Chapter 197
"Lord Xu, if there's nothing else, I shall take my leave." Li Tianyou's expression was rather unpleasant.
"Lord Li, meeting like this is fate. Look, you're from Li'an County, I'm from Xin'an County, yet we met in the capital—that's fate. Now, we meet again here in West Willow Lane—that's an even greater stroke of fortune. Lord Li, I wonder if you would do me the honor of sharing a meal today?" Xu Xiangren asked, looking at Li Tianyou with a fawning expression.
"My apologies, I have matters to attend to." Li Tianyou cupped his hands in a salute and prepared to leave.
"Ah, Lord Li, do me this favor." Xu Xiangren thought to himself that his wife had already made all the arrangements. All he needed was to bring Li Tianyou over, and then his daughter would make her appearance.
Once Li Tianyou saw his daughter, he would surely be captivated by her beauty.
Then, he could play a little hard to get. If Li Tianyou wanted to marry his daughter, wouldn't he have to exert all his effort?
And the one to benefit would be himself.
The thought of possibly leaving the Court of Imperial Sacrifices for a post elsewhere made Xu Xiangren redouble his efforts.
"Lord Xu, we are not close, are we?" Li Tianyou sighed, saying somewhat impatiently.
"Aren't we friends?" Xu Xiangren hadn't expected Li Tianyou to speak to him in such a manner.
"When were we ever friends? Our relationship is merely one of nodding acquaintance!" Having said that, Li Tianyou hurried off in the direction of the Prince An's residence.
"My lord, could it be that Lord Xu wants to leverage the connection of Li'an and Xin'an counties being neighbors to seek your promotion?" Zhou Tong, following beside him, said quietly.
"He thinks rather too highly of himself." Li Tianyou was no fool; this was something he would never do.
Moreover, he and Xu Xiangren had only met twice in total.
He himself hadn't even firmly established his footing in the capital yet. Help him?
Fuming, Li Tianyou arrived at the Prince An's residence. Steward Liu Ming, seeing Li Tianyou arrive in a huff, inwardly groaned.
He didn't know what foolish thing his prince had done this time to anger his future father-in-law.
In the past, he hadn't noticed his prince having a habit of provoking his father-in-law.
Otherwise, why had Lord Zhou never come to find fault with the prince?
However, Liu Ming couldn't exactly claim his prince was innocent.
After all, buying fake wine as a gift for his future father-in-law—his prince was truly the first in the capital to do such a thing.
"Honored in-law, what brings you here today?" Liu Ming asked with a smile as he went to greet him.
"Hmm, just came to sit for a while." Li Tianyou sat in the reception hall, thinking to himself how he should broach the subject without losing face.
"Well, well, come to sponge off our prince's residence again?" Zheng Qiaoshu came out looking quite pleased with herself and, happening to see Li Tianyou sitting in the hall, couldn't resist a sarcastic remark.
"Steward Liu, when did the Prince An's residence change owners?" Li Tianyou's expression darkened as he looked at the insinuating Zheng Qiaoshu.
His daughter hadn't even entered the residence yet, and this woman was accusing him of sponging off them?
Hmph, he hadn't taken a single thing from the Prince An's residence.
"Miss Cousin, Lord Li is an honored guest of the residence." Steward Liu's expression also turned sour. This cousin had become increasingly arrogant and overbearing lately.
This Lord Li was the father of the future princess consort. Not to mention he hadn't taken anything from the residence, even if he had, it wouldn't be a big deal.
Besides, hadn't this Miss Cousin eaten, lived, and spent more of the prince's resources than Lord Li ever had?
"Hmph, your daughter isn't even married into the residence yet, and you're constantly trying to bask in the prince's glory? You have no say in the Prince An's residence!" The reason Zheng Qiaoshu dared to be so arrogant today was that she had just witnessed the old woman eat the drugged pastries she had sent.
Now that the old woman was about to be done for, she would be the only mistress in the residence.
A mere merchant family, she didn't give them a second thought.
"My daughter may not be married into the residence yet, but the Prince An's residence currently has The Old Princess managing the household. It's not your place, an outsider, to have a say. Today, I will go ask The Old Princess if this residence allows a young chit like you to criticize me!" Enraged, Li Tianyou made to go find The Old Princess and have it out.
"Lord Li, please calm your anger." Liu Ming hurriedly tried to soothe him, unsure in his heart whether The Old Princess would side with Lord Li or Miss Cousin.
"Steward Liu, please take me to see The Old Princess." Li Tianyou said with a dark face, refusing to look at the young Zheng Qiaoshu.
A mere guest staying at the residence, did she really think she was something special?
It was true he came from a merchant background.
But he was upright and honest, and he believed he had done nothing to wrong the Prince An's residence.
Seeing the furious Li Tianyou, Liu Ming had no choice but to lead him to Compassionate Peace Hall, inwardly cursing Zheng Qiaoshu as a troublemaker.
Zheng Qiaoshu, however, wasn't afraid at all. By now, the old woman should be beyond help, right?
Zheng Qiaoshu went to the accounts office and said to the accountant, "Uncle Wang, my aunt asked me to fetch some ginseng from the storeroom to nourish her health. Could you please open the storeroom door for me!"
Wang Yuan adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose, looked Zheng Qiaoshu over, and then said unhurriedly, "The written order?"
"What written order?" Zheng Qiaoshu asked, puzzled.
"Miss Cousin, if The Old Princess wanted this old servant to open the storeroom for you to fetch something, where is the written order?" Wang Yuan looked at the clueless Zheng Qiaoshu and sneered inwardly.
This Miss Cousin seemed to have impure intentions. Otherwise, why wouldn't she know this basic rule?
"My aunt didn't mention it. Uncle Wang, just open the storeroom for me first. My aunt is waiting for the ginseng to nourish herself. How could this be false?" Zheng Qiaoshu said discontentedly.
She was very annoyed. How was she supposed to know opening the storeroom required some written order?
The old woman had never mentioned it to her.
"My apologies, Miss Cousin. The prince's residence has its rules." Having said that, the accountant paid no further attention to Zheng Qiaoshu.
Zheng Qiaoshu stamped her foot in frustration, but seeing that Wang Yuan was immovable, she had no choice but to return to Compassionate Peace Hall first.
"Miss, regarding this matter, Nanny Luo should have the written order." Chu'er whispered beside her.
"To Compassionate Peace Hall!" Zheng Qiaoshu said with a dark face. She had originally thought that once the old woman fell ill, she would have the final say in the residence.
Now, she couldn't even get into the storeroom!
Meanwhile, Liu Ming had brought Li Tianyou to Compassionate Peace Hall.
Nanny Luo, seeing Li Tianyou had arrived, first smiled and gave him a curtsy before saying that The Old Princess had just lain down to rest.
"It seems I've come at an inopportune time." Li Tianyou frowned, feeling somewhat put out.
He even began to wonder inwardly if The Old Princess was deliberately putting on airs with him. Otherwise, why would she have just gone to sleep as soon as he arrived?
"Nanny Luo, how long has The Old Princess been asleep?" Liu Ming asked carefully, thinking that if it had been a while, she should be getting up soon.
"She just ate the pastries Miss Cousin sent over, said she was feeling a bit tired, and then retired to rest."
"The Old Princess!"
As soon as Nanny Luo finished speaking, a terrified cry from a Little Maid came from inside the room!
