Chapter 494: She actually used things from the palace as a betrothal gift for her brother?
At this moment, in the palace's storehouse, Lan Xiyue was standing in front of rows of neatly stacked boxes, holding a thick gift list in her hand, her fingertips running across the lines of wet ink, her expression focused.
Around her were the betrothal gifts that she would send to her brother tomorrow. Each item needed to be carefully checked to see if there was anything missing. The warehouse was filled with a faint scent of camphor wood and brocade.
The butler hurried in, stopped a few steps behind Lan Xiyue, and bowed, saying, "Princess, Princess Nalan has arrived. She's waiting outside the mansion. She said she came to see you specially. If you don't want to see her, I'll send her away right away."
Upon hearing this, Lan Xiyue frowned slightly, barely perceptible, and raised her head from the account book.
She put down the booklet in her hand and stroked the nonexistent wrinkles on her sleeve with her fingertips. "Let her wait in the front hall." Her voice was calm, and no emotion could be heard. "I will be there later. I want to see what brings this princess here today."
"Yes." The butler received the confirmation and responded immediately, turned around and left quickly to make arrangements.
Lan Xiyue stopped looking at the dazzling array of betrothal gifts, turned around and walked straight towards the front hall.
Seeing this, Chu Xia immediately followed silently.
Chuchun continued to immerse herself in the precious jewelry that needed to be counted and packed.
In the front hall, Nalan Mei was already waiting there, pacing anxiously. When she saw Lan Xiyue appear at the door, a friendly smile instantly appeared on her face, and she hurried over to greet her: "Little Auntie!"
Lan Xiyue walked calmly and went straight to the main seat and sat down. She did not respond to the address that was deliberately used to draw closer. She only picked up the new tea that Chu Xia had just served her and gently skimmed off the foam with the cup lid. Then she looked up at Nalan Mei and said in a nonchalant tone: "Princess Nalan, why did you come to see me today?"
Nalan Mei felt a pang in her heart due to her cold attitude, and a feeling of suffocation came over her.
She suppressed her unhappiness. Who had allowed her powerful uncle to hold this woman in his palm? She maintained a smile and walked to a chair nearby to sit down. "Little aunt, I won't beat around the bush with you. I came here today to ask for a favor."
"Oh?" Lan Xiyue raised her eyebrows slightly, put down the teacup, looked at her leisurely, and motioned her to continue.
Nalan Mei's smile became even wider, with a hint of deliberate flattery: "This is what happened. Mu Ting'er just came to my house to cry and complain. She said that she really didn't know you, little imperial aunt, so she bumped into you in Jin Manlou and caused some misunderstandings. She is young and ignorant, so please be magnanimous and don't take it to heart with her." As she spoke, she observed Lan Xiyue's expression.
Lan Xiyue's lips curled up in a playful arc, and she looked directly at Nalan Mei: "My princess, are you here today specifically to lobby for Mu Ting'er?" She paused slightly, with a hint of amusement, "Besides, I didn't say I wanted to make a fuss with her, did I?"
The smile on Nalan Mei's face froze for a moment, and she felt a little embarrassed: "Since the young imperial aunt doesn't care about her... then, why let Lord Bao investigate the Mu Mansion?" She tried to make her tone sound like pure doubt.
"Heh!" Lan Xiyue chuckled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "My princess, are you saying that I, the princess, instructed Lord Bao to investigate the Mu Mansion in order to avenge the trivial quarrel with Jin Manlou today?"
Nalan Mei's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly waved her hands: "I, I didn't mean that! The little aunt misunderstood. I just... I just wanted to ask you, for my sake, to ask Lord Bao to show some mercy and stop investigating the Mu Mansion. The Mu Mansion has always been law-abiding..."
"Behave yourself?" Lan Xiyue interrupted her, picked up the teacup again, took a sip, and looked at Nalan Mei through the misty hot air. "If the Mu family is really as the princess said, abide by the law and have never done anything harmful to the world, why would they be afraid of Lord Bao's impartial investigation? What do you say, yes or no, Princess Nalan?" She deliberately emphasized the word "impartial".
"Little Imperial Aunt..." Nalan Mei wanted to argue.
Lan Xiyue had lost her patience. She placed the teacup on the rosewood table beside her with a "thump" and stood up. "This princess has many matters in the warehouse that need to be taken care of personally. If the princess has no other important matters, please go back." As soon as she finished speaking, she no longer looked at Nalan Mei and walked straight out, followed by Chuxia.
Nalan Mei was left there, her face instantly darkening to the point where water seemed to drip out of it, with humiliation and anger surging in her chest.
However, in this Regent's Palace, she didn't dare to lose her temper.
Seeing Lan Xiyue's figure disappear at the door, she had no choice but to grit her teeth, stand up angrily, and walk out quickly.
As soon as he walked out of the front hall and came to the open courtyard, Nalan Mei was attracted (or stung) by the scene before him.
The guards of the palace were seen carrying heavy, shiny mahogany boxes tied with red silk in an orderly manner and transporting them out.
The housekeeper stood aside, holding the account book, recording carefully.
Nalan Mei stopped and couldn't help asking, "Butler, what is this...?"
The housekeeper turned around upon hearing the voice and saw Nalan Mei. He bowed slightly and said calmly, "To answer the princess, this is the betrothal gift that the princess has prepared for her brother's marriage proposal tomorrow."
"What?!" Nalan Mei almost screamed out loud, her eyes suddenly widened, pointing at the boxes in disbelief, "Her brother is proposing? She actually... actually used things from the palace as a betrothal gift for her brother?!" Her voice rose with shock and jealousy, and was filled with sharp questioning.
The butler frowned slightly, obviously displeased with Nalan Mei's almost inappropriate questioning and implicit accusation.
He raised his head, his voice still steady, "Princess, please be careful with your words. The Princess has the final say over everything in the palace. Besides..." The butler paused, his eyes sweeping over the boxes, and emphasized, "Most of these betrothal gifts were purchased by the Princess herself using her own dowry. It's only natural for the Princess to care for her siblings and devote herself to her brother."
Nalan Mei didn't hear a word of the butler's explanation.
The sentence "The princess has the right to make decisions on everything in the palace" was like a poisoned needle, piercing her heart.
She felt a surge of evil fire rushing to her head, her cheeks burning hot, and she could no longer maintain any decency.
She swung her sleeves suddenly, then with a gloomy face, she walked quickly towards the palace gate without looking back, her steps so fast as if she was escaping from something that was suffocating her.
The housekeeper stood where he was, watching Nalan Mei's obviously resentful figure disappear around the corner of the porch, and couldn't help but mutter in a low voice: "This is the Regent's Palace. She is unhappy about how the princess deals with the things in the palace without using a single cent from the Nalan Palace... If it weren't for the princess's mercy today, how could she enter and exit the threshold of the Regent's Palace as she pleases?" His tone was full of defense for his mistress and dissatisfaction with Nalan Mei's lack of tact.
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