Fu’an Courtyard

Doctor Lin finished applying medicine to Li Changxi. Li Changxi looked at him with hope-filled eyes. The doctor let out a long sigh and said, “Fifth Miss, your face cannot possibly recover to its original state.”

Li Changxi’s complexion changed instantly. Then she suddenly smashed her teacup and burst into loud wailing. Fourth Concubine Zhou Shi and Li Changxiao, who had hurried over, also dabbed at their tears with handkerchiefs.

The First Madam’s cold gaze swept over Fourth Concubine Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi hailed from Jiangnan, and was not only clever with words but also graceful in figure. She was skilled in poetry and painting, presenting a delicate and captivating demeanor that intoxicated hearts and minds. Later, she gave birth to Li Changxiao and Li Changxi, and thus enjoyed much favor from Li Xiaoran.

Seeing the mother and daughter behaving this way, Li Changle furrowed her brow slightly. Even her frowning appearance made Doctor Lin gasp in cold shock—no wonder everyone said the Prime Minister’s eldest daughter was beautiful as a celestial maiden. It was truly so.

The First Madam coughed lightly, and only then did Doctor Lin come back to his senses.

“Doctor Lin, my fifth younger sister has not yet married. For a young lady, facial injuries are truly too important. Please do your utmost. Also, you must keep this secret—do not let this matter spread.” Li Changle spoke in soft, gentle words.

Doctor Lin couldn’t help but feel that this eldest miss was not only devastatingly beautiful but also kind-hearted—truly rare indeed. He cupped his hands and said, “Eldest Miss, I will naturally do my best for Fifth Miss’s facial injury. As for secrecy, this is not my first day treating the Li family—please rest assured.”

Li Changle nodded and instructed a maid to see the doctor out.

Inside the room, there was still a chorus of crying. The First Madam snorted coldly, “What’s all this crying for? Isn’t it embarrassing enough already?”

Li Changxi felt wronged in her heart and cried until she nearly fainted. Fourth Concubine watched from the side with heartache, her eyes revealing resentment: “Madam, you must help Changxi vent this grievance!”

The First Madam suddenly slammed her teacup on the table, her face showing anger: “Vent, vent—all you know is venting! If Fifth Girl hadn’t failed to accomplish anything, how would we be in this situation now—”

Fourth Concubine was stunned, then tears fell down in streams, looking aggrieved.

The First Madam hated that expression of hers most. If it weren’t for the fact that keeping this mother-daughter pair still had uses, she would never give them a pleasant face. Li Changle advised from the side, “Fourth Concubine, don’t be sad. Mother didn’t say she wouldn’t help you. It’s just that Third Younger Sister is eloquent, and Father believed she was innocent. Even if Mother wants to stand up for Fifth Younger Sister, she’s helpless!”

In her words, she clearly directed the blame toward Li Weiyang. As expected, resentment showed in Fourth Concubine’s eyes.

It was clearly Little Fifth who provoked Third Elder Sister that led to this disaster. Fourth Miss Li Changxiao’s lips moved, but she said nothing.

The First Madam softened her tone: “Fifth Girl grew up by my side. Now that she’s injured like this, how could I not feel heartache? I never expected that girl Weiyang, at such a young age, would have such vicious thoughts. Now she’s even caused Fifth Girl to be disfigured. Alas, now she’s the favored one by the Old Madam, and the Master trusts her too. Even if I have any methods, I can’t use them. You all go back first. Let me think about it more.”

Fourth Concubine left with resentment, supporting Li Changxi. Li Changxiao turned back to glance at the First Madam in the room, only feeling that her kind and benevolent face looked exceptionally cold under the lamplight.

Li Changle watched their retreating figures, her gaze turning cold: “Mother, about today’s matter…”

The First Madam gnashed her teeth in hatred: “Who would have thought Third Girl would be such a formidable character!”

“If Mother wants to control her, there are plenty of methods! Take advantage of any day when the Old Madam and Father aren’t around, and just have her killed directly.” Li Changle unhurriedly took a sip of tea, her tone almost as if crushing an ant. If there were outsiders in the room at this moment, they would never imagine that the Prime Minister’s renowned eldest daughter would say such venomous words.

