Chapter 587
Chapter 587
“What?” Xu Qingshi had been sitting at the table, frowning as he practiced his calligraphy. The moment he heard this, he hurriedly set down his brush.
How could something have happened?
Xu Qingshi began pacing anxiously.
“Moyu, where did you hear this?” Xu Qingshi asked, deeply worried. After all, his father was so powerful—how could anything possibly happen to him?
“Someone just delivered a letter to the manor,” Moyu said, taking out the letter.
Xu Qingshi looked at it, puzzled.
If something had really happened to his father, why would he send a letter to a child?
Although Xu Qingshi was worried, he still felt that something about this matter did not make sense.
“What does it say?” Xu Qingshi asked, turning the thin letter over in his fingers.
Moyu was equally confused.
“Your Highness, this subordinate doesn’t know.” Moyu could only recognize a few characters.
“Then how do you know something happened to my father and mother?” Xu Qingshi asked, bewildered.
“The person who delivered the letter said so.” Moyu scratched his head as he recalled what the man had said while handing him the letter.
For a moment, he was confused as well.
“Then how did he know you were from the manor? Or that you were my man?”
Xu Qingshi continued questioning him.
“Your Highness, it’s this subordinate’s fault.” Moyu also realized that there was something suspicious about the man’s actions.
“Hmph. It must be Wei Herui trying to make a fool of me.” Xu Qingshi tightened his grip on the letter. He could not think of anyone else who would play such a prank on him.
“Your Highness, what if it’s true?” Moyu, however, felt that Young Master Wei might not do something so childish.
“Hmph. Father and Mother went out to have fun without taking me.” A thought suddenly flashed through Xu Qingshi’s mind.
His father and mother had not taken him with them, but he could take advantage of this opportunity to go there himself.
“Why don’t we secretly go to Lucheng and find Father and Mother?” The moment Xu Qingshi thought of this, he turned to run outside.
“Your Highness, where are you going?” Moyu hurriedly blocked his path.
Since Prince An had not taken the heir with him, there had to be a reason. If Moyu allowed Xu Qingshi to sneak off to Lucheng, who knew how Prince An would punish him afterward?
“Of course I’m going to Lucheng! Something has happened to Father and Mother. I’m the young master of Prince An’s Residence now, so naturally I have to go.” Xu Qingshi came up with an excuse for himself.
“Oh, Your Highness, you absolutely cannot go! What if this is a trap?” Moyu said anxiously.
“If I don’t go, won’t Wei Herui think I didn’t fall for it?” Xu Qingshi said unhappily.
“But Your Highness, have you forgotten what happened the last time someone tried to abduct you?” Moyu reminded him anxiously.
After all, Prince An and the princess consort were not in the capital. If anything happened to the heir, Moyu would have no idea how to answer for it.
“How about this, Your Highness? Go to the palace and ask His Highness the Third Prince?” Moyu thought the Third Prince would certainly have a way to talk Xu Qingshi out of this.
“Your Highness, Young Master Xie is here.”
Just then, Xie Yanzhi came rushing in, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Your Highness.” Xie Yanzhi entered with an animated expression.
“Why are you here?” Xu Qingshi asked, displeased to see Xie Yanzhi rush in.
He was already irritated, yet Xie Yanzhi was wearing such a happy expression. Wasn’t that just rubbing salt in the wound?
“What’s wrong?” Xie Yanzhi immediately noticed that Xu Qingshi seemed unhappy.
He thought carefully. He had not said anything to upset Xu Qingshi, had he?
“Xie Yanzhi, did Wei Herui send you here to laugh at me?” Xu Qingshi demanded, glaring at him unhappily.
“Laugh at you about what?” Xie Yanzhi asked, completely confused.
He truly had no idea what had happened to Xu Qingshi.
“Hmph. Wei Herui had someone deliver me a letter saying that something happened to my father and mother.” Xu Qingshi folded his arms across his chest, his face full of displeasure toward Wei Herui.
“This… That can’t be right, can it?” Xie Yanzhi thought to himself.
Although Wei Herui and Xu Qingshi were always at odds, Wei Herui should not have the nerve to send a letter to Prince An’s Residence cursing Prince An and Princess Consort An with misfortune.
“You think I’m lying?” Xu Qingshi grew even angrier. Xie Yanzhi was actually taking Wei Herui’s side.
“Moyu, let Young Master Xie see the letter!” Xu Qingshi ordered.
“Oh!” Moyu quickly handed the letter to Xie Yanzhi.
Xie Yanzhi was somewhat puzzled, but he opened the letter anyway. He could recognize a few characters.
“Your Highness, are you sure this letter was sent by Wei Herui?” Xie Yanzhi asked, looking at its contents. He did not think Wei Herui could have written such a message.
Xie Yanzhi was also secretly worried. What if the contents of the letter were true?
But as a child, there was nothing he could do to decide the matter, especially since Prince An and his wife truly were not in the capital.
“Young Master Xie, the letter was delivered by a servant. I’ve never seen the man before,” Moyu quickly explained.
“Your Highness, let’s go find my father.” Xie Yanzhi gritted his teeth and finally decided to seek his father’s help.
“Find your father?” Xu Qingshi asked, confused.
“Yes. Let’s find my father. Even if something really has happened to Uncle Prince An, what good would it do for you to go there? You wouldn’t be able to save him, would you?” Xie Yanzhi considered it before voicing his thoughts.
Xu Qingshi thought about it and felt that Xie Yanzhi had a point.
Xu Heming was far away in Lucheng.
What use would a child like him be if he went there?
“All right, then let’s hurry and find your father.” Once Xu Qingshi had figured it out, he was eager to seek out Xie Jincheng.
After reading the letter, Xie Jincheng looked at Xu Qingshi with a strange expression.
“Your Highness, have you read the contents of this letter?” Xie Jincheng asked.
“I haven’t. Doesn’t it say that something happened to my father and mother?” Xu Qingshi frowned. He would never admit that he still could not read.
But could the letter have said something else as well?
“It does say that something happened to Prince An.” Xie Jincheng looked troubled. After all, the letter contained more than that.
It also instructed Xu Qingshi to send the belongings of Prince An’s Residence to a certain location.
The implication was even that Prince An intended to rebel.
Xie Yanzhi also looked at his father in confusion. He glanced over the contents of the letter, but he was still only a child and did not understand the significance of everything written there.
“When your father left the capital, did he say anything to you?” Xie Jincheng was also uncertain what to do. The contents of the letter were simply too shocking.
How could Prince An possibly be planning a rebellion?
But if Prince An really was plotting rebellion, then this letter…
For a moment, Xie Jincheng could not make up his mind either.
“No. Father didn’t tell me anything at all when he left.” Xu Qingshi grew indignant at the thought.
His father had gone out to have fun without taking him along. Just thinking about it made him angry.