Chapter 131
Chapter 131: Advancing Step by Step
"Do you think it’s like going to the market to pick out vegetables? That it can be changed if I just say so?" Li Wei Yang squinted at him and suddenly frowned, "Your wound opened up!"
Li Min De looked down and saw streaks of blood seeping through his white clothes, but he didn’t care: “It’s fine, I’ll go back and redress the wound . ”
“Let me see!” Li Wei Yang said immediately, but Li Min De didn’t comply and took two steps back: “I said it’s fine—”
“Sit down! Let me see!” Li Wei Yang felt something wasn’t right .
Li Min De quickly said: “It’s fine, I told you, it’s fine really! It’s late, I should go back soon!”
Li Wei Yang stood up in front of him, forcefully putting the teacup down on the table: “Let me see!”
Li Min De was taken aback and finally sat down obediently . Li Wei Yang turned back and said, "Bai Zhi, bring the medicine chest . " In her residence, there were some commonly used pills, most of them mind-calming and fever-reducing pills, and some gold essence medicine for external wounds . In her house, there are some commonly used pills, probably Mind Calming Pills, and some Golden Sore Medicine . Bai Zhi complied and quickly went out and brought back the medicine chest .
Li Wei Yang removed Li Min De’s outer robe . She didn’t feel embarrassed though . Since the two of them were usually very close, she had long become accustomed to such a state: “There’s blood, the scab on the wound cracked . Wait a minute . I will change the dressing . ”
She pulled the blood-stained bandage off bit by bit . Although she was very careful, he still trembled for a bit before settling down .
“Don’t move . You see, you keep running around, which is why you’ll never fully heal . ”
Li Min De’s wounds actually healed very quickly . If it was an ordinary person, they would have to be bedridden for half a year, but after just two months, scabs formed over his wound . Of course, because he never obediently listened, the scab would sometimes crack and occasionally be inflamed, but it’s fortunate that as the weather got colder, his wound seemed to be getting better day by day .
Li Wei Yang saw that the wound under the bandage was worse than she thought . Not only had it cracked, it had become a bloody mess in the flesh . Recalling how he comfortably spoke to her just now . . . She couldn’t understand . . . Did he even know pain? She gently applied medication with her hands . The action made Li Min De’s face pale even more, his delicate lips slightly curled up, and this slightly curved up mouth faced her .
Seeing that he seemed to be acting natural, Li Wei Yang suppressed the sourness in her heart and calmed down . She gently took care of the wound in a neat and efficient manner . Once she finished dressing his wound, she realized something: Li Min De was no longer the child from that time . Just looking at the lean body, full of strength, it made the difference between the two of them clear .
"Does it still hurt?"
“It doesn’t hurt . . . It really doesn’t hurt . ” Li Min De’s amber eyes curved into waning moon crescents with a smile on his lips and radiant light in his eyes . He said it in a serious and rational manner, not a trace of deceit could be seen .
It might have been that his face was too beautiful or maybe because she was too tired . Li Wei Yang was a bit stunned for a while .
“Xiaojie, Nubi will take care of these bandages first . ” Bai Zhi said quietly and retreated, her footsteps soft .
These words rang out like a bronze bell . Li Wei Yang’s face changed . She recollected herself and sighed: “With such a beautiful face, it’s no wonder Jiang Yue Lan hates me . ”
Li Min De made an aggrieved expression and held her hand . His eyes were clear and his gaze searing as he put her hand over his chest . His tone was gentle but more so wistful: “Do you not like my face?”
His voice was low, and he sounded slightly hurt .
Li Wei Yang was stunned . When did he become so sensitive and vulnerable? Making a pitiful, wounded face at the slightest thing, knowing she would certainly become soft-hearted . She rarely became soft-hearted, let alone towards men, but Li Min De was a bit different . Perhaps it was because he had put his life on the line to save her, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to be soft-hearted sometimes . . . That must be it .
Li Wei Yang thought of it this way, unaware that there were some people who would advance ten steps each time you took a step back . Ever since Li Min De fell ill, he seemed to have figured out Li Wei Yang’s weakness . To the girl in front of him, if he got angry, yelled at her, and provoked her, it would all be in vain, but if he softened his attitude, in a pitiful manner, cheating like this made it easier for him to be successful . Think of it as a blessing due to illness . Li Min De closed his eyes, his dark, full lashes contrasted against his cheeks, making them seem paler . He seemed to be in thought, still holding her hand without letting go . Then, his bright eyes were focused on her as he said in all seriousness: “Or are you mad at me? Don’t worry, I will never let that old witch come near you . ”
Who would be angry about that? Li Wei Yang didn’t know how to react to this irony . Jiang Yue Lan was only a few years older than her and didn’t quite deserve to be called an old witch yet . However, she completely didn’t see Jiang Yue Lan’s hatred for her coming at all . Who would have thought that Jiang Yue Lan, who was his aunt, actually liked Li Min De? It was unbelievable .
