Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Five
"I wouldn't dare!" Shanzi lowered his head, not daring to voice the thought in his heart—that he knew the Prince had already arranged for someone to go to the Prince of An's mansion.
As long as that person went and searched the Prince of An's mansion, wouldn't they find out?
However, Shanzi certainly didn't dare to say this directly.
"Enough. You shouldn't stay in the capital recently. Go out and lay low for a while! Don't concern yourself with other matters." Prince Lanhuai knew this task had to be done sooner or later. Since Shanzi had done it, there was no point in regret.
He was just worried about leaving any loose ends.
It was better for Shanzi to go out and lay low.
As for the Prince of An's mansion, he didn't know if Zheng Qiaoshu had made a move yet. It seemed he needed to have Zheng Qiaoshu take advantage of Xu Heming's absence from the capital to thoroughly search the Prince of An's mansion.
Li'an County
Yao Qisheng knew that since his sister had decided to return to the capital, she would likely be leaving soon.
Once they parted this time, who knew when they would meet again.
Although his sister had invited him to the capital to attend his niece's wedding celebration,
he felt that if he went, he would probably embarrass his niece. It was better not to go.
Thinking this, Yao Qisheng lovingly wiped the box clean.
Then, holding the box, he went to Lady Yao's courtyard.
"Elder Brother?" Lady Yao was somewhat surprised to see Yao Qisheng.
Especially seeing him holding that box, which looked somewhat familiar.
"Sister, this is for you." Yao Qisheng presented the box to Lady Yao.
Lady Yao looked at her elder brother, puzzled.
"Elder Brother, what are you doing? You've already prepared so many things for me and Wei'er." Lady Yao frowned at the box, thinking it might contain banknotes.
The Li family never shorted her on food or clothing; her brother really didn't need to do this.
Moreover, the Yao family's circumstances weren't as good as the Li family's; her elder brother didn't need to be so concerned about her.
"These are things Mother asked me to give you when she passed away. They're not valuable items, just some jewelry she often wore. She said to leave them for you as a memento. There are also some items left to her by our maternal grandmother. She said to leave those for you too, for you to pass on to Weiwei later. These things are passed down through the female line, not the male." Yao Qisheng stroked the box, speaking with reluctance.
These things were also a keepsake for him.
After their mother passed, his wife, Lady Qin, had actually asked him for these things. At the time, he hadn't agreed. Firstly, these items weren't really worth much money, but they were extremely precious to both him and Lady Yao.
Upon hearing they were items left by their mother, Lady Yao hesitated no longer and took the box.
When she saw inside the box the prayer beads their mother often wore on her wrist, some hairpins, and that jade pendant Prince Lanhuai had been searching for all along, a wave of longing for their mother instantly surged in Lady Yao's heart.
In this life, following Li Tianyou in Li'an County, she hadn't suffered much hardship. The only regret was her mother.
She hadn't been able to see her mother one last time before she was gone.
By the time she arrived, it was already the day of her mother's funeral.
Thinking of this, Lady Yao's tears began to fall.
"At the time, I was selfish and didn't want to give these things to you. I hope you don't resent your elder brother for it." Thinking of this, Yao Qisheng, a grown man, couldn't help but get teary-eyed.
When their mother left, until she closed her eyes for the last time, she hadn't been able to wait for her daughter's arrival.
Even though he had sent someone with the fastest carriage to Li'an County, and Lady Yao had come with the greatest haste, they were still a step too late.
Back then, he still held some resentment towards his sister.
That's why when his sister wrote wanting Zhiwei and Shuheng to marry, he hesitated.
He didn't want himself or his sister to end up like their mother, leaving with regrets at life's end.
Whether Yao Shuheng came to Li'an County or Li Zhiwei married into Qujing, one of the two siblings would have to endure that torment.
"It was my lack of filial piety." Thinking of not being able to see her mother one last time when she passed was also a deep regret in Lady Yao's heart.
Now, seeing these things her mother left for her, Lady Yao felt as if she could see her mother standing before her again in the old days, a very intimate feeling.
However, upon seeing the jade pendant, Lady Yao found it unfamiliar.
"Elder Brother, I haven't seen this jade pendant before." Lady Yao picked up the emerald green pendant, asking with some confusion.
"This was something Mother specifically prepared for Weiwei back then." Seeing the pendant, Yao Qisheng sighed.
At the time, Lady Qin had even taken the pendant away. It took some effort to get it back.
But Mother had said these things were meant for his sister and Weiwei. Even his wife couldn't take them.
Lady Yao felt even sadder. When her mother passed, her daughter was still young. If only Mother were still here, how wonderful it would be.
"Don't be too sad. Mother passed very peacefully. Leaving these things for you wasn't to make you grieve." Worried his sister would be too heartbroken, Yao Qisheng added.
"Thank you, Elder Brother. I'm about to go to the capital. Why don't you come along to see our new home?" Lady Yao thought since her brother was here anyway, they might as well go together.
"No, there are many matters in Qujing that need my attention. When it's time for Weiwei's grand wedding, I'll bring your sister-in-law along." Yao Qisheng didn't want to go and be a bother.
There would be other chances to go to the capital in the future.
"Then remember to bring Sister-in-law for Wei'er's wedding ceremony. You are Wei'er's maternal uncle; you cannot miss the most important celebration of her life, her wedding." Lady Yao, afraid her brother might be unwilling to go, reminded him again.
"Alright!" Yao Qisheng originally hadn't planned to go. But then he thought, if his sister went to the capital, what if Li Tianyou bullied her? Then, he would definitely bring generous wedding gifts to add to Weiwei's trousseau and to back his sister up.
Most importantly, Li Tianyou had transformed from a mere merchant into a second-rank official. Who knew if he might have other ideas now?
Although it was common for men to have three wives and four concubines, he feared Li Tianyou might forget the old for the new.
In Li Zhiwei's courtyard, Li Zhiwei simply sat, looking at the familiar surroundings.
Thinking about soon leaving for the capital, she still felt somewhat reluctant in her heart.
"Is there anywhere else you'd like to go?" Seeing Li Zhiwei like this, Xu Heming guessed she must be reluctant to leave Li'an County.
Perhaps from now on, their lives would be centered mainly in the capital. Who knew when they would return here next.
"The places I wanted to go, I've already been to." Li Zhiwei shook her head. She had visited the places she wanted to see when she first returned.
Li'an County was familiar to her, but after all that had happened since her return these past days, she didn't really feel like going anywhere anymore. After all, everything was different now.
"If you want to go out, I'll accompany you." Worried that Li Zhiwei might be unwilling to go out because of the assassin incident earlier that day, Xu Heming assured her again.
