Chapter 33—The Three Little Ones: Niannian, Part 27
“Just listen to what he’s saying!” Zhu Jingchen said, pointing at the Third Prince with a trembling finger.
He couldn’t help thinking that perhaps he had raised this son for nothing.
The boy had not even married the daughter of the Xu family yet, and already his loyalties had shifted toward them.
It seemed that, from now on, there would be no place for his father in his son’s heart.
At the thought, Zhu Jingchen angrily thumped his chest.
“Your Majesty, don’t take it personally. He’s only a child.” The Empress soothed Zhu Jingchen, but deep down, she was quite moved by her son’s decision.
She was already getting on in years and no longer had the energy or inclination to compete with the concubines in the imperial harem.
If she could leave the palace, it would be a good way out. The more the Empress thought about it, the more tempted she became.
“Your Majesty, please don’t get so worked up. Yu’er is still young, and besides, you have so many princes. Yu’er isn’t even the most outstanding among them.” The Empress spoke softly, clearly intending to support the Third Prince’s decision.
“You’re telling me not to get worked up? Empress, don’t tell me you’ve been hoping to get away from me all along?” Zhu Jingchen looked at the Empress with reddened eyes, his gaze filled with displeasure.
Then he turned and glared at Xu Heming.
“Your Majesty, this has nothing to do with me. I only love my Princess Consort.” Xu Heming hurriedly explained.
Afraid that Zhu Jingchen might misunderstand, Xu Heming even put an affectionate arm around Li Zhiwei.
Li Zhiwei’s cheeks immediately flushed crimson.
“Your Majesty, what are you thinking? All these years, I have devoted myself to managing the imperial harem for you. Even if I have no great accomplishments, I have certainly worked hard. You can’t slander me like this.” The Empress could not help protesting as well.
“Father, Mother, aren’t we talking about my matter right now? Can you two discuss your own issues after you return to the palace?” The Third Prince looked displeased.
They had clearly been discussing his plan to marry into Prince An’s household. How had the two of them started arguing again?
Why had they started arguing again?
Could it be that they were deliberately changing the subject in order to brush his matter aside?
The more the Third Prince thought about it, the more certain he became that this was exactly what they were doing.
Zhu Jingchen’s expression darkened slightly. When had his son become so clever?
Still, the thought of letting him marry into Prince An’s household was something he could not accept.
“That’s enough. I refuse. This is already the greatest concession I’m willing to make.” Zhu Jingchen could not be bothered to say more and stated his position once again.
“Have all of you forgotten something?” Xu Heming asked, rubbing his forehead.
They had been discussing their own decisions, but it seemed no one had asked whether his daughter was willing.
If Niannian did not agree, what use was it for them to make all these plans?
At his words, everyone turned to look at Xu Heming.
What had they forgotten?
For a moment, none of them could figure it out.
Even Li Zhiwei was somewhat confused.
“Have any of you asked Niannian whether she agrees? If Niannian doesn’t agree, what use is there in making decisions among yourselves?” Xu Heming said with a smug expression.
He was quite certain that Niannian would never agree. After all, his daughter had a mind of her own, and Xu Heming was even more convinced that, with Niannian’s discerning eye, she would never take a fancy to the Third Prince.
“Oh, right. Does Niannian agree to this?” Zhu Jingchen finally turned around and looked at the Third Prince suspiciously.
He knew very well that Xu Heming was not the sort of man who would easily give his consent. But now it seemed that not only had Xu Heming refused, even that girl Niannian had not agreed.
“She… Naturally, she agrees!” the Third Prince replied, though his confidence faltered.
He thought anxiously that he absolutely could not let them know Niannian had not agreed at all.
“When did my daughter agree to marry you? Why am I unaware of it?” Xu Heming shot him a cold look.
“I’ve never heard Niannian mention it either,” Li Zhiwei added calmly.
“Young man, tell us honestly. When did Niannian ever agree to this?” the Empress asked the Third Prince sternly.
She was also deeply annoyed with herself. How had she managed to overlook the most crucial point—the most important information?
“When she came back to the palace with me when we were little, didn’t she agree to marry me when we grew up?”
The Third Prince muttered, sounding somewhat aggrieved.
“What? You mean something she said as a child?” The Empress was truly stunned this time.
She thought to herself that words spoken by children could hardly be taken seriously now.
Then she glanced guiltily at Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei.
She really had not considered this matter before.
And now look at what had happened.
“You little rascal! Why didn’t you ask Niannian about it again instead of relying on something she said when she was a child?” Zhu Jingchen was so anxious that he became nearly incoherent.
After all, the person in question had not even agreed, yet they had gone so far as to come to her family’s home and make demands.
“Isn’t it said that a ruler’s word is his bond? Since she agreed to it when she was little, naturally I have to keep my promise.” The Third Prince spoke in a low voice.
He felt rather wronged. After all, Niannian had seemed rather indifferent toward him on several occasions.
“My daughter isn’t a ruler. Besides, what was the situation when Niannian said this? Why don’t my wife and I remember it at all?” Xu Heming looked at the Third Prince suspiciously, convinced that the boy had made it up to deceive them.
“She did agree to it! Father, Mother, you both heard her say it back then, didn’t you?” The Third Prince quickly turned to Zhu Jingchen and the Empress.
“Hmph! I didn’t hear anything!” Zhu Jingchen turned his face away. He would never admit that he had once coaxed that little girl into saying it.
Otherwise, wouldn’t Xu Heming make a huge fuss?
“A child’s words cannot be taken seriously. Besides, without Prince An and Princess Consort of An’s approval, those words do not count.” The Empress looked coldly at the Third Prince.
Hearing this, the Third Prince felt utterly wronged. Why weren’t Father and Mother taking his side today?
Niannian had clearly agreed back then.
“Since this was all a misunderstanding, why don’t the two of you return to the palace?” Xu Heming said, unable to hide the smile spreading across his face.
He had known it—his Niannian would never take a liking to this boy.
Zhu Jingchen looked at the rather irritating smile on Xu Heming’s face and suddenly felt that Xu Heming was extremely deserving of a beating.
He cursed inwardly. Damn that Xu Heming! How dare he look down on his son?
“Lao Xu, your household couldn’t possibly be so poor that you can’t afford to treat the Emperor and Empress to a meal, could it?” Zhu Jingchen cleared his throat.
“Yes, we’re quite poor. So Your Majesty should return to the palace for your meal,” Xu Heming replied without the slightest hesitation.
“Lao Xu, deceiving the Emperor is a serious crime!” Zhu Jingchen had not expected Xu Heming to be so shameless.
The Li Family had originally been the richest family in the realm, and Li Zhiwei was an exceptionally capable businesswoman. Over the years, Prince An’s household had become so wealthy that it practically overflowed with riches.
Yet Xu Heming had actually tried to claim that they were poor?
Hmph. He did not believe a single word of it.
“Your Majesty, all the money in my residence has already been given to my wife as compensation. Everything in Prince An’s household now belongs to my wife as part of her dowry. Your Majesty, you wouldn’t be thinking of taking my wife’s dowry again, would you?” Xu Heming asked, eyeing Zhu Jingchen warily.
“Father, you actually took Princess Consort of An’s dowry?” The Third Prince immediately perked up at those words.
