LFHYB -Chapter 49 Yang Guang Sticks His Nose In

Li Xuanba thought he was about to fall ill, but the next day he was perfectly fine.

Scratching his head, he joked to his second brother, “Could it be that some bad luck is coming?”

Li Shimin hurriedly told him to shut up before it came true.

Li Xuanba thought his brother was overthinking it—until his crow-mouth curse actually hit.

Yang Guang summoned him to the palace, saying he was going to grant him a marriage.

The emperor didn’t have a suitable daughter of his own, but the imperial clan did. “Don’t worry, Li Third! I’ll get you a commandery princess!”

Li Xuanba was completely numb.

Who didn’t know that the emperor’s paranoia was just as bad as the late former emperor’s in his final years? All members of the imperial clan were people he feared and guarded against. If Li Xuanba became in-laws with one of them, how would he ever be able to act freely in the future? He was afraid that if he bought a horse today in the emperor’s name, tomorrow the emperor would think he was funding his wife’s family to rebel!

Yang Guang, however, thought he was being kind.

Although he did distrust the imperial clan, that didn’t conflict with the high status of a prince’s daughter.

Moreover, Yang Guang didn’t even admit to himself that he distrusted them—and in not admitting it, he had practically brainwashed himself into believing it.

He thought Li Xuanba, this little nephew of his, was excellent and wanted to form a marriage alliance. Since he had no suitably aged daughters of his own—and he genuinely worried that Li Xuanba’s poor health might leave his own daughter a widow—why not choose a commandery princess instead?

Li Xuanba, for once, had a little man in his heart banging his head against the wall in despair. On the outside, he still had to put on a calm, mature expression and say that he was still young, and that matters of marriage should be decided by his parents—that he himself could not make such a decision.

Emperor Yang Guang joked, “This matter I will of course discuss with Li Yuan. But before telling him, I must first ask you whether you are willing to become my in-law.”

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Li Shimin’s back.

An onlooker sees most clearly. Although Gao Jiong himself had made mistakes in his political stance, he was very good at analyzing court affairs from an outsider’s perspective. Li Shimin had learned from Gao Jiong, and with his own natural political instinct, he was very sharp in such matters.

Given how wary the current emperor was of the imperial clan, how could his younger brother marry into it? But the emperor himself did not seem to realize this problem—and if his brother refused, the emperor might very well become angry.

Aaaah, my head hurts!!

While Li Shimin was desperately racking his brains for a way to help Li Xuanba out, Li Xuanba pretended to think for a moment and then put on an arrogant expression.

Li Xuanba clasped his hands and said, “Your Majesty, I request a special pardon. If I speak the truth, please do not be angry.”

Yang Guang frowned. What, does this kid actually look down on my royal daughters?

Though displeased inside, he still smiled. “This is nothing more than an elder chatting with a junior. How could I be angry?”

Li Xuanba forced himself to keep up his haughty demeanor. “If Your Majesty has a suitable princess and is willing to take me as her husband, I would be moved to tears with gratitude. But as for women of the imperial clan, I do not like them.”

Yang Guang: “……”

Li Shimin (in his heart): [Aaaaah!!!!!] Shut up!!!!

Because Li Xuanba was so arrogantly blunt, Yang Guang’s earlier displeasure instead faded away.

He laughed. “You little brat, you’re really that arrogant?”

Li Xuanba said, “Your Majesty, this is not mere arrogance. I believe I will certainly become one of Your Majesty’s trusted pillars, and I also believe my second brother will become one of Your Majesty’s beloved commanders. The two of us are not only talented but also Your Majesty’s nephews. There will surely be a place for both of us among the highest ranks of the court.”

He paused, then continued, “Please do not blame me for sowing discord, but I believe that although the imperial clan are Your Majesty’s blood relatives, they should not form marriage ties with ministers who hold great power at court. Though I am not yet a powerful minister, I certainly will be in the future.”

Li Shimin immediately caught on and also clasped his hands. “Your Majesty, I think the same. I understand Your Majesty’s generosity toward the imperial clan, but one must always be on guard.”

Yang Guang was taken aback. He had not expected Li Xuanba to give such a reason, nor that a nine-year-old child would advise him not to be overly indulgent toward the imperial clan. He had only suggested a marriage—how did that become being “too generous”?

But following Li Xuanba’s line of thought, Yang Guang found himself somewhat persuaded.

Though Li Xuanba was frail and often said he might “not live to adulthood,” that really meant there was still a good chance he would.

