Good morning Mr. Zhongtang

Chapter 19

Li Zheng and Fu Heng chatted in the study room until late in the evening before they walked out with a lot of content.Fu Heng tried his best to persuade Li Zheng to finish his meal in the mansion, but Li Zheng refused, and he didn't say anything about excuses, just said directly that he didn't want to see Li Rongbao.

Li Shi knew that he and the master had disagreements on politics first, and their identities were wrong, if Li Zheng was forced to stay, everyone would be unhappy when they met, so he nodded and sent Li Zheng out of the house himself.

"Where do you live with me?"

Mrs. Li stuffed a package she had prepared earlier into Li Zheng's arms. Inside were three sets of new clothes and two pairs of shoes and socks, all made by herself in her spare time.

Li Zheng looked at it, sighed hesitantly, then put the things into the book basket behind his back, and said to Li Shi:
"Live in a post station. Where else can foreign officials live when they return to Beijing. I will invite you to go to court tomorrow. I estimate that I will stay in Beijing for a few days. I will contact you at that time. I can always see you again before leaving."

"..."

Li Zheng arranged the matter properly in this way, without letting Li Shi have any room to intervene. When I saw him again, I was a little more stooped, and there was a lot of white hair.

Ever since his mother passed away, he has been alone and lonely until now. There are not even maidservants in Jiangnan's mansion, only two old women who are in charge of cooking and cooking and an old man who is in charge of the gate. He refuses to be a man in the yamen. For private use, so, every time he comes out, he is mostly alone, so simple and depressed.

Mrs. Li told him many times to ask him to come to Beijing to report on his duties, but Li Zheng always refused, saying that he hadn't been an official enough yet, and he didn't want to enter the officialdom in the capital, and wanted to just stay in Beijing like this. In Jiangnan, pleading for the people is his lifelong pursuit.

Li Zheng refused many times, and Li Shi didn't mention it anymore. Anyway, it was useless to mention it. His father's temper was stronger than that of a donkey. Even nine cows could not pull him back.

After Fu Heng walked out of the study, his face remained solemn. Seeing him standing in the corridor, Tong Wanrou couldn't help walking over and asking:

"Sir, what's the matter?"

Seeing her, Fu Heng smiled, came over and held her hand, and said, "Thank you for your hard work today. Grandpa is so forthright and unruly. He definitely didn't mean to make things difficult for you."

Tong Wanrou covered her lips: "Sanggong, what did you say to make things difficult? My grandpa came to see us. I'm too happy. On the contrary, since my grandpa left, he has a sad face, but I don't know why?"

Fu Heng looked at her for a long time before telling her the truth:

"Grandpa came to Beijing this time to do something important. If it succeeds, there will be big fluctuations in the court, if it fails...I am worried about his safety."

After saying this to Tong Wanrou, Fu Heng seemed to have thought of something, turned around suddenly, took the official hat from the Huating case, and hurried out, while walking, he loudly instructed Tong Wanrou without looking back. :
"I won't come back for dinner tonight, you and mother should rest earlier."

"..."

When Mrs. Li came back, she just had a face-to-face meeting with him. Mrs. Li asked him what he was doing, but Fu Heng kept his head buried and rushed out without saying a word.

Tong Wanrou walked over to meet Li Shi, and Li Shi asked her: "What's wrong with Heng'er, where are you going in such a hurry?"

Tong Wanrou stepped forward, shook her head at Li Shi and said, "My husband didn't say anything, he just said that he won't come back for dinner tonight."

Li Shi cast her eyes on the place where Fu Heng disappeared, and sighed: "This kid's temper is just like him."

Tong Wanrou smiled: "Does it look like my grandfather?"

Mrs. Li nodded, and said in a helpless tone: "Yes. They are all stubborn and weird. Forget it, if they don't come back, our mother and son will live together, so we don't care about them."

After finishing speaking, Mrs. Li hooked Tong Wanrou's arm back, and the two walked into the yard intimately like sisters.

In the evening, Fu Heng did not come back for dinner, but Li Rongbao, who had been arguing with Mrs. Li for the past few days, came over.

Li Shi didn't want to talk to him at first, but Li Rongbao told her something about his grandfather Li Zheng, which made Li Shi have to come forward to listen.

"What does your father want to do in Beijing this time, do you know?"

Mrs. Li stared at Li Rongbao and didn't speak for a long time. With Li Rongbao staring at her so directly, she felt that although this woman had passed her youth like a flower, there was always a charm on her body that made his blood boil. , This kind of feeling, no matter which wife and concubine he is in, he can't feel it.

Recalling the matter of Fu Heng a few days ago, Mrs. Li was angry with him and ignored him for a while, so he didn't come to find bad luck, and deliberately alienated her for a few days, trying to make her reflect on herself, but now that I see you She, however, seemed to have lost all her anger, and could no longer speak harsh words to her.

He beckoned to Li Shi, and Li Rongbao asked her to sit beside him. Li Shi didn't want to, but after Li Rongbao glared at her, he reluctantly sat down.

"Every time he comes, he can always cause a storm in the court. Regardless of his age, he is just a stunned young man. I have asked him several times to come to Beijing to do things for me. Don't waste time. Jiangnan has done those vain things to plead for people's lives, but he always refuses without mercy. Every time he comes back, he sneaks in and goes away, as if he doesn't want to recognize me as a son-in-law Like."

Holding Li Shi in his arms, Li Rongbao felt a little more at ease, and began to criticize Li Zheng.

