Li Man'er left, and Li Shu remained alone in the study, dumbfounded.
His eldest daughter's words had startled Li Shu. What a classic case of the snipe and the clam fighting, with the fisherman benefiting. If he and the Xiao family were the snipe and the clam, then who was the fisherman?
This was the second time Li Shu had asked himself this question. Although he already had an answer in his heart, at this moment, he wished he knew nothing.
If the accusation of poisoning ultimately pointed to the Xiao family, how would he position himself? If the Emperor were to blame him, wouldn't the Xiao family seek revenge on him when he went to the Northern Frontier in the future?
Li Shu managed a bitter smile. This time, he suspected that the troublesome girl had spoken the truth again. He sat alone in his study for the entire night. The next day, he went to court with dark circles under his eyes and was even mocked by his colleagues.
Despite not having slept all night, Li Shu felt no fatigue. As he looked up at the person seated at the head of the court, his heart fluttered uneasily, feeling as though a thorn had lodged itself in his flesh.
After the court session ended, the Emperor kept Li Shu behind and went to a small study room with him.
Li Shu knelt down in fear and reverence, prostrating himself on the ground for a long time without moving.
"Minister Li, rise."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Li Shu stood up, trembling, and stood to the side with his hands clasped.
"Old Qian, fetch him a chair."
Eunuch Qian was now the Grand Eunuch. Such matters did not require his personal attention; with just a glance from him, a junior eunuch brought a chair and placed it within the study.
"Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for the honor of a seat."
The Emperor was only in his early forties, but he looked older, appearing to be in his fifties. Perhaps it was due to excessive toil, or perhaps the sheer number of concubines in his harem had caused the Emperor of our esteemed nation to show signs of premature aging.
"You suffered a great misfortune a few days ago and have only just recovered. You must not overexert yourself."
"Thank you for Your Majesty's concern." Li Shu sat in the chair, his heart beginning to pound.
"You are the Ironclad Marquis of Zhen. The Li family has always been loyal to the nation, devoted to the people, and I am well aware of this. The matter of your poisoning has been investigated by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, but there is a pressing matter at hand that requires you to temporarily refrain from seeking redress."
Li Shu's heart sank. He quickly stood up, bowed, and clasped his hands in a salute. "It is of no consequence if your humble servant suffers injustice, as long as Your Majesty is not wronged."
The Emperor burst into laughter, pointing at Li Shu and chiding, "You, you old fox! You've barely recovered, and you're already trying to scheme. Sit down quickly."
Li Shu sat back down as instructed.
The Emperor sighed softly before saying, "Everyone believes I am the Son of Heaven, that no one dares to wrong me. They do not realize that an Emperor is also human and experiences moments of grievance. In this realm, only you and Duke Jin dare to speak so frankly to me."
Duke Jin was the Emperor's former tutor, who had retired and returned home last year.
"Regarding your poisoning, I cannot grant you justice at this moment. The Xiao family cannot be moved for now."
Li Shu's heart sank again. What he feared had come to pass.
This was the time for his performance.
Li Shu raised his head in feigned surprise. "Your Majesty, could the person who administered the poison be from the Xiao family? Old Duke Ling lived a life of integrity, guarding the frontier for over thirty years. How could this be possible?"
"Duke Ling would never do such a thing, but the Xiao family is vast and deeply entrenched. There are bound to be a few insatiable individuals among them."
Li Shu felt a cold sweat break out. He thought to himself that this might be a case of 'if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a reason.'
"Yes, I am a rough man, and I understand little of these intricate matters. Whatever Your Majesty says is right." Li Shu was handsome but rather simple-minded. He was a military man, and in court, he was usually forthright. Apart from military affairs, he paid no attention to factional disputes or underhanded dealings. To be precise, Li Shu was a pure official, the kind who wouldn't even realize if you tried to win him over.
"My dear minister, it seems you are destined to endure hardship."
"Your humble servant feels no hardship. Fortunately, through this poisoning, I have discovered that we have gained a divine physician in our household."
The Emperor had heard about this as well and asked curiously, "Duan Xu reported that your recovery was entirely thanks to your daughter. Is this true?"
Li Shu quickly stood up. "Reporting to Your Majesty, my youngest daughter spent several years with her maternal grandfather and was closest to her maternal uncle. My brother-in-law is known as a peculiar physician, and his master is said to be Physician Immortal Qiu."
"Oh?" A glint flashed in the Emperor's eyes. "Indeed, a renowned lineage. However, was your brother-in-law not always rather idle? When did he learn medicine?"
Li Shu was embarrassed. It was Eunuch Qian who softly reminded him, "Your Majesty, the Marquis's eldest wife is the eldest daughter of the Ning family. The young lady Li's maternal uncle is also from the Ning family. The one you mentioned is from the Guo family, the second wife."
The Emperor then recalled, "That's right. How could I have forgotten this? He didn't pay much attention to these matters himself and certainly wouldn't concern himself with the affairs of his ministers' households, though he did have some recollection of it."
"I recall your first wife only bore you one daughter?"
"Yes."
The Emperor seemed to recall something and turned to ask Eunuch Qian, "Wasn't that child betrothed to Qiao'er? I remember the Empress Dowager bestowed this marriage."
Eunuch Qian nodded with a smile, saying nothing.
How could the palace be unaware of the fierce arguments between Miss Li and Tong Qiao?
Upon hearing this, Li Shu immediately pulled up his robe and knelt. "Your Majesty, I have sinned."
The Emperor seemed surprised by his sudden kneeling. "Minister, what are you doing? What sin have you committed?"
"Your Majesty, my youngest daughter lost her mother at a young age and was raised to be somewhat willful and pampered. She..." Li Shu blushed at this point. Honestly, after all these years, he had paid little attention to Li Man'er. Every time he heard news of his eldest daughter, it was about her naughtiness and the trouble she caused, with hardly any good news. Over time, he grew tired of hearing it and simply delegated her upbringing to Madam Guo.
"And?"
"She and the Young Duke are truly a mismatched pair. Last time, the Young Duke even drew his sword to kill her." Li Shu had decided to go all out. After all, he had always been a straightforward man, and His Majesty likely knew this to some extent. So, he continued, "Your humble servant believes that rather than letting them harbor resentment, it would be better to..."
The Emperor asked in a deep, calm voice, "Better to what?"
"It would be better to revoke the decree and allow them to marry others, without interference."
The Emperor suddenly smiled. "This marriage was bestowed by the Empress Dowager and has nothing to do with me. Minister, you should appeal to the Empress Dowager."
When Li Shu emerged from the small study room, his feet felt as if they were treading on cotton. His official robes were soaked with sweat.
He left the palace in a rather disheveled state. Even his attendants were surprised. "Your Highness, is something important happening?"
Li Shu waved his hand. "Let's return to the residence first." With that, he dived into his sedan chair and was carried back to his residence, trembling.
Because he had stayed up all night, he had specifically chosen to travel by sedan chair instead of horseback to court today. Looking back now, it seemed like a brilliant decision. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to mount a horse now.