Chapter 236
Thinking of this, Li Zhiwei's expression also turned unpleasant. If this matter reached the Emperor, it was hard to guarantee that His Majesty wouldn't think their Li family was defying the imperial decree.
However, seeing Huo Yunxuan, who should have been in Li'an County, standing to the side, Li Zhiwei also couldn't understand. What was he doing here?
Could it be that Huo Yunxian had come to the Emperor to accuse Prince An?
Remembering how Huo Yunxuan had lured Prince An into buying fake wine from him, Li Zhiwei's hatred for Huo Yunxuan deepened a few more degrees.
"Miss Li, I hear you are fond of Young Master Huo?" Looking at Li Zhiwei who had remained silent, Zhu Jingchen suddenly asked.
Li Zhiwei: Was she hallucinating?
Why did she hear the Emperor asking if she was fond of Young Master Huo?
Which Young Master Huo?
Why would she be fond of him?
Seeing Li Zhiwei's utterly confused expression, Zhu Jingchen smiled and pointed to Huo Yunxuan beside him, meaning he was asking if Li Zhiwei liked Huo Yunxuan.
Following the Emperor's pointing finger, Li Zhiwei looked at Huo Yunxuan beside her.
"Your Majesty, are you asking if I am fond of him?" Li Zhiwei pointed incredulously at Huo Yunxuan beside her and asked.
"Young Master Huo says that you and he are mutually in love. He offered ten thousand taels of gold, begging me to rescind the imperial decree of your betrothal to Prince An. What do you say to this?" Seeing Li Zhiwei's reaction, which didn't seem feigned, Zhu Jingchen directly clarified the matter.
Upon hearing this, Li Zhiwei took a deep breath.
When had she and Huo Yunxuan ever been mutually in love?
Had he truly forgotten that he nearly cost her father his life?
How did he have the nerve to say such things?
Hearing this, Li Zhiwei quickly knelt in the center of the hall, speaking with a serious expression: "Your Majesty, what Young Master Huo said is false. I am not familiar with Young Master Huo!"
Li Zhiwei felt that the Huo family members were all unhinged.
"I do not know why Young Master Huo would make such baseless claims. In fact, I have only met Young Master Huo a handful of times. Moreover, I am deeply aware that Your Majesty has bestowed upon me a marriage contract with Prince An. As long as Your Majesty has not changed your mind, my husband can only be Prince An. My father has taught me since childhood to adhere to the rules for women. How could I possibly engage in such an illicit affair with another?" Li Zhiwei said with indignation.
Pausing here, Li Zhiwei added: "Young Master Huo was formerly my father's sworn enemy. When I returned to Li'an County, Young Master Huo's sister even attempted to poison me and ruin my reputation. Your Majesty, I am not foolish. I would absolutely never board a pirate ship like the Huo family."
Zhu Jingchen raised an eyebrow. Originally, he had wanted to watch the drama of Xu Heming's future wife being snatched away. Now it seemed that good show was not to be.
Hearing this, Xu Heming's eyebrows lifted, and his expression visibly improved considerably from moments before. He had known it—Li Zhiwei would never leave him for this young upstart.
Huo Yunxian, however, grew even more sullen. He hadn't expected Li Zhiwei would rather marry Xu Heming, a widower, than marry him?
"Miss Li, that's not what you said when you were in Li'an County. You said you would marry no one but me. What, now that you've returned to the capital, you're turning your back and denying it?" Huo Yunxuan looked at Li Zhiwei, deliberately saying this.
As Huo Yunxuan's words fell, everyone turned their gaze to Li Zhiwei, wondering how much truth there was to his statement.
Li Zhiwei was practically driven to laughter by Huo Yunxuan's shameless words.
When had she ever said such a thing?
Marry him?
Did he take her for a fool?
Not a single member of his Huo family was any good.
"Your Majesty, please forgive my presumption. I have a few words I wish to say to this Young Master Huo. I beg Your Majesty's permission!" Li Zhiwei bowed once more to Zhu Jingchen at the head of the hall.
Zhu Jingchen nodded, even more satisfied with Li Zhiwei. This Miss Li understood propriety.
She sought his opinion before speaking.
Unlike that so-called Young Master Huo.
He actually dared to act presumptuously in his court hall.
This was not taking him, the Emperor, seriously!
Thinking this, Zhu Jingchen's look towards Huo Yunxuan also turned unfavorable.
"I grant permission!" Zhu Jingchen thought, he must definitely teach this Huo Yunxuan a lesson later. For now, he wanted to know how Li Zhiwei would refute Huo Yunxuan's words.
Xu Heming looked at Li Zhiwei with some concern, wanting to comfort her with a few words. However, they were currently in the court hall, and it was not appropriate for them to speak too much.
"Young Master Huo, regarding those words you said, dare you swear on the lives of your entire Huo family that I truly said I would marry no one but you? Why would I marry you? You are not as handsome as Prince An, nor do you have his power. Perhaps you are wealthier than Prince An, but my Li family already has more than enough silver. Why would I marry you? Even if Lanuo Kingdom had no other men left, I still wouldn't marry you!" Li Zhiwei unleashed a torrent of words at Huo Yunxuan.
She didn't even consider that they were in the court hall with everyone watching.
Huo Yunxuan hadn't expected Li Zhiwei to speak of him like this.
This was simply slapping him in the face.
"Li Zhiwei, don't think that just because you now have Prince An as your backing... He merely wants your Li family's fortune. Do you truly believe he has taken a fancy to you? Stop dreaming. There are plenty of noble daughters from prominent families in the capital willing to marry him. Why would he specifically choose you?" Huo Yunxuan said with a sneer, looking at Li Zhiwei. He thought Li Zhiwei was naively foolish. Only he was her best match.
Not only did she not help get this marriage annulled, she even accused him of being inferior?
How was he as lacking compared to Prince An as she said?
Prince An was merely lucky with his birth.
If he had grown up in the capital, his status definitely wouldn't be worse than Prince An's now.
Zhu Jingchen at the head of the hall was watching with great relish. After all, listening to the court officials bicker all day was too boring. Now, this kind of love triangle struggle was truly thrilling.
"Why he chose me is none of your business. You are neither my father nor my mother. Whom I wish to marry is my freedom. I ask Young Master Huo to know your place and not do things that make people dislike you. There is absolutely no possibility between you and me. Don't entertain such thoughts. Someone like you is not to my taste!" Li Zhiwei directly retorted.
"How can you be so heartless?" Huo Yunxuan looked incredulously at Li Zhiwei, whose attitude had changed completely.
He had thought Li Zhiwei had feelings for him, that she was willing to marry him. But now, Li Zhiwei's attitude was very clear—she was unwilling to marry him.
"Huo Yunxuan, do you truly take me for a fool? What your second sister did to me, do you truly think I don't know? Just based on that, what makes you think I should go back to you? I simply don't want to marry you, I look down on you. Now, can you leave?" After saying this, Li Zhiwei asked again.
"No... impossible. You're willing to marry me. You're just unwilling to speak the truth because he's here, isn't that it?" Huo Yunxuan pointed at Xu Heming, who was collapsing in despair, and asked.
