Li Wanming said angrily, "The imperial palace is a place that devours people without spitting out the bones! With a sister like Lv Songyuan and a mother - in - law like the empress dowager... I will never let eldest sister jump into this pit of fire!"
"It may not necessarily be a pit of fire. Maybe it will be a turning point for our Great Sheng."
Xiao Jingnan still lowered his head in deep thought. It seemed like he was patiently explaining, but also like he was talking to himself.
"General Li doesn't hold a high - ranking official position, and your second sister is going to get a divorce. Apart from me, there are no powerful in - laws behind the Li family. If eldest sister becomes the empress, besides ensuring that the position of the empress remains in our own hands, we can also be free from the worry of being constrained by the empress's relatives in the future..."
Li Wanming flew into a rage.
She suddenly slapped the table. The teapot and teacups on the table all trembled and made a tinkling sound, as if they were shivering.
"Fine! So this is how the Li family appears in your eyes..."
"All in all, you are only considering the imperial throne and power! You talk about the country and the common people all day long, but has anyone ever considered what eldest sister thinks?"
She was extremely indignant, and her whole body couldn't stop trembling.
"Eldest sister's first marriage was already ruined by the Chen family. Now, are you going to sacrifice the rest of her life for your grand plan?"
"Yes, every commoner has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the country. But don't women also have their passion?"
Li Wanming's eyes were red. She said word by word, "Eldest sister wants to protect the common people in the world. She can rely on the silver needles and medicine in her hands! Instead of serving others with her beauty and becoming a pawn in your power game!"
The evening clouds were hanging low outside the window, stretching her figure long, like a lonely and angry crane.
Xiao Jingnan looked at her for a long time, then gently said, "I was out of line... I just thought that maybe you could ask for your eldest sister's opinion instead of making all the decisions for her..."
"Get out! Get out of here!"
Li Wanming was too lazy to listen to his nonsense. Without a second word, she pushed him out.
"Sigh..."
Outside the door, as soon as Xiao Jingnan turned around, he met Zhao Yanke's pitiful eyes.
"You were just lecturing me, but now you've been kicked out yourself, haven't you?"
Zhao Yanke grinned, looking gloating all over his face. "You did even worse than me... At least I was sincere, but when you opened your mouth, it was all about advantages and disadvantages... No wonder she got angry with you!"
"It was my mistake." Xiao Jingnan rubbed the space between his eyebrows and sighed. "I spent the whole day dealing with Ananda. My mind was full of schemes and plots. I just didn't think it through for a moment..."
Hearing his words, Zhao Yanke's expression also calmed down.
The lantern under the eaves swayed, casting flickering shadows on his face.
He asked in a low voice, "How about there?"
"It's done." Xiao Jingnan answered briefly.
The light in Zhao Yanke's eyes flickered.
With just these two words, he could already imagine how much effort Xiao Jingnan had put in today.
Xiao Jingnan didn't say more. His eyes unconsciously drifted towards the closed door again. He gave a helpless bitter smile and said, "But it seems that your situation here is even more troublesome..."
Zhao Yanke pouted and lowered his head dejectedly. "If you hadn't interfered, I might have had a bit of a chance. But with your interference, there's absolutely no hope left."
Xiao Jingnan patted him on the shoulder and walked downstairs with him. "Young Master Zhao, don't be discouraged. You should believe that sincerity can move mountains. As long as you have a sincere heart, you will surely touch eldest sister..."
At the corner of the stairs, Gao Yong and Chuntao were sitting on the stairs eating walnuts.
Gao Yong just exerted a little force with his palm as big as a cattail fan, and the walnut was crushed. Then Chuntao picked out the kernels and put them on the small plate in front of her.
"Your young lady is really amazing..."
After Gao Yong crushed another walnut with a "crack", he still gasped in surprise. "She even dared to beat up the young master... I was really startled at that time. I was afraid that she would hurt him, and I wouldn't be able to explain it to the prince when he came back."
"Of course!" Chuntao raised her chin, looking extremely proud. "My young lady has been hanging around on the streets since she was a child! What hooligans and rascals hasn't she seen? Today's situation... It's a small thing, not worth mentioning!"
Gao Yong's eyes froze for a moment, and he murmured, "You're no less amazing. You actually dared to compare the young master with hooligans and rascals..."
"His behavior today was really like that of a lecher." Chuntao pouted. "My young lady has already held back her temper. If it were before, she might have even kicked him..."
"Ahem!" Zhao Yanke coughed loudly.
Chuntao was startled. She quickly stood up and hid behind Gao Yong.
"Um... Eating walnuts?"
As if he hadn't heard their conversation, Zhao Yanke walked up to Chuntao and Gao Yong. He pretended to be calm and picked up a piece of walnut kernel from the small plate. "Why are only the two of you here? Where are the others?"
"Eldest Miss Li has gone to the kitchen to decoct medicine. Miss Liu and Young Master Pei have gone to the pharmacy." Gao Yong replied. "Eldest Miss Li said that the last batch of medicine was being loaded onto the cart, so she asked them to go and have a look. I and Miss Chuntao are guarding here just in case."
"Yeah, that's good." Zhao Yanke touched his nose and asked, "Um... Did you hear any noise from above?"
Although Li Wanming and Xiao Jingnan had quarreled fiercely, they had kept their voices down. Even he, standing outside the door, had to put his ear against the wall to hear clearly.
— Even so, he still wanted to make sure that no fourth person had heard it. After all, if that speech of "weighing the pros and cons" by Xiao Jingnan got into Wanxin's ears, he would really have no hope!
"No..." Gao Yong suddenly became nervous. "Did something happen up there?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Zhao Yanke immediately said. "I was just asking casually..."
"Chuntao," Xiao Jingnan suddenly said softly. "It's so late. Your young lady must be hungry. Take this plate of walnut kernels up to her and ask the kitchen if there's any food."
"Okay." Chuntao answered and went upstairs with the plate in her hand.
Xiao Jingnan watched her figure disappear upstairs. Then he pulled Zhao Yanke and Gao Yong aside. The three of them found a quiet corner and discussed the matter of returning to Shou'an tomorrow.
This inn was very small, and there weren't many guests staying there. When they got together to talk, no one noticed them.
After briefly talking for a while, Zhao Yanke suddenly saw Wanxin walking by with a medicine bowl in her hand. His heart immediately flew out of his chest, and he couldn't hear what Xiao Jingnan was saying anymore.
"Miss Li~~"
Zhao Yanke quickly rushed out.
He stood still in front of Wanxin and suddenly unfolded the folding fan in his hand. Just as he was about to show his elegant and dashing demeanor as a young master, he heard a tearing sound. Two fan bones broke, and the fan surface drooped limply - only then did he remember that he had broken this fan before.
Seeing this, Wanxin couldn't help but smile with pursed lips.
The candlelight shone on her face. Her almond - shaped eyes were like water, and her lips were like bright red dots, just like a peach blossom in the spring rain.
Zhao Yanke was completely infatuated...