vstars Chapter 265 Ying Wuyou visits Li Shiqi
Chapter 265 Ying Wuyou visits Li Shiqi
After visiting Chen Ping's family, Ying Wuyou walked steadily to the courtyard where Li Shiqi lived. Stepping through the gate, a worn and slightly desolate atmosphere enveloped him. Li Shiqi's father had long since passed away due to illness, leaving his elderly and frail mother to support the family alone. The vicissitudes of time had etched deep lines on her face, making her appear older than her actual age. Li Shiqi's wife, too, had worked tirelessly year-round, and the wind and sun had aged her once youthful face considerably.
Li Shiqi had two sons and a daughter. Both sons were married and had children. The eldest son's family was quite large, with a son who was only 5 years old, lively and adorable, and a daughter who had just turned 3, well-behaved and clever. The second son's family had only one precious daughter, who was only 2 years old this year, just at the age of toddlers learning to walk and babble.
When Tian Guang sent his men to forcibly bind Li Shiqi's entire family onto the carriage, the situation was quite chaotic. However, unexpectedly, Li Shiqi's children, and even his daughters-in-law, all behaved quite sensibly. Seeing that Tian Guang and his men had no obvious malicious intent, they obediently sat in the carriage and remained quiet throughout the journey, causing no further trouble.
In contrast, Li Shiqi was a tough nut to crack, constantly causing trouble since waking up. Faced with such a stubborn Li Shiqi, Tian Guang showed no mercy, punishing him without hesitation whenever he caused trouble. Despite the repeated pleas of Li Shiqi's sons to persuade their father, Li Shiqi seemed determined to defy Tian Guang to the end. Thus, Li Shiqi endured countless beatings along the way. By the time he arrived in Xianyang, Li Shiqi was emaciated and barely able to walk.
As soon as Tian Guang returned to Xianyang, he told Ying Wuyou in detail how he had painstakingly persuaded Li Shiqi and how he was forced to tie up Li Shiqi's entire family and send them on their way.
According to Tian Guang, Li Shiqi hadn't stopped causing trouble along the way. Tian Guang had no choice but to beat Li Shiqi as they continued on their way.
Hearing this, Ying Wuyou felt utterly helpless. She rubbed her forehead, thinking to herself, "Oh dear, why is Li Shiqi so stubborn? Does he have some kind of peculiar fetish? He clearly knows he can't escape, so why doesn't he just obediently get into the carriage and head straight for Xianyang? Why does he have to make trouble for himself? Isn't that foolish? Besides, he must know that if he makes a scene, Tian Guang will beat him, but he still does it every day, so Tian Guang can only beat him every day." Thinking of this, Ying Wuyou was truly speechless.
Thinking about Li Shiqi, who was already quite old, Ying Wuyou was genuinely worried that Tian Guang might go too far and accidentally injure or cripple him! However, on second thought, Li Shiqi had suffered so much hardship and endured so many beatings along the way; he must be very unhappy. So Ying Wuyou kept putting off visiting him. Ten days passed in the blink of an eye before Ying Wuyou finally made up his mind to personally go to Li Shiqi's residence to see how this troublesome old man was doing.
As I stepped into the quiet courtyard, before I had even fully entered, the cheerful and noisy sounds of children playing reached my ears. Looking closely, I saw three innocent children chasing and frolicking in the yard, their clear, bell-like laughter rising and falling, as if painting the entire courtyard with a lively color.
Ying Wuyou smiled and continued walking deeper into the courtyard. Just then, she saw a figure diligently sweeping the ground with a broom. Hearing footsteps, the person looked up, and when their eyes met Ying Wuyou's, a hint of doubt appeared on their face. They asked, "May I ask who you are?"
Ying Wuyou nodded slightly and replied softly, "I am Princess Jiayang, Ying Wuyou. I have come here today to pay my respects to Mr. Li Shiqi."
The moment the words left his mouth, the sweeper's eyes widened in astonishment. He hurriedly put down his broom, strode to Ying Wuyou, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Greetings, Princess! I will go and inform my father immediately. Please wait a moment, Your Highness." With that, he turned and vanished like a gust of wind.
Ying Wuyou stood quietly, waiting patiently. Not long after, a woman with a haggard face and a thin figure slowly approached. She walked with a faltering gait, appearing somewhat weak, but her eyes revealed a simple and kind nature. Reaching Ying Wuyou, the woman bowed and said, "Greetings, Princess. It's freezing outside. Please come inside and warm up." Ying Wuyou smiled slightly, indicating her agreement, and then followed the woman into a room.
Although the interior was simply furnished, it was fairly clean and tidy. Just as Ying Wuyou was looking around, a commotion suddenly arose outside. Soon after, a group of people filed in. Most of them looked thin and pale, clearly living a difficult life. However, leading the way was a tall, thin old man. This old man was remarkably spry, with a ruddy complexion, and walked with a steady, powerful stride. Ying Wuyou secretly guessed that this must be the Mr. Li Shiqi she was looking for.
A group of people filed in, hurrying into the room. Once they stopped, they all bowed respectfully to Ying Wuyou and shouted in unison, "Greetings, Princess!"
Ying Wuyou nodded slightly, a gentle smile on her face, and said softly, "Please rise, everyone." As her words fell, the group of people slowly straightened up.
At this moment, the person at the head of the group stepped forward, bowed, and asked, "Li Shiqi greets Princess Jiayang. May I ask what brings the princess to see me today?" His gaze was fixed on Ying Wuyou, his eyes revealing a hint of doubt and inquiry.
Ying Wuyou maintained her smile, cleared her throat with a light cough, and then said slowly, "Previously, I sent my men to invite Mr. Li Shiqi to take up a post in Xianyang. However, you politely declined my offer. My men, knowing my deep appreciation for talent, acted impulsively and took it upon themselves to forcibly bring you all to Xianyang. This was all due to my poor discipline, and I must apologize to you all for this. I am truly sorry for causing you such distress." She then bowed deeply to express her apology.