Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 780 - 0733: Reveal Identity (1)

Prime Minister Pei saw Li Yuzhu coming, and uttered "ah ah, oh oh," then said the word "good" indistinctly.

Previously, he could only make a single "ah" sound.

The more words he could say, the clearer his expressions became.

Mrs. Pei was very pleased, "Isn’t the master feeling a bit better?"

"Ah, ah, good..." Prime Minister Pei’s eyes looked at Li Yuzhu, eyes shining with anticipation.

Li Yuzhu walked over, used the spatial instrument to check Prime Minister Pei’s blood pressure, heart rate, and other data, and also took his pulse.

She withdrew her hand, looked at Mrs. Pei, and said, "Before the treatment today, there is something I need to discuss with you and the sir first."

The slight improvement in Prime Minister Pei’s condition made Mrs. Pei very happy, and she readily said, "Go ahead, Madam Li."

Li Yuzhu glanced at Prime Minister Pei on the bed and said, "If I am not mistaken, the Minister’s illness was caused by certain people in the court, right?"

Prime Minister Pei’s eyes immediately dimmed, a hum came from his throat.

Mrs. Pei glanced at Prime Minister Pei, then dismissed all the maids and attendants in the room, sat on the chair, and looked at Li Yuzhu, "What do you want to say?"

"I won’t beat around the bush, I’ll speak frankly." Li Yuzhu nodded to Prime Minister Pei and Mrs. Pei and continued, "The Minister and the Yu Wen father and son from Marquis Zhongyi Mansion have a conflict, so he was angered into illness, right?"

Pei Shenyan went to the government office every day, and often went to the palace to see the Little Emperor.

When he returned, he would tell Li Yuwen about the matters in the court and palace.

Li Yuwen then told her about it.

The Yu Wen family of the Marquis of Zhongyi, originally a declining marquis mansion, regained prestige with the support of Prime Minister Pei.

But the father and son tore down the bridge after crossing the river. After cozying up to the imperial concubine, they started to seize the power of Prime Minister Pei.

Yu Wen Zan even gained the trust of the Little Emperor and began calculating against Prime Minister Pei in secret.

Prime Minister Pei’s eldest son, Mr. Pei, was easily fooled and bungled an affair by Yu Wen Zan’s design, and Yu Wen Zan exaggerated the fault and reported it to the Little Emperor Li Can.

Li Can had also had enough of Prime Minister Pei’s years of monopoly and oppression and took the opportunity to demote Young Master Yu Wen and fined half of Prime Minister Pei’s salary for half a year.

Half a year’s salary was nothing in Prime Minister Pei’s eyes.

Mr. Pei’s position was not high to begin with; being demoted from sixth rank to seventh rank was no big deal.

But Li Can announced the decree during the morning assembly in front of all the civil and military officials, which was a public slap in the face to Prime Minister Pei.

Those days, Prime Minister Pei was already in poor health, and, in a fit of rage, he fainted.

When he awoke, he found that he could not move his whole body and could not speak.

He had a stroke.

His body had a stroke, but his thinking and memory were not impaired.

Prime Minister Pei, thinking about how he got so sick and recalling the Yu Wen father and son’s betrayal, was so angry his teeth ached.

He wished he could kill Yu Wenbo and Yu Wen Zan with a gentle hand.

But now he couldn’t move and could only be angry in vain.

Prime Minister Pei’s eyes showed a murderous intent when Li Yuzhu asked about the past.

Li Yuzhu spread her hands, "Why is the minister looking at me like that? It wasn’t I who made the minister sick; I’m here to help the minister heal."

Mrs. Pei hurriedly asked, "How can Madam Li help the Prime Minister? Let’s say, we are relatives, right?"

Li Yuzhu glanced at Mrs. Pei, sneering inside, now she remembered they were relatives?

Li Yuwen had been married to Pei Shenyan for over a year, over a year ago, why didn’t they mention the matter of kinship?

Li Yuzhu said, "The minister’s illness takes a slow treatment, two to three months at the fastest, half a year at the slowest. But in such a long time, the court’s situation may change day by day. When the minister is fully recovered and returns to the court, I’m afraid there will no longer be a place to stand."

Prime Minister Pei looked at Mrs. Pei, both angry and anxious, "ah ah" a few times.

Mrs. Pei understood his gaze and asked, "What good advice does Madam Li have?"

Li Yuzhu smiled, "What good advice can I have? I have a selfish thought of a little girl. Wouldn’t it be better if the minister invited my father and brother back? One mouth can’t argue with the Yu Wen family, but two or three surely can. Am I making sense?

My father is the Emperor’s uncle, an uncle scolding a nephew here and there is very normal. Once the Emperor’s anger dissipates, he thinks back, and he’s still his uncle. However, over time, if the Emperor doesn’t think of his uncle, someone will need to remind him."

Mrs. Pei opened her eyes wide, "Madam Li, your father and brother’s matter, the Prime Minister can’t help now. He is still ill, can’t speak, and can’t write notes."

