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Chapter 276 – My Son Has Facial Paralysis (part 7)
A month later, Jiang Hewen quietly returned to the capital.
The current Jiang family had become more low-key. Jiang Hewen’s return did not attract anyone’s attention.
Li Su didn’t notice either. She and Li Chen had just returned from Huguo Temple in Xishan when they received a summons from the empress dowager. She happily brought Li Chen, who had been healed, into the palace.
The empress dowager’s first impression of Li Chen was not very good. She always felt that this child was too gloomy, and there was no expression on his face, which made it uncomfortable to look at him. But looking at Li Su’s expression when she looked at her son like she was saying ‘my son is so good, my son is so good’, the empress dowager couldn’t say anything.
Forget it, Su Su was happy.
“Are you Li Chen? Come here and let Us take a look.” The empress dowager waved to Li Chen.
Li Su smiled and pushed Li Chen lightly. “Chen’er, go and greet the empress dowager.”
No one had taught Li Chen the etiquette of meeting the empress dowager, and Li Su didn’t remind him. Li Chen felt a little helpless and turned to look at Li Su. Li Su smiled at him as if encouraging him.
Li Chen had no choice but to walk up to the empress dowager and offer her some nondescript courtesy.
When the empress dowager saw this, she smiled helplessly. “Get up quickly! Is the injury on your body better?”
Li Chen nodded slightly.
Li Su said with a smile, “Empress dowager, please don’t take any offence. My family’s Chen’er has such a temperament. He is introverted. At first glance, he looks like someone who will do big things!”
The empress dowager was startled by Li Su’s ability to open her eyes and talk nonsense. She laughed and then said, “Ji’r, go and take the young master to the Imperial Beast Garden to play. Take care of him.”
A palace maid came out of the crowd and bowed to the empress dowager and Li Su. “Yes, this servant knows.” Then, she walked up to Li Chen and stretched out her hand. “Young master, this servant will take you to the Imperial Beast Garden!”
Li Chen didn’t extend his hand, but looked at Li Su.
Li Su smiled and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. “There are many small animals in the Imperial Beast Garden. There are tigers, wolves, leopards, peacocks, elephants, giraffes, and more. Don’t worry, mother can ask Sister Wen Mo to accompany you?”
Li Chen nodded, but he still didn’t touch Ji’r’s outstretched hand.
Ji’r knew that this little master didn’t like to be in contact with people. She withdrew her hand and said, “Young master, please come here.”
After Ji’r and Wen Mo took Li Chen out, the empress dowager said, “This child is too quiet.”
Li Su nodded. “I’m worried too. I wonder if it might be better to find a few people of the same age to play with him.”
The empress dowager thought for a while. “Why don’t you send him to the palace to study? The emperor also said the same thing. The third prince is going to study in the study room, and he still lacks a reading companion. I think Li Chen is good.”
“Ah?” Li Su never thought about him entering the palace to study. She instinctively shook her head. “No. Chen’er’s temperament is not suitable for entering the palace.” She had to worry about whether he would be bullied, and she would have to worry about more things if he entered the palace.
The third prince was the direct descendant of the empress and had a distinguished status. If nothing else, he would be the future crown prince. But imperial affairs were full of surprises, and no one could be 100% sure. And if Li Chen became the companion of the third prince, it would clearly show the position of the Li family.
Although this is what the empress dowager and the emperor meant, but if she pretended to be crazy and foolish, she could hide it. Li Su didn’t want to participate.
“Boys can’t be pampered. Are you afraid that he will be bullied in the palace?” The empress dowager asked Li Chen to go to the palace to accompany the prince to study, after careful consideration. Since the royal family has recognized Li Chen as Li Su’s adopted son, everything from the Li family will have to be inherited by Li Chen.
The emperor was a person who attached great importance to whether his children were legitimate or illegitimate. The performance of the empress and the third prince made the emperor very satisfied. If there were no accidents in the future, such as the third prince wanting to incite a rebellion, the third prince was the best choice for the title of crown prince. The choice of the third prince’s companions was important.
The emperor still couldn’t let it go, so he thought of giving the Li family this honor.
It was a pity that, when encountering a fool, not only did they not appreciate it, but they were also afraid that the child would be burdened, so they didn’t want to agree.
The empress dowager was also a little helpless.
Li Su saw that the empress dowager said as such, so if she objected again, it would be ignorant.
“Well, when will he enter the palace? Isn’t it too fast? I have to talk to Chen’er first. Empress Dowager, my family’s Chen’er is a poor child. You have to help me take care of him. Don’t let people bully him. He is young. Can he bring someone into the palace to serve him? Also, how is the third prince’s knowledge? Will my family’s Chen’er be beaten? I heard that if the princes do not do well with their homework, the gentlemen will hit the palm of the companion’s hand! That’s not fair!” Li Su nagged.
The empress dowager was angry and laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you another month. He can enter the palace on the second day of the next month, okay? We will assign a palace maid to take care of him, and you can also send a servant into the palace to serve him. He can go home once every ten days, so there is nothing to worry about. The third prince has the best homework. Your family’s Li Chen will not be beaten. He will not beat Li Chen, so don’t worry? ”
Li Su laughed. “With Empress Dowager here, there is nothing to worry about.”
The empress dowager laughed, but Su Su looked like a mother. She hoped Li Chen was a conscientious child and didn’t let Su Su down.
