"Forget it, it's just a dead object. There's no need to take it out on it." Seeing that Xu Yixing's reaction was the same as his, Lu Anyuan's anger was not as strong anymore, and he tried to comfort him with kind words.
"Weren't you the one who investigated first? Why aren't you as quick as him?"
"This... maybe my second brother is just lucky."
"Hmph!" Xu Yixing folded his arms, still angry, but after a moment, he calmed down. "Actually, this is a good thing. He's suddenly fallen from grace, and now he has this excuse to be proud again. I think he'll definitely succumb to temptation and make a mistake. We just have to wait and see."
"Madam, you are really good at comforting people." Such an opportunity cannot be obtained by waiting. When minerals are discovered in the second prince's fiefdom, he will definitely develop them with all his strength. By then, he will have money and weapons in one hand, as well as the favor of his father. Among these six brothers, who can he take seriously?
Xu Yixing rolled his eyes and complained, "I just think it's a shame. We went to such great lengths this time, and it was only by chance that we managed to get him to calm down for a few days. Now it seems like all our efforts were in vain. This is a blessing in disguise."
"Well, but you make sense. Let him do whatever he wants. No one can tell until the final outcome." Lu Anyuan quickly accepted the fact, and he was also surprised to find that he could regain his sanity so quickly when he was with Yixing. He is such a great treasure.
On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Seventh Prince drove out on time. Today was the Second Prince's housewarming party, and many guests were invited.
Lu Anyuan didn't want to go too early to avoid seeing his second brother angry, but he also didn't want to go too late to be impolite. So he had a leisurely breakfast with Xu Yixing at home before rushing to the second prince's new residence.
The Second Prince's move to the mansion this time was sudden and hasty, and it was an intentional order from the Emperor to punish him, so the mansion chosen for him was a bit remote, and he had been walking for a long time but still hadn't arrived.
Xu Yixing was sitting in the car, feeling strange as he saw the scenery outside becoming increasingly desolate.
"Isn't the Second Prince's residence in the east of the city? It should be not far from us. Why does it feel more and more desolate?"
"Oh, that's because the house that the emperor awarded to my second brother belonged to a criminal from the previous dynasty and has been abandoned for a long time. Although this area is in the east of the city, it's difficult for an isolated mansion to be established, so it's really not very lively."
Xu Yixing smiled awkwardly. This emperor was truly ruthless. When he loved someone, he would praise them to the skies. When he disliked them, he would just toss them aside. By this calculation, the fate of these princes was no different from that of his father's guard dog.
Lu Anyuan saw her laughing for no apparent reason and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
"I can't say." Hehe, I'm laughing at how your family is like dogs.
The carriage stopped and I heard the sound of firecrackers ahead, which meant we had arrived.
Xu Yixing got off the car and just glanced around the gate of the mansion, then put his previous thoughts back into perspective.
"This, this is the house of a criminal?" It's so big, how can it be the residence of a criminal? Xu Yixing couldn't believe that the house in front of him, which almost spanned an entire city block, was the "deserted and desolate house of a criminal" that Lu Anyuan mentioned.
Lu Anyuan straightened his robes in front of the door, waiting for the servants to come and pick him up. He also responded in a low voice: "How else do you think he became a criminal?"
Oh, it turns out he is an embezzler. Living in such a big house, no wonder the late emperor didn't tolerate him.
"But this house is indeed quite spacious. I remember there used to be some houses around here, but now there are none. I guess my second brother must have put a lot of effort into it."
Xu Yixing understood that if the Second Prince was to move in, the "dilapidated houses" around here would naturally become an eyesore. He didn't know how much area the Second Prince had enclosed in his private residence, which would ultimately make life difficult for the people.
"Your Highnesses, the master is entertaining all the distinguished guests in the front hall. I will show you the way." Soon someone came out. He was dressed neatly, and even his hair was neatly combed. This was a servant that the master had put a lot of effort into training.
"Lead the way."
Once inside, the two truly experienced what it meant to be a world apart. While the house seemed vast from the outside, once inside, every step was a breathtaking sight. One wondered what kind of garden master the Second Prince had hired to create such a unique home.
It was said that the banquet was held in the front hall, but as Xu Yi walked down, he felt that at this distance in an ordinary official's house, it would at least be almost to the backyard. He didn't expect that this was someone else's front hall.
The hall is like a small open-air palace. At the end is a long table where the host sits. On both sides of the hallway are many elegant seats, which are decorated with various bonsai around them, making it extremely elegant.
Moreover, because the two sides of this hall are not enclosed, it means that it can only be used when the weather is fine. Now it is winter, and the leather gauze curtain used to block the cold wind alone is a considerable expense, not to mention the poor lighting behind the curtain. The candlesticks used are one every three steps, which is extremely luxurious.
Show off, show off! You have some money but you don’t know what to do with it, right?
Xu Yixing spat in her heart at this landlord who had made a fortune recently, and a look of disdain filled her eyes, but she quickly retracted it because she saw other guests sitting down one after another, and it was time for her to start pretending to smile again.
"Second brother, second sister-in-law, congratulations!" Lu Anyuan bowed and Xu Yixing followed suit. This was the first time she looked at the Second Prince's wife so carefully. She always felt that she seemed to be older than the Second Prince, and her temperament was different from that of ordinary women in the capital.
There were so many guests that the Second Prince had no time to be sarcastic or pretend to be friendly. After leading them to their seats, he hurried to greet other guests.
After sitting down, the two discovered that the floor was actually hot. Sitting in the hall felt like it was spring. They didn't know why.
Lu Anyuan felt around on the floor with his hands and knew in his heart: "This floor must be hollow. There must be hot charcoal burning somewhere underneath, and then the heat is brought in."
Xu Yixing clicked his tongue. It seemed that this invisible place was where the money was really spent.
"The Second Prince has only been in possession of this mansion for less than a month. How did he manage to renovate it so quickly? Could it be that this was designed by a criminal from the previous dynasty?"
Lu Anyuan shook his head and looked at the Sixth Prince across from him: "I guess Sixth Brother asked the capable person he found from the Ministry of Works to design it. As for the construction period, hmph, he already has a silver mine. Even if he works day and night, he can still finish it."
Lu Anyuan's emotions towards the Second Prince were much more complicated than Xu Yixing's. It was jealousy, hatred, and a hint of unidentified contempt.
"See what I was saying? He's showing off so much. Sooner or later, he's going to be resented. He's too ostentatious. I just saw his servants all wearing jade belts. That's a bit against the rules."
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