Chapter 320
Chapter 320
"My lord, there is also Tang Xiuyuan," Xu Heming added.
"Shouldn't Tang Xiuyuan be guarding the national treasury properly? If even a single extra mouse sneaks in, he will be punished!" Zhu Jingchen felt a bit of disdain at the thought of Tang Xiuyuan. His ability to earn silver was not even as good as Li Tianyou's. Now, his greatest use was simply keeping a close eye on the treasury.
"Who doesn't know how to talk big? Do you really think Lord Fang is that free?" Old Madam Zhou said with a look of contempt.
Prince Lanhuai's Mansion
"Your Highness, our people have discovered that Prince An's Heir only took a single servant with him, and we do not know where he is heading."
Someone eagerly delivered this news to Prince Lanhuai.
"Oh? Are you certain he is alone with just one servant?" Prince Lanhuai's eyes filled with excitement. How many of his good plans had Xu Heming ruined?
"Your Highness, this humble servant is absolutely certain. Should we capture Prince An's Heir and later use him to threaten Prince An into serving us?" The messenger, named Zhou Zuo, asked Prince Lanhuai with an excited expression, seeking his opinion.
He only needed a single command from Prince Lanhuai to go and abduct the man. When the time came, His Highness would surely praise him for a job well done.
At this thought, Zhou Zuo looked at Prince Lanhuai even more attentively.
"Your Highness, the Secondary Consort of Lanhuai requests an audience," Eunuch Wu said carefully from the side.
Hearing that Huo Yunzhi had come again, Prince Lanhuai felt a headache coming on.
"What is it for this time?" Prince Lanhuai asked, rubbing his temples.
"This old servant heard that the Secondary Consort of Lanhuai did something today that caused the Prince Lanhuai's Mansion to be blacklisted by the Sapphire Pavilion. The Princess is currently throwing a massive tantrum over it," Eunuch Wu whispered.
"What did she do?" Prince Lanhuai frowned upon hearing this. Although he never visited the Sapphire Pavilion, being blacklisted meant losing his own face.
"It is said that the Secondary Consort of Lanhuai got into an argument with some young lady," Eunuch Wu said awkwardly.
"Useless thing," Prince Lanhuai said, extremely infuriated.
"Has Huo Yunxuan sent back anything useful recently?" Prince Lanhuai thought of Huo Yunxuan, who had claimed that a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and whose only condition was that Huo Yunzhi be taken in as a secondary consort.
However, thinking about how he had brought that woman Huo Yunzhi into the mansion, only for Fuan and her to be constantly at each other's throats, the mansion had been in a state of chaos all day long.
What Prince Lanhuai did not know was that Princess Fuan had already truthfully blurted out the fact that he had never actually considered Huo Yunzhi as a secondary consort.
Today, Huo Yunzhi wanted to demand an explanation from Prince Lanhuai.
The things her brother originally intended to give to Prince Lanhuai had actually all been given to her.
Huo Yunzhi was not stupid. Naturally, she had no expectations of Prince Lanhuai, an old man old enough to be her father.
While she didn't expect to receive any favor from Prince Lanhuai, seeing Li Zhiwei naturally made her want revenge. Why was Li Zhiwei able to marry such a heroic and dashing man like Prince An, while she was left with no choice but an old man?
Huo Yunzhi was unwilling to accept this. Today, she was determined to solidify her status as a secondary consort.
"He has not, Your Highness. Do you think the items Young Master Huo intended to give you might have already been given to the Secondary Consort of Lanhuai?" Eunuch Wu whispered.
At this thought, Prince Lanhuai rubbed his forehead, his headache worsening.
It seemed he had no choice but to see Huo Yunzhi.
"Your Highness, what about Prince An's Heir..." Zhou Zuo looked anxiously at Prince Lanhuai, still waiting for his orders.
"Find a way to abduct him. I want to make Prince An take a good look and see how he intends to continue opposing me." After saying this, Prince Lanhuai waved his hand at Zhou Zuo.
"Yes, Your Highness. This subordinate will get to it immediately!" Hearing this, Zhou Zuo happily withdrew.
"Your Highness, what about the Secondary Consort of Lanhuai..." Eunuch Wu carefully asked again.
"Let her in!" Prince Lanhuai actually wanted to know what business Huo Yunzhi could possibly have with him.
Huo Yunzhi walked in with her head held high.
Looking at the seated Prince Lanhuai, she felt a strong sense of disgust. If the Huo family were still in their prime, she wouldn't even spare a glance at such an old man, let alone allow him near her.
"This concubine greets Your Highness," Huo Yunzhi bowed with a submissive expression.
"Secondary Consort of Lanhuai, what brings you to see me?" Prince Lanhuai did not look kindly at Huo Yunzhi; his eyes were full of warning.
Since childhood, Huo Yunzhi had never been good at reading people's expressions. At this moment, she naturally failed to notice Prince Lanhuai's displeasure.
Instead, she was immersed in her own thoughts of how to make this old thing officially establish her title as soon as possible.
"Your Highness, today the Princess said that since I do not have an official decree, I am not truly your secondary consort. Is that true?" Huo Yunzhi tearfully questioned Prince Lanhuai.
Prince Lanhuai was taken aback. He hadn't expected Princess Fuan to actually blurt this matter out.
"Don't listen to her nonsense," Prince Lanhuai did not answer directly, only telling Huo Yunzhi not to believe it so easily.
At this moment, he was trying to think of an excuse to gloss over the issue.
"Your Highness, then may I see my official decree?" Huo Yunzhi would not be satisfied until she saw her proof of identity.
She had already given herself to this old thing; how could she willingly let the title she desired slip through her fingers?
"I don't have it on me right now. If you want to see it, I will have someone bring it to you later." Prince Lanhuai thought to himself that Huo Yunzhi had probably never seen such a document before. He would just have someone make a fake one to fool her.
"Your Highness, could it be that what the Princess said is true?" Huo Yunzhi looked at Prince Lanhuai and spoke again, feeling unwilling to give up.
"You didn't come here today just to talk to me about this, did you?" Prince Lanhuai deliberately asked, not wanting to dwell on the topic.
"Your Highness, I want the Qin Pavilion. Help me acquire that property," Huo Yunzhi said bluntly.
"The Qin Pavilion? Go and find out whose territory that is, figure out a way to buy it, and deliver it to the secondary consort later," Prince Lanhuai instructed Eunuch Wu, who was standing beside him.
"Yes!" Eunuch Wu quickly complied.
"Alright, you may leave now. I still have official business to handle. Once the Qin Pavilion is acquired, I will have Eunuch Wu deliver the deed to you," Prince Lanhuai said, waving his hand.
He thought to himself that he needed to quickly have someone forge a fake official decree.
Otherwise, the next time Huo Yunzhi came to make a fuss about seeing it, he would at least have something to show her, preventing her from causing further trouble for him.
"Then this concubine will wait." Having received the answer she wanted, Huo Yunzhi did not pester him any further.
As she was leaving, she paused for a moment and handed a land deed to Prince Lanhuai.
"Your Highness, my brother asked me to pass this on to you," Huo Yunzhi said, feigning ignorance.
Huo Yunxuan had actually given her quite a few things to hand over to Prince Lanhuai.
However, before her own interests were secured, how could she willingly hand these things over?
Moreover, the interpersonal relationships within Prince Lanhuai's Mansion were complicated. She had to secure her own interests so that she wouldn't be easily ousted.