His words were arrogant, but not untrue. If he did not die young, he would indeed become a trusted minister. If Li Xuanba married into the imperial clan, could Yang Guang truly be at ease?

And it was not just Li Xuanba—Li Shimin’s future prospects were also boundless. The two brothers were extremely close. If he had to guard against Li Xuanba, he would inevitably have to guard against Li Shimin as well.

“Fine. If you don’t like a commandery princess, then so be it.” Yang Guang no longer blamed Li Xuanba for refusing; in fact, the more he looked at him, the more pleased he became.

Look at this awareness—this is what a loyal minister should be like.

Yang Guang continued, “But my word still stands. If you take a fancy to any girl from any family, just tell me. I will grant the marriage. Let’s see who would dare to refuse!”

Li Xuanba said helplessly, “Your Majesty, that really must be discussed with my father. How could I go about meeting unfamiliar young women?”

Yang Guang offered a terrible idea. “I’ll have the Empress invite the ladies into the palace. You can hide behind a screen and take a look?”

Li Xuanba hurriedly said, “Your Majesty! Uncle! Please spare me!”

Li Shimin said in confusion, “A-Xuan, I think our Uncle’s idea is pretty good.”

Li Xuanba gritted his teeth. “Brother, shut up!”

Yang Guang laughed. “I give you a chance and you refuse it. Looks like I’ll have to let the Empress choose for you. If it’s not to your liking, don’t come crying.”

Having already refused once, Li Xuanba could not refuse again. He could only steel himself and say, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Any lady chosen by Her Majesty the Empress will surely be outstanding. How could I cry?”

And so, the authority over Li Xuanba’s marriage was transferred into the hands of Yang Guang and Empress Xiao.

After leaving the palace, Li Xuanba kept banging his head against the soft cushion.

Li Shimin said with the air of an old man, “A-Xuan, I told you not to jinx yourself. See? Now you’re in trouble.”

Li Xuanba said nothing and continued smashing his head into the pillow.

So annoying, so annoying, so annoying! Why did Emperor Yang of Sui suddenly stick his nose into this!

While Li Xuanba was wondering why Yang Guang had suddenly interfered, Li Yuan returned with a bitter smile and told them that Yuwen Shiji, while drinking with him, had revealed that this was all thanks to his father Yuwen Shu. When Li Xuanba’s marriage was settled, they should not forget to give his father a big gift.

Li Yuan asked in puzzlement, “Dade, why would Yuwen Shu suggest this to His Majesty on your behalf?”

Li Xuanba: “…I don’t know.”

Li Shimin looked at Li Xuanba, a guess forming in his heart.

Li Xuanba glanced back at his second brother and thought, [It can’t be because I sent Yuwen Shu two generous gifts to ask him for help, and he found my gifts sincere so he threw in some extra benefits for me, right?]

Li Shimin blinked. That was exactly what he was thinking.

Li Xuanba went berserk inside. [Why is a corrupt official so damn conscientious! Is he planning to do refunds and bonuses too?!]

Though Li Shimin despised Yuwen Shu, he suddenly felt that there was a reason Yuwen Shu was so favored by the emperor. This must be what A-Xuan called “emotional intelligence.”

Even if, this time, Yuwen Shu’s good intentions had caused trouble.

Li Yuan was depressed that he no longer had control over his son’s marriage, but he was also secretly happy.

The Sui dynasty was flourishing. No one believed it would collapse under Yang Guang.

Although years of chaos before had made people doubt how long a unified Sui could last, given its present prosperity, it should easily endure four or five generations.

So for the emperor and empress to personally choose Li Xuanba’s future wife was an immense honor for a minister. No matter which family the girl came from, with the empress acting as matchmaker, Li Xuanba’s ties to the imperial couple would only grow even closer.

The emperor’s two elder sons were both born of the empress. Even if Crown Prince Yang Zhao was in poor health, once Prince of Qi succeeded to the throne, he would still continue to trust Li Xuanba. If Li Xuanba did not die young, he was fated to become a close minister serving two successive emperors.

Yuwen Shu “bonus gift,” was therefore an extremely weighty one.

In Li Xuanba’s mind, an image had already appeared of a sly old courtier smugly stroking his beard, signaling with his eyes that he didn’t need too much thanks.

Ah—nooooo!!!!!

