Chapter 228
Li Tianyou looked towards Censor Cao.
Then, he glanced again at Zhu Jingchen seated at the head of the hall.
His face was full of displeasure.
He thought to himself, Censor Cao's ability to fabricate something out of nothing was truly on par with the gossiping aunties in the marketplace.
He had no idea that his perfectly fine daughter had already gotten married.
"Censor Cao, the Lord Li you speak of, it wouldn't happen to be this humble official, would it?"
Li Tianyou thought it over. If he could bear it no longer, then there was no need to bear it any further.
However, as he spoke, he also secretly observed the Emperor's expression. Seeing that the Emperor showed no displeasure at his words, his courage grew a bit more.
Zhu Jingchen: I am actually quite curious whether Li Tianyou really did secretly marry off his daughter.
"Lord Li, what you have done, don't you have any idea yourself? Must this humble official name names explicitly?" Censor Cao said, looking at Li Tianyou with a face full of disdain.
He thought to himself, this Li Tianyou only became the Vice Minister of Revenue because he relied on having a bit of stinking money.
Hmph, the Emperor favors him, but does he really think he can do whatever he wants?
"Minister Li, do you have anything to say regarding what Censor Cao has stated?" Zhu Jingchen cleared his throat lightly and asked, though his tone gave no indication of joy or anger.
However, Censor Cao was solely focused on feeling smug, completely failing to notice the Emperor's somewhat displeased look directed at him.
Censor Cao was convinced that this matter of his was already ironclad.
"Your Majesty, your subject was unaware that Censor Cao has even found another daughter for your subject." Li Tianyou looked at Censor Cao, his eyes filled with excitement.
This threw Censor Cao off balance.
He was impeaching Li Tianyou.
But why did Li Tianyou look at him with such a grateful expression?
At this moment, Censor Cao repeatedly recalled in his mind, what exactly had he just said?
Wasn't he trying to accuse Li Tianyou of defying the imperial decree and privately marrying off Eldest Miss Li, who was already betrothed to Prince An, to someone else?
Censor Cao looked towards the very composed Prince An standing to the side.
He really couldn't figure it out, why were these two reacting this way?
Or, could it be that this was actually Prince An's intention?
"Oh? Didn't Minister Li say you only had Eldest Miss Li as your sole daughter?" Zhu Jingchen hadn't expected Li Tianyou to have another daughter. Thinking of Li Zhiwei's substantial dowry, Zhu Jingchen wondered, if Li Tianyou did have another daughter, perhaps he could consider having that daughter enter the palace?
Then, the national treasury might be able to become more abundant again.
However, immediately, Zhu Jingcen denied this thought. After all, if Li Tianyou really had another daughter, he couldn't possibly not know about it.
It seemed this was false information Censor Cao had obtained from who knows where.
"Your Majesty, your subject has also only just learned now that your subject has another daughter living elsewhere. Censor Cao, might I ask, where is my daughter now?" Li Tianyou said to Censor Cao with a serious expression.
"Lord Li, how would this humble official know where your daughter is?" Censor Cao said somewhat impatiently, thinking to himself, this Vice Minister Li, why does he seem a bit slow-witted?
Otherwise, why would he ask an outsider like himself where his own daughter had gone?
"Didn't Censor Cao say that my daughter has already married?" Li Tianyou looked at Censor Cao and retorted.
"Lord Li, what this humble official clearly said was that Eldest Miss Li, who is betrothed to His Highness Prince An, has privately married someone!" Censor Cao said with a darkened face, full of dissatisfaction.
This Li Tianyou actually still wants to play dumb here?
He had almost been fooled by him.
"If Censor Cao hadn't mentioned it, your subject would not have known that your subject's daughter has privately married and left? Censor Cao, might I ask whom my daughter married?" Li Tianyou thought to himself, he did have the wish to have Li Zhiwei marry someone else.
However, with the betrothal agreement existing beforehand, he wouldn't go so far as to do something that would ruin his own future.
Who knows from where Censor Cao heard this rumor? This tendency to believe every word of gossip, how did he even become a censor?
Or perhaps, he had nothing substantial to impeach anymore, so he picked this trivial matter to bring up in court?
"Hmph, Lord Li, stop talking nonsense here. Your daughter returned to Li'an County for a private marriage arrangement, which is already a crime of deceiving the sovereign. Someone witnessed with their own eyes your daughter acting intimately with a man in Li'an County, accompanied by a child of about five years old. That child even called your daughter 'Mother'!" Censor Cao said with a face full of pride.
Xu Heming, who had acted intimately with Li Zhiwei in Li'an County, was utterly bewildered.
When did he get married?
A five-year-old child calling Li Zhiwei 'Mother'—wasn't that just his own little rascal?
"Minister Li, what do you say to this?" Zhu Jingchen now looked at Li Tianyou, then towards Xu Heming, whose face had darkened somewhat beside him.
A bold thought occurred to him: Had Xu Heming been cuckolded?
"Censor Cao, you should nourish your brain more when you have time!" Xu Heming couldn't hold back any longer and rebuked in a low voice.
"Your Highness Prince An, this Vice Minister Li is slapping you in the face. If his daughter was unwilling to marry you, she should have said so directly. How could she secretly run back to Li'an County to marry someone else?" Censor Cao looked at Xu Heming, speaking as if indignant on his behalf.
"Censor Cao, do you have evidence for what you say?" Xu Heming asked in an icy voice.
Censor Cao was somewhat puzzled. Why did he feel that Prince An didn't seem very pleased?
After all, he was helping him.
Otherwise, if Prince An married Li Zhiwei only to discover later that she had already married and had a child, wouldn't that be a huge loss?
Shouldn't Prince An be thanking him?
Or perhaps, Prince An felt that by saying this publicly, he had been humiliated?
Thinking this, Censor Cao could only look at Xu Heming with some apology; he hadn't considered this beforehand.
However, even if he had known, he would still have exposed this matter. After all, it was his duty.
Thinking this, Censor Cao straightened his back, waiting for the Emperor to praise him for handling this matter beautifully.
Zhu Jingchen merely watched them, not speaking.
If this were really true, he felt that Xu Heming wouldn't be so calm without Censor Cao needing to impeach anyone.
"This humble official has a witness," Censor Cao said proudly.
"Your Majesty, your subject requests to see that witness," Li Tianyou petitioned Zhu Jingchen.
"Censor Cao, where is your witness?" Zhu Jingchen also wanted to know who the rumormonger was.
"Your Majesty, your subject has already had him wait outside the palace," Censor Cao said triumphantly.
He had long been prepared to ruin Li Tianyou's reputation today.
The news that Li Zhiwei returned to Lijia County to get married also reached the Dowager Princess Consort's ears. The Dowager Princess Consort, already weakened by poisoning, was extremely furious upon hearing this.
"Have the Prince come see me!" the Dowager Princess Consort said angrily.
Their Prince's mansion had kindly saved Li Zhiwei, yet she repaid kindness with enmity.
She returned to Lijia County just to marry someone else?
What's wrong with her son? Isn't he good enough for her?
