Chapter 536
Chapter 536
"Then it all depends on what your elder brother has to say." Wen Xiu didn't answer Li Zhiwei's question, instead tossing the matter back to Jiang Yuanrang.
"What about you?" Wen Zhaonan looked at Jiang Yuanrang with a somewhat aggrieved expression.
If Jiang Yuanrang dared to say he didn't want to marry his sister, he wouldn't let him live to see tomorrow.
Jiang Yuanrang was indeed hesitating.
He was about to return to Lucheng soon.
"Hmm?" Wen Zhaonan's face darkened, the pressure he radiated making Jiang Yuanrang beside him feel a bit unsettled.
"I'll marry her!" Jiang Yuanrang thought it over—since the girl didn't mind being with him, why should he keep dragging his feet?
"That's more like it!" Wen Zhaonan also breathed a sigh of relief. He had truly been afraid this kid wouldn't play along.
If that happened, he'd lose face.
"Could I wait until I return from Lucheng to handle the wedding arrangements?" Jiang Yuanrang looked back at Wen Xiu and asked cautiously.
"Elder brother, that won't do. If you go back to Lucheng with no set return date, you can't just leave Sister Wen here without any status or title, waiting for you, right?" Li Zhiwei was the first to speak up in objection.
"You're not just paying lip service and then running off, are you?" Wen Zhaonan looked at the brat who was about to become his brother-in-law with visible displeasure.
"I don't mean that. It's just that there are some matters in the Jiang family that I need to handle." Jiang Yuanrang felt anxious inside, because he still wanted to reclaim what was rightfully his in the Jiang family before coming to present betrothal gifts to Wen Xiu.
He also knew that if he were willing, the Li family would surely arrange everything needed for a grand wedding on his behalf.
But he didn't have a strong sense of belonging to the Li family. Those things belonged to the Li family, not prepared by his own hands—he felt it wouldn't show enough sincerity.
However, he couldn't voice these thoughts, or else it would hurt his sister's feelings and the goodwill of the Li family.
"What matter could be more important than my sister?" Wen Zhaonan said dismissively.
"I can go ask the Empress to issue an imperial decree for your marriage. If you want to return to Lucheng, we'll accompany you." Cheng Qingli walked in from outside, speaking as she approached.
"A Li, why are you here?" Wen Zhaonan's expression softened when he saw Cheng Qingli. He quickly stood up and walked over to her side.
"You brute. If I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known you were resorting to forcing someone into marriage!" Cheng Qingli rolled her eyes at Wen Zhaonan.
She thought to herself, this man really is a blockhead. How had she ever been so head-over-heels for him before?
Marriage should be a matter of mutual consent.
If they kept pressuring Jiang Yuanrang like this, and later he took out his resentment on Wen Xiu, wouldn't all their efforts backfire?
"I'm just worried that bastard Shangguan Mu might come looking for Wen Xiu again. That's why I was in a hurry," Wen Zhaonan said quietly to Cheng Qingli.
Thinking of what Cheng Qingli had just suggested, Wen Zhaonan felt she had thought this through far better than he had.
The Empress was Cheng Qingli's elder sister. As long as Cheng Qingli went to see the Empress, it was certain she would approve of the matter.
"Sister Li, what do you think of my idea?" Cheng Qingli had barely sat down before she turned to Li Zhiwei with a playful expression.
Her earlier air of noble grace was completely gone.
"Cheng Er, you only manage to keep it up for a few seconds," Xu Heming said with the corners of his mouth twitching.
He thought to himself, this Cheng Er better not corrupt his own young wife.
"What do you know? You smelly men have no idea what we women want!" Cheng Qingli rolled her eyes at Xu Heming.
"General Wen, keep your woman in check. Don't let her lead our Weiwei astray," Xu Heming said to Wen Zhaonan with a look of dissatisfaction.
"I think A Li's idea is great," Wen Zhaonan said smugly.
"That idea is indeed excellent. Then we'll trouble Sister Cheng to go petition the Empress for the marriage decree," Li Zhiwei said with a smile toward Cheng Qingli.
"No problem at all. Leave it to me." Cheng Qingli patted her chest. This kind of small matter was hardly difficult, right?
Jiang Yuanrang was momentarily stunned. Could this matter even have the Empress issue a decree?
"Sister Li, do you plan to go to Lucheng?" Cheng Qingli asked Li Zhiwei, looking puzzled.
"I want to see the place where my elder brother grew up." Li Zhiwei nodded.
"Then will you take me along too?" Cheng Qingli blinked as she looked between Li Zhiwei and Wen Xiu. If both of them were going, how could she be left alone in the capital?
"No!" Wen Zhaonan refused without a second thought.
If Xu Heming didn't go to Lucheng, then Wen Zhaonan would certainly have to stay in the capital, and he didn't want to wait a long time before seeing Cheng Qingli again.
However, Wen Zhaonan also knew that if Xu Heming was going to Lucheng, it must be for some official business, just using the trip to Lucheng as a cover.
"The feet are on me, miss. Don't you think you're overstepping your bounds?" Cheng Qingli glared at Wen Zhaonan and muttered in dissatisfaction.
Inside the imperial palace
"Your Majesty, since the Third Prince bullied Fuan, he must take responsibility for her!" Prince Lanhuai weeped and wailed before Zhu Jingchen.
"How exactly did he bully Fuan?" Zhu Jingchen frowned at Prince Lanhuai. He hadn't even figured out how to deal with this old fox, and now the man was coming to him with a request.
Princess Fuan actually wanted to marry Shangguan Mu?
Zhu Jingchen didn't even need to think—this was clearly some trick the old fox was up to.
Otherwise, what decent family would willingly marry their daughter to a foreign prince as part of a political alliance?
"Your Majesty, the Third Prince took liberties with Fuan." Prince Lanhuai made up an excuse on the spot.
Though he had no idea whether the Third Prince had actually done anything to his daughter.
He figured that since the Third Prince was injured and Fuan had gone to take care of him, with a man and woman alone together, something might well have happened by now.
"This matter; I'll ask the Third Prince about it before making a decision." Zhu Jingchen waved his hand, signaling Prince Lanhuai to leave.
He had neither agreed nor refused.
"Your Majesty!" Prince Lanhuai looked at Zhu Jingchen with dissatisfaction. This was not the answer he wanted.
"Prince Lanhuai, please." Steward Liu, having received a subtle signal from Zhu Jingchen, quickly smiled and gestured for Prince Lanhuai to leave.
Prince Lanhuai had no choice but to depart.
"Jin Yan!"
The moment Prince Lanhuai left, Zhu Jingchen frowned and called out.
"Your Majesty, I am here!" Jin Yan hurried to the imperial study and knelt down.
"What have you found out?" Zhu Jingchen asked with a frown.
"Your Majesty, my men have discovered that Prince Lanhuai has been raising private troops, colluding with officials, and plotting rebellion." Jin Yan quickly reported.
"Truly my good uncle, isn't he?" Zhu Jingchen's lips curled into a mocking smile.
He had underestimated this minor Prince Lanhuai, thinking he was no threat.
But it turned out the man had not only raised private soldiers but also conspired with court officials, all with his eyes on the dragon throne beneath Zhu Jingchen.
"I await Your Majesty's orders. Shall we arrest Prince Lanhuai?" Jin Yan knelt below, asking respectfully.
"No hurry. Let him have his fun for a few more days." Zhu Jingchen tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table, his mind already calculating the next move.