pjbooks Chapter 463
Chapter 463
Shangguan Mu looked at Wen Zhaonan’s expression at that moment and felt that he was up to no good.“I will stay here today and go nowhere,” Shangguan Mu said without a second thought, refusing outright.
“Is the Third Prince afraid?” Wen Zhaonan stared at Shangguan Mu, his eyes icy cold.
Cheng Qingli wanted to marry him? She would have to ask if he was willing.
Besides, the emperor had ordered him to take Shangguan Mu to the royal hunting grounds. He could not afford to mess up this task.
“Who’s afraid?” Shangguan Mu refused to admit that he was worried Wen Zhaonan might scheme against him.
“Since the Third Prince isn’t afraid, why wouldn’t you be willing to experience the hunting of our Lan Nuo Kingdom?” Wen Zhaonan looked at Shangguan Mu with an expression that screamed, “I knew you were scared.”
His eyes were full of an “I know everything” look.
“I’ve heard that hunting in your Lan Nuo Kingdom is done in groups. What fun would it be with just two men?” Shangguan Mu thought it over—if he could bring Li Zhiwei along, he wouldn’t mind.
By then, Li Zhiwei would be his, and the Prince An would surely no longer want her.
Whether Li Zhiwei was willing or not, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
The Li family would then be within his grasp.
With this thought, Shangguan Mu looked at Wen Zhaonan with some smugness.
“If the general can bring along that lady who was crying and begging to marry me just now, as well as the young Lady Li, then I wouldn’t mind going to experience the hunting pleasures of your Lan Nuo Kingdom.”
Having said this, Shangguan Mu smiled smugly.
Wen Zhaonan felt a surge of anger rushing to his head.
Did Shangguan Mu really think the people of Lan Nuo Kingdom were afraid of him?
How dare he make such an unreasonable demand?
“Since this is the Third Prince’s request, this general naturally ought to satisfy it. We’ll set off immediately, and the beauties you desire will be delivered to you shortly—how about that?” Wen Zhaonan said with a smile.
“Excellent, excellent!” Shangguan Mu, seeing that Wen Zhaonan had agreed even to this demand, felt suspicious inwardly but was also filled with anticipation.
When Li Zhiwei returned to the Li residence, Lady Yao was already anxiously waiting at the gate.
“Wei’er,” she called out, startled at her daughter’s crestfallen appearance.
What had the Empress said to her?
“Mother,” Li Zhiwei responded, snapped back to reality by Lady Yao’s voice.
She wanted to pour out her troubles to her mother, but she was afraid of frightening her. In the end, she could only force a smile.
“Has something happened?” Lady Yao looked at her daughter; her demeanor hinted that nothing was fine.
Lady Yao wanted to ask more, but restrained herself as they were outside the estate. She brought her daughter to the Ban Yue Pavilion and then asked cautiously, “Did the Empress say something to you?”
Lady Yao gazed at her daughter, her heart uneasy.
“Mother, I’m fine.”
Li Zhiwei didn’t know how to tell her mother that she would have to marry into the Qinling Kingdom.
For now, the imperial decree had not yet been issued, so there was still a chance for change.
At the very least, she should secure the best possible benefits for her parents.
Otherwise, how could she go to the Qinling Kingdom for marriage with peace of mind?
On his return journey to the capital, Xu Heming received several urgent letters from the emperor, all urging him to return quickly.
Frowning at the letters, Xu Heming said coldly, “Return to the capital as fast as possible.”
“Your Highness, has something happened in the capital?” Rusong asked with concern.
“The letters didn’t say.” Xu Heming put the letters away, no longer having the mood to rest.
Thinking of the predatory Shangguan Mu, Xu Heming’s heart grew heavy.
And yet, Zhu Jingchen had sent him on a mission while simultaneously urging him back.
Li Zhiwei told neither Li Tianyou nor anyone else what the Empress had said to her. She just shut herself in her courtyard, ignoring everyone.
Wen Xiu came several times, but Li Zhiwei refused to see her each time.
Looking at Li Zhiwei’s tightly shut door, Wen Xiu grew worried.
In all the time she had known her, Li Zhiwei had always been gentle and polite. To behave so recklessly was a first.
Helpless, Wen Xiu had no choice but to leave. But no sooner had she stepped out of the Li residence than she caught sight of Zhang Yanchu standing urgently outside the Zhang residence’s gate.
Zhang Yanchu seemed rather strange today.
Wen Xiu, afraid that Zhang Yanchu would harass her again, hurried back to her own residence.
Zhang Yanchu naturally saw Wen Xiu as well.
Thinking of that insane woman, he instinctively wanted to step forward and ask something, but his lips remained sealed tight.
After all, Xia Wenshuang was a lunatic. It had taken him great effort to coax her into letting him go home for a visit.
If she found out he was talking to another woman, he would surely get a beating once he returned.
Thoughts of this made Zhang Yanchu’s eyes burn with hatred.
He didn’t understand—it was clearly Wen Xiu who had asked him to meet at the Qingyu Pavilion. So why had he ended up making an irreversible mistake with that madwoman?
It was all Wen Xiu’s fault!
With that thought, Zhang Yanchu charged recklessly to the Wen residence and started pounding on the door.
“Wen Xiu, you slut! Come out!”
Zhang Yanchu pounded for a long time, but the Wen residence’s servants, under Wen Xiu’s orders, ignored his ranting outside.
“Miss, is this alright?” a servant asked Wen Xiu worryingly.
“Don’t mind him.” Wen Xiu was terrified inside, but she felt relieved thinking of the guards her brother had left in the mansion.
Still, she didn’t understand why Xia Wenshuang had let Zhang Yanchu return. Shouldn’t she have locked him up tight?
“Miss, don’t worry. The general has arranged for your protection,” the servant said, reassuring her.
“Mm, I’m going back inside.” Wen Xiu glanced at the direction of the frantic door-knocking and headed straight to her own courtyard.
That madman could at most shout outside the gate.
Seeing Wen Xiu disappear into the courtyard, the servant finally opened the Wen residence’s door.
“What are you doing? What are you doing?” the servant asked irritably, looking at Zhang Yanchu, who had just raised his hand to knock again.
“Who are you?” the servant demanded displeasantly.
“Wen Xiu! Tell her to come out and see me!” Zhang Yanchu said with red eyes.
At that moment, there was a wolf-like rage in his heart. That bitch Wen Xiu had schemed against him, and he would not let her off.
“Who do you think you are? Our young Miss is not someone you can just demand to see!” the servant said testily.
“Hmph! If she doesn’t come out, I don’t mind publicly proclaiming how she wronged me!” Zhang Yanchu fumed.
“Our young Miss doesn’t even know you—how could she have wronged you?” the servant scoffed, assuming Zhang Yanchu was mad.
“Wen Xiu, it was you who asked me to meet at the Qingyu Pavilion! So how did I end up with Xia Wenshuang?” Just the thought of Xia Wenshuang infuriated Zhang Yanchu.
If it weren’t for Wen Xiu, how would he have fallen into Xia Wenshuang’s trap?
Doomed to compete with a houseful of other men for her favor?
This kind of life was one Zhang Yanchu loathed beyond measure.
But he couldn’t defy Xia Wenshuang.
At this moment, at the Xie residence, several children were huddled together, discussing something.