Chapter 486

“Back then, if not for Prince An’s Heir, who knows whether our Nuonuo could have returned alive. We must remember this debt of gratitude.” The Grand Princess lifted her teacup, skimmed off the floating leaves, and took a light sip. Upon hearing the Grand Princess’s words, Nanny Qi understood that the young miss held great importance in the Grand Princess’s heart.

“Then this old servant will make the arrangements at once. I’ll have a bridal gift prepared for Miss Li,” Nanny Qi said with a smile.

“Don’t be too stingy. Add sixty dowry chests.”

Just as Nanny Qi was about to leave, the Grand Princess called out after her.

“Your Highness, won’t that be too much?” Nanny Qi was shocked. She had originally thought that a set of bridal headpieces would already be a great favor.

She never imagined the Grand Princess would order sixty dowry chests. Wasn’t that far too generous?

“I’ve heard that the Emperor and Empress have already sent their own bridal gifts to Miss Li. These sixty chests are my way of expressing gratitude to the Prince An’s estate. Go and carry it out,” the Grand Princess explained, seeing Nanny Qi’s confusion.

Li Zhiwei knew it was customary for women about to marry to receive bridal gifts from close friends, most of which were small trinkets.

In the capital, she knew very few noble ladies, and even fewer she was close to.

She also assumed no one would bother sending her anything.

But the grand gestures of Cheng Qingli and Wen Xiu truly surprised her.

Fortunately, neither of them was married yet. She could return the favor twofold in the future.

Still, Li Zhiwei understood that given her dowry, keeping a low profile would be impossible from now on.

“Aren’t the two of you giving me way too much?” Li Zhiwei had no idea that if everyone in the capital started following her standards for marrying off their daughters, the city might soon stop having daughters altogether.

“You deserve it,” Cheng Qingli said with a smile.

Ruiyun Pavilion

Jiang Yuanrang paced anxiously back and forth.

“Young master, is something troubling you?” A servant boy noticed his unease and asked.

“It’s nothing.” Jiang Yuanrang’s tone was irritated.

Everyone was sending Li Zhiwei bridal gifts, but he—her own elder brother—couldn’t offer her even a single item for her dowry.

If word got out, how could he, Jiang Yuanrang, ever hold his head high again?

The more he thought about it, the more resentful he grew.

But the Jiang family had no property in the capital, and he himself owned nothing of value to give his sister.

Then he suddenly remembered. Li Tianyou had said that half of the Jiang family’s estate belonged to him.

Since it was his property, couldn’t he take his share and give it to his sister as a bridal gift?

With this thought, Jiang Yuanrang stood up and headed toward Bright Moon Residence.

At that moment, Lady Yao and Li Tianyou were entertaining Yao Qisheng and his wife.

Jiang Yuanrang’s sudden appearance stunned everyone in the room.

“Who is he?” Yao Qisheng glared angrily at Li Tianyou, suspecting he had fathered a child outside the family, now grown so big.

“What are you doing? On such a happy occasion, don’t lose your head,” Lady Qin quickly tugged at Yao Qisheng. The Li Tianyou of today was no longer the humble merchant he once was.

Now a second-rank official, Li Tianyou was not someone a mere merchant like them could question.

Besides, it was almost time for their niece’s wedding. This was no moment for a scene.

“Hmph, Li Tianyou, you’d better explain yourself!” Yao Qisheng glared discontentedly at Li Tianyou.

“Brother, you’ve misunderstood. This is Zhou’er. Zhou’er, come quickly and pay your respects to your uncle and aunt,” Lady Yao hurriedly beckoned Jiang Yuanrang.

Jiang Yuanrang had never acknowledged this identity, but seeing Lady Yao’s gentle expression, he chose not to embarrass Li Tianyou and her at the moment.

“Greetings, Uncle and Aunt,” he said, bowing to the couple.

Yao Qisheng stared at the face that was a perfect replica of Li Tianyou’s, momentarily stunned.

“Is this... that child from before?” Lady Qin asked in disbelief.

When Lady Yao and Li Tianyou had lost their eldest son, the entire Yao family had grieved deeply.

But that child had been declared dead. The body had even been swollen from water.

And now this boy was alive again?

Yao Qisheng stared at Jiang Yuanrang in disbelief, carefully weighing his sister’s words.

The boy’s age did match that of the missing child from back then.

Yet, Yao Qisheng still suspected this child might be Li Tianyou’s illegitimate offspring with another woman.

After all, he had seen the dead body himself.

“Are you really Zhou’er?” Yao Qisheng asked Jiang Yuanrang.

Jiang Yuanrang’s lips twitched.

What Zhou’er?

He had never claimed to be that.

“Uncle, my name now is Jiang Yuanrang.”

After a moment’s thought, Jiang Yuanrang bowed again as he spoke.

“Li Tianyou!” Yao Qisheng turned to Li Tianyou, his eyes blazing with anger.

“Brother, it’s just that Zhou’er disappeared as a child and grew up unfamiliar with us. In Lucheng, he was known as Jiang Yuanrang,” Li Tianyou replied without taking offense at Yao Qisheng’s tone.

He understood that under the same circumstances, he would also be suspicious.

But this matter was not easy to explain briefly.

“Zhou’er, did you come for something?” Lady Yao asked her son.

“I didn’t realize you had guests. I’ll come back later.” Jiang Yuanrang felt uncomfortable asking for his inheritance in front of Yao Qisheng and Lady Qin.

“You go to Joyous Pavilion, tell Weiwei her uncle and aunt are here, and ask her to join us in Bright Moon Residence for lunch,” Lady Yao said, relieved her son had come to see them but still wanting to spare him awkwardness. She sent him off with an errand.

“Yes,” Jiang Yuanrang agreed, then bowed to them all once more before leaving.

“Sister, is he truly Zhou’er?” Yao Qisheng still couldn’t believe his long-lost nephew had returned.

“Of course, it’s true,” Lady Yao confirmed firmly.

“Could someone have brought an impostor to deceive you?” Yao Qisheng shot a sideways glance at Li Tianyou as he spoke.

Though wronged, Li Tianyou could only cast a pitiful look at Lady Yao.

“Watch your tongue. Our brother-in-law is not that kind of person,” Lady Qin tugged at Yao Qisheng, afraid he might say something that would offend Li Tianyou.

“Brother, ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‍you really are mistaken. It was Prince An who went to Lucheng and, by sheer coincidence, rescued Zhou’er, only then learning he was still alive,” Lady Yao quickly explained.

“Why was Zhou’er in Lucheng?” Yao Qisheng frowned.

He was happy his nephew had been found, but why had the boy traveled from Qujing all the way to Lucheng?