freenovelworld Chapter 817 Li Shi Falls Ill!
Chapter 817 Li Shi Falls Ill!
Mu Xin Nuan's thoughts were actually very simple. She wanted Mu Qing Xuan to marry a woman from a high-ranking family, firstly to find him an ally, and secondly to keep an eye on Mu Qing Yuan.
After all, people's hearts are fickle.
Who knows if Mu Qingyuan will be provoked by others years later?
Therefore, Mu Xin Nuan immediately made up her mind: that distant relative of the Chu family absolutely could not become the main wife of the Mu family.
If she were to become a concubine, she would naturally have no objection. It's a pity that her younger brother is deeply in love with that woman. Once such a woman enters the household, she will inevitably bring endless trouble to the Mu family.
The infighting within the household indirectly affected his future prospects.
Therefore, after a brief discussion between Mu Xin Nuan and Li Shi, they both made up their minds: the girl from the Chu family absolutely could not enter the Mu family's gate.
Mu Xin Nuan didn't think too much about it. In fact, such a thing is actually very easy to resolve.
Even without her intervention, Mu Qingxuan had no choice but to give up on the idea.
After much deliberation, I decided to leave the matter to my mother to handle herself.
The next day, Li sent a letter to her maternal family, Dafeng. Several days later, the group gathered at Li's residence for tea and conversation.
During her conversation, Madam Sun mentioned a promising young man who had just passed the imperial examination and wanted to arrange a marriage for a distant niece of the Chu family.
Madam Chu was naturally pleased. This was a distant niece, and although she was sensible, it would be inappropriate for her to stay at their residence indefinitely.
A few days later, the two families finalized the marriage agreement.
It wasn't until the two sides exchanged betrothal gifts that Li revealed this matter to Mu Qingxuan.
"My mother sent someone to inquire, and the girl has already been betrothed."
Mu Qingxuan was stunned and blurted out, "How is that possible? I clearly asked her, and she said she had never been engaged."
This time, it was Li's turn to be stunned. "You're asking her? Ah Xuan, how many things are you still hiding from your mother?"
Mu Qingxuan was momentarily speechless, looking as if he had done something wrong, and remained silent with his head down.
Although he has now entered the military camp for training, he is still young and inexperienced. With just one sentence, he exposed himself.
"Mother, I truly love her. She is a sensible and understanding girl. I fell in love with her at first sight and beg you to grant me your blessing."
This time, Mrs. Li really didn't know what to say!
I don't know if I was angry at him or shocked by his confession.
When did her adopted son stop telling her the truth?
Li was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and felt a tightness in her chest. She clutched her chest and said, "You can go now."
Mu Qingxuan looked up, his face pleading, and said, "Mother!"
"You may leave now. I have said everything I needed to say. If you do not believe me, go and ask the lady of the Chu family again to see if I have lied to you. They have even changed their birth dates, why would I lie to you? You have grown up and have your own worries. In your eyes, your mother is no longer important. I understand everything. You may leave now."
These words were rather sad and heavy-handed.
Even Mu Qingxuan, who was always filial, felt uneasy upon hearing this.
“Mother, your son is unfilial. I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just worried that if I told the truth, it would tarnish the girl’s reputation and make you think she was not a respectable girl. That’s why I kept it from you. I know I was wrong.”
"Alright, I'm tired, you can leave now."
After that day, Li fell ill.
Duanmu Chuze intercepted the news of Li's illness.
Mu Xin Nuan is currently pregnant and already going through a difficult time. If she were to find out that Li Shi is also ill, wouldn't she be worried too?
However, Duanmu Chuze did not ignore the matter.
They quickly dispatched an imperial physician to treat the patient, which was a gesture of goodwill towards the Mu family.
Although no one mentioned it, Mu Qingxuan knew that his mother's illness was most likely caused by him.
In fact, he later asked Chu Rong in the army and learned that his cousin was indeed engaged and was said to be a newly appointed Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), with a bright future ahead of her.
Mu Qingxuan found it hard to accept for a moment.
Such a definitive answer was like a bolt from the blue for him.
"How is this possible? She clearly said she hadn't arranged any marriages, and that she was determined to marry only me in this life. How could this be?"
Mu Qingxuan was young and just beginning to experience love, so naturally he was somewhat unwilling to give up.
Soon, he found an opportunity to meet the girl privately.
His eyes were red and swollen whenever he saw his beloved. After hearing her explanation, Mu Qingxuan immediately understood everything.
It was her mother who had so eagerly arranged the marriage for her, clearly intending to give her beloved to someone else.
Mu Qingxuan's first reaction was, how could his mother do this?
My mother has always loved me dearly since I was little, how could she do such a thing?
This young lady from the Chu family is a distant cousin of General Chu, and her name is Chu Yan.
As her name suggests, she was beautiful, and her voice was as melodious as a silver bell.
"Mu Lang, I know I come from a humble background and am not worthy of you. You are the Crown Princess's younger brother and the eldest son of the Earl's family. You will surely inherit the title in the future. It's my fault. I shouldn't have had any illusions about you. Mu Lang, you should forget about me."
As Chu Yan spoke, she prepared to leave.
Mu Qingxuan grabbed her and held her soft hands in his palms, which was incredibly tempting.
"No, I won't let you marry someone else. Don't worry, I will definitely find a way to help you break off this engagement."
Chu Yan cried pitifully, "How is this possible? Marriage is a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. Now even the General and his wife have agreed, and the betrothal gifts have been exchanged. How could I possibly have another chance to break off the engagement? We are currently staying at the Chu residence. If I really break off the engagement, what will happen to my mother and younger brother?"
Looking at his pitiful and charming sweetheart, Mu Qingxuan's heart almost melted.
"Don't worry. I'll definitely find a way. At worst, I'll just ask my sister for help."
"The Crown Princess? I'm afraid she would never agree to our request. How could someone as high and mighty as the Crown Princess allow someone like me to be by your side?"
Chu Yan sobbed a few more times, "Actually, I don't ask for much. As long as I can be by Mu Lang's side every day, even if it's as a slave, I'm willing."
Hearing his beloved confess his feelings, Mu Qingxuan finally felt a little better.
"Don't worry, my sister isn't that kind of old-fashioned person. Back then, wasn't my sister and brother-in-law's marriage also a case of mismatched social status? But in the end, didn't it work out?"