Zhao Jiaqi quickly cut her off, "Alright, alright. The deceased should be respected. Let bygones be bygones. Li Ben is gone, but he has brothers. If you go too far, they might retaliate!"
"They dare? If they dare to touch me, I'll have Fan Laoer destroy them!" Pinging fearlessly raised her fist and waved it in front of Zhao Jiaqi.
She slapped it away, "Look at you showing off. Before your husband can destroy them, they'll destroy you first. Stop talking nonsense. Let's go."
She stuck out her small, rosy tongue and giggled, "I'm just quick-tongued, not stupid!"
As they spoke, they arrived at the second gate and took the household carriage to the Li mansion.
Upon reaching the entrance, they found the main gate tightly shut. There were no guards outside, let alone white mourning cloths hung anywhere. It hardly looked like a place where someone had died.
Zhao Jiaqi and Pinging exchanged a look, sensing something was amiss.
"Sister-in-law, could it be that the news from Gu Momo was false?"
"No, I think there must be an internal conflict within the Li mansion. They've closed the gates to prevent anyone from getting out to report what's happening!"
"If that's the case, then why was Gu Momo able to get out?" Pinging looked up at her questioningly.
Zhao Jiaqi had no clear answer, needing to see for herself to understand.
"Stop guessing, it's a waste of time!"
She stood before the Li mansion's gate and glanced at the street. Apart from a beggar, there were only a few scattered individuals.
She grabbed Pinging's hand and found a nearby restaurant. She instructed Da Zhuang, who was driving the carriage, "Go inform the Prince and the General, and tell them to bring some elite soldiers. Tell them about the situation at the Li mansion. We'll wait for them here."
Da Zhuang dared not delay and hurried to the military camp with the carriage. Meanwhile, Pinging and Zhao Jiaqi ordered a few dishes and ate while they waited.
It was deep winter, and there were few people outside. Even the restaurant had very few guests. They were the only table.
The dishes arrived quickly. After the waiter left, Qiu Fen and Xiao Jiu served dishes to their mistresses from the side. No one noticed a beggar entering the restaurant.
Trembling, he walked up to them, holding a dented rice bowl, and extended it towards Zhao Jiaqi. Only then did they notice him.
"Madam, have mercy. I haven't eaten in a long time, could you possibly..."
Qiu Fen and Xiao Jiu simultaneously shielded their mistresses, keeping the beggar away from them. However, they didn't push him.
"What are you two doing? Go tell the kitchen to make a few dishes for the old gentleman and prepare some more steamed buns. It must be difficult for him in this cold weather!"
Pinging, perhaps influenced by Zhao Jiaqi's kindness, said to her protective maids.
However, Zhao Jiaqi was staring at the old man. His face was dark, and his clothes were tattered, but even the tattered clothes were padded cotton jackets.
His hands were dirty, but as he held out his bowl and extended his arm to beg, she noticed the skin inside his wrist was fair.
"Old sir, you have a bundle with you. Are you here to find relatives?"
Wang Zhanlin's lips curved into a smile. He flicked aside the dirty hair covering his face, revealing his dark complexion. He suddenly laughed, showing a row of white teeth.
This sudden action startled both Zhao Jiaqi and Pinging.
"How did the Princess Consort know I was here to find relatives? That I wasn't begging?"
The voice sounded very familiar. Pinging and Zhao Jiaqi both put down their chopsticks and stared at him intently, their eyes almost popping out, but they still couldn't recognize him.
"It hasn't been that long since we parted. Do the Princess Consort and the Princess not recognize this old servant?"
This old servant?
Only eunuchs in the imperial palace used such a term.
Pinging almost choked on her own spit, "Wang..."
"Uncle Wang, why are you here?" Zhao Jiaqi interrupted Pinging's words and spoke immediately.
He was a confidant of the Emperor. For him to be here now, in such a disguise, left them both bewildered by Wang Zhanlin's act.
Pinging, showing a moment of intelligence, immediately stopped what she was about to say.