When Li Shi heard him scolding his father, his face turned frosty again. Seeing her like this, Li Rongbao couldn't help touching his nose, only to hear Li Shi look at him and say:
"It is said that my father does not want to recognize you as a son-in-law, so is your son-in-law willing to recognize him? Father-in-law, can you say it?"

"..."

Li Rongbao didn't expect that Li Shi would use this point to refute him. After thinking about it, he really couldn't say "my father-in-law" to Li Zheng.He and Li Zheng were officials in the same dynasty, and they were only three or two years old. However, when he married his daughter, his seniority was suddenly downgraded. Fortunately, Li Zheng came and went secretly, trying not to meet him face to face, otherwise one can imagine the embarrassment involved.

Seeing that Li Rongbao didn't speak, Li Shi got out of his arms again and kept a distance from him. Li Rongbao's arms suddenly became empty. He looked at Li Shi helplessly, and then said:

"Oh, forget it, I just want to remind him, don't offend all the officials in the court, if he is not so upright, with his ability, how can he be an official until today? From the supervisory censor of the fifth grade? He came back to the capital to sue the imperial court, and he didn't know that the officials in the capital were afraid of him."

Naturally, Mrs. Li knew what kind of person her father was. Although she also felt that it was not good for him to offend people like this, she didn't say that:
"What's wrong with the fifth grade? My father works for the people, not for promotion."

Hearing Li Shi's tone, it was obviously better than before, Li Rongbao stood up from the soft couch, walked behind her step by step, surrounded her, and whispered in her ear:

"Yeah, he has earned enough fame for doing things for the people, but he doesn't think about your daughter..."

Mrs. Li twisted for a long time but couldn't break free, turned to look at the man and said, "Why doesn't he miss me?"

Li Rongbao sniffed the fragrance on her body, and said: "If he is not only from the fifth grade, you will not be just a side wife. You should know how I have treated you these years. If your father was willing to submit back then, he How can the first emperor not see your ability? When he becomes a high official, your background will naturally be lifted up, and you won't be taken over by that woman from the Guerjia family for so many years. what."

Listening to this, Li was silent for a long time, Li Rongbao looked at her tentatively, thinking that she was giving up, but when she was about to go further, Li Shi pushed her away vigorously.

"Don't say these things that you don't even believe. I know that my background is not as good as the Guarja family, and I don't have the heart to take her as the mistress. I will understand it the day I marry you. This life is my life to be a concubine. You place so much importance on your family status, it is impossible for me to be your official wife because of my family background. I am willing to be by your side for so many years and bear children for you. However, I follow you as a concubine , my child is a concubine, I recognize all these, and I have never complained, but even as a concubine, I still have my dignity. My father has been decent all his life, and I am the biggest stain in his life, you say That's all for me, but you can't say that about him."

After Li said this, her eyes were filled with tears. She looked at Li Rongbao with despair and disappointment, raised a hand to him, pointed to the door and said:

"Let's go. Don't come here in the future. Anyway, there are many young and beautiful women in the mansion. You can put me, an old man, aside, and enjoy those obedient beauties. Go sing and sing every night."

"..." Li Rongbao stood stiffly on the spot. Embarrassment appeared on his well-maintained face after he was over fifty. He gradually turned cold. He looked at Mrs. Li and said coldly after a long time:

"Li Dongran, do you know what you are talking about? How dare you talk to me like this?"

Li Shi no longer held back, and suddenly broke out: "I dare! I didn't dare in the past, and I didn't do anything good. I have been afraid for so many years, and I was afraid that I would make you angry if I said the wrong thing, but you can't expect me to be a no-nonsense person forever." Angry Mud Bodhisattva. I’m going to tell you today that I also have a temper. I don’t want to be submissive anymore. Get out! Get out—don’t do it again! Get out—”

"..."

Li Rongbao looked at her who was furious, and exhaled in disbelief. The two confronted each other for a long time, and then he sighed heavily, and approached Li Shi:

"Okay, you've lost your temper too, just take it as my mistake and admit it to the head office, come here quickly, don't be angry."

Li Rongbao walked up to Li Shi, opened his arms to Li Shi, and wanted to hug her into her arms to comfort her, but just as he touched Li Shi's clothes, she pushed her hard. Her eyes were filled with tears, as if her emotions had reached the peak and she was about to collapse.

Li Rongbao was born in an honorable family, and he has never seen him be so tolerant towards any woman. However, after forbearing his heart, what he received was such a rebellious treatment. For a while, he felt that he could no longer bear it. said:

"I will never come again, don't regret it!"

Li Shi clenched her jaw and forced herself to be calm: "I will never regret it!"

Li Rongbao nodded and pointed at her, lifted the corner of his robe, turned around and left, but after taking two steps, he turned back and said:
"I want to see what kind of life you will live in this mansion without my protection!"

Mrs. Li picked up a vase casually from the side, threw it over and broke it into thousands of pieces, pointed at Li Rongbao and shouted angrily:
"roll--"

Li Rongbao walked out of Li's yard in a rage, and when he passed the door, he saw Tong Wanrou who was lying on the door, frightened by their quarrel, her face was embarrassed, and she wanted to take another look at Li, but she held it back. He left the backyard without looking back.

After Li Rongbao left, Li Shi slumped on the ground and wept. Tong Wanrou poked her head out from the door. She was attracted by the sound of their quarrel and witnessed the whole quarrel process. Until now, her heart is still beating wildly. I don't know how to face this matter.

Reason told her that their life in Fucha Mansion would not be easy in the future, but she couldn't help feeling admiration for Mrs. Li from the bottom of her heart.

Li Shi was the first woman she had ever seen who dared to quarrel with her husband.That feeling, simply, simply...

So cool!
(End of this chapter)