Li Wei Yang glanced at Li Min De and sighed again . It was all because beauty invited calamity .
Early the next morning, Li Wei Yang went to He Xiang Courtyard for greetings . She had yet to reach the door when she heard bursts of laughter from inside . With a face full of joy, a maid greeted her: “Third Xiaojie . ”
Li Wei Yang slightly nodded . The maid lifted the curtain, and she walked in, smiling: “It’s been a few days since Grandmother was this happy . ”
Jiang Yue Lan, Li Chang Xiao, and even Second Furen and Li Chang Ru were all present in the room . However, the thing was that they all had different expressions on their faces . Seeing Li Wei Yang come in, Lao Furen smiled and said: “Come quickly, there is good news!”
Good news? What good news could the Li family have? Li Wei Yang’s gaze swept over everyone and finally settled on Jiang Yue Lan . Sure enough, Jiang Yue Lan looked at her and smiled . Her lips were curved like a blooming flower, revealing a trace of self-satisfaction that couldn’t be hidden: “Hearing Lao Furen say this, it’s a trivial thing really . ”
“You are delivering the foundation for our Li family, how could this be a trivial thing?!” There was a rarely seen look of gentleness on Lao Furen’s face . Since the Jiang family’s incident, Jiang Yue Lan’s association has become somewhat shameful . Lao Furen was not as close to her like before, but she seemed rather satisfied with her right now .
Li Chang Xiao said: “Third Sister, Mother had stomach pains non-stop yesterday in the middle of the night . A doctor was quickly called to examine her and found out she was pregnant, two months along!”
Jiang Yue Lan is pregnant? Li Wei Yang’s smile slightly stiffened, but it quickly returned to normal and seemed very natural: “Congratulations Mother, congratulations Lao Furen!”
Lao Furen had a big smile on her face: “Yes, this is a happy occasion . It’s just that if you have stomach pains, you must be careful and not lose it . ”
Jiang Yue Lan subconsciously placed a hand over her stomach and smiled: “Lao Furen doesn’t have to worry . The doctor said that my body is a little weak, and it’s my first pregnancy, so I will have some stomach pains . It’s not a problem really, there’s no need to be concerned . ”
Second Furen couldn’t hide her forced smile and the provocative intent in her eyes: “Be careful while you’re pregnant, don’t do too much!”
Lao Furen’s face erupted in fury, glaring at Second Furen as she said: “Listen to yourself! Heavens bestow protection, the Li family will certainly have another son!” Then, she no longer paid attention to Second Furen’s unpleasant face and said to Jiang Yue Lan: “You are pregnant, and this is your first child . You must pay close attention and carefully pick out hardworking servants to look after you, only then will I feel at ease!”
Jiang Yue Lan’s ruddy cheeks revealed her slight embarrassment: “Yes, this daughter-in-law will give you a healthy grandson!”
Second Furen could not stand it . She was counting on Li Xiao Ran to not have any heirs . That way, her son could take over the household, but now, it was not worth mentioning the concubine-born Li Min Zhi, Jiang Yue Lan was pregnant, and if she has a son, Lao Furen will no longer hold the second household in her eyes . Thinking of her own son, she felt even more worried and couldn’t help but say: “It’s only been two months, who knows if it’s male or female, I feel that Eldest Sister-in-Law is fated to have a daughter!”
Second Furen’s foolishness was her inability to hide her resentment for Jiang Yue Lan . It was easy to understand though . She is almost forty years old now, but she had to call an 18 or 19 year old girl Eldest Sister-in-Law . It frustrated her to no end . It would be a different story if Jiang Yue Lan wasn’t capable of much, but she managed to genuinely win Li Xiao Ran over or so it seemed, and her fickle mother-in-law even acknowledged her . In comparison to herself, it was even more of an eyesore .
Lao Furen forcefully set the cup of tea down onto the table as if she was about to angrily scold her but refrained in the end . She would lose face if she argued with a foolish woman at this time .
