Chapter 193

The happier Li Xia appeared, the more it irritated Madam Zhou. All of this should have belonged to her daughter. Madam Zhou conveniently forgot that she had been the one who insisted on giving up the marriage alliance with the Lu family.

Li Xia withdrew her gaze and set down her teacup. Lady Liu, the wife of the Gongshun Marquis, was seated next to Li Xia. Liu also noticed Madam Zhou's glares from across the table. "Pay her no mind, she's just a clown making a spectacle of herself," Liu said.

"I'll heed your advice, Aunt Liu," Li Xia obediently replied.

"This is the wife of the Marquis of Pacifying the South," an elderly lady next to Liu said, looking at Li Xia.

"Yes, she is Lu XuanNing's wife," Liu respectfully told the older woman. She then introduced Li Xia, "This is the Old Lady of Duke Xu's Mansion."

Li Xia curtsied to the elderly lady, "Greetings, Old Madam."

"Such a beautiful young lady, no wonder the Lu boy is smitten," Old Madam Xu remarked as she appraised Li Xia.Alll latest novels at novelhall.com

"Thank you for your kind words, Old Madam. I do think I'm quite pretty. Lu XuanNing has good taste in marrying me," Li Xia's response made Old Madam Xu laugh.

"Oh my, what an interesting beauty. It's a shame you married Lu XuanNing," Old Madam Xu said with a regretful expression. She then gestured for Li Xia to sit beside her.

Li Xia, taking a liking to her, moved over to sit next to her. Old Madam Xu examined Li Xia up close and exclaimed, "The more I look at you, the more beautiful you appear. If I had met you earlier, I would have surely taken you as a granddaughter-in-law."

Old Madam Xu's words left Liu at a loss for words. Li Xia, however, laughed and asked, "Is your grandson skilled in martial arts?"

Old Madam Xu sighed, "The children all take after their grandfather, they're not martial artists."

"That's a pity then. I prefer those skilled in martial arts. It's no fun if they're too easy to bully and get knocked down in two or three moves," Li Xia's words made Liu beside her snort softly.

Old Madam Xu, however, nodded in agreement. "You're absolutely right. When my father was arranging my marriage, I didn't want to marry a weak scholar. But alas, one can't disobey one's parents' wishes. I ended up marrying one. A frail scholar who would quote the classics all day long. I couldn't out-argue him or beat him up. It was such a headache."

"I'm luckier than you. Although Lu XuanNing has a slight leg problem, as a military official, he's physically fit and can endure rigorous training," Li Xia said with a satisfied expression, making Old Madam Xu laugh even more heartily.

"I like you, girl. Come visit me at the Duke's Mansion sometime, and we'll have a good chat."

"Thank you," Li Xia whispered in Lu XuanNing's ear. Old Madam Xu was no simple person. Her attentiveness at the banquet was not merely out of admiration for Li Xia.

"Old Madam Xu and grandmother are old friends," Lu XuanNing explained. Old Madam Lu, unable to attend the palace banquet, had specially asked Old Madam Xu to look after her pregnant granddaughter-in-law.

"Tomorrow, let's visit grandmother," Li Xia said, feeling genuine affection and respect for Old Madam Lu.

"Stop chatting at the palace gates, you two," Li Xin called out, lifting the curtain of the carriage that had just arrived with Cao Fugui.

"Let's go home," Lu XuanNing said, coming to his senses. He carefully helped Li Xia into the carriage.

On the way, the two carriages traveled side by side for a while. Li Xia and Li Xin exchanged a few words before the carriages separated, heading in different directions.

Upon returning to the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South, they found Old Marquis Lu and Old Madam Lu waiting. Worried about Li Xia, the elderly couple couldn't stay at the Beining Marquis Manor. They had come to wait for the young couple, focusing particularly on Li Xia to ensure she was alright.

"I'm so fortunate to have such wonderful elders," Li Xia sighed as she watched the two elderly people leave.

"I'm fortunate and blessed too," Lu XuanNing said, embracing Li Xia.

"Alright, let me take a look at your leg," Li Xia said, breaking the sweet moment and turning her attention to Lu XuanNing's leg.

After being married for a while, Li Xia was well aware of Lu XuanNing's leg injury situation. At the palace gate, when Lu XuanNing strode towards her, Li Xia noticed a slight change in his expression.

Lu XuanNing rolled up his trousers. Li Xia saw bruises on Lu XuanNing's leg.

"What happened?" Li Xia's voice was filled with concern. It was clear that someone had kicked him hard.

Lu XuanNing didn't hide anything from Li Xia and explained the situation. At the grand banquet of the former dynasty, a martial officer accompanying the Second Prince had a physical altercation with him, resulting in his injury.

Seeing Li Xia's stern and angry face, Lu XuanNing lowered his trousers and tried to comfort her, "It's just a minor injury. Applying some medicinal wine will take care of it."

Lu XuanNing was right that his injury would heal with some medicinal wine. However, the injury he had inflicted on the other party wouldn't be resolved so easily with just medicinal wine.