novelraw Chapter 478 - 453: Those People Are Not Worthy of You, Big Sister! (2)
Chapter 478 - 453: Those People Are Not Worthy of You, Big Sister! (2)
Meanwhile, Li Yuzhu took all the clothes from the Second Princess’s wardrobe and laid them out on the bed, picking and matching them carefully one by one.
One styling, the other dressing; with the help of the Great Princess and Li Yuzhu, they transformed the Second Princess into a rosy-cheeked, smiling, and fortunate-looking lady.
Li Yuzhu pushed the Second Princess in front of a large bronze dressing mirror, and with a smile, she asked, "Second Sister, how does this look?"
The three sisters were usually quite busy and only dressed up seriously during Chai Eying’s wedding and Guoguo’s first birthday banquet. Besides these occasions, their attire was casual.
Especially the Second Princess, who was always busy making and baking pastries, often ends up covered in flour dust. She never wore bright clothes, always opting for light gray, stain-resistant dresses.
But today, Li Yuzhu had re-styled her, the Great Princess carefully braided her hair, drew her eyebrows, and applied blusher. Even she couldn’t help but fall in love with her reflection.
"Isn’t it beautiful? Who said Second Sister wasn’t pretty? She was just busy with business and didn’t have time to dress up. It’s just a new outfit and a new braid style, and she’s completely transformed," Li Yuzhu glanced at the mirror and smiled at the Second Princess.
The Second Princess inherited her stature from Prince Luling, short and stocky, but her skin was from the Princess Consort Luling, fair and pink. With a light dab of blusher on her cheeks, she looked as rosy as a plump lotus petal.
One couldn’t resist wanting to pinch a bit.
Her top was a ginger-colored jacket, paired with a dark green long skirt, with a few yellow flowers embroidered at the hem, complementing the color of her top and as lively as winter jasmine flowers.
Stepping out with a light purple cloak to complete the outfit, she might not be as ethereal as a celestial being, but she’s captivating enough to catch a second look once you’ve seen her.
The Great Princess cheekily pinched the Second Princess’s cheek, "What a transformation, isn’t it, Second Sister? If I were a man, I would steal a kiss or two from your face."
The sisters showered her with compliments, making the Second Princess blush, "You’re all just teasing me."
"Alright, stop crying then. I have my own matters to attend to," the Great Princess patted her sleeves, walked back to the table, and immersed herself in her selection process.
The Second Princess waved at the Great Princess, "Go on, go on." Yet her feet stayed rooted, continuously admiring herself in the mirror.
Li Yuzhu stood beside her, holding her shoulders, and said with a smile, "Second Sister, why not dress like this every day?"
The Second Princess frowned, "Dressing up like this is such a hassle. I can’t apply the rouge, and for the eyebrows, if I were to draw them, they’d surely be uneven. As for these clothes, what if they get dirty while I’m wearing them? It’s hard to wash them in the middle of winter."
Li Yuzhu laughed, "If you don’t want to dress up every day, then do it once every few days, just so people know you’re a beautiful girl too."
The Second Princess thought for a moment, "Alright then." That seemed reasonable.
Li Yuzhu remembered Pei Shenyan, their great benefactor, and asked her two sisters, "How is Pei Shenyan’s illness? Have you seen him?"
She had come home to discuss the marriage alliance with her parents, then attended to the crying Second Princess, but hadn’t visited Pei Shenyan yet.
Mentioning Pei Shenyan brought a dark look to the Great Princess’s face again.
She still resented Pei Shenyan for grabbing her foot.
"For a grown man, how ill could he be? Father called the village doctor yesterday to check on him, and he took some medicine. He even said he wasn’t seriously ill, just needs a good sleep," the Great Princess said dismissively.
Li Yuzhu said, "I’ll go take a look."
Pei Shenyan had some heart issues. In this era, such illnesses were usually left to fate.
After becoming familiar with Pei Shenyan, she had advised him to seek early treatment for his ailment, but Pei Shenyan seemed indifferent, resigning himself to fate.
A patient unwilling to seek treatment leaves the healer unable to make decisions for them.
Thus, she had not treated Pei Shenyan’s illness but only reminded him how to avoid triggering it.
However, back then, the weather was warm and avoiding strenuous activities made it less likely to flare up. Now, with the cold weather, it was quite a dangerous season for someone with heart problems.
Cold weather can easily lead to catching colds, which ordinary people could endure with some medicine.
But those with heart problems could risk their lives if they caught a cold.
A cold could accelerate blood flow, further burdening the heart. On top of existing conditions, it could trigger heart failure.
Li Yuzhu walked into Pei Shenyan’s room, where Pei Shenyan’s servant quickly approached, "Miss Li has come."
Pei Shenyan had ridden from the Capital to deliver a letter, exerting himself to the point of illness, so the Li Family arranged for him to stay next to the Li brothers’ bedroom.
The brothers had three rooms, but Li Xing’an and Li Xingsheng still shared one room, leaving two empty.
