The second prince was very excited, so he rode out of the palace on horseback in high spirits.
He had originally planned to go directly to Fu'an and his cousin, but when he was riding his horse halfway to Prince Fu'an's mansion, he was blown away by the wind.
The Second Prince's rationality had returned somewhat. If he went to his cousin to be a scapegoat, she would definitely be furious. Then she would beat him up in front of Fu'an.
The Second Prince shuddered involuntarily as he thought about that scene. He felt that he still had to maintain his few remaining dignity.
Therefore, the second prince felt that this matter still needed to be carefully planned, but his cousin was still his first choice for cooperation (sucker).
Just because my cousin was able to provide so much food during the drought, she will always be at the forefront of his partners.
Others thought that it was the grain reserves of Prince Fu'an's mansion, but the second prince knew Fu'an well. That guy only liked to hoard gold and antiques.
Fuan would not stock up on something as sensitive as grain. Furthermore, Fuan received the news too late, as there was no large amount of grain circulating on the market at that time.
Therefore, the Second Prince was certain that his cousin had stockpiled all the food herself. He also secretly checked the source and could not find it, which made him admire her even more.
While the Second Prince was thinking about these things, everyone had already arrived at the Prince's Mansion.
He first went to the front yard to wash up, and specially picked out a set of prince's clothes that could highlight his elegant demeanor, and then went to the backyard.
The second prince first went to the courtyard of his wife Duan Jianing. When the second prince arrived, Duan Jianing was sitting in front of the window, watching Li Chengyan and Li Shihuan, brother and sister, exploring the courtyard.
The two children squatted on the ground, picking leaves and plucking flowers. The servants beside them looked at the two little princes nervously.
As soon as Li Chengyan and Li Shihuan saw the Second Prince coming in, they immediately stepped forward and each hugged one of the Second Prince's feet, "Father!"
Originally, the Second Prince wanted to have a grandson instead of a son, but his daughter, Li Shihuan, was being raised by his wife, and Xie Zixin wanted to kill her. Whenever the Second Prince saw his daughter, he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and wanted to hold her.
But he is not a fool. His daughter is raised by his wife. If he favors his daughter in front of his wife, it means that he does not want his daughter to have a good life.
The second prince simply held both children in his arms every time. Once he held them for the first time, it would become a habit.
So at this time, the second prince squatted down with a smile and picked up the two children, one in each hand.
"Ning'er, you have taken great care of these two little guys. Thank you for your hard work." The second prince said as he held the two children in his arms and weighed them.
However, the second prince came today for an important matter. After holding the two children for a while, he handed them to the wet nurse and asked her to take them down to play.
Duan Jianing knew that the Second Prince must have something to say, so she did not stop him.
Duan Jianing smiled and continued the Second Prince's words, "They are both very well behaved and accompany me all day long. I am very happy too."
The second prince walked towards Duan Jianing with a smile, looking at the surrounding furnishings.
You won't know until you see it, and it's quite surprising. There are only one or two rare items in the main concubine's room, and the rest are gifts from his father and him.
The Second Prince was surprised, but pretended to be casual and asked, "How is the palace doing lately? Is there enough money in the inner courtyard?"
When Duan Jianing heard the second prince ask this, her heart skipped a beat. Doesn't this mean he needs to raise money again?
Duan Jianing immediately thought of many things outside, but couldn't think of any that would cost money. However, Duan Jianing didn't let down her guard and replied casually:
"Don't worry, Your Highness. Everything is fine in the mansion. Sister Xie has been quite quiet recently. She comes to pay her respects every day and spends the rest of the time in her courtyard. She hasn't been around Shi Huan either."
The other sisters in the backyard are all doing well, and the babies in Zheng Yi Niang and Xun Yi Niang’s bellies are doing well too.”
It wasn't that Duan Jianing wanted to give Concubine Xie a chance; it was more about generosity. Since she couldn't satisfy the Second Prince's thirst for silver, she'd let someone else do it!
The Second Prince looked at Duan Jianing, his eyes filled with affection. "Ning'er is still good at management. This prince will remember this."
Seeing the Second Prince like this, Duan Jianing silently raised her alert level. It seems that the Second Prince is a bit off this time!
"These are all matters within my status as a concubine, and do not deserve your praise. By the way, Your Highness, why did you return home so early today? Is there something difficult?"
Duan Jianing had said so much, and the Second Prince felt that if he didn't respond, he would have no other good opportunity to speak.
So the Second Prince said bluntly, "I have accepted a task from my father, and I am short of money. I want to go back to the palace to ask if there is any money left in the inner court."
Duan Jianing frowned in pretended worry, cursing the Second Prince in her heart, 'This Sixth Prince actually came back to ask for money.'
"There are still an extra 20,000 taels of silver in the inner court account. I will add another 30,000 taels, and I can give 50,000 taels to Your Highness. I am unable to give the rest.
Your Highness knows that my health has not been very good. My medicine costs a lot of money every day. Now I have a pair of children, although they are supported by Your Highness's money.
But as a mother, I can't just sit there and do nothing.
How about I become a decoration in this room?"
Duan Jianing said this very sincerely, and stood up after she finished speaking, as if she was going to pick out some ornaments right away.
The Second Prince quickly grabbed Duan Jianing and said, "Just give this prince the twenty thousand taels in the inner court account. Keep the money to take good care of your health. And give Chengyan and Shihuan another brother or sister in the future."
"Don't worry, Your Highness. I have enough money for the medicine! It's always difficult to be short of money when you're out there doing things. This is my wholehearted concern. Otherwise, I don't know how worried I would be about you back home!"
Duan Jianing knew that at times like this, she couldn't be stingy. Otherwise, if it happened too often, it would hurt the relationship between husband and wife.
Duan Jianing spoke with determination, but she sighed inwardly. Thirty thousand taels! Two years' worth of income from all the businesses in her dowry was gone. Another heartbreaking day.
Seeing that Duan Jianing was really willing to give it, the Second Prince accepted it. He thought that Ning'er was still good to him, so even if he didn't have the silver, he would still give him 30,000 taels.
"Ning'er is still the best..." The second prince said a lot of nice words.
Duan Jianing agreed to all of their requests with a smile. Alas, she had lost the money, and no nice words could make up for her heartache.
After that, the second prince rested in the main courtyard for half a month, then went to Xie Zixin's courtyard in the backyard to rest for half a month, and then went to other concubines' courtyards to rest for a few days.
The second prince returned to the front yard contentedly, while those in the second prince's backyard all hoped that he would stay in the front yard for a while longer, as they could not bear his love.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