With a smile, Jiang Yue Lan said: “Younger Sister-in-Law is not wrong . I’m still young, even if this child is a daughter, there will be a son in the future, so Younger Sister-in-Law doesn’t need to worry about this . I must say I’m jealous of you, a son and a daughter is truly a blessing . I heard that Second Brother also has three more concubine-born sons these days . I don’t know when I’ll meet them, if they enter the household, you will certainly be busier . ”
Half a month ago, Second Furen learned that her husband had three sons outside in the past couple years, but he continued to hide it from her, afraid she would come to their doorstep and make a scene . He only told her now that the children had grown up and even asked Lao Furen to write the names of these three children into their family genealogy .
Lao Furen would not normally agree to this kind of thing, but considering her second daughter-in-law was indeed someone who would harass them, this concubine-born son’s request was not completely unreasonable . This was only to protect the concubine-born sons, so Lao Furen agreed to it . For this reason, Second Furen lashed out because she was unhappy with Lao Furen . Jiang Yue Lan only needed to say a few things, and Second Furen was trembling in rage as if she was about to explode .
Li Wei Yang glanced at her Second Sister, Li Chang Ru . Li Chang Ru was thinking about what to embroider on her wedding dress and finally came to her senses . She saw her mother was about to get into trouble and quickly brought a cup of tea over, gently elbowing Second Furen as if reminding her to calm down .
Lao Furen scoffed coldly and ignored Second Furen . Looking over at everyone, her voice was warm as the spring breeze: “I am very happy to see our family will soon be very lively! The most important thing now is Yue Lan’s child . You have to take good care, don’t overlook anything, and I need others to be mindful!”
This other was naturally referring to Second Furen, Jiang Yue Lan slightly smiled and bowed in response .
Li Wei Yang was gently smiling the entire time as if she wasn’t aware of the significance of Jiang Yue Lan’s child . Once everyone had left, Lao Furen had her stay back .
“Luo Mama, lead the maids out . ”
The atmosphere in the room soon became peaceful . Lao Furen looked at Li Wei Yang and lightly said: “Wei Yang, I hope you understand my dilemma . ”
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, “Wei Yang understands . ”
Lao Furen took a red date and ate slowly as if savoring it: “I know you are a clever child . Among the three sons, the second-eldest is not my child, and your Third Uncle passed away early, so only your father . . . He is now in his forties, and aside from your useless Eldest Brother, he only has Min Zhi . Min Zhi is adorable and clever, and I like him very much, but he is not a child of the official wife . Most importantly, no need to mention Seventh Yiniang’s background, ridiculed by everyone in the Capital, this affects you and Min Zhi . I originally intended to find two noble concubines for your father . If they give birth to a son, the son would be handed over to Jiang Yue Lan to be raised, but now she’s pregnant, so this is best!”
Li Wei Yang smiled and brought the plate of light snacks over, “We all understand Lao Furen’s dilemma, so whether Mother has a son or a daughter, they are all descendants of the Li family . Min Zhi will have some playmates, so it couldn’t be better . ”
Lao Furen lamented: “Of course . It’s just that as long as Yue Lan doesn’t have an heir, she won’t do anything to Min Zhi, but if she has a child of her own, everything will change, so you must be more careful . You must remember not to bear harmful intentions, but you cannot be without caution either . ”
Li Min Feng lost his inheritance rights in the Li family . Jiang Yue Lan was the official mother of the family . If she had a son, he would naturally be the one to righteously inherit everything, but based on Li Xiao Ran’s favor towards Li Min Chi, which surpassed that of Li Min Feng in the past, who knows who the heir will be in the future . After all, there has been a case where the concubine-born son was highly favored and snatched the eldest son’s inheritance rights, so in the current dynasty, the official mother has always suppressed the concubine-born son . It was one thing for Jiang Yue Lan to be wary of Li Min Zhi, but what if she wanted to take action?
Li Lao Furen expected Jiang Yue Lan to give birth to a grandson and heir . At the same time, she hoped Li Wei Yang could protect Li Min Zhi . Given her position, the fact that she was still concerned for Li Min Zhi meant that she was still taking good care of him . Li Wei Yang smiled and said: “Granddaughter understands . ”
When she came out of the room, Mo Zhu quietly said: “Xiaojie, Furen is pregnant . ”
“En, news spreads quickly . ” Li Wei Yang smiled . It seems Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy is also a big deal among the maids, and they were all alarmed .
“Xiaojie, don’t you feel worried at all?” Mo Zhu complained . “Once Furen has a child, she will be even more against the Fourth Shaoye!”