When male guests visited the house, they were usually accommodated in those rooms.
"How is your young master doing?" Li Yuzhu glanced toward the bed and whispered to the servant.
The Pei family’s servant said, "The young master took his medicine early this morning and just had a chat with me before falling asleep again."
Li Yuzhu walked closer to have a look, gently taking his wrist to check the pulse.
The pulse was weak.
What was this person thinking, she had already told him that she could cure his illness, so why wasn’t he treating it?
Pei Shenyan’s illness was merely a mild heart defect, actually, if this had been treated in childhood, his health wouldn’t be so poor.
Leaving the illness untreated will lead to many complications.
So young, yet he’s made himself look like a sick beauty.
She put down Pei Shenyan’s wrist and walked over to the stove in the corner of the room, lifting the lid of the medicine pot to look at the contents.
These medicines were only for replenishing energy, treating only the symptoms, not the root cause.
"Miss Li." A weak voice came from behind.
Li Yuzhu put down the lid and turned around, "Mr. Pei, you’re awake?"
Pei Shenyan closed his eyes for a moment, forcing a smile, "When I came yesterday, you weren’t home yet, did you come back early this morning?"
Li Yuzhu nodded, "My eldest sister-in-law and eldest brother’s servant returned to the county, he passed on the message."
Pei Shenyan took a couple of breaths and said to the servant, "Fusheng, I need to speak with Miss Li alone, please wait outside."
Fusheng acknowledged with a sound and went outside.
Pei Shenyan nodded to Li Yuzhu, "Miss Li, let’s speak further."
Li Yuzhu walked over and sat on a small stool by the bed, "Go ahead, I’m listening."
Pei Shenyan glanced out the window, asking, "How does your family... plan to deal with that matter?"
He seemed very anxious, very tense, his hands tightly gripping the corner of the quilt, staring unblinkingly at Li Yuzhu.
Li Yuzhu said, "Our family like this, can’t compete against Imperial Power."
"Is your family really going to send... send someone to negotiate a marriage?" Pei Shenyan’s pale face turned red with tension, he grabbed Li Yuzhu’s sleeve, "Who is being sent?"
"If someone is to be sent for marriage, it would be by order of age, I’m the youngest, and it wouldn’t be me." Li Yuzhu shook her head as she looked at him.
"Is... is your eldest sister being sent?" Pei Shenyan’s eyes turned red, his whole body began to tremble.
Li Yuzhu didn’t speak, she just looked at him.
She hadn’t expected that Pei Shenyan cared so much about the Great Princess, did the Great Princess know?
"Miss Li, please go and tell Mr. Li, if the two countries cease fighting temporarily due to a political marriage, but if war breaks out again, they might use the head of the Princess of Heqin for sacrifices! Sending your eldest sister for marriage, is sending her to her death!" Pei Shenyan pushed Li Yuzhu out, "Go, quickly go!"
Li Yuzhu suddenly smiled, "Mr. Pei, you don’t need to worry about my eldest sister, our family won’t send a daughter for marriage, my mother has said, even if the whole family dies, they won’t send a daughter for marriage."
Pei Shenyan was stunned, "Really... truly? You wouldn’t deceive me?"
Li Yuzhu sat down again, taking a medicine pill from the pouch at her waist, "This medicine can ease your heart pain slowly, take the medicine first and I’ll tell you our family’s plan."
Pei Shenyan loosened his grip on Li Yuzhu’s sleeve and sighed deeply, "Alright..."
After the tension came relaxation, leaving him with a forehead full of sweat.
Li Yuzhu shook her head, walked over to fetch half a bowl of warm water, and helped him take the medicine.
Pei Shenyan exhaled, "Miss Li, please tell me quickly."
Li Yuzhu said, "Our family’s decision is to marry off us three sisters immediately, only by marrying can we escape being chosen for political marriage."
The Li Family’s idea was good, but...
Pei Shenyan tensed up again, "Marry off? Have... have you sisters... all chosen grooms?"
Li Yuzhu said, "Mu Yuanxiu proposed to me, my parents have both agreed, as for my second sister’s marriage, my second brother and my mother are helping her find someone, my eldest sister is even less of a worry, she’s the most beautiful girl in our family, smart, educated, and can do extremely exquisite embroidery, earning money through her skills, her rouge, powders, and clothes are all purchased with her own money, such a beautiful, literate, and money-earning girl, there are plenty of people interested in her, she says she’ll choose someone to marry."
"Who has she chosen?" Pei Shenyan nervously, grabbing Li Yuzhu’s arm, "Miss Li, please tell me quickly."
Li Yuzhu then spoke the names written by the Great Princess, "For example, Qi Ersheng from Taohua River Village; Wang Tianlai, who has two cattle and ten acres of land; a clerk from the bun shop on the market street, an apprentice of a blacksmith; also the son of the shopkeeper next to my second sister’s shop, oh yes, she said that son of the shopkeeper can read..."
"Those people don’t deserve her!" Pei Shenyan shouted.