Li Yuzhu said, "The minister wishes to write with a brush again and speak again is not difficult for me. But the minister wishes to return to the court and regain the Emperor’s favor, I’m afraid that would be a bit hard."

Mrs. Pei understood what Li Yuzhu was saying, which was negotiating terms with Pei Mansion.

She immediately looked at Prime Minister Pei, "Sir?"

After being paralyzed in bed for half a year, Prime Minister Pei’s life was worse than death.

Back in the day, he was a person who wielded influence, who could make the wind and rain obey his command. Who would have thought he would suddenly become so weak and frail, unable to withstand even a child? This was a significant blow to Prime Minister Pei.

He dreamt every night of recovering from his illness.

"Mm, ah, good—" he mumbled incoherently.

His eyes turned to Mrs. Pei, full of anxiety.

Mrs. Pei quickly said, "Li San Niang, we agree."

Li Yuzhu nodded, "Then it’s settled."

.

Li Yuzhu wasn’t afraid that the Pei couple would go back on their word.

When she told Pei Shenyan about the situation, he informed her that currently, the power within the court was almost entirely controlled by the Yu Wen father and son.

What was once the influence of the Pei family had now all shifted to the Yu Wen family’s side.

From Pei Shenyan’s implication, Li Yuzhu learned that the reason Prime Minister Pei agreed to have Old Madam Pei bring Pei Shenyan to the capital was that none of his four legitimate sons had any significant ability, none could stand against Yu Wen Zan.

If the Pei family didn’t find a capable successor, they would completely fall.

So, even though Prime Minister Pei did not like this illegitimate son, he had no choice but to do his utmost to help Pei Shenyan gain a foothold in the court.

However, before Pei Shenyan could be groomed as a successor, Prime Minister Pei himself fell ill.

And Pei Shenyan was young, relying solely on the Emperor’s trust, was no match for the Yu Wen family, nor could he intimidate the cunning old ministers in court.

In this situation, if the Pei family wanted to avoid collapsing, they had to bring in outside support.

As the saying goes, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, but where was the external support for the Pei family now?

Prince Luling, whom Li Yuzhu mentioned, might just be a gamble worth taking.

.

At night, while trying to sleep, Li Yuzhu was tossing and turning, unable to put future thoughts out of her mind.

Mu Yuanxiu came over and asked through the curtain, "Why haven’t you slept yet? You have to go to the Pei Mansion in the morning."

At that moment, Li Yuzhu realized that she still hadn’t told Mu Yuanxiu about some family matters. Keeping it from him wasn’t ideal either.

As things got more complicated, if he suddenly asked, how would she explain?

Li Yuzhu drew back the curtain and pulled Mu Yuanxiu onto the bed, "Can’t sleep, keep me company and talk to me."

Mu Yuanxiu closed the curtain and used a fan to cool her down.

There were no candles lit outside the curtain, but the bright moonlight shone into the room, creating a dim silhouette of each other within it.

"Yuanxiu," Li Yuzhu tugged at his sleeve, "There’s something I’ve been hiding from you, though not intentionally, because... it’s a long story..."

"It’s late, if it’s too long, don’t tell it," Mu Yuanxiu patted her shoulder, "Sleep."

Li Yuzhu groped for his hand, "Do you know why the people from the Pei Mansion look at my sister and me so strangely?"

Mu Yuanxiu shook his head, "I don’t know."

"We used to be Commandery Princesses of the Lu Ling Royal Mansion, my father was Prince Luling." Li Yuzhu sighed, "But not anymore, now our family only bears the royal surname without the royal identity. Our former big house is locked, and no one from our family can enter. The Pei family treats us with outward respect, but inside, who knows what they think of us."

Mu Yuanxiu simply hummed, "It’ll get better in the future."

Li Yuzhu asked in surprise, "Aren’t you surprised?"

"Surprised about what?"

"About my identity. Our whole family being stripped of status by the Emperor and now being commoners."

"You are my wife, that doesn’t surprise me."

Li Yuzhu, "..." She pursed her lips speechlessly, so Mu Yuanxiu was so calm? Suddenly, she felt a bit deflated, having worried for so long, yet he wasn’t surprised at all.

Mu Yuanxiu lay down beside her, holding her in his arms, "Who you are is not important, being my wife is what’s most important."

Li Yuzhu laughed, "Indeed, identity or not doesn’t matter. You being my husband is what’s most important." Leaning against Mu Yuanxiu, she said, "Our family didn’t hide it intentionally, only feared scaring you."

"Mm," Mu Yuanxiu closed his eyes, breathing in her fragrant hair.

"We’re working hard, trying to find a way back to the capital," Li Yuzhu said with a teasing smile while holding Mu Yuanxiu’s neck, "But rest assured, if I become a Commandery Princess again in the future, I won’t abandon you or seek other lovers, no second or third husbands for me..."

Mu Yuanxiu turned over, gritting his teeth, "Li Yuzhu, you dare think..."

Li Yuzhu was startled, straightening up like a stick, "No way, just a joke, don’t... go down! Not now!"

...