Chapter Seven
"Marquis Ruan, my father is not in the residence today. If you have any matters, you may speak directly with me, the heir of Prince An." Though Xu Qingshi was just a child, he knew full well that Lin Qihua had come to see his father about the dowry of that beautiful sister.
Hmph, he wouldn’t let this man get his way.
Lin Qihua choked on his words. What could he possibly have to discuss with this brat?
Though, it was this very child who had snatched the woman away.
But if he wanted to reclaim those belongings, he needed to speak with an adult in the residence. Perhaps Prince An, out of guilt, might even compensate him with a hefty sum. The thought made Lin Qihua start calculating in his mind.
"Is the Dowager Princess in the residence?" Lin Qihua reasoned that Prince An, being occupied with state affairs, might not be home. But the Dowager Princess rarely left the residence, and he hadn’t heard of her venturing out today.
"Marquis Ruan, how utterly improper! My grandmother is a lady of the inner household. How dare you, an unrelated man, demand to see her? What are your intentions? Could it be that you harbor improper thoughts toward my grandmother?" Without hesitation, Xu Qingshi pointed an accusing finger at Lin Qihua.
The Dowager Princess, who had been about to step out with Li Zhiwei’s support, froze mid-step. She seethed inwardly—this wretched child! While it was fine for him to rebuke the Marquis, why drag her into such a scandalous implication?
Now, she couldn’t possibly show her face outside.
Lin Qihua’s face flushed with embarrassment.
What nonsense was this?
The Dowager Princess was advanced in years—how could anyone think he had such intentions toward her?
But he couldn’t outright tell this child that he was here to reclaim his daughter-in-law’s dowry.
"Servants, take these things back to the Ruan Marquis Residence first. I will personally apologize to His Highness Prince An later."
After a long deliberation, Lin Qihua gave the order to his attendants.
He reasoned that since these were the Li Family’s possessions, they rightfully belonged to the Lin Family. Taking back what was his shouldn’t give Prince An any grounds to criticize him.
Even if Prince An did take issue, it was his son who had acted improperly first—thus, the fault lay with the Prince An Residence.
With this in mind, Lin Qihua lifted his chin arrogantly, showing no intention of yielding to Xu Qingshi.
A mere child—Lin Qihua didn’t take him seriously at all.
"Marquis Ruan, are you trying to rob the Prince An Residence?" Xu Qingshi hadn’t expected the Marquis to be so shameless as to attempt theft right in their home.
"Robbery? Heir of Prince An, you must be mistaken. These are the possessions of the Ruan Marquis Residence! I should be the one asking—how did my family’s belongings end up in the Prince An Residence? Did they grow legs and walk here on their own? Or does the Prince An Residence make a habit of stealing from others?" Lin Qihua sneered, his tone dripping with mockery.
He might as well have outright called Xu Qingshi a thief.
"Marquis Ruan, you’d better have proof for your words. Besides, these are the Prince An Residence’s belongings. Do you think just because I’m young, you can bully me?" Xu Qingshi hadn’t expected the Marquis to be so brazen.
Earlier, he had felt a twinge of guilt for taking someone from the Ruan Marquis Residence.
But now, not a shred of remorse remained.
He finally understood why he had brought that beautiful sister home—he had done her a great service!
If such a delicate person had truly entered the Ruan Marquis Residence, she would have surely been mistreated.
With this thought, Xu Qingshi snorted lightly.
Lin Qihua hadn’t anticipated that the little heir of Prince An would dare to retort. Most children would have been terrified into silence by his words. It seemed he had underestimated this brat.
His eyes darkened—Prince An was proving more troublesome than expected.
In the Imperial Palace
Emperor Zhu Jingchen listened to Xu Heming’s report, his fingers tapping rhythmlessly on the desk.
"So, the Ruan Marquis Residence specifically went to Li'an County to propose to the Li Family, the wealthiest in the region?" Zhu Jingchen mused. If Lin Qihua truly had no ulterior motives, he wouldn’t believe it.
"Indeed, Your Majesty. Judging by the dowry Madam Li brought, it seems the Li Family has nearly emptied their coffers." Xu Heming didn’t know the exact extent of the Li Family’s wealth, but if he didn’t exaggerate slightly, the Emperor might not take it seriously. Besides, if the Emperor thought the Li Family could offer even more, it would only complicate matters.
"What did Madam Li say?" Zhu Jingchen was genuinely curious—just how much wealth did the richest family in Lanuo possess?
"Your Majesty, Madam Li expressed willingness to donate the dowry to the imperial court without compensation." Xu Heming clasped his hands respectfully.
"Oh? And she made no demands?" Zhu Jingchen found the idea of such selflessness hard to believe.
How could anyone part with so much wealth and ask for nothing in return?
Even he wouldn’t be so generous.
But perhaps, since the wealth wasn’t earned by Madam Li herself, she was willing to splurge it recklessly—just to spite someone?
The thought made Zhu Jingchen grimace. If his own children were so wasteful, he’d be furious.
"Your Majesty, Madam Li did have two small requests." Xu Heming answered truthfully.
"Let’s hear them." Zhu Jingchen relaxed slightly. Demands were better—he disliked feeling indebted.
"Madam Li wishes to annul her engagement with the Ruan Marquis Residence and seeks protection for the Li Family couple." Xu Heming saw no difficulty in fulfilling these requests.
"Protecting the Li Family couple is simple enough. But Heming, annulling her engagement with the Ruan Marquis Residence—I don’t have a suitable pretext for that." Zhu Jingchen feigned hesitation, watching Xu Heming closely.
Xu Heming frowned. Why did the Emperor find this difficult?
Wasn’t it just a matter of decree?
The Lin Family had broken their word first.
"Heming, if Madam Li’s dowry weren’t so substantial, it would be easier. But since she’s offering it to the court, if I directly annul the engagement, people might assume I’m coveting her dowry. That wouldn’t reflect well on my reputation." Zhu Jingchen sighed dramatically.
"Then... should Madam Li still marry into the Ruan Marquis Residence?" Xu Heming was uncertain. How could they accept her generosity and then abandon her?
He didn’t understand the Emperor’s reasoning, but if this was His Majesty’s will, he had no choice but to comply.
"Ah, but wouldn’t that make us seem heartless?" Zhu Jingchen shook his head, his gaze lingering on Xu Heming.
Xu Heming was his right-hand man, having risked life and limb for him countless times. He knew this well.
Yet, he couldn’t help testing his loyalty.
He wanted to see if Xu Heming would agree to marry a merchant’s daughter if ordered.
"Heming, wasn’t it Xu Qingshi who brought her back? The boy is growing up—he could use a mother’s care." Zhu Jingchen smiled meaningfully.
"Yes!" Xu Heming's heart pounded, unsure of what exactly the Emperor intended to say.