“Though your father said nothing, he already suspects me in his heart. If I make a move at this time, I’ll only let others catch me in the act—more loss than gain. Since someone is already charging forward for us, we might as well save ourselves the trouble.”

No one knows a mother better than her daughter. Li Changle naturally guessed the First Madam’s thoughts and couldn’t help but smile, saying, “Fourth Concubine has always been cunning. Will she let us use her as a blade?”

Under normal circumstances, naturally not, but now… The First Madam smiled.

After Fifth Miss had her accident, Eldest Miss showed the most concern. Not only did she visit daily, she couldn’t eat or sleep properly, regretting that she hadn’t taken better care of this younger sister. She even had the blood swallow’s nest that the First Madam gave her stewed daily and sent to Li Changxi. In everyone’s eyes, this made them feel even more that Eldest Miss was kind-hearted and magnanimous in her conduct.

During this process, Li Weiyang acted as if nothing had happened—eating when she should eat, sleeping when she should sleep. She wasn’t at all afraid of people like the First Madam or Fourth Concubine causing her trouble, because she understood Li Xiaoran’s character too well. Through this incident, this Prime Minister father should have realized that someone in the household was causing mischief. In the past, the Li family appeared harmonious on the surface and very orderly, but now they had nearly caused a death. If he continued to turn a blind eye, his reputation, his career, the entire Li family would all suffer great misfortune. As one could imagine—the Li family would be peaceful for quite a while.

However, even if they didn’t come looking for Li Weiyang, she might not necessarily refrain from taking the initiative herself. Half a month later, she visited Li Changxi at Shuangyue Pavilion for the first time, and happened to run into Li Changle gracefully emerging from the courtyard. Under the sunlight, her features had obviously been carefully adorned, making her slanted eyebrows sweep into her temples even more prominently, her hair like distant mountains. She wore a fragrant-colored brocade cloak decorated with fighting patterns and added flowers. Below, her dress revealed layer upon layer of brilliant purple and red peony patterns, the hem adorned with countless gleaming, iridescent tiny crystals, making anyone who glanced at her feel dazzled by the brilliance.

Li Weiyang blinked her eyes, the smile at the corners of her lips becoming even more radiant: “Elder Sister.”

Li Changle smiled and nodded at her, her expression showing not a trace of anything unusual as she said, “Third Younger Sister, have you come to visit Fifth Younger Sister?”

Li Weiyang nodded and said, “Elder Sister’s face is full of joy. Is there some good news?”

Li Changle’s autumn-wave eyes glanced about, her starry pupils flashing with a hint of amusement: “The year’s end is approaching, and Elder Brother will be returning. Didn’t Third Younger Sister know?” With that, a maid at her side reminded her that the First Madam would be getting anxious, so she departed with a smile.

Li Weiyang watched her retreating figure, deep in thought. Ziyan, standing behind her, sighed softly, “Eldest Miss is truly so beautiful.”

But Baizhi asked, “Is the eldest young master returning?”

The two maids had completely different points of focus.

Li Weiyang looked approvingly at Baizhi, a barely perceptible cold smile attaching to the corners of her lips: Yes indeed, the Li family’s eldest young master, the First Madam’s biological son Li Minfeng was about to return. In her previous life, he had been Tuoba Zhen’s good brother, good confidant, good subject! Thinking of how in that life, when the wind was high and the waves fierce, she had knelt begging him, but he closed his doors and refused to see her, dismissing her with just one sentence: A mere concubine-born daughter, overestimating her own abilities!

Overestimating her own abilities—Li Weiyang raised her head, looking up at the sunlight in the sky, then suddenly turned around and quickly walked toward Shuangyue Pavilion.

Baizhi suddenly said, “Miss, Fifth Miss she—” Li Changxi would definitely make a huge crying scene like before.

Li Weiyang didn’t turn back, smiling faintly: “Knowing there are tigers on the mountain, yet heading toward Tiger Mountain. Let’s go. I have my own intentions!”