Chapter Fifty-Eight: Passing the Test!

After Li Daozong left, the three people in the room all breathed a sigh of relief.

“My dear brother-in-law, what’s with your father just now?”

Li Xuan slouched to the side and let out a long breath. “How would I know? He’s not usually like that. Perhaps he was putting on a show to welcome you!”

Li Yi rolled his eyes at Li Xuan. “Welcome? More like a farewell party!” Then he glanced at Li Su. “So this is Li Su, my little brother-in-law, isn’t it?”

At once, Li Su stood up and saluted Li Yi. “Li Su pays his respects, Brother Yi!”

“Hey! No need for that. Relax. You’re much better than my two brothers at home. If you ever lack anything or need something, just tell me directly—don’t be shy!”

Li Su replied with an innocent smile. “Thank you, Brother Yi!”

“Brother Yi, let’s go. Mother must be getting anxious waiting for us!”

“Wait! Let me catch my breath. I always feel your mother is even more frightening!”

The two brothers exchanged a look, then responded in unison, “Brother Yi, you’re absolutely right!”

After a stick of incense had burned, the three brothers arrived at a sitting room in the back courtyard. Peering inside, Li Yi saw Madam Cui and Madam Zheng deep in cheerful conversation. Li Xueyan and Yiyi were busy pouring tea, massaging shoulders, and pounding backs for the two ladies.

The moment Li Yi and the others appeared, the room fell silent.

Madam Cui shot Li Yi a meaningful look, signaling all was settled. Li Xueyan gazed at Li Yi with a mixture of longing and joy, while Madam Zheng’s expression grew more complex. There was the approving gaze of a mother-in-law finding her son-in-law ever more pleasing, the deep, inscrutable look that Li Yi could not quite decipher, and something else—something that made Li Yi’s scalp tingle with anxiety.

“Don’t just stand there—come in!” Madam Zheng, having watched long enough, scolded with a smile.

Li Yi and the other two hurried inside, standing respectfully.

“So? Did you pass the test?” Madam Zheng asked.

Li Yi nodded quickly. “Yes!”

“Young man, just because you passed doesn’t mean you should look so pleased with yourself. My test hasn’t even begun.”

“Mother!” At this, Li Xueyan protested, clearly displeased.

“Silly girl, I’m only doing this for your sake,” Madam Zheng chided gently, though her gaze soon turned stern as she looked at Li Yi. “Given my relationship with your Aunt Shuijou, I shouldn’t make things difficult for you. But there’s something I must ask and get clear.”

Li Yi straightened his expression and replied with all due seriousness, “Please, go ahead.”

Madam Zheng nodded. “I’ve heard there are rumors about you and Princess Changle—an ambiguous relationship, is that so?”

Li Yi’s expression froze. He glanced at Li Xueyan, who immediately dropped her head in embarrassment.

“No need to look at her. Even if she hadn’t mentioned it, I would have asked. There are no outsiders here, so I’ll speak plainly. You know as well as I do—even if Princess Changle isn’t interested in you, you still stand a good chance of being ordered to marry a princess. Who told you to be so outstanding lately? And once you marry a princess, you won’t be allowed to marry any other woman. I trust you understand this. What I want to know is, how will you handle this matter? I can’t just sit by and watch you abandon my daughter, can I?”

Li Yi forced a wry smile; he’d known he would have to face this sooner or later. Meeting Li Xueyan’s hopeful, trusting gaze, Li Yi’s eyes grew resolute. Now was not the time to hesitate—otherwise, what kind of man would he be?

“Aunt, please be assured. I will do everything in my power to resolve this matter. I can’t promise much, but there is one thing I can guarantee.” As he spoke, Li Yi looked at Li Xueyan. “If, in this lifetime, I can only have one wife, then that person will be Xueyan—no one else.”

Hearing this, Li Xueyan was moved to tears. She felt that with these words from Li Yi, all the grievances she had suffered were worth it. In a society like this, a woman having a caring husband meant more than anything. Even in the modern age, affairs and betrayals abound. What is happiness, after all? It is having a shoulder to rely on, one that is always there for you no matter the cost, especially when you are hurt and lost. Women may dream of a passionate, earth-shaking love, but rarely realize that such love often ends with mutual wounds and regret, or with lovers parting forever. Consider Yang Guo and Xiaolongnü—their love was wild and legendary, yet in the end, one lost an arm, the other her innocence; only in their forties did they finally unite, with nothing left but affection and none of the old passion. Worse yet were the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, whose love moved heaven and earth, but condemned them to lives apart, seeing each other just once a year under the watchful gaze of the masses. It’s hard to comprehend just what people are celebrating on the Qixi Festival.

Thus, when it came to love and family, Li Xueyan was clearly wise. In an age where men had multiple wives and concubines, learning to let go was the best course. Her intelligence surely came from her mother, Madam Zheng, whose true purpose in holding this “banquet of hidden daggers” with Li Daozong was to force Li Yi to speak his mind. As for Li Yi himself, they were actually quite satisfied with him as a son-in-law. Though they had not met before, their investigations had told them much. Being of royal blood, they well knew the ways of the imperial family—thus this early warning was necessary.

The result was clear: Li Yi’s conduct greatly pleased both Li Daozong and Madam Zheng. A man need not be flamboyant in daily life; what matters is that he can stand up and take responsibility at crucial moments.

At last, Madam Zheng broke into a smile. “You rascal, you’ve passed my test!”

Li Yi was still processing this when Li Xueyan burst out in a cheer. Madam Cui, too, smiled. She knew well that there was no perfect solution to this matter, but since Li Yi had made up his mind, her role was not to persuade him otherwise, but to support him. Support was what Li Yi needed most.

Moved by Madam Cui’s support, Li Yi felt that, whatever had happened before, from this moment on he was truly part of the Li family. Sometimes, all it takes to break down barriers is a single instant.

Madam Cui, seeing the look in Li Yi’s eyes, grew emotional as well. At last, he had truly come home.

“Thank you, Aunt.” After regaining his composure, Li Yi thanked Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng smiled. “No need to thank me. I only said you’ve passed my test. But until this matter is settled, don’t even think about taking my daughter away.”

Li Yi scratched his head awkwardly. “I’m afraid that may take quite some time.”

She chuckled. “Ha! Just based on the fan you gave your Uncle Li, I believe, with your cleverness, you’ll have no trouble resolving this.”

Li Yi was left speechless, wondering where his mother-in-law’s confidence came from—she seemed to have more faith in him than he did himself.

“Well then, let’s go to the front hall. I’m curious to see what kind of furniture you’ve brought back.”

With a grateful glance at Madam Cui, Li Yi felt deeply appreciative of this aunt who believed in him unconditionally.

By the time Li Yi and Madam Cui returned home, it was already evening. Recalling the day’s events, Li Yi could only smile wryly—he couldn't tell whether having such a mother-in-law was a blessing or a curse. She was a formidable woman; in just one afternoon, she had nearly pried every secret of his childhood out of him. Fortunately, Li Yi had managed to hold his ground, revealing nothing of the crucial, unspeakable matters, or anything concerning imperial secrets, though the ordeal had left him in a cold sweat. “One day, I must have Aunt Zheng give those little scoundrels a lesson—her skills are unmatched!”