If that was the only thing that happened, it would undoubtedly be a beautiful legend between a talented man and a beautiful woman.
But then, an unforeseen event happened.
The meritorious noble family that Li Mu's mother belonged to later chose the wrong side in a political incident of the empire and completely lost their power. Their influence vanished like smoke in thin air, and they were charged with crimes. The pillars of the family collapsed, and several elites were either imprisoned or exiled. It could be said that all the glory and splendor were blown away by the wind and rain. Overnight, their political status vanished like smoke in thin air.
As for Li Mu's father, as the magistrate of Chang 'an, he was not implicated because of his clever means. His status was stable.
The noble family invested the last of their resources and power in Li Mu's father, hoping that the son-in-law they supported could help the family make a comeback and restore the glory of the past.
But unexpectedly, at the critical moment, Li Mu's father betrayed the noble family without hesitation and took refuge with the hostile political forces.
This unforeseen event could be said to be extremely melodramatic.
When the upheaval happened, Li Mu was just one month old and ignorant.
With the loss of the family, Li Mu's mother's status in the Li Mansion also plummeted.
The loving couple who treated each other with respect was no longer there. Although Li Mu's father did not divorce Li Mu's mother in order to maintain his reputation in the empire, he married another co-wife and had several concubines. As for Li Mu's mother, he not only ignored her but also scolded her in public many times.
Later, Li Mu's mother was simply driven to a small yard in the mansion, leaving only a few maids to serve her. She was short of clothes and lived a miserable life.
It was in such an environment that Li Mu's mother raised Li Mu painstakingly.
Little Li Mu lived up to his expectations. He was smart and talented since he was a child. He was filial to his mother and was punished by his father many times for protecting his mother. But he never enjoyed the glory of being a young master. Even studying and practicing martial arts became a luxury for him. Just like a little servant in the mansion, he was often made difficult by some servants.
Until one day, Li Du's father finally made up his mind to divorce Li Du's mother and marry an outsider openly. Only then did Li Du's mother understand that Li Du's father was already married and had a son before he took the imperial examinations. He was not unmarried. He had only pursued Li Du's mother because he wanted to use her family's influence.
In this incident, a huge conflict broke out between young Li Mu and the magistrate of the prefecture.
In the end, the young and vigorous Li Mu, in a fit of rage, slapped Li Mu's father three times and severed all ties with him. Then, in front of all the guests, Li Mu declared that he would leave home to study and would never go back until he made a name for himself. Moreover, he would make the magistrate of Chang 'an regret and make him pay the price.
Li Mu ran away from home.
After that, Father Li arranged for Mother Li to live and die on her own in a small courtyard outside the mansion.
Since Zheng Cunjian was known as the Heartless Scholar, he was naturally eloquent and resourceful. After a brief and concise narration, Li Mu learned a lot about the past.
What a scumbag.
Li Mu cursed the magistrate inwardly.
He was a real scumbag. If he were on Earth, he would definitely be the standard Chen Shimei of the new era, who rose to power by relying on a woman and living off a woman.
In that case, the Li Mu of that world was quite pitiful.
What happened to Li Du's mother was also quite a pity.
When she was young and pretty, she was hoodwinked by a scumbag. She yearned for love wholeheartedly and even fell out with her biological parents. In the end, her family compromised and married her to Li Mu, who also supported her son-in-law. She thought she had ushered in a happy life. But little did she know that the scumbag only deceived her because of her family background. When the family was in trouble, the scumbag not only failed to save her family as she expected, but also got betrayed. His sincerity was fed to the dogs, and he was finally abandoned and betrayed.
It was not hard to imagine how desperate, sad, and angry Li Du's mother was at that time.
If it were not for her infant son, perhaps she would have killed herself a long time ago.
Women were weak by nature, but a mother was tough.
But Li Mu of that world was also a little bastard. He ran away to study and left his mother alone in the mansion. He hadn't visited her for so many years. Li Mu really wondered how Li Du's mother managed to survive alone.
After hearing that, Li Mu felt both sympathy and admiration for that mother.
"Her mother has been in poor health in the past two years. It is said that she can't see anymore. She has been looking forward to your return, Young Master." Zheng Cunjian seized the opportunity to add, "I have sent some people to deliver some belongings to her in secret, and she has been taking care of her."
He was showing off his contribution.
Li Mu was touched by that.
In his mind, he could even imagine a mother who had endured all kinds of hardships. Because of the fall of her family, the betrayal of her husband, and the departure of her son, she cried until she was blind. She just leaned against the wooden door day after day, waiting for the return of her son.
Perhaps, this wait was the only color and hope in her life.
She used to be a peerless beauty. She used to be one of the most beautiful flowers in the empire, admired and pursued by countless people. But now, she was ruined by a scumbag, pitied by her former pursuers, and ridiculed by her former sisters.
In the past years, how much suffering and torture had this woman, who was supposed to be favored by fate, suffered?
