In the plot Li Shu knew, the experiences of the original owner were only briefly mentioned. For example, three years ago, the original owner and Dr. Lin went to Yunshan for recuperation. Adding to the original owner’s memories, Li Shu only knew that during that half-year, the original owner was studying under a knowledgeable old man. Unexpectedly, that old man was the male protagonist’s teacher, a significant support for the male protagonist.
Although the old man lived a simple life in seclusion in the mountains and looked like a mountain villager, for several years, he had been a well-known figure. It was due to his sharp edges that he offended those in power and he had to escape to the mountains. In his most challenging times, it was the Mu family that helped him. After the Mu family’s tragedy, it was he who ran around to save the last bloodline of the Mu family, which was the male protagonist.
Qi Mingxuan owes much of his current achievements to this old man.
The old man, named He Yuan, hailed from the He family, one of the four great families. In his youth, he was a renowned prodigy, but in his prime, he had to face the harsh realities of human nature and no longer cared about external fame. He immersed himself in research and eventually became a great scholar.
Countless students wished to be his disciple, but the elusive scholar disliked taking on students. Countless young people who thought highly of themselves had said that they would succeed in becoming his disciples, however, whether from prestigious or humble backgrounds, none succeeded in becoming his disciple.
As time passed, fewer people sought to be his disciple. Rumors about the eccentric and unsociable He Yuan spread, accompanied by tales of his unpredictable temperament.
He Yuan himself paid little attention to such rumors. Having experienced life’s ups and downs, he no longer cared about external opinions. Fame served no purpose; it couldn’t be eaten or drunk. He had learned to focus on his own endeavors, disregarding what the world thought.
Currently, two things occupied He Yuan’s mind: Qi Mingxuan, who was burdened with so many responsibilities it made him uneasy, and the young disciple whom he had only a half year of master-disciple relationship with. That child was struggling with health issues and faced difficulties at home. He wondered if life had improved after achieving some success.
Having no wife or children in his life, these two children were the only ones he cared about. At this moment, He Yuan remained unaware that the two he was worried about were already acquainted, and one harbored peculiar feelings for the other.
Li Shu also never expected there to be a hidden connection between the original owner and Qi Mingxuan. In the original plot, even until the original owner’s death, there was no further contact with that master. According to Qi Mingxuan, the teacher was looking for him. But what about in the original plot? The wise old man did look for the original owner; perhaps he discovered the original owner’s identity but never came forward due to their positions. Or maybe, he didn’t search for this disciple, considering the male protagonist’s situation in the original plot was far more difficult than it was now.
[Then….does the host want to recognize the teacher?] 1314 didn’t expect the identity it chose to have such a significant connection with the male protagonist. They were disciples under the same teacher. In the ancient times where etiquette was paramount, it was comparable to the relationship of real brothers.
1314 didn’t forget that the male protagonist had hidden intentions towards its host. If they solidified their status as fellow disciples, it wouldn’t be so easy for the male protagonist to coerce its host into doing something.
[There’s no need to rush this matter.] Even if they recognize each other, it shouldn’t be brought up by him. When the original owner took a master, both sides used false identities. Moreover, very few people know about the fact that the Zhu Mountain Hermit was Qi Mingxuan’s teacher.
If he directly revealed his identity, it might raise suspicions. Qi Mingxuan might have some feelings for him now, but who knows how long that affection will last? Human emotions have always been cheap. He had lived for so long, was there anything he hadn’t seen?
When in love, everything is good, but once love fades, seemingly insignificant matters become magnified. There have been many examples of lovers turning into enemies throughout history. Li Shu had seen such a situation with his own eyes. The lovers who were once deeply affectionate fought against each other for profit, so it was better not to have too much hope in something like love.
Although 1314 didn’t want its host to be abducted by another man, it couldn’t help but silently light a row of candles for the male protagonist after hearing what he was thinking.
[What are you thinking? Before, you were infuriated by the male protagonist’s ill intentions, but now you’re sympathizing with him?] Sensing the system’s mood change, Li Shu raised an eyebrow. The little thing’s thoughts change too quickly.
[Hehe,] 1314 chuckled twice, then quickly resumed a serious tone. [Regarding the male protagonist, what does the host plan to do?]
Thinking about this matter, Li Shu had a headache. Recently, Qi Mingxuan’s behavior in front of him became increasingly unreserved, just one sentence away from piercing the window paper. He initially planned to pretend not to know, thinking that if he ignored him for a while, the male protagonist’s enthusiasm for him would decrease during this time. It might take a long time, but that was fine; time was something he had in abundance.
[Let it be for now. Otherwise, what do you suggest we do?] As long as Qi Mingxuan didn’t make things explicit, he will continue playing dumb. It’s a matter of who loses patience first.
