Chapter 217
Tao Tao sneered repeatedly: "When you chose to make a deal with Duan Gan, did you not think about what would happen next? Now you want to stay out of it? You must be dreaming."
Murong Huai Shi suppressed his anger and asked, "What exactly do you want to do?"
She walked slowly forward, then quickly pulled out the letter he was writing. The envelope next to it was addressed to the Third Prince.
He panicked instantly, and shouted angrily, his voice trembling with fear, "Give it back!"
The movements were so fast that he didn't even have time to react; the speed and agility were as if the person had martial arts skills.
Her almond-shaped eyes curved slightly, and a harmless smile appeared on her soft, white face. She raised the paper in her hand and said in a contemptuous and mocking tone, "I've told you not to be a fence-sitter, why don't you listen?"
I had just told her about the Third Prince's favor with the emperor not long ago, and now she's already planning how to avoid Duan Gan and befriend the Third Prince.
Should we say he's courageous, or that he just wants to die faster than expected?
"From this perspective, we've both done the same thing, so there's no need for either of us to criticize the other."
He suddenly looked a little embarrassed and awkward, and fearing that she would complain, he could only speak softly and ingratiatingly to her, saying, "Little Peach, the Third Prince and I were just having normal conversations, we didn't say anything else."
"How could I dare to betray Lord Duan? Even if I had the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard, I wouldn't dare. Let's just let this matter go. Give me back the letter, and we'll pretend nothing happened, okay?"
"Don't rush, let me see what this says."
Tao Tao unfolded the letter and read it carefully with great interest: "I have long heard that the Third Prince has a fondness for jade and precious jewels, so I have prepared this small gift in hopes of your acceptance, to congratulate the Third Prince on his investiture as a prince..."
As she read the contents of the letter aloud, word by word, Murong Huaishi turned pale and pretended not to hear anything.
"What business is it of yours if someone is made a prince? Prince Murong, do you need to go out of your way to give him gifts?"
Her tone remained casual, her eyes holding a hint of mockery.
"Alright, alright. I was just thinking of leaving the Prince's Mansion an extra option. Please, don't tell Lord Duan. If we lose the Prince's Mansion and Yingzhou, none of us will benefit!"
He earnestly advised her to think twice before acting, and now he was trying to tie her to the Prince's Mansion.
"I came to ask you what your opinion is on the Crown Prince. Do you think he has a chance of inheriting the throne?"
"But judging from this letter, you seem to be more certain about the Third Prince, is that right?"
Murong Huaishi chuckled a few times and said, "How could I possibly see the current situation in the court? I was just trying to have more options and not put all my eggs in one basket, which is a safer approach."
He couldn't figure out what the emperor was planning. He had originally thought that following Duan Gan would help him make a good future. As someone close to the emperor, Duan Gan would naturally know about the emperor's actions.
Now that the Emperor clearly favors the Third Prince the most, Duan Gan is completely ignoring the Third Prince's attempts to curry favor, which makes him feel really strange.
He was afraid that Duan Gan might also misjudge the situation, so he thought he would try to find out what the Third Prince thought in private.
He never expected her to find out. If she were to speak ill of him to Duan Gan, the trust he had finally gained would immediately crumble.
"How about this, you don't talk about my affair with the Third Prince, and I won't talk about your affair with the Crown Prince. How about we call it even?"
Tao Tao sat back in her original seat, resting her chin on her hand, pretending to be thinking, and smiled, "If I wanted to be the Crown Princess, do you think I have that chance?"
Murong Huai Shi's eyes widened as he stared at her in shock: "Are you kidding me? You're just a small-time merchant's daughter, yet your ambitions are far too great!"
"It's already a blessing that Lord Duan has even taken a liking to you. Now you actually dare to harbor treacherous thoughts towards the Crown Prince, and even dream of becoming the Crown Princess. I must say, your ambitions are higher than the sky, but your fate is as fragile as paper..."
Before he could finish speaking, the teacup flew through the air in an arc and came hurtling right at him.
He was terrified and quickly shrank back, like a turtle hiding its head, which was both comical and laughable.
A piercing explosion rang out overhead, and countless tiny fragments flew everywhere in the air. He hid under the armchair, not daring to lift his head.
Tao Tao, whose face was originally cold and whose eyes were full of hostility, burst into laughter upon seeing this scene. She clutched her stomach and laughed so hard that she lay on the table, unable to get up for a long time.
Just then, the wooden door was suddenly pushed open, and Leng Qiao shouted nervously, "Miss!"
She walked in and found Tao Tao sitting on her right, laughing heartily. She glanced to the right but didn't see her.
She frowned, walked up to Tao Tao, and asked worriedly, "Miss, are you alright?"
The girl wiped away the tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm fine. It was just an accident. You can go now."
Leng Qiao nodded, and after finding nothing amiss, she turned and walked out, closing the door behind her.
Hearing the mocking laughter, Murong Huai Shi suddenly stood up, her eyes red with anger, her face flushed, and she pointed at him, shouting, "You...you ill-mannered brat! How dare you be so rude to me!"
"Shh, keep your voice down. If Leng Qiao hears you, you're in big trouble."
"Let's stop blaming each other. I'll give you a heads-up: if I really do marry into the Crown Prince's palace, don't panic. Just do what you need to do and don't worry. Duan Gan will only cause me trouble."
"I'm saying all this to prepare you mentally. I'll pretend I didn't see what happened with the Third Prince. You'd better take care of yourself."
Tao Tao composed herself and spoke calmly.
Murong Huai Shi calmed down and sat back in his chair. "Then I also want to tell you something. I've been in the capital for a while now, and I've achieved my goal. I'm thinking of returning to Yingzhou in a while."
He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, this brat would drive him crazy.
Writing a letter to the Third Prince with some gifts was simply to leave a good impression on him should he inherit the throne in the future, so that I wouldn't hold a grudge against him later.
"Oh, okay, I'll go back too, and see what beautiful scenery Yingzhou is like."
Upon hearing this, his expression changed, he frowned, and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. He thought to himself, "It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away."
"What? You don't want me to go back? Yingzhou is my fiefdom."
"Not at all, Yingzhou is your home too. You can go back whenever you want."
Hearing that her tone was off again, he quickly smiled ingratiatingly.
"If I marry the Crown Prince and he ascends the throne, I will definitely make him bestow further honors upon you. What do you say?"
She gazed at him, observing the expression on his face.
"Excellent, excellent." He immediately beamed, though he didn't believe she had the ability. But if it really was possible, he would certainly be happy to see it happen.
"I'm not kidding you. When the time comes to need you, don't be a coward."
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