Chapter 407: Father's fate! Property confiscated and exile!

Although Li Qingluo had already guessed that the whole Qingguan Temple was not just Qingyangzi, and that the Cloud Crane Immortal must be on Duan Rongshi's side, having this connection through her grandmother made her feel more at ease.

Actually, it's not a big deal. I just wanted to ask the senior to inform me if Your Highness ever faces danger or trouble.

Cloud Crane Immortal: "What, do you still want to become that former self and go to the palace to accompany him?"

Li Qingluo: "If necessary, it's not impossible."

The Cloud Crane Immortal and his wife exchanged a glance, both nodding silently.

They are carefree people who have seen through worldly affairs.

This time, if not for repaying gratitude, they wouldn't have thought of returning to involve themselves in court affairs.

However, seeing this loving couple, they are naturally willing to lend a hand.

Moreover, her special status made Lady Yue Mei feel a close affinity in her heart.

"Alright, I have this matter figured out in my heart; you may go back."

After she left, Yue Mei suddenly thought of something: "Was she perhaps made a county princess?"

"We were just shouting and yelling; husband, you should be more polite to her."

Yunhe: "Lady, don't be angry. This girl also seems like someone who doesn't fuss over trivialities, just like her grandmother, not caring about etiquette and status."

"Besides, she now has a request of me; I am, after all, nominally her master. Hmph!"

Li Qingluo took off her Daoist robe and put on ordinary male attire.

Sha Qi was waiting for her outside.

As soon as they stepped out, they hurriedly mounted their horses and rode toward the city outskirts.

Inside and outside the city gate, three layers deep, over a hundred people gathered, bustling as they looked at the notice posted on the gate.

Li Qingluo and Sha Qi couldn't get out for a moment, so they could only wait aside.

"Go see what's happening."

After receiving the order, Sha Qi dismounted and squeezed his way in.

Not long after, he returned.

"Miss, the judgment of General Li has been issued."

Li Qingluo immediately understood who the "General Li" Sha Qi referred to was.

Her patricidal and matricidal father, Li Chao Jing.

With the mediation of the Grand Princess, and after finding an opportunity to present it to Emperor Yan, the crown prince's side could no longer delay things.

Li Qingluo personally dismounted and struggled to squeeze into the crowd.

She saw the notice read: "After investigation, the Great General of the Cavalry, Li Chao Jing, as a high-ranking official of the court, fails to be loyal and serve the country, instead committing unlawful and disorderly acts, betraying My trust and failing the state and its people……"

The matter of the Jiang family was not exposed.

However, Li Chao Jing had once formed factions for personal gain, amassed wealth through bribery, and used his official authority to secure a junior general position in the Imperial City Army Camp for his legitimate son Li Kechuan—all of this was thoroughly exposed.

These crimes could be either major or minor.

However, his act of matricide and insanity, when spoken of, is quite serious.

Upon reading this, someone in the crowd immediately caused an uproar.

"No wonder Old Lady Pei took Princess Yaoguang and withdrew from the sect and clan!"

"Beast! How could he do such a thing—is he even human? He outright deserves death by lingchi!"

"For such a grossly treasonous act, why wasn't it exposed earlier?"

"How could it be exposed? I heard he's lost his mind; surely the old lady can't bear to do it. After all, he's the one who fell from her womb after ten months of pregnancy."

"What wickedness! That Princess Yaoguang has such parents—both want to kill their own mother; they're practically a born pair of profit‑wolves."

"I heard that when the bandits forced them to choose one, this ruthless couple picked Liu Qingzhu, that worthless goods. Look now— which daughter is truly the precious pearl?"

"Exactly, this Princess Yaoguang left the General's Manor, saved the Empress Dowager and became a county princess, and was even granted marriage to Prince Su as his principal consort. The royal family no longer cares about her background, nor does it mind her having such parents."

"You say, how virtuous must this Princess Yaoguang's character be?"

"I heard that after she returned to the Li household, only this grandmother doted on her— is that true or false?"

"If her father really did kill her mother, why didn't she go to the Drum of Justice to sue him?"

"Look, suing one's father at the Drum of Justice— is she mad? No matter what crime her father committed, whenever children sue, they must first roll over iron nails and walk on burning coals; isn't that tantamount to taking her life?"

"Furthermore, I heard that when Old Lady Pei suffered, it was she who, relying on her own strength, brought her grandmother out of the siege and saved her."

The crowd again sighed in sympathy.

"What a pitiful grandmother and granddaughter pair."

"Fortunately they withdrew from the sect and clan, otherwise they'd have been implicated."

"Exactly, exactly— hurry up and read on, what fate awaits this Li beast?"

In the end, Emperor Yan judged that the Li clan's property be confiscated and their homes raided.

All adult males were exiled a thousand li.

Their descendants for three generations are barred from taking the imperial examinations to become officials.

The Li clan is thus completely finished.

Li Qingluo lowered her head and walked out with Sha Qi; she had originally wanted to leave the city for a trip to the rear mountain of Qingguan, but now she worries more about her grandmother.

So, the two immediately turned their horses around and first returned to the Xiuli General's Manor.

"Grandmother! Grandmother——"

Li Qingluo saw her grandmother still leisurely drinking cold tea with Old Master Luo, and her heart finally relaxed.

"Grandmother, Luoluo has returned."

Upon hearing the voice, Old Lady Pei immediately rose: "Luoluo! You've finally come back! Child, hurry over so Grandmother can take a look."

These past days, Old Lady Pei has been worried sick about her.

Afraid that she would go out and come back injured and sick again.

