Chapter 507

"As fellow parents, Old Princess, I have come today to seek an explanation." Li Tianyou said this, then cast another displeased glance at Xu Heming. He then spoke slowly, "I just want to ask, what is the relation between the woman who appeared in the wedding sedan yesterday and the Prince?"

The Old Princess and Xu Heming exchanged a look, both letting out a sigh.

They knew it. The Lis had come today because of Zhou Yuxin.

"Father-in-law, this is my fault. That person was actually my former princess," Xu Heming saw no reason to hide the truth from the Lis.

He could have easily made up an excuse, but once you tell one lie, you have to tell countless more to cover it up.

He intended to spend his entire life with Li Zhiwei.

If he kept this a secret, and Li Tianyou found out later, he would never let him off.

It was better to tell the truth now and avoid having them hear about it from someone else.

"Wasn't your former princess said to be deceased?" Lady Yao stood up in shock upon hearing this.

Jiang Yuanrang also looked at Xu Heming with a displeased expression.

After all, their family had been told that Xu Heming's former princess was dead.

Otherwise, they would never have agreed to let their sister marry him.

Now that she had married him, his former princess was alive again?

How was their sister supposed to handle this?

Li Tianyou stared straight at Xu Heming. If he dared say they had been deceived, he would go straight to the palace and demand an explanation from the Emperor.

After all, his daughter's marriage to him was a decree from His Majesty.

Besides, his daughter would never be anyone's concubine.

Li Zhiwei hadn't expected Xu Heming to speak so openly to her parents. Seeing her parents and elder brother fuming, she quickly said, "Father, Mother, Brother, there's a misunderstanding here."

She paused, unsure how to broach the subject of Xu Heming being cuckolded.

Xu Heming could say it. The Old Princess could say it. But she, somehow, could not.

"Weiwei, don't speak up for him. Our Li family may not be as powerful as the Prince An's mansion, but our daughter has not sunk to the level of becoming a concubine," Li Tianyou quickly pulled his daughter behind him, looking as if he was ready to reject the marriage outright.

"Father-in-law, this matter is somewhat embarrassing to speak of. Heming himself only learned yesterday that that woman was unfaithful. We were deceived by her. She faked her death to elope with another man," the Old Princess explained directly, fearing the Lis would misunderstand.

Li Tianyou, Lady Yao, and Jiang Yuanrang, who had been livid just moments ago, were momentarily stunned.

Were they talking about the same thing?

They had been furious, thinking Xu Heming was involved with another woman.

Then suddenly the story shifted—that woman was his former princess.

And not only that, but she had actually abandoned Xu Heming to elope with someone else?

It was almost too absurd to believe.

"That woman returned to the capital yesterday and happened to see the wedding procession. She wanted to ask me for money, so she hid in the bridal sedan when no one was looking. Father-in-law, rest assured, I’ve already dealt with her," Xu Heming promised.

"Is he telling the truth?" Li Tianyou turned to look at his daughter.

He could hardly believe such an outlandish story could be true.

In the capital, who didn't fear Prince An? Yet there was a woman who would rather choose someone else than be his princess?

Li Tianyou suspected either the story was false or Xu Heming had made it up.

"It seems to be true, I suppose."

Li Zhiwei wasn't entirely sure either. She hadn't seen the woman herself, and she had been trying to avoid the whole matter.

"Prince An, how are we to know if what you say is true or false? You didn't make up a story just to fool us, did you? After all, everyone in the capital knows your princess died in childbirth. How could she suddenly be alive?" Li Tianyou still found the tale more ridiculous than any storybook.

If it were true, would Prince An have absolutely no dignity left?

"Father-in-law, my marriage to Weiwei was decreed by the Emperor. No matter who that woman is, nothing will change the fact that my only princess is Weiwei. I have no proof of that matter, but I have already dealt with her. If you are still uneasy, perhaps we can go to the palace and ask His Majesty to bear witness."

Xu Heming knew Li Tianyou was hesitant to trust him with Li Zhiwei.

Especially after what had happened on their wedding day.

It was humiliating to bring it before the Emperor, but it would set Li Tianyou's mind at ease.

"You would really go to the Emperor and ask him to decide?" Li Tianyou wondered—if Xu Heming was willing to go to the Emperor, then this story was likely true, wasn't it?

Besides, if the Emperor himself had blessed the marriage, any problem would first and foremost embarrass the imperial court.

At that thought, Li Tianyou relented: "Never mind going to the Emperor. But to prevent anything like this from happening again, why don't you sign a letter of divorce?" Li Tianyou reasoned that if Xu Heming ever wronged his daughter, he would take the letter and bring her back home.

"Friend!" The Old Princess strongly disapproved. Who asks for a divorce letter right after a wedding?

"If you treat Weiwei well, this letter will be nothing but scrap paper. But if you wrong her one day, I will take the letter and take her back home." Li Tianyou stared at Xu Heming, enunciating every word.

"Friend, bringing this up on such a joyous day is hardly fitting," the Old Princess tried to dissuade Li Tianyou.

"Old Princess, I know this request is somewhat unreasonable. But as a parent, I just want some security for my daughter," Li Tianyou explained to the Old Princess beside him.

"I'll write it," Xu Heming said without hesitation.

He firmly believed he would never wrong Li Zhiwei.

Meanwhile, far from the bustling capital, at the Royal Hunting Ground, Shangguan Mu's face turned dark.

"Someone! I want to return to the capital immediately!" Shangguan Mu fumed. How could he steal Li Zhiwei away if he was stuck on this mountain?

"Your Highness, what is wrong?" a sweet, coquettish voice sounded.

"What, is your Land of Lanuo so lacking in eligible people that they had to send someone of your caliber to my side?" Shangguan Mu was in a foul mood, and he showed Princess Fuan no kindness.

Princess Fuan, who had not been keen on visiting Shangguan Mu in the first place, could no longer hold back.

"Third Prince may be formidable, but can you even stand up?" Princess Fuan sneered, her eyes contemptuously sweeping over Shangguan Mu's legs.

Her look was provocative, as if to say Shangguan Mu was nothing but a cripple.