After the cannon fodder father and daughter married into the family, the whole family regretted it

Chapter 986 Questioning the Heart

Li Mingxi's gaze fell on the little girl's waist. It wasn't that he was ignorant of manners, but rather that...

At a glance, I spotted the legendary jade pendant.

The jade pendant worn by the Crown Prince symbolizes the power of the Eastern Palace; seeing the pendant is like seeing the Crown Prince.

Li Mingxi's heart sank. Meeting Shang Nanzhi's deep gaze, he bowed in greeting.

"Greetings, Miss Fang."

After Fang Nanzhi obtained the jade pendant, she mostly used it to enter and exit the palace, and rarely used it to deliberately intimidate others.

Su Qingya is one, and Li Mingxi is another.

Logically speaking, Li Mingxi was an official appointed by the imperial court, and she shouldn't have acted this way.

However, the thought of her friend being so thin and bony ignited the anger in Fang Nanzhi's heart.

She looked away, pretending not to see that person.

Turning to Mr. Zheng to discuss the condition, she said, "Sir, Wanru has both external and internal injuries."

"The external injury is mainly on her knees. Half of it was from kneeling, and the other half was from being exposed to cold. Even if it is cured, I'm afraid the cold will still have seeped into her body, and her knees will ache when the weather gets cold in the future."

Mr. Zheng tightened his grip on the teacup.

"Treat Zhizhi with the best medicine."

"Of course, as for internal injuries, alas." Fang Nanzhi sighed.

"Internal injuries, one of which is the miscarriage. A miscarriage itself will damage the body's foundation. After Wanru's miscarriage, not only did she not receive care, she almost died from illness. Her qi and blood were severely depleted. I'm afraid she will need two or three years to recover from this."

Li Mingxi, who was still bent over, turned pale. What did she mean by "no one to take care of her after a miscarriage"?

Before he could ask, Fang Nanzhi continued, "On the other hand, if she gets too cold, her uterus will become cold and her body will be damaged. In the future, Wanru will not be able to tolerate any cold."

"Finally, she also has some problems with her spleen and stomach, which seem to be caused by hunger. If it is not treated properly, it may lead to chronic illness over time."

Mr. Zheng's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

The Li family, who carefully selected a good family for their granddaughter, can't afford to support their daughter-in-law?

To starve people?

The disciple had mentioned these circumstances once before, though not in such detail. Yet, upon hearing them again, Mr. Zheng still couldn't help but feel heartache and anger.

The more unsettled Mr. Zheng was inside, the more indifferent he appeared on the surface, making it impossible for anyone to tell.

"Yes, Wanru's illness depends entirely on you, Zhizhi."

“Sir, why are you being so polite with me? Wanru and I are very close friends. Her injury is my pain, and I will definitely treat her well.”

Fang Nanzhi deliberately raised her voice.

“Wanru has suffered so much, I was supposed to take care of her.”

This is a double entendre.

Li Mingxi sensed a threat and a warning in his voice.

After the master and apprentice finished speaking, Fang Nanzhi seemed to notice Li Mingxi bowing.

"Lord Li, please get up."

Li Mingxi, her face pale, straightened up: "So it was Miss Fang who personally examined Wanru. That must have been quite a hassle."

Fang Nanzhi's gaze was cold and indifferent. She didn't respond to the question, but instead asked, "Lord Li, did you return from the capital?"

“Alas, just two months ago, Wanru was still writing to me, saying that she was going to the capital with Lord Li to take up her post, but I don’t know why she didn’t come.”

Li Mingxi opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

"Unexpectedly, we met again in Huainan Prefecture just two months later. Lord Li, do you know how Wanru got her knee injury, miscarriage, uterine cold, and spleen and stomach problems?"

Fang Nanzhi spoke softly, seemingly genuinely inquiring about the patient's condition, but it was clearly a blatant interrogation.

Li Mingxi felt as if her head weighed a ton, and she couldn't lift it at all.

He readily admitted his mistake: "It was my fault for not taking good care of Wanru."

He was genuinely remorseful, but under such circumstances, a single sentence felt dry and unconvincing.

Zheng Wanru almost lost her life.

A maidservant came in at just the right time and said that the young lady had woken up, but seemed to be feeling unwell, and asked Miss Fang to go and take a look.

Fang Nanzhi knew that this was all she could do for now.

She was ultimately not a qualified person; she was an outsider. All she needed to do was put pressure on Li Mingxi and let her know that the Zheng family wasn't without foundation and still had leverage.

The real negotiations will have to be conducted by Mr. Zheng.

Fang Nanzhi stood up, bowed to the doctor, picked up her medicine box and left, not glancing at Li Mingxi as she passed by.

When they arrived at the backyard, Zheng Wanru was still reading on the bed. When she saw her come back with a serious face, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Didn't you go and show off for me? Why are you still unhappy?"

Fang Nanzhi was indeed unhappy.

No matter what she does now, the harm Wanru suffered is a fact that cannot be changed.

Not just physical, but also psychological.

