Both of Lee Ann’s legs were injured, the left leg a little more seriously, from thigh to ankle; the right leg a little better, but the whole calf was also wrapped in gauze.
Xu Liang also saw it and couldn’t help but take a step forward, “How on earth did you get injured? How could it be so serious?”
Li An had lived in the Xu Mansion for many years, and whenever he was at home, he would go to pay his respects to the old gentleman every morning and evening, and often used his modest salary to buy something for the old gentleman, so Xu Liang had a very good feeling towards him.
Li An smiled bitterly, “It was when I fell while going to repair the ditch.”
Because of his upright character, he had not been reappointed in the Ministry of Works all these years, but in the past, for the sake of the Xu family and Wen Zhong, the higher officials and fellow officials had given him some face. Since Wen and Ling’er had been expelled from the Xu family and Wen Zhong had died, those people had oppressed him a lot and handed over any work that others were not willing to do.
This time too, the ditch at the Ten Mile Village outside the city was not his responsibility, but he had to be assigned to it.
“The fall?”
Song Wan Yue was puzzled, “Are all the people from the Ministry of Works doing the ditch repair themselves?”
“Of course not ……”
Li An took a deep breath, since he had been injured, almost all of the family’s silver money had been used to hire a doctor, they didn’t have much silver on hand, so naturally they weren’t in a position to make him some delicious food to tonic his body.
“When the ditch was built, the people from the surrounding villages were hired and the Ministry of Works paid for the silver. The ditch at Ten Mile Village was originally under my colleague’s jurisdiction. Some days ago, when the people were waiting to water their fields, the water in the ditch could not get through, so the Ministry of Works assigned me to check it. When I arrived, I was pushed and shoved into the ditch by the angry people, and my leg was injured.”
After hearing this, Song Wangyue narrowed her eyes once again, if she had merely fallen from the aqueduct, she would not have fallen like this.
“What did the doctors say?”
Song Wangyue said as she gestured for Xu Liang to come forward and untie the gauze.
“They said that my father had hurt his bones and needed to recuperate well, but it’s been almost twenty days and he hasn’t seen any improvement at all.”
Xu Ling’er walked over to the bedside and said back.
Xu Liang untied the gauze and when he saw Li An’s injuries, he couldn’t help but draw a breath of cold air, the place where he had been injured by the fall was all black and purple, and swollen to an old height.
Song Wangyue placed her hand gently on the injury and Li An immediately broke out in cold sweat on his forehead in pain.
“Something’s not right.”
Song Wangyue whispered, “Even if he broke a bone, so many days have passed, it should have healed slowly, but look at him, this injury has worsened.”
After saying that, she turned back and looked at Wen, “What kind of medicine did he use, bring it to me for a look.”
When asked, Wen subconsciously stammered, “No, there’s no extra, there’s no extra, every time, every time the doctor comes and changes the medicine himself, he doesn’t, he doesn’t let us do it.”
“Where is the prescription?”
Wen handed Xu Ling’er the medicine bowl that was still in her hand as she walked over to the cupboard and opened it, taking out a prescription for Song Wangyue from inside.
Song Wangyue glanced at it, the prescription was fine, and held out her hand towards Xu Ling’er, “Give me the medicine to look at.”
Xu Ling’er gave her the medicine bowl.
Song Wan Yue held it in her hand, lowered her head and smelt it. As she expected, the medicine had indeed been tampered with.
“But, but what’s wrong with it?”
Wen couldn’t care less about anything else and asked nervously.
“There are some problems.”
Song Wangyue gave the medicine bowl to Xu Ling’er, “They changed one of the herbs, and it’s not good for the injury after eating it.”
Wen covered her mouth.
Song Wangyue handed the prescription to Xu Liang, “You go and get the medicine over according to this prescription.”
Xu Liang answered, took the prescription and turned around to walk quickly outside.
“Who could, who could be trying to harm my father?”
Xu Ling’er’s eyes were red.
No one answered her.
Song Wangyue lowered her head and carefully checked Li An’s injuries.
Xu Liang came back quickly and handed the medicine to Wen, who busily took it and went to boil it.
Song Wan Yue instructed Xu Liang to guard the door and looked at Li An, “Who do you think could be trying to harm you?”
Li An shook his head.
Although his colleagues had ostracised him, he had never had any conflict with them, and his interests were not in conflict with each other, so they could not possibly harm him.
“The Ministry of Works is a clean government office, there’s no oil to be made, and I’m not involved in any faction, it’s unlikely that anyone would want to harm me.”
Not a colleague, then ……
Song Wangyue thought of a possibility and looked towards Xu Ling’er.
Xu Ling’er’s heart tightened at her look, her lips moved, and before she could speak, she heard Song Wangyue say, “Uncle Xu said someone wants to take you as a concubine?”
Not expecting her to suddenly mention this, Xu Ling’er froze, then blushed, but nodded her head.
“Whose family?”
Xu Ling’er bit her lip, “It’s Zheng Fan from the Marquis of An Guo’s residence.”
The Marquis of An Guo’s House?
Consort Rong’s maternal family?
Xu Ling’er thought she didn’t know and said, “It’s Concubine Rong’s maternal home.”
She did want to marry, but she did not want to be a concubine. The old gentleman had once taught her that it was better to be a wife of a cold family than a concubine of a high family, and she had always remembered it by heart.
Song Wangyue pretended not to know anything and asked Xu Ling’er to help her get a cup of water, and then said to her, “Go and see when the medicine will be ready.”
Xu Ling’er went out quickly.
Song Wan Yue held the tea in her hand, looked at Li An and said, “Have you ever thought that your injury might not be an accident?”
When he heard Song Wan Yue say that the medicine had been changed, Li An already had this suspicion, but after thinking around, he could not figure out who he had offended, until just now when Song Wan Yue asked Ling’er, something vaguely flashed through his mind.
“You, you, you mean ……”
Li An only said a few words before he stopped, thinking that it was impossible, the Marquis of An Guo’s house was now as powerful as the sky, although Zheng Fan had not built much, but if he wanted to take a concubine, there were more than enough people in the capital to send their daughters to him, he did not need to use such tactics.
“Xu Ling’er grew up in the Xu House anyhow, marrying her would be a possibility to get involved with the Xu family.”
“What would he do to get involved with the Xu family?”
Li An didn’t understand for a moment.
Song Wangyue, however, knew clearly in her heart that the Zheng family wanted to hitch up the Xu family, not for themselves, but for the Grand Prince, who would be one step closer to that position as long as he had the Xu family as a help.
As she was pondering whether to give him a clear explanation, the sound of hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, and the subordinate who had just opened the door appeared at the door, “Master, the Zheng family is here again, this time with the butler of the Marquis of An Guo’s residence.”
Even if Li An’s eyes were solid, he sensed that something was wrong and was about to reply when Song Wan Yue stopped him and instructed her servant, “Go and tell your madam and young lady not to come over first. Then invite the housekeeper in again.”
The servant answered and went away.
Song Wangyue looked at Xu Liang, “Stand by the bed, whatever people say later, you block them back.”
Xu Liang nodded his head.
Song Wangyue got up and hid behind the screen.