northernbook Chapter 438
Chapter 438
"Miss, on his way to Heping County, His Highness passed through a county town called Lucheng. He happened to run into this person and specifically sent someone on an express horse to bring this portrait back," Qingyue quickly explained."You're saying His Highness went to Heping County?" Hearing this, Li Zhiwei frowned. At a time like this, how could Xu Heming still have the time to go to Heping County?
Thinking of this, Li Zhiwei felt somewhat dissatisfied. After all, their wedding was fast approaching. What urgent matter could he possibly have that required him to go to Heping County right now?
Furthermore, with the Third Prince eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey, was he truly not worried that she might be sent away for a political marriage?
This portrait really looked far too much like her father in his youth.
Just moments ago, she had been wondering if she actually had an unacknowledged sibling, and unexpectedly, this portrait had arrived.
"Did His Highness say anything else?" Li Zhiwei asked, her brows furrowed.
This feeling was simply too surreal.
"This is a letter His Highness wrote for you. Miss, please rest assured, His Highness is already on his way back," Qingyue quickly added, afraid that Li Zhiwei might misunderstand Xu Heming.
"Bring me the letter." The moment Li Zhiwei thought about Xu Heming leaving the capital at such a critical juncture, she could not help but feel a bit uncomfortable. Hadn't he promised to protect her?
Men's words were nothing but deceitful lies.
Qingyue hurriedly handed the letter to Li Zhiwei.
Li Zhiwei quickly tore it open.
"Zhiwei, I am truly sorry. An urgent matter came up temporarily, requiring me to leave town. While passing through Lucheng, I saved a young man from the Jiang family. His resemblance to my future father-in-law is so striking that it made me suspicious. Why don't you ask your father if he has any relatives lost to the outside world? Rest assured, I have already dispatched men to protect the Li family's safety during these days. As soon as I finish my errand, I will return. I absolutely will not miss our wedding!"
Xu Heming's letter consisted of only a few short sentences, merely explaining his suspicions. In truth, what he did not state in the letter was his suspicion that the young man was actually Li Tianyou's son.
However, Xu Heming had never heard of the Li family having any other children. Whether this youth was truly Li Tianyou's child remained to be seen.
Nevertheless, his business in Heping County was incredibly urgent; otherwise, he wouldn't have made the trip personally right before his wedding.
After reading the letter, however, Li Zhiwei could not calm down for a long time. A young man who looked exactly like her father.
"I am going to Lucheng!"
Li Zhiwei stood up. She had to go to Lucheng; she had to see that young man.
"Miss, going to Lucheng at a time like this, isn't it..." Hearing this, Qingyue grew anxious. His Highness had told her to protect the future Princess Consort's safety, but he certainly hadn't said to let her leave the capital now.
Moreover, leaving at this time meant she wouldn't even be able to make it back to the capital by the wedding day.
How could that be allowed?
"I want to see him."
Li Zhiwei looked at the portrait in her hands and spoke with absolute resolve.
No matter what, she had to see that young man.
If he truly was her father's long-lost child, she would gladly let her brother return to inherit the Li family's massive estate.
"Miss, if you truly want to see this young gentleman, why not wait until after the wedding and have His Highness take you there personally?" Qingyue advised cautiously.
"It will be too late," Li Zhiwei shook her head.
If she were really selected for the political marriage.
How would there be time to arrange her parents' future affairs?
"Miss, you really cannot leave the capital at this time." Qingyue continued to shake her head repeatedly. With His Highness out of the capital, it would be far too dangerous for her young lady to leave now.
"Enough, Qingyue. I have already made up my mind about this." Li Zhiwei remained very insistent.
"Miss, shouldn't you first ask the Master and Madam about this?" Qingyue thought for a moment and quickly suggested.
"Miss, what if that person just happens to look like the Master?" Seeing no reaction from Li Zhiwei, Qingyue hurriedly added.
Hearing this, Li Zhiwei stood up and looked in the direction of the Mingyue Residence.
This time, she really wasn't sure if her parents would tell her the truth.
"Miss, what if this person is not your blood relative? If you go to Lucheng and miss your wedding with His Highness, wouldn't you regret it for the rest of your life? Furthermore, the Third Prince of the Qinling Kingdom is eyeing you covetously right now. If you don't marry His Highness, wouldn't that be exactly what the Third Prince wants?" Qingyue quickly reasoned.
In her heart, Qingyue thought that the person might even be a spy sent by the Third Prince, meant to prevent the young lady from successfully marrying her Prince.
Thus fulfilling his own desire to marry her young lady.
Li Zhiwei did not speak, but instead walked out of the Banyue Pavilion.
Before she knew it, Li Zhiwei had wandered outside the Banyue Pavilion.
Seeing her young lady, Chuntao wondered if she was really coming to see the Master and Madam this late at night.
Li Zhiwei stopped Chuntao from speaking further. Instead, she stood outside the window of Li Tianyou and Lady Yao, wanting to say something but not knowing how to begin.
From inside the room, Lady Yao's intermittent sobs could be heard.
Li Zhiwei felt her heart tighten. She cursed herself for making her parents so sad for her sake.
"Husband, tell me, is Zhou'er doing well now?"
Lady Yao's words, interspersed with broken sobs, drifted into Li Zhiwei's ears.
Zhou'er?
Who was that?
It was a name she had never heard her parents mention.
Could it be that she actually had an older or younger brother?
"There, there. Zhou'er is surely doing fine."
Li Tianyou gently patted Lady Yao's back, comforting her.
In his heart, how could he not resent the unfairness of the heavens?
If the heavens truly wanted to punish him for something, why didn't they come at him directly, instead of targeting his children?
Li Zhiwei, unable to hold back, pushed the door open.
"Miss!" Chuntao was caught off guard, and by the time she tried to stop Li Zhiwei, it was already too late.
"Weiwei?" Seeing their daughter suddenly appear, Li Tianyou and Lady Yao were startled and quickly stood up.
Both of them felt a surge of nervousness. Weiwei hadn't heard what they just said, had she?
After all, they had never brought up the matter of Li Tingzhou in front of their daughter.
"Father, Mother," Li Zhiwei said, pursing her lips as she looked at them.
At this moment, Lady Yao's eyes were still red.
She had clearly just been crying.
Upon Li Zhiwei's arrival, she seemed to forget her tears, the nervous expression on her face self-evident.
"Weiwei, it's so late, why have you come over?" Li Tianyou forced an awkward smile and asked his daughter.
Seeing the expression on his daughter's face, for some reason, Li Tianyou felt as though she knew something.
But it wasn't that he didn't want to tell his daughter about this matter; it was just that they truly didn't know where to begin.
In the early years, he dared not let anyone in the manor mention that child.
He hadn't wanted to break his wife's heart.
Later on, since no one brought it up, he only dared to think about it in his heart.
After all, his son was gone, but the living still had to live.
If it weren't for the fact that their daughter was now facing the prospect of a political marriage, Lady Yao surely wouldn't have been willing to tear open her old wounds and bring up the son who had long passed away.