The former Wanru was lively and mischievous. She often played with her, which would lead to her husband's punishment. When she couldn't answer a test question, she would wink at her for help.

This time, although Wanru was always smiling, it was different.

That smile held more helplessness, more feigned nonchalance, and more maturity.

She seems to have grown up all of a sudden.

People grow up, but this method is still too cruel.

But Fang Nanzhi didn't voice her thoughts, afraid of upsetting Wanru.

"Hmm, I think Li Mingxi has a clean and honest appearance, and doesn't seem like a malicious person."

Fang Nanzhi changed the subject.

Zheng Wanru gently pushed her and laughed, "Are you afraid I'll change my mind?"

Fang Nanzhi remained silent, looking at her intently.

Actually, she was genuinely a little worried.

Judging from Li Mingxi's behavior today, she seems to genuinely care for Wanru. Perhaps there are some things she is unaware of?

Seeing how serious she was, Zheng Wanru stopped smiling.

"I won't."

“Grandfather said that marriage is about uniting two families and is a matter for both families, not just two people. The mistake this time was that the character of the other members of the Li family was not considered when the marriage was arranged.”

“I think my grandfather was both right and wrong.”

“The mother-in-law is not good, but Li Lang is too blindly filial. His character is not enough to support his family.”

"And me, if I hadn't misunderstood from the beginning and tried to quell these things by maintaining harmony in the family, my mother-in-law wouldn't have gone too far."

Fang Nanzhi's eyes widened, she reached out and touched her forehead, then withdrew her hand.

"You don't have a fever, so why are you talking nonsense? Even in this state, you still want to reflect on your own actions?"

Zheng Wanru gently slapped her hand away.

"I am reflecting on my actions and how I will deal with them. I will learn from my mistakes in the future. It doesn't mean I did anything wrong."

Fang Nanzhi breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed her friend hadn't gone mad.

"What I mean is, the biggest responsibility for the in-laws' falling out like this lies with Li Lang and me; we, as husband and wife, have failed to work together."

This is why Zheng Wanru believes she can't go on living like this, or rather, she doesn't want to live like this anymore.

Fang Nanzhi understood, and her brows furrowed tightly.

"It seems that the way of husband and wife is a subject of study."

"Perhaps it wasn't meant to be, but after going through this ordeal, although I'm covered in wounds, I can't say I regret it."

Zheng Wanru was very calm.

"Although there is a rift between my husband and me and discord between my mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, I still have the love of my parents, the concern of my grandfather, and my closest friends."

People only gain a clearer understanding after experiencing things.

Fang Nanzhi couldn't help but smile when she heard the word "close friend".

"Alright, alright, you should read more miscellaneous books lately. You're so preachy, I'm afraid you'll become a monk one day."

“I’m afraid that won’t work, I love eating meat,” Zheng Wanru said.

The two of them burst into laughter.

Fang Nanzhi talked about the dishes for today's family banquet.

The menu was chosen by her and her second uncle, but unfortunately, she couldn't eat there.

"Oh, by the way, my family has venison, but my dad hid it. He couldn't bear to use it for a banquet. Come back tomorrow, and I'll bring you a frozen deer leg."

Fang Nanzhi said in a generous manner.

"Okay."

The two little girls were having a great time.

However, the atmosphere in the lobby was not very good.

"Li Mingxi, let me ask you this: do you still remember the promise you made when you came to propose marriage?"

Mr. Zheng asked in a deep voice.

Li Mingxi swallowed hard: "I remember, we'll spend our lives together, cherish it dearly..."

"Did you manage to do it?"

Mr. Zheng stared at him.

Li Mingxi couldn't express it; her heart was filled with bitterness.

He didn't understand how things had come to this.

“Li Mingxi, I agreed to this marriage because I thought you were well-educated and should know proper etiquette. Your Li family is a clan, so your family tradition should be upright.”

"But now it seems you've become utterly foolish. Your Li family, hmph."

The constraints of etiquette prevented Mr. Zheng from saying anything more offensive.

If Fang Tong were here, he would have spat all over Li Mingxi's face and might have even slapped him twice to bring him to his senses.

"What terrible mistake did my granddaughter make that she has to kneel in the snow to be punished in the dead of winter?"

"No matter how big her mistake was, isn't the miscarriage enough to punish her? Why can't we get her a doctor? Are we trying to let her suffer until she dies?"

"If your Li family doesn't want this daughter-in-law, just return her to us. Why do you want her life?"

This is what hurts Mr. Zheng the most and what he finds most unacceptable.

Forcing someone to kneel is cruel, miscarriage is an accident, but not calling a doctor is a real attempt to murder.

Li Mingxi knelt down with a thud.

"Grandfather, the miscarriage was an accident. As for the doctor, could it have been an accident? My mother... my mother wouldn't do that, would she?"

Seeing his bewildered, fearful, and flustered appearance, Mr. Zheng closed his eyes.

At that moment, it became clear that this marriage was off.

So many days have passed, and Li Mingxi still can't grasp everything that's happened, which shows that she's truly a clueless bum at home.

