The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 84 Men are like clothes, money is like limbs

forecourt.

The women kneeling on the ground all looked at Prince Chen with trepidation, none of them daring to utter a sound.

what happened?

Why does Prince Chen have such a strong aura of menace today?

Could it be that the suppression of bandits in Nanjun has been unsuccessful?

That shouldn't be the case. News came back a couple of days ago saying that the prince had won a great victory, and this matter is known throughout the capital.

Some sharp-eyed people glanced around and noticed that Xu Jiaojiao was not there!

Now I understand.

It seems that Prince Chen's bad mood is related to Xu Jiaojiao.

In a bad mood, Zhao Yunzheng didn't give these women in the back courtyard a friendly look, and didn't even exchange pleasantries. He simply told them to get up and went straight back to Mingqian Courtyard.

Seeing that it was getting dark and his master showed no intention of going to Yuhua Courtyard, Yingyi was a little unsure of what to do.

He tentatively took two steps forward: "Master, should I send the things I brought back from Nanjun to Yuhua Courtyard?"

Mentioning "Yuhua Academy," Zhao Yunzheng frowned slightly, his sharp gaze landing coldly on Ying Yi's face.

Yingyi's throat tightened, and he immediately shut his mouth.

He suddenly remembered that when his master returned to the outskirts of Beijing that morning, his face was as sour as a rock in a latrine.

It seems that the master and Consort Xu had a quarrel.

Yingyi took a step back without making a sound, thinking to herself: This Consort Xu is really audacious, daring to cause trouble for her master...

After a long silence, Zhao Yunzheng parted his thin lips slightly: "Yuhua Courtyard has no shortage of items. Distribute the things you brought back to the other courtyards. You can decide how to distribute them yourself."

Yingyi's lips twitched...

Well, he's now in charge of this mess...

Guards are tough...

The thought of that car full of stuff gave Yingyi a headache.

These things were all bought for Consort Xu, but now, apart from Consort Xu, everyone else has them.

The others are fine, but among these items is a particularly valuable piece of gold-threaded soft armor, which is unique in the world.

The master spent a lot of money to buy this gold-threaded soft armor so that he could give it to Consort Xu to wear during the autumn hunt.

He dared not dispose of something so important casually.

After a slight hesitation, Yingyi braced himself and asked, "I understand, but that golden silk soft armor..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yunzheng understood what Yingyi meant.

He rubbed his fingertips together: "Bring me the soft armor."

Upon receiving the message, Yingyi immediately went to retrieve it.

After the soft armor was delivered, Ying didn't stop for a moment and immediately arranged for servants to deliver the items to each courtyard.

Inside the Mingqian Courtyard.

Zhao Yunzheng stared intently at the golden silk armor in front of him, his expression inscrutable.

In an instant, his brows furrowed, a fierce glint appeared in his eyes, and he suddenly raised his arm, as if to rip off the ornate soft armor in front of him. However, in the end, his raised hand remained frozen in mid-air, hesitant to fall...

……

That evening, the inner quarters of Prince Chen's residence were filled with laughter and joy, just like during the New Year celebrations.

The atmosphere inside Yuhua Courtyard was somber. Listening to the sounds coming from outside, Tonghua, who was feeding Xiongya in the courtyard, showed confusion and bewilderment in her eyes.

Inside the room, Xu Jiaojiao sat calmly at the table, eating her meal as if nothing had happened.

Hearing the noise outside, Lianye's cheeks puffed up with anger, and she couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "These people really have never seen anything like this before. It's just a specialty of Nanjun! Why are they so excited!"

Xu Jiaojiao scooped a spoonful of red date and black chicken soup.

The sweet soup was at the perfect temperature; one sip and you felt completely comfortable.

Xu Jiaojiao squinted her eyes contentedly: "Just treat those sounds as ordinary cat meows and dog barks, and ignore them."

Lianye pouted, feeling wronged: "Master, you really have a big heart. The Prince sent all the courtyards with special products from Nanjun, but our courtyard didn't receive any. It's one thing that you're not worried, but you can still sit here and eat so calmly."

Since Prince Chen wouldn't be coming anyway, Xu Jiaojiao rolled up her sleeves, tore off a chicken leg, and casually gnawed on it: "What else can I do? What do you think I should do?"

Lianye choked on her words, unsure how to respond.

While chewing on the tender chicken, Xu Jiaojiao answered Lianye's question for her: "Do you think that I should be breaking down and crying right now, trying every means to beg the prince for forgiveness, and preferably being restless, unable to eat or sleep?"

Lianye didn't say anything, but deep down she felt that what he said was true.

At least in her understanding, this is how one should react to such a situation.

Her master was remarkably calm.

It's hard to even call it composure; to put it another way, it's more like a complete release from restraint.

While Lianye was still in a daze, Xu Jiaojiao slowly finished eating a chicken leg, and then leisurely picked up a handkerchief to wipe her hands.

"Lianye, let me ask you this: even if I were to collapse and lose my mind as you imagine, and grovel before the prince for his mercy, would all of this simply vanish as if it never happened? Would the prince then forgive me and no longer hold a grudge against me?"

Lianye paused, then subconsciously shook her head: "Probably not."

Xu Jiaojiao picked up the bowl and finished the rest of the soup: "So, why did I do that?"

Lianye was completely dumbfounded.

That statement seemed to make sense, but she still felt that something was off.

Lianye frowned, still trying to struggle a bit more: "At least... at least we have to find a way to get the prince's forgiveness..."

When Prince Chen was mentioned, Xu Jiaojiao's eyes dimmed for a moment, but she quickly concealed her emotions and shook her head calmly.

"Your Highness must come to terms with this matter yourself, otherwise, if I were to get involved, I would be courting death."

After finishing her meal, Xu Jiaojiao got up and walked into the yard, intending to take a walk.

Prince Chen hasn't made any trouble yet, and her allowance for her courtyard remains the same. She should take advantage of the fact that she can still move around freely and has enough to eat, eat more, and do what she wants to do as soon as possible.

Thinking of this, Xu Jiaojiao looked at the lotus leaf beside her: "I received a lot of rewards earlier. Tomorrow, pick some items that don't have royal totems and pawn them. It doesn't matter if the price is low, as long as it's not too outrageous."

Lianye vaguely sensed what her mistress was about to do. Worried and anxious, she leaned close to Xu Jiaojiao's ear and whispered, "Mistress, please don't do anything foolish. If you escape from the palace on your own and are caught, you'll be beaten to death!"

Xu Jiaojiao's eyes flashed.

Money makes the world go round, and in a critical moment, money can be a lifesaver. Now that Prince Chen's attitude is unclear, it's always good to have more silver on you.

Men are like clothes, and money is like hands and feet.

She admitted that she had fallen in love with Prince Chen, but she was able to let go easily. Compared to living a life free from financial worries, men meant nothing.

If she ever really reaches a dead end, she will definitely find a way to run away!

Xu Jiaojiao didn't say it explicitly, but patted Lianye's hand that was supporting her comfortingly: "Now that I have lost the emperor's favor, I will have to make some arrangements if I want to regain the prince's favor. At that time, I won't be able to do it without money."

Upon hearing this, Lianye nodded thoughtfully: "That's right, Master is indeed very considerate."

The next day.

As Zhao Yunzheng returned from court, he was riding his horse at full speed when his gaze inadvertently swept across the room and a familiar silhouette came into view.

He frowned slightly and stared intently.

Sure enough, it was a lotus leaf!