At this point, the relationship between Li Yaonan, the Li family, and the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion has truly been cleared up. Even if they have no contact with each other in the future, no one can use this as an excuse to cause trouble.
Li Yaonan has become a model of noble character. Although he has a powerful backer behind him, he actually chooses to go far away and takes the initiative to stay away from Jingyang Marquis Mansion. You know, if he had the help of Jingyang Marquis Mansion, he could have worked less for at least 20 years.
Li Yaonan was in high spirits and his performance throughout the entire banquet was remarkable. As for the regrets of others, Li Yaonan felt no pressure at all. He felt that the emperor should prefer children from humble families to those from aristocratic families. With the Jingyang Marquis Mansion, a label was put on his head. No matter how high he climbed, he could not be the emperor's true confidant. Instead, he became a burden.
Li Yaonan was very shrewd, he didn't want to be a powerful minister, as powerful ministers often had a bad end, nor did he want to be an honest minister, as most honest ministers offended people. He also didn't want to be a meritorious minister, as the merit of following the emperor was not so easy, who knows if the dog will be cooked after the cunning rabbit dies. What he wanted to be was a loyal minister, a loyal minister who would do his duty and only listen to the emperor's orders. Everyone liked such a minister, and even if a new emperor ascended the throne, he would not be too afraid of a loyal minister.
Li Yaonan became the biggest winner tonight, climbing up by stepping on the shoulders of Liu Guanghe, Fan Pengyi and Bian Tianhe.
Zhang Qixian couldn't stop smiling. He knew that, except for his husband, no one could take advantage of his little cousin with words. He really had worried for nothing.
Even if others were jealous, they had nothing to say. It took skill to be in the emperor's favor. Who among them was so bold as to bring such a big handle in front of the emperor without any fear, showing a demeanor of being unperturbed by honor or disgrace? Who else had such courage to leave the powerful Yue family behind and fight alone? Many people were probably laughing at Li Yaonan and saying he was a fool.
As for whether he was stupid or not, Li Yaonan smiled calmly. Only he knew the truth about this matter. It's just like one knows whether the water is hot or cold only by drinking it.
Li Mingzhang was actually envious, and sometimes he would fantasize about how great it would be if he could be like Li Yaonan and put aside everything. However, this was just a thought. He still had his biological parents and younger brothers and sisters to take care of. How could he be as free and easy as Li Yaonan? If... ...
If, A Qian could be adopted...
Li Mingzhang couldn't help but think of his best friend. In the same situation, Li Yaonan found a new world. If A Qian could leave his so-called father behind and be adopted, he would surely be able to strive for another kind of success.
Facing everyone's admiration, Li Yaonan remained calm and composed. His words and actions were appropriate and he appeared to be doing his duty everywhere, which made the emperor even more satisfied. He didn't even mind the trivial matter of Li Yaonan carrying evidence with him. The ministers under him were fighting openly and secretly, and there were many means by which Li Yaonan was prepared in advance, which only proved that he was capable and worth using. As a superior, the emperor only cared about the results he wanted to see.
Compared with Li Yaonan's elation, Li Yaozu seemed at a loss. He was still confused and uneasy until the emperor left, the banquet ended, and he left the palace. He knew that from now on, he would be demoted from a legitimate son to a bastard, and his mother would be demoted from a wife to a concubine.
How would the Shangshu Mansion view him, and how would his wife view him? Originally, his father-in-law had already complained about him for not passing the second place exam, and now his future was in jeopardy. Although he didn't know what Li Yaonan had shown the emperor, he was definitely not a good person. How could he not understand his mother's style of doing things? If he was implicated because of his mother, he was afraid that his career in this life would be over.
Lai Yaozu smiled bitterly. He did not expect his family to help, but he never thought that his mother would pull him back like this.
He had learned from his younger brother that Li Yaonan had changed a lot and was difficult to deal with. After observing for a period of time, he was more certain of this. He had originally planned to hold back, but who would have thought...
Li Yaozu returned home in a daze, watching the hustle and bustle in the house with cold eyes. His younger brother had gone somewhere to play, his younger sister had just chosen new jewelry today, his mother was flattering each other with several ladies, and the old lady finally enjoyed the treatment of an old noble. The people sitting below were the wives of officials, and they all called her the old lady, which made her feel flattered. She didn't expect that after the master passed away, she could still be so glorious. Her grandson was really promising.
