She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Li Mufeng took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

He looked up at Tingxian and said in a slightly trembling voice, "The letter said my mother has suddenly fallen ill and I need to return to the capital immediately."

Upon hearing this, Tingxian looked worried and asked, "Madam has always been in good health, how could she suddenly fall ill?"

Li Mufeng clenched his fists and spoke again after a long while, "After Cui Jintang returned to the capital, she had the Duke of Xingguo personally come to annul my engagement with her. However, less than half a month later, His Highness the Crown Prince announced that he would marry her as a concubine, and the wedding date was set for mid-June!"

"What? His Highness the Crown Prince wants to marry Miss Cui as a concubine? What will happen to the Crown Princess then?"

Tingxian clearly hadn't expected things to turn out this way, and asked in surprise with wide eyes.

Cui Jintang is Li Mufeng's former fiancée, while Crown Prince Chu Dongchen is Li Mufeng's brother-in-law. These two are actually getting married!

This was like a bolt from the blue, exploding in Li Mufeng's head, no wonder he looked so deeply shocked.

Six years ago, the current Crown Prince Chu Dongchen married Li Muyun, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Ningguo's family, as his Crown Princess. After their marriage, the two were very harmonious and loving. In the second year of their marriage, Li Muyun gave birth to the eldest grandson of the Emperor, Chu Zhiyi.

After having children, the couple's relationship was not as close as before, but they still treated each other with respect.

Now, however, Chu Dongchen is going to marry Cui Jintang, who is also the eldest daughter of a duke, as his concubine. This is something that not only Tingxian will find surprising, but most people in the capital city probably never expected.

Of course, the person most surprised by this was Crown Princess Li Muyun.

It should be noted that Li Muyun and Cui Jintang have known each other since childhood, and Li Muyun has always regarded Cui Jintang as her own younger sister.

She originally thought she would become her brother's wife, but she never expected that Cui Jintang would marry into the Eastern Palace and compete with her for her husband.

When Li Muyun learned of this news, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and her whole heart was chilled to the bone.

She couldn't believe that Cui Jintang, who was usually so respectful to her and treated her like a sister, would do such a thing.

Li Muyun was filled with pain and disappointment, but even more so with anger. Unable to vent her frustration, she fell ill the day after receiving the news.

Lady Ningguo, feeling sorry for her daughter and also angry about the matter, fell ill as well.

"There are no devoted lovers in the royal family. My sister took her feelings too seriously, which is why she couldn't withstand such a blow and fell seriously ill. In truth, it all started because of me."

"If I hadn't fled the capital and married Cui Jintang, perhaps none of this would have happened. I never imagined that Cui Jintang would be so ruthless, resorting to such a despicable method to retaliate against me!" Li Mufeng said remorsefully.

If anything were to happen to his sister or nephew, he would probably never have peace of mind for the rest of his life.

It has to be said that Cui Jintang's move was really ruthless, instantly throwing the entire Ningguo Duke's Mansion into chaos.

“Young Master, the fault lies not with you. It is His Highness the Crown Prince who is too greedy, and Miss Cui who is too cunning!” Tingxian comforted him.

"Tingxian, hurry up and pack your things. I'll go tell the village head that we'll be heading back to the capital soon!"

Li Mufeng gave Tingxian a command, tucked the letter into his pocket, and strode towards the door.

Shen Man and Lan Xiang were in the room and overheard most of what the master and servant were saying.

Lanxiang didn't quite understand the intricacies between these people, but Shen Man had already guessed the general outline of the matter.

"Man'er, what were Mr. Li and the others talking about just now?" Lanxiang asked curiously after Li Mufeng left.

"Mother, it's that Miss Cui who's going to marry Mr. Li's brother-in-law. And Mr. Li's sister and Mother both fell ill from anger!" Shen Manyan answered succinctly.

"What?! Such a thing? Miss Cui is so beautiful, why would she marry a married man?!"

"Mother, you don't know, some women will do anything to achieve their goals. What's more, Mr. Li's brother-in-law is the current crown prince, the next emperor!"

"Alas, isn't Mr. Li's sister pitiful!"

Shen Man remained noncommittal upon hearing this. Everyone must be responsible for their own choices, and since she chose to marry into the royal family, she had to bear the consequences.

"Mother, the master and the others are about to leave. Let's hurry up and bake some pancakes for them to take on their journey!" Shen Man said to Lanxiang.

"Okay, I'll go prepare right away!" Lanxiang agreed and hurried towards the kitchen.

Meanwhile, Li Mufeng went to the village head's house and told him about his departure.

"Village head, I originally planned to stay here for a full year before leaving, but unfortunately my mother is unwell and I have to go home to take care of her. So I have come to say goodbye to you. Please tell everyone at the school."

Upon hearing this, the village head quickly comforted him, saying, "The elderly at home are the most important thing. As for the school, I will hire a tutor in a while. You don't need to worry about it."

Li Mufeng nodded and said gratefully, "Thank you very much, village head. I have been able to teach with peace of mind thanks to your and the villagers' care during this time."

The village head smiled and waved his hand, saying, "Don't mention it, it's all what I should do. You're a good teacher, and the children all like you very much! I just didn't expect you to leave so soon."

Li Mufeng sighed with emotion and said, "Yes, time flies, and I am also reluctant to leave this place, but my mother's illness cannot be delayed."

The village head patted him on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Don't worry, I believe your mother will recover soon. Remember to come back and visit us old folks when you have time."

Li Mufeng nodded heavily, a hint of reluctance flashing in his eyes.

He knew that after leaving this time, he would once again be drawn into the treacherous schemes and intrigues of the capital, and it might be difficult for him to return.

"By the way, the silkworm farming cooperative hasn't distributed dividends yet. I'll set aside your share for you at the end of the year. I'll give it to you next time you come."

The two chatted for a while longer before Li Mufeng got up to take his leave. The village head personally saw him off and told him to be careful on the road.

When Li Mufeng returned, Tingxian had already packed most of the luggage and the carriage was ready.

Shen Man placed a bag of freshly baked pancakes on their carriage. Looking at the two of them, she felt a surge of reluctance and tears streamed down her face.

"gentlemen……"

"Man'er, I can no longer teach you kung fu. You must persevere and practice hard on your own, understand?"

Li Mufeng reached out and gently wiped away the tears on her face, and said to her.

Shen Man nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with determination: "Yes! Don't worry, sir, I will definitely practice my kung fu diligently and won't let you down." She bit her lip tightly, trying hard not to cry again.