He can’t directly reveal the truth when Qi Mingxuan hasn’t said anything. In the current situation, whoever speaks first loses the advantage.
Anyway, it wasn’t him who should be anxious.
Li Shu’s steadfast attitude was tormenting Qi Mingxuan. No matter how he probed, the response remained the same. From being confident initially, he had become increasingly uneasy. However, the affairs in the court had reached a critical point, so he had to put aside his personal feelings and focus on matters in court.
Finally, Li Shu was freed from Qi Mingxuan’s attempts to boost favorability. Seeing the male protagonist get busy with official matters, he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been tempted to express his attitude directly to Qi Mingxuan several times.
This couldn’t go on. Li Shu decided to visit the Left Prime Minister’s residence to shift his attention.
The scenery at the Left Prime Minister’s residence was still the same—pavilions were scattered, flowers bloomed beautifully, and servants moved in an orderly manner. Looking at the high-ranking officials and noble families in the capital, one couldn’t imagine that beneath this façade, the common people were suffering.
As the saying goes, “Behind rich gates, the smell of wine and meat is pungent; on the road, bones freeze to death.” How could those living in luxury understand the hardships of the lower-class people? Due to ignorance and greed, even the money meant for saving lives isn’t spared. Those people only cared about themselves, oblivious to the countless hardships of those beneath them
Just like the current Left Prime Minister’s residence, the Left Prime Minister, a man above ten thousand others, has a newly crowned top scholar in his family—what an honor. What? You say the top scholar moved out of the Left Prime Minister’s residence, writes very few characters with the surname Li, and doesn’t interact much with the Left Prime Minister’s residence? Even if he didn’t interact with them, as long as his surname was Li, he’d forever be tied to the Li family’s big ship.
At present, Li Shu had not severed ties with the Left Prime Minister’s residence, so he was yet to openly confront them. No matter how he acted independently, in the eyes of the public, he would eventually return to the Li family. Even the Left Prime Minister himself thought the same way, so he didn’t interfere with Li Shu’s actions.
This time when returning to the Prime Minister’s residence, Li Shu formally submitted a visitation letter. Qinghe didn’t quite understand why her master had to submit a letter when returning home, but Li Shu just smiled without explaining much. Qinghe suddenly understood and stopped asking, proceeding to deliver the letter according to the protocol.
Li Cheng was momentarily surprised when he received the serious visitation letter from his eldest son, but he quickly understood. He shook his head with a wry smile. “This child…”
“Notify the young miss, her older brother is returning home.”
“Yes,” the servant responded and withdrew.
When Li Xinuo received the news, she was sitting at the desk writing a letter. Lately, she had developed an interest in this activity, finding it helpful for calming her mind. After the discussion with her close friend, she began searching for clues about the incident. Surprisingly, she discovered quite a lot.
Firstly, it was her elder brother’s days in the house. She guessed that her eldest brother’s life in the house was not easy, and she was prepared for it. But even so, she was still frightened by the truth. He was also a legitimate child, but compared to her, not to mention other illegitimate children, her brother couldn’t match up.
If it wasn’t for the trust in the person who informed her, she wouldn’t have believed that her brother had lived such a life.
She knew that the backyards of wealthy families were prone to harbor dirt and evil. In vain, she had always thought that her own environment was very good and there were no dirty things like in other houses. Unexpectedly, it wasn’t the case, it was just that it all happened where she couldn’t see it.
She thought her brother was living a somewhat frugal life, but she never thought that while she relied on her father and mother to live a pampered life, her eldest brother was facing countless life-threatening situations, alone and surrounded by wolves. What disturbed her more was the repeated harm inflicted by family members, which included her.
Hatred? She wasn’t her brother and couldn’t understand his feelings, but she knew that kind of despair—afflicted by a serious illness, surrounded by predators, with no one to trust. To survive, he could only endure.
She had only experienced such a situation once and couldn’t bear it, let alone her eldest brother who grew up in this environment. Thinking about how she had invited her brother back to the Prime Minister’s residence, saying the family missed him, Li Xinuo felt ashamed. She thought it was the perfect excuse, but it probably felt ironic to her brother; she was even complacent after receiving a response.
Thinking about it now, she was really stupid. She thought she was repairing the rift between her family members, but in fact she was just rubbing salt into her eldest brother’s wounds. When the cracks are small, there might be room for repair, but the cracks on her brother’s heart must be beyond healing.
Her brother had no emotional attachment to the Li family. It had never been more evident to her than now. Considering a family that caused him pain since childhood, a family that had always been as cold as ice, and relatives who never showed warmth, what was there to cling to?
After knowing all these past events, Li Xinuo was less resistant to the fact that Li Shu personally destroyed the Li family. In the struggle for the throne, her father stood against Prince Qin, and it was a life-or-death situation between them. After Prince Qin succeeded, he ruthlessly dealt with the Li family, not only as a warning but also to eliminate a potential threat. Li Xinuo had no words to say about such issues. What bothered her was that the one who handled the Li family affair was Li Shu, who originated from the Li family.
