Chapter One Hundred and Ninety-Six
"No need, I truly don't wish to go out. If you have matters to attend to, you should go and be busy," Li Zhiwei said firmly, shaking her head. She thought to herself that she had long since seen enough of the fickleness of the world outside.
If there was anything in Li'an County she was reluctant to part with, it was the Li family estate—every plant and tree here had grown up alongside her.
However, these things could not be taken to the capital.
"I have nothing pressing to attend to," Xu Heming replied. He had come to Li'an County precisely for Li Zhiwei.
Now, he naturally hoped to have more time to spend with her. For this reason, he had even told Moyu not to bring his own son, Xu Qingshi, to bother Li Zhiwei.
But just as his words fell, Qingsong hurried in and whispered something into Xu Heming's ear.
Xu Heming frowned. They hadn't caught the person?
Li Zhiwei watched curiously as the two men conferred in hushed tones.
She didn't understand what they were discussing.
Then it occurred to her that Xu Heming was usually very busy; it was probably some official business.
"Go check if Xun Lang is still in Li'an County," Xu Heming instructed, remembering that Li Zhiwei had told him how Xun Lang had warned her that someone wanted her life.
Xun Lang usually seemed a bit frivolous, but he was always able to kill without leaving a trace.
It was truly hard to find any flaw in his methods.
Thinking of this, Xu Heming looked at Li Zhiwei, wondering why Xun Lang was willing to do her this favor.
"Why are you looking for him?" Li Zhiwei asked, feeling somewhat anxious upon hearing this. After all, Xun Lang didn't strike her as the particularly formidable type.
When he had come to the Li residence before, he had even been discovered by Qing Chuan.
How could someone like that possibly be the one trying to kill her?
What Li Zhiwei didn't know was that when Xun Lang had come to the Li residence that time, he had deliberately drawn the attention of Qing Chuan and the others.
After all, the Li family had shown him kindness.
He was only there to deliver a message, not to kill anyone.
Moreover, he greatly enjoyed this game of pretending to be weak.
It made people lower their guard around him.
Just like now, Li Zhiwei would never suspect that Xun Lang was that ruthless, cold-blooded assassin from the jianghu.
"Why are you so nervous? I just want to ask him a few questions," Xu Heming said, somewhat displeased. Who was he doing all this for?
Yet Li Zhiwei seemed as tense as if he were going to settle scores with a secret lover of hers?
The thought made Xu Heming feel sour. Who was he doing this for?
"Don't hurt him. He hasn't done anything to me. He's a good person," Li Zhiwei said, relieved once she knew Xu Heming meant no harm.
After all, she wasn't the type to repay kindness with enmity.
Xun Lang had only come to deliver a message; it really didn't warrant Xu Heming taking revenge on him.
"Understood!" Xu Heming agreed verbally, but his heart felt deeply unsettled.
"Qinghua, Qingyue, protect the Princess Consort. I'm going out for a while," Xu Heming said, still feeling uneasy. He decided it was best to go and see for himself.
After all, if someone wanted Li Zhiwei's life, it was no small matter.
She was his wife; he had to protect her.
"Go attend to your business. I won't leave the estate anyway, so nothing will happen," Li Zhiwei said, feeling safe within the Li family grounds.
However, she also guessed that Xu Heming was probably going to catch the person who had shot the arrow.
At that moment, Chuntao arrived in the courtyard. She bowed to Li Zhiwei and said, "Young Miss, the Madam says you are to dine with your maternal uncle at noon. Please prepare yourself. Your uncle plans to return to Qujing."
"Alright, I'll be there shortly," Li Zhiwei replied. She hadn't expected her uncle to be leaving so soon. But thinking about their own impending return to the capital, it wasn't strange that her uncle wanted to go back first.
She supposed her uncle had come this time out of guilt over her cousin's previous outrageous behavior.
Thinking of this, Li Zhiwei sighed.
Imperial Palace
Zhu Jingchen looked down at the Imperial Guard Jin Yan kneeling before him, his face full of displeasure!
Such a large person had broken into the national treasury, rummaged through it, and they still hadn't caught him?
Was this Jin Yan's incompetence, or his own?
"Jin Yan, don't tell me you found no evidence of an outsider entering the treasury?" Zhu Jingchen asked Jin Yan with clear displeasure.
He felt a pang of nostalgia for the days when Xu Heming was in the capital. After all, such things had never happened before.
Zhu Jingchen forgot that in the past, even rats weren't willing to enter the treasury. What thief would be so blind as to go there?
"Your Majesty, please forgive this subject's incompetence," Jin Yan said, also deeply troubled.
He too wanted to catch that petty thief. Otherwise, the Emperor might think he was inferior to the Prince of An in every way.
"You are indeed quite incompetent," Zhu Jingchen said with disdain.
This time, a thief had entered the treasury. Nothing was stolen, but everything was turned upside down, almost as if it were a demonstration against him?
"Your Majesty, I have searched all possible places and questioned all possible people. No suspicious individuals were found. Even the Imperial Guards and eunuchs on duty that day have been detained. They claimed to know nothing about the commotion in the treasury at the time." This was what puzzled Jin Yan the most.
That petty thief seemed to have appeared out of thin air and vanished just as mysteriously.
What in the national treasury could that person possibly want?
"In your opinion, did he find what he was looking for?" Zhu Jingchen asked, looking at Jin Yan.
"From what this subject observed, it seems he likely did not," Jin Yan said after a moment's hesitation.
"Liu Xi, go fetch the dowry list sent by Miss Li. Let me have a look," Zhu Jingchen said, also very curious about what the intruder was seeking.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Chief Eunuch Liu Xi glanced at Zhu Jingchen. He wanted to say that Lord Li might know more about this matter, but judging by the Emperor's demeanor, it didn't seem he intended to consult Lord Li on this issue.
"Your Majesty suspects the problem lies with Miss Li's dowry?" Jin Yan asked cautiously.
"Send someone to investigate the Ru'an Marquis' household. See if they have had contact with any suspicious individuals recently," Zhu Jingchen said, thinking of how the Ru'an Marquis' family had sought to marry a merchant's daughter back then. What was their purpose?
Or was it that the Li family truly possessed something they desired?
What could it be?
Something more attractive to them than silver?
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Jin Yan didn't understand why the Emperor wanted to investigate the Lin family. After all, the Lin family was now in decline. Could they possibly have stretched their hand into the national treasury?
Li Tianyou had just exited West Willow Lane when he saw Xu Xiangren looking around again.
Li Tianyou frowned. He seemed to be running into this Lord Xu rather frequently lately.
Li Tianyou was about to turn and leave when, unexpectedly, Xu Xiangren excitedly waved at him and called out, "Lord Li!"
Li Tianyou sighed inwardly, not understanding where Xu Xiangren got the perseverance to seek him out again and again.
Did he look that easy to talk to?
"Lord Xu, what is the matter?" Li Tianyou asked with a frown.
"Lord Li, what a coincidence, running into you here again," Xu Xiangren said with a smile.
Li Tianyou did not reply, his expression rather grim. He still wanted to go to the Prince of An's residence to ask if there was any news, and when the Prince of An might return to the capital.
Earlier that day, after the thief entered the treasury, the Emperor had kept him behind for questioning alone, which had left him feeling somewhat uneasy.
And now, Xu Xiangren was haunting him again, appearing before him like a lingering ghost.
Even the good-natured Li Tianyou was starting to lose his patience.
He simply couldn't understand why Xu Xiangren, a mere horse groom, kept seeking him out every single day.
