Chapter 62
"I should be the one saying this to you. You're nothing but a lowly consort of a minor prince—do you really think you're some imperial relative? In this capital, high-ranking officials' families are everywhere. Can you truly be certain that we are people you can afford to offend?" Though Li Zhiwei felt a flicker of fear, she refused to back down. She couldn’t believe that anyone would dare act so arrogantly under the Emperor’s very nose.
"Hahaha! Are you implying that you're someone this lady cannot afford to cross?" Madam Luo sneered in response.
"If you were truly someone important, why would you send those little bastards to this academy? Children of noble families either attend the Imperial Academy or are tutored privately at home. Did you think a few bold words would scare me?" Madam Luo smirked, looking down at Li Zhiwei with undisguised contempt.
She clearly dismissed Li Zhiwei’s words, treating her and the others as nothing more than insignificant insects to be crushed at will.
"Those 'little bastards' you speak of are the heir of Prince An, the heir of Marquis Yongning, and the eldest son of the Xie family—the Minister of Personnel’s legitimate heir. None of them are people a mere relative of the Prince of Zhennan’s consort can afford to provoke," Li Zhiwei countered, finally revealing their identities to pressure Madam Luo.
"Hahaha! Next, you’ll claim you’re the Princess Consort of An, won’t you? Do you really think I’d believe that? If you’re the Princess Consort of An, then I’m the Empress! Servants, beat them to death!" Madam Luo barked, ruthlessly ordering her attendants forward.
Nearby, Teacher Feng crossed his arms, watching mockingly as Madam Luo’s men seized the group.
"My lady is the Princess Consort of An, personally enfeoffed by His Majesty! If you dare harm her or these young masters, Prince An will never let you go!" Cuiguo shouted while struggling against the advancing servants.
"Useless fools! How dare they still have the strength to shout? Does the Luo family not feed you enough?" Madam Luo roared at her lackeys.
Cuiguo and Shanzi, already overwhelmed, now found themselves in an even more desperate situation.
Li Zhiwei shielded the children behind her.
Prince An’s Residence
Xu Heming, while handling official duties, grew increasingly uneasy. Eventually, he decided to return home, fearing something might have happened.
Just as he arrived at the gates of Prince An’s residence, he encountered a servant sent by the Li family.
"Your Highness, you’ve finally returned!" The servant had been waiting anxiously outside the residence for some time.
The gatekeepers had informed him that Prince An was not home, leaving the servant frantic about where to find him.
"Who are you?" Xu Heming frowned. He didn’t recognize the man and wondered which household he belonged to.
"Your Highness, this servant is from the Li family. Earlier today, someone claiming to be from Rushan Academy came to fetch the young mistress. Cuiguo said the messenger spoke rudely and demanded that the young mistress bring a large sum of silver to the academy. She instructed me to inform Your Highness immediately."
"Someone from Rushan Academy?" Xu Heming’s frown deepened. Today was Xu Qingshi’s first day at the academy—had he already caused trouble? But why would they summon Li Zhiwei?
"Understood. Return home first. I’ll head to the academy now." Xu Heming felt a growing sense of unease.
Though mischievous, Xu Qingshi was still his own son. He couldn’t possibly have gotten into serious danger, could he?
"Send word to the Marquis of Yongning’s residence and the Xie family. Tell them to dispatch people to Rushan Academy. I’ll go ahead." With that, Xu Heming set off with a few guards toward the academy.
Meanwhile, at the Xie Residence
"Husband, why did we send Yanzhi to a place like Rushan Academy? My heart has been restless all day—could something have happened to him?" Lady Yao fretted as she looked at Xie Jincheng, who had just returned home.
"My dear, it’s time for Yanzhi to begin his studies. We can’t let him grow up undisciplined," Xie Jincheng reassured his wife.
"But my eyelids keep twitching. I have a terrible feeling about this." Lady Yao’s face was etched with worry.
"You must understand, children must grow up. They can’t stay by our sides forever. We must learn to let them spread their wings," Xie Jincheng said, though he too missed his son. Still, he believed boys needed to be tempered through experience.
Thinking of Jiang Hanhai and his wife, who had retreated to their estate, Xie Jincheng felt a stir of longing—perhaps they too should travel more instead of revolving their lives around their child.
Just as he was about to voice this thought, a servant hurried in.
"Master, someone from Prince An’s residence has arrived. They request your presence at Rushan Academy."
"Oh heavens, has something happened?" Lady Yao sprang to her feet, her eyes instantly reddening.
"This servant doesn’t know. The messenger is still waiting outside."
The couple rushed to the main hall, where Prince An’s attendant quickly explained the situation. Xie Jincheng’s expression darkened—they had deliberately kept their identities hidden when enrolling their son, fearing precisely this kind of bullying.
"I’ll go to the academy at once."
"Husband, I’m coming with you!" Lady Yao insisted, unwilling to stay behind.
"My dear, wait here for news. I promise I’ll bring Yanzhi back safely." Xie Jincheng patted her shoulder before striding out.
When Xu Heming arrived at Rushan Academy, he saw a chaotic brawl unfolding outside the gates.
"What is going on here?" Xu Heming’s frown deepened. Was the academy always this lawless? Even outside its walls, people were fighting?
"Father! Save us!" Xu Qingshi’s voice rang out the moment he heard his father.
"Your Highness, that sounds like the young master!" Qingsong exclaimed, scanning the crowd anxiously.
"Father! Hurry! Stepmother and I are about to be beaten to death!" Xu Qingshi cried again, fearing his father hadn’t heard.
Madam Luo stiffened at Xu Heming’s voice. When she turned and saw him, her face paled.
Could that woman have been telling the truth?
Was she truly the Princess Consort of An?
Impossible!
She had never seen her before.
Without Madam Luo’s orders, her servants continued their assault.
At Xu Qingshi’s second plea, Xu Heming wasted no time. He plunged into the fray, swiftly incapacitating the attackers with a few well-placed strikes.
Li Zhiwei’s heart finally settled when she saw Xu Heming.
She had taken many blows while protecting the children.
"You’re finally here!" she gasped in relief.
But the moment the words left her lips, she collapsed into unconsciousness.
