"I'm not upset. As long as my parents are well, I'll be at peace," Li Zhiwei said softly.
The father and daughter chatted for a while longer before Li Tianyou got up to find the steward, Zhou Tong, to arrange everything for receiving the imperial decree the next day. Li Zhiwei returned to her room, watching the sky gradually darken outside the window, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
The marriage to Prince An came suddenly and the future was uncertain, but for some reason, when she thought of Xu Heming's deep and steady eyes, her panicked heart was strangely calmed down a little.
Ru'an Marquis's Mansion
"Smack!"
Lin Qihua angrily slapped Zhou Yutang across the face, his eyes filled with resentment.
All the misfortunes of their Ru'an Marquis's mansion started after this wretched woman entered the mansion.
If her son didn't marry her, she wouldn't be disliked by the emperor, and all the things belonging to the Li family would only belong to the Lin family.
"Father!" Zhou Yutang covered her face, looking at the furious Lin Qihua in disbelief, tears welling up instantly. "Why did you hit me?"
"Why did I hit you?" Lin Qihua trembled with rage, pointing at her nose and cursing, "If it weren't for you, you jinx! My Lin family wouldn't be in this state! Now, the Emperor has grown disgusted with the Marquis of Ru'an's mansion, and that brat Li Zhiwei has climbed the social ladder. Tomorrow, the Emperor will bestow a marriage upon her and Prince An! Prince An! Is he someone we can afford to offend? If you hadn't instigated Jitong to try and control Li Zhiwei and prevent her from entering the mansion, all that dowry, that Li family's connections and wealth, would have been ours long ago! Why are we now left with nothing and have offended Prince An for nothing!"
Upon hearing the words "bestowed marriage," Zhou Yutang felt as if struck by lightning. She seemed to forget the burning pain on her face, and was filled only with shock and jealousy.
Li Zhiwei?
The merchant's daughter whom she schemed to have her husband leave her outside the mansion?
She's actually going to marry Prince An and become his princess?
How is that possible!
“No…it’s impossible…” Zhou Yutang murmured absentmindedly, “How could Prince An possibly…”
"Impossible? The news is absolutely true!" Lin Qihua was even angrier at her appearance. "It's all your fault! You're good for nothing but causing trouble! If it weren't for you, instigating Ji Tong to use such despicable means, things wouldn't have come to this! Now look what's happened, Li Zhiwei has benefited from the misfortune, the Li family has now won the Emperor's favor and the Prince of An's approval, while my Lin family has become the laughing stock of the entire capital! As a result, I am finding it difficult to move forward in the court!"
Thinking about how the Emperor had told him to deal with the affairs of the inner court before going to court, and the meaningful, ambiguous smiles in his colleagues' eyes, Lin Qihua felt a surge of anger rising to his head.
The Lin family has almost completely lost face over generations!
“Father, how can you blame me?” Zhou Yutang was extremely aggrieved, tears streaming down her face. “What happened back then was also because of Ji Tong…”
Zhou Yutang gestured to the maid beside her to quickly fetch Lin Jitong, otherwise, judging from her father-in-law's attitude, he might want to beat her to death.
Prince An's Mansion
Xu Qingshi was sitting in the courtyard with his legs crossed, looking quite pleased with himself. He was eating grapes while having Mo Yu copy the Book of Rites for him, thoroughly enjoying himself.
The thought that Li Zhiwei would become his stepmother made him feel even more smug.
"Xu Qingshi, how can you still sit still?"
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