Chapter 257
Chapter 257
"Grandmother, you wouldn't also lie to your grandson and tell me this matter is false, would you?" Xu Qingshi looked at the Old Princess with an expression that said he wouldn't be easily fooled.
"Young Master, did you personally witness Miss Li getting married in Li'an County?" Nanny Luo, standing to the side, looked at Xu Qingshi and asked with a frown.
She thought to herself, was Xu Qingshi asking this because he had actually seen Li Zhiwei get married, and that's why he was speaking this way?
Thinking this, Nanny Luo glanced at the equally frowning Old Princess beside her and sighed inwardly.
When Li Zhiwei and Lady Yao had come to the residence, their expressions showed nothing unusual, and the Prince today also didn't seem like a man whose wife had run off with someone else. This had led the Old Princess and Nanny Luo to believe that this matter was nothing more than a rumor.
But now, Xu Qingshi's attitude made them hesitate.
Could it be that Li Zhiwei really did get married?
"No, I haven't. But isn't that what everyone outside is saying?" Xu Qingshi looked at Nanny Luo with a puzzled expression, thinking it was strange. Did one have to see it for it to count?
Hearing this, the Old Princess and Nanny Luo both breathed a sigh of relief.
It was good that Xu Qingshi hadn't seen it himself.
"Young Master, during your long stay in Li'an County, did Miss Li ever put on a bright red wedding dress or ride in a bridal sedan chair? Like the way she was dressed when you brought her back?" Nanny Luo, afraid she wasn't being clear enough, specifically emphasized the way he had brought her back.
"No, she didn't." Xu Qingshi thought for a moment and replied with great certainty.
After all, he had meals with the pretty elder sister every day, so he was quite clear on whether she had ever ridden in that red sedan chair.
"Young Master, getting married requires the formalities of matchmakers and betrothal gifts. Since Miss Li did not have those, it means she did not get married. These are just baseless rumors spread intentionally by people outside; they cannot be taken seriously," Nanny Luo explained to Xu Qingshi with a smile.
"So it's not true!" Xu Qingshi said, his face full of disappointment.
"Those are just hearsay; did you really believe them?" The Old Princess also found it amusing. She hadn't expected Xu Qingshi to determine truth and falsehood in this manner.
Did that mean if Li Zhiwei didn't marry someone else, then his future wife was gone?
Furthermore, Li Zhiwei was supposed to marry his father in the future. So, when they had children, could he still marry one of them?
"Nanny, if the pretty elder sister marries my father, can I still marry the child they have to be my wife?" Xu Qingshi asked with a confused look.
"You mischievous monkey, already thinking about a wife! Any child born of your father and Miss Li could only be your younger sister. And you want to marry your sister?" The Old Princess was also amused by Xu Qingshi's words.
"Grandmother, you're laughing at your grandson. Your grandson's wife is gone," Xu Qingshi said, looking at the Old Princess with a wronged expression, feeling he was miserable enough, so why wasn't his grandmother sad for him?
Thinking of what he had said to Xu Heming today, Xu Qingshi could already imagine his father mocking him later.
Seeing her grandson's expression as if the sky were falling, the Old Princess quickly smiled and comforted him, "You are still young. There's no hurry about a wife. You have time to slowly choose a wife. When the time comes, grandmother will definitely pick the most beautiful wife for our Qingshi, alright?"
"But I just want a wife born from my stepmother," Xu Qingshi pouted, saying unhappily.
"You silly child, wouldn't it be nice if, after your father and Zhiwei marry, they give you a few younger brothers and sisters to keep you company?" The Old Princess could even picture the scene of her children and grandchildren gathered around her.
Outside, the rumors that Li Zhiwei had already married were quashed by an official proclamation from the Emperor.
This infuriated Prince Lanhuai.
His plan had actually failed.
Damn that Xu Heming, always ruining his plans.
However, Prince Lanhuai also understood that no matter how angry he was, he couldn't change the fact that his plan had failed.
"Your Highness, Secondary Consort Yun and Princess Fuan have gotten into a fight again," a servant reported, trembling with fear.
Hearing this, Prince Lanhuai felt a headache coming on. Ever since Huo Yunzhi entered his residence, she had been at odds with Princess Fuan. Every few days, they either quarreled or came to blows.
If the Huo family weren't still useful to him, he would have long since kicked this ungrateful woman out of his Prince Lanhuai residence.
Thinking this, Prince Lanhuai could only walk unwillingly towards the rear courtyard.
The Li Residence
"Young Lady, this is an invitation sent to you from the Grand Princess's residence." Qinghua handed an invitation to Li Zhiwei, who was reviewing account books.
"The Grand Princess's residence?" Li Zhiwei looked at the gilded invitation and frowned. She had no connections with this Grand Princess's residence.
Moreover, this Grand Princess was the Emperor's own elder sister.
In the capital, she was a figure who could practically walk sideways; ordinary people dared not provoke her. Most people were busy currying favor with her, and she had never been known to actively seek friendship with others.
"Young Lady, perhaps you should look at the invitation first?" Qingyue looked at the invitation and suggested after a moment's thought.
After all, the Grand Princess was an extremely reasonable person and probably wouldn't fault someone over trivial matters.
Curious, Li Zhiwei opened the invitation. It simply invited her to attend the full-month celebration for the Grand Princess's eldest granddaughter in three days.
"The Grand Princess's residence has welcomed a young lady. The Grand Princess is happy and has invited me to attend." Li Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief. The addition of a new child to the family was a joyous occasion, and she was actually quite willing to go.
Furthermore, in her past life, she had been confined to the rear courtyards of the Ruan Marquis residence her entire life. Lin Jitong had never even consummated the marriage with her, let alone the fact that the Ruan Marquis residence had secretly given her medicine to prevent pregnancy. In that past life, she never had a child of her own, and Zhou Yutang's children were never allowed to see her.
Since her rebirth, the child she had seen the most was one around Xu Qingshi's age.
She was quite curious about newborn babies.
Now, with the Grand Princess extending such a warm invitation, she certainly couldn't refuse.
"Please go and reply to the messenger from the Grand Princess's residence. Say that I will definitely attend the young lady's full-month celebration on time," Li Zhiwei said with a smile.
Similarly receiving invitations from the Grand Princess's residence were the An Prince residence, the Yongding Marquis residence, and the Xie family.
Yongning Marquis Residence
A pale-looking Madam Jin looked at the invitation in her hand and said with a smile, "Congratulations to the Grand Princess on the joyful addition of a granddaughter. I will certainly go to toast and share in the young lady's good fortune."
After the servant left, Nanny Hua, standing nearby, looked at Madam Jin, who had grown much thinner, with a pained expression. "Madam, you are suffering so severely from morning sickness now. Why not decline this banquet?"
"The Grand Princess has always been low-key. Her sending out invitations widely today shows she thinks highly of our Yongding Marquis residence. Moreover, this is a happy event; it cannot be refused." Madam Jin looked at the invitation in her hand; she hadn't planned to refuse anyway.
"But, Madam, your morning sickness is so severe now. Never mind attending a full-month banquet, even going out is somewhat difficult for you," Nanny Hua said, looking at Madam Jin.
Madam Jin touched her still-flat stomach and sighed. This baby was a lively one.
When she was pregnant with Jiang Yu, her morning sickness symptoms were very mild, almost nonexistent.
But now, she vomited whatever she ate.
"We'll see how things are when the time comes. If it really isn't possible for me to go, I'll have Yu'er go in my place to present the gift," thought Madam Jin, considering that if she truly couldn't leave the house, she would have her son do the honors.