Chapter 44
The carriage came to an abrupt halt in front of the An Manor. Li Tianyou couldn’t even wait for Liu Ming to set down the footstool before stumbling out of the carriage and rushing through the gates without a second thought.
"Wei'er! Where is my Wei'er?" His voice was hoarse, his eyes bloodshot—the anxiety and terror of the journey had nearly broken him.
"Master Li, please follow me. The princess must be in the Dowager Princess’s courtyard by now." Liu Ming hurriedly stepped forward to guide him.
As they passed through winding corridors, Li Tianyou’s heart pounded in his throat. Only when he entered the main hall of the Dowager Princess’s residence, "Ci’an Hall," and saw his daughter—pale but unharmed—being comforted in the Dowager Princess’s embrace did the tension in his nerves finally ease.
"Father…" The moment Li Zhiwei saw her father, the strength she had been forcing herself to maintain crumbled, and tears spilled from her eyes.
"Wei'er!" Li Tianyou ignored all else, stepping directly in front of her and gripping her hands tightly as he examined her from head to toe, his voice choked with emotion. "Are you alright? Were you hurt? Did that bastard lay a hand on you?"
His questions came one after another, his concern overflowing.
"Father, I’m fine… Thankfully, His Highness arrived in time…" Li Zhiwei shook her head, but her tears only flowed harder. "If not for His Highness’s timely intervention… I would have…"
The memory of the danger still filled her with lingering fear, her body trembling slightly.
The Dowager Princess patted Li Zhiwei’s back sympathetically and reassured Li Tianyou, "Rest assured, dear in-law. The imperial physician has already examined her. Zhiwei only suffered from shock and was prescribed some calming medicine. Poor child, she endured such a terrible ordeal! That damned Leng Qi is worse than a beast! And the Leng family—rotten to the core! They deserve this retribution!"
Hearing this, Li Tianyou felt some relief, but fury quickly rose in its place. "The Leng family! I, Li Tianyou, will never rest until they are destroyed!"
He turned to the Dowager Princess and bowed deeply, speaking earnestly, "Thank you, Dowager Princess, for protecting my daughter. This kindness is one I will never forget!"
The Dowager Princess quickly stood and helped him up. "Dear in-law, please rise! We are family—no need for such formalities. Zhiwei is the princess of An Manor; protecting her is our duty. But even I never imagined the Leng family would dare commit such an atrocity in broad daylight!"
At that moment, Prince Xu Heming strode in. He had changed out of his court robes into a dark casual outfit, his brow slightly weary but his gaze as sharp as ever.
"Father-in-law." He first greeted Li Tianyou with the respect of a junior.
Li Tianyou immediately returned the courtesy. "Your Highness! My daughter owes her life to you this time. Please accept my deepest gratitude!" He moved to bow again.
Though he disliked Xu Heming’s cold demeanor—last time, it had been Xu Qing, a child, who saved Li Zhiwei—this time, it was undeniably Xu Heming who rescued her. Li Tianyou was a man who knew right from wrong.
Xu Heming’s infatuation with his daughter was one matter, but saving her was another.
Still, gratitude aside, the title "father-in-law" sat uncomfortably with him.
Xu Heming steadied his arm. "Father-in-law, there’s no need for such formalities. It was my negligence that allowed the villain to seize the opportunity, nearly leading to disaster. Failing to protect Zhiwei is also my responsibility."
His tone carried self-reproach. He hadn’t expected Leng Qi to be bold enough to abduct someone right at the palace gates.
"Your Highness must not say such things! If not for your quick thinking and timely rescue, the consequences would have been unthinkable…" Li Tianyou shuddered at the thought of what might have happened if Leng Qi had succeeded.
By now, Li Zhiwei had regained some strength. Seeing Xu Heming return, she stood and curtsied, murmuring softly, "Thank you, Your Highness, for saving my life."
Xu Heming stepped closer, his gaze lingering on her pale face before he spoke gently, "It’s over now. Leng Qi has been thrown into the imperial prison. Leng Chaozong has been stripped of his position and imprisoned. As for Consort Leng… she has been demoted to a concubine and confined to the Cold Palace. The Leng family can no longer harm you."
His words were concise, delivering the outcome without elaboration.
Though Li Tianyou and the Dowager Princess had already heard whispers through different channels, hearing it confirmed by Xu Heming himself was still staggering.
Even the Dowager Princess was surprised. The Leng family, entrenched in the court for years, had collapsed in a single day.
"The Leng family reaped what they sowed. But I never expected His Majesty to act so swiftly in dealing with them," the Dowager Princess murmured.
"Leng Chaozong spent years in court forming factions, deceiving the emperor, and lining his own pockets. His Majesty had long gathered evidence of their crimes. Today’s incident with Leng Qi was merely the spark that ignited the fire," Xu Heming said coolly, avoiding further details of the political maneuvering. But everyone in the room understood—this was no impulsive decision, but a long-planned reckoning.
Li Tianyou exhaled deeply, a mix of satisfaction and unease.
The treacherous tides of officialdom were unpredictable and perilous.
His gaze fell on his daughter, delicate as a flower, and his heart swirled with emotions.
After this ordeal, he was more certain than ever—only by growing stronger could he protect those he cherished.
"Zhiwei, weren’t you supposed to escort Father-in-law to the palace today? How did you end up encountering Leng Qi, and why did he dare attack you?" Xu Heming had returned partly to ask this very question.
Leng Qi was a scoundrel, but unless someone deliberately guided him, he wouldn’t have been foolish enough to ambush Li Zhiwei at the palace gates. Unless… she had crossed paths with him on her way back.
Li Zhiwei had been reluctant to revisit the memory.
But now that Xu Heming brought it up, her fists clenched, and anger surged within her.
"It was Lin Jitong!" she spat through gritted teeth.
"Lin Jitong was humiliated after being punished for yesterday’s incident in West Willow Lane. He was the one who suggested handing me over to Leng Qi!" The mere thought made her tremble with rage.
She had already suffered enough in her past life—when the Lin family had profited off her dowry and destroyed the Li family.
In this life, she had deliberately distanced herself from them. Yet Lin Jitong still had the audacity to act as if he had any right to decide her fate!
Earlier, she had been too frightened to dwell on it. But now, with Xu Heming asking, she inexplicably felt that he would surely avenge her.
"Does the Ruan Marquis Residence truly believe they can do as they please in the capital?" Li Tianyou was stunned by the revelation.
"Heming, go to the palace and report this to His Majesty. If the emperor won’t seek justice for Zhiwei, then I will personally appeal to the Empress Dowager!" The Dowager Princess struck her cane against the floor indignantly.
"Understood. I will speak to His Majesty about this." Xu Heming’s brow furrowed as he contemplated how best to deal with Lin Jitong and ensure Li Zhiwei received the justice she deserved.