Li Yuan had no idea why Li Xuanba was so unhappy. He said, “Are you worried that you won’t like the girl the empress chooses? Don’t worry, the empress certainly won’t just pick anyone. Besides, she’ll definitely choose girls from several families and let your mother and me decide. In the end, it still has to pass me and your mother.”

Li Xuanba replied weakly, “Yes, Father. I just hope it won’t be from the Xiao family.”

Li Yuan frowned. “That really would be a problem.”

The family’s legitimate eldest son was already engaged to the Zheng family, so the Xiao clan—also bearing an imperial surname—really should stay out of it. Thinking of all the troublesome matters from last year, he felt weary.

Second Son and Third Son were becoming more and more favored by the emperor, and the two brothers were of one mind. If the women in the inner quarters stirred up trouble and, relying on imperial favor, tried to forcibly seize the Tang Duke’s title of Jiancheng, the household would once again be plunged into chaos.

Li Xuanba said, “Father’s official career is only just beginning, but the Tang Duke’s power is already showing signs of strength. His Majesty is not a broad-minded person. For now it’s fine, but once Second Brother and I enter officialdom, the Tang Duke’s residence will be too prominent. The former Duke of Chu is a lesson from history—Father should stay alert. My wife’s family background should not be too strong.”

Li Yuan reflexively wanted to say, “His Majesty isn’t that kind of person,” but the words stopped at his lips and turned into a sigh.

He had already gotten into the habit of sending gifts to the emperor. His trust in him had long since diminished.

“Who would have thought I’d one day have to worry about becoming another Duke of Chu?” Li Yuan said half jokingly. “You boys have become capable, and so has your father.”

Li Shimin said, “Father was capable to begin with.”

Li Yuan knocked Li Shimin on the head, then said to Li Xuanba, “Dade is right. But the girls the empress selects will certainly come from good families. I’ll pick among them the one whose father holds the lowest office… sigh, what a hassle.”

Li Xuanba and Li Shimin nodded at the same time.

Exactly—Yuwen Shu, why did you have to add extra “value”? Stop doing unnecessary things!

Li Shimin asked, “His Majesty said that if we have a suitable candidate, we can ask him to bestow the marriage. Why doesn’t Father immediately choose someone appropriate and ask His Majesty to grant it? That way we won’t have to worry about the empress choosing someone unsuitable.”

Li Yuan thought for a moment and said, “I’ll write to your mother at once and discuss it.”

After the old matriarch passed away, Lady Dou was finally able to travel with Li Yuan and the women of the household. However, Concubine Zheng had just given birth and couldn’t move, and because she had only borne a daughter, she was depressed. Lady Dou stayed behind to take care of her, so she did not go to Luoyang this time.

When Li Yuan sent word of what had happened in Luoyang back to Lady Dou by fast courier, she was anxious and immediately took a carriage to Luoyang.

As soon as she arrived, before she even had time to wash off the dust of travel, she grabbed Li Yuan’s sleeve and asked, “Has the empress already decided on the list?”

“Not that fast,” Li Yuan said. “The empress still has to ask whether the other families are willing. She can’t just randomly assign marriages, or a match could turn into a feud.”

Lady Dou let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s good. As long as it isn’t decided yet.”

Li Yuan asked, “Do you have someone suitable in mind?”

“Not yet,” Lady Dou said. “But with His Majesty’s promise of a bestowed marriage, the families I originally had my eye on won’t have to worry that rumors of Dade’s weak health will affect their reputation. I can contact them again.”

Originally, Lady Dou hadn’t wanted to consider families that had backed out.

My Third Son is so outstanding—since you looked down on him, you’ll regret it later!

But if Empress Xiao was choosing a wife for her own son, she would certainly do so from the standpoint of the Xiao clan and the two princes, trying to tie Third Son firmly to her side.

Third Son had used the excuse that “members of the imperial clan cannot marry future high ministers” to dissuade the emperor from granting him a match with a princess. But weren’t the Xiao clan, the Crown Prince, and the Prince of Qi also on the emperor’s list of those to be wary of?

Maybe not now—but certainly in the future!

Judging the emperor’s character, Lady Dou believed that at most ten more years, once the Crown Prince and Prince of Qi were past thirty, the emperor would inevitably begin to feel wary of his sons.

By then, her Second and Third Sons would just be entering officialdom and would be dragged into the vortex of the struggle for power between father and sons—how difficult would that be?

With the Tang Duke’s current influence and the talents of her two sons, they no longer needed to rely on in-laws to climb higher. What mattered most was that the in-laws be trouble-free.

