Chapter 208

Chapter 208: Was It True?

Shang Xing Yu smiled. “Is it not good that I married into her household? From now on, no one will fight Elder Brother for the General Residence anymore.”

Shang Xiu Yuan pressed his lips together and was about to speak, but Shang Xing Yu shoved him forward. “Anyway, I came to notify General Shang and Madam Shang. I also have a copy of my mother’s Dowry Inventory. You two had better get everything ready in the next few days. Otherwise, if anything is missing and you cannot make it up in time, His Majesty might get very angry.”

Shang Xiu Yuan rubbed his forehead. “Xing Yu, you are getting more and more ridiculous. Why would His Majesty care about your affairs?”

Shang Xiu Yuan truly wanted Shang Xing Yu to amount to nothing, but this brother was too useless. What if Shang Xing Yu caused trouble for him later?

And His Majesty? Did His Majesty have nothing better to do than meddle in the affairs of a useless wastrel like Shang Xing Yu? Unless-

Shang Xiu Yuan froze for a heartbeat. Shang Tian Hao also seemed to think of something and looked toward Shang Xing Yu.

Shang Xing Yu bared his teeth. “That is right! I used what Father and Elder Brother have always wanted to trade for an imperial grant. His Majesty granted me to Princess Qing Ning as her prince consort.”

Shang Tian Hao stared at him in disbelief. “You-you are serious?”

How could His Majesty let a playboy marry a princess? Unless that playboy produced something valuable enough to move him.

Shang Tian Hao did not know exactly how much the Qin Trading House held, but even guessing put it at over a million taels. That bastard had actually handed it all to His Majesty?

Just for the sake of marrying into the household of a woman who had already been married once?

The veins on Shang Tian Hao’s forehead throbbed.

Shang Xiu Yuan’s eyes also darkened. Back then, Father had wronged Mother into becoming a concubine, then married a woman from the Shang Family, all for that silver. His mother had suffered for years, and Father had promised long ago that the money would be used to pave Shang Xiu Yuan’s career.

But now, Shang Xing Yu had given it away.

Shang Xing Yu laughed. “Of course it is true. Could it be false? What a pity General Shang did not see it. I handed over what Mother left behind to His Majesty, and His Majesty was very pleased. He even praised me as his worthy son-in-law.”

Shang Tian Hao felt his chest seize.

Shang Xing Yu seemed afraid his father might not be angry enough. He continued, “His Majesty even asked me what I would do about the betrothal gifts after I gave him everything Mother left. I said it was fine. Mother also left a dowry. I even showed His Majesty the Dowry Inventory while I was at it.”

“General…” Liang Rao clutched Shang Tian Hao’s sleeve tightly.

Qin Meng Cen’s dowry had long been spent by Liang Rao. Now Shang Xing Yu had shown the Dowry Inventory to His Majesty.

Then-then what were they supposed to do?

One of them felt his heart seize, another burned with resentment. Liang Rao’s face turned ghost-pale.

After delivering this news, Shang Xing Yu turned to leave.

“Stop!” Shang Tian Hao’s eyes turned ruthless the instant Shang Xing Yu started to turn away.

A group of guards immediately blocked Shang Xing Yu’s path.

Shang Tian Hao’s gaze sank. Since Shang Xing Yu dared to do this, then Shang Xing Yu might as well become a cripple. A cripple without legs surely could not be a prince consort-

Shang Tian Hao was about to give the order when Shang Xing Yu chuckled. “General Shang does not think that killing me will let you take back what I gave His Majesty, does he?”

Shang Tian Hao froze. Only then did he remember who Shang Xing Yu had dealt with.

That much silver had entered His Majesty’s hands. How could it ever be returned?

Anger surged up Shang Tian Hao’s throat like blood, but he swallowed it back down by force. For that money, he had wronged the woman he loved into becoming a concubine. Qin Meng Cen had died, yet she still checked him in the end.

“Xing Yu, what nonsense are you saying?” Liang Rao hurried forward to pat and soothe Shang Tian Hao. “Your father would never kill you. It is just that if you want to marry a princess, you should at least discuss it with the family…”

Only then did Shang Tian Hao recover.

Shang Xing Yu clicked his tongue and swaggered away under their stares.

*That night.

