Tianliangyuan

Chapter 399 Unbelievable Consequences

Xu Zhaozhao had naturally received news of the Li family's various affairs long ago.

Xu Zhuzi was still somewhat anxious.

"Master, shall I send someone to inform Lord Li immediately?"

Xu Zhaozhao said slowly, "No need! Let them be smug for now. It's a good opportunity for me to teach Li Shun a lesson. My Xie family's daughter hasn't even married into the family yet, and the Li family dares to be so disrespectful. If we don't teach them a lesson, they won't know what pain or consequences are!"

Xu Zhuzi didn't understand his master's true intentions, but since his master had said so, there must be a deeper meaning behind it. So, he was only responsible for listening to his master's orders and didn't ask any questions about anything else.

After Li Shun finished his work at the yamen and returned home, he discovered that the steward was still there!

This is wrong.

They could reach Lantian County on foot, but it's impossible for them to return now.

A bad feeling rose in Li Shun's heart. Sure enough, as soon as he entered the main room, he saw the mother and daughter laughing and talking.

At that moment, Li Shun felt a chill run down his spine; he could almost see himself being punished by the county magistrate.

For a moment, Li Shun was so unsteady on his feet that he swayed a couple of times before being helped to sit down by a servant.

Li's mother didn't think anything of it. On the contrary, she even told the servants to set out the meal, and at the same time, she didn't forget to mention what her younger sister liked to eat, what her niece liked to eat, and so on.

Li Shun was furious, but he didn't know where to direct his anger.

Looking at the three women getting along so well in front of him, he had a strange feeling that he was about to be struck by lightning. Without eating a single bite, he went straight back.

Seeing her son's reaction, Li's mother assumed he had given in and was secretly pleased.

Madam Qian chimed in, "Sister, you truly are the head of the family. I noticed that although my eldest nephew found it somewhat difficult to accept, he never got angry or complained about you. This shows that he has excellent manners."

Praising her upbringing is essentially praising Li's mother, isn't it?

Upon hearing this, Li's mother naturally became elated.

Moreover, Madam Qian and Qian Pan'er dared to do this only because they had learned that Xie Juan was just a concubine's daughter in the Duke's mansion and was not favored by the family. That's why they dared to try it.

To put it bluntly, this mother and daughter were constantly testing Li Shun's limits.

Although Qian Pan'er is currently in mourning, there is a saying in Daxing that one can get married during the mourning period.

It is said that these souls will only return to the underworld after forty-nine days.

Marriage during the mourning period is meant to appease the departed soul, allowing them to see that their beloved has found a good partner and need not worry.

Of course, one can get married during the mourning period, but not consummate the marriage; this is the rule.

To put it bluntly, the marriage is just for show, and the reason for not consummating the marriage is to observe mourning.

It sounds disjointed, but that's just how it is.

However, in reality, very few people actually get married during the mourning period. In some prefectures and counties, not a single case has been heard of for more than ten or twenty years.

For prominent families, if such a thing were to happen, it would inevitably involve vested interests, and certainly not some attempt to appease the departed souls.

That's exactly what Madam Qian is planning now.

As long as her daughter continues to live here, she will definitely have a chance to cling to Li Shun.

As for whether Li Shun would be tempted, Madam Qian never even considered that possibility.

After all, she believed her daughter was beautiful, and men are always lustful. With such a beauty right in front of her, how could she not reach out for her?

But she clearly had never been in contact with real powerful and wealthy people, so she didn't understand at all that once powerful and wealthy people made a move, they might not only want your life, but also the lifeline of your entire family!

Li Shun was absent-minded and couldn't sleep well that night. The next day, he went to the Imperial Academy with two black eyes.

"What did you say?" Li Shun asked incredulously.

Shangguan sighed and said, "Registrar Li, this is an order from above. You should go back and reflect on your actions. Although it's not a major mistake, since the higher-ups have specifically brought this up, they've made their stance clear. As for when you can be reinstated, or even if you can be reinstated at all, that's something you'll have to figure out yourself."

If it weren't for the fact that Li Shun was having a hard time, this superior wouldn't have said so much.

Li Shun returned to the Li residence in a daze.

Throughout the journey, he kept thinking about the county magistrate's words from yesterday.

How ridiculous!

He thought that the county princess was just a woman, and even if she had money, how could she possibly shake the power of the court officials?

Unexpectedly, overnight, he failed to do as the county magistrate instructed, and punishment followed.

He's only been suspended from his post for now to reflect on his actions. If he still can't understand the county magistrate's intentions, then the next step should be dismissal and investigation, right?

Li Shun gave a bitter smile. Only now did he truly realize that there was a world of difference between him and the Duke's Mansion, no, between him and that seemingly gentle and unassuming county princess!

Li Shun stood at the door, staring at the two characters 'Li Residence' above, unable to calm down for a long time.

Because he was an official, he was able to use the character "府" (fu).

Once he loses his official position and his official rank, then this place can only be renamed Li Residence!

A difference of just one word can represent a huge difference in social status.

Li Shun took a deep breath, and after a while, he entered the room after being reminded by the servant.

Thinking of his own future and the future of his entire family, Li Shun had no choice but to straighten his back and become completely resolute.

"Someone, immediately bring out Madam Qian and Miss Qian from the side courtyard, then send two maids to help them pack their belongings and send them back to Lantian County immediately."

"Yes, eldest son."

At this hour, the eldest son should be on duty at the Imperial Academy. His sudden return suggests that something truly serious has happened.

The butler immediately went to give the instructions.

Meanwhile, Madam Qian and Qian Pan'er, who were still talking to Li's mother, had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter. They were wearing mourning clothes and still dared to speak recklessly!

Li Shun's sudden appearance caused the air in the room to freeze for a moment.

Mrs. Qian reacted quickly and stood up immediately: "It's my eldest nephew who's back. Did he forget something to take?"

Mother Li also realized that her son was on duty and asked, "You child, how could you be so careless? What did you forget? Quickly send a servant to fetch it."

Qian Pan'er gave him a shy, flirtatious wink, but unfortunately, Li Shun didn't catch it.

"Someone, take them out."

"Yes, eldest son."

Two strong women came in, each dragging one of them out, not caring about whether they were invited or not, or about etiquette.

The main reason is that the servants could all see that the eldest young master was angry, so who would dare to come and test him again?

Seeing the situation was turning sour, Li's mother immediately scolded, "How dare you! Shun'er, what do you mean by this? That's your aunt!"

Li Shun, however, remained silent with a cold expression. With a flick of his sleeve, all the teacups and bowls on the table fell to the ground. The crisp sound of them shattering startled Li's mother, who didn't dare to move for a long time.