#134: A Minor Punishment

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin responded, “Second Mother, I believe Meixue had her reasons for not disclosing her whereabouts on the ninth night. As for Jiang Caiping, her intentions were good. I implore you not to punish them further.”

Lady Wan replied indifferently, “If everyone who made mistakes claimed they had a valid reason or acted out of goodwill, should we simply exempt them from punishment? If that’s the case, why bother having rules at all? Might as well abolish them entirely.”

Li Shimin frowned slightly and addressed Li Yuan, “Father, laws must consider human emotions. Meixue and the others have already endured enough fear today. Let’s leave it at that. Moreover…” He glanced at Lady Wan and continued, “Since Meixue didn’t commit murder, handing her over to the Feng family in the first place was a mistake. Luckily, no harm came of it this time. Otherwise, the common folk would accuse our mansion of failing to distinguish right from wrong and wrongfully punishing the innocent.”

Lady Wan’s expression turned frosty. Though Li Shimin didn’t explicitly say so, his words clearly implied criticism of her lack of discernment. “Since Meixue was under suspicion, she should have been handed over to the authorities. Whether she was guilty or not was for the magistrate to decide. Besides, if she had simply revealed her whereabouts on the ninth night, none of this would have happened. Her refusal to tell the truth naturally invited suspicion. For that alone, she deserves punishment!”

“Father…” Before Li Shimin could continue, Li Yuan raised his hand and interrupted, “Enough. As your second mother said, regardless of the circumstances, Wu Meixue lied, and Jiang Caiping shielded her—both actions are wrong. They shall forfeit three months’ stipend as a warning to others.”

“Yes.” Seeing that Li Yuan had spoken, Li Shimin had no choice but to agree. Fortunately, the punishment wasn’t too severe.

Lady Wan’s brow furrowed slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the lenient penalty. However, she understood the principle of knowing when to stop, especially since she had another request for Li Yuan.

“Well, you’ve been busy all day. Go rest.” After Li Shimin agreed, Li Yuan added emphatically, “Remember, do not interfere in the affairs of various offices without permission in the future.”

“Understood, Father.” After bowing respectfully to Li Yuan and Lady Wan, Li Shimin withdrew. Once he left, Li Yuan rubbed his forehead wearily. Lady Wan noticed and asked with concern, “Does your headache bother you again, Lord Taishou?”

Li Yuan nodded. “Yes, this old ailment never seems to go away.”

Lady Wan instructed a servant to bring a bronze incense burner placed atop glowing charcoal. She then scooped a spoonful of calming incense into it. As wisps of pale smoke rose, the room filled with a soothing fragrance.

Walking behind Li Yuan, Lady Wan skillfully massaged his temples. After a while, Li Yuan exhaled softly and pulled her hand down. “Much better. Thanks to you these past years, my headaches haven’t been unbearable.”

Lady Wan spoke gently, “It’s unfortunate that the techniques I learned from Imperial Physician Zhao can only alleviate your pain temporarily and not cure it completely. Otherwise…” She hesitated before continuing, “Shall I write to my father and ask him to invite Imperial Physician Zhao to Honghua Prefecture?” Lady Wan’s maternal family was a wealthy household in Jiangnan with connections to many officials, including Imperial Physician Zhao, who had retired to Jiangnan after leaving office.

Li Yuan shook his head. “Imperial Physician Zhao is elderly now. We shouldn’t trouble him with such a journey. Besides, this is a chronic condition. Even if he came, it might be futile.” Noticing Lady Wan’s silence, he asked, “Still thinking about today’s events?”

Lady Wan sighed softly. “I hope Second Young Master truly understands. Otherwise, sooner or later, he’ll invite trouble.”

“Shimian knows his limits. Though his actions today were somewhat excessive, uncovering the truth about Feng Chunxiu’s death and clearing Wu Meixue’s name is ultimately a good deed.”

Lady Wan nodded gently. “Aside from Second Young Master’s matter, there’s one more thing I wish to discuss with you, Lord Taishou.”

Li Yuan gestured for her to sit. “Speak freely, my lady.”

“Zhiyun has returned, and I see that his health has improved—he’s no longer as frail as before. I was thinking of letting him stay in the mansion instead of returning to Master Hui’an. I miss him dearly, and seeing him only once every year or two is unbearable.”

Li Yuan pondered. “But when Master Hui’an took Zhiyun, he said he wouldn’t return until he turned sixteen. He’s only ten now. Isn’t it too early?”

“Master Hui’an likely thought Zhiyun’s health wouldn’t stabilize until then. But now that he’s healthy, it makes sense to bring him home sooner. It pains me to wait so long between visits.” Seeing Li Yuan’s silence, she added sorrowfully, “Do you not wish for Zhiyun to return?”

Li Yuan placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Where did that thought come from? Zhiyun is my son, and I naturally want him by my side. I’m only concerned about his health.”

“I believe he’ll be fine. If anything goes wrong, we can always send him back to Master Hui’an. Lord Taishou…”

Moved by Lady Wan’s pleading expression, Li Yuan relented. “Very well. Tomorrow, I’ll write to Master Hui’an. If he agrees, Zhiyun can stay. Until then, Zhiyun needn’t return just yet.”

Hearing this, Lady Wan’s face brightened, and she quickly thanked him. “Thank you, Lord Taishou.”

Meanwhile, shortly after leaving Songtao Pavilion, Li Shimin encountered Li Xuanba, who had come looking for him. After hearing about the earlier events, Li Xuanba remarked coldly, “I knew Second Mother would go to Father to complain about you. Sure enough, that woman can’t stand to see us succeed.”

“Enough. Regardless, I admit I acted somewhat improperly today. Still, uncovering the truth about Feng Chunxiu’s death and clearing Meixue’s name is a worthwhile outcome.”

“Worthwhile? Hardly.” Smiling mysteriously, Li Xuanba teased, “Just now, I ran into Jiang Caiping. She praised you to the skies, saying matchmakers would soon flood our gates. Too bad for the rest of us—we’ve all become your supporting cast, reduced to nothing. Poor us.”

Li Shimin chuckled. “What, are you jealous?”

“Me? Never.” Grinning mischievously, Li Xuanba added, “But speaking of which, once news of this case spreads, many families might indeed send matchmakers our way. Why don’t you take a few concubines? Miss Changsun is wise and understanding; surely she wouldn’t mind.”

Li Shimin lightly tapped his younger brother’s head and scolded with a laugh, “Brat, your audacity grows by the day. Teasing your own older brother? Go back to your quarters!”

Rubbing his head, Li Xuanba laughed. “I’m just speaking the truth. By the way, you’ve always supported Wu Meixue. Could it be you fancy her? Why not take her as a concubine first?”