Lady Dou knew her husband would not listen to her remonstrations. If she spoke too much, he might even do the opposite, so she did not share these thoughts with Li Yuan.

She only said, “The girls the empress chooses will certainly all be good. But noble young ladies from great families are proud and may look down on Dade for being physically weak. They might not be able to treat him with mutual respect. Dade’s own personality is arrogant and aloof—he isn’t the type to accommodate others. If the couple gets along poorly and it reaches the empress as the matchmaker, it will probably displease both His Majesty and the empress.”

Li Yuan deeply agreed. “Daxiong and Dade both made a very good point as well. The Tang Duke’s household is already becoming prominent. The in-laws shouldn’t be too prominent, or it will provoke His Majesty’s suspicions.”

Lady Dou was delighted. Her husband had finally matured.

“I didn’t even think of this,” she said. “It was Second Son, Third Son, and my lord who saw it so clearly.”

Li Yuan said proudly, “Matters of the court are beyond the understanding of women like you.”

Lady Dou smiled. “Yes, I don’t understand. I’ve already drawn up a list—shall my lord and I split up and make contact?”

“Good,” Li Yuan said.

Lady Dou and Li Yuan both became busy.

Li Xuanba’s mood grew gloomier and gloomier. This feeling of having no control over his own future was truly irritating.

Seeing his brother in low spirits, Li Shimin said, “Should we go out and have some fun?”

Although their close friends were all in the capital, they still had other relatives in Luoyang they could go visit.

Li Xuanba said, “No need. We should just stay at home, so we don’t cause trouble for Father and Mother.”

Li Shimin sighed. “Right now everyone outside is spreading rumors that His Majesty is going to grant you a marriage. Not going out is probably for the best.”

A-Xuan really is in the spotlight now.

Li Shimin rubbed Li Xuanba’s head. “A-Xuan, don’t worry. You once told me that feelings are built through time spent together. As long as you’re good enough, the other person will naturally come to appreciate you through getting along. A-Xuan, you’re so outstanding and you treat people well—no matter who your future wife is, she will definitely come to admire you.”

Li Xuanba replied perfunctorily, “Mm.”

Li Shimin said, “What I’m worried about is whether you’ll be able to truly open your heart to your wife in the future. Sigh.”

Li Xuanba asked, “Why are you worrying about that?”

Li Shimin said, “Because I worry about you. You think too much. People who think too much age quickly—didn’t you say that yourself?”

He tapped his younger brother on the forehead. “Look, you’re already frowning like a little old man.”

Li Xuanba touched his own forehead.

Li Shimin said, “Relax. We’re still young—why worry about so much? There’s even less reason to worry about things that haven’t happened yet.”

Li Xuanba complained, “Weren’t you just as worried when you got engaged to the little miss from the Changsun family?”

Li Shimin laughed. “Yes. And you were the one who told me back then: with our family background and abilities, after a woman marries she basically has to live by her husband’s family’s favor. We should be the ones to cherish them. What is there for us to worry about? The woman who marries you will depend on you for her whole life—why should you worry? You should be the one cherishing her.”

Li Shimin sighed again. “Look at Concubine Zheng. Before she entered my elder brother’s household, she was a daughter of the Xingyang Zheng clan, relying on her family background and full of pride. After she entered, she became so humble and submissive that even Mother couldn’t bear to watch it, and told her not to weigh everything so heavily in her heart.”

He sighed once more. “Your wife will be the main wife, so she won’t be the same as Concubine Zheng. But even so, Mother’s life back then was extremely hard.”

When Li Shimin thought of how exhausted his mother had been when Grandmother was still alive, he felt a wave of nausea.

He had once liked his grandmother too. She had once treated him well. But in the year before she died, all of that affection had been worn away. Now when he thought of the past, there was only disgust and fear left.

Li Xuanba looked at his second brother in disbelief.

He never expected his second brother to sigh over the women of the inner household. The historical Tang Taizong would never have thought this way—whose butterfly wings had stirred this change? He himself hadn’t done anything.

Li Shimin said, “So what are you worrying about?”

Li Xuanba rubbed his face. “All right. I’m the one getting married, not the one being married off—what do I have to worry about?”

Li Shimin laughed. “Exactly. Look at me now—aren’t Guanyinbi and I getting along wonderfully?”

As soon as Li Shimin mentioned Guanyinbi, he started talking nonstop, boasting to Li Xuanba that even after going to Luoyang, he still wrote to Guanyinbi every day.