"Madam, you are so lucky. Not only did your eldest grandson pass the imperial examination, but I heard that the top scholar has a close relationship with your family."
"Don't mention it." The old lady waved her hand, her face full of sorrow, "Let's not talk about that unfilial descendant."
"What's wrong?" asked an official's wife curiously.
Ma Yulian pretended to sigh: "Oh, please stop talking, so as not to upset our mother. We can't afford to be the third place winner."
"Mrs. Li, why is this happening? The third place winner looks very handsome..."
Ma Yulian said sadly, "Although I am not Tanhua's mother, I have watched him grow up. At the beginning, I had no choice but to adopt him. The master was very sad about this for a long time. Who would have thought... Alas! Who would have thought that after the child was adopted, he cut off contact with the family and even refused to recognize his biological father. The mother is so sad, because Tanhualang is her own grandson."
"The third place winner is really outrageous."
"Isn't it? I thought he was a talented writer, but I didn't expect his character to be so terrible."
Ma Yulian concealed her pride. Ever since she heard that Li Yaonan was the third in the imperial examination, she had been gritting her teeth in hatred. That damned little beast not only harmed her Zong'er, but also surpassed her Zu'er.
Therefore, Ma Yulian did everything she could to ruin Li Yaonan's reputation, and the rumor that the third place winner was unfilial spread in this way. Ma Yulian was a smart woman, she spoke evasively and wiped away tears at every turn, so it was not surprising that others were deceived.
It's a pity that Ma Yulian is shallow-minded and not smart in the right way. She forgot that they still have such a big handle in the hands of Li Yaonan. The capital is not Yangzhou, nor is it Li Mansion, nor is it some remote village where she can do whatever she wants. Therefore, at any time, there cannot be a stupid teammate, and Ma Yulian is that smart-aleck pig.
"Zhu'er is back." Ma Yulian saw her son and came out to greet him with a look of surprise: "How was the Qionglin Banquet? Did the emperor praise you?"
Ma Yulian was very proud. In her mind, her son was the best.
Li Yaozu was filled with grief. He was actually very happy that his mother had come from Yangzhou. His mother liked to be lively and show off, so he just let her do what she wanted. Today, he finally understood what his mother usually showed off to others. Fan Pengyi was clearly targeting Li Yaonan, but he used his mother as a pretext. Not only did his mother not know that a disaster was about to happen, but she was also very proud of herself.
Li Yaozu suddenly felt very tired. He had always known that his mother came from a humble family and that the place where she used most of her schemes in her life was the inner courtyard of the back house. He regretted letting his mother live in the capital and regretted not keeping an eye on her words and actions. Now... ... it's probably too late to say anything now!
"Joey, Joey, what's wrong with you?" Ma Yulian became nervous when she saw that her son looked upset.
Li Yaozu shook his head and looked indifferently at the ladies in front of him.
Those ladies were very tactful and hurriedly asked to leave. Ma Yulian thought her son was busy and although she was unhappy, she did not try to keep them.
The old lady was also worried about her grandson. After the ladies left, she immediately turned to look at her beloved grandson and quickly asked the maid to serve tea and water, fearing that he might be neglected.
Li Yaozu waved his hand, telling the servants to stop working, and looked at his grandmother and mother quietly: "Mom, Grandma, you guys should go back to Yangzhou."
"What—" Ma Yulian couldn't believe it. She covered her chest with her hands and her whole body was shaking.
The old lady's face was not good either, and she said in a deep voice: "Are you going to drive grandma away?"
Li Yaozu knelt down, feeling indescribably exhausted, and said with a hardened heart: "You should just go and stop causing trouble for the child."
"What did you say? Am I causing you trouble?" Ma Yulian was really sad. Her son was so heartless. No matter what she did, it was all for his own good.
However, something that made her even more sad was yet to come.
Not long after, before Li Yaozu could explain clearly, there was a commotion outside the door.
"The Queen's decree-----"
Li Yaozu's face turned pale. He didn't expect it to come so soon.