On the way home, Li Su sighed the entire way, which made Li Chen worry. Did the empress dowager dislike him and wanted to prevent Li Su from continuing to be his mother?
After returning to the mansion, Li Su sat down with Li Chen face to face with a solemn expression. “Chen’er, mother has something important to tell you.”
Li Chen’s heart sank.
Li Zhong, Wen Yu, Wen Mo, and the others were also nervous. They thought that something major had happened.
After listening to Li Su’s words, Li Zhong and others were full of joy. It turned out that the young master was to enter the palace as a reading companion to the third prince. It was such a good thing. Why was the county princess so worried?
Li Chen felt a little better, but what was a reading companion? Could he be a reading companion if he had never read a book?
Caiyue was the eldest maid who took care of Li Chen. She asked a question. “But the young master has never read books. Can he be a reading companion to the third prince?”
Li Su and the others were stunned for a moment. They forgot about this. When Li Chen was at his uncle’s house, let alone reading, even eating and drinking were an issue.
Li Su stood up suddenly. “How could I forget this? I have to go to the palace again.”
When the empress dowager saw Li Su leave, then return, she thought that something big had happened. But, when Li Su said this, the empress dowager was stunned. She and the emperor had considered everything, but they forgot the possibility that Li Chen had never read the book.
The empress dowager had no idea for a while. It took her a long time to think before she said, “Since it’s like this, you go back first. We will discuss this with the emperor.”
Li Su happily went back. Others thought that it was an honor and a good thing to be a reading companion to the prince, but Li Su doesn’t think so. There are too many things like this throughout the ages. The Li family only needed to be ministers and be loyal to His Majesty. As for Li Chen, in the future, whether he would turn to the path of a scholar or martial artist, he would follow his heart. If he had no ambitions and was an ordinary person, she would also support him.
When Li Su came back and said this, Li Zhong and others were very sorry, but Li Chen was happy. He had just listened to Li Zhong and the others to explain what a reading companion was. He heard that the reading companion would live in the palace. He could only come back once every ten days. If he couldn’t sleep at home, then he had no interest.
Li Su touched Li Chen’s head. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t be a reading companion. When you’re healthy, my mother will invite a teacher to come back and teach you to read and write. Also, mother will let Uncle Zhong teach you our Li family’s marksmanship! You need to learn it all. When you grow up, whether to follow the path of a scholar or a martial artist is up to you.”
Li Chen looked at Li Su. Although his face was still expressionless, there was a smile in his eyes.
Li Chen was unable to read and therefore could not be the third prince’s reading companion. The empress dowager thought it was a pity. Even the empress and the third prince felt pity when they talked about it. After all, the Li family was still worth attracting.
But this was also impossible. Li Chen had never studied and was not on the same level as the third prince at all. How could he be a reading companion to the third prince?
Everyone who knew about this matter felt very sorry. Only Li Su and Li Chen felt differently. Not only did they not take this matter to heart, but they felt that they had escaped the disaster and were very happy.
A month later, Li Chen recovered from his injuries. The teacher whom Li Su invited to enter the mansion also arrived. At the same time, Li Zhong began to slowly teach him martial arts.
In the general’s mansion, Li Su sent off the gentleman who came to complain with a black face. She didn’t know how many times this had happened. If it wasn’t for the excellent conditions she offered, she was afraid that the gentleman would have left.
“Where is Chen’er?” Li Su asked.
“With Uncle Zhong is in the martial arts field.” Wen Yu smiled. During this time, the quiet before the general’s mansion was swept away, and it became very lively.
“Go, call him for me!” Li Su said while holding her forehead.
Li Chen, this kid, was probably brainwashed by Uncle Zhong’s story on the battlefield. He was very interested in practicing martial arts. Li Su was very supportive of this at first. His body and bones gradually improved.
But later, Li Su found out that compared to when he was in high spirits when he was practicing martial arts, Li Chen would doze off when he took the culture class. He also often didn’t do his homework. The gentleman was so angry that he often complained to her.
It couldn’t go on like this. Although she said that in the future, Li Chen could do what he liked, but how old was he now? He needed to understand the minimum cultural knowledge. He couldn’t be illiterate. No, she had to correct his thinking.
Soon, Li Chen came and stood in front of Li Su without saying a word. He only stared at Li Su.
Seeing that he was sweating profusely, Li Su summoned him to her side and wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. “Are you doing horse step again? Are you tired? Let Caiyue and the others give you a good massage at night!”
Li Chen stared blankly at Li Su. Why did his mother call him over?
Li Su looked at his eyes, remembered her original intention, and stopped. “Chen’er, mother knows that you like to practice martial arts, and you want to be a majestic general in the future, but you also have to take culture classes.”
Li Chen looked at Li Su expressionlessly.
Li Su sighed and continued to explain. “Being a general is good as long as your ability is strong, but if you want to be a famous general like your grandfather who will go down in history, it isn’t enough to only have martial arts. You have to know astronomy and geography, and about people’s livelihoods. You must have superior wisdom and rich life experience in order to be victorious in all battles and become a famous general. If you don’t believe me, ask Uncle Zhong.”
Li Zhong had been reminded by Wen Mo for a long time, and at this time he quickly said, “The county princess is right. Our generals have both literary knowledge and martial arts abilities. They are very smart!”