EBE Chapter 388
Chapter 388
Lately, Xu Heming had been incredibly busy. Not only was he managing the mining of fine iron ore at Wangxian Mountain, but he was also overseeing the forging of a batch of high-quality weapons. He was so swamped that he could hardly catch his breath.On a normal day, if he wasn't staying over at Wangxian Mountain, he was at the nearby armory.
Had it not been for the lingering affairs in Heping County, Xu Heming probably would not even have had the time to return home.
Let alone find the time to nurture his relationship with Li Zhiwei.
Xu Heming was even calculating in his mind that he needed to ask the Emperor to grant them a wedding date as soon as possible.
Otherwise, Li Zhiwei might misunderstand and think he had run off with someone else.
At this thought, Xu Heming let out a heavy sigh. However, the weapon forging was a pressing matter. Even if he wanted to go see Li Zhiwei, he simply could not pull himself away. He could only hurriedly change his clothes and prepare to head out again.
But just as he reached the door, he saw Li Zhiwei, Cheng Qingli, and Wen Xiu.
Xu Heming did not know Wen Xiu, but he was still absolutely delighted to see Li Zhiwei.
Zhiwei, you came? Xu Heming walked up to Li Zhiwei with a joyful expression.
Your Highness, do you not have anything you want to say to me? Li Zhiwei asked, looking at him with red-rimmed eyes.
What is wrong? Did someone bully you? Seeing Li Zhiwei like this, Xu Heming furrowed his brows tightly. He wondered if some blind fool in the capital had dared to pick on his person.
I am fine. Today, I just came to demand an explanation from Prince An, Li Zhiwei turned her face away and said in a muffled voice.
What explanation? Xu Heming was completely baffled. Looking at Li Zhiwei's expression, anyone who didn't know better would think he had betrayed her.
But he truly had been too busy to get away recently; he had not intentionally avoided seeing her.
Zhiwei, I know I have been quite busy lately and haven't had the time to visit you. I apologize to you, Xu Heming said without a second thought, offering his apologies.
Your Highness, I know that when the Emperor granted our marriage, it was not of your own free will. It was just a special circumstance at the time, and I wanted to use you to escape the Ruan Marquis Household, so I didn't refuse either. If you have someone else in your heart, you can tell me plainly. I will gladly go with you to see the Emperor and beg him to dissolve this engagement, Li Zhiwei said, looking at Xu Heming and enunciating every word clearly.
Xu Heming was made even more confused by Li Zhiwei's words.
Could it be that someone had been spouting nonsense in front of her?
Zhiwei, do not listen to others' nonsense. I have absolutely no intention of not marrying you, Xu Heming quickly assured her.
In his heart, he viciously cursed whoever had been gossiping.
Prince An, stop pretending to be innocent. On the sixth of next month, you are going to have your grand wedding! And the person you are marrying is not Sister Li! Cheng Qingli could no longer stand by and watch, so she quickly stepped forward and accused him.
Xu Heming's head was full of questions. How did he not know that he was about to have a grand wedding?
The sixth of next month was less than twenty days away.
Second Miss Cheng, you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot spout whatever nonsense you please. Xu Heming frowned, wondering if this was just another one of Cheng Qingli's malicious pranks on him.
Prince An, even if this marriage was not voluntary on your part, if you do not wish to marry me, you should have at least informed the Li family. I certainly would not have pestered you and refused to let go, Li Zhiwei said, looking at him with teary eyes.
Li Zhiwei did not want to be cast aside for no clear reason. If the engagement was to be broken today, there needed to be a proper explanation, rather than leaving things in a muddled mess.
I am not spouting nonsense, Cheng Qingli rolled her eyes at Xu Heming.
Zhiwei, do not listen to her. Did she not cause you enough trouble last time? How can you believe her words and not believe me? If I am to marry, I will only marry you. How could I possibly marry anyone else? At this moment, Xu Heming felt a massive headache coming on. Since when was he going to marry someone else?
This was simply absurd.
He did not understand why Cheng Qingli was spreading such rumors about him this time.
But he was truly innocent, and he knew very well that if he did not explain this clearly, things between him and Li Zhiwei would be ruined.
Thinking of this, Xu Heming's head throbbed even more.
Prince An, I am not talking nonsense. My sister told me this herself, Cheng Qingli said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Xu Heming with a defensive expression.
Second Miss Cheng, do you dare to enter the palace and confront Her Majesty the Empress face-to-face? Xu Heming felt that this had to be one of Cheng Qingli's pranks.
Only, this time, she had taken the joke a bit too far.
She was trying to ruin his marriage!
How could he tolerate that?
Confront her then! I am not afraid of you. When the time comes, you had better properly compensate our Zhiwei! Cheng Qingli retorted without hesitation.
Li Zhiwei merely gave Xu Heming a blank look, then turned around. Xu Heming said indignantly, Since Her Ladyship wishes to seek the truth, then let us go and disturb Her Majesty the Empress. When we get there, I would very much like to see exactly who is getting married!
He was determined to find out who was trying to tear him and Li Zhiwei apart.
Meanwhile, inside the Imperial Palace of the Qinling Kingdom.
Mother, has Father changed his mind yet? Shangguan Yun asked, looking expectantly at the Empress who had just walked in from outside.
Yun'er, regarding this journey to the Lannuo Kingdom, your father says you may choose someone you like to be your Prince Consort, the Empress said, heart-achingly holding her daughter's hand.
She could not bear the thought of her own daughter having to go to the Lannuo Kingdom for a political marriage.
She had protested to the Emperor, but the Emperor had stated that since Yun'er was a princess of the Qinling Kingdom, she had to bear the responsibility of the kingdom's diplomatic relations.
She wanted to argue back, but she could not find a reasonable counter-argument.
After all, within the royal family, there was certainly no shortage of princesses who had been sent off for political marriages.
But to send her daughter off to marry just for that meager amount of annual tribute made the Empress deeply unwilling, no matter how she thought about it.
Yet, despite her unwillingness, she had no way to make the Emperor change his mind.
She could only hope that once her daughter went to the Lannuo Kingdom, she would find a good man.
Someone who would treat her daughter well for the rest of her life.
Mother, I do not want to go to the Lannuo Kingdom! Shangguan Yun had not expected to receive such a result, and she was entirely unwilling to accept it.
Was she not the most beloved daughter of her father and mother?
Why did she have to go to a poor and backward little country like Lannuo for a political marriage?
Yun'er, since you are a princess of the Qinling Kingdom, this is your fate! the Empress said, her eyes turning red.
Her heart felt incredibly heavy.
She regretted even more that she had not arranged a marriage for her daughter sooner.
Mother, you are lying to me, aren't you? Father surely wouldn't be this cruel to me. Shangguan Yun desperately hoped to hear a different answer from her mother's lips.
That way, she would still be the most noble princess of the Qinling Kingdom.
The most cherished child of her father and mother.
At this moment, the Empress felt deeply sorrowful. She too wished she could say that she was lying, but this was an outcome she was powerless to reverse.
Their Emperor was not like other men; he did not tolerate refusal from anyone.
This time, the Emperor was absolutely determined to send Yun'er to the Lannuo Kingdom.