Chapter 10
"My father never mentioned taking you as a concubine?" Xu Qingshi said bluntly.
"What?" This time, it was Li Zhiwei's turn to be confused. Prince An wanted to marry her?
Why?
She was born into a merchant family. Even becoming Prince An's concubine would have been an overreach.
And now, Prince An actually intended to marry her?
Li Zhiwei thought she must be daydreaming.
"Oh dear, Princess, you must get up quickly. The wedding ceremony is about to begin." Nanny Luo, catching the Old Princess's meaningful glance, hurriedly helped Li Zhiwei to her feet with a smile.
And just like that, Li Zhiwei found herself inexplicably married to Xu Heming.
Staring at the modest bridal chamber, Li Zhiwei still couldn’t comprehend how she had ended up as Xu Heming’s wife.
Cuiguo was overjoyed. Her mistress was truly blessed. She had thought it remarkable enough for her lady to marry the heir of the Ruan Marquis Residence, but now—her lady had become Princess An!
The envy of everyone.
Lin Qihua returned to the Ruan Marquis Residence with a dark expression, only to hear that Prince An and Li Zhiwei had already completed their wedding ceremony.
"Prince An!" Lin Qihua roared, smashing a teacup to the ground in fury.
He had gone to the palace to plead for the Emperor’s intervention on behalf of the Ruan Marquis Residence, but he hadn’t even been granted an audience.
Now, upon returning, he learned that Prince An had stolen his son’s betrothed.
"Father, what do we do now? That Li woman may have married someone else, but her dowry can’t just fall into the hands of those thieves!" Lin Jitong said anxiously.
He had already promised to give half of it to Yutang.
"You fool!" Lin Qihua slapped Lin Jitong hard across the face. If not for this idiot leaving the girl waiting outside the manor, those treasures would already be in the Ruan Marquis Residence.
"My lord, why strike our son?" Madam Zhou rushed forward protectively, glaring at Lin Qihua. It wasn’t their son who had sent the dowry to Prince An’s mansion.
"This is your fault—indulging him! If he hadn’t been so foolish as to marry your niece first, would we be in this mess?" Lin Qihua’s heart ached at the thought of Li Zhiwei’s dowry slipping through his fingers.
"My lord, you agreed to our son marrying Yutang back then. How can you blame me now?" Madam Zhou retorted indignantly.
Lin Qihua regretted it deeply. At the time, he too had assumed that a merchant’s daughter would be easy to control. Who could have predicted Prince An’s heir interfering?
What infuriated him most was that Prince An had gone ahead and married the girl himself.
"Send word to the Li family immediately. Have them come here. Humph!" Lin Qihua thought that perhaps the Li family, given their daughter’s breach of faith, might compensate them handsomely.
Better yet, they might return the dowry Li Zhiwei had taken away.
Zhou Yutang, who had been about to console them, turned on her heel and stormed back to her courtyard with Lin Jitong upon hearing Lin Qihua’s words.
"My lady, surely they don’t still intend to bring that Li woman into the household?" Qiu'er asked worriedly.
"Hmph, they’d like to. But that Li woman is already married." Zhou Yutang’s feelings were mixed. She had been ready to humiliate Li Zhiwei, yet without lifting a finger, the girl had wisely disappeared.
This bloodless victory left Zhou Yutang deeply unsatisfied.
Worse, Lin Jitong had promised her half of Li Zhiwei’s dowry. Now, with the girl gone, her share had vanished too. How could she accept that?
Prince An’s Mansion
"Cuiguo, prepare for bed. Let’s rest early," Li Zhiwei said to her maid.
"But my lady, His Highness hasn’t returned yet," Cuiguo replied, puzzled.
"He won’t come." Li Zhiwei suspected Prince An had only married her to legitimize her dowry.
Cian Hall
"Heming, what exactly were you thinking today?" The Old Princess studied her son in confusion.
Though she longed for him to marry, she didn’t want him forced into it.
"Mother, this was the Emperor’s will. Li Zhiwei’s dowry needed a proper reason to be claimed." Xu Heming saw no reason to hide the truth from his mother.
The Old Princess’s heart sank. She couldn’t very well criticize the Emperor, but this arrangement would humiliate both her son and Li Zhiwei.
"Now that you’ve married her, have you considered the future?" she asked after a pause.
"Mother, if Li Zhiwei wishes to leave afterward, I’ll grant her a divorce," Xu Heming said quietly.
The Old Princess sighed. What kind of man married a woman only to let her go?
"Qingshi is grown now. You’re always busy with official duties, and I’m too old. He needs a mother’s guidance. Since he brought Li Zhiwei here himself, and she seems sensible, why not let her raise him properly?" she suggested.
"Then let it be as you say." Xu Heming rubbed his temples, exasperated by his troublemaking son.
"Then go and tell her yourself." The Old Princess shooed him away, secretly hoping he might stay the night with Li Zhiwei.
When Xu Heming reached his Songmo Courtyard, he remembered—Li Zhiwei now occupied his chambers.
He was about to retreat to his study when his mother’s words echoed in his mind. Resigned, he decided to clarify matters with Li Zhiwei.
But outside the door, he realized she hadn’t waited for him.
"Your Highness, perhaps the Princess was tired today," his attendant Qingsong whispered.
Xu Heming exhaled. With the Emperor confining him to the mansion for days as punishment, he resigned himself to a night in the study.
"Your Highness!" Cuiguo brightened at the sight of him.
She was overjoyed. If the Prince didn’t stay tonight, the household would gossip about her lady tomorrow.
Xu Heming stood awkwardly, torn between leaving and entering.
"Your Highness, didn’t you have something to discuss with the Princess?" Qingsong nudged.
After all, his master had been alone for years. Now that he had a wife, shouldn’t he enjoy it?
Clearing his throat, Xu Heming strode into the bridal chamber.
Li Zhiwei had already lain down, though she’d heard Cuiguo’s greeting. Lost in memories of her past life, she didn’t expect the Prince to come.
So when a shadow loomed over her, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