A man like that can't protect his granddaughter.

After his initial grief, Mr. Zheng became indifferent.

"Li Mingxi, if you've come here today to argue with me about these things, you should go back."

Before Li Mingxi could say anything more, the butler appeared and "thoughtfully" helped him up and offered to see him out.

Li Mingxi was unwilling to accept this.

The butler said coldly, "Young master, you don't even know the details of the matter. What are you asking for? What mistake are you coming here to admit?"

Two questions silenced Li Mingxi.

Leaving the Zheng residence, the wind was biting cold. He stood at the door for a long time before getting into the carriage.

He should figure something out.

Fang Nanzhi couldn't kill time indefinitely; after lunch, she was "arrested."

First, I was tested on whether I had made any progress in the past six months.

Then, knowing the assignments Mr. Deng had given her, Mr. Zheng watched her do them.

It was truly a thoroughly enjoyable learning experience.

Zheng Wanru understood her pain, so she had her maid bring some snacks while she continued to leisurely read her storybook.

Anyway, her grandfather won't be nagging her about her homework anymore.

This gave Zheng Wanru a sense of joy, as she had already graduated while her friends were still studying.

Hmm, I'm a little gloating, but I can't let Zhizhi know.

Fang Nanzhi didn't leave until almost evening, as she was heading back home.

As they were leaving the gate, they saw Li Mingxi sending people to deliver many tonics and medicinal herbs.

Unfortunately, those people couldn't even get through the gate.

Fang Nanzhi felt a little better, thinking he deserved it.

By the time she returned to the village, it was already dark. She was too late to come back, and even though the banquet had lasted from noon until night, it was already over.

However, she still had food.

Stewed goose, stir-fried wild vegetables with eggs, and glutinous rice balls are all her favorite dishes, and the family specially reserved them for her.

Fang Nanzhi ate with relish and also mentioned that Li Mingxi hadn't received a pleasant welcome when she visited.

It wasn't that she was quick to speak; it was that Zheng Wanru didn't care and didn't expect her to keep it a secret.

Moreover, if things really get ugly between the Li family and the Zheng family later on, such as going to court, the Fang family will need to officially step in and support them.

This can't be kept secret.

"Tsk, Mr. Zheng is still too mild-mannered. Why not find someone to put him in a sack and beat him up?"

Fang Tong's Commentary.

"Father, didn't you say we shouldn't hit officials?"

Assaulting officials is a violation of the law.

Fang Tong smiled wickedly: "That's different. In the capital, we have to keep a low profile, but now, this is our territory."

That tone is exactly like that of a mountain king.

Actually, what he said wasn't wrong; Lord Lin should give Fang Yin face.

Compared to Fang Yin, Li Mingxi, though also a Beijing official, was only a sixth-rank official, lacked imperial favor, and held little real power...

He was really just an insignificant nobody.

Qin Yan added, "It wasn't us who did the dirty work. The Zheng family was disciplining their son-in-law, which is a family matter that even an upright official can't settle."

Fang Nanzhi raised an eyebrow at her brother. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!

Her brother's filling is still black sesame.

Fang Tong patted his son on the shoulder, feeling quite gratified; the student had surpassed the teacher.

For a moment, the father and his two children all laughed mischievously.

Qian Fengping thought it was bad for her eyes, but Meng Lan watched it with great interest.

Sure enough, the Fang family members are all very interesting.

Fang Yin kept serving food to his wife, but he hadn't done anything like putting someone in a sack and beating them in a long time.

He's a mature general now; he can't do that kind of thing anymore.

He touched his wife's belly and taught the child.

"Did you hear that? You can't afford to offend your brother again."

Although he wanted a smart child, it didn't matter if the child was as slow as him; as long as he found the right mentor, he could still win without lifting a finger.

Qin Yan felt a little embarrassed: "Second Uncle, I won't bully my younger brother or sister."

He has always been unconditionally supportive of his family.

"Second Uncle knows," Fang Yin chuckled.

Fang Tong has moved on to the next topic.

Lord Lin's visit today is not simply for the banquet; it seems he has other business to attend to.

"Second brother, Lord Lin and you talked privately for half an hour. What did you talk about?"

Frankly speaking, close ties between a military general and a local prefect are still a sensitive issue.

Fang Tong was worried that his brother wouldn't be able to get the dimensions right.

"Lord Lin hopes that more troops can be stationed in the prefectural city. He plans to submit a memorial to the Ministry of War after the New Year and hopes to get my support."

Fang Yin did not hide it.

Meng Lan frowned: "Shouldn't the local soldiers be under the jurisdiction of the sub-prefect?"

The prefectural governor outwardly controls the government, but military power is not directly in his hands.

"Hmm." Fang Yin nodded: "It seems that Lord Lin and the Assistant Magistrate are at odds."

He didn't really want to get involved in these local power struggles.

"I seem to remember that the magistrate's surname is Liu. He seems to be Lord Liu's son, and also a good friend of Yan Ge'er?" Fang Tong thought for a moment.