"Princess Huyang, please don't go too far."
The old lady of Daihou Mansion came to the courtyard on crutches, the flesh on her face was trembling, which showed how angry she was.
"So it's the old lady who's here. I'm sorry for not welcoming you."
Princess Huyang looked at the old lady of Dai Hou Mansion with a smile.
"Old Madam, you've arrived just in time. You should give me an explanation about my marriage to Wu Lang."
"Ridiculous! You and Wulang have never been engaged, so how can there be any talk of marriage? Princess Huyang, if you insist on making such unreasonable demands, I will file a complaint against you before the Emperor, even at the risk of my life."
When she got excited, the old lady of Daihou Mansion trembled all over and spit flew everywhere.
Princess Huyang acted like a dead pig that wasn't afraid of boiling water. "Go ahead and sue me. Your Han Wulang slept with me for nothing, so you want to distance yourself from me now? I'm telling you, forget it."
"His Majesty has already ordered that this matter not be mentioned. Princess, why are you still pestering me? Even if you want to marry my Wulang, His Majesty will not agree."
Lady Dai Hou suppressed her anger and spoke as calmly as possible.
Princess Huyang looked Dai Hou's wife up and down. "You are Wu Lang's mother, so I have to call you mother-in-law. Mother-in-law, please..."
"Stop talking nonsense." Lady Dai Hou's face turned red with anger.
Princess Huyang laughed heartily. "I finally understand why the Daihou Mansion, with its generations of military patrons, could raise a young man like Wulang, with his rosy lips, white teeth, and beautiful appearance. It's because of you that we have the Wulang we know today. I have to thank you. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to enjoy Wulang."
The old lady of Daihou Mansion was so angry that her face turned pale. She picked up her crutch and wanted to hit Princess Huyang.
"I will teach you a lesson today even if it means risking my imperial edict."
There were servants standing in front of Princess Huyang to prevent her from getting hurt in any way.
The old lady of the Daihou Mansion shouted angrily: "Get out of the way, I must teach her a lesson today. Even if she is a princess, you can't humiliate her like this."
"Old Madam, don't be so angry. I haven't finished what I want to say yet."
Princess Huyang smiled. She grabbed Han Wulang and brought him in front of everyone.
Han Wulang didn't dare to resist at all.
Princess Huyang pointed at Han Wulang and said, "If you want me to completely sever my ties with Wulang, that's fine. Thirty thousand taels. From now on, Wulang and I will go our separate ways. How do you say that?"
"Thirty thousand taels? Princess, please don't ask for so much." The wife of the Marquis Dai turned pale.
Princess Huyang raised her eyebrows and smiled like a female gangster. "It's okay if you don't give me money. I will take Wulang away today. When I get tired of him, I will send him back."
"You, you are going too far." The old lady of Dai Hou Mansion pointed at Princess Huyang and cursed.
Princess Huyang didn't care. "You gave my father a hundred thousand taels of silver, cut off my hopes, and yet you won't allow me to ask for even a little compensation? You want to send me away without paying a penny? Are you dreaming?"
"Because we gave His Majesty a gift of 100,000 taels, the mansion has no money left. Please forgive me, Princess." The wife of the Marquis of Dai was still calm.
Princess Huyang sneered, "I don't care whether you have money or not. I only care about my own interests. Anyone who dares to bully or insult me will be made to pay back a hundredfold."
"Today I ask for thirty thousand taels. If you don't give it to me, then next time I come here it won't be thirty thousand taels, it will be at least fifty thousand taels. Think it over for yourselves."
The old lady of the Daihou Mansion said angrily, "I will go to the palace to file a complaint. I don't believe that the palace will not do anything about your robbery."
Princess Huyang chuckled, "Go ahead and tell me. I'll be sitting here waiting for you."
Hu Yang acted in a nonchalant manner, which for a moment intimidated the female members of the Dai Hou Mansion.
The Marquis's wife quietly asked the servants, "Is the Marquis back?"
"The Marquis is in the military camp. It will take at least three or four hours to go back and forth."
