Chapter 146
Zheng Qiaoshu's words caused Li Tianyou, standing nearby, to furrow his brows tightly. He was deeply displeased; was she blaming him for coming to seek an explanation?
Hearing this, The Old Princess also felt somewhat awkward. After all, it was her son who was in the wrong.
However, what Zheng Qiaoshu said wasn't incorrect either—Li Tianyou was unharmed, wasn't he?
Furthermore, her own son had already knelt before him to apologize. Shouldn't that be enough?
Xu Heming frowned at the side. Although Zheng Qiaoshu was speaking in his defense, her words somehow made him uncomfortable.
"Hah, so it's my fault then! I shouldn't have accepted Prince An's counterfeit wine, and I certainly shouldn't be standing here perfectly fine today, seeking justice!" Li Tianyou was not one to swallow every grievance. He looked at Zheng Qiaoshu with a sarcastic expression.
He thought to himself, since when did the An Prince's residence have such a woman? If his daughter were to marry into this household in the future, having a troublemaker like this around would bring no peace.
It seemed he would have to investigate more thoroughly.
He absolutely could not let his daughter suffer any more grievances.
"Lord Li, please don't be angry. Qiaoshu didn't mean it that way. This matter was Heming's fault from the start. It is only right for you to seek justice. Qiaoshu, apologize to Lord Li!" After speaking, The Old Princess turned to Zheng Qiaoshu behind her.
Zheng Qiaoshu first felt a wave of injustice in her heart, but then she obediently stepped forward and bowed to Li Tianyou. Reluctantly, she said, "Lord Li, please forgive my offense!"
Li Tianyou paid no further attention to Zheng Qiaoshu. Having met all sorts of people, this girl had made a poor first impression on him!
Moreover, the one at fault here was clearly Xu Heming, yet The Old Princess only made a young girl apologize. It was likely she also believed that he was the one being unreasonably persistent.
Li Tianyou knew, coming here today, that he couldn't truly do anything to Prince An. He merely wanted an answer. Now that he had it, it was time to leave.
"In that case, I shall take my leave today. Prince An, my daughter Zhiwei is not desperate to marry you. I know this marriage is a slight to you, that my Li family's status is unworthy of your Xu family's prestige. If you are unwilling, my Li family will bear the blame. I would even risk this old life of mine to beg His Majesty to revoke the decree! Rather than let you all humiliate us like this!"
After taking a few steps, Li Tianyou spoke to Xu Heming with grave seriousness.
Having said his piece, Li Tianyou nodded to The Old Princess and strode away.
"Ah..." The Old Princess wanted to say something more but found herself at a loss for words.
"Aunt, isn't Lord Li being rather petty? Cousin hasn't even married his daughter yet, and he comes to the An Prince's residence throwing his weight around like this. Once the Li young lady enters this household in the future, won't the An Prince's residence become the Li family's domain?" Zheng Qiaoshu said with dissatisfaction, watching the departing Li Tianyou who had never once looked at her properly.
"Enough. Your cousin was wrong in the first place. It's reasonable for Lord Li to be upset." Although The Old Princess also felt Li Tianyou had been too presumptuous, she understood her son's prior mistake and couldn't say the other party was entirely unreasonable.
"But wasn't he unharmed? Besides, Cousin, a prince in his own right, knelt before a mere third-rank official. What more could he possibly want?" Zheng Qiaoshu spoke as if pleading Xu Heming's case.
"Mother, I should not have trusted others so lightly, nearly costing my future father-in-law his life. If you knew someone had poisoned you, could you remain calm and composed?" Xu Heming, fearing The Old Princess would develop prejudices against Li Zhiwei after hearing Zheng Qiaoshu's words, explained somewhat displeased.
"Very well. Since you know you were wrong, prepare a gift later and offer Lord Li a proper apology. Just don't make such a mistake again." Although The Old Princess thought her son had a point, she still felt Li Tianyou had been too haughty, showing no regard for the Princess Consort.
A sense of imbalance lingered in her heart.
"Your lesson is duly noted, Mother!" Xu Heming stood up and returned the whip to its place.
As for Zheng Qiaoshu's words, though he disliked them, he ultimately treated her as a guest and said nothing more.
Zheng Qiaoshu frowned. She had been considering his perspective like this, so why was he still so cold?
"Alright, since the matter is settled, I shall return." The Old Princess also knew her son had official duties and did not wish to disturb him further.
"Farewell, Mother!" Xu Heming bowed to The Old Princess.
Zheng Qiaoshu could only follow The Old Princess out of the front courtyard, looking back every few steps.
"Your Highness, I have urgent matters to report." Seizing the opportunity, Qingsong quickly stepped forward.
"If it's not very important, we can discuss it tomorrow." Xu Heming, thinking of the many memorials still to be reviewed, sighed.
"Your Highness, it's news from Li'an County." Qingsong knew his lord was busy, but the news from Yang Zuo was also crucial.
"What other news from Li'an County?" Xu Heming recalled Yang Zuo's return today, but he hadn't mentioned any major issues.
"Your Highness, Yang Zuo says that Miss Li already knows about you sending the counterfeit wine to Lord Li, and she is very angry about it." Qingsong said somewhat nervously.
"What? How could she know?" Xu Heming frowned, puzzled. It was one thing for Li Tianyou to find out today, but now the news had even reached Li Zhiwei's ears.
He had just finished explaining to Li Tianyou, and now Li Zhiwei...
"Yang Zuo said a Mr. Huo, who returned from the capital, told Miss Li. Miss Li has been ignoring Qinghua and Qingyue these past few days, and has even become quite distant with the Young Master. Your Highness, Yang Zuo returned precisely to ask you to think of a way to explain things clearly to Miss Li as soon as possible. After all, there's also a young master from the Li family's maternal side in Li'an County who seems to have intentions towards Miss Li." Qingsong hurriedly relayed everything Yang Zuo had told him to Xu Heming.
Xu Heming felt a headache coming on. If this matter wasn't cleared up, he and Li Zhiwei would likely have a difficult road ahead.
Thinking of Xu Qingshi being there and suddenly facing Li Zhiwei's coldness, he would probably be unsettled too.
And that damned, scheming Huo Yunxuan!
If Xu Heming still didn't understand by now, he would truly be unworthy of his title as Prince An. This incident was clearly Huo Yunxuan's plot against him.
However, he still hadn't figured out why Huo Yunxuan would do such a thing.
Li'an County
A perfectly measured smile hung on Huo Yunxuan's lips as he looked at Li Zhiwei seated across from him.
He had known Li Zhiwei would agree to see him.
"Mr. Huo, did you have something else to tell me?" Li Zhiwei had been feeling utterly wretched these past few days.
She hadn't wanted to accept Huo Yunxuan's invitation.
But remembering what Huo Yunxuan had said to her the other day, she had, as if bewitched, agreed.
"Must I always have some specific matter to discuss in order to meet with you, Miss Li?" Huo Yunxuan asked, looking at Li Zhiwei with a wounded expression.
He believed that as long as he put his heart into it, Li Zhiwei would eventually be his.
