Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 737 - 690 Return to the Capital to Report Safety! (1)

Chapter 737: Chapter 690 Return to the Capital to Report Safety! (1)

Prince Luling frowned in deep thought.

After a while, he said, "Your third sister’s medical skill is naturally beyond question. Those half-dead can be fully cured by her, and those near death can be half-cured. But that patient is Li Can! If she cures him, well and good. If not, will the people in the court let your third sister go?"

Li Xingmao was also hesitant, "Father is right. Moreover, given third sister’s temperament, she might not be a match for the people in the court."

"Shen Yan’s suggestion is good, but your third sister’s temperament is too gentle. When she left the capital, she was still young, had entered the palace only a few times, and didn’t know any of the court officials at all. She is simply no match for the people there! Not to mention those treacherous villains in court."

Initially, when the father and son saw Pei Shenyan’s suggestion, their eyes brightened.

But when they thought about Li Yuzhu’s character, both shook their heads.

They worried that Li Yuzhu wouldn’t be able to compete with the people in the palace, and were even more worried that people in the court might harm her because of her identity as a Little Princess of the Lu Ling Royal Mansion.

After all, the current Lu Ling Royal Mansion had its family confiscated by the Emperor.

The entire family no longer held the status of the Imperial Family.

Everyone could step on them.

A commoner like Li Yuzhu with such a good temperament, they worried about her safety.

"Let’s set this matter aside for now. Eldest, you arrange for Yuwen to go to the capital, and Yuzhu doesn’t need to go." Prince Luling thought for a bit and made a decision, "Although Old Madam Pei is backing her, and Yuwen is smart, she won’t suffer much. But she is a proud person, and now without the status of a Commandery Princess, who knows how the nobles in the capital will ridicule her. Given her temperament, how could she stand it? Discuss with your mother and prepare more silver for her. Without the status, let money be her support!"

"Understood, Father." Li Xingmao nodded, "I’ll arrange it right away."

.

Chai Eying had already learned of Pei Shenyan’s identity. Although he was just an illegitimate son of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, it was an unattainable status for the people in the village.

She worried that Li Yuwen, a girl from a commoner’s background, would be mistreated when she entered the capital and went to the Pei Mansion.

When Li Xingmao told her to prepare some money and goods for Li Yuwen to earn respect in the capital, Chai Eying said without hesitation, "Father and mother probably don’t have much silver. Let’s take what we’ve saved. Living in the village, we don’t spend much silver; there’s no tax to pay, and what the fields yield is all ours."

Currently, the Li Family had quite a bit of land, with a hundred acres of dry and wet fields combined, a large water pond, and an orchard of more than ten acres.

Supposedly, all these were taxable, but Lord County Magistrate personally instructed the Pavilion Chief, saying that Li Xingsheng, the Second Young Master, had rendered meritorious service against mountain bandits. Lord Prefect issued a decree to exempt the Li Family from all miscellaneous taxes for five years.

In other words, besides the land tax, they didn’t have to pay any head tax, hunting tax, or house occupancy tax.

This way, they could save a substantial amount of money.

Li Xingmao was both surprised and moved; he held Chai Eying’s hand, "Eying, how can we use your silver? Father and mother said there’s a few thousand taels saved at home, that’s enough."

"That’s the money set aside for my second and third brother’s wives, right? If you take that silver, how will they marry? No, no." Chai Eying waved her hands.

While the couple was discussing in the room, Li Yuwen and Princess Consort Luling walked in together.

Li Yuwen said first, "Eldest brother, sister-in-law, I can’t take your silver. You still have three children to raise, and besides, father and mother need your care in every respect, and that all needs silver."

Princess Consort Luling also said, "Yes, Eying, keep your silver. I still have some silver here."

Chai Eying said, "But, mother, the Pei Family is a big clan in the capital, even a few thousand taels might make them laugh at us. Let’s all pitch in, get ten thousand taels for Yuwen to take to the capital."

Li Yuwen shook her head, "Mother, eldest brother, sister-in-law, I have silver on me. Shenyan gave me quite a bit. I have thirty thousand taels at hand, and there’s another hundred thousand taels in the capital. You all don’t need to worry about me."

Princess Consort Luling, Li Xingmao, and Chai Eying looked at her in surprise.

"Yuwen, where did you get so much silver?" Princess Consort Luling widened her eyes in shock.

"I saved a little, and Shenyan gave me some." Li Yuwen waved her hand, "Oh, please, even if I didn’t have a single tael, I could still get by just fine in the capital. You all rest assured."

For Li Yuwen to have to rely solely on silver to stand firm in the capital, it would be too disgraceful.

Chai Eying sighed, "All those capital people are loaded; they might look down on a village girl like us."

"So what? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, who knows when I’ll surpass them and make them all fear me." Li Yuwen was indifferent.

The future?

Who can say what the future holds?

Li Xingmao and Princess Consort Luling said nothing.

