Chapter 546
Chapter 546
“This servant was wrong!” Qiuyue felt wronged, but she knew Nanny Lin was only reminding her not to cause trouble for her young lady.
“Nanny, it’s fine.” Wen Xiu shook her head. As for how the Jiang family was, she had no fear.
If Jiang Yuanrang couldn’t even see through this, then he wasn’t a man worth marrying again.
“Young lady, this servant spoke out of turn, but walls have ears. We must be careful.” The nanny feared Wen Xiu might be upset, so she quickly added, after all, Qiuyue was Wen Xiu’s personal maid, and there was a bond of mistress and servant between them.
“I understand what you mean, Nanny, but the Jiang family is merely a merchant household. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Wen Xiu said.
“Young lady, Qiuyue’s words may have been blunt, but this old servant truly feels that Madam Jiang has ulterior motives.” Nanny Lin sighed and looked at Wen Xiu as she spoke. After all, any clear-eyed person could see that Madame Jiang did not like their young lady.
“I know Madam Jiang must be wanting to have Cousin Tingzhou marry that young lady from the maternal side.” Wen Xiu nodded.
But Jiang Yuanrang’s attitude gave her great peace of mind.
Jiang Yuanrang wouldn’t look twice at that cousin.
And if Wen Xiu lacked even that bit of confidence, how could she live with Jiang Yuanrang in the future?
“If you ask this servant, that cousin isn’t even worthy of a single strand of our young lady’s hair. Young lady, you need not worry. That cousin won’t be stealing our master away.” Qiu Shui, however, said boldly from the side.
“What nonsense are you two spouting?” Nanny Lin said, glancing toward the door as she spoke, afraid someone might overhear.
“Young lady, in this old servant’s view, it’s not impossible for Madam Jiang to have Young Master Li marry that cousin.” Thinking of that possibility, she let out another sigh.
After all, if Jiang Yuanrang refused Madame Jiang’s request, outsiders could call him unfilial.
“She wants to have that cousin become a concubine to our master?” Qiu Shui’s eyes went wide as she looked at Nanny Lin in disbelief.
“What I fear is that she will have Young Master Li marry that cousin under the identity of the Jiang family’s son.” Nanny Lin sighed and said.
“Marry her under the identity of the Jiang family’s son?” Wen Xiu frowned, looking at Nanny Lin in confusion.
“The Empress Dowager bestowed a marriage upon Young Master Li, and there was indeed a legitimate eldest son of the Jiang family. Back then, Madam Jiang saved Young Master Li by accident and had him live in the Jiang household under the original eldest son’s name, Jiang Yuanrang. What if Madam Jiang has Young Master Li, acting as the Jiang family’s eldest son, marry that cousin?” Nanny Lin continued.
“She wants Young Master Li to serve both branches of the family?” Qiu Shui widened her eyes at this.
“There are plenty of such cases among the common folk.” Nanny Lin said flatly.
Wen Xiu hesitated at that moment. If Madame Jiang truly made such a request to Jiang Yuanrang, could he refuse?
If Jiang Yuanrang really married that cousin, would she still be willing to marry him?
In the future, when she and Jiang Yuanrang lived in the capital, if that cousin came looking for him, how would Jiang Yuanrang balance the relationship between the two of them?
Thinking of this, Wen Xiu clutched at her sleeves, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
At this moment, she desperately hoped Li Zhiwei would come to Lucheng soon. At least the two of them could discuss things together.
Meanwhile, Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Qingshi, who was carrying bags and bundles of all sizes, and was puzzled.
“Qingshi, where are you going?” Li Zhiwei was shocked. What was this child doing, acting like he was moving house?
“Mother, we need to go now, while Father isn’t home. I’m taking you to elope!” Xu Qingshi said with a serious look at Li Zhiwei.
“Elope?” Li Zhiwei was baffled. She had no idea why Xu Qingshi had come up with such an absurd idea again.
“Mother, my father is not a good man!” Xu Qingshi’s eyes reddened as he looked at Li Zhiwei, his gaze full of distress for her.
“He… what… what happened?” Li Zhiwei swallowed hard, not understanding how Xu Qingshi could have formed such a notion.
“Mother, has Father been bullying you all along?” Xu Qingshi stared at Li Zhiwei, his eyes growing even redder.
“No, not at all!” Li Zhiwei replied without thinking.
Xu Heming was always considerate to her — except at night, when he was a bit wild.
She didn’t understand why Xu Qingshi would think Xu Heming had been bullying her.
“Mother, don’t lie to me. I heard everything.” Qingshi felt that Li Zhiwei must be afraid of his father’s tyranny and dared not speak up.
“Heard what?” Li Zhiwei hadn’t caught on and looked at Xu Qingshi with confusion. She didn’t understand what Xu Heming had done to make her son misunderstand him so badly.
“Father bullies you every night. I even saw him sitting on top of you, hitting you. I heard you begging for mercy, but Father wouldn’t stop. Mother, Father is a demon. I’m taking you away right now!” Xu Qingshi said indignantly.
Li Zhiwei, who had been confused just a moment ago, instantly flushed bright red.
She didn’t know when Xu Qingshi had come to listen outside their room.
Why hadn’t anyone noticed?
This was so embarrassing.
“Qingshi, you misheard.” Li Zhiwei didn’t know how to explain to Xu Qingshi that this was the intimacy between husband and wife.
“Mother, don’t worry. I’ve already spoken with the Third Prince. After we leave, Father won’t cause any trouble for Grandfather and the others.” Qingshi thought Li Zhiwei was worried that Xu Heming would take it out on Li Tianyou’s family, so he quickly reassured her.
“Qingshi, you’ll understand when you’re older.” Zhiwei was also a little annoyed.
Every time Xu Heming heard her say no, he would keep pestering her.
And now, a child had overheard them. If word of this got out, what face would she have left?
“Mother, you don’t need to cover for Father. I know everything. Look, you even have a bruise here!” Xu Qingshi pointed at the red mark on Li Zhiwei’s neck, speaking with absolute certainty.
“What’s going on here?” The Old Princess, having been notified, hurried over and saw the pair — one big, one small — standing by the carriage, talking about who knows what.
“Mother!” Li Zhiwei quickly curtsied to the Old Princess, feeling both embarrassed and helpless inside. All of this was Xu Heming’s fault.
“Where are you two going?” The Old Princess asked, puzzled.
“Grandmother, I’m taking Mother to elope!” Xu Qingshi said, looking at the Old Princess.
He thought that since his grandmother had always doted on him the most, she would surely help him this time too.
“Nonsense!” The Old Princess tapped her cane lightly on the ground, wondering what mischief Xu Qingshi was up to now.
Thinking of Xu Qingshi’s birth mother, the Old Princess’s heart felt heavy.
So these past days, she had tried to avoid seeing Xu Qingshi, to keep from stirring up old resentments.
But a servant had just reported that Xu Qingshi and Li Zhiwei were packing up all manner of bags and bundles, unclear where they were headed, so she had hurried over to ask what was going on.
Who would have thought she’d hear Xu Qingshi utter such audacious words?
It was lucky that Xu Qingshi was still a child — if word got out that a stepson had taken his stepmother away to elope, it would surely disgrace the Prince An estate!
“Mother, Qingshi has misunderstood.” Li Zhiwei was at a loss, not knowing how to explain the matter to the Old Princess.