Chapter 65
The Princess of Zhennan had no desire to entertain Madam Luo’s incessant chatter.
Moreover, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her summons to the magistrate’s office might have something to do with Madam Luo. That only made her even less inclined to speak with her.
But Madam Luo saw things differently. These days, she had been doing everything in her power to win over her mother-in-law, the Princess of Zhennan. Unfortunately, the princess paid her no mind—refusing not only her attempts at flattery but even the slightest acknowledgment.
Now that her mother-in-law had finally agreed to take her out, Madam Luo was determined to seize the opportunity and prove herself worthy of the princess’s approval.
The mere thought of being taken out to see the world by her mother-in-law filled Madam Luo with smug satisfaction.
Even though the princess remained aloof and indifferent, Madam Luo couldn’t wipe the grin off her face.
The Princess of Zhennan rolled her eyes inwardly. I’ve seen fools before, but never one this dense. What on earth did my son see in this woman to insist on marrying her?
Not that Zhou Fenghua seemed particularly fond of Madam Luo either.
After all, since her arrival in the household, Zhou Fenghua had continued his usual routine of carousing and drinking.
Instead of focusing on winning her husband’s affection, Madam Luo spent her days hovering around her mother-in-law.
The servant found Zhou Fenghua in the pleasure quarters, his arms wrapped around a courtesan as he drank.
“The young master truly is something—even after marrying the beauty he pined for, he still comes here every night to enjoy himself!”
“Hah! You lot wouldn’t understand,” Zhou Fenghua boasted between sips of wine. “The reason I married Madam Luo was precisely because of her lowly background.”
“Oh? Why’s that?” one of his companions asked, intrigued.
Zhou Fenghua smirked. “A woman from a minor family—what power does she have over me? Her relatives are too busy groveling to dare interfere in my affairs. No matter what I do, what can they possibly do about it?” He laughed triumphantly.
“Brilliant! The young master’s strategy is truly brilliant!”
The man poured Zhou Fenghua another drink, his words full of praise, though a flicker of disdain flashed in his eyes.
Zhou Fenghua, too absorbed in his own arrogance, drank merrily.
“Ah, young master, please stop drinking! The princess has urgent business and requests your immediate return,” the servant pleaded, watching his drunken master with a headache.
After all, the young master was supposed to appear at the magistrate’s office soon—and in this state…
“My mother wants me? Or is Madam Luo using her name to drag me back?” Zhou Fenghua grumbled.
His mother had never interfered with his nightly escapades before.
“Young master, please, the princess has urgent matters to discuss,” the servant pressed, though he dared not mention in public that the princess wanted him to go to the magistrate’s office.
“You should hurry back, young master. Perhaps the princess truly has something important,” the other men chimed in, though they found Zhou Fenghua’s departure rather disappointing.
“Fine, I’ll go see what she wants.”
Reluctantly, Zhou Fenghua agreed—after all, the Princess of Zhennan rarely summoned him, and this servant wasn’t from his own household or Madam Luo’s.
But when he realized the servant wasn’t leading him back to the manor, his mood soured.
“Wait—where are you taking me? Don’t think you can fool me. This isn’t the way home,” Zhou Fenghua slurred, swaying as he pointed at the servant.
“Young master… the princess wishes for you to accompany her to the magistrate’s office.”
The servant inwardly cursed his luck. Why did I have to be the one stuck with this task?
If the young master sobered up and blamed him later, he’d be in for a beating. And if the princess saw her son in this state, she wouldn’t be pleased either.
Meanwhile, Xu Heming had brought Li Zhiwei back to the An Manor and immediately ordered Liu Ming to fetch the physician. Though the doctor who had examined her earlier assured him she was fine, Xu Heming remained uneasy.
Liu Ming, though unsure of what had happened to Li Zhiwei, didn’t dare delay and hurried off to find the physician.
When the Old Princess heard that Xu Heming had carried Li Zhiwei back into the manor, she grew deeply concerned.
“Oh, my dear grandson, what happened to you?” she fretted, though her attention quickly shifted to the bruises on Xu Qingshi’s face.
“Grandmother, I’m fine,” Xu Qingshi murmured, his small eyes darting anxiously toward the inner chamber.
He was still terribly worried about Li Zhiwei. The men who had attacked them had been so vicious—if not for her and the others shielding them, he couldn’t imagine how much worse the beating would have been.
Xie Yanzhi and Jiang Yu stood silently, their hearts heavy with guilt.
“What in the world were you all doing?” the Old Princess demanded, her voice tight with worry as she took in their injuries.
Xu Qingshi bit his lip before recounting the events at Rushan Academy.
“Those wretched scoundrels!” the Old Princess gasped, horrified.
Li Zhiwei’s misfortunes seemed endless—first the ordeal with that fool Leng Qi, and now this.
But this time, she had suffered to protect her grandson.
The thought pained the Old Princess deeply. The poor girl’s fate had been far too cruel.
“Grandmother, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have fought with that bully,” Xu Qingshi whispered, his voice trembling with regret.
If only he hadn’t provoked the fight, Li Zhiwei wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
“This isn’t your fault. Some people are simply too arrogant for their own good.”
The Old Princess seethed at the thought of a mere in-law of the Zhennan Manor daring to lay hands on someone from the An Manor. Once Li Zhiwei was stable, she resolved to take the matter straight to the Empress Dowager.
“The princess is unharmed—only minor injuries and exhaustion from the ordeal caused her to faint,” the physician announced after examining her.
“You two, stay and attend to her,” Xu Heming instructed the maids, finally allowing himself to relax.
Stepping out, he found the Old Princess waiting.
“Mother, why have you come?” he asked.
“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known that Zhiwei suffered so much!” the Old Princess scolded. “I understand you wish to discipline the child—he’s growing up, and it’s a father’s duty. But Rushan Academy? You didn’t even investigate before sending him there! If not for Zhiwei arriving in time—if she hadn’t been there—what could an old woman like me have done while you’re always away with your duties?”
Xu Heming bowed his head. “I was wrong.”
If only he had looked into the academy properly, neither his son nor Li Zhiwei would have suffered.
“Enough. This isn’t about blame now. What matters is that you give Zhiwei and Qingshi justice.”
The Old Princess knew her son wouldn’t let this slide. If those responsible weren’t dealt with, even she wouldn’t be able to swallow her fury.