The Daihou wife gritted her teeth and stamped her feet, then asked, "Where is the prince?"
"The prince is out of town on official business today and won't be back until dark."
Mrs. Dai Hou was anxious.
Seeing that the old lady was about to go to the palace to complain, she hurriedly stopped her, "Old lady, complaining about this kind of thing may not be helpful. His Majesty may not necessarily stand on our side. After all, Huyang is His Majesty's own daughter."
The old lady of the Daihou Mansion was extremely angry. "Is this dignified Marquisate really going to be blackmailed by this shrew?"
The Daihou wife thought for a moment and stepped forward, "Princess, we really don't have that much money. Can you give us a few days' grace?"
Princess Huyang waved her hand. "Last time, I gave Wulang a few days' grace, but as a result, our engagement was broken, and I lost a large sum of money. Even the Princess's Mansion was taken back. This time, no matter what, I will not give you any more grace. Either give me thirty thousand taels today, or I will take Han Wulang away."
The wife of the Marquis of Dai frowned and cursed Princess Huyang in her heart as a good-for-nothing.
She asked, "The government really can't afford so much money, please give me a little less."
"How much can you give?" asked Princess Huyang.
When Lady Dai Hou heard this, she thought it was worth discussing.
She hurriedly said, "There's still 10,000 taels left in the mansion."
"Ten thousand taels is too little, at least twenty thousand taels."
"this……"
The wife of Dai Hou was still hesitating, but the old lady had already made the decision, "Take my private money and go quickly."
After sending the servants away, the old lady said to Princess Huyang, "After you take the silver, get out of here right now."
Princess Huyang laughed heartily, "Old Madam, be careful with your words. If you anger me, I will stay in your mansion forever."
“You, you…”
The old lady was so angry that her heart ached.
The Daihou wife asked, "We have sent people to get the silver. Can the princess let Wulang go?"
Princess Huyang smiled softly, "I really can't bear to part with Wulang. But, silver is more approachable. Wulang, we are not destined to be together in this life, but we will continue our relationship in the next life."
Hu Yang looked so affectionate that Han Wulang almost cried.
Oh, please let me go.
Princess Huyang accepted the money and decisively released Han Wulang.
Before leaving, she acted kindly and advised, "Old Madam, don't be angry. From now on, send a few more people to keep a close eye on Wu Lang and don't let him go out. Just treat him like a girl and raise him."
A good-looking young man like Wu Lang is very popular. There aren’t many other things in the capital, but there are many princesses and princesses.”
The old lady of Dai Hou Mansion was so angry that she almost couldn't breathe.
After Princess Huyang left, the old lady cursed, "Shameless bitch!"
Lady Dai Hou sighed and stared at Han Wulang with an unfriendly look.
Han Wulang was very uneasy.
Mrs. Dai Hou said to the old lady, "Calm down, old lady. Let's go back to the room and talk first."
At the same time, he ordered the servants to keep a close watch on Han Wulang and not allow him to leave the room. All the charming maids were driven out, and only the servants were allowed to serve him.
Han Wulang was in tears.
The old lady of Daihou Mansion sighed and rarely stood up for Han Wulang this time.
Princess Huyang returned to the palace contentedly with 20,000 taels of silver in her hand.
She decided to go to the Shaofu tomorrow and bite off a piece of meat from him no matter what.
She has always been the one bullying others, so when would it be the Shaofu's turn to bully her?
snort!
She will definitely make the Minister of the Imperial Household look bad.
…
When Pei learned that Princess Huyang had money on hand, she planned to drive Princess Huyang out of the palace.
This troublemaker, look at what a mess the palace has become because of her.
I still need to think about how to start the conversation.
At the beginning of the month, when reviewing the accounts of the previous month, Pei found an opportunity.
She specially invited Prince Ning to come and take charge, under the pretext of inspecting the effectiveness of the palace's cost-cutting efforts.
Prince Ning also wanted to know whether the palace had saved any money this month, and how much money had been saved.
So he happily came to Chunhetang.
A dozen accountants were clacking their abacus as they settled accounts one by one.
