Li Hua did not choose to confront or argue with Zhong Li.

People in this world like to use their own observations and experiences, from their own perspective, to presumptuously judge whether other people's choices are correct.

Zhongli Zhengzhen is now certain that Li Hua is completely infatuated, and no matter how much Li Hua tries to explain how good Gan Qiongying is, Zhongli Zhengzhen will not believe him.

Moreover, Li Hua had no intention of letting anyone know just how good Gan Qiongying really was.

As for those things from the past... they're all in the past.

Moreover, Li Hua always felt that the current Princess Duanrong and the former Princess Duanrong were not the same person at all.

Regardless of whether it is true or not, Li Hua stubbornly believes that they are not the same person.

He came here in a hurry today, without any people with him or any preparations. He cannot confront Zhongli head-on.

Therefore, Li Hua kept her head down and remained silent for a long time, while Zhong Li Zhengzhen kept talking over and over again, repeating the same few sentences.

He tried to make Li Hua realize the truth with just a few words.

As Li Hua had said, even though he didn't appear to have suddenly realized something, he seemed to have had his beautiful dream shattered, and his expression was quite gloomy.

"Brother, wake up quickly! Princess Duanrong is no good man at all. Someone like her will not have a good ending."

Zhongli Zhengzhen said, "I have found out some things. The Regent and the Empress Dowager may be having an affair. If the two of them are in cahoots, they will definitely not let Duanrong go."

“There are some things I wanted to tell you some time ago,” Zhongli said, looking at Lihua who seemed obstinate. “That Princess Duanrong only cares about power. Before, in order to join forces with Jinchuan to deal with the Empress Dowager, she followed me around all day and even said that she would not marry anyone but me.”

“The reason she was so cruel to you back then was because she hated the emperor for arranging such a marriage for her,” Zhongli Zhengzhen said. “She told me that you would die soon and then she could remarry me.”

Li Hua hadn't reacted at all until she heard Zhong Li Zhengzhen say that. Finally, she looked up at him with just the right amount of disbelief in her eyes.

Zhongli Zhengzhen finally breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this situation.

"If I say anything too outrageous or explicit, I'm too embarrassed to say it again, for fear of offending your ears, brother."

Zhongli Zhengzhen stepped forward, grabbed Lihua's arm, and said, "I will find a way to send you away tonight. It will be easier to make any arrangements while Princess Duanrong is not in the mansion."

“Brother, I didn’t tell Father anything about you. I also took the blame for all your men escaping from Jinchuan. I just said that I sent them to do it.”

"As long as you stop being so stubborn and return to Jinchuan... just focus on doing business and support me. When I finally rule the world, what kind of woman won't you have then, brother?"

Li Hua looked at Zhongli Zhengzhen with a flickering gaze, but quickly raised her hand and grasped Zhongli Zhengzhen's hand, patting it gently and saying, "Thank you for not telling Father Emperor those things."

At least it gives him some time to arrange everything.

Li Hua lowered his eyes. The human skin mask on his face was the best cover for him. No one could see his expression at this moment. Because his eyelashes were drooping, no one could see the deep, dark waves churning in his eyes.

Li Hua said, "Even if I am to leave... I need to go back to the Princess's residence again."

"Why go back to the princess's residence? Leave everything to me, you just need to go!"

Zhongli Zhengzhen had investigated Li Hua's affairs very thoroughly; he even knew that Li Hua had given all her money to Gan Qiongying last month.

That woman was very skilled at deceiving people. Zhongli was able to see through her pretense, but his brother was very naive and knew nothing about business... He was deceived terribly by that woman.

“I have to go back no matter what,” Li Hua said. “I have some…”

“Brother!” Zhongli Zhengzhen looked disapproving. “Do you really want to say goodbye to that woman? She took so much money from you, how could she bear to let you leave her?”

"She has been living a life of extravagance and debauchery all this time, relying entirely on your brother's money. You have really been deceived by her. She has no feelings for you whatsoever; she only wants your money!"

After being interrupted, Li Hua remained silent, lowering his eyes. After blinking a few times, he chuckled softly, with a hint of self-mockery.

They were actually mocking Zhongli Zhengzhen.

Doesn't he know perfectly well who is after his money?

It was only a month since Li Hua had sent money to Zhong Li Zhengzhen, yet he was so anxious that he resorted to slandering a woman. This really made Li Hua feel uncomfortable.

After all, this woman was the one he loved.

“I’m just going to get the account books,” Li Hua said. “I’ve moved all my account books to the princess’s residence.”

