novelzi Chapter 40
Chapter 40
Chapter 40
In Liuzhou, the only household regarded as the Sun family was that of Prefectural Judge He. Since this was the Sun family, Lady Hong knew that the slaps she received would be difficult to avenge. However, this was not the time to nurse grievances. The guests in the room were still waiting for "someone to be summoned to comb their hair."
"Yes, Madam," Hong Zhu replied and swiftly went to summon someone.
Lady Hong stood at the doorway waiting, but soon Hong Zhu returned with a slap mark on her other cheek as well.
"What happened?" Lady Hong asked angrily, as her servant had been struck again.
"Lady Niu has also been summoned by Lady Huang," Hong Zhu replied, holding back tears.
Lady Huang, what was going on? Lady Hong was also angered. There were only two hair-dressing ladies in the shop, and Lady Huang had summoned them both, leaving Lady Hong in an awkward situation with the guests. Lady Hong disregarded the Sun family's influence and went to demand their servants back.
Although they tried to lower their voices outside, Li Xia could hear clearly, "Sister, does our family have a feud with Prefectural Judge He's family?"
Li Xin was admiring the hairpin in her hand. Upon hearing the question, she put down the hairpin, pondered for a moment, and said, "The Li family has only recently arrived in Liuzhou, so we have not feuded with anyone."
Li Xia recounted the events she had heard. Li Xin frowned. She did not have any interactions with the young lady of the Sun family, only briefly encountering her twice when attending banquets with Mrs. Lu. The young lady of the Sun family was indeed exceptionally beautiful and talented, and being the eldest legitimate daughter of Prefectural Judge He, she was regarded as the number one beauty in Liuzhou. Although outwardly gentle and amiable, she was arrogant and conceited.
In Li Xin's opinion, the Sun family's young lady was not as beautiful as Li Xia. However, Li Xia always kept her head lowered and remained in the corner.
"Perhaps it was a coincidence," Li Xin said with a smile, for there were no true coincidences in this world. If it were not at the instigation of the Sun family's young lady, how could the welcoming lady of a jewelry shop dare to treat them like this? It remained unclear whether this was directed at the Li family or specifically at Li Xin.
Soon, Lady Hong entered with a smiling expression, accompanied by a woman, "I've kept you two ladies waiting. This is Hua Ersao, our most skilled hair-combing lady at the Heart's Desire Pavilion." Lady Hong gestured for Hua Ersao to step forward and comb Li Xin's hair.
"Mother, does the Heart's Desire Pavilion have any connection with the Sun family?" Li Xin wondered. For the Sun family's young lady to have orchestrated such an incident, the welcoming and hair-combing ladies at the pavilion must have been aware of it and allowed it to happen.
Mrs. Lu pondered and nodded, realizing that Li Xin was overthinking the matter. "The Heart's Desire Pavilion is part of Lady Sun's dowry."
"In that case, it seems the Sun family intends to be at odds with our Li family," Li Xin frowned, concerned that their family might suffer losses, as the Sun family held significant influence in Liuzhou.
"Don't overthink it. Your father and I will handle this matter," Mrs. Lu reassured Li Xin, patting her hand and telling her not to worry. Over the years, she had witnessed many events alongside Li Ming and was confident in their ability to resolve this situation.
Time passed, and the county examination loomed, filling Li Chou and Li Guang with dread. Li Guang approached the county examination with a determination to succeed, for if he failed, Li Ming would send him to the Zhihui Academy, a nightmare for all students. Regardless of their family background, students at the Zhihui Academy were treated equally harshly. They rose at the rooster's crow and slept at dusk, with no respite from the heat or cold. Monthly examinations were held, and those who performed poorly faced severe punishment.
The Zhihui Academy was a literal hell for students. Li Guang did not wish to study there. Perhaps his determination played a role, as he passed the county examination with an average ranking, bringing him one step closer to becoming a student of the imperial academy.
Li Guang was satisfied with his result, as he had not ranked last. However, Li Ming was dissatisfied, for how could the son of Li Ming achieve such a mediocre ranking? Li Ming decided to personally tutor Li Chou, Li Guang, and Li Hui every evening. After all, in his younger days, Li Ming had surpassed tens of thousands of candidates to successfully pass the imperial examination, laying the foundation for his current achievements. Tutoring his three sons would be a simple task.
Among the three sons, only Li Hui could quickly grasp Li Ming's guidance, integrate it thoroughly, and apply it in innovative ways, making rapid progress. Li Chou was diligent but stubborn, unable to apply the lessons flexibly. As for Li Guang, his mind frequently wandered elsewhere during the lessons.
Late one night in the study, the weary Li Ming continued researching materials for the next day, determined to outmaneuver Prefectural Judge He. Several times, Li Ming had proposed initiatives, only for Prefectural Judge He to find ways to refute or delay them, significantly impeding Li Ming's work progress.
Frustrated with official matters, Li Ming put down the book he was reading. Looking up, he saw Li Guang sleeping soundly. Without a word, Li Ming picked up a ruler from the table, approached Li Guang, and struck his back forcefully.
"Owww!" Li Guang cried out, rudely awakened from his pleasant dream. Upon seeing his father's anger, he lowered his head and remained silent.
"I told you to come and recite your lessons, not to sleep," Li Ming scolded, slamming his hand on the table. After venting his frustration at Li Guang, he felt better. Leaving Li Guang with the instruction to "continue reciting," Li Ming returned to his seat, his hands folded behind his back.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com