If Cao Fugui knew that the person he was so intent on catching was actually Li Xia, one wonders if he would still think the same way.
An'an wanted to ask more about the Righteous Hero and the Gambling Saint, but Li Guang came over and pulled Cao Fugui away, saying he wanted to spar with him.
Li Guang got along well with Cao Fugui. They both loved martial arts. Cao Fugui had even introduced a good martial arts master to Li Guang. Li Guang was very diligent in his martial arts practice, as he planned to take the military imperial examination.
Li Guang knew that given his situation, passing the civil service examination would be difficult enough, let alone becoming a scholar. The military imperial examination also included a written test, but it was relatively easier, and most importantly, it focused on military strategy and martial arts.
Auntie An was worried that Li Guang might end up on the battlefield and didn't agree. Seeing that he couldn't persuade her, Li Guang didn't bother talking to her anymore and went straight to Mrs. Lu to explain his intentions.
Mrs. Lu looked at Li Guang standing before her and asked for confirmation, "Have you thought it through?"
"I have."
"No regrets?"
"No regrets."
"Then go ahead and do it. I'll talk to Auntie An," After confirming that Li Guang had thought it through, Mrs. Lu agreed to let him pursue his goal.
"Thank you, Mother," Li Guang sincerely expressed his gratitude. When he was younger, under Auntie An's influence, he wasn't close to Mrs. Lu and even disliked her to some extent.
But as he experienced more, Li Guang realized how fortunate they were to have a stepmother like Mrs. Lu. As their stepmother, Mrs. Lu never skimped on their food and clothing, and she cared about their education, truly wanting them to progress and become better.
With Mrs. Lu's approval and Li Chou's persuasion on the side, Auntie An no longer held him back. With Cao Fugui's help, Li Guang went to the Martial Arts Academy, where he thrived like a fish in water, enjoying his time there immensely. His martial arts skills improved significantly, and he learned a great deal about military tactics and strategy from the martial arts instructors.
There weren't many opportunities to apply what he had learned within the academy. After informing Mrs. Lu, Li Guang gathered the servants of the Li household to conduct training exercises. Mrs. Lu allowed him to carry out the training. Qiu Chan was particularly fond of it; she had previously learned some hand-to-hand combat techniques from Li Yu. Now, following Li Guang, she learned even faster.