Fearing that Zhongli Zhengzhen wouldn't believe him, he went along with her words, saying, "It's the princess who's in control. I have to find a way to get those things back; it concerns all my businesses..."

"Hmph! I told you long ago that woman was only after your money. Now you understand, right? She doesn't just want to control your accounts; she probably wants to take over your entire business."

"In that case, I'll send someone to take my brother back, retrieve the account books, and leave immediately!"

As Zhongli Zhengzhen spoke, he grabbed Li Hua's wrist and started to walk outside.

Li Hua twisted her wrist, freeing Zhong Li Zhengzhen's hand.

“No,” Li Hua said.

"Why?" Zhongli Zhengzhen frowned again upon hearing this.

Li Hua said, "There are over a thousand guards in the princess's residence, and their leader, Chen Wa, is exceptionally skilled in martial arts. If we openly go back to retrieve those account books, we will definitely be discovered. Once a conflict breaks out between the two sides, things will become very troublesome."

Zhongli Zhengzhen scoffed, "What are her thousand soldiers? I've already taken over the city's garrison commander. If they dare to make a move, are we afraid of them?"

Li Hua had lost his patience, and his voice turned cold, even tinged with sarcasm: "Are you trying to snatch me away? Are you afraid others won't know that you, the hostage from Jinchuan, are colluding with the guards of Yindu and plotting something sinister?"

After Li Hua finished speaking, Zhong Li Zheng actually moved his lips, but ultimately did not argue further.

He then asked, "How long will it take you to get all those ledgers out?"

“There are four large boxes in total,” Li Hua said. “After returning to the manor, it will take some effort. Princess Duanrong’s personal maid is still in the manor. She is in charge of all the arrangements in the princess’s manor, so we need to keep it from her.”

"It will probably take two days."

Zhongli frowned as he looked at Lihua, and after a long while said, "Can't we just send someone to kill that head maid?"

"Then the entire princess's residence would be under martial law, and how would I get the account books out then?"

Zhongli Zhengzhen finally snorted coldly: "Princess Duanrong does have some ability. Chen Wa is the son of Chen Shu, who is stationed on the northwestern border. Chen Shu commands 120,000 troops and has been stationed there for many years. Now that place is directly called the Chen Family Army."

"So many people in the capital want to win over Chen Shu's only living son, but none of them can do so. Yet Princess Duanrong has Chen Wan firmly in her grasp. I wonder what kind of underhanded methods she used!"

After Zhongli Zhengzhen finished speaking, he looked at Li Hua. He was also eager to win over Chen Wa, mainly because he was interested in the Chen family army behind Chen Wa.

Chen Shu is already old. If Chen Wa leaves the princess's residence and goes to the northwest frontier, he will need several years to train. The Chen family army will fall into his hands as easily as taking candy from a baby.

Li Hua completely ignored Zhong Li Zhengzhen's words.

Actually, he had heard Sweetie mention that once he got to know Chen Wa and the others, there were some things he didn't need to ask about, and this matter wasn't exactly a secret in the Princess's residence.

Chen Wa had been by Princess Duanrong's side for many years, but there was nothing particularly dramatic about his past acts of kindness; Chen Wa simply kept his word.

Back when he was young and impetuous, his father was the General of the North. Although he did not hold any official rank, he was still very influential among the noble young men in the capital.

At a banquet, he somehow got into a fight with Princess Duanrong, and the two ended up playing a game of pitch-pot.

Princess Duanrong was already quite dissolute and her reputation was not good. That day, she had also been drinking and, with a hint of provocation, said to Chen Wa, "If you can beat me, you can make me bark like a dog."

"If you can't beat me, then come to my princess's palace and become my guard, never to leave my side for the rest of your life."

Chen Wa, under the influence of alcohol, agreed with a flushed face and thick neck.

He lost to Princess Duanrong just like that. Later, the Chen family intervened and mediated the dispute. Princess Duanrong did not pursue the matter and regarded it as a joke after drinking.

However, after Chen Wa came of age, he was assigned a position in the palace. He was originally supposed to be a commander, but he requested to be demoted to a guard in the princess's residence.

However, Li Hua would never tell Zhong Li Zhengzhen such a thing.

He simply shook his head slowly, pretending not to know. Seeing that he couldn't get any information out of him, Zhongli sighed and said, "Go back and get the account books done as soon as possible. I've already prepared people to escort you."

Li Hua nodded in agreement, and as noon approached, he finally left Phoenix Tower and returned to the Princess's residence.