Chapter 53
Jiang Yu watched as Xu Qingshi leisurely ate grapes, unable to hide his impatience.
"You still have the mood to sit here eating grapes? The rumors outside are going wild." Xie Yanzhi also rushed over, snatching a grape from Xu Qingshi’s hand and chewing on it with relish.
"What rumors?" Xu Qingshi asked, looking utterly indifferent.
To him, nothing could be more delightful than the news of his father marrying Li Zhiwei.
"People are saying Prince An has nothing better to do than wander around the capital bare-chested," Xie Yanzhi said, rubbing his nose.
"Uh..." For some reason, Xu Qingshi found the remark oddly familiar.
"That’s definitely just jealousy. The capital is huge—has anyone actually seen my father without a shirt?" Xu Qingshi dismissed it with a wave of his hand.
In his mind, his father was far too vain to parade around half-naked. Someone must be deliberately slandering him.
Xu Qingshi had completely forgotten about the argument he’d had with Wei Herui.
"Xu Qingshi, how can you just sit at home instead of tracking down the culprit?" Jiang Yu stared at him in disbelief.
"Why should I? If my father isn’t worried, why should I be?" Xu Qingshi blinked innocently, refusing to budge.
"But if your father’s reputation is ruined, what woman would ever agree to marry him? Didn’t you always want a stepmother?" Jiang Yu pressed, confused.
Though there had been whispers about Li Zhiwei marrying Prince An, Jiang Yu had asked his mother—Prince An hadn’t officially wed her. At most, she’d be a concubine.
In noble households like Prince An’s, a proper wife had to be carried into the mansion in a grand procession.
"I already have a stepmother, don’t I?" Xu Qingshi shot Jiang Yu an annoyed look.
"Wait, Young Master, you actually want your father to marry Li Zhiwei?" Xie Yanzhi’s eyes widened.
"I heard she donated her dowry to the imperial court—is that true?" Xie Yanzhi had once seen just how lavish Li Zhiwei’s dowry was.
He never imagined she’d actually give it all away.
"It’s true, but she kept two things. Want to see?" Xu Qingshi perked up, proud that he’d managed to save those two items.
"Are they in the prince’s residence?" Jiang Yu asked curiously.
"Come on, I’ll show you." Suddenly enthusiastic, Xu Qingshi clapped his hands and led them to the room where Li Zhiwei’s only remaining possessions—a canopy bed and a coffin—were stored.
Moyu moved to follow, but Xu Qingshi stopped him. "I’m not leaving the residence. Why tag along?"
Moyu hesitated but figured nothing could go wrong with so many servants around.
When Xu Qingshi brought his friends to the storeroom, no guards were posted—after all, the items inside weren’t things anyone would casually take.
"Qingshi, what’s the big secret?" Jiang Yu asked, eyeing Xu Qingshi’s mysterious grin.
"You’ll see when we get there." Xu Qingshi wasn’t particularly impressed by the canopy bed—just an ordinary piece of furniture—but the coffin fascinated him.
Adults never showed him such things, and that only made him more curious.
Neither Xie Yanzhi nor Jiang Yu had seen anything like the black box either.
"Qingshi, are you sure this was part of Miss Li’s dowry?" Jiang Yu asked skeptically.
"Of course! It must be valuable. I checked—this was at the very front of the procession, and the bed was at the end. Both must be treasures." Xu Qingshi had made sure to note their positions.
"Yanzhi, have you ever seen anything like this? Does your family have one?" Jiang Yu circled the coffin, puzzled.
"Not that I know of," Xie Yanzhi shook his head.
"Not sure what’s so special about this ugly black thing," Jiang Yu muttered after another lap.
"I peeked earlier—it can be opened. Wonder what’s inside? Let’s take a look!" Xu Qingshi’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
"This box is huge—can it really open?" Xie Yanzhi wasn’t convinced.
He’d never encountered anything like it and had no idea how it worked.
"Xu Qingshi, what if there’s something poisonous inside?" Jiang Yu voiced his concern.
"Unlikely. This was part of Li Zhiwei’s dowry. What kind of family fills their daughter’s dowry with poison? ‘Disobey your husband? Release the venomous creatures!’ Who’d dare marry then?" Xu Qingshi scoffed.
"Who knows? Our families are nobility, but the Lis are merchants. Maybe they have things we’ve never seen?" Jiang Yu countered.
"Could it be filled with gold and jewels?" Xie Yanzhi suggested.
Merchants were rich, after all. Maybe a regular chest was too small, so they used this instead?
"That’s possible," Xu Qingshi agreed, liking the idea of hidden treasure.
"Then let’s open it!" Xu Qingshi was eager to see the riches inside.
The three boys strained to lift the coffin lid—only to gape at the empty interior.
"Xu Qingshi, why is it empty?" Jiang Yu complained.
They’d put in so much effort, hoping for a glimpse of jewels. Instead, they got nothing.
"How should I know?" Xu Qingshi frowned.
Weren’t the Lis supposed to be the wealthiest family? How cheap to leave the box empty!
The mischievous trio climbed inside the coffin.
"What’s this thing even for?" Xu Qingshi wondered aloud.
"Hey, maybe it’s for resting? Feels pretty good lying here," Jiang Yu declared, stretching out.
"Really?"
The other two boys followed suit. Xu Qingshi and Xie Yanzhi, being slimmer, shared one side, while the plumper Jiang Yu took the other.
"Bet no one could find us if we hid in here," one of them mused. Before long, all three had dozed off.
As dusk fell, the servants from the Jiang and Xie households grew anxious.
"Brother Moyu, where’s our young master? He should’ve returned by now."
"Yes, it’s getting dark—time for him to come home."
