The so-called country old woman was Li Yanyan’s grandmother.
When Li Yu, the fourth son of the Li Family, ca to Capital City to beco an apprentice, he ran out of money and was stranded. By chance, he found himself at the entrance of the Li Pharmacy. There, he overheard the assistants inside discussing how the National Master was searching for the little Lucky Star, born four years prior under a celestial blessing. I must rember that, he thought.
An idea sparked in his mind. He subtly revealed to the Steward of the Li Mansion that two baby girls had been born into their Li Family on the very day of the celestial blessing.
Sure enough, within two days, soone from the Li Mansion ca looking. Through their conversation, Li Yu discovered that his Li Family in Ling Village was actually a collateral branch of the prominent Li Family in Capital City; even their genealogical records were identical. They later traced their lineage back a century, to a ti during the previous dynasty when so branches of the Li Family had separated. It turned out that Li Yu’s branch had fallen into such a dire state of decline.
The mbers of the Li Mansion were initially reluctant to acknowledge this branch. Their family is small, they thought, and the only scholar among them is this Li Yu. He passed the provincial examination years ago but hasn’t participated in the Spring Examination since. We’re uncertain about his current level of scholarship. If we acknowledge them and they offer no substantial help, this branch could simply beco a burden to our Li Family!
How could Li Yu, the fourth son, not guess their intentions? He was a scholar, after all. So, he vividly described the circumstances surrounding Li Yanyan’s and Li Suisui’s births, assuring them repeatedly that these two children were undoubtedly the little Lucky Stars whom the National Master wished to take as his disciples.
To establish a connection with the National Master’s Mansion, the Li Family, after much deliberation, formally accepted Li Yu. They prepared a generous gift for him and arranged for him to enter the Imperial College to study under a master.
Li Yu’s master at the Imperial College was a Doctor nad Yu Zheng, a profoundly learned and talented Great Confucian Scholar. The reason Yu Zheng accepted Li Yu as his disciple stemd from an incident two years prior. During that ti, Yu Zheng had been traveling to research agricultural and sericultural practices for a book he was compiling for farrs. His journey had taken him to Ling Village in Xun’an County.
On one particularly rainy day, Yu Zheng’s carriage beca mired in mud. Neither he nor his young attendant could find a solution. As the rain intensified, the horses grew agitated, whinnying and showing signs of panic. Just when the situation seed on the verge of becoming unmanageable, a scholar approached them, carrying a toddler of about two or three on his back.
The toddler was holding a fan for the scholar and lisped, "Fourth Uncle, help... help..."
Although the toddler was young and her speech indistinct, Yu Zheng, drenched to the bone, still understood that the child ant for them to be helped.
He hadn’t expected the toddler or her Fourth Uncle to offer much assistance, yet the scholar genuinely did help. The scholar instructed Yu Zheng’s young attendant to find so stones to fill the muddy rut and wedge them under the carriage wheels. Then, Li Yu helped push the carriage body, and the wheels were finally freed.
Yu Zheng was overjoyed. This scholar is truly capable and learned! he thought. He imdiately asked for the scholar’s na and learned that he had passed the provincial examination but had declined official posts, aspiring to achieve even greater scholarly heights.
Yu Zheng then thought of the Spring Examination, which was two years away. He gave Li Yu an introductory card, stating that if he could travel to Capital City and seek out Doctor Yu Zheng at the Imperial College, he would surely be accepted as a disciple. However, Yu Zheng did not reveal that he himself was Doctor Yu Zheng.
This explained why Li Yu, the fourth son, though not participating in the Autumn Examination that year, had journeyed to Capital City at the onset of sumr.
While the Li Family began assisting Li Yu with his studies and the formalities of becoming a disciple at the Imperial College, they also promptly dispatched people south to formally receive this collateral branch of their family.
anwhile, Li Yu wrote a letter detailing the matter of the little Lucky Star. Using his second elder brother’s connections at the Fuman Building, he had the letter sent by expedited courier. A few days later, it arrived at the Fuman Building in Baiyun Town and fell directly into the hands of Zhao Chunxiang. This unfortunate event was what ultimately led to her unwavering determination to see Li Suisui dead.
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