Chapter 227
"I don't know her." Li Tianyou shook his head without a second thought. As a man, why would he pay attention to someone else's wife and daughter for no reason? How improper would that be?
"Father, I have a feeling that person came specifically targeting you," Li Zhiwei said, looking at Li Tianyou with a serious expression.
"How could that be?" Li Tianyou's first reaction was disbelief. What was there about him worth scheming against?
"Then, among the people you've met recently, is there anyone surnamed Xu?" Li Zhiwei thought of the woman who introduced herself as Madam Niu, but said her family name was Xu.
"Surnamed Xu?" Li Tianyou immediately thought of Xu Xiangren.
However, he had only intercepted him a few times. He shouldn't have offended him enough for someone to come and cause trouble, right?
"Father, you thought of someone?" Seeing Li Tianyou's expression, Li Zhiwei guessed he had indeed encountered someone named Xu.
"What? Can't you say? Or am I not allowed to hear?" Seeing Li Tianyou's hesitation, Lady Yao asked discontentedly.
"Madam, don't be angry. It's not that I can't say. I just can't figure out his reason for doing this," Li Tianyou quickly explained.
"That man was originally the magistrate of Xin'an County. Somehow, through connections, he got a minor post as a Temple Assistant in the Court of the Imperial Stud in the capital. One day, he came to cozy up to me. I just exchanged a few casual words with him and haven't had much contact with him since," Li Tianyou said truthfully.
"Father, when was the last time you saw him?"
After hearing Li Zhiwei's question, Li Tianyou's frown deepened. He thought to himself, surely it couldn't be that just because he met Xu Xiangren, the man became suspicious?
He had assumed Xu Xiangren sought him out based on their previous connection—one from Li'an County, the other from Xin'an County.
"A couple of days ago, he said he wanted to invite me for a drink. I didn't agree, and then it just fizzled out." Li Tianyou recalled that their parting hadn't been pleasant. Could it be that because of this, Xu Xiangren wanted to frame him? What would he gain?
"Father, have you considered that the reason he sought you out was precisely to establish a connection with you?" Seeing her father's expression, Li Zhiwei knew Li Tianyou hadn't suspected that Xu Xiangren would use his daughter to entrap him.
"Hmph, it's obvious he wanted to marry his daughter to you so you could help him out a bit. Such a clear intention, and you still couldn't see it?" Lady Yao understood perfectly now. She felt Li Tianyou wasn't incapable of understanding; he was probably pretending not to.
"That can't be." Li Tianyou looked at Li Zhiwei and Lady Yao with disbelief, his heart sinking. Did Xu Xiangren want to scheme against him?
"Today, if it had been just you and Xu Xiangren's daughter alone in the residence, what do you think would have happened when his wife brought all those people in?" Li Zhiwei sighed and asked, looking at her father.
In her past life, she had suffered too much unfair treatment. Later, she had to carefully consider every move people made against her.
"How could it be just the two of us? There are so many servants in the residence," Li Tianyou retorted without thinking.
"Do you think that girl wouldn't have thrown herself at you?" Li Zhiwei rolled her eyes, thinking her father was still too naive.
"What would have happened?" Li Tianyou was already feeling a bit of belated fear, but he still thought it unlikely they could have done much to him.
"They would have accused you of taking advantage of his daughter. Then, for the sake of your reputation, you might have been forced to marry her," Li Zhiwei said helplessly.
"Why are you telling him all this? Perhaps he actually wants to marry that young girl?" Lady Yao was both angry and annoyed.
She felt Li Tianyou was really regressing as he got older. She didn't believe he hadn't seen through such an obvious ploy.
Hearing his daughter's words, Li Tianyou broke out in a cold sweat. If that had really happened, what would he have done? Would he truly have been forced by circumstances to marry the girl?
Thinking of this, Li Tianyou felt furious.
So that was why Xu Xiangren had sought him out repeatedly—he intended to marry his daughter to him. What a malicious scheme.
"Madam, fortunately you returned in time. Otherwise, I might have been framed." Li Tianyou took Lady Yao's hand and said earnestly.
Li Zhiwei also breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that her parents were safe.
As for the Xu family, they were just clowns. They might face retribution without her even needing to lift a finger.
The next day, rumors spread through every street and alley in the capital: the Li family was dissatisfied with the Emperor's arranged marriage, and Li Tianyou's daughter Li Zhiwei had secretly returned to Lijia County and married someone else. This was a crime of deceiving the Emperor.
Li Zhiwei was having breakfast with Lady Yao.
"Miss, it's outrageous!" Cuiguo returned, fuming and cursing as she walked.
"What's got you so upset?" Li Zhiwei looked at Cuiguo, somewhat puzzled.
She found it somewhat amusing; since coming to the capital, Cuiguo's temper had certainly grown.
"Miss, how can you still laugh? I don't know who it is, but they're saying you've already returned to Lijia County and gotten married, and they're describing it in vivid detail," Cuiguo said indignantly.
"Where did you hear such nonsense? How would I not know if I were married?"
Li Zhiwei shook her head, quite impressed by the capital dwellers' ability to fabricate stories out of thin air. However, she didn't plan to take this matter to heart.
After all, she knew perfectly well whether she was married or not. There was no need to explain herself to outsiders over a mere rumor.
"How can people in the capital spread any rumor? Could it be because of yesterday's incident?" Lady Yao thought the rumor was strange; nine times out of ten, it was someone who couldn't stand to see them doing well.
"Mother, it's fine. In a few days, this talk will die down." Li Zhiwei felt such a trivial matter wasn't worth mentioning.
"If this reaches Xu Heming's ears, it won't be good. Also, given the Old Princess's current condition, you should prepare some tonics later. We should pay her a visit." After much thought, Lady Yao still felt such rumors spreading were ultimately not good.
"Mother, Xu Heming knows perfectly well whether I'm married or not. As long as he doesn't believe it, it's fine." Li Zhiwei still didn't take the matter to heart.
It was just a rumor. The more it spreads, the fewer people believe it.
However, preparing to visit the Old Princess was indeed something they should do.
Today's court session was particularly lively.
Official Cao, the Censor-in-Chief, stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, this humble official wishes to impeach Li Tianyou, Vice Minister of Revenue, for defying Your Majesty's will and secretly marrying off his daughter, who had already been betrothed by Your Majesty's decree, to another man."
Official Cao stepped forward, speaking with apparent indignation.
Li Tianyou, who had been listening intently, didn't react for a moment.
Official Li... was that him?
Marrying off a daughter who had already been betrothed by decree to someone else?
Was he talking about his daughter?