Naturally, Li Wei Yang understood this and feared that in Jiang Yue Lan’s eyes, Li Min Zhi had already become an obstacle! It’s just that she can’t let these emotions be seen . She smiled and said: “Don’t think too much about it . The boat will naturally straighten out when it reaches the bridge . ”
Ever since the news of Jiang Yue Lan’s pregnancy got out, the weather had gotten colder, and Jiang Yue Lan’s stomach was always troubled . The cold affected the fetal qi . The doctor was called over numerous times, Li Xiao Ran was angry every two or three days, scolding the servants for not carefully serving Furen, making the originally peaceful Li family turn into chaos . Everyone began to act cautiously, fearing that this happy event would turn into misfortune .
Li Wei Yang held a coal heater in her hands and leaned back into the chair, her voice was rather warm: “Oh, that courtyard is in chaos again?”
“Yes, Xiaojie,” Zhao Yue calmly responded . “First, a maid in Furen’s courtyard broke a tea cup, and Furen cried out that her stomach was hurting . Laoye happened to come by to see her, and he said that the maid startled the unborn child, had her beaten 30 times with planks and then chased out . ”
“That maid—”
“It’s one of our people . ” Zhao Yue softly said, “Furen has already chased away almost all our people this month . ”
Li Wei Yang looked calm, but there was hardly a hint of a smile in her eyes . She naturally had people in Jiang Yue Lan’s courtyard, leaving behind some eyes and ears to ensure Min Zhi’s safety, but it was obvious that Jiang Yue Lan had been clearing out these people one by one . It’s not surprising that she would employ this tactic . It was just a matter of punishing a few servants, so outsiders wouldn’t have the slightest clue .
“Is that it?” Li Wei Yang seemed to be contemplating .
“There isn’t anything else that stands out . In any case, Furen always makes a scene several times a day, either having a headache or feeling too hot . It’s really annoying . The doctor has to make several visits a day, everyday . ” Zhao Yue said in disgust .
Li Wei Yang nodded and appeared to casually ask: “Is the doctor that examined her pulse the person our household usually invites?”
"This—Nubi has checked, this physician's surname is He, but it is not the physician the Li family usually invites . Furen said this physician is someone that often sees her maiden family, so he knows Furen’s conditions best, better than other physicians altogether, so Laoye especially invited him to examine her . ”
Li Wei Yang heard this and smiled slightly: "Have you investigated in detail?"
Zhao Yue raised her head slightly and said, "Yes, this Physician He is indeed a physician who has been with the Jiang family for many years . His medical techniques are often praised, so Laoye did not think much of it and personally invited him . ”
Li Wei Yang slowly said, "Send someone to keep a close eye on Physician He . "
Everything was going well . Keeping an eye on Furen is one thing, but why keep an eye on a doctor? Beside her, Bai Zhi couldn’t help but wonder: “Xiaojie suspects something?”
A cold light flashed across Li Wei Yang’s eyes: “I just warned Jiang Yue Lan that Lao Furen was about to give Father a few more concubines, and she suddenly became pregnant . Don’t you think this is too much of a coincidence?”
Bai Zhi carefully thought about it for a moment . This is true, but the three doctors that came all discovered her pregnant pulse . This could not be faked . Even if it was faked, she still needed to give birth to a child after ten months . The Li family doors were tightly secured, so even if Jiang Yue Lan was capable, there was no way for her to bring a child in from outside? She definitely did not have the courage, so the pregnancy must be real .
Li Wei Yang looked at her expression and knew what she was thinking . She said in a soft voice: “It's not that I’m paranoid, this is just too much of a coincidence . ”
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Translator: Chau
Editor: Chau
Chapter 131: Advancing Step by Step
That night, someone reported back that Jiang Yue Lan fell on the way back from Li Lao Furen’s courtyard and scraped her arm . Li Xiao Ran hurried over and carefully examined her and only felt at ease after confirming that it was not a big deal . When the Jiangs heard the news, they quickly invited a Feng Shui master to see if there was anything that Jiang Yue Lan was incompatible with . This kind of matter is also common, so Li Xiao Ran agreed, and this Daoist Zhao arrived at their doorstep .
Because the reigning Emperor is wholeheartedly spiritual, every household follows in his example . If something happens, they will invite a Daoist master to come take a look . In this manner, things can become even more ambiguous and chaotic . Li Wei Yang didn’t like these people very much, but she did not object . After all, they also put in effort to make a living . As long as they didn’t come and target her, she would not hold it against them .
