Chapter 116: The Blessing of Commoners

“It seems I’ve interfered with your reunion as a family of four here.”

Wuyi smiled gently and said to Rushi, “Then I’ll leave first.”

“Miss Wuyi, please stay a little longer!”

Li Qing’an stepped forward, scratched his head, and laughed, “I promised to play the six-stringed zither for you, but I still haven’t done it yet. I’m ashamed!”

Ruhua beside her also smiled and said, “Sis Wuyi, Yunu and Xiaolian have gone out. We don’t know when they’ll return. You can’t leave yet!”

“That playful little girl.”

Wuyi had no choice but to smile and say, “Alright! I’ll wait a bit longer. I’ll go back to my room to check the sheet music. It won’t disturb you.”

She turned to pack her things, but the zither was too heavy, making it difficult for her.

“Let me help!” Li Qing’an stepped forward, picked up the zither for her, and winked at Rushi and Ruhua. The two sisters understood each other. Rushi smiled and said, “Then I’ll go warm up the food. It was all delivered from Lord Gao’s residence. It’ll be fine once it’s warmed up.”

She pulled her sister along, and the two went to the kitchen. Li Qing’an followed behind Wuyi, holding the zither, while occasionally taking in her graceful figure and exquisite curves.

When they reached the door, Wuyi stopped. A blush appeared on her porcelain-like face as she said softly, “General Li, please go ahead!”

Li Qing’an’s face turned red, and he quickly said with a smile, “Okay! Okay! I’ll go first.”

“Miss Wuyi, thank you for teaching Rushi and Ruhua how to play the zither.”

“You’re welcome. I enjoyed playing the zither with them too.”

“Miss Wuyi, do you still live in the Prime Minister’s residence?”

“Yes, I’ve always lived at my uncle’s house.”

……

The two went up to the music room on the second floor. Li Qing’an placed the zither down. Suddenly remembering something, he said with a smile, “Miss Wuyi, I brought quite a few small gifts from Yangzhou. I’ve bought one for you too. Come with me and take a look!”

Wuyi shook her head and smiled, “I appreciate General Li’s kindness, but I don’t need any gifts.”

“It’s nothing valuable. They’re all specialties from Yangzhou—bamboo pen holders, willow wood combs, and a few golden flutes from Jinling. Miss Wuyi, please come and take a look!”

Wuyi hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, “Well… okay then!”

They went downstairs together. The stairs were narrow. Li Qing’an walked ahead, turning back from time to time to remind Wuyi to be careful. The Furong Tower was a guest building in Lord Gao Lishi’s residence, adorned with intricate carvings and exquisitely built. But after all, it was made of wood, so over time, it inevitably developed some of the common problems associated with wooden structures.

After taking a few steps, suddenly two gray shadows darted past Wu Yi’s feet, making two screeching noises. Wu Yi was terrified, her face turning pale as she jumped and screamed. Just as she seemed about to fall, Li Qing’an reacted quickly and grabbed her waist.
“Be careful!”
“Were those rats?” Wu Yi clung tightly to the railing, still shaken.
“Just two little rats!”
Li Qing’an had never been this close to her before; his nose even touched her wide sleeves. A faint, delicate fragrance came from her, along with the softness of her waist. Her dress was so thin that he could feel the smoothness of her waist, making him reluctant to let go.
Wu Yi suddenly sensed something, turned away, broke free from Li Qing’an’s grasp, stepped back, and glared at him angrily. “General Li!”
Li Qing’an felt embarrassed. He stammered, “Miss Wu Yi, it’s been months since we last met. I was so happy that I lost my composure. I’m sorry.”
A hint of anger flashed in Wu Yi’s eyes. She stepped back twice, turned around, and ran upstairs, slamming the door behind her.
Li Qing’an sat down tiredly on the stairs, rubbing his face with both hands and smiling bitterly.
…
At dusk, Li Qing’an woke up. The room was dimly lit, filled with a faint fragrance. He sat up, feeling refreshed, all the fatigue from the journey gone. He pulled back the curtains to look outside. In the courtyard, Wu Yi’s music box was gone—she must have left. Thinking of what had happened during the day, Li Qing’an smiled bitterly.
At that moment, Ru Shi entered with a tray.
“Elder brother, it’s time to eat!”
Li Qing’an was indeed hungry. He enjoyed the meal greatly. Ru Shi watched him with a smile in her beautiful eyes. As he ate, he asked vaguely, “When did Wu Yi leave?”
“She left right after Yu Nu returned. It’s been a long time.”
Li Qing’an apologized with a smile, “Ru Shi, I’m really sorry. I offended your music teacher as soon as I arrived. She must be very angry!”
“No, not at all!” Ru Shi said strangely. “She left happily. She even told you to rest well.”
Li Qing’an was surprised. “Did you give her the souvenirs I brought?”
“I did, but she refused them. She said she’d already told you.”
Li Qing’an sighed inwardly. She was still angry, though she didn’t show it. Ru Shi glanced at him and asked softly, “Elder brother, did you say something inappropriate to her?”
“I did something inappropriate!”

