Chapter 217 1/3

Li Qingzhi had never thought about pretending to be the emperor’s son, but if Concubine Liu and Lu Qingxi gave him such an opportunity, he would definitely seize it firmly.

Li Qingzhi remained calm, but Li Zhu…

Li Zhu, who initially firmly wanted Li Qingzhi to pretend to be the emperor’s son, felt uneasy after he agreed. “Wait, Ah Zhi, this could be dangerous for you…”

“Sister, you don’t need to worry. Our guess might be wrong. Even if we’re right, Concubine Liu and Lu Qingxi might not choose me,” Li Qingzhi reassured her.

He was a scholar with a photographic memory.

Lu Qingxi might not choose him at all, but rather someone more easily controlled, to manipulate the emperor for their own ends.

“Regardless, Ah Zhi, your safety is the most important,” Li Zhu said, having calmed down from her initial excitement. Revenge for the family was important, but not at the cost of her brother’s life!

“Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll be fine. It’s getting late; I should head back,” Li Qingzhi said.

His energy had already recovered, and it was time to go back and treat Qi An.

After Qi An came to him, Li Qingzhi managed to stabilize his condition, but he was still in danger.

If he didn’t keep an eye on Qi An, the child could still die!

Li Zhu watched Li Qingzhi leave, then she too left Qingyun Pavilion.

She went to find He Yi, asking him to secretly find someone matching the portrait provided by Lu Qingxi, and also to keep an eye on Lu Qingxi’s other men to see what they were up to.

“Miss, speaking of which… Eunuch Lu has sent someone to investigate Second Young Master,” He Yi said.

“What?” Li Zhu was startled. Why would Lu Qingxi investigate Li Qingzhi?

“It’s about today’s events. Eunuch Lu is likely worried about Concubine Liu,” He Yi explained.

Li Zhu thought for a moment and understood.

Since Concubine Liu was staying at Li Qingzhi’s place, Lu Qingxi would certainly investigate him.

There was no need for her to intervene, as her brother’s identity was clean and could withstand scrutiny.

After chatting for a bit, the two parted ways.

After Li Zhu left, He Yi remembered something — he forgot to mention the matter of Lu Mingshan and his apprentice!

The two had been staying with him for a while now. Should he send them away?

Oh well, it can wait until next time.

However, those two might be bored staying inside all the time… He Yi thought for a bit and went to the bookstore to pick up some books on the I Ching and Bagua to bring back for Lu Mingshan.

Lu Mingshan, indeed, was quite bored being confined by He Yi.

He had recounted the Plum Blossom Viewing event to his apprentice several times and had grown tired of it, so he began to share embellished stories from his youth.

But even those stories became tiresome after a while!

Just when Lu Mingshan was feeling restless, He Yi brought him some books.

When Lu Mingshan learned tricks from his grandmaster in his youth, he had been taught to read. These books from He Yi were ones his grandmaster had once made him study.

But after leaving his grandmaster, Lu Mingshan had hardly studied, and he had forgotten most of the content in these books.

A successful con artist needed accomplices, but for many years, he had worked alone!

Back then, he was young, with no gray hair, and didn’t look credible. People wouldn’t trust a young fortune-teller…

Living a precarious life, he never thought about reading books.

In recent years, with his hair turning gray and having an apprentice to assist him, he had been able to con more money. Then he focused solely on making and spending money, never thinking to read.

Now, out of sheer boredom, Lu Mingshan turned to the books. As he read, he found more understanding than in his youth.

In Qingshi Lane.

After meeting Li Zhu, Li Qingzhi returned home around ten in the morning. He went back to the east wing to treat Qi An.

When he first saw Qi An yesterday, the child was too weak to move. Now that he was a bit better, he started crying and fussing.

But with so many wounds on his face, he couldn’t move around…

After applying medicine, Li Qingzhi wrapped him up again with coarse cloth strips.

Concubine Liu, waiting behind the screen, reached out to take the child as soon as Li Qingzhi emerged. “Mr. Li, how is An’an?”

“He’s still not out of danger, but he’s better. Over the next few days, I’ll come check on him every two to three hours,” Li Qingzhi said.

“Thank you, Mr. Li,” Concubine Liu said gratefully.

Although Li Qingzhi said Qi An was still in danger, she could see he was improving, giving her hope for the future.

Li Qingzhi asked Concubine Liu to cook some ginseng porridge for Qi An, then left.

The weather was nice today. Li Damao, Li Ermao, and Zhao Xiao Dou were feeding the chickens in the yard. When they saw Li Qingzhi coming from the east wing, Li Ermao said, “Dad, I found an egg today!”

“Great job!” Li Qingzhi praised with a smile.

Li Ermao added, “Dad, Mom said my little brother is sick. Let’s give this egg to him.”

Li Qingzhi knew Concubine Liu’s true identity and had told Jin Xiaoye last night, but hadn’t shared it with the rest of the family.

To the rest of the family, Concubine Liu was the wife of a wealthy merchant who brought her child to Li Qingzhi for treatment and had given them a hundred taels of silver.

A hundred taels of silver!

Apart from silver, she had also given them many gifts, making the family very fond of her.

After eating her pastries, Li Damao and Li Ermao became concerned about her child.

Such behavior should be encouraged, so Li Qingzhi said, “Give the egg to me, and I’ll deliver it.”

Li Ermao quickly handed the egg to Li Qingzhi, who then gave it to Concubine Liu’s maid. “Our chicken laid this egg. An’an can’t eat it yet, but he can in a few days to help him recover.”

An egg might not be worth much, but Concubine Liu and her maids understood it was a gesture from Li Qingzhi’s children.

Accepting the egg, Concubine Liu instructed her maid, “Go buy some food and send it to the Li family’s kitchen.”

They had been eating food prepared by the Li family, and now they had received an egg… They couldn’t continue accepting without giving something in return.

Concubine Liu only had two maids and a guard with her, but some loyal followers were nearby. After receiving her orders, they quickly bought some ordinary ingredients and delivered them. Some left afterward, but one guard stayed and started chopping wood.

Hearing the commotion, Li Laogen went outside and saw the guard swiftly chopping wood and a pile of lamb and chicken being carried in.

He found Li Qingzhi and said with admiration, “Ah Qing, that Madam Liu is really wealthy. She sent so much stuff!”

“Indeed,” Li Qingzhi smiled.

Li Laogen added, “People in the capital are all extraordinary. I feel inadequate.”

Feeling downcast after days of avoiding social interactions, Li Laogen seemed a bit depressed.

Li Qingzhi said, “Dad, if you want to chat, you can talk to that guard chopping wood.”

Li Laogen’s eyes lit up.

He might not have many skills, but as the father of a scholar, he felt he outranked a mere guard!

Finding the guard, Li Laogen asked in heavily accented official language, “What’s your name?”