"The Empress's decree?" Ma Yulian was delighted at first, as she had never thought in her life that she would receive a decree from the Empress. But then she became worried, as Joey's attitude today made her uneasy.
"The lowly woman Ma Yulian is unvirtuous and unfilial. She pretends to be a concubine and disregards the etiquette and laws of the Jin Dynasty. The emperor is wise and does not want to hold her son responsible, so he ordered the empress to issue an imperial decree. The empress is virtuous and remembers Ma's contribution to raising an heir. Now she is demoted to a lowly concubine to serve as a warning to others."
"No—" Ma Yulian screamed like a madman, heart-wrenchingly.
Li Yaozu quickly had someone stop her, knelt on the ground, and stuffed a big red envelope into his father-in-law's pocket: "Long live the queen."
The eunuch nodded and felt the weight on his hand: "Mr. Li, please accept the order."
"Thank you Queen."
After the father-in-law left, the old lady was still in a daze, "What, what's going on?"
"No, I won't. I am the master's legal wife." Ma Yulian kept shaking her head. Her originally beautiful face became distorted and hideous, which made people feel scared.
"Mother—" Li Yaozu said sternly, pouring out all his anger today, and shouted loudly: "Please don't harm your son anymore, okay?"
"How could I harm you? What will you do if I become your concubine?" Ma Yulian's makeup was smudged by tears and she knelt on the ground heartbroken.
Li Yaozu said fiercely: "It's all your fault. You should be thankful that the emperor didn't pursue it, otherwise your son's chances of becoming a Jinshi would have been ruined by you."
"How could it be, I didn't--" Ma Yulian was stunned, kneeling on the ground and crying, crying with grief and sorrow, crying uncontrollably, she didn't do anything outrageous.
"You still say no." Li Yaozu was angry. Even now, his mother still didn't know where she was wrong. He shouted in a hoarse voice: "You are slandering Tanhualang everywhere, right? Tell me?"
"Was it that little beast's doing?" Ma Yulian suddenly raised her head, her eyes flashing with intense hatred.
Seeing that his mother did not repent, Lai Yaozu was furious. He simply knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and begged, "Mother, please be quiet, don't you understand what good it is to slander Lai Yaonan? My identity is originally a stain, and it was too late to cover it up, but you actually let everyone know. Do you want to ruin your son's future?"
"I didn't..."
"You didn't, you didn't. Li Yaonan and I are both legitimate children, but from different mothers. Even though you didn't say anything, wouldn't others guess?"
"Wow--" Ma Yulian burst into tears, unable to believe that she was the one who harmed her son.
The old lady looked resentful and glared at Ma Yulian angrily. She also hated this troublemaker in her heart and completely forgot that she was also involved in slandering Li Yaonan.
Li Yaozu rubbed his forehead tiredly and said lightly: "You and grandmother, go back to Yangzhou tomorrow. Keep the matter of the concubine a secret for now. Just delete it from the family tree." This would also save his mother from embarrassment. Even if she lost her status as the principal wife, as long as she kept it a secret and had her father and grandmother to protect her, he thought his mother would not suffer any loss, and the emperor would not pursue these trivial matters.
But he didn't know that when Ma Yulian returned to Yangzhou, Mr. Li's concubine had already given birth to a big fat boy, and even Madam Wen was pregnant again after many years.
Ma Yulian and the old lady had always had a grudge against each other, and Master Li only had his beauty in his heart, so he didn't care about Ma Yulian's life or death. Master Li has always been a person who puts feelings first, otherwise he would not have forced his wife to death for Ma Yulian. Now it's just the same old thing repeating itself. The concubine is so clever that she coaxed Master Li into not only supporting her, but also not returning to the Li Mansion even when she was pregnant. It was not until Ma Yulian and the old lady went to Beijing that he took her in openly. By that time, her child was about to be born.
If the position of the principal wife is stable, the best alliance will be between concubines. Madam Wen has been running the Li Mansion for many years, but the mistress is the apple of Mr. Li's eye. When Ma Yulian returns to the Li family, she no longer has the status of the principal wife. The master is not happy about her, and the old lady doesn't like her either. One can imagine how her future will be.
However, these things have nothing to do with Li Yaonan.