Chapter 661

Chapter 22 — The Three Little Ones Miss Niannian

Jiang Yu did not hesitate before quickly chiming in.

“I haven’t seen Qingshi in quite some time either. I’ll go too.”

Xie Yanzhi gave a light cough and said nothing.

Wei Herui was left standing to the side, somewhat dumbfounded. If all of them went while he stayed behind, wouldn’t that be letting himself down?

Besides, Xu Qingshi’s younger sister was truly beautiful. He liked her.

But first, he had to visit Prince An’s residence and sound out Prince An and his wife. If they agreed, he wouldn’t mind marrying Niannian and bringing her home.

However, the thought of having to call Xu Qingshi his brother-in-law in the future still made Wei Herui somewhat unhappy.

By the time they arrived at Prince An’s residence, Xu Heming and Li Zhiwei had already sent people to get the entire estate in order.

Xu Qingshi had just finished tidying himself up when he came out and saw the Third Prince and the others returning alongside Niannian.

“What are you here for?” Xu Qingshi shielded Niannian and Li Mingyue behind him, eyeing the group warily.

He was deeply annoyed. He should never have allowed Niannian to return to the capital alone in the first place.

It had only been a short while, yet she had already attracted these wolves with ulterior motives.

“Qingshi, it’s been so long since we last met. Is that any way to treat us?” Jiang Yu said with a laugh, trying to smooth things over.

“What? Are you saying you don’t welcome us, Qingshi?” The Third Prince looked at Xu Qingshi, his eyes carrying an indistinct meaning. After all, Xu Qingshi had kept his sister hidden from him for so many years.

The Third Prince regretted it even more now. When Xu Qingshi had once said that he would give his sister to him, he had refused.

Otherwise, none of this would have happened today.

Thinking of what Niannian had just heard Wei Herui say, he did not know how to explain it to her for the moment. The situation back then had really been a misunderstanding.

“How could that be, Qingshi? What are you saying?” Li Zhiwei came out with a smile to mediate. “Your friends must have heard that you were back and come to see you. Hurry and take them to your place.”

As she spoke, she discreetly pulled Niannian and Li Mingyue behind her.

“All right. Since you’re already here, let’s go to Qingfeng Court.” Xu Qingshi nodded, thinking that as long as he kept his sister away from them, everything would be fine.

“Mother, you’re finally back.”

Only after everyone had gone ahead did Niannian nestle into Li Zhiwei’s arms and act coquettishly.

“Greetings, Aunt!” Li Mingyue quickly bowed to Li Zhiwei.

“All right, your cousin is right here watching. Aren’t you ashamed?” Li Zhiwei tapped her daughter lightly on the forehead, inwardly lamenting that her daughter was truly different now that she had grown up.

She had seen at a glance that the way the Third Prince and Wei Herui looked at her daughter was unusual.

And then there was the way Xie Yanzhi looked at her niece.

The children had all grown up, while she had grown old.

She had returned to the capital this time for Xu Qingshi’s marriage to the Gu girl as well.

With the two girls pulling her along, Li Zhiwei returned to the main courtyard.

“Now tell me—what’s going on between you and the Third Prince?” Li Zhiwei asked her daughter as soon as she sat down.

The Third Prince was a legitimate imperial son. Even if he did not inherit the throne, he would at least become a prince. In her heart, Li Zhiwei hoped that Niannian would have an easy life in the future. But if she married into the imperial family, she might have to share her husband with other women.

Li Zhiwei did not want her daughter to suffer like that.

“Mother, what could there possibly be between the Third Prince and me? Isn’t he just Big Brother’s friend?” Niannian answered without a second thought.

She had not taken to heart any of the things the Third Prince had said to her.

She did not want to be confined within the walls of the imperial palace.

“You really don’t like the Third Prince?” Li Zhiwei was surprised this time.

After all, the Third Prince’s looks were among the finest in the capital, not to mention his distinguished family background. There were surely countless noble young ladies in the capital who wished to marry him.

“Mother, I only want to stay with you and Father. I don’t want to marry at all!” Niannian pouted unhappily.

“Since you have no interest in him, there’s no need to rush this matter.” Li Zhiwei nodded, then turned to look at Li Mingyue.

“Mingyue, have your parents arranged a marriage for you?”

“Aunt, my parents said there’s no hurry.” Li Mingyue answered with flushed cheeks.

“Is there someone you like?” Li Zhiwei asked. She had not expected that, in the blink of an eye, Li Mingyue had already grown so much.

She could not help sighing at how quickly time passed.

“Aunt, I’m still young,” Mingyue replied softly.

Although she knew that most girls her age in the capital had already been betrothed, the young ladies of their family had always married somewhat later. Her parents also felt that she was still young, and she did not think there was anything wrong with that.

“What do you think of that Xie boy? I noticed just now that he seems to have feelings for you.” Li Zhiwei teased Li Mingyue.

She thought that if Mingyue married Xie Yanzhi, it would be a fine match.

The Xie family had few members, and there would not be so many women vying for attention in the inner residence.

As for Wei Herui and Jiang Yu, Li Zhiwei had not considered either of them.

“Aunt, my parents can decide my marriage.” Li Mingyue had not seen her aunt in a long time, and she had never expected the first thing Li Zhiwei would ask her about to be marriage. She felt embarrassed for a moment.

“Mother, did you return to the capital because of Big Brother and Sister Gu?” Seeing Li Mingyue’s flushed face, Niannian hurriedly changed the subject.

After all, it was better for her big brother to be embarrassed than for her.

“Your big brother should get married too. Have you met Nuonuo?” Li Zhiwei asked, knowing that her daughter must have already met Gu Nuonuo.

“What do you think of your future sister-in-law?” she asked with a smile.

To be honest, she had not seen Gu Nuonuo for several years either. When the girl was young, she had been obedient and adorable, but no one could say for certain what she was like now that she had grown up.

“Hehe, Mother, Sister Gu is beautiful, speaks sweetly, and is gentle too.” Niannian rattled off the answer without hesitation.

“That’s good!” Li Zhiwei nodded, very pleased.

As soon as Xu Heming returned to the capital, he naturally had to enter the palace to report on his duties to Zhu Jingchen.

“Lao ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‍Xu, you’re finally back in the capital. I thought you intended to station yourself in Jiangnan permanently.” Zhu Jingchen patted Xu Heming on the shoulder with a laugh.

“Your Majesty, everything in Jiangnan has already been arranged. It was time for me to return to the capital,” Xu Heming replied.

“When I ordered you back then, what did you say? ‘The people of Jiangnan need me.’ Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought I had banished you to Jiangnan.” Zhu Jingchen still felt irritated whenever he thought about it.

He had carried the blame for that for so long.

Now, he could finally set it down.

More importantly, his own Xiao San'er was waiting to marry someone’s daughter.

Now that Xu Heming had returned to the capital, shouldn’t he and the Empress find time to visit the Xu family and propose the marriage?

He simply did not know whether his son had managed to win the girl over.

After all, getting past his future father-in-law, Xu Heming, would probably not be easy.

Zhu Jingchen looked at Xu Heming, wondering how he should bring up the matter.