Chapter 50
"Li Zhiwei, do you really think you can marry Prince An?" Zhou Yuying never expected Li Zhiwei to dare call her a dog.
"Third Miss Zhou, if I can't marry Prince An, does that mean you can?" Li Zhiwei looked at Zhou Yuying with a mocking expression.
From what she knew, Zhou Yuying was merely the third aunt of Xu Qingshi. But Madam Zhou had passed away many years ago, and Xu Heming had shown no intention of marrying her.
Moreover, Xu Qingshi clearly didn’t hold much regard for this aunt either—otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought Li Zhiwei home.
Besides, Xu Heming had already mentioned that the Emperor had decreed their marriage.
Third Miss Zhou was simply deluding herself.
And this was right at the gates of Prince An’s residence, with Xu Heming still inside. Li Zhiwei thought to herself—if Xu Heming sided with Zhou Yuying, then this man truly wasn’t worth marrying.
"Li Zhiwei, you’re nothing but a ruined tramp! You’re not even fit to polish Prince An’s boots! A lowly merchant’s daughter like you—what right do you have to become the Princess Consort?" Zhou Yuying spat, her face twisted in fury.
"Third Miss Zhou, words require evidence. Have you considered the consequences of slandering an official’s family?" Li Zhiwei’s expression darkened, thinking now she understood why Xu Heming had no regard for Zhou Yuying.
Zhou Yuying faltered for a moment, but she had always regarded the position of Princess Consort as hers by right, given that her late sister had once held the title. She refused to back down, especially not in front of Li Zhiwei and at the gates of Prince An’s residence.
Her delicate brows furrowed, her voice turning shrill. "Evidence? The whole capital knows you were abducted by Leng Yuxuan! Do you think anyone believes you’re still pure? Ha! If I were you, I’d have hanged myself long ago to spare my family the shame. Yet here you are, shamelessly coveting His Highness Prince An!"
The words were vicious, causing even passersby to frown in disapproval.
Li Zhiwei’s chest tightened. The memory of her abduction was a thorn in her heart, and now Zhou Yuying was humiliating her in public. Her face paled slightly.
But she was innocent—and Xu Heming had been the one to save her. She couldn’t back down now. Showing weakness would only fuel the rumors.
Just as Li Zhiwei was about to retort, an icy voice cut through the air from behind her, carrying an undeniable authority:
"This Prince was unaware that the Zhou Family’s upbringing involved allowing Third Miss Zhou to freely insult my future Princess Consort at the gates of my residence."
Xu Heming strode out, his expression dark, his sharp gaze like a blade aimed straight at Zhou Yuying.
His presence alone was imposing, but now, with his anger palpable, it was almost unbearable to look at him.
He moved naturally to Li Zhiwei’s side, subtly positioning himself as her protector.
Zhou Yuying hadn’t expected Xu Heming to appear. Her face drained of color, her earlier arrogance vanishing instantly as she hastily curtsied. "B-Brother-in-law… Yuying didn’t mean it like that! I was only… only worried that you might be deceived by someone’s false appearance—"
"Deceived?" Xu Heming’s voice turned even colder. "Whether my Princess Consort has deceived me is none of your concern. I know exactly who is slandering my betrothed."
"Brother-in-law, Li Zhiwei isn’t worthy of you! She’s nothing but a sullied woman defiled by that scoundrel Leng!" Zhou Yuying pointed at Li Zhiwei, her eyes burning with jealousy.
Xu Heming’s gaze swept over her, filled with undisguised disdain. His marriage to Madam Zhou had been arranged by his parents, and now, seeing Zhou Yuying’s unreasonable behavior, his disgust only deepened.
"My betrothed’s purity is for me to judge, not for an outsider like you to question. Moreover, my marriage to Zhiwei was decreed by His Majesty. Insulting her is an insult to me, to the Prince An’s residence—or are you implying the Zhou Family dares to challenge the Emperor’s decisions?"
"Brother-in-law, please calm down!" Zhou Yuying’s legs trembled under the weight of his words, her eyes reddening as she tried to appear pitiful. "Yuying only… only spoke out of concern for you—"
"Concern for me?" Xu Heming cut her off, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Spare me your pretenses. Out of respect for your sister, I’ve tolerated the Zhou Family’s behavior until now. But this ends today. If I hear even a whisper of slander against my future Princess Consort again, don’t expect any mercy. And from now on, address me as ‘Your Highness.’"
Xu Heming had long grown weary of Zhou Yuying’s constant "brother-in-law" this and "brother-in-law" that.
He had wanted to put a stop to it before, but as a man of few words, he rarely saw her and hadn’t bothered. Now that he was to be married, however, he needed to draw a clear line.
Zhou Yuying swayed on her feet, her face ashen.
Her frequent visits to the Prince An’s residence had always been justified by her late sister’s status. But with Xu Heming’s blunt words, even that excuse now hung by a thread.
"Y-Your Highness…" Her voice quivered with unshed tears, filled with regret for coming here today.
"Get out. The Prince An’s residence is no place for you." His final decree left no room for argument.
Though resentment burned in her heart, Zhou Yuying knew she stood no chance against Xu Heming’s authority.
There would be other opportunities.
"Your Highness, given the disparity in our statuses… perhaps you should reconsider this marriage?" Li Zhiwei muttered before quickly walking away without waiting for his response.
"Oho, Old Xu, your wife’s angry with you!" Xu Qingshi, who had been hiding behind the gates, finally emerged, mimicking an adult’s tone.
"You brat, where are your manners? Talking nonsense again?" Xu Heming glared at his troublesome son.
"Old Xu, you’re doing this all wrong. You need to learn how to coax your wife. Otherwise, why not just let me have her instead?" With that, Xu Qingshi clasped his hands behind his back and strutted off like a little grown-up.
Xu Heming’s expression darkened. Since when did he need parenting advice from a brat who hadn’t even grown all his teeth?
Wei Family Residence
Wei Jing’an’s face was stormy as he loomed over the kneeling Wei Herui.
Never in his life had he been so humiliated. Everywhere he went, people smirked and asked when he planned to streak through the capital again—promising to cheer him on.
"Husband, don’t let anger ruin your health," Lin Ziyi soothed softly.
"Father, it wasn’t my fault! Blame Xu Qingshi! If he hadn’t said his father could run shirtless around the capital, I’d never have made such a bet!" Wei Herui grumbled indignantly.
"What else did you say?" Wei Jing’an massaged his temples, feeling his blood pressure spike again.
"Master, an envoy from the palace has arrived," a servant announced hurriedly.
Wei Jing’an froze. A palace messenger? Shouldn’t they be looking for his father? Why him?
