Chapter 175 - 172: The Aftermath of the Incident
Zhou Lian didn’t care what happened to anyone else, as long as it didn’t involve Zhang Hongying. As for Wang Song, he was young and impulsive. This incident would serve to knock some of his arrogance out of him, so he wouldn’t walk around all day with the air of a spoiled prince who was asking for a punch. In fact, his relationship with Zhang Hongying was the last thing anyone needed to worry about.
Time passed as Li Xiu lived a quiet, low-key life, staying home and doting on his wife. He had handed all his businesses over to Wang Dongfang and Li Bao. He didn’t ask about, care for, or inquire into any other matters. This led the senior figures in the Imperial Palace to sigh with admiration. ’To be so shrewd and seasoned in his early twenties... Even without a career in government, this young man has a boundless future!’
After the school term began, Zhang Hongying came over every day after class to help Zhou Lian with her notes. Because of this, Li Xiu’s opinion of her slowly began to improve. Honestly, everyone knew Li Xiu was generally a magnanimous and reasonable person. But that all went out the window when Zhou Lian was involved. No matter the issue, if it concerned Zhou Lian, Li Xiu lost all semblance of reason. Misplaced anger was only to be expected.
When the whole affair came to a head, Wang Song returned from his leave. After getting a clear picture of what had happened, he came to apologize in person. However, Li Xiu flatly refused to let him see Zhou Lian, instead offering a stream of pleasantries and official-sounding platitudes. By the time he was shown the door, Wang Song hadn’t heard a single word of forgiveness, nor any indication that Li Xiu was willing to let the matter go.
Wang Song later mentioned this to Zhang Hongying in private, only for her to shoot him down. "You should be thankful that Zhou Lian and I are good friends and that she’s a forgiving person," she said. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t have even made it through the Li family’s front door. Li Jincheng is completely devoted to Zhou Lian and spoils her rotten. For her to be cornered and humiliated in her own home... You should be grateful he’s not a petty man, or he would have already brought ruin to your Wang family. Given how much he cherishes her, if he couldn’t vent his anger over this, that hatred would fester in his heart forever."
Wang Song nodded in agreement, a chill running down his spine. The first time he’d met Li Jincheng, he thought the man was impressive, but that was it. This time, however, Li Jincheng had unleashed his full presence. Though he was smiling and speaking pleasantly the entire time, his aura was so oppressive Wang Song felt he might buckle under the pressure. ’This man really hides his power well,’ he thought. The Wang family was, at best, a third- or fourth-tier family in the Capital City’s circles; they only ever learned the barest surface of any real secrets. But he had heard his grandfather and father speak of Li Jincheng’s master, Ge Xingzhi. The man was said to have been a peerless, almost demonic genius of his generation. The student of such a brilliant master could hardly be mediocre.
Wang Song had grown up in a circle filled with sharp, cunning people. Piecing together the cause and effect, then looking at the scandal that had erupted publicly, he broke out in a cold sweat. His mother’s family was doomed—they couldn’t be saved, nor should they be. Several top-tier families had been taken down, and the catalyst was his own mother. Li Jincheng had single-handedly thrown the Capital City into chaos, yet had emerged completely unscathed. His power and connections were terrifying to contemplate.
Seeing Zhang Hongying’s knowing smile, Wang Song had a flash of insight. ’My family must have been spared because of Yingzi. He must have seen how close she and I are and didn’t want to break her heart, so he showed the Wang family mercy. This visit, too... he probably only let me in because of Yingzi. Otherwise, I doubt I would have even gotten through the front door!’
Never mind the turmoil outside; the Mid-Autumn Festival was fast approaching, and Li Xiu found himself busy once more. He sent the necessary packages back to his hometown, but the real problem was what to give the venerable elders in the Imperial Palace. A gift that was too extravagant would be rejected and could even damage their relationship. But a gift that was too modest would seem disrespectful and cause them to look down on him. In the end, Zhou Lian couldn’t stand seeing him frowning with worry any longer and offered a suggestion.
"Last year, when you went home, you snuck into Daqing Mountain and found some ginseng, didn’t you? It’s all been properly prepared. Pick out the hundred-year-old roots, one for each of them. The elders are all getting on in years; they can use it to bolster their health," Zhou Lian said gently.
Last Spring Festival, in the dead of winter, he had snuck into Daqing Mountain without telling anyone. He hadn’t bothered with any wild game, but he had managed to bring back a small basket of ginseng. In winter, ginseng hibernates and its leaves and stems wither away, so it was a wonder he’d found any. Only after she asked did she learn that there was a hot spring deep within Daqing Mountain where the temperature remained unusually high. Li Xiu had transplanted the two ginseng patches he knew of to the area near the spring, which was how he could harvest them in the winter. He figured he’d be going home less and less in the future, and even if he did, he probably wouldn’t get the chance to go into the mountains again. So, he’d dug them all up at once, taking everything that was fifty or sixty years old or more, leaving only the youngest shoots behind.
Li Xiu looked at Zhou Lian and smiled sheepishly. His wife still got angry whenever the ginseng was mentioned. "Bao’er," he said gently, "it’s been so long. You’re not still mad, are you?"
She shot him a glare but couldn’t be bothered to argue. "Get some wooden boxes and pack the ginseng nicely," she said irritably. "Deliver them to the elders in person. You know what to say. Now hurry up. The Mid-Autumn Festival is tomorrow. How long are you planning to procrastinate?"
Li Xiu pulled Zhou Lian into a hug, gave her a kiss, and said with a smile, "Alright, Bao’er, I’ll go get everything ready. You get some rest!"
Watching his cheerful retreat, Zhou Lian smiled sweetly. ’It wasn’t that he didn’t know what to give them,’ she thought. ’He just wanted me to be the one to suggest it.’
In the past few days, Zhang Hongying had visited and told her all about the recent turmoil. Zhou Lian understood perfectly well that she was the cause of everything that had happened in the Capital City. Li Xiu was getting revenge on her behalf. ’If even Zhang Hongying knows,’ she mused, ’then probably everyone in the Capital’s upper echelons knows, too.’
How could Zhou Lian not be moved by his actions? In their past life, their relationship had deteriorated to the point where they wouldn’t see each other even on their deathbeds, but even then, Li Xiu had protected her fiercely. It was even more so in this life. With his intelligence, he couldn’t have been ignorant of the consequences. The only reason those powerful figures weren’t wary or guarded against him was likely due to their old bond with his master. Otherwise, given what he’d done, if even one of them had held it against him, Li Xiu’s future would have been over. He could be a generational genius, but he would be powerless to turn the tide. After all, the weight of authority was absolute.
But even with their protection, Li Xiu was now in the eye of the storm. The scheming and backstabbing in these circles were ruthless. The saying "the tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind" was a harsh reality. It wasn’t that Li Xiu didn’t understand this; he did it anyway. He had even done it behind her back, only telling her after everything was over. He probably assumed she wouldn’t understand the complex politics involved, or he wouldn’t have told her about it so openly.
Since it was already done, there was nothing Zhou Lian could do but try to smooth things over. Those elders in the Imperial Palace were Li Xiu’s protective talismans. She had to show them sincere goodwill in hopes of earning theirs in return. She had to make them understand that she and Li Xiu had no desire for power; they only wanted to live a quiet life and not be bullied in their own home. She also had to convince them that she and Li Xiu truly weren’t trying to use them, but genuinely respected them.