After the eldest sister-in-law of a fishing family became a widow, her disabled younger brother-in-l

Chapter 225 Unmarried

"My name is Xie Zhi..."

Xie Zhi still looked extremely weak. "I'm not from the capital. My family is from Jiangnan. My parents are tea merchants. This time, I came to the capital alone to check which types of tea sell well here for my parents, but I never expected..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Li hurriedly said, "Oh dear, you came to the capital all alone. In that case, you should take good care of yourself in our mansion. As for other things, don't worry about them for now. We can make plans after you have recovered."

Xie Zhi smiled apologetically, "Thank you for your trouble, Madam..."

As a result, Xie Zhi naturally stayed at the Li residence. As Li Shiying's savior, the family treated her to good food and drink. Li Shiying, in particular, felt extremely grateful when she thought of the scene that Xie Zhi stood up without hesitation that day. Every day, fearing that Xie Zhi would be bored lying in bed alone, she would often come to talk to her.

"Speaking of which, Miss Xie, you're from Jiangnan, right?"

Li Shiying suddenly remembered this matter, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do you know about the Jiang family, the richest family in Jiangnan?"

Jiang family?

Xie Zhi's eyelids twitched upon hearing this. She really hadn't expected Li Shiying to bring up this matter so abruptly, and she couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

Could it be that Li Shiying has discovered my true identity?

"Of course I've heard of it."

Xie Zhi tried to keep a calm expression, but her words carried a hint of inquiry, "But why did Miss Li suddenly ask about the Jiang family?"

"Then... then Miss Xie, have you ever seen their daughter, Jiang Yuyue?"

Li Shiying hurriedly asked, but as soon as she said it, she realized her lapse in composure and quickly waved her hand, "Never mind, just pretend I didn't ask."

This reaction made Xie Zhi feel even more strange. How could Jiang Yuyue be related to the daughter of a high-ranking official?

Such a question took root in Xie Zhi's mind, but in the current situation, she could not ask in detail. If she asked too much, and Li Shiying became suspicious, she could go to Jiangnan to inquire about her identity, and then her story as the daughter of a tea merchant would not stand up.

Xie Zhi's injuries were not life-threatening, so after a few days of rest, she was able to get out of bed and walk around. As for Li Shiying, who was now a central figure in the social circle of noble ladies in the capital, after the news spread that she had almost been surrounded by thugs, many daughters of officials immediately came to visit her.

"Oh dear, is this Miss Xie the one who saved Miss Li?"

Suddenly, so many young ladies from wealthy and powerful families came to visit. Xie Zhi deliberately pretended to be a little overwhelmed, but seeing how they were all dressed so beautifully, Xie Zhi lowered her eyes, and where they couldn't see, she felt a little jealous.

"Miss Xie is quite decisive!"

Li Shiying also spoke highly of Xie Zhi, her savior, and said with a smile while holding her hand, "If it weren't for Miss Xie stepping forward, I'm afraid I wouldn't know what to do."

Hearing this, the other young ladies echoed her praise. Seeing how much they fawned over Li Shiying, Xie Zhi thought to herself that she had truly come to the right place.

After exchanging compliments, the young ladies sat down to drink tea and eat snacks. Their usual gatherings, besides admiring flowers and listening to music, consisted of discussing their life's important matters.

These young ladies naturally wouldn't casually discuss marriages that weren't officially announced, but among all the unmarried men in the capital, only Prince Jing, Song Jinglan, was the most sought-after. Furthermore, Li Shiying and Prince Jing had a previous engagement, so they started talking about it again.

"By the way, there has been no news of His Highness Prince Jing for a while, so no one has mentioned your marriage to him, Miss Li."

A young lady surnamed Chen took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "But now that His Highness Prince Jing has returned, shouldn't the marriage be on the agenda? Why didn't Lord Li suggest that Miss Li go and ask His Highness what he thinks?"

Upon hearing this, all the young ladies in the room chuckled softly, except for Li Shiying, whose expression was slightly unnatural, but she quickly covered it up with a smile.

"Miss Chen, what are you saying? Such matters should naturally be addressed by His Highness himself."

Another person laughed and said, "Besides, His Highness Prince Jing is busy dealing with the remnants of Prince Ning's faction. How can he spare the time right now? He should at least wait until things calm down before talking about it!"

Xie Zhi observed the situation quietly from the side, and was somewhat surprised to hear their discussion.

It turns out that Li Shiying is engaged to that Prince Jing.

She hadn't heard about this before, but if it was true, then getting close to Li Shiying was definitely the wisest choice she could make.

It is said that Prince Jing is also eyeing the throne. If Prince Jing really ascends the throne, wouldn't Xie Zhi become the Empress's savior?

If that's the case, with that title, she'll never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of her life.

"Alright, that's still uncertain, everyone, let's not talk about it anymore."

Although Li Shiying was determined to become the Princess Consort of Jing before, she is now uncertain after the incident with Jiang Yuyue.

"That engagement was made many years ago, so it's probably no longer valid. You shouldn't make fun of me about this. If His Highness finds out, it might displease him."

Seeing that Li Shiying, who had always been infatuated with Song Jinglan, had avoided this topic for the first time, everyone was a little surprised. However, they were all perceptive and guessed that something might be wrong based on her appearance. So they naturally skipped the topic and changed the subject.

Xie Zhi had an idea. Seeing Li Shiying's appearance, she knew that her marriage to Prince Jing must not be going smoothly. But since Li Shiying had such a good opportunity, she had to help Li Shiying succeed!

If she could help Li Shiying achieve her wish, wouldn't her own status also rise accordingly?

After the gathering ended, Zhu Ye helped Xie Zhi and Li Shiying back to her courtyard. Li Shiying was thinking about what had just happened, and her brows were full of worry. Xie Zhi then asked a question at the right moment.

"I never imagined that Miss Li would be engaged to His Highness Prince Jing! You two are truly a perfect match, a match made in heaven! But now I see that you and His Highness are not young anymore, so why are you still not married?"

When this matter was mentioned, Li Shiying gave a bitter smile and then sighed self-deprecatingly.