Chapter 83: Dispelling Doubts

“Not bad. The most urgent matter now is to protect Meixue’s reputation.” As he spoke, Li Shimin looked at Yunyi with a tinge of guilt. “This time, I not only caused you to sprain your ankle but also tarnished your reputation. I truly apologize.”

“Second Young Master, please don’t say that. You couldn’t have foreseen this,” Yunyi replied gently. “By the way, how is the injury on your shoulder? What did Doctor Xu say?”

Li Shimin glanced at his right shoulder. “The bone is cracked, but fortunately, it’s not serious. I just need to rest and avoid moving my right arm too much before it heals. What about you? Did Doctor Xu examine you?”

Yunyi nodded. “Yes, he said it was just a strained tendon. Fortunately, no bones were injured, so it’s not a big deal.”

Jiang Caiping suddenly chimed in cheerfully, “After going out, one of you hurt your leg, and the other can’t move their hand—it’s like the story of ‘Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect’ told by storytellers!”

Yunyi, who had heard the story before, lightly scolded her. “What ‘Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect’? Second Young Master and I will recover from our injuries. You always joke around without thinking—aren’t you afraid Second Young Master will reprimand you?”

Jiang Caiping laughed. “Second Young Master is so kind-hearted; he’d never blame me.”

Li Shimin quite liked her lively and straightforward personality, which reminded him of his younger sister who had married into Luoyang. With a smile, he asked, “What exactly is ‘Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect’?”

Jiang Caiping answered brightly, “It’s a nickname for a man and a woman—one with an injured hand and the other with an injured leg, just like you and Miss Wu. But in the story, they’re a married couple.”

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll hit you!” Yunyi raised her hand playfully as if to strike, while Jiang Caiping giggled and hid behind Li Shimin. “Second Young Master, save me!”

“All right, all right.” After calming them down, Li Shimin asked curiously, “Since both are disabled, what’s so interesting about their story?”

“Though they are disabled, they possess extraordinary martial arts skills. The story is about their acts of chivalry and justice. Many storytellers recount this tale.” Jiang Caiping then exclaimed in surprise, “Second Young Master, haven’t you heard of it?”

Li Shimin shook his head. “I rarely listen to storytelling. Why don’t you tell me about it?”

Jiang Caiping eagerly agreed and began narrating the story of ‘Heavenly Cripple and Earthly Defect’ to Li Shimin as they walked. Though Li Shimin had watched plenty of plays in the estate, this was his first time hearing a storyteller’s tale—and he found it fascinating.

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After listening to Duan Zhihong’s report, Lady Wan immediately agreed and relayed the message to Chief Steward Lin, ordering him to expel Ding Yulan from the estate immediately. Witnessing this firsthand, Sunshi was deeply frightened and fell ill for several days afterward. She warned everyone she met not to spread rumors about Yunyi and Li Shimin spending the night outside the city, lest they suffer the same fate as Ding Yulan—for merely indulging in idle gossip, she lost her job.

Everyone working at the governor’s residence valued the generous benefits of the position. Hearing they could lose their jobs, combined with Ding Yulan’s example, they quickly closed their mouths. As Li Shimin had anticipated, the rampant rumors were effectively curbed. Even those envious of Yunyi dared only whisper behind closed doors, no longer speaking openly.

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Several days after the heavy snowfall, a scholar-like figure knocked on the door of the Wu household. After a while, Wu Lausan opened the door, eyeing the stranger curiously. “Who are you looking for?”

The scholar bowed politely and said gently, “You must be Mr. Wu. My name is Jiang. I recently had the pleasure of seeing your daughter’s artwork, which left me utterly astonished. After much inquiry, I learned she resides here, so I’ve come to request a meeting. If possible, I would be honored if your daughter could grant me a painting.”

This flowery speech was difficult for Wu Lausan to process. After a moment, he finally understood. “So you want a painting from my daughter?”

The scholar bowed again. “Precisely. I humbly ask for your permission, Mr. Wu. I am deeply grateful.”

“My daughter works elsewhere and isn’t home. Besides, she usually draws in sand or mud, so we don’t have any paintings here. If you truly want one, you can return on the first day of next month. By then, Meixue should be back, and she can paint something for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wu.” The scholar continued, “I’ve heard your daughter serves at the governor’s residence. With her talent, she could easily make a living selling her paintings. Why does she work as a servant?”

“Meixue paints merely as a hobby, and her work isn’t as good as you claim—it wouldn’t sell for much.” Wu Lausan paused and added, “By the way, Meixue has been at the governor’s residence. Where did you see her paintings? Are you also from there? If so, why don’t you directly ask her to paint something for you?”

The scholar hesitated briefly before replying, “How could I possibly enter the governor’s residence? I saw her work by chance at the market. Since your daughter isn’t here, I’ll return another day. Goodbye.”

After the scholar left, Wu Lausan closed the gate and returned inside. From the inner room, he retrieved a crumpled letter. The night before, when he returned home, the neighboring Fang family had handed him a pair of shoes, saying Meixue had sent them. At first, he was delighted, but upon trying them on, he realized they didn’t fit. Instead, he found a letter inside, filled with tiny characters. Unfortunately, Wu Lausan could barely write his own name, let alone read these words.

He initially intended to toss it aside, but considering it was from his daughter, doing so felt disrespectful. Thus, he sought out a fortune-teller in the village with whom he was close and asked him to read the letter aloud. Though Wu Lausan didn’t fully understand the contents, he memorized them carefully.

Sure enough, the next day, someone came knocking. It was strange—Meixue occasionally drew small fish and birds, but her work wasn’t particularly impressive. Why would someone come specifically to request a painting? And how had Meixue predicted this and written ahead?

After pondering for a long while without answers, Wu Lausan decided to set the matter aside until Meixue returned.

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This so-called scholar was naturally sent by Li Shimin to investigate Wu Lausan. Upon confirming that Wu Lausan’s words aligned closely with Yunyi’s account, Li Shimin dispelled his suspicions.

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That day, Li Shimin visited Li Jiancheng at Qingchun Garden. When Jiancheng learned there was still no progress on the assassin investigation, he changed the subject. “Has there been any news from the capital?”

“Not yet.” Before the words had even faded, a knock sounded at the door. It was the steward of Songtao Residence, summoning them on behalf of Li Yuan.

The brothers exchanged glances, both surprised. Knowing Jiancheng’s leg injury, Li Yuan had avoided summoning him for over half a month, instead calling Shimin to relay messages. This direct summons likely meant something significant had occurred.

With this thought, they wasted no time. Jiancheng immediately ordered Wang Fu to prepare a sedan chair, and together they headed to Songtao Residence.

After many days of recuperation and thanks to Xiahou Duan’s medicine, the poison in Li Yuan’s body had long since been purged. However, to avoid drawing attention, he feigned severe injuries and remained secluded in Songtao Residence. Aside from Shimin, Jiancheng, and a few trusted confidants, everyone else remained unaware of his true condition.