Pei took the opportunity to chat with Prince Ning.
"Your Highness, how much silver did Huyang get from the Shaofu this time?"
Prince Ning snorted, "You really think the Shaofu is a treasury, where anyone who goes there can bring back a handful of silver. Huyang hit a wall when she went to the Shaofu this time. The Shaofu didn't give her a penny."
"I didn't hear her say that." Pei pretended to be surprised.
Prince Ning smiled and said, "How can she have the nerve to say such a shameful thing?"
Pei sighed for Hu Yang and continued, "At least Hu Yang got 20,000 taels from the Daihou Mansion. With these 20,000 taels, it's enough for them and their daughter to spend for several months."
Prince Ning nodded.
He was not surprised that Hu Yang could get money from Dai Hou Mansion. What was surprising was that Hu Yang actually bit off 20,000 taels from Dai Hou Mansion, which was quite impressive.
But thinking about it carefully, Huyang chose the perfect time. The Daihou was away, and neither was the prince. The women in the mansion were the only ones in charge.
The women were soft-hearted and worried that the matter would get out of hand and they would lose more money. So, after being threatened by Hu Yang, they obediently handed the silver to Hu Yang.
I heard that when the Duke of Dai learned about this, he scolded his wife. She was really stupid.
Huyang asked for an exorbitant price, and he would have given her three or five thousand taels to get rid of her. But in the end, he lost twenty thousand taels, which was a huge loss.
Of course, Han Wulang was beaten up again.
After what happened in Huyang, Han Wulang should be honest.
The accountant has finished the accounts.
Pei flipped through the books one by one. "Last month's expenses were indeed lower. The prince's measures were indeed effective. Wait, why were the kitchen expenses so high last month? Dalang's wife, you are in charge of the kitchen, so tell me why the kitchen expenses are so high?"
Gu Jiu understood what Pei was suggesting, knowing that she was going to take action against Hu Yang, so he followed up with, "Mother, the reason the kitchen expenses exceeded our expectations is mainly due to the high expenses at the guesthouse."
Pei frowned, "What you said doesn't sound right. Princess Huyang was away from home half of the time last month."
Gu Jiu lowered his head and said, "It was precisely because Aunt Huyang was not at home that the kitchen only overspent by a thousand taels last month. If we were to follow the guest house's expenses from the month before last, the kitchen would have overspent by at least two to three thousand taels last month."
When Pei heard this, she immediately asked the accountant to turn over the kitchen account book for February.
As expected, the guest house's monthly expenses were equivalent to several months' expenses in other courtyards.
Pei frowned, "This won't work. Your Majesty, please take a look at the account book. The numbers are unreadable."
Prince Ning casually flipped through the account book, "Well, Huyang's expenses are indeed a bit high."
Pei cautiously suggested, "If we continue like this, we won't save a few cents a year, and everyone will still be full of complaints.
I heard that the new princess's mansion has been renovated and the furniture and ornaments have been put in.
Why not take some time to throw a housewarming party for Huyang and celebrate for her? After all, she's been having a rough time these past few months. Throwing a party would be a way to get rid of the bad luck."
Prince Ning said nothing, but just silently looked through the account book.
Pei was a little uneasy, worried that Prince Ning would become suspicious of her.
Just at this moment, Xiao Qin'er looked uncomfortable, covering her mouth, her face pale.
She retched twice, making noises.
Pei looked at her and asked, "Fourth daughter-in-law, what's wrong with you?"
Xiao Qin'er said embarrassedly: "Reporting to the mother, I have been feeling unwell these past few days and have been feeling nauseous."
Pei was stunned for a moment, then looked nervous, "Do you want to vomit?"
Xiao Qin'er looked troubled and nodded, "I feel like vomiting."
"Can you spit it out?"
"I just vomited a little yellow bile, which was uncomfortable."
Pei hurriedly ordered, "Quick, quick, go get Doctor Hu. Someone, take the Fourth Madam back to her room to rest. Don't let her get too tired."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked towards Xiao Qin'er.
