Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Jiang Yueyao frowned and remained silent for a long time.

Xiao Lie, however, acted as if he hadn't seen her at all, and even summoned dancers and musicians to invite her to enjoy the show.

The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air, while the dancers, draped in light pink gauze, danced gracefully, revealing large expanses of their snow-white skin in the intermittent glimpses.

A waist as supple as a willow branch, arms as white as lotus roots.

As soon as the drumbeats stopped, a dancer boldly stepped forward, sat down in Xiao Lie's lap, poured him wine, and brought it to his lips.

"Please have a drink, Your Highness."

The other dancers were not to be outdone, and they all came forward to massage his shoulders and legs, whispering sweet nothings in his ear.

How is this scene any different from the unspeakable scenes in brothels?

But Xiao Lie seemed oblivious, surrounded by women on both sides, unable to keep up with the attention.

"Your Highness, you only drink my sister's wine and don't eat my grapes. Do you look down on me?"

The beauty coquettishly scolded him, and Xiao Lie, unable to resist, immediately coaxed her.

"How could that be? In my heart, you are all the same."

This immediately caused a burst of laughter from the girls.

Jiang Yueyao could no longer hold back and suddenly stood up.

Before leaving, she glanced back, her eyes filled with unfamiliarity, and gritted her teeth.

"Xiao Lie, just consider this a misjudgment of you."

They talk as if they're really close. If he hadn't acted like a spoiled brat, his emperor uncle would have killed him long ago.

Xiao Lie ignored her, kissing one's cheek and pinching another's waist, only managing to squeeze out a quick sentence in between.

"Steward Wang, escort Princess Yuhua out."

Jiang Yueyao was so angry at this perfunctory attitude that she trembled. Without waiting for the steward to lead the way, she led her people away in a grand procession.

After Jiang Yueyao left, the main hall fell silent. Xiao Lie brushed his leg with his hand and said calmly.

"Alright, everyone, you can all leave."

The dancers dared not be too presumptuous any longer, and quickly fell silent and retreated, not daring to linger for even a moment longer.

Having stayed in the Duke's mansion for a long time, they knew that this young master was capricious. When he was in a good mood, he could drag them into a ridiculous scene of debauchery, while when he was in a bad mood, he could be as serene and detached as an old monk in meditation.

Right now, it's a time when the Crown Prince isn't in the mood.

After those people had completely left, Xiao Lie summoned Sixteen and asked a question.

"Jiang Yueyao must be furious that I chased her away like that. Did she say anything to me?"

Sixteen stammered and dared not utter a sound.

Xiao Lie chuckled, glanced at him, and his eyes were full of understanding.

"What are you afraid of? Knowing her personality, it would be strange if she didn't scold you. Speak up boldly."

Sixteen scratched his head and forced a smile, "She was just saying that you, young master, are ignorant and incompetent, that you've wasted her good intentions, and that she thinks our Duke's mansion is dirty and that she'll never come here again."

"To the very face of the Duke's mansion, she dared to curse the Duke's mansion as dirty. This Princess Yuhua has quite the nerve. Isn't she afraid of being impeached and reprimanded for her inappropriate words and actions?"

Sixteen pondered his master's words, unsure of his meaning.

He was angry, but he was smiling when he said those words and didn't seem to care much. If he didn't care, why would he ask such a question?

Sixteen hesitated before speaking, "Your Highness, what do you think of Princess Yuhua—is she good or bad?"

Seeing that the young master seemed to want to distance himself from Princess Yuhua, yet his words also seemed to carry a hint of worry, he hesitated.

"In this world, there are no things that are simply black and white, nor are there people who are simply black and white."

"If she's mindful of past friendships over trivial matters, she'll naturally side with me. But if things turn sour in the future, and we're on opposite sides, guess which side she'll take then?"

Sixteen was about to speak when he said that Princess Yuhua seemed to be that kind of person.

However, Xiao Lie added casually.

"His Majesty is, after all, her uncle and her blood relative. How could I dare to associate with someone of that status? Drawing a clear line is for my own good and for hers as well."

"Besides, how do you know she didn't get up today for another purpose?"

Sixteen was startled and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, you mean...?"

Xiao Lie nodded silently.

On the other side, De Shun bowed as he served tea to Princess Yu Hua, smiling as he spoke.

"His Majesty said that the Princess and Prince Xiao were very close friends when they were young. This is a rare opportunity to return to the capital, so they should spend more time together and not damage their childhood friendship."

Upon hearing this, a dark glint flashed in Jiang Yueyao's eyes, but the next second, she frowned and complained bitterly as if she hadn't noticed anything.

"Hmph, what childhood friendship? I think Xiao Lie is just a playful and lecherous good-for-nothing now. Right in front of me, he dares to embrace women on both sides and mingle with those dancers. You have no idea how disgusting the scene was, Eunuch Deshun."

This made De Shun chuckle, but remembering the emperor's words, he continued to persuade him.

"However, in recent years, the Crown Prince has been left unsupervised in the capital and has become somewhat playful. But aside from that, the Crown Prince's character and loyalty have been praised even by His Majesty."

De Shun recounted how Xiao Lie had been gathering clothing, food, and herbs over the past few days, and the young girl seemed to understand something.

"Then, Eunuch Deshun, what kind of person do you think Xiao Lie is?"

De Shun choked, finding it difficult to answer. He had come today on the Emperor's orders to probe the Princess's intentions, but before he could find anything out, he was being questioned in return.

He chuckled and said, "The court and the people will judge the prince's character. How could an old, foolish servant like me possibly make an evaluation?"

Jiang Yueyao took a sip of tea and said, "Eunuch Deshun is too modest. If you are foolish, there are few smart people in the whole world."

How could someone who becomes the emperor's number one confidant be so simple?

Even the Empress Dowager praised him highly, saying that he was clever and quick-witted.

De Shun didn't respond, and for a moment the only sound was the pouring of tea, utterly silent.

……

With the Empress Dowager's birthday approaching, the Imperial Procurement Office became a truly busy place. Even Xiao Lie, a person with connections, had to be on high alert. The reason was simple: although there were many people doing the work, those in charge, when faced with uncertainties, would never dare to act on their own without permission from above.

"Your Highness, His Majesty attaches great importance to the Empress Dowager's birthday celebration this year. The required quantity of fruits and brocades is also quite large. You must do your best to ensure that no substandard items are mixed in. If you offend His Majesty or the Empress Dowager, that would be disastrous."

"Thank you for your guidance, Father-in-law."

De Shun then smiled and took out a letter from his sleeve.

"All the shops that have traded with the palace in the past are listed here. If Your Highness is unsure, you can refer to the list directly."

The person who wrote this reference manual was quite meticulous. Not only did they list the shop names, but they also noted the advantages and disadvantages of each shop. For example, a certain shop was renowned and had many customers, making it a more upscale place to display. It also had competitive prices and guaranteed quality, so it was advisable to purchase a batch to distribute to palace servants as festive gifts.