Hearing his usually extremely cautious uncle suddenly say such things, Prince Yu looked up in surprise and gazed in Zhao Qingshu's direction:
"Announcing this to the world? Uncle... what do you mean by this?"
Zhao Qingshu stroked the makeup box in front of him with great pleasure. After confirming that there was nothing wrong with the makeup box, he spoke with a confident tone that everything was under control: "This move is naturally intended to put pressure on the likes of Prince Su and Prince Xiu, so that they will resort to extortion to obtain birthday gifts."
"When people are eager to do something, they will inevitably resort to some despicable means. But I have many channels. As long as they do something bad, I will seize the clues and ruin their reputation. For a prince, being rich and tyrannical is not a good thing."
He paused mid-sentence, then looked in He Yunze's direction: "And in all the world, is there any birthday gift more unique than this makeup box?"
He Yunze silently pondered Zhao Qingshu's meaning, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts. It seemed that there was some secret behind Zhao Qingshu that he didn't know about.
When he heard him ask again, He Yunze answered decisively, "No, absolutely not. I am willing to swear on my life that there is no more suitable birthday gift in the whole world."
He Yunze felt a slight sense of exhilaration.
From this day forward, not only will His Majesty and the Empress Dowager be overjoyed, but Prince Yu will also turn the tide, gain a firm foothold, and become the well-deserved candidate for Crown Prince, being both incorruptible and filial.
He also completely integrated into Prince Yu's team, becoming Prince Yu's most trusted confidant, and was destined for great success in the future.
No one dares to bully or humiliate him anymore!
After listening to their conversation, Prince Yu remained silent for a moment before nodding and saying, "Alright, we'll do as Uncle says."
When he looked at He Yunce, his eyes already held a hint of trust: "After the birthday banquet, I will reward you handsomely, but if you fail to accomplish the task, my reputation will be ruined. You know my temper."
Upon receiving Prince Yu's promise, He Yunze was overjoyed, his muscles twitching with excitement. He clasped his hands in a fist and bowed to Prince Yu, saying, "Your Highness, rest assured, now that I have entrusted the birthday gifts to you for safekeeping, there will be no further complications. The matter will only succeed, not fail."
As the group left Prince Yu's residence, the sky began to darken.
Song Juncai's sedan chair hurriedly passed by Prince Yu's residence, just as he brushed past Zhao Qingshu and his group.
Song Juncai was furious and filled with doubts, so much so that he completely forgot his plan to avoid Old Madam Song that morning and stormed back to the Song family mansion.
Just now, his servant came to report that he had already asked at the Zhao residence, and that the nanny who served Zhao Qianlan had never been to the Zhao residence.
As for the several thousand taels of silver, judging from their expressions, they knew absolutely nothing about it.
Upon hearing this, Song Juncai's heart leaped into his throat.
He knew the Song family's true situation; all their money had long been borrowed by He Yunce's brothel.
Where did a woman who had no savings, who didn't rely on her family or children, suddenly get several thousand taels of silver?
Moreover, the old woman looked so guilty.
Song Juncai's mind raced with thoughts, and as soon as he saw the sedan chair land, he angrily went to find Zhao Qianlan.
Just then, it was mealtime, and Zhao Qianlan had just left the courtyard to personally wash vegetables and prepare the meal for Old Madam Song.
These days, she, who never used to lift a finger, has been washing her hands and making soup every day to serve Madam Song, and has even gotten several cuts on her hands.
But before she could even enter the small kitchen, she saw Song Juncai walking angrily toward her.
He reached out and grabbed Zhao Qianlan's hand, pulling her forcefully into the small kitchen.
Before the servants could enter, he slammed the wooden door of the small kitchen shut.
The small kitchen was dimly lit, and Zhao Qianlan was still in shock when she was staggered and dragged into it.
But when she hurriedly raised her head, she saw Song Juncai's angry face, and her heart skipped a beat.
"Zhao Qianlan, how could you do such a thing? Do you want to ruin my reputation?"
Song Juncai's booming question made Zhao Qianlan's blood stop. Her heart, which had been stagnant, began to pound wildly like a drum, and her whole body trembled.
Did he find out?
Does he know everything about her and her cousin?
Feeling Song Juncai's gaze grow increasingly sharp, Zhao Qianlan's mind went blank with panic. She was unable to think, as if she had turned into mush.
Zhao Qianlan knelt on the spot, completely disoriented, and grabbed Song Juncai's ankle while crying.
"My husband, please forgive me...please forgive me...I didn't want to, I didn't want to..."
Seeing her like this, Song Juncai grew increasingly displeased. He took a step back and angrily shouted, "You don't want to? How can I forgive you for what you've done?"
Zhao Qianlan choked up, feeling as if she were witnessing her own death.
She had an affair with her cousin and cheated on her husband. No man could accept such a thing. Now, in the Song family's old mansion, the old lady Song, who enjoys tormenting her so much, has caught her red-handed. She'll probably send her straight to be drowned in a pig cage!
Zhao Qianlan thought about it, but just kept shaking her head, letting the tears slide down her cheeks:
"But I was forced... I was forced... Husband, please believe me..."
“I never intended to do these things… I’ve been tormented day and night, I’ve felt miserable every moment…”
Upon hearing this, Song Juncai suddenly froze, his anger instantly extinguished. He frowned slightly, a hint of suspicion on his face.
"Day and night? What are you talking about?"
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