Chapter 513

“Your Highness, please don’t comfort me like this. I know my station is too low to be brought into the light. If not for the princess’s reminder, I would still be dreaming unreal dreams,” Huo Yunzhi said with a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. She wore an expression of deep hurt, stirring a twinge of guilt in Prince Lanhuai.

“What does Fuan know? I say you are my secondary consort, and so you shall be,” Prince Lanhuai said, feeling quite irritated. That Princess Fuan truly knew no bounds, meddling even in her father’s household affairs.

It seemed he must have a proper talk with the princess.

Otherwise, once she married into the Qinling Kingdom, she would only ruin his plans.

At this moment, Prince Lanhuai still harbored the foolish dream of becoming Shangguan Mu’s father-in-law, unaware that his precious daughter had already thoroughly offended that man.

“But my dwelling here feels improper and unjustified—” Huo Yunzhi’s lips curled slightly, then quickly fell.

Merely living in this Xiaguang Courtyard was not enough.

What she wanted was to cement her position as secondary consort.

However, Huo Yunzhi knew this was a gamble.

She was betting that what Prince Lanhuai sought was worth her demanding such things.

“Rest assured, my love. Tomorrow, I will go to the emperor and request the royal jade tablet of inheritance for you,” Prince Lanhuai said decisively upon hearing her words.

“Your Highness, I am not worth such trouble—” Huo Yunzhi felt a wave of relief upon getting his explicit promise.

“I say you are worth it, and so you are. Someone, come! Help the secondary consort bathe and dress at once. I will go write a memorial to His Majesty,” Prince Lanhuai said, unable to bear Huo Yunzhi’s odor any longer, and quickly made his escape.

Watching his fleeing back, Huo Yunzhi said nothing.

“Secondary Consort, let me serve you as you bathe,” a young maidservant said with a smile, standing beside her.

“Elder Sister, do you know where my maid, Fangcao, is?” Huo Yunzhi asked cautiously.

“Secondary Consort, I will inquire about her for you later,” the maidservant replied after a moment’s thought, not knowing Fangcao’s whereabouts.

For now, the priority was to help the secondary consort wash—her smell was truly strong.

Before long, it was the next day, the day of Li Zhiwei and Xu Heming’s return visit to the Li family.

Early in the morning, Li Zhiwei went to pay respects to the Old Princess.

“Princess Consort, the Old Princess is not yet awake. She has instructed that you need not come to pay your respects. When you are ready, simply go directly to the Li residence,” Nanny Luo said with a smile as she came out.

Li Zhiwei paused in surprise. She had thought the Old Princess’s words were merely polite, but it seemed she truly did not require morning and evening greetings?

Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming in slight confusion, as if asking what to do.

“Since Mother has said so, let us go straight to the Li residence,” Xu Heming said, knowing that the Old Princess was not one to put on airs.

Li Zhiwei missed her parents too, so after some thought, she decided to head to the Li family.

Watching Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei leave, Nanny Luo let out a sigh of relief and quickly returned to the inner chamber.

“Gone?” the Old Princess asked leisurely, sitting at the table drinking her congee.

“Old Princess, why did you not let the Princess Consort in?” Nanny Luo asked curiously—after all, her mistress had risen early. Why pretend she was still asleep?

“If I had seen her today, she would surely come every day from now on. Better to avoid the trouble. This way, I won’t have to rise at dawn every day either,” the Old Princess said nonchalantly.

“The Princess Consort is truly blessed to have a mother-in-law as considerate as you,” Nanny Luo quickly praised with a smile.

“As long as those two are well, I am happier than anything,” the Old Princess said with a smile.

In her heart, she hoped Li Zhiwei would soon bear her son children.

The Li Residence

Li Tianyou, along with Lady Yao, Jiang Yuanrang, Yao Qisheng, and others, had been waiting outside the main gate of the Li residence since morning.

They were waiting for Li Zhiwei’s return.

From a distance, they saw several carriages approaching them.

“They’re coming! They’re coming!” the youngest, Yao Shuyi, shouted excitedly.

“Child, be steady,” Lady Qin scolded him good-naturedly.

Lady Qin looked at her sister and brother-in-law’s family, feeling an inexplicable sense of inferiority—the newly found nephew, though anxious, stood quietly to the side.

“It’s fine. Sister and brother-in-law are family,” Yao Qisheng comforted his wife.

“Don’t cause Sister to lose face,” Lady Qin said sharply.

“Oh, Sister-in-law, don’t say that. I’m even more anxious than Shuyi inside,” Lady Yao interjected hurriedly.

Everyone laughed aloud.

Soon, Xu Heming stopped the carriage in front of the Li residence.

There were six carriages in total. Besides the first one carrying him and Li Zhiwei, the others were loaded with return gifts prepared by the Prince An’s mansion.

There was a saying in the capital: the heavier the return gifts, the more the husband’s family valued the bride.

Today’s gifts from the Prince An’s mansion had been personally arranged by Prince An himself.

“Your servant greets Prince An and the Princess Consort of An!” Li Tianyou was about to lead everyone in a formal bow as the carriage stopped.

Xu Heming jumped down first, quickly supporting Li Tianyou’s hand and saying, “Father-in-law, today there is no Prince An, only your daughter and your son-in-law. Please do not embarrass me.”

“Father!” Li Zhiwei heard this and quickly lifted the carriage curtain, looking at Li Tianyou with some grievance.

She felt a pang of dissatisfaction—had she been gone only two days, only to feel distant from him?

“Little Sister!” Jiang Yuanrang stepped forward without thinking, ready to help Li Zhiwei off the carriage.

But Xu Heming reached Li Zhiwei’s side even faster.

Qingsong quickly placed the horse step, and Li Zhiwei, supported by Xu Heming, descended from the carriage.

Seeing Xu Heming’s tense care, Li Tianyou, Lady Yao, Yao Qisheng, and Lady Qin all exchanged smiles.

Only Jiang Yuanrang stood aside with a dark face, greatly displeased with this brother-in-law.

He was her own elder brother, yet this man treated him like a thief.

“Greetings, Father, Mother, Uncle, Aunt, Elder Brother, and Second Cousin,” Li Zhiwei said, offering a bow.

“Your son-in-law greets Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, Uncle, Aunt, Elder Brother, and Second Cousin,” Xu Heming followed suit, bowing to each of them.

“Good! ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‍Good! Quickly enter the mansion!” Li Tianyou said, overjoyed.

Li Tianyou was extremely pleased with Xu Heming’s performance today.

Everyone went inside, while Zhou Tong led the servants in carrying the gifts from the Prince An’s mansion.

The onlookers couldn’t help but marvel at such lavish return gifts.

As soon as they entered the Li residence, Li Tianyou pulled Xu Heming, Yao Qisheng, and Jiang Yuanrang into his study.

“Daughter, pay no heed to your father. Come with your mother and aunt to the Mingyue Residence to have a chat,” Lady Yao said, knowing her husband wanted to discuss the matter of her brother’s grain donation with his son-in-law.

She also had some private words she wished to share with her daughter.