Right now the letters couldn’t be delivered, but he had carefully marked the dates. Once he returned to the capital, he would give them all to her.

He and Guanyinbi had agreed on it—Guanyinbi would also write a letter every day, and then they would exchange them.

The corner of Li Xuanba’s mouth twitched.

Second Brother and Sister-in-law weren’t just writing letters anymore—they were basically exchanging diaries. This was really like elementary school kids in love.

Still, listening to Li Shimin’s bragging, Li Xuanba—who had felt completely indifferent about his own marriage—couldn’t help but feel a few ripples in his heart.

Those slight ripples, just as the matter was about to be settled, were stirred into much larger waves by an unexpected stone.

While Lady Dou and Li Yuan were “racing” Empress Xiao, Yuwen Bi arrived in Luoyang personally to propose a marriage between his granddaughter and Li Xuanba.

Yuwen Bi was a native of Luoyang. When he went to the capital to compile books, his family still lived in Luoyang.

He had two sons. The eldest, Yuwen Jian, served outside. The second, Yuwen Yuan, only held an honorary rank with no real post and stayed behind at the ancestral home in Luoyang.

This time, Yuwen Bi had returned because his youngest grandson, Yuwen Kang, had passed away.

Yuwen Kang had been frail since childhood. Yuwen Bi had given him the name “Kang” and the courtesy name “An’er,” both in hopes that he would grow up healthy.

Yuwen Kang’s temperament was very similar to Li Xuanba’s. Back then, the reason Yuwen Bi treated Li Xuanba so well was because he saw his grandson’s shadow in him.

Yuwen Kang was also very intelligent—at three he could recognize and parse texts, at four he could write poems, at five he could recite the Thousand-Character Classic. He loved reading and was usually very quiet. All of this was extremely similar to Li Xuanba.

Yuwen Kang had an older sister named Yuwen Zhu, one year his senior, and they were very close. She was an extremely intelligent girl who taught herself medical texts at home, saying that when she grew up she would cure her little brother.

After Yuwen Kang died, she was devastated and became even more immersed in medical books.

“My second son doesn’t hold a high office, so I never thought of forming a marriage with your family,” Yuwen Bi sighed. “But since you don’t intend to find a powerful great clan for Dade, perhaps my granddaughter is just right.”

Li Yuan said, “She is already grief-stricken over her younger brother’s death. My Dade is also sickly—if he were to pass away as well, how could she bear it?”

Yuwen Bi was elderly, and since this was a discussion of marriage, Lady Dou was also seated beside them.

Hearing Li Yuan’s words, Lady Dou’s face darkened. She really wanted to scold her husband.

Who talks about their own son dying like that?!

Yuwen Bi sighed. “This match was requested by her herself. Perhaps I mentioned Dade too many times in front of Kang’er. When her parents began looking for a match for her, she brought up Dade. Besides, ordinary families would never allow a girl to study medicine. If she married Dade, your family wouldn’t stop her from continuing to learn medicine.”

Li Yuan said, “Our family wouldn’t stop her. But if Duke Yuwen thinks that studying medicine makes it harder for her to marry, he could simply forbid her from learning medicine, and then it wouldn’t affect her marriage prospects.”

Lady Dou really wanted to hit someone now.

After hearing about Yuwen Bi’s granddaughter, Lady Dou had already been tempted.

Yuwen Bi had successfully retired from court to compile books and would likely no longer be viewed with suspicion by the emperor in the future.

The Yuwen family’s background was good. Yuwen Bi was Dade’s teacher, and Yuwen Yuan’s low rank actually matched Dade quite well—

As for Yuwen Zhu teaching herself medical texts—that was simply an unexpected bonus.

Lady Dou had practically been ready to agree on the spot, yet Li Yuan actually tried to push the proposal away?!

Yuwen Bi said, “Zhu’er has already made up her mind. If she isn’t allowed to study medicine in the future, she would rather never marry and instead become a nun.”

If his granddaughter hadn’t been so resolute, he would never have come to propose in the first place.

Dade was good in every way, but the mere possibility that his poor health might cause his granddaughter to become a widow made Yuwen Bi—who doted deeply on her—unwilling to put him on the list of potential husbands.

Otherwise, he would have mentioned it to Lady Dou long ago when she was reviewing candidates.

Li Yuan frowned. “This girl’s temperament…”

Lady Dou twisted Li Yuan’s arm, stopping him from finishing his sentence.

