Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Nine
"You just mentioned that Weiwei was once in marriage discussions with the Ru'an Marquis Estate?" Yao Qisheng suddenly remembered hearing about it before.
The Ru'an Marquis Estate had tried to devour the fortune of a merchant family with no male heir, only to be outsmarted and left empty-handed by that merchant's daughter.
Could it be that the Ru'an Marquis Estate had originally intended to target his niece?
"Uncle, the marriage arrangement with the Ru'an Marquis Estate fell through later. His Majesty bestowed a marriage upon me," Li Zhiwei quickly explained.
After all, the whole affair with the Lin family was too distressing, and it was in the past anyway.
There was no need to bring it up again.
"Hmm, it's your uncle who is useless." Thinking of this, Yao Qisheng felt a pang of remorse. If he had been powerful and influential, presumably the Ru'an Marquis Estate wouldn't have dared to set their sights on his niece.
Let alone try to devour the family's fortune.
With this thought, Yao Qisheng glanced at his younger sister. This Li Tianyou, regardless of other matters, had been genuinely good to his sister. All these years, even as the Li family climbed so high, he had never seen Li Tianyou take another woman.
Even though his sister hadn't been able to bear Li Tianyou a son, Li Tianyou had always treated her just the same.
Thinking this, Yao Qisheng said to Li Zhiwei, "Weiwei, your mother and I have some private matters to discuss. Would you mind giving us some space?"
"Of course, that's fine." Li Zhiwei never suspected her uncle would do anything to harm her mother.
He was, after all, her own maternal uncle.
Over the years, although she hadn't seen him much, she had to admit that every year, her uncle would send many fine things to Li'an County for her and her mother.
"Elder Brother, is there something you wish to speak to me about?" Seeing Li Zhiwei leave, Lady Yao looked somewhat puzzled at Yao Qisheng and asked.
She thought her brother might want to ask about her daughter's marriage.
Perhaps he felt it was inconvenient to speak with Li Zhiwei present.
"Little Sister, we grew up together. Our parents left us long ago. There are some things your elder brother must say. If you find them unpleasant to hear, please don't take them to heart." Yao Qisheng looked at his sister and spoke carefully.
"Elder Brother, whatever you have to say, just say it directly." Seeing her elder brother's serious demeanor, Lady Yao felt a bit nervous.
However, she believed her brother wouldn't mean her harm.
"Little Sister, all these years, we have all seen Tianyou's sincere devotion to you. Now, Weiwei is grown and will marry sooner or later. Have you ever considered... letting Tianyou have a few more descendants?" Yao Qisheng looked at his sister and spoke cautiously.
Lady Yao was stunned. She hadn't expected her own brother to be advising her to take concubines for her husband?
"Elder Brother, I am your own sister!" Lady Yao said, feeling disappointed.
"Precisely because you are my own sister, I speak to you like this. Anyone else would simply laugh behind your back, saying the Li family line is about to end." Yao Qisheng said, frustrated by her lack of foresight.
"Why was Weiwei targeted by the Ru'an Marquis Estate? Isn't it precisely because the Li family has no son? I know your health is not strong, sister. Why don't you arrange for Tianyou to take a few concubines? Later, when children are born, you can raise them as your own. In the future, if anything should happen to Weiwei, her younger brothers could also stand up for her, couldn't they?" Yao Qisheng urged again.
"Elder Brother, it's not that I haven't broached this with the Master. He disagrees. Everything of the Li family, in the future, will belong to Wei'er." Lady Yao tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand.
Her heart felt conflicted.
She also wanted to give the Master a son to inherit the Li family's estate.
But, when she gave birth to Weiwei, it had taken tremendous effort. Afterwards, her health was severely depleted, making it difficult to conceive again. Back then, she had offered to arrange concubines for the Master.
It was the Master who refused.
Not her!
Yet, she also knew her brother's words held truth.
Didn't the Ru'an Marquis Estate pick the Li family precisely because they thought a family with only one daughter was easy prey to devour?
"Weiwei's future husband's family is the powerful and highly positioned Prince An's estate. In the future, if Wei'er suffers any grievance, she won't even have a close male relative to stand up for her." Thinking of this, Yao Qisheng also felt a sour taste in his heart.
The Huo Residence
"Your Highness Prince An, what is the meaning of this?" Huo Yunxuan hadn't expected Xu Heming to arrive so quickly.
"Well, Young Master Huo, didn't you say that when this prince came to Li'an County, you would invite me for a drink? How is it that not long after, your words already count for nothing?"
Xu Heming sat on the master's seat in Huo Yunxuan's study, a look of mockery on his face.
His fingers tapped rhythmically on the arm of the chair.
"How is it, Your Highness Prince An, that your idea of me inviting you for a drink involves having your subordinates restrain me like this?" Huo Yunxuan tried to break free but was no match for Xu Heming's guards.
He could only glare at Xu Heming in frustration.
"Why the hurry, Young Master Huo? Before you invite this prince for a drink, this prince would like to invite you to partake of a jar first!" Xu Heming clapped his hands, and two guards carried in a large vat.
Looking at the half-person-high vat, it seemed filled to the brim with wine.
Huo Yunxuan looked at Xu Heming in disbelief and asked, "Your Highness doesn't intend for me to drink all that wine, does he?"
Huo Yunxuan deeply regretted ever harboring murderous intent towards this man.
This much wine, never mind if there was anything wrong with it, even if it were perfectly fine, he could never possibly drink it all.
"Well, you invited this prince for a drink, and this prince even spent three thousand taels to buy your 'fine' wine. Now this prince invites you for a drink, and you refuse to give face?" Xu Heming's face darkened as he leaned close to Huo Yunxuan and asked.
"I... I'll return the silver to you!" Huo Yunxuan didn't want to ruin himself for a mere three thousand taels.
Drinking that huge vat of wine, he felt, would certainly be the death of him.
"Silver? Who told you this prince lacks silver?" Xu Heming looked at Huo Yunxuan with scorn.
More infuriating than the three thousand taels was the loss of face and the fact that Li Tianyou had almost lost his life.
"Then... then I'll gift you a few more jars of Nectar!" Huo Yunxuan said, his heart aching at the thought, as the Nectar truly was limited in quantity.
"What, first you nearly cost this prince's father-in-law his life, and now you want to harm this prince as well? Young Master Huo, what has this prince done to make you think I am kind and easily bullied?"
Xu Heming angrily grabbed Huo Yunxuan's chin and demanded.
"Your Highness Prince An, absolutely not! You are a lofty prince, how would I dare think of you that way?" Huo Yunxuan, unable to move, could only try to persuade Xu Heming.
Otherwise, he feared he might have to shed a layer of skin to appease this lord's wrath.
"Who dares to harm my brother?"
Hearing there was trouble at the Huo residence, Huo Yunyao arrived angrily with her people, shouting as she came.
"You don't actually think that woman can protect you, do you?" Hearing the voice outside the door, Xu Heming felt annoyed.
However, he hadn't expected Huo Yunxuan to call upon a woman to shield him?
What great prowess indeed!
