Chapter 317
Chapter 317
"What child?" Zhou Changfeng looked at his mother in confusion.
A bad premonition rose in his heart.
If that child wasn't Xu Qingshi, yet his mother had mistaken him for Xu Qingshi...
What would Prince An think of their Zhou family?
"Go and take a look," Old Madam Zhou urged, feeling somewhat guilty.
If that child truly had some extraordinary background, could she have brought trouble to the Zhou family?
At this thought, Old Madam Zhou grew even more uneasy.
Zhou Changfeng had his doubts, but rather than questioning Old Madam Zhou, it would be better to go to Prince An and see for himself.
With this in mind, Zhou Changfeng ignored everything else and went straight to find Xu Heming.
The Imperial Palace
At this moment, Zhu Jingchen was in the imperial study, reviewing memorials.
"Your Majesty, Xiao Fuzi, who serves by the Third Prince's side, requests an audience," Eunuch Liu said as he bowed and entered.
"Oh? Does Xiao Sanzi actually have business with me?" Zhu Jingchen raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps His Highness the Third Prince has some urgent matter and needs to see you," Eunuch Liu said with a smile.
"Let him in. I would like to see just what matter this Xiao Sanzi could possibly have with me," Zhu Jingchen said curiously.
"Yes!" Eunuch Liu quickly went out and said to Xiao Fuzi, who was waiting outside, "His Majesty allows you in. Make sure you speak properly later."
Eunuch Liu warned the little eunuch.
"Your servant, Xiao Fuzi, greets Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!" Xiao Fuzi never expected that he would actually have the chance to see the Emperor one day.
Thinking of this, Xiao Fuzi was both excited and somewhat afraid.
"Mm. I heard that the Third Prince told you to come speak with me?" Zhu Jingchen asked casually.
"To reply to Your Majesty, the Old Madam of the Zhou family said that His Highness the Third Prince burned down their courtyard, and she wants you to bring silver to ransom him," Xiao Fuzi repeated Zhu Hanyu's instructions word for word.
"What?" Zhu Jingchen, who was reviewing memorials, wondered if he had heard wrong.
His third son wanted him to bring silver to ransom him back?
The question was, when did he become so capable as to go and burn down the Zhou family's courtyard?
Furthermore, the Zhou family? Which Zhou family?
Zhu Jingchen frowned, unable to recall for a moment which Zhou family would be worth his son setting their courtyard on fire.
"Your Majesty, His Highness is still waiting for you to ransom him." Saying this, Xiao Fuzi was so frightened that he lay flat on the ground, not daring to say anything more. But he was also afraid that if the Emperor didn't go, his master might really be detained at the Zhou estate.
"Which Zhou family?" Since Zhu Jingchen couldn't remember which Zhou family it was, it was better to just ask directly.
"It is the Zhou family of the Minister of War, Lord Zhou Zhonghe," Xiao Fuzi quickly said.
"Zhou Zhonghe?" Zhu Jingchen thought for a moment, then immediately remembered. Wasn't this the maiden family of Xu Heming's former princess consort?
"Did Xiao Sanzi and that boy Qingshi go burn it together?" Zhu Jingchen asked curiously.
"Replying to Your Majesty, no. The heir of Prince An is missing, and it seems he disappeared within the Zhou estate. The burned courtyard was the one where the heir of Prince An previously resided," Xiao Fuzi said hurriedly.
"Are you saying Qingshi met with a mishap at the Zhou estate?" Zhu Jingchen frowned. He quite liked that child Xu Qingshi. At the thought that this adorable child might have been burned to death in the Zhou estate, Zhu Jingchen radiated a chilling aura.
He dared not imagine how devastated Xu Heming would be if this were true.
"It should... it should be so. His Highness Prince An is also there. Perhaps the heir of Prince An went somewhere else. However, Old Madam Zhou thought the Third Prince was the heir of Prince An and subjected him to a torrent of scolding," Xiao Fuzi thought for a moment and added.
"What a Zhou family! I would like to see what right the Zhou family has to demand silver from me!" Hearing this, Zhu Jingchen stood up in anger.
He was going to see just where the Zhou family got the audacity to scold his son.
"Your Majesty!" Seeing the Emperor's furious state, Eunuch Liu anxiously followed after him, secretly cursing the Zhou family in his heart for being so wretched.
The Li Estate
After Li Zhiwei got up, Qinghua and Qingyue quickly told her that a guest had arrived at the estate.
Thinking again of the rumors outside regarding the heir, they were temporarily unsure if they should tell their young lady.
"A guest? I didn't make any appointments today." Li Zhiwei frowned. How could she have the mood to see guests right now?
She had gone through far too much yesterday, and for the moment, she didn't know how to handle it all.
Ultimately, she decided to put the matter aside for now and deal with it later.
But she hadn't expected a guest to show up so early in the morning.
Li Zhiwei freshened up and left her courtyard, only to see Cheng Qingli, dressed in women's clothing, sitting properly in the main courtyard.
Her mother, Lady Yao, was smiling and saying something to her.
Seeing Cheng Qingli, Li Zhiwei immediately remembered how this person had tricked her into going to that Qingfeng Pavilion yesterday.
"Qinghua, see the guest out!" Li Zhiwei turned around, intending to leave. She did not want to see Cheng Qingli.
"Sister Li," Cheng Qingli happened to catch sight of Li Zhiwei's departing figure and hurriedly called out in anxiety.
Li Zhiwei initially didn't want to pay any attention to Cheng Qingli, but because her mother was present, she didn't want to make her mother worry. If her mother found out she had gone to Qingfeng Pavilion, she would probably be extremely distressed.
Thus, Li Zhiwei intended to keep this matter a secret from her.
However, she also hadn't expected Cheng Qingli to have the nerve to come to her house today.
"My humble home is too small to accommodate a great Buddha like you. Please leave!" No matter how much patience Li Zhiwei had, she still directly issued an order for Cheng Qingli to leave.
"You child, Miss Cheng has been waiting here to see you since early morning," Lady Yao looked at her daughter and said reproachfully.
Although she didn't know why her daughter had such a poor attitude toward Cheng Qingli, she felt that anyone who came through the door was a guest.
If word of such behavior spread, it would ultimately not be good for her daughter's reputation.
"It's alright, Auntie. I did something I shouldn't have and made Sister Li angry," Cheng Qingli said with a somewhat awkward smile.
She didn't have the face to admit that she had taken her to a male brothel.
"Since Miss Cheng knows that, then please leave quickly," Li Zhiwei urged with a dark face.
Hearing this, Lady Yao frowned and looked at her daughter. She knew her daughter well; her daughter had always had a gentle temper and rarely showed such outward emotion. It seemed this Miss Cheng had truly done something to anger her daughter.
Having figured this out, Lady Yao directed a smile at Cheng Qingli that didn't reach her eyes and said, "Miss Cheng, I am truly sorry. Weiwei might be in a bad mood today. How about you come back another day?"
"Sister Li, I know you blame me. I was wrong in this matter, and I apologize to you!" After Cheng Qingli finished speaking, she bowed deeply to Li Zhiwei.
"This is a small token of my sincerity; I hope Sister Li will accept it!" Cheng Qingli then took a box from the maid beside her and offered it to Li Zhiwei.
Li Zhiwei did not take the box. Instead, she gave Cheng Qingli a glance and went straight back to her room.
Seeing this, Cheng Qingli simply placed the box on the table and left the Li estate with her maid.
Zhu Jingchen, having changed into plain clothes, appeared at the entrance of the Zhou estate. Looking at the Zhou family's residence, Zhu Jingchen's brow was tightly furrowed.