Smiling, she said, “Then it’s settled! I think it’s perfectly suitable! Dade is also studying medicine on his own—when they become husband and wife, they’ll surely have endless things to talk about!”

Yuwen Bi sighed. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

After his most beloved grandson passed away, Yuwen Bi became even more doting toward his granddaughter. So when she made a request, he was willing to throw away his old pride just to fulfill it for her.

With Lady Dou having decided the matter, although Li Yuan didn’t particularly like Yuwen Zhu’s overly eccentric personality, compared to the other candidates, she really was quite suitable.

Even so, after it was settled, Li Yuan still muttered, “If we weren’t in such a hurry, this Yuwen Zhu really wouldn’t do. What kind of girl takes the initiative to propose marriage? That’s shameless! And threatening to become a nun if she can’t study medicine—what kind of unfilial behavior is that? It’s simply absurd!”

Lady Dou gently scolded him. “She admired Dade after hearing of his virtues and felt drawn to him—how is that shameless? Back then, you captured the hearts of so many young ladies. Do you think I didn’t know? By your logic, all those girls who admired you were shameless too.”

Li Yuan coughed. “Ahem, that happened? Then you, my lady…”

Lady Dou’s lips curved slightly. “My parents doted on me terribly. Without my own consent, even if you hit the peacock screen with an arrow, it would have been useless. I suppose that makes me shameless too.”

Li Yuan hurriedly said, “My lady, I was wrong, I was wrong. Miss Yuwen truly lives up to the name ‘Zhu’—a pearl! What keen eyes to recognize a jewel!”

Lady Dou said, “Her words about studying medicine were probably spoken in anger. She’s only one year older than Dade, still just a tender child, and she’s grieving over her younger brother’s death. Of course she’s especially attached to medicine right now. It’s normal for her to say such things in a fit of emotion. Doesn’t Daxiong quarrel with you every so often and threaten to secretly pack up and run off to the frontier with his younger brother to join the army?”

Thinking of Li Shimin’s words, Li Yuan couldn’t help laughing. “You’re right. I was too harsh on her. She’s still just a child.”

Seeing that Li Yuan’s misgivings had been dispelled, Lady Dou finally let out a breath of relief.

Although Yuwen Zhu might not often meet Li Yuan after marrying into the household, if Li Yuan disliked her, it would inevitably affect the relationship between Third Son and his wife.

Lady Dou truly admired Yuwen Zhu. Whether it was Yuwen Zhu taking the initiative to seek out a suitable husband, or her unwillingness to give up studying medicine, both deeply appealed to her.

Lady Dou herself was a woman of ambition.

In her view, a woman who had only a husband and children was not truly alive; only when she had other passions could she be considered vibrant. That was why she had personally hired martial arts instructors for Li Zhao and trained her in horseback riding and archery.

Moreover, when a woman had interests of her own, she would not focus all her attention on the inner quarters, and the household would be much more harmonious. Their Third Son was already frail—his household should be as peaceful as possible.

After Li Yuan and Lady Dou made their decision, they reported the engagement to the emperor together with Yuwen Bi, and also informed Li Xuanba.

Li Xuanba was stunned.

He had never met Yuwen Zhu, but he knew of her.

Back when his teacher had been especially kind to him because Yuwen Kang had grown attached to him, Li Xuanba had shared his commonly used medical prescriptions with his teacher.

When he was in Luoyang, because his teacher had not yet escaped the whirlpool of court politics, and to avoid displeasing Yang Guang, he had not visited the Yuwen household.

After he returned to the capital, his teacher came back as well to work on compiling books, and told him that his grandson Yuwen Kang greatly admired Li Xuanba’s poetry and even took him as a goal, saying that once his health improved, he too wanted to take the xiucai examination.

At his teacher’s suggestion, Li Xuanba had written a letter encouraging Yuwen Kang. In his reply, Yuwen Kang had mentioned that he was currently being cared for by his elder sister.

Originally, Li Xuanba planned to visit the Yuwen household once things on his side were settled and meet Yuwen Kang in person. He never expected that Yuwen Kang would pass away from illness.

“Yuwen Teacher’s granddaughter? That’s a relief—you don’t have to worry anymore,” Li Shimin said with a sigh of relief. “Now all you need to think about is how to build a relationship with your future wife.”

Li Xuanba gave a soft “Mm.”

A girl who had resolved to study medicine, who would rather become a nun than give it up if her husband’s family forbade it?

The ripples in Li Xuanba’s heart quietly grew a little stronger.