She also had Zhang Mama go to that bunch of killers to inquire about Luoshi's whereabouts, but those people's mouths were all like gourds, impossible to saw open.

Seeing her obedient granddaughter return safe and sound, Pei Lao Furen was overjoyed.

"Quick, go prepare the young lady's favorite food; tonight this old one wants to have a good drink!"

Li Qingluo leaned against Pei Lao Furen's side, and the grandmother and granddaughter had endless things to say.

Only when Divine Doctor Luo and Nan Gongdi arrived did the two stop talking.

"Has Luoshi returned?"

Li Qingluo rose: "Master, Grandfather Luo."

For a moment, the manor bustled again.

After a few words, Divine Doctor Luo then mentioned a matter: "Right, that Miao girl has arrived. However, she is currently lodged at Qing Song Guan."

"Luoshi, tomorrow let's go together to Qing Song Guan and let her examine the poison on your body."

Li Qingluo's eyes lit up: "Yes."

As Duan Rongshi had expected, this Miao girl indeed should have arrived.

If it weren't for returning this trip today, Li Qingluo would also have been able to see her.

But since we have returned, Li Qingluo is not in a hurry.

After the meal, several wine jars had already been overturned beside Pei Lao Furen's feet.

She lost composure, crying and laughing.

Holding Li Qingluo, she kept shouting: "Luoshi, Luoshi ah—if Grandmother hadn't done that back then..."

"If she had been harder-hearted and taken him away together... would he not have ended up like this today?"

"He committed a capital crime, a capital crime!"

"But Grandmother went against her conscience, not personally exposing him."

"She even let him escape a calamity; this is all Grandmother's fault! It's my failure to teach him well, and also my having abandoned him so early back then."

"Grandmother despondently gave up her only child..."

"How would I know? Actually he also hoped for companionship deep down?"

"Grandmother's heart hurts as if cut by a knife—"

Luo Fan sighed, rose, and personally went to brew a hangover soup for Pei Lao Furen.

Li Qingluo supported Pei Lao Furen, gently stroking her back to soothe: "Grandmother, it's all in the past."

"Let's look forward, okay?"

Pei Lao Furen wept, collapsed onto Li Qingluo, and gradually fell asleep.

The next day upon waking, naturally she suffered from a splitting headache.

Fortunately, Luo Fan's decoction was already prepared.

After drinking a bowl, she could only lie down and rest.

But she had already faced last night's events calmly.

She also summoned Li Qingluo and Zhang Mama.

"Luoshi, Grandmother knows you hate him. But Grandmother also owes him."

"Grandmother wants to save him; would you resent Grandmother?"

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, however you wish to be happy, I no longer hate him, truly. I have let go."

Anyway, he has nothing left.

This is also his fate.

What's the point of hating him?

Moreover, Li Qingluo understands Pei Lao Furen's thoughts.

After Li Chao Jing became a fool, the guilt and regret she had buried deep in her heart back then all surfaced.

Li Qingluo also knew what she intended to do.

"Grandmother, are you worried that he will be killed on the road of exile?"

After all, the crown prince and empress have been dragging out Li Chao Jing's case, intending to let him die in prison.

Moreover, if it weren't for Prince Su also secretly intervening, Li Chao Jing would long have been unable to withstand severe torture.

Pei Lao Furen nodded: "I will send people to secretly protect him; if necessary, just save his life."

"When we reach a faraway place, we will settle him there. Then... perhaps I will go see him."

"Do you think Grandmother doing this is being senile?"

Li Qingluo: "Grandmother, you are merely a mother. I understand your regret from back then."

But if Li Chao Jing hadn't become a fool, and she hadn't watched his memories regress to five or six years old, Grandmother wouldn't have softened.

If he could have stayed wholly evil, he would truly have died because of the Jiang family affair, and Grandmother would surely have just sighed.

Now, it truly is a matter of time and fate.

"Grandmother, I will send Kill Ten."

"They are young, nimble, and efficient."

"Leave this matter to me; you can rest assured."

Pei Lao Furen's eyes glistened with tears as she tightly grasped Li Qingluo's hand: "Luoshi, Grandmother naturally trusts you."

After the grandmother and granddaughter finished this talk, Kill Nine also returned.

He had lain hidden in the imperial palace for a night, only with difficulty managing to escape.

At this moment he dare not even drink water, and came straight to see Li Qingluo.

Li Qingluo saw his stubble and the two dark circles under his eyes, and said: "Go back and rest first; I'll talk when I return."

Because she was also busy today going to Qingsong Mountain to see the Miao woman she had finally managed to meet after waiting.

Hudie was also moved onto the carriage.

The group staggered out of the city, heading straight for Qingsong Temple.

Qingsong Temple, Green Bamboo Cottage.

This courtyard is where Pei Lao Furen lived for thirty years; though called a small cottage, it is naturally not small.

The courtyard has three sections in and out; although built simply, everything is complete.

After the group entered, not long after, Dong Siyuan brought in a middle-aged woman wearing MiaoJiang attire, of remarkable appearance.

Li Qingluo was the first to see the blue and purple patches on Dong Siyuan's face; at a glance she could tell he had just suffered a brutal beating yesterday.

Thinking of the entanglements Dong Siyuan had mentioned between them, Li Qingluo immediately felt he had made a great sacrifice and decided to go back and compensate him with a pile of silver.

However, the Miao woman also spotted Li Qingluo at first glance.

After looking at her face for a while, the Miao woman spoke in a deep voice: "Miss, if the poison in you is delayed any longer, it will likely penetrate your lungs and viscera!"