Chapter 231
Thinking this, Huo Yunxian straightened his back, looked at Zhu Jingchen at the head of the hall, and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, this commoner and Miss Li are deeply in love with each other. This commoner is willing to offer ten thousand taels of gold to the imperial court, begging Your Majesty to dissolve the marriage contract between Miss Li and Prince An, and to grant this commoner and Miss Li's heartfelt affection."
Huo Yunxian believed that the biggest problem between him and Li Zhiwei was merely the marriage decree bestowed by the Emperor, binding Li Zhiwei to Prince An, a widower.
As long as he helped her break off that engagement, Li Zhiwei would surely choose him.
After all, although his power was not as great as Xu Heming's, he and she were a perfect match in social status. Moreover, he had never been married before.
He wouldn't make Li Zhiwei become a stepmother the moment she entered his household.
Xu Heming's face darkened.
He deeply regretted being too lenient with Huo Yunxian back in Li'an County.
Otherwise, how could this man have come to the capital to snatch his bride?
Zhu Jingchen sat at the head, watching Xu Heming with an expression of someone enjoying a good show.
He never expected that someone would dare to compete with Xu Heming for a person.
And even bring the fight right before him.
However, thinking of the ten thousand taels of gold Huo Yunxian mentioned, Zhu Jingchen thought it was still rather stingy.
The dowry Li Zhiwei donated was worth far more than ten thousand taels of gold.
Still, for the chance to watch Xu Heming's drama, Zhu Jingchen decided to let it play out a bit longer.
Li Tianyou drew a sharp breath, feeling his hands itch with irritation.
This damned Huo Yunxian, had he given him too much face?
On one hand, he slandered his daughter as an adulteress, and on the other, he wanted to marry her?
Was Li Tianyou just a decoration, to be manipulated as he pleased?
"Master Huo, in this matter, have you asked for my opinion?" Li Tianyou thought to himself, he would rather let his daughter stay in the Li family for life than marry her off to this black-hearted Huo Yunxian.
He had never thought highly of Huo Yunxian before, nor of those sisters behind him—not a single one was easy to deal with.
He had no desire to see his daughter suffer after marriage.
"Lord Li, Miss Li and I are the perfect match!" Huo Yunxian couldn't understand why Li Tianyou looked down on him.
"Your Majesty, the marriage between this official and Miss Li was personally decreed by you," Xu Heming said discontentedly, looking at Zhu Jingchen above, who seemed to relish the trouble.
He thought to himself, someone was already slapping him in the face, yet His Majesty still had the heart to watch the show.
"Your Majesty, this commoner and Miss Li are deeply in love. I beg you to grant this commoner and Miss Li our wish," Huo Yunxian knelt and pleaded again.
"Huo kid, you must not speak nonsense. When was my daughter ever in love with you? She doesn't even know you!" Li Tianyou reprimanded him angrily.
"Lord Li, your daughter and I are in love. You should grant us our wish!" Huo Yunxian looked at Li Tianyou and said earnestly.
"How is it that this prince is unaware that my consort is in love with you?" Xu Heming's face darkened, thinking that Huo Yunxian was truly shameless.
When he went to Li'an County, Li Zhiwei hadn't shown any particular regard for Huo Yunxian either.
"How could you possibly know? Zhiwei doesn't like you at all," Huo Yunxian said discontentedly.
"Huo Yunxian, you say you and Miss Li are in love. Do you have any proof?" Zhu Jingchen looked at Xu Heming's unpleasant expression, feeling quite pleased. After all, he usually only saw one expression on Xu Heming's face. Today, he was finally being challenged.
However, he was also curious. What gave Huo Yunxian the confidence to speak so boldly?
Or was it that Li Zhiwei truly had something with him?
"Your Majesty, there is no such thing," Li Tianyou said anxiously to Zhu Jingchen.
After speaking, Li Tianyou glared at Huo Yunxian, worried that the Emperor might actually believe this fellow's words and think his daughter was a fickle woman.
Xu Heming might then break off the engagement with his daughter because of this.
Although he himself didn't think much of Xu Heming either, his daughter had already been rejected once before. If she were to be rejected again for such a reason, she could forget about finding a good match in the future.
"Your Majesty, every word this commoner speaks is true. I dare not deceive Your Majesty. This commoner is well aware that Your Majesty decreed the marriage between Prince An and Zhiwei. To express my apology, this commoner is willing to offer an additional five thousand taels in silver notes to compensate His Highness Prince An," Huo Yunxian declared passionately.
Xu Heming's face grew even darker.
Five thousand taels, and he thought he could take his bride away?
Was Prince An's mansion lacking those five thousand taels?
Huo Yunxian, meanwhile, thought to himself that Li Zhiwei had already been rejected once, and moreover, had lost her dowry. For him to offer five thousand taels in silver notes to Prince An, the prince was actually making a profit.
Remembering how Li Zhiwei had taken people to empty his wine cellar, this was a grudge he couldn't let go.
The best solution was to marry her. Afterwards, wouldn't her life be entirely under his control?
"Prince An, what do you think of this proposal?" Zhu Jingcen asked, barely suppressing a smile.
He found the petty-minded Huo Yunxian rather ridiculous.
Their national treasury might be poor, but not so poor as to lack that hundred thousand taels of silver, just to humiliate a capable aide?
Zhu Jingchen felt that Huo Yunxian wasn't just slapping Xu Heming in the face, but also slapping his own.
Not to mention Li Tianyou, who was already seething with anger.
"Not good!" Xu Heming said without a second thought.
"Your Majesty, this official is willing to donate one hundred thousand taels of gold, begging Your Majesty to restore my daughter's good name," Li Tianyou knelt in the great hall and said.
Li Tianyou's words made the assembled ministers gasp—one hundred thousand taels of gold!
That was a full million taels of silver.
They had heard before that Li Tianyou had given half his family fortune for Li Zhiwei's dowry. Now, to clear his daughter's name, Li Tianyou offered one hundred thousand taels of gold without hesitation.
The Emperor's smile deepened. One hundred thousand taels of gold—this was excellent.
"Lord Li!" Huo Yunxian looked at Li Tianyou with displeasure. In his view, once he married Li Zhiwei, the Li family's wealth would all be his.
How could Li Tianyou just donate it like that?
Had he asked for his opinion?
"Your Majesty, this official's mansion does not have one hundred thousand taels of gold. However, this official is willing to donate one hundred thousand carts of military provisions, begging Your Majesty to restore my consort's innocence," Xu Heming also knelt and said.
Zhu Jingchen raised an eyebrow. One hundred thousand carts of provisions were no small amount, and the cost was not less than that of ten thousand taels of gold.
Regarding this, Zhu Jingchen felt he had hit the jackpot.
"Your Majesty, this commoner and Miss Li share a bond stronger than gold. If Your Majesty does not believe it, you can naturally ask Miss Li herself," Huo Yunxian's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.
But he believed that Li Zhiwei must have a good impression of him. After all, his family background wasn't bad.
Moreover, back in Li'an County, Li Zhiwei hadn't shown aversion to his closeness. Presumably, she was interested in him.
Li Tianyou was furious inside.
He was also worried—could it be that his daughter had actually taken a liking to this worthless fellow Huo Yunxian?
What was so good about Huo Yunxian?
He would rather his daughter marry Prince An than him.
Although Prince An had a son, he didn't have so many cunning schemes. Li Tianyou had personally heard Huo Yunxian tell others that once he married Li Zhiwei, the entire Li family fortune would be his.
Everything of the Li family was meant for his daughter in the future. Over his dead body!
