Chapter Fourteen
"Does the young master want a nine-linked ring?" Li Zhiwei asked softly.
"You have one?" Xu Qingshi widened his eyes as he looked at her.
He thought to himself that if he could get one too, Wei Herui wouldn’t be the only one showing off.
"I do. How many would the young master like?" Li Zhiwei felt a little embarrassed. Truthfully, the nine-linked ring had been a childhood toy of hers, and later, her father had commissioned more to be made.
She supposed her father must have given some to other noble children, which was how the young master had seen them.
"I can have many?" Xu Qingshi asked excitedly.
"Three or five should be possible," Li Zhiwei replied uncertainly.
"Really?" Xu Qingshi was overjoyed. Wei Herui had only one and flaunted it as if it were priceless. If he had three or five, wouldn’t everyone envy him?
"Mother, you are my favorite mother!" Xu Qingshi rushed forward and hugged Li Zhiwei, showering her with sweet words.
"Go on, go away. Your mother and I still have matters to attend to," Xu Heming suddenly found his son rather irritating.
"Father, you should hurry and tend to your official duties. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Mother," Xu Qingshi declared, patting his chest confidently.
Xu Heming’s lips twitched.
Just as he was about to say something, Eunuch Liu, the emperor’s attendant, hurried in.
"Prince An. Dowager Princess," Eunuch Liu greeted them with a smile.
"Eunuch Liu, does His Majesty have orders?" Xu Heming asked quickly.
"Prince An, His Majesty summons you and Princess An to the palace," Eunuch Liu replied cheerfully.
Li Zhiwei tensed at the news, her eyes darting to Xu Heming. In her past life, after entering the Ruan Marquis Residence, she had never stepped foot outside again—let alone met the emperor.
As a merchant’s daughter, any lapse in etiquette before the emperor could mean execution.
"Don’t be afraid," Xu Heming reassured her, gently patting her hand.
"Eunuch Liu, may I come along? It’s been a while since I’ve seen the Third Prince," Xu Qingshi asked cautiously, thinking of his other friend.
If the emperor intended to punish his new mother, perhaps the Third Prince could plead for mercy.
"His Highness would be delighted to see you, young master," Eunuch Liu said with a smile.
"Eunuch Liu, please wait a moment. This old one will have someone fetch a change of clothes for my daughter-in-law," the dowager princess interjected. Though Li Zhiwei’s current attire was decent, it was unsuitable for an imperial audience.
Realizing there were no proper garments for her in the estate, she sighed inwardly. Fortunately, she still had some of her own dresses from her youth. Though outdated, they were better than what Li Zhiwei was wearing now.
"This servant will wait here for Princess An," Eunuch Liu said politely.
In truth, he was quite curious about the new princess consort. But considering the situation in the palace, he suspected Prince An and his wife would face a difficult ordeal today.
Still, given the emperor’s trust in Prince An, there must be a reason for his actions.
As for the princess consort—what kind of woman could drive Prince An to forcibly take another man’s wife?
But Eunuch Liu, being Zhu Jingchen’s confidant, knew well what to say and what to keep to himself. Though questions lingered in his mind, he would never voice them.
She would only allow herself a small flicker of curiosity in her heart.
Imperial Study
Zhu Jingchen paid no attention to Lin Qihua and his wife, nor to Lin Jitong standing below. Instead, he quietly reviewed memorials, already well aware of the events from the previous day.
Xu Heming’s actions had, in fact, been deliberately orchestrated by him.
What business did Lin Qihua have coveting another family’s wealth?
If there wasn’t some ulterior motive, Zhu Jingchen certainly wouldn’t believe it. Still, considering that Consort Lin had recently become pregnant, it wasn’t entirely surprising that the Lin family was making moves now.
But while others schemed in the shadows, the Lin family had the audacity to act so openly—Consort Lin had only just conceived, and whether the child would even survive was uncertain.
Yet they were already putting on airs.
Did they truly believe the capital belonged to the Lin family?
The thought of the Lin family’s plans crumbling, and the Li family’s vast fortune falling into his own hands instead—effectively making the Lin family work for his benefit—lifted Zhu Jingchen’s mood slightly.
"Your Majesty, Consort Lin requests an audience," a eunuch murmured, bowing as he entered.
Zhu Jingchen frowned. Speak of the devil. Consort Lin had likely known the Marquis of Ruan and his wife were here.
What was she planning by coming now?
Did she expect him to intervene on behalf of the Ruan Marquis Residence?
It seemed Consort Lin might have been involved in the marquis’ schemes as well.
With that thought, Zhu Jingchen set down his brush and said coldly, "Let her in."
He then signaled for another eunuch to summon the Empress.
As the head of the inner court, matters concerning the imperial consorts fell under her jurisdiction.
A mere consort like Lin wasn’t worth his personal attention.
"Your humble servant greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless peace and prosperity," Consort Lin said, one hand resting on her slightly rounded belly as she curtsied.
"Hmm. Why have you come?" Zhu Jingchen asked, eyeing her with displeasure.
"It has been so long since I last saw my parents. Hearing they had entered the palace, I dared to come and visit them. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness for arriving uninvited." Though her words pleaded for mercy, her hand never left her stomach—clearly confident that her pregnancy would shield her from consequences.
"Consort Lin is quite well-informed," Zhu Jingchen remarked with a faint scoff.
"The palace servants knew of my longing for family and accidentally let it slip," she replied, oblivious to the sarcasm in his tone.
Lin Qihua, standing nearby, grew anxious. He had never intended to involve his daughter in this affair.
After all, she was carrying the Emperor’s child—such trivial matters shouldn’t trouble her.
But given that their opponent was the Prince of An, he had sent her a message.
The Li family’s assets—if they failed to secure them, the one most affected would be his daughter.
Though she resided in the palace, that very place demanded endless silver for bribes and favors.
They couldn’t bear the thought of her remaining a lowly consort forever. Even if she gave birth to a royal heir, her rank might rise—at best to Noble Consort, or perhaps Imperial Consort if fortune favored her. But becoming an Imperial Concubine would be nearly impossible.
And he himself was growing old. Achieving military glory was beyond him now, and political accomplishments were equally out of reach.
Thus, his daughter’s position in the palace depended heavily on such financial maneuvering.
At this thought, Lin Qihua quickly signaled his daughter with his eyes. However, Consort Lin, who had not seen the Emperor for so long, was consumed with longing for him in both heart and mind, leaving no room to heed Lin Qihua.
