“Exactly. What’s most important now is protecting Meixue’s reputation.” He looked at Yunyi with guilt and said, “This time I not only caused you to sprain your foot, but also implicated you in damage to your reputation. I’m truly sorry.”

“Second Young Master, please don’t say that. You didn’t expect this to happen either. By the way, how is the wound on your shoulder? What did Physician Xu say?”

Li Shimin glanced at his right shoulder and said, “The bone is fractured, but fortunately it’s not very serious. With proper rest and care, and as long as I don’t move my right hand carelessly before it heals, it should be fine. What about you? Has Physician Xu examined you?”

Yunyi replied accordingly, “Yes, he said the tendon was twisted, but fortunately the bone wasn’t injured, so it’s not serious.”

Caiping suddenly said with a grin, “After one trip out, one of you injured your foot and the other can’t move his hand – just like the Heaven’s Cripple and Earth’s Defect that storytellers talk about.”

Yunyi had heard this story from her before and immediately scolded lightly, “What Heaven’s Cripple and Earth’s Defect! The Second Young Master’s and my injuries will heal. You just know how to run your mouth – aren’t you afraid the Second Young Master will blame you?”

Jiang Caiping laughed and said, “The Second Young Master is so kind, he wouldn’t blame me.”

Li Shimin quite liked her cheerful and straightforward nature – she reminded him somewhat of his sister who had married far away in Luoyang. He said gently, “What are Heaven’s Cripple and Earth’s Defect?”

Jiang Caiping said in a clear voice, “Heaven’s Cripple and Earth’s Defect are nicknames for two people, a man and a woman. One has an injured hand and the other an injured leg, just like you and Sister Wu, except those two are husband and wife.”

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll hit you.” Yunyi made as if to strike, and Jiang Caiping laughingly dodged behind Li Shimin, calling out, “Second Young Master, save me!”

“Alright, alright.” After stopping the two, Li Shimin asked puzzledly, “If they’re just two disabled people, what’s so interesting about their story?”

“Though these two are disabled, they have exceptional martial arts skills. The stories tell of their chivalrous deeds and acts of justice. Many storytellers tell this story.” She said with surprise, “Second Young Master, you haven’t heard of it?”

Li Shimin shook his head and said, “I rarely listen to storytelling. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Jiang Caiping naturally agreed wholeheartedly, and as they walked, she enthusiastically told Li Shimin the story of Heaven’s Cripple and Earth’s Defect. Li Shimin had seen plenty of operas in the manor, but this was his first time hearing such storytelling, and he found it quite fascinating.

After hearing Duan Zhihong’s words, Wan Shi immediately agreed and sent word to Steward Lin to expel Ding Yulan from the manor at once. Sun Shi, who witnessed all this firsthand, was terrified and fell ill for several days after returning. She told everyone she met not to spread rumors about Yunyi and Li Shimin spending the night outside anymore, or they might end up like Ding Yulan – losing their jobs just for a few moments of sharp-tongued satisfaction.

Everyone had come for the well-paying position at the Governor’s Manor, so hearing they might lose their jobs, combined with Ding Yulan’s cautionary example, they all kept their mouths tightly shut. As Li Shimin had predicted, the rapidly spreading rumors were effectively suppressed. Even those who were most jealous of Yunyi only dared to speak in private and didn’t dare to say anything openly.

Several days after the heavy snow, a scholarly-looking man came knocking at the Wu family’s door. After a while, Wu Laosan came out to open the door and looked puzzledly at the stranger before him, asking, “Who are you looking for?”

The scholar bowed to him and said gently, “You must be Uncle Wu. My surname is Jiang. I happened to see your daughter’s painting, and it truly amazed me. After much inquiry, I learned she lives here, so I’ve taken the liberty of visiting, hoping to meet your daughter. If possible, I would also like to request a painting from her.”

Wu Laosan found this flowery speech extremely difficult to understand, and only after a long while did he react, saying, “You want a painting from my daughter?”

The scholar bowed and said, “Precisely. I hope Uncle Wu will consent. I would be infinitely grateful.”

“My daughter has gone out to work and isn’t at home. Besides, she usually paints with sand and mud, so there are no paintings left in the house. If you really want one, you can come back around New Year’s Day next month. Meixue should be back then, and I’ll have her paint one for you.”

“Thank you, Uncle Wu.” The scholar continued, “I heard your daughter went to work at the Governor’s Manor. Actually, with her painting skills, she could easily make a living selling paintings. Why must she demean herself as a servant?”

“Meixue paints only as a hobby, and she’s not as good as you say. How could she earn money from it?” Wu Laosan said, “By the way, Meixue has been at the Governor’s Manor all along. Where did you see her paintings? Are you also from the Governor’s Manor? If so, couldn’t you just ask her directly to paint one for you?”

The scholar’s expression stiffened momentarily, then he said, “How would I have the opportunity to enter the Governor’s Manor? I saw it by chance at the market. Since your daughter isn’t here, I’ll come back another day. Farewell.”

After he left, Wu Laosan closed the courtyard gate and returned to the house, taking out a crumpled letter from the inner room. When he returned last night, the Fang family next door had given him a pair of shoes, saying Meixue had sent them back through someone. He had been very happy at the time, but when he took them home, he found he couldn’t fit into them at all. Instead, he discovered a letter inside the shoes, densely filled with writing. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even write his own name properly, so how could he recognize these characters?

He had originally intended to set it aside casually, but thinking it was written by his daughter, just throwing it away seemed too disrespectful to her. So he went that very night to find a fortune teller in the village with whom he had a good relationship, asking him to read the letter aloud. Though Wu Laosan didn’t understand what Yunyi was talking about in the letter, he still memorized it carefully.

The next day, sure enough, someone came. How strange – though Meixue could paint some small fish and birds, her paintings weren’t very good. How could someone make a special trip to request a painting? And how could Meixue predict this and write to tell him about it?

Wu Laosan pondered for a long time but couldn’t figure it out, so he had to set the matter aside and wait to ask Meixue when she returned.

This so-called scholar was naturally sent by Li Shimin to test Wu Laosan. After learning that Wu Laosan’s words didn’t differ from what Yunyi had said, Li Shimin dispelled his suspicions.

On this day, he went to Qingchun Garden to visit Li Jiancheng. When the latter learned that the assassin matter still had no progress, he turned and asked, “Is there any news from the capital?”

“Not yet.” Before he finished speaking, there was a knock at the door. It was the steward from Songtao Residence, who had come on Li Yuan’s orders to request their presence.

The two exchanged glances, both seeing surprise in the other’s eyes. Li Yuan knew that Li Jiancheng was injured in the leg, and to avoid making him walk, for the past half month, whenever there was business, he would summon Li Shimin to Songtao Residence and have him relay messages to Li Jiancheng. This time, however, he had directly summoned Li Jiancheng as well, which suggested something had happened.

Thinking this, the two dared not delay. Li Jiancheng immediately ordered Wang Fu to prepare a sedan chair and went to Songtao Residence together with Li Shimin.

After so many days of recuperation, plus the medicine left by Xia Houduan, the poison in Li Yuan’s body had long been completely expelled. However, to avoid drawing attention, he had been using the excuse of serious injuries to remain in Songtao Residence without taking a single step outside. Except for the Li brothers and a few trusted confidants, everyone else was kept in the dark.