Concubine Shen said slowly: "I'm afraid the fourth daughter-in-law is pregnant."
Xiao Qin'er was stunned when she heard this, "Am I, am I pregnant?"
They have been married for more than half a year. Liu Yi went to Jiangnan a few days ago. How could she be pregnant at this time?
Mrs. Pei smiled, "I think it's probably true. Qin'er, don't worry about anything else. Go back to your room and lie down first. Doctor Hu will come over later and give you a thorough examination."
Xiao Qin'er's face was full of surprise, but she also felt a little lonely and unhappy in her heart.
Why didn’t I find out I was pregnant a few days earlier?
A few days ago, she had a reason to keep Liu Yi and not let him go to Jiangnan.
The servants brought a sedan chair and sent Xiao Qin'er back to her room to rest.
Pei's face was filled with joy. "Your Highness, our palace is finally going to have a new baby."
Prince Ning stroked his beard and was also very happy.
The arrival of a new baby is a joyous occasion for the whole family.
"But..." Pei hesitated to speak.
Prince Ning looked at her and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it."
Pei coughed lightly. "Adding a new child to the family means more people will be needed to serve the family. In the future, the eldest, second, and third daughters-in-law will all have children, and the palace will be more and more populated. I'm afraid that the monthly expenses will not be reduced no matter how much we cut."
Prince Ning frowned.
Pei struck while the iron was hot. "One more person in the mansion means several thousand more taels of silver per month. I figured we should save wherever we can."
Prince Ning threw the account book to the accountant and said, "You said you wanted to hold a wedding banquet for Huyang?"
Pei was filled with joy, "Exactly. A new house, a new atmosphere, it's time to get rid of the bad luck."
Prince Ning nodded and said, "Then let's pick an auspicious day and hold the wedding banquet as soon as possible. Also, send someone to help Huyang move."
Pei was ecstatic. "I'll listen to your Highness and make the arrangements right away. But regarding Huyang, your Highness needs to explain it to her personally, otherwise she'll misunderstand our palace again."
"This king will take care of this matter."
Prince Ning sat in Chunhe Hall impatiently and got up to leave.
He also instructed Chang En to inform Hu Yang of the decision to move.
When Princess Huyang learned that she had to move, she would not give in easily.
Living in the palace, she doesn't have to spend any money on food, clothing, housing and other expenses, which is equivalent to eating and drinking for free.
She has already tasted the sweetness of such a good life.
Asking her to move away now would be like taking half her life away.
Hu Yang approached Prince Ning and confronted him rudely, "Brother Prince, you're actually trying to kick me out! You're so cruel! Did my sister-in-law spread rumors? For that woman, have you even disregarded your brotherly love? I'm in such a miserable state, and yet you're still so cruel to me? Are you deliberately trying to kill me?"
Prince Ning said expressionlessly, "You have lived in the palace for half a year. It is time to return to your Princess's Mansion.
I have already sent people to check it out. The new princess's mansion has been cleaned up inside and out and can be moved in at any time.
I asked the princess to pick an auspicious day for you, which is seven days later.
At that time, I will host a banquet for you at your expense, as a way to congratulate you on your new home and to help you get rid of bad luck."
"I don't want to move to a new house. How can I live in such a small house? Brother Wang, are you really so cruel?"
Prince Ning said earnestly, "You are my sister, born of the same mother as me. How could I be cruel to you?
Think about it, has anything gone well for you since the beginning of this year?
I've considered this carefully, and perhaps the original Princess Mansion's feng shui wasn't very good, and it's unlucky for you. The Prince's Mansion and your horoscope are probably incompatible as well.
Only the new Princess Mansion will bring you prosperity as long as you move in."
Princess Huyang was stunned by the deception. She was half-believing and half-doubting, "Is what my brother said true? The Prince's Mansion is unlucky for me, but the new Princess' Mansion will bring me good luck?"
Prince Ning nodded heavily, "That's right. Think about it yourself, what I said does make some sense."
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
Thank you all for your Mid-Autumn Festival blessings, I received all the gold ingots. Love you all!
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