She once stubbornly believed that the new emperor issued this order to retaliate against her. Now, perhaps these were just her wishful thoughts.
With a self-mocking smile, Li Xinuo stopped writing and carefully put away the finished letter.
“Miss, the lord sent someone to say that the eldest young master is returning home.”
“My brother is coming back? Quickly, tidy up for me. I want to meet my brother.” Li Xinuo hurriedly stood up, forgetting even to pack her things, and rushed out.
“Why is the miss so anxious? The eldest young master hasn’t entered the residence yet.” The serving maid quickly followed.
Upon hearing this, Li Xinuo’s steps faltered slightly. After finding out what happened, she urgently wanted to see her brother, but now, as the moment approached, she hesitated. Was her eldest brother just coming back for a simple visit?
Whatever her brother intended to do, she had to see him. Her brother had endured so much injustice for many years; it was not fair to let him continue suffering. Firm in her resolve, Li Xinuo straightened her clothes and stepped out with determination.
Upon learning of Li Shu’s return, the steward put aside his tasks and personally came out to welcome him.
“Eldest Young Master, please follow the old servant.” The steward’s attitude was respectful, and his actions were precise, leaving no room for criticism.
Li Shu nodded slightly.
Compared to when he was in the Left Prime Minister’s mansion, Li Shu’s transformation was undoubtedly enormous. The illness on his face had disappeared, and he exuded a calm and dignified air in his words and actions. Honed by the officialdom, Li Shu now carried an air that was impossible to ignore. He already possessed outstanding looks; previously, he suppressed the advantages of his appearance for various reasons. Now, Li Shu fully displayed his external advantages and radiated an aura of nobility.
Who could have expected this? The steward sighed silently in his heart. Who could have expected that this child, who was almost abandoned by the lord, would achieve such success today? Some people in the backyard must be going mad because of this.
He thought right. Upon hearing the news of Li Shu’s return to the mansion, sounds of porcelain crashing to the ground echoed from Yuesheng Pavilion for a long time.
In the splendidly decorated room, delicate and exquisite porcelain was ruthlessly swept to the floor by the owner. Shards covered the ground, and the room was in chaos. The attending servant knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound.
The woman in a light green dress stood in the midst of the shattered porcelain, her chest heaving violently.
‘Didn’t you go out to open a mansion? Why come back?’ She got rid of that woman and now her son was coming to take back what belonged to him?
She won’t allow it!
“What’s wrong? Why are you all standing there? Hurry up and clean it up!” Aunt Hua opened the door, entered with familiarity and instructed people to clean up the mess.
She walked to the side of the woman in the green dress and spoke softly, “What happened that upset aunt like this? Calm down and don’t let anger harm your health.”
“Who else could it be?” The woman in the green dress frowned her delicate eyebrows. She was an extremely beautiful woman, with brows like ink and eyes like rippling waves. A slight frown could easily evoke sympathy from others, making them willingly offer all worldly treasures to see her smile.
Only that person’s son could make Aunt so distraught, Aunt Hua understood. She sighed inwardly and waved her hand, letting the servants withdraw from the room.
“Oh, my dear aunt, don’t speak without thinking…”
“Enough, I understand. Aren’t I only saying this to you?” After impatiently cutting off Aunt Hua, Concubine Luo continued, “He’s returned to the residence this time. Do you have any means to deal with him?”
“The eldest young master already set up a mansion outside, and this time, he properly submitted a visitation letter before coming back. I believe he won’t stay for long and will leave soon. In this critical period, it’s not advisable to make significant moves.” Aunt Hua advised kindly, but in a place unnoticed by Concubine Luo, she quickly sneered. If it wasn’t for her master’s plan, why would she have tolerated this stupid woman for so long.
“Aunt Hua, don’t forget what you all promised me when you sought me out back then.” Concubine Luo flicked her sleeve, gracefully walking to the main seat and sitting down.
“I dare not forget.” Aunt Hua gritted her teeth secretly. Her master’s grand plan was about to succeed, and she must not let this foolish woman ruin it. It seems it was time to push this woman out.
“As long as you haven’t forgotten,” Concubine Luo admired her freshly painted nails, and her good mood that was disrupted by the news of Li Shu’s return recovered a bit, “Go, handle it properly. The tasks your master assigned to me have all been completed well. It’s you all who have repeatedly made mistakes in the same matter, making me doubt your capabilities.”
Speaking of this, Aunt Hua was also quite upset. By some strange coincidence, Li Shu always managed to escape unscathed, no matter how detailed their plans were. Especially last time, it was really bizarre. Xiao Tou personally saw Li Shu drink the poison prepared specifically for him. It was guaranteed that he would never survive after taking it. Who would have expected that the boy would survive after taking it.