"Young Master, Madam is in poor health. A few days ago, her last maid was forced to marry someone else. Since Young Master is already the county magistrate, why don't you go to the Chang 'an government and bring Madam back? Madam has been waiting for you."
Zheng Cunjian seemed to have Li Mu's best interests at heart.
Li Mu sneered and looked at the heartless scholar. "This guy is definitely not a good guy. How could he be so kind as to secretly take care of Li Mu's mother? Now that he is advising me to go to Chang 'an, I'm afraid he is up to no good, is he?"
The Chang 'an government is the territory of that scumbag magistrate and Zheng Cunjian. It is like a dragon's pool and a tiger's den. If Li Mu went to the Chang' an government, that scumbag magistrate would never sit back and do nothing.
After all, before Li Mu could secure his position as the county magistrate, the scumbag magistrate had already sent Zheng Cunjian, Chu Shufeng, and Ning Zhongshan to deal with him. If he were the real Li Mu, he would have been dead by now, with not even his bones left.
As if he had guessed what was on Li Mu's mind, Zheng Cunjian hurriedly explained, "Young Master, I'm not trying to lure you to the Chang 'an government. In fact, you can send someone to bring Madam here in secret …"
Li Mu did not say anything.
He was carefully considering whether the story was true or not.
Zheng Cunjian was a viper. What he said might not be true. It could also be a trap.
After pondering for a while, Li Mu went through all the logic and events in his mind. He found that there was no flaw in his story. Moreover, it was impossible for Zheng Cunjian to fabricate such a story out of thin air, because Zheng Cunjian did not know that the Li Mu in front of him was a fake.
After pondering for a while, Li Mu believed that the story should be true.
"Your Honor, if there is any falsehood in what I said, I will die a horrible death and be struck by lightning …" Zheng Cunjian hurriedly swore to God.
Li Mu pondered for a moment, nodded, and slapped him unconscious.
Zheng Cunjian fainted on the side again.
Li Mu dragged Li Bing over from the side and gave him a few more slaps on the face. "Crack, crack, crack!"
"Ah, mercy, mercy …" Li Bing woke up screaming. When he saw Li Mu, he trembled with fear and wailed like a pig being slaughtered.
"Shut up," Li Mu glared at him and bellowed, "I ask, and you answer. If you dare to make irresponsible remarks, I will castrate you."
Li Bing had long been traumatized by Li Mu, so he hurriedly nodded.
Therefore, Li Mu retold what Zheng Cunjian had just told him, by cutting out some of the content and adding some to it.
In the end, Li Mu asked, "Do you know these things?"
Li Bing didn't dare to conceal anything. He told Zheng Cunjian everything he knew in detail and corrected the parts that Li Mu added and omitted. Although what he said was different from what Zheng Cunjian told him, it was because of the difference in their personal standpoints and perspectives.
After hearing that, Li Mu was sure that Zheng Cunjian was telling the truth.
Then, he unceremoniously knocked Li Bing unconscious again.
After that, he sat on the side and began to ponder the meaning behind the incident.
"Should I go to the Chang 'an government and rescue that poor woman?"
He was a little hesitant.
Li Mu had been an orphan since he was a child. It was said that the old faker picked him up from the mountains. Anyway, every time he asked the old faker about his parents, the old faker said he knew nothing. When Li Mu was annoyed, the old faker would catch him and give him a good beating. When the old faker got angry, Li Mu stopped asking.
Perhaps because he had no parents, Li Mu especially envied those classmates who could play with their parents. Whether in elementary school or junior high school, in the village or in the city, every time he saw his peers who were chatting and playing with their parents, Li Mu would stare at them enviously for a long time.
Sometimes, when Li Mu saw other people's children being beaten by their parents, he would feel that it was a kind of happiness.
For a long time, Li Mu regarded the old faker as his own parents.
Therefore, after hearing the story of Li Mu's mother, his heart was filled with sympathy.
Of course, he hoped to save this poor mother.
But he was not a Virgin Mary. He was not a naive teenager who impulsively wanted to save the world because he lacked maternal love. If he really went there, he might be in danger.
"Go?
Or not go? "
Li Mu pondered for a long time.
Then, he picked up Zheng Cunjian and slapped him several times to wake him up.
"Ouch …" Zheng Cunjian woke up with a scream and touched his face. His teeth were loose and his cheeks were numb, but he dared not to complain.
"Young Master, what I said is true. I'm not trying to trick you into going to the Chang 'an government. I …" Enduring the sharp pain in his legs, he knelt on the ground and tried to defend himself.
Li Mu waved him off and said, "You don't have to explain. I've decided to go to the Chang 'an government."
"Ah?" Zheng Cunjian was stunned.
He believed that Li Mu would never go there, at least not in a short period of time without absolute certainty.
Li Mu sneered and said, "If the Chang 'an government is a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, I will catch the dragon when I meet the dragon and kill the tiger when I meet the tiger … Those who stand in my way will die."
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Happy Valentine's Day, everyone.
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