bestfiction Chapter 436
Chapter 436
Beside her, Lady Yao couldn't help but sob aloud. Oh, her poor, ill-fated daughter.Seeing her mother cry so heartbrokenly, Li Zhiwei felt deeply saddened, yet she didn't know how to begin comforting her.
"Mother, I am truly fine." Li Zhiwei thought to herself that in her past life, she had indeed never heard of any political marriage. Perhaps there was no such thing as a political marriage at all?
Was all of this just a smokescreen released by the people of Qinling State?
Li Zhiwei still couldn't believe that she would be the one chosen for the political marriage.
Besides, she felt that the Third Prince was probably trying to target Xu Heming, which was why he had sought her out.
If Xu Heming truly couldn't protect her, then she might as well not marry him!
If she really had to trade the rest of her life for the peace and stability of the people of Lannuo State, she actually didn't feel it was a bad deal.
After all, this way, her parents would definitely be able to live well.
However, Lady Yao beside her did not think this way.
After all, Li Zhiwei was her only daughter now.
If she couldn't even see Li Zhiwei anymore, what hope would she have left for the future?
The thought that Li Zhiwei might go to Qinling State for a political marriage reminded Lady Yao of her other child, Li Tingzhou.
Li Tingzhou was her and Li Tianyou's eldest son.
Even though Li Tingzhou was only five years old, he was an obedient, sensible, and exceptionally intelligent child.
Moreover, he loved to learn and was highly proficient in arithmetic.
If Li Tingzhou were still alive, his business acumen would surely have surpassed even Li Tianyou's.
Unfortunately, nineteen years ago, on the day she was about to give birth, Li Tingzhou went out to play with a friend, accidentally fell into the river, and lost his life!
She recalled how, just after giving birth that day, she received the devastating news that her eldest son was gone.
At that time, ignoring the fact that she had just delivered a child, she rushed out to look for him.
She searched for a long time but never saw Li Tingzhou's little figure.
For those few days, she stayed by the river where her son had disappeared, unwilling to leave even for a step.
She was afraid of missing the news of her son being found, afraid that her son would be scared if he didn't see his mother the moment he was rescued.
She waited and waited, waiting for three whole days, only to receive the child's already decaying body.
At that time, she refused to believe that it was her smart and adorable child.
However, he still wore the jade pendant she had personally put on him.
For a whole month, she was immersed in the agony of losing her eldest son.
She completely ignored her newborn daughter.
She even thought about following her eldest son in death.
At that time, it was Li Zhiwei's cries that pulled her back.
She remembered how, before her daughter was born, her eldest son had been so looking forward to having a little sister.
Back then, he would always press his ear against her belly and greet the little sister inside.
But after his sister was born, he could never see her again.
At that time, Lady Yao was sick for three full months before her body recovered somewhat. However, from then on, she never mentioned Li Tingzhou again. Fearing Lady Yao would be heartbroken, Li Tianyou forbade anyone in the manor from ever bringing up Li Tingzhou.
Eventually, Li Tingzhou faded from the memories of the Li family.
Since childhood, Li Zhiwei had never heard that she had an older brother.
Li Tianyou and Lady Yao treated Li Zhiwei as their only, ultimate treasure.
They simply quietly poured all that love onto Li Zhiwei.
Over the years, Li Tianyou had built many bridges, paved roads, and helped the poor, all in order to accumulate blessings for his son, Li Tingzhou.
Yet, they never expected that nineteen years later, their only daughter might be sent to Qinling State for a political marriage.
A political marriage? With their daughter's frail little arms and legs, going for a political marriage would surely be a dead end!
At this thought, Lady Yao's chest felt incredibly tight. She had already lost one child; she never wanted to lose a second one.
Back then, because she rushed out to find the child, she failed to properly observe her postpartum confinement, and as a result, she developed many chronic ailments.
She could never bear another child for Li Tianyou.
She had urged Li Tianyou to take a concubine.
But how could Li Tianyou not blame himself as well?
Back then, he only thought about earning more money and neglected caring for his family, which led to his eldest son losing his life.
Every day since, he lived in guilt and repentance.
But, heavens, he was already making amends. Why did the heavens still refuse to let them off?
Was taking away one of their children not enough?
"Father, Mother, you really don't need to be like this. After all, this matter isn't absolute," Li Zhiwei said, not knowing why her parents were so deeply devastated.
Hadn't the matter not been finalized yet?
Furthermore, her marriage to Prince An was personally bestowed by the Emperor.
If the Emperor didn't want a slap in the face, he wouldn't possibly send her off for a political marriage.
Why did her parents look as if they were facing a mortal enemy?
It wasn't finalized yet, was it?
"Weiwei, you're right. Heaven definitely wouldn't treat us like this," Li Tianyou sighed and said.
He thought the same in his heart; the heavens surely wouldn't treat him so unfairly.
"Weiwei, you go back first. Your mother's emotions are a bit unstable; I'll take her back to rest." Li Tianyou was also afraid that Li Zhiwei would find out about that past incident.
It wasn't that Li Zhiwei couldn't know about it, but the matter was already in the past, and besides, it wasn't Li Zhiwei's fault.
It was enough for the husband and wife to grieve; there was no need to add their daughter's sorrow to it.
Mingyue Residence
"Husband, what do you think we should do? Our daughter won't really be sent off for a political marriage, will she?" Sitting by the bed, Lady Yao couldn't help wiping her tears as she spoke.
"Madam, don't overthink it. This matter isn't absolute. As long as the Emperor hasn't issued a decree, it isn't real." Although Li Tianyou was uncertain in his heart, he was the head of the household and a man; he couldn't lose his composure at a time like this.
After all, his wife and daughter still needed him.
He had already lost a son and did not want to experience the pain of being separated from his flesh and blood again.
Thinking of his deceased eldest son, Li Tianyou's heart ached uncontrollably.
Back then, if he hadn't taken a chance and gone to check on the shops, his son wouldn't have sneaked out to play with others.
His wife, about to give birth, hadn't noticed at all that their son wasn't in the manor. By the time they realized it, it was when someone came to notify them that the child had met with an accident.
At that time, his wife had just given birth, yet to find the child, she stubbornly waited outside for three whole days.
Yet, what she waited for was still devastating news.
Their eldest son was gone.
Since then, his wife's health deteriorated day by day. She wouldn't speak all day, just gazing blankly in the direction of the river where the child had the accident.
His wife even wanted to harm herself and follow their son into death.
It was their daughter's cries that pulled her back. Even so, she was sick for a long time before she barely managed to recover her health a little.
But it was only a little. Since then, she never conceived another child.
Lady Yao said that this was perhaps heaven's punishment for her failing to take good care of her own child.