Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Madam Xu Part II

Old Li's eyes nearly bugged. "YOU!"

"Me?" Li Yingshan asked innocently. "Father, don't you think you did wrong five years ago? Condemning me for an accident that wasn't my fault? Choosing the family's reputation over your own flesh and blood?"

He snarled, "How dare you talk to me like this!"

Stepping forward, he raised his right hand. But before he could lay his hand on her, strong fingers curled around his wrist. He turned to see Xu Haoran standing beside him with a coldness in his eye.

"Hurt her, and I will not be forgiving. She has already entered my household. Li Yingshan is no longer the Third Daughter of the Li family; she is the Madam of Xu Manor. Uncle, I ask that you afford her the respect as such."

Li Yingshan and Qiu Ling were surprised. They hadn't expected Xu Haoran to stand up to her father like this. Zhang Fangong bowed.

"Young Master, they've been calling Madam a fox and useless."

Xu Haoran took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "Father-in-Law, I've chosen to keep my engagement with your daughter. She is my wife. I do not see her as useless nor as a fox."

Then what do you see me as? Li Yingshan thought. Am I just a pawn to you, Hero Xu?

Old Li sputtered. "T- this is outrageous! Xiao Xu, you're my brother's son. Don't let yourself be fooled by her. She must be up to no good!"

"You really think so little of your own daughter? Uncle, I looked up to you when I was a child. But now, I can't understand why you'd be so cold-hearted to the daughter you once cherished most. You're not the man I thought you were."

"Xiao Xu, don't let yourself get roped into her lies! Everything she's done has been her own fault!"

Finally, Li Yingshan decided to reveal one of her trump cards. Her voice drawled as she asked, "Oh really? Do you think I meant to be poisoned by Fury Black Poison?"

Xu Haoran's face went slack as his grip around her father's wrist loosened. Her father choked and stumbled back in shock. Her mother, who had already been on the verge of tears, began to weep. Her brothers stilled.

"It's been five years. An experienced apothecary gave me five years to live when he diagnosed me. Do you think I'm the sort of person who'd self-inflict such a fate? Do you think I wanted to lose all feeling in my limbs and have my internal organs slowly fail? Do you think I wish to die so young?"

"Cloudless Night..." Xu Haoran growled as his hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white.

Even her father muttered while shaking his head, "I don't understand. What quarrels could there have been with that seclusive sect?"

"Only Peace White Tea can cure her," Mrs. Li cried. "And no one other than Cloudless Night Sect knows how to make it."

Xu Haoran faced Old Li and demanded, "Do you still believe it was Li Yingshan's fault? What happened to her was not an accident but a calculated attack! How obstinate can you be, Uncle?"

Before he could respond, LI Yingqin muttered, "If you were as good a martial artist as everyone claimed back then, how did you let yourself get poisoned? Surely with your skills, no one would've been able to touch you."

"You-!" Qiu Ling screeched as she lunged forward.

Zhang Fangong suddenly appeared behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her back. He whispered in her ear, "Let Young Master handle this. He won't let Madam come to harm."

The wheels in Li Yingshan's mind began to whir. Could Qiu Ling have been right all along? Could it have been my own siblings who wished to kill me? Just how elaborate and complex was that assassination attempt? Who all is involved? I need to dig deeper. But I also can't risk Moonlight Pagoda. This is getting trickier and trickier.

"Qin'er has a point. You were able to defeat all ten of your teachers at the age of ten. By sixteen, your skills should have been superb."

Li Yingshan inwardly sighed. The Jianghu really isn't like the capital at all. Strength is the only thing that matters here. I cannot sway them with words alone.

"Uncle, you don't really believe she made this happen to her?" Xu Haoran protested in disbelief.

Old Li glared at his youngest child. "She always upstaged her siblings for attention. How can you be sure she isn't doing this for attention as well?"

She snorted. "Sure, kill myself to get attention. That's smart."

"Watch your tongue, girl!"

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Xu Haoran stepped between them, protecting her. "Uncle, I think it'd be best if you, Aunt, and Cousins leave now. I really don't want to have to fight you, but if you insist on going against my wife, I will have no choice to clash swords with you on her behalf."

Why is Hero Xu so protective of me? Does he know something? What does he know?

"Xiao Xu, you wouldn't..."

"I would, and I will."

Her father growled before turning and storming away. Her brothers and mother followed after him. Once they were gone, Zhang Fangong closed the front gates. Qiu Ling ran over to Li Yingshan's side. Xu Haoran sighed heavily and shook his head.

A soft-spoken voice rang out, "Thank you. You didn't need to do that."

He twisted to see Li Yingshan gazing up at him. "You're my wife whether Uncle likes it or not. As your husband, it's my job to take on your toils and struggles."

Duty again. Then he really must be honor-bound. Stupid, Li Yingshan. He wouldn't hold any affection for you. You're strangers and for all he knows you're invalided and a ruined woman. How could he feel anything but responsibility for you?

She looked down at her hands in her lap and murmured meekly, "Sorry to trouble you. I know you're busy. This wife won't bother you any longer. Qiu Ling, let's go."

Obediently, Qiu Ling gripped the handles on the wheelchair and steered her Lady away. As they were leaving, Xu Haoran opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again.

"Young Master," Zhang Fangong began. "Aren't you going to go after her?"

"Let her go for now. She'll come around when she's ready."

∇

Back in Cherry Blossom Hall, Qiu Ling kept guard at the door as Li Yingshan paced around the room. The wheelchair was empty, sitting off to the side.

"I don't understand it, Qiu Ling. He was so fervent in defending me against my father. But when he speaks to me, it's like he doesn't care at all. He must only feel duty-bound to me, right? But why did he take me as his wife? He's a Hero of the Jianghu. He could've had any well-to-do young lady as his wife. But why me? What's his agenda? Is he trying to start a war against my father and plans to use me against him? Good luck making that work. I just don't understand. What's his plan?" she stopped pacing for a moment. "Could he know about Moonlight Pagoda? Could he know I'm its Goddess? Or can he tell I'm not really invalided? Can he sense my internal force? Does he know I'm lying to him? But why wouldn't he have confront me earlier about it?"

"My Lady, calm down. You'll hurt your heart if you continue to stress like this."

"But Qiu Ling, I've never been so unsure about a person as I am about Hero Xu. And that scares me. Because I don't want to trust him only to be betrayed. I put the Jianghu behind me five years ago. I delved into politics to escape the ridiculousness of the Jianghu's rules. I wanted something concrete. But anymore, I'd rather deal with back-stabbing ministers and officials than martial artists."

Just then, a masked person jumped in through the open window to the backside of the residence. Qiu Ling nearly screamed when Li Yingshan shot over to her and cupped a hand around her mouth.

"It's alright. She's a member of Moonlight Pagoda."

The woman pulled down her mask and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Goddess. Han Shaolei sent me to keep an eye on you."

"Hmm, not bad. Though I have a task for you."

"Say it, and Miao Chuntao苗春桃 miáo chūntáo - given name meaning "Spring Peach" will do her best to accomplish it."

Li Yingshan's eyes narrowed. "Investigate my brothers, Li Yingqin and Li Yingying. Find out everything they've done in the past five to six years. You can use any of Moonlight Pagoda's resources."

"Yes, Goddess," Miao Chuntao bowed. "There's one other thing."

"What is it?"

"The First Prince is dead."

Qiu Ling gasped as her hand came up to cover her mouth. Li Yingshan closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

It's begun.

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