When Daoist Zhao arrived at the door, the Li family entertained him with good wine and food first . Once he had eaten and drank enough, he patted his belly and said: “Prime Minister Li invited this Daoist to examine Furen’s fetal compatibility?”
Lao Furen was surprised: “How did Daoist master know?”
Daoist Zhao smiled and said: "The moment this Daoist stepped through the door, I saw a purple aura from the east, an auspicious sign! It must be that the Wen Qu Star cast a mortal incarnation down into Prime Minister Li’s home . These circumstances are rarely seen in a millennium, how could I be mistaken?”
Li Xiao Ran is a civil servant and naturally valued a talented son—this child would be the eldest legitimate son and has been described as Wen Qu Star by the Daoist here before he was even born . Even if he suspected that it was an exaggeration, he was still happy and quickly asked: “Is it really like this?”
Daoist Zhao laughed aloud: “Of course, this Daoist has never spoken any nonsense before!”
While Li Xiao Ran was much happier, he was also a little nervous: “But my pregnant Furen’s condition has been unstable . A doctor came and examined her many times, but there is no use, so I invited Daoist master here to help find the reason? Could there be some incompatibility?”
Daoist Zhao nodded: “Proceed with spirit-writing then!”
When Li Xiao Ran heard this, he wrote the questions to be asked on the yellow piece of paper and handed them to Daoist Zhao . He asked the gods for guidance on these questions and for them to be recorded and answered . Daoist Zhao didn’t read them after accepting the paper, gently curling his finger, the piece of paper suddenly caught fire, quickly reduced to ashes .
“I’ve sent Prime Minister Li’s question to the Heavenly Emperor!” Daoist Zhao looked serious . “There will be an answer soon!” Once he said this, everyone saw the brush quietly resting on the sand straighten up without warning, smoothly gliding over the sand table . Everyone’s eyes were fixated on the sand table with disbelieving expressions .
“Third Sister, this person really has spiritual abilities!” Li Chang Xiao whispered in Li Wei Yang’s ear .
Li Wei Yang smiled slightly and said, “Daoist Zhao is a well-known medium, of course he has spiritual powers . ” However, he was still lagging far behind Daoist Zhou Da Shou in the Palace . This was a basic trick that common Daoist masters on the streets had under their belt, so Li Wei Yang hardly paid any attention to it . However, she wanted to know what Jiang Yue Lan ultimately invited this person to do . It would be stupid of Jiang Yue Lan to try and drive Li Wei Yang out of the residence by claiming spiritual incompatibility . Li Wei Yang believed that no one in the Li family currently dared to do so .
Soon, the brush gliding like the dance of a dragon and phoenix eventually wrote a neat vertical line of characters on the sand table . Daoist Zhao was stunned . He knelt down and kowtowed, repeating words of gratitude . Everyone looked at him strangely, not knowing what had been written .
Daoist Zhao turned around and raised his voice to ask: “Prime Minister Li, may I ask if someone has died in this house?”
As multi-generational families, which household hasn’t had someone die, let alone one or two people . If they were to look into it, the true count could be hundreds or thousands of people . Not to mention the yiniangs who died one by one under the hands of Da Furen were resentful souls . Everyone’s facial expressions became strange after hearing his question .
“This—of course there is . ” Li Xiao Ran pondered for a moment before directly saying so .
“So it is indeed, the Yin energy is too heavy and is bad for the Yang energy of Wen Qu Star . If this continues, I’m afraid Wen Qu Star will reincarnate in another place . ” Daoist Zhao said solemnly, and seeing his expressions, Li Wei Yang knew what he said was nonsense but others couldn’t help but believe it .
This is true for everything, it’s better to believe something exists than not!
Li Xiao Ran nodded and said, “Then, according to Daoist Master, what should we do? Move my Furen out of the house?”
Daoist Zhao thought for a while, then said: “No, let me carefully calculate it . ” His finger moved quickly, his mouth moving, mumbling as if he was calculating something, and soon, he said, “There is a way, just find a person with a heavy Eight Characters birth weight to suppress it!”
“Heavy Eight Characters birth weight?” Li Xiao Ran was stunned for a moment, then he looked a little suspicious . “I will write down the Eight Characters of everyone in the house and let Daoist master take a look . ”
“No, the servants are not needed, just the masters of the house . ” Daoist Zhao added . Li Xiao Ran ordered someone to follow suit . Soon, the Eight Characters of all the masters of the house were written down on paper and handed over to Daoist Zhao . After accepting it, he carefully eyed it for almost an hour before slowly saying: “Lao Furen’s Eight Characters is 5 taels and 4 maces . This is the same as the saying, ‘a clear and righteous fate to the end, raising talented and virtuous children, not short of food or warm clothes, that is a truly blessed person in the world’, what good Eight Characters!”