Li Can was always suspicious and moody.

Today he might raise someone to a high position, tomorrow might chop off their head.

.

Li Yuwen insisted on not taking Li Xingmao and Princess Consort Luling’s silver, so the two had no choice but to drop the matter.

The Princess Consort Luling understood her temperament; she was intelligent and always had a way to live well.

However, living solely by competence was exceedingly difficult.

The Princess Consort Luling did not want her to be mocked, so she placed the capable Zhou Zhaodi by her side as an attendant.

Along with the little maid Cui Xi from before, there were now two maids.

With two maids accompanying her, there would be some assistance.

.

While the Li Family was making arrangements for Li Yuwen, Li Yuzhu learned from Pei Ji’s words that Pei Shenyan also wished for her to go to the capital.

But why hadn’t anyone in the family mentioned this to her?

Li Yuzhu immediately went to ask Prince Luling about this matter.

Prince Luling looked at her and shook his head, "You to the capital? What if someone bullies you there? No, no, you can’t go now. When our whole family goes back to the capital in the future, you can return with us. Oh, by the way, bring Yuanxiu along then."

Nonsense, of course, Mu Yuanxiu would go with her; he was her husband!

Li Yuzhu then said, "Father, do you look down on your daughter that much? Last year in Baili Mansion, that Xue Family even tried to harm me and Yuanxiu, yet nothing happened to us? We returned unscathed. Oh, during the journey, Yuanxiu and I even encountered mountain bandits, and the result? Yuanxiu turned those bandits into his subordinates. The furs I brought back were gifts from them."

Li Yuzhu spoke about the situation in Baili Mansion, feeling triumphant.

In fact, she didn’t want to see the nonsense illness of the Little Emperor, Li Can, at all.

Li Can wasn’t exactly a worthy ruler; live or die, what did it have to do with her?

Her main interest was to see the capital, then look into the Pei Family’s situation and what this so-called Marquis Zhongyi Yu Wen Family was up to.

She always felt that the Yu Wen Family was involved in some shady activities.

She even faintly felt that the deeds of the Yu Wen Family were somehow implicated with the Lu Ling Royal Mansion.

Otherwise, how could the legitimate second son of a dignified Marquis Mansion, young and talented, suddenly abduct the married Xue Family woman with two children?

If this matter really involved the Lu Ling Royal Mansion, and if the Lu Ling Royal Mansion faced trouble, could she still survive?

The men of the Li Family couldn’t go to the capital, but she and Li Yuwen could travel there openly.

They were daughters married away!

Li Yuzhu shared her thoughts with Prince Luling.

"Father, I can take the opportunity to investigate the capital’s situation. As a doctor, I’m freer than elder sister, able to come and go from various mansions. Once I gather any information, I’ll immediately write back." Li Yuzhu persuaded Prince Luling, "You and my brothers can’t go to the capital, and mother can’t return either. It’s just fitting that elder sister and I go back."

In Pei Shenyan’s letter, he also put it this way. Prince Luling thought for a while, "I’ll discuss it with your mother."

.

By evening, Prince Luling and the Princess Consort Luling earnestly discussed the sisters’ return to the capital.

Prince Luling worried about Li Yuzhu going, and so did the Princess Consort Luling.

Yet, at present, to return to the capital as soon as possible and avoid being manipulated by Li Can again, Li Yuzhu could only follow Li Yuwen to go.

"Let Yuanxiu go with them; I trust him," Prince Luling said, "Since Yuwen refuses to bring silver, give all the silver to Yuzhu and Yuanxiu; having more silver on hand makes things easier to handle."

"I’ll write a letter for Yuzhu to take to the Wei Family’s Old Madam. Although she’s old, she’s not muddle-headed and can help to some extent." The Princess Consort Luling thought of her natal family and sighed.

The Wei Family she belonged to was implicated after Lu Ling Royal Mansion’s confiscation.

Her brothers were all stripped of their official positions, and a significant portion of their family property was confiscated; fortunately, the Old Madam was resilient and didn’t collapse.

The day the Lu Ling Royal Mansion’s entire family was exiled from the city, the Old Madam stood on the city gate tower, waving a flag continuously.

She saw it but didn’t say anything, nor did she respond.

She feared her tears couldn’t be controlled from flowing downwards.

With grandchildren around, to still worry her old mother was truly unfilial.

Thankfully, life gradually improved now, and the children all grew up, became understanding, giving her the confidence to see her old mother.

Prince Luling shook his head with guilt, "Ashamed, to trouble an eighty-year-old lady with descendants’ affairs."

The Princess Consort Luling held his hand, "Darling, it’s been over two years since we left the capital. The Old Madam must also be worried about us. Although Shen Yan had conveyed messages and reassured her for us, it’s incomparable to having the children visit her in person. Let’s use this chance to have Yuzhu and Yuwen extend our regards to the Old Madam."