Li Qing’an smiled bitterly. “She was originally willing to accept my gift, but she almost fell while going down the stairs, so I held her waist.”
“Did Big Brother take the chance to touch her?” Ru Shi asked with a suggestive smile.
“Yes! That’s exactly what I did—I touched her.”
Li Qing’an’s hand quietly moved to Ru Shi’s delicate legs. A blush appeared on Ru Shi’s face, but she didn’t stop him. Li Qing’an continued to move his hand inward, and Ru Shi gently pressed his hand, saying shyly, “Big Brother, don’t do this. It’s still daytime; someone might see us.”
Li Qing’an rubbed her soft, fair skin eagerly, no longer interested in eating. He stepped forward, closed the door, and picked up Ru Shi, carrying her into the inner room.
“Big Brother… let’s eat first!”
“You’re such a delicious sight—you’re my feast.”
…
After a while, the room was filled with delicate sounds, as if spring had arrived. Suddenly, footsteps were heard outside, followed by Ru Hua’s cheerful laughter, “Sis, this jade flute is nice.”
Ru Hua pushed the door open, holding a jade flute, only to find half-eaten food on the table and no sign of the two of them. She was stunned for a moment before suddenly hearing something:
“Brother, be gentle.”
“Mm!”
Ru Hua froze, glanced into the room, covered her mouth in secret laughter, and quickly stepped back, closing the door. But not long after, the door was slowly pushed open again. Ru Hua slipped inside quietly, locked the door gently, and tiptoed to the curtain, pulling it aside to peek inside. She blushed furiously, occasionally covering her mouth in giggles. Suddenly, Li Qing’an coughed, and she panicked, turning to leave—only for a hand to emerge from behind the curtain and pull her in.
“Big Brother, I came to…”
“I know. You’re afraid Brother won’t have enough food, so you brought more. Well, I won’t be polite then.”
“No!”
Ru Hua’s delicate laughter came from inside, “Brother, you’re so bad! Sis…”
“You silly girl! You brought yourself here on purpose—I can’t save you now.”
For a time, the room was filled with passion and beauty, as if in full bloom—Li Qing’an enjoyed every moment.
…
After their intimate moments, the two sisters helped Li Qing’an bathe. The courtyard door was tightly closed, and Xiao Lian was boiling water in the kitchen. She carried a bucket of hot water to the bathing room and knocked on the door. “Sis Ru Hua, the hot water’s here.”
The door opened slightly, and Ru Hua stretched out her arm, as delicate as snow lotus roots, to take the bucket in. Moments later, she brought it back and joked, “Xiao Lian, do you want to come in and help?”
“I certainly won’t go in!” Xiao Lian blushed and ran away with the bucket.

The door closed softly again. There were no windows in the room; it was steaming hot with thick mist. In the center stood a large wooden tub at shoulder height. Li Qing’an was soaking in the hot water, so comfortable that his eyes were squinted shut. His poetically beautiful, crystal-clear white body appeared faintly through the mist. Ru Shi was also in the water; she stood behind Li Qing’an, carefully washing his hair with soap water.

