Chapter 37
"Who would want..." Xu Qingshi was about to say he had no interest, but his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of the items inside the box.
Instantly, his eyes widened.
Nine-linked rings, Luban locks, and some other objects he couldn’t even name.
For a moment, Xu Qingshi forgot these were bribes from Li Zhiwei.
All he felt was sheer delight.
Li Zhiwei smiled and left the space to Xu Qingshi, stepping out herself.
After all, once Xu Qingshi came to his senses, he probably wouldn’t want to see her anyway.
Meanwhile, Li Tianyou was still waiting for her in the front hall.
"Father!" Li Zhiwei knew her father likely had more to say.
Despite everything happening so abruptly, she trusted he had his own plans.
In her past life, she had been useless, allowing the Ruan Marquis Residence to take advantage.
But this time, everything was different. She hadn’t married Lin Jitong, and her father now knew of her suffering.
"Mm, sit." Li Tianyou sighed.
The memory of Lin Qihua’s arrogant demeanor earlier filled him with guilt.
He recalled how his daughter had initially opposed the marriage alliance, but he had insisted, seeing it as a rare opportunity.
He had hoped the Li family could rise further through this union, never suspecting the hidden malice behind it—no such windfall came without a price.
Li Zhiwei sat nervously beside him.
Some things, even if foreseen, couldn’t be entirely changed.
"Weiwei, this time... your father has failed you." Li Tianyou looked at his daughter with remorse.
"Father, none of this is your fault. I agreed to it willingly." Li Zhiwei knew he was referring to the betrothal with the Ruan Marquis Residence, but she couldn’t blame him—she had consented later.
Besides, if marrying into the Ruan Marquis Residence could have aided the Li family, she would have accepted it.
The fault lay solely with the Ruan Marquis Residence’s greed.
"Father, don’t worry. Tomorrow, you’ll have an audience with His Majesty—this is our family’s chance." Li Zhiwei moved closer, speaking softly.
"Who knows if this audience will bring fortune or disaster?" The thought weighed heavily on Li Tianyou’s heart.
"Father... do you resent me for donating half the family’s wealth to the court?" Li Zhiwei wasn’t sure if her father regretted the loss of that silver—wealth he had worked so hard to accumulate.
She had acted recklessly, leaving no room for retreat, without even consulting him.
"Silly child, why would I blame you?" Li Tianyou understood her reasoning.
Had she not done this, the Ruan Marquis Residence would have devoured them whole. How could he resent her?
Still, as a merchant, he had dealt with all sorts of people—but never the Emperor.
They said serving the Emperor was like taming a tiger. He feared the Emperor might be as ruthless as the Ruan Marquis Residence, leaving the Li family no path to survival.
He was old—his life mattered little. But his daughter was still young, with a bright future ahead.
"Father, the Emperor doesn’t seem unreasonable. If he demands more, we’ll sacrifice the pawn to save the king." Li Zhiwei whispered, though she herself had no idea what the Emperor truly wanted.
But compared to wealth, their lives mattered more. She worried her father might hesitate when the time came.
"Weiwei, don’t worry. I know what must be done." Li Tianyou resolved inwardly—if silver could buy his daughter’s safety, he wouldn’t hesitate.
The next morning, Li Tianyou prepared early for his audience with the Emperor. Li Zhiwei personally escorted him to the palace gates.
"Father, I’ll wait here for you." She said earnestly.
"Go home. There’s no need to wait." Li Tianyou waved her off and followed Wu San into the palace.
Watching her father’s resolute steps, Li Zhiwei’s heart tightened with anxiety.
"Well, well—who do we have here? If it isn’t my discarded wife, Miss Li?"
Not long after Li Tianyou entered the palace, Lin Jitong arrived with a group of men, surrounding her.
Yesterday, he had suffered humiliation in West Willow Lane, and upon returning, Lin Qihua had berated him harshly.
The more Lin Jitong thought about it, the angrier he became.
How dare Li Zhiwei refuse to marry him?
Did she really think Prince An fancied her?
Today, he had come specifically to corner her.
Li Zhiwei frowned and took a step back at the sight of Lin Jitong.
She had no desire to speak to this man.
In her past life, he had done nothing but exploit the Li family’s wealth.
She had once hoped for a harmonious marriage with him.
But after he allowed Zhou Yutang to torment her again and again, she had given up.
This life, she wanted nothing but to stay far away from this beast.
Yet she hadn’t expected Lin Jitong to be brazen enough to ambush her at the palace gates.
"What do you want? This is the palace entrance." She reminded him coldly.
How she wished Prince An would appear now.
With him here, Lin Jitong wouldn’t dare lay a finger on her.
"Oho, Young Master, so this is that merchant’s daughter? Not bad-looking, eh?" One of the wastrels leered at her, his eyes roving shamelessly.
The others burst into laughter at his vulgarity.
They were all young nobles of the capital, accustomed to mischief and bullying.
True noble ladies were beyond their reach, but a mere merchant’s daughter like Li Zhiwei?
She was nothing to them.
Such women were easy prey.
"Little beauty, since the Young Master doesn’t want you, why not come with me? I’ll make sure you live in luxury, hm?" The man stepped forward, using his fan to tilt Li Zhiwei’s chin up.
"Stay away from my mistress! Aren’t you afraid Prince An will punish you? My mistress is the Princess Consort of An!" Cuiguo shielded Li Zhiwei desperately, invoking Prince An’s name.
"Hahaha—"
"Hahaha!!"
The group erupted in mocking laughter.
"Li Zhiwei, do you really think you’re some gilded treasure? The Princess Consort of An? You?" Lin Jitong sneered.
"Exactly! Prince An is the Emperor’s favorite. He could marry a princess if he wished—why would he settle for a discarded woman like your mistress?" The same man added with a smirk.
Clearly, none of them believed Prince An would truly wed Li Zhiwei.
"Tell me, Li Zhiwei—you didn’t actually think Prince An taking you into his residence meant he intended to marry you, did you?" Lin Jitong scoffed.
In his mind, Prince An had only wanted Li Zhiwei’s dowry to curry favor with the Emperor.