Not only did he not die, but his heavily wounded body also miraculously started to recover. It was really miraculous.
[Host, that Concubine Luo is starting to scheme again!] Ever since discovering that Concubine Luo was the mastermind behind the original owner’s death, 1314 decided to closely monitor Concubine Luo’s every move. Having taken action once, who knew if she would attempt to harm the host again.
[Don’t worry; this time, I’m back to settle things for the original owner.] Li Shu reassured the agitated system. Wasn’t a system supposed to be cold and emotionless? Why did this system 1314 get more agitated than him whenever things happened?
[Oh, host, wait a moment. It seems there is another force behind this Concubine Luo, and the person who orchestrated the poisoning of the original host is from this force.] 1314 quickly informed the host of this new discovery.
Li Shu was surprised. ‘Another force? And this force has been lurking under Li Cheng’s nose in the Li Family for so long? How did they manage that? The original plot didn’t mention anything like this.’
[Can you trace the source of this force?]
1314 rotated its round metallic body, countless lines of data sliding across it. The originally gray metallic sphere was instantly covered in a fluorescent green glow. After a moment, the glow receded, and 1314 spoke with a downcast tone: [Sorry, host, 1314 couldn’t find it. I only found out that Aunt Hua by Concubine Luo’s side is a member of this mysterious force.]
Aunt Hua? The old woman who has been with Concubine Luo since she entered the Left Prime Minister’s mansion? Those people have been lurking in the Left Prime Minister’s mansion for so long, so did Li Cheng know about it? If he did, what role did Li Cheng play in it?
Li Shu came back to the Left Prime Minister’s to resolve issues, but before the old problems could be resolved, a heap of new ones had come up.
“Zi Shu, if you have time, come back to the residence more often. Xinuo keeps pestering me about her brother every day.” Li Cheng thought just like the others; he believed Li Shu, this child, would eventually return to the Li family. He was still now, and probably didn’t understand the importance of the family. When he grows up and faces setbacks, he’ll realize the benefits of having a family to rely on.
Moreover, he only had this one useful son. Everything he has now will be passed on to this child in the future. He may not have paid enough attention to this child in the past, but there were still many days to come, and he would always have time to make up for it.
Little did he know that the person he should have made amends to could no longer feel anything. The person standing before him now had no fatherly affection for him and cared little about everything he possessed.
“Father, I came back this time for a reason. Father, do you remember the severe illness I had before the New Year?” At this point, Li Shu no longer wanted to play the drama of pretending to be affectionate with Li Cheng.
Anyway, once the male protagonist ascends to the throne, he will completely turn against the Li family. Given Qi Mingxuan’s speed, he believed this day would come soon.
“I remember. Why would Zi Shu suddenly mention this?” Li Cheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly had a bad premonition.
Sure enough, he heard the young man speak with an indifferent, almost heartless tone, “I’m sure Father remembers. That time, your son narrowly escaped death.”
“I always thought it was a simple accident. After all, I’ve been frail since childhood, and such situations have occurred before. It wasn’t until recently that I discovered it wasn’t an accident, including the previous times. The most dangerous instances were not accidents. It seems someone in the Left Prime Minister’s mansion wants my life.”
This self-proclaimed ever-changing mindset represented Li Shu’s determination to get to the bottom of things.
“This matter is of great importance. Just relying on these words is not enough. If you can’t produce evidence, Father cannot believe your words alone.” As the owner of the Left Prime Minister’s mansion, Li Cheng was somewhat aware of this matter. At that time, he didn’t care much about Li Shu, thinking the child didn’t deserve much attention. Since there was no murder in the end, he didn’t investigate further. Now that Li Shu has brought up this matter, was it an open expression of dissatisfaction towards him?
“Of course, if the evidence is conclusive, Father will naturally ensure justice for you.”
“No need,” Li Shu stood up, a slightly mocking curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. His tone was ironic, “I just wanted to ask… Oh, there’s no need to ask now. I already know the answer. Father has never cared about this son. As for the evidence Father wants, I’ve already handed it over to the Grand Court. Wait a bit more, no, they’ve already arrived.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a noise outside.
“You, you unfilial child, how can you spread such family matters everywhere and even stir up trouble at the Grand Court?” Li Cheng was dumbfounded by Li Shu’s unexpected move. He thought Li Shu wanted to resolve this privately. He never expected him to take this matter to the Grand Court before returning home, catching him off guard.
“I trust the fairness of the Grand Court.”
Was this accusing him of being unfair? Li Cheng was exasperated, “If this official makes a move, do you think they would dare to take the case?”
Before Li Shu could answer, the study door was forcefully pushed open, and a man in black stood against the light.
“Then, Left Prime Minister, do I dare? “
