Chapter 124: Li Wenxun Takes an Official Post in Jiangnan

Chapter 124: Li Wenxun Takes an Official Post in Jiangnan

With Li Wenxun's cunning and deep scheming, Lu Hanyi found herself immediately isolated.

She hadn't been in the right to begin with, and now she was utterly disdained by Lu's father, who was unwilling to indulge her unreasonable behavior any further.

On the other hand, Li Wenxun's strategy of retreating to advance yielded him a hundredfold return.

He successfully severed Lu Hanyi's reliance on her natal family.

If he truly loved and cherished his wife, how could he have allowed her to come back and complain? He would have been coaxing and pleading with her at home.

How could he just say a few insincere words in front of his father-in-law, like not wanting to lose her and taking the blame?

He deliberately sent Lu Hanyi back to her natal family to humiliate his own face and dignity, so that when he spoke, Lu's father would completely disdain Lu Hanyi and would not stand up for her again.

The two sentences from Lu's father were exceedingly weighty.

First, Lu Hanyi was forbidden to mention divorce again, and second, she was not allowed to return to her natal family without reason.

Thus, Lu Hanyi would have no choice but to rely on Li Wenxun and fall into his hands.

With his strategy of retreating to advance, he ensured that Lu Hanyi would have no one to rely on, and if she made any more trouble, no one in the Lu family would pay her any attention.

Madam Liu, after hearing Lu's father's words, understood and her eyes filled with pity.

She hastily tried to smooth things over, "Hanyi is still young and doesn't understand..."

"Shut up! Lu Hanyi is spoiled by you!" Lu's father turned and scolded her, "Raising such a daughter has shamed our Lu family! You will lose half a year's allowance, and if you mess up again, you will no longer be in charge of this household!"

Lu's father scolded Madam Liu thoroughly, even bringing up her management of the household, causing her to immediately fall silent.

If she said another word, she wouldn't be able to stay in the family.

"Get up now! Take the child and go home with Wenxun!"

With red eyes, as if she had been chased out, Lu Hanyi rose from the bed, took her child from Madam Liu, stood obediently next to Li Wenxun, and followed him out.

Li Wenxun, with a scholarly and good-tempered demeanor, had a flash of triumph in his eyes.

Lu Lingyun saw it all.

They say women are scheming and cunning, but men can be just as scheming and cunning.

Lu Hanyi's little tricks and schemes were no match for her husband.

Seeing Li Wenxun like this, she would have a lot of hardships ahead.

Madam Liu, with worried eyes, watched her daughter leave. As Lu Hanyi passed by Lu Lingyun on her way to the door, she glanced at her and snorted heavily in disdain.

"Don't be too smug!"

Lu Lingyun: "..."

Muttering under her breath, Lu Hanyi quickly caught up with Li Wenxun.

Three days later, Lu Lingyun heard that Lu Hanyi would be following Li Wenxun to Jiangnan to be a county magistrate.

Li Wenxun had two career options.

The first was a vacant position issued by the Ministry of Personnel to the new jinshi.

With two officials in the family and the Lu family also serving in the court, the Ministry of Personnel did Li Wenxun a favor, leaving a vacant magistrate position for him and asking if he was willing to go.

The second option was to take the imperial examination for the Hanlin Academy.

Joining the Hanlin Academy is the choice of the majority of jinshi.

Although the Hanlin scholars have no real power and most of their positions are honorary, it is a place where scholars can pursue academic studies and build their reputation. If they achieve something notable, they can become renowned scholars.

This is no less valuable than holding real power and being a capable minister.

Moreover, serving in the Hanlin Academy means that even if you achieve little, you can still retire comfortably and are less likely to face serious consequences. This is better than holding real power and making mistakes that could implicate your entire family.

Therefore, most scholars would choose the Hanlin Academy if given the option.

However, Li Wenxun ultimately chose the Ministry of Personnel and went to Jiangnan to be the magistrate of Donghai County.

After some thought in the marquis's residence, Lu Lingyun understood Li Wenxun's choice.

Firstly, because of the family environment of the Li family.

Most of the resources of the Li family were given to Li Wenxun's older brother, Li Wenze. Even if Li Wenxun stayed in the capital to serve as an official, the Li family could not provide him with any more assistance.

If he wanted to climb higher, he could only rely on himself.

And in a place like the Hanlin Academy, how could he climb up by himself?

Without anyone to support him, without resources or a background, who would give him the opportunity to become a renowned scholar?

Other paths and opportunities in the capital required introductions.

The Li family's resources were all given to his brother.

He would never have a chance to succeed in the family.

And precisely, the second reason was that Li Wenxun was an extremely ambitious man.

He wanted to rise to prominence and make the Li family look at him with admiration.

There was an opportunity to gain experience as a local official, and for someone like Li Wenxun, who was eager to turn his life around, it was a tremendous chance.

Once he had the strength to succeed, he would rise rapidly in the ranks.

And then, perhaps there might be a third possibility......

"Wenxun, you must go to Jiangnan to be a county magistrate, and I support you!"

At the Li family, Lu Hanyi, having regained her hope, said to Li Wenxun.

Listening to his not-so-bright wife say this, Li Wenxun was deeply shaken inside, but he looked even more hesitant on his face, saying, "What do you mean by this? Being a local official is not the same as being an official in the capital. It's very difficult."

"No, no, no, I believe in your abilities!" Lu Hanyi looked at Li Wenxun with a renewed sense of admiration and obsession. "You will definitely make a great impact in Jiangnan, and when the time comes, you'll soar high and show everyone what you're made of!"

Lu Hanyi reluctantly followed Li Wenxun back to the Li family.

Just as she was regretting and feeling that she might waste her life away again, she heard Li Wenxun struggling with the decision about the official appointment.

As soon as Lu Hanyi heard about the opportunity to be an official in Jiangnan, her eyes lit up instantly.

An official in Jiangnan!

Just like in the previous life!

In his previous life, Li Wenxun had been an official in Jiangnan and then gradually rose to become a prime minister!

For some reason, he hadn't become the top scholar this time, but he was still being assigned to Jiangnan. This meant that... Li Wenxun would follow the same path as in the previous life, rising rapidly and eventually becoming a prime minister!

Thinking of this, Lu Hanyi, who had been filled with regret and confusion, suddenly felt enlightened and rekindled her hopes and expectations.

Her choice wasn't wrong. Li Wenxun would become a prime minister, and she would become the prime minister's wife!

At this thought, the anger Lu Hanyi had suffered at the Lu family and from Lu Lingyun vanished into thin air.

Ha! Her blind-eyed father, her short-sighted mother, and Lu Lingyun, who was always showing off with her limited perspective, would all be shocked and regretful when she became a first-rank official's wife!

"Wenxun, we must go to Jiangnan! Trust me, that's where we'll rise to greatness!"

Lu Hanyi desperately persuaded Li Wenxun.

Listening to her words, Li Wenxun, with gleaming eyes, narrowed them slightly, "My dear, being a local official is truly not easy..."

"Just trust me! We must go to Jiangnan for this official position!"

"Alright then." Li Wenxun smiled, "Since you're so insistent on me going, I'll follow your wishes."

Even though Li Wenxun himself wanted to go, he still shifted the responsibility onto Lu Hanyi. That way, if things didn't go well in Jiangnan later on, it would all be because of Lu Hanyi, and it would have nothing to do with him.