Sheng Zhi Wan reclined against a soft pillow while An Zhi and Ting Lan tended her skin and hair. As they worked, they picked out bits of gossip from outside and told them to her.

Sheng Zhi Wan replied once in a while. She did not talk much, but she liked how lively things felt now, with people around.

“Princess, were the things you said to Qi Shi Zi today true?” Ting Lan finally could not hold back. “Did you really like Young Master Shang Er?”

Liu Shang, who had been keeping watch in the outer room, suddenly rose.

Sheng Zhi Wan also seemed to hear the snap of a twig outside.

“Princess…” Liu Shang hesitated, as if wanting to speak but stopping.

Sheng Zhi Wan immediately knew she had not misheard. That man really had nerve. Emperor Chong Sheng’s imperial edict had not even been issued yet, and he still dared to come running over at this hour.

But if Shang Xing Yu was not bold, he would never have dared say those words to Sheng Zhi Wan in the first place.

Sheng Zhi Wan pulled back her smooth calf from their massage. “Enough. An Zhi, Ting Lan, go back and rest. Tonight, Liu Shang will stay to keep night watch.”

“Huh? But…” Ting Lan stared in shock. “Princess, your hair is not dry yet.”

An Zhi jumped up at once and dragged Ting Lan out.

Liu Shang also quietly withdrew to the outside.

Only then did a few taps sound at the window.

Sheng Zhi Wan remembered that she had just made Liu Shang replace the inner latch during the day. She had no choice but to walk over and open it herself.

Shang Xing Yu’s slightly aggrieved face appeared. “Princess is guarding against me?”

Sheng Zhi Wan looked at Shang Xing Yu helplessly. “Why did you come at this time?”

“I wanted to see Princess.” Shang Xing Yu climbed inside. Seeing her half-dry long hair, Shang Xing Yu turned back and latched the window.

Hearing Shang Xing Yu say it so directly made Sheng Zhi Wan’s ears heat up. Ever since her divorce, this man had grown more and more unrestrained.

“Princess told Qi Shi Zi today that Princess liked me. Was that true?” Shang Xing Yu could not help asking.

Shang Xing Yu had accidentally overheard that one line, and that was why Shang Xing Yu had stepped on a branch and snapped it.

Princess liked him? Princess said she liked him with her own mouth?

Shang Xing Yu’s eyes burned.

Sheng Zhi Wan avoided Shang Xing Yu’s gaze. “Young Master Shang Er thought too much. I only wanted to anger him.”

“Alright.” Shang Xing Yu sounded disappointed. In an instant, the light in Shang Xing Yu’s eyes seemed to droop.

Sheng Zhi Wan stayed hard-hearted and did not soften at all.

Shang Xing Yu could only change the subject. “The matter Princess asked me to look into-I found out.”

Shang Xing Yu lowered his voice. “The day before His Majesty sent the Wang Ye to Ji Zhou Prefecture, the Third Prince knelt in Zi Sheng Hall for three hours. When the Third Prince finally went back, His Majesty rewarded him with wound medicine made by Imperial Physician Song himself, and the cloak from last year’s winter hunt.”

Even though Sheng Zhi Wan had already guessed it, hearing it for real still made Sheng Zhi Wan’s hand tremble.

A coldness seemed to crawl out from between her bones, dense and biting.

Shang Xing Yu glanced sideways. “Princess thinks… His Majesty also took part in what happened in Ji Zhou Prefecture?”

“It was not taking part.” Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice stayed calm. “Perhaps Third Imperial Brother worked for him from the start.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “It is just that this time, Third Imperial Brother did not expect me to meddle. The matter went beyond his control, so he had no choice but to push out the Northern Du Branch and the Ji Zhou Prefect.”

Shang Xing Yu did not speak.

Shang Xing Yu also thought the same. Still, His Majesty was Princess’s father. No matter how wrong he might be, Shang Xing Yu could not speak ill of His Majesty in front of Princess.

“What did Princess plan to do?” Shang Xing Yu asked.

Sheng Zhi Wan looked at Shang Xing Yu. “Mo Bei suffered a cold disaster. Northern Di bordered Mo Bei, so the disaster would only be worse than in Sheng Kingdom. Northern Di lived mainly by herding, and under a cold disaster, the grass in the horse ranches withered…”