At the dinner table, two beautiful women and a beggar looked out of place. Xiao Jiu and Qiu Fen exchanged glances and quietly withdrew. One guarded the door, and the other booked the entire restaurant to prevent anyone from approaching.
It had to be said, these two maids were quite perceptive.
"Princess Consort, Princess, please allow this old servant to eat. The journey here was truly difficult."
"Eat, order more if you need it!"
Although he ate quickly at the table, he didn't appear unkempt. In no time, Qiu Fen returned with the Prince and the General.
They had also learned of Wang Zhanlin's arrival from Qiu Fen. They strode over, and Fan Zehao clapped Wang Zhanlin on the shoulder, "Uncle Wang!"
With a strong and deep voice, Wang Zhanlin knew it was Fan Zehao without needing to identify him. He stood up, "This old servant pays his respects..."
"No need for formalities. It's not convenient to talk here. I'll send someone to escort you and my wife and the Princess back to the Prince's mansion later. We'll discuss matters after I return."
Wang Zhanlin nodded. He left his bundle behind and, escorted by Fan Xu Dong and a group of elite soldiers, got into the carriage and returned to the mansion with Zhao Jiaqi and the Princess.
Those searching for Wang Zhanlin from afar suddenly saw this scene on the street and quickly hid in an alley. The leader fiercely grabbed and damaged a corner of the wall.
"Should we go..." the subordinate below made a beheading gesture, his eyes pouring out with ruthless intent.
The leader kicked the subordinate, "Use your brain. Kill what? The person in that carriage is the Princess Consort, the apple of Fan Zehao's eye. Do you want to bring thirty thousand troops down on us!"
"Then we just watch them go?"
The leader was also helpless, "Retreat, we'll make plans later!"
This small interlude was unknown to those in the carriage.
At this time, Fan Zehao was observing at the Li mansion. Li Ben's brothers were not only dividing the family property, but Li Ben's legitimate and illegitimate sons were also involved. Such a scene of prosperity was rarely seen in a hundred years.
They say having many brothers is good, but when it comes to a large family fortune, having too many sons can also be a headache.
Meanwhile, the Prince's mansion was peaceful.
Wang Zhanlin came out after washing up and saw that Zhao Jiaqi had another pair of sons. He immediately said that the Prince and Princess were blessed.
"The Prince either has no sons, or he has them in pairs. The Prince must be overjoyed!"
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head slightly, "Giving birth to these two sons was a near-death experience for me. Because of this, my husband has some reservations about these two children and is quite strict with them. Now that they can barely stand, he wants them to practice martial arts. Isn't that just playing around!"
Wang Zhanlin was astonished upon hearing this but found it amusing, "That's because the Prince cherishes you. However, being strict with sons is good. As the saying goes, 'spare the rod and spoil the child.' They won't amount to anything without discipline!"
Well, here comes another twisted piece of logic. She could already foresee how bumpy her sons' future paths would be.
Inside the family, there's their father, outside there are their uncles, and now an elder has arrived. Zhao Jiaqi rubbed her forehead, hoping her sons would be more eloquent, otherwise, they would be the ones to suffer.
It was already dark when Fan Zehao returned, looking a bit weary. Looking at his sons, who were learning to walk, he immediately decided to settle the heir apparent's position.
"Fan Yao is the eldest son, and he should inherit the position of heir apparent. However, his brother Fan Sen was born only a little while after him, and he was stripped of this right. I feel it's unfair. Wife, why don't we let the two children draw lots, and whoever draws it becomes the heir apparent. What do you think?"
It was rare for her husband to approach matters with such reasoning. She felt it deserved praise.
"Take a gold ingot and a whip and place them in front of them. Whoever grabs the gold will do business with me, and whoever grabs the whip will inherit the position of heir apparent. This will be their own choice, and they won't be able to blame anyone!"
Fan Zehao slapped his thigh. This idea was brilliant. He immediately instructed Si Xi, "Go, bring the items, and let them choose."