“Be careful! Hot water’s coming.”

“Whoosh!” Ru Shi poured the hot water into the tub. She slid down the small wooden ladder into the tub, tied her waterfall-like black hair into a bun, and said in a sweet voice, “Brother, turn slightly so I can wash your back.”

Li Qing’an squinted, enjoying his sister’s service, but his hands under the water were far from innocent.

“I think I’ll go buy some household items tomorrow. We’ll move to our new home the day after tomorrow. What do you think?”

Ru Shi smiled and said, “Everything’s already been bought. We’re just waiting for you to come back to move in.”

“What about the bed? It surely hasn’t been changed. It’s so small—how can three people sleep there?” Li Qing’an asked with a teasing smile.

Ru Shi gently tapped him with a poplar comb and laughed, “Just once today. Don’t expect such perks anymore.”

“Then at least we should order a bigger tub!”

Ru Shi giggled, “Brother, we don’t need a tub in summer. Don’t we have a small lake in the backyard?”

Li Qing’an’s eyes lit up. He slapped his own forehead and laughed, “How silly! How could I not think of that?”

……

After bathing, Li Qing’an changed into loose linen clothes and returned to the study feeling refreshed. Ru Shi prepared another cup of hot tea for him. As soon as he sat down, Gao Lishi sent someone to call him. Li Qing’an took two quick sips of tea before hurrying toward the inner courtyard.

Gao Lishi had just returned from Xingqing Palace. Hearing that Li Qing’an had come back, he didn’t even have time to eat and immediately sent someone to summon him.

“Li Qing’an pays his respects to Elder Gao!”

Gao Lishi’s eyes sparkled with joy. “Young Li, no need for formalities. Please, have a seat.”

Li Qing’an sat down, and the maid brought him more tea. Gao Lishi glanced at him and nodded with a smile, “It seems you gained a lot from your trip to Yangzhou.”

“What does Elder Gao mean by ‘gained’?”

Gao Lishi smiled slightly. “The salt scandal in Yangzhou—can you say you stayed out of it?”

“I wasn’t out of it. I captured the salt smuggler Du Bosheng.”

“That’s right. The day before yesterday, I met the crown prince, who spoke highly of you.”

Gao Lishi let out a soft sigh and said, “Actually, I’ve always hoped you could help the Crown Prince. He is the heir to the Tang Dynasty. Though he’s faced many misfortunes, the Emperor has never considered removing him from his position. If you pledge loyalty to him now, by the time he ascends the throne—when you’ll be at the peak of your strength—your future will be bright, without a doubt. After the third consort’s birthday banquet last time, I recommended you to him, but he failed to see your abilities, so he put the matter aside for now. This time, it was he who praised you to me. Seventh Brother, this shows that you’ve passed the Crown Prince’s assessment.”

“Thank you for your recommendation, Lord Gao. Li Qing’an will surely pledge loyalty to the Crown Prince and do his best to assist him.”

At that, Li Qing’an hesitated for a moment and said, “Lord Gao, there’s something I’m not sure whether to mention or not.”

“In front of me, there’s nothing you can’t say. Go ahead and speak.”

“Lord Gao, while in Yangzhou, I accidentally came into possession of some of Prince Qing’s salt profits. I want to offer them to the Crown Prince. I’m not sure if it’s appropriate.”

“Prince Qing’s salt profits!”

Gao Lishi narrowed his eyes and smiled. “It turns out I was right about this. The salt affair in Yangzhou is indeed related to Prince Qing. That’s why I seized Liu Changyun and Lu Huan’s impeachment petitions a few months ago.”

He bowed slightly and asked curiously, “How much is it?”

“Fifty thousand taels of gold.”

Gao Lishi was stunned. He let out a soft sigh. “Fifty thousand taels of gold—this shows just how reckless his illegal salt trade must be.”

“What do you think, Lord Gao? I want to offer it to the Crown Prince.”

Gao Lishi pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, “If he gets those fifty thousand taels of gold from you, he’ll surely make you one of his closest confidants.”