Li Xiao Ran impatiently said: “So whether—”
Daoist Zhao shook his head, “Not good, not good! Still not enough . Hm . . . Prime Minister Li, your Eight Characters are 6 taels and 2 maces, corresponding to the saying, ‘Reputation is a blessing in life, literary efforts will be glorious, purple robes and golden belt of a minister, fame and glory for an entire lifetime!’ Well, it's also a good Eight Characters weight, but it’s not strong enough . ”
Second Furen was anxious: “What about me and my daughter?” She didn’t care about Jiang Yue Lan, but she saw that what the old Daoist said seemed reasonable and wanted to know the destiny of her own household .
Daoist Zhao said: “Second Furen, your Eight Characters are 3 taels and 1 mace, and Second Xiaojie’s Eight Characters are 4 taels and 2 maces . They are not very strong either . ”
There was a dignified look in everyone’s eyes, and Daoist Zhao carefully redid his calculations: “Fourth Xiaojie’s Eight Characters are only 3 taels and 4 maces, not good, not good, too weak!” Then, he saw Li Wei Yang’s Eight Characters and his eyes lit up, “Third Xiaojie—hm, the Third Xiaojie’s Eight Characters is rare in this world!”
Li Wei Yang looked at him coldly and smiled: “Daoist said that it’s rare in this world, so what is it exactly that is so rare in this world?”
“I’m not lying, Xiaojie, your Eight Characters are 7 taels!” In truth, it was off by 2 maces than what Daoist Zhao said . Li Wei Yang’s Eight Characters was actually 7 taels and 2 maces, which should correspond to: ‘a destiny rare in this world, attained after ten virtuous lifetimes, will be born . ’ But such a destiny is only found in an Emperor or Empress, this Xiaojie in front of him was only a daughter of the Prime Minister . Could it be that she will become an Empress in the future? No, that wasn’t right, she initially had the destiny of an Empress, but later on, for some reason, this destiny was changed by anger and murderous intent . Xiaojie's future was rather ambiguous, he could not see much in it, based on this, he feared that the destiny of Empress was no longer there—but, these words Daoist Zhao dared not to say out loud regardless .
In all fairness, Daoist Zhao cannot be considered a complete swindler . He did not learn or practice at all, he simply had a bit of spiritual insight . His abilities were different from Zhou Da Shou, who is good with the elements and alchemy . His strength is reading destinies, weight of bones, and he can calculate people’s futures based on their Eight Characters . It is not necessarily true that the heavier the character is, the better . Light characters are also very good, but in general, characters of heavier weight are often regarded to be better than lighter ones, so Li Wei Yang’s weight of 7 taels and 2 maces is rarely seen in this world . However, her future is strangely shrouded in a bloody mist . Could it be that she had killed too many? Daoist Zhao felt it was getting stranger and stranger, but he could not openly ask, so he could only say that Li Wei Yang’s Eight Characters was 2 maces lighter, but others were already fearful upon hearing it .
Shocked, Second Furen said: “What? A girl born in February has an Eight Characters weight of 7 taels?! How is this possible!”
Daoist Zhao laughed: “Indeed . Being born in February does harbor a murderous aura . Not to mention, this Eight Characters weight is just right . It will never be tainted by evil traces . ”
“Daoist Zhao means that—” Li Xiao Ran frowned .
Daoist Zhao laughed: “The courtyard where Furen lives has too much Yin energy, and the courtyard where Third Xiaojie has lived in the past couple years is the cleanest—”
Li Wei Yang smiled and said, “Oh, Daoist means to say that I should give the courtyard to my mother?”
Seeing Li Wei Yang’s dark eyes, its depth like a bottomless well, Daoist Zhao felt a little overwhelmed and quickly said: “That’s not necessary . As long as Third Xiaojie is willing to give Furen a room, let her be by your side, soak in the Yang energy and nourish the fetus at the same time, it will suffice . ”
When Li Wei Yang heard these words, she smiled blankly .
Bai Zhi cautiously said: “Forgive Nubi for speaking, Master, but Xiaojie’s courtyard is not very big, so Furen may suffer . ”
“No, it’s best not to disturb Wei Yang! I will be more careful myself!” Jiang Yue Lan, who had been watching on the sidelines, suddenly spoke up . Although she was pregnant, she still had a delicate figure and a touch of sadness on her face . She always maintained the air of the mother of the household, but at this moment, she seemed weak and even more pitiful, as if afraid of being abandoned by Li Wei Yang .
