"How am I being an embarrassment? I originally had a wife. If it weren't for you, would I be in this state?" As Xu Qingshi spoke, his eyes reddened.

Xu Heming was taken aback. What did he mean by 'originally had a wife'?

Li Zhiwei watched the father and son bicker. She didn't join in, but silently pondered her own plans for the future.

The dowry her mother had given her was exceedingly generous.

But one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket.

She must pave a way out for herself.

Otherwise, even with that silver, there would come a day when it was all spent.

The carriage slowly made its way towards the Li residence. Inside, the father and son ignored each other, neither willing to speak to the other.

"Are you unhappy?" Xu Heming had been watching Li Zhiwei. Seeing her silent, he cautiously asked.

Thinking of what the Ninth Princess Consort had said to her today, Xu Heming frowned. He thought to himself that he would later go and plant some seeds of discord with the Emperor.

A waste like the Ninth Prince...

The best way to deal with him was to cut off his silver supply. Moreover, over the years, the Ninth Prince had been leeching off the imperial coffers; the Emperor had long grown impatient with him.

As for the Ninth Princess Consort, once the Ninth Prince fell, what trouble could she possibly stir up?

"No." Li Zhiwei was lost in thought for a moment before realizing he was asking her.

However, she truly wasn't unhappy; she was just thinking about things.

"You don't need to take that woman's words from today to heart. She can't do anything to you either," Xu Heming comforted her.

"Hmm." Li Zhiwei was also momentarily surprised before understanding he was referring to the Ninth Princess Consort.

However, she didn't take that person seriously either. She was just jealous of her, hence trying to find ways to one-up her.

After all, a 'noble' lady who buys outdated jewelry sets—Li Zhiwei truly didn't hold her in high regard.

In fact, because of this, Li Zhiwei had even thought of several ways to earn silver.

"Your Highness, if... if I were to do some small business in the capital, would it have any impact on you?" Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming. After all, she was nominally still his fiancée.

Of course, even if he said it would have an impact, she would still pursue this livelihood.

"No impact. What do you want to do?" Xu Heming shook his head without hesitation. Nowadays, even the Emperor was thinking of ways for Li Tianyou to engage in business to generate revenue for the national treasury.

If Li Zhiwei liked it, he would certainly support her too.

"Some businesses catering to women." Li Zhiwei didn't hide it from Xu Heming, nor did she elaborate.

After all, what she planned to do, Xu Heming would surely find out about later.

"If you want to do business, I have a suggestion." Xu Heming looked at Li Zhiwei, uncertain if she would think him meddlesome if he voiced his thoughts.

"Oh?" Li Zhiwei, upon hearing this, became somewhat curious.

"The relationships in the capital are intricate and complex. As the saying goes, if a brick falls in the capital, it might hit a family member of a second-rank official. There's some truth to that. If you want to succeed at something here in the capital, you need a powerful backer." Xu Heming analyzed carefully for Li Zhiwei.

"Your Highness speaks sense." Li Zhiwei nodded, though inwardly she was also troubled. Did that backer refer to him?

But he was usually extremely busy; how would he have the mind to manage a shop with her?

"Does Your Highness mean you also wish to join in?" Li Zhiwei asked curiously.

"Affairs of women are not suitable for me to participate in. However, there is one person you could ask." Xu Heming said, looking at Li Zhiwei.

"Your Highness is referring to...?" Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming, puzzled. Why was this person speaking in half-sentences?

He should clearly say who that person is.

"Sit closer, and I'll tell you." Xu Heming said to Li Zhiwei with a serious expression.

Li Zhiwei didn't think much of it and sat down, maintaining a distance of about one person between her and Xu Heming.

"Are you afraid I'll eat you?" Xu Heming was clearly dissatisfied with this distance.

After all, he was her fiancé, yet she kept her distance from him.

At that moment, the carriage gave a violent jolt!

Li Zhiwei's body instinctively pitched forward, looking as if she was about to fall.

Xu Heming's hand instinctively reached out, steadily supporting Li Zhiwei's arm.

The previous distance instantly vanished to zero. Li Zhiwei could clearly feel the sense of security transmitted through layers of fabric from a pair of warm, large hands. For a moment, both of them were stunned.

Xu Heming was the first to let go, yet he felt a twinge of disappointment; that touch had been too brief for him.

"What are you two doing?" Xu Qingshi glared at the two with ambiguous expressions, his face full of displeasure.

"Father, I'm the one who fell! Why are you holding onto the pretty sister?" Xu Qingshi, who had tumbled onto the carriage floor, glared at Xu Heming unhappily.

"You're a boy, tough-skinned. You won't break from a fall." Xu Heming said with a straight face.

Hearing this, Li Zhiwei couldn't help but cover the slight smile at the corner of her mouth with her handkerchief.

"Would you dare say that in front of Grandmother?" Xu Qingshi looked at Xu Heming with dissatisfaction and asked.

"You're just a child, don't go running to your grandmother to tattle at every turn." Xu Heming had a bit of a headache. It seemed he couldn't be hands-off with this child's education either.

After all, this little fellow was also quite a handful.

He had far too many mischievous ideas. Even Xu Heming himself might get tricked if he wasn't careful, let alone his mother.

"Pretty sister, in the future, will you help me or him?" Xu Qingshi didn't even glance at Xu Heming, instead turning to ask Li Zhiwei beside him.

Hearing this, Li Zhiwei was taken aback.

"Whoever is in the right, I'll help them?" Li Zhiwei thought for a moment and then voiced her opinion.

"If my father does something wrong, can you use the family discipline on him?" Xu Qingshi pictured Xu Heming whipping him with a cane, and a part of him rather looked forward to the day when the pretty sister might take a cane to his disobedient father.

Li Zhiwei was stumped by the question. That... she probably wouldn't dare!

She was no match for Xu Heming.

Li Zhiwei looked at Xu Heming with a pleading expression—your son's question, you answer it yourself.

"Do you think I'm as foolish as you?" Xu Heming was utterly exasperated. This son of his, all his cleverness seemed devoted to figuring out how to torment him.

"Your Highness, you still haven't said who you want me to find?" Li Zhiwei was still thinking about finding a prominent person to collaborate with.

Now seemed like a good time to change the subject and steer away from this awkward question.

"There is one person who is most suitable to undertake this business venture with you. And this person, I dare say, no one in the capital would dare to give her trouble." Xu Heming stated with great certainty.

"Who is that person?" Li Zhiwei asked, full of curiosity.

"Cheng Qingli!" Xu Heming slowly uttered a name.

Li Zhiwei, however, frowned. She hadn't heard this name before.

She hadn't seen this person among the noble ladies of the capital either.

Just who was this Cheng Qingli?