Li Xiao Ran said: “How can this be? Wei Yang’s Eight Characters weight is the only thing that can save you! Can you bear to watch your child encounter misfortune?” He may not actually believe in Eight Characters in his heart, but more importantly, he was worried that there were people in the Li family that did not want this child to be born . Among them, Li Wei Yang was the first and foremost suspect .
She had a younger brother . She naturally hopes that Li Min Zhi can inherit the family mantle in the future, but if there is another legitimate son, Min Zhi will no longer have the right to inheritance . For this reason, Li Wei Yang must hope that this child will not be born . In Li Xiao Ran’s eyes, Li Wei Yang is a deadly and scheming girl, who will act on some vicious means . In that case, it was better to let Jiang Yue Lan stay by her side . If something happened to Jiang Yue Lan, Li Wei Yang will be the first to be suspected . When others learn of it, the crime of harming the official mother is beheading, even if Li Wei Yang was daring there was no way she would do such a thing . Of course, Li Xiao Ran’s concerns also included other wives and concubines in the family who were also looking up to her and envious . In order to suppress them, it was best to live with Li Wei Yang . Even to maintain her reputation, Li Wei Yang had to protect Jiang Yue Lan .
Li Wei Yang looked at her father and a sneer flashed across her lips . This old man still didn’t understand her . She didn’t care about the Li family properties and assets . As for Min Zhi, she was concerned indeed . But the money in her possession now is enough for this child to live out a lifetime or two, if not more, she had no reason to covet what others had . Not to mention, if Min Zhi is capable in the future, everything she prepared would be wasteful . If he had no ability, there is no point for her to fight for him . Unfortunately, Li Xiao Ran did not understand this rationale .
“Wei Yang, your father is begging you . Just set aside a room . Don’t be so stingy . ” Li Xiao Ran said in a humble voice .
Lao Furen looked at Li Wei Yang and frowned: “Wei Yang, I will send someone to check everyday, I think nothing will happen . ”
That being said, Lao Furen also hoped to use her Eight Character birth weight to suppress evil spirits . Li Wei Yang smiled and said, “Since Lao Furen and Father have said so, what else can I say? It’s just that the responsibility of taking care of mother is not a light one, and I fear I cannot do it on my own . If there is a mistake—”
Li Xiao Ran said: “I will send someone to stand guard there, you can rest assured, don’t waste time thinking it over . ”
Li Wei Yang smiled, “So then I will order people to quickly clean up the room in the east wing, where it’s most spacious and sunny . ”
Li Xiao Ran nodded with satisfaction and said: “Leaving everything to you then . ” The matter was successfully resolved . Li Xiao Ran waved his hand . The steward took out a bag of silver and offered it to Daoist Zhao with both hands: “A bit of money for Daoist to look after oneself, when my young master is born, there will be a gift . ”
“This really is too polite . . . ” Daoist Zhao reached out and accepted it, but when he saw the insincere smile in Li Wei Yang’s eyes, he subconsciously shuddered and forced himself to say, “I bid farewell then . ”
In the afternoon, Li Lao Furen ordered Luo Mama to personally bring yatous to clean up the living quarters for Jiang Yue Lan . Li Wei Yang only left Bai Zhi and Mo Yu in the courtyard while she brought Zhao Yue with her to Tan Shi’s courtyard .
Zhao Yue said: “Xiaojie, it seems that Daoist Zhao really spoke of spiritual powers!”
Li Wei Yang smiled: “Spiritual? What spiritual powers? It’s just some superstitious tricks to fool Father, blocking our eyes with his sleeve as he pulls on the transparent silk thread around his fingers . . . ”
“Huh? Why didn’t Xiaojie expose him?” Zhao Yue was stunned .
“If the plan fails, the other party will think of something else, why should I expose them? She is guarding against me for the child in her belly, I am guarding against her acting on Min Zhi, we’re only guarding against each other . Since she wants to step foot in here, she wants to succeed at all costs . ”
“But Xiaojie, Nubi doesn’t think that Furen simply wants to live here . ” Zhao Yue said . Perhaps she had been following Li Wei Yang for a while now, she had seen many of people’s cunning pretenses and always felt that there was something that did not sit well with Jiang Yue Lan, but she couldn't tell what it was .
Li Wei Yang only smiled and said, “No need to monitor her . ” Then, she entered Tan Shi’s courtyard .
Tan Shi was praying in the small Buddhist hall . When Li Wei Yang entered, Tan Shi was kneeling on the ground with her hands clasped in sincere prayer . She is praying for the Heavens to bless her two children to be safe and happy .
Li Wei Yang saw Tan Shi’s sincerity and reverence and looked up at the sitting Bodhisattva above, the kind face watching over all sentient beings . Unfortunately, even now, not everything is equal . She laughed aloud . To her, the Heavens and gods did not change anything . She doesn’t believe in anyone, she only believed in herself . Every path she walked on was one that she chose . In this world, the only thing people could always rely on was themselves .
Tan Shi continued to sincerely pray . Her words drifted along with the incense in the house . She turned around to see Li Wei Yang standing at the door . She quickly got up and said, “Wei Yang, why are you here?”
Li Wei Yang slowly began: “Da Furen wants to move into my courtyard, so Luo Mama brought people to make arrangements . It was too noisy, so I went out . ”
Tan Shi furrowed her brow, “Why does she want to stay with you? This really isn’t proper!”
Li Wei Yang smiled, “Maybe the feng shui of my courtyard is good?”
“This child, how can you still persuade me like this!” Tan Shi raised her voice .
“It’s just that my Eight Characters birth weight is heavy and can overwhelm evil . It’s nothing serious . ” Li Wei Yang tentatively said in a small voice .
“No! How could they do this! This is simply—” Tan Shi is an honest person after all . She couldn’t say anything more, but she thought that this was not right . Although she felt that the new Furen is a good person, why would she move in to live with Wei Yang? She had a bad feeling .
"Wei Yang, I’m afraid you won’t be able to take good care of Furen . Since she got pregnant, if she isn’t refusing food, then the fetus is disturbed every couple days . If she is with you, wouldn’t you be forced to take responsibility? No, absolutely not!” Although Tan Shi was simple-minded, she genuinely felt that this matter was inappropriate and worried her daughter would be involved .
Li Wei Yang smiled gently, “Don’t worry, Mother . Lao Furen has taken charge of this matter . She has spoken, so how can I decline? Moreover, Da Furen may be living in my courtyard, but there will be specific people who look after her . I won’t have to do anything at all . ”
Li Wei Yang can tolerate Li Lao Furen and Li Xiao Ran’s unreasonable demands, but she will never let herself end up in danger, protecting herself is her first and foremost consideration . Perhaps, the more trouble Jiang Yue Lan caused, Li Wei Yang will treat it like she wants to die sooner . Yet no matter how Li Wei Yang tried to reassure her, Tan Shi continued to worry . Li Wei Yang no longer said much and carefully checked up on the guards in the courtyard and instructed the people by Tan Shi's side to carefully check Fourth Young Master’s food and everything he may come in contact with . Only then did she leave .
In the evening, Jiang Yue Lan had moved to the room in the east wing along with four yatous to serve her and two old, experienced Mamas . The entire courtyard suddenly became much more animated . That Rong Mama kept intentionally fussing over the pillow and quilt, the tea, the room, there was ultimately nothing that she was satisfied with from beginning to end, difficult to please .
Zhao Yue stood guard in the gallery and vigilantly watched her opponent’s movements . Rong Mama coldly glared at her and slammed the door shut .
In the house, Mo Zhu gently extinguished the candlelight and quietly complained: “Their room over there is too bright, it’s hard for Xiaojie to sleep with so many candles lit like that . ”
Li Wei Yang softly laid down on the bed without saying a word .
Mo Zhu was on duty tonight . Frustrated by the noise outside, she lowered her voice to say: “Xiaojie, Furen is so arrogant, teach her a lesson for once and for all!”
Mo Zhu’s intention was only to teach her a lesson, not make her miscarry . However, in the darkness of the night, Li Wei Yang expressionlessly said: “When you do something, you may leave behind traces . If you aren’t careful and someone grasps your flaw, you will lose more than what you gain . In any case, Jiang Yue Lan is living with me now . If something happens to her, everyone will immediately suspect me . ” This was also Li Xiao Ran’s true intentions, a selfish old man indeed, Li Wei Yang scoffed .
She thought to herself, what exactly does Jiang Yue Lan want to do? Like Li Xiao Ran, want to protect her by herself? Still afraid of murdering her? No, Li Wei Yang felt that it was not that simple . Or she wants to make trouble for each other, but a pregnant woman, especially this child is also related to her future status in the Li family . Will she take such an important child to risk?
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Translator: Chau
Editor: Chau