Chapter 352: Flaunting wealth ahead of the marriage (2/2)

“You disappeared after you lost the bet. I didn’t see you until now, so I assumed you’d gone back on your words!” Han Yunxi smiled guilelessly.

Mu Liuyue’s copout had been the talk of the town back in the day. Even the commoners knew the story of Mu Qingwu taking off his robes to run around the streets.

“So it really is the same Miss Mu that’s marrying the crown prince!” a voice cried from the crowd. Immediately, conversation broke out amongst the people.

Mu Liuyue’s face flamed before she quickly got into her carriage. “We’re going!” she cried.

Han Yunxi hazy mood finally dissipated as she watched Mu Liuyue’s sedan chair vanish in a hurry. Actually, she hadn’t come to seek out Mu Liuyue on purpose, but only bumped into her here. The other girl was the one who’d crashed against her. Zhao mama saw Han Yunxi smile and coaxed, “Esteemed wangfei, do you feel better now? If the young general’s determined to act like that, then we just won’t care. Everyone has different affinities with each other. We don’t need a friend like the young general.”

Although Zhao mama had harped on the issue multiple times, it was only because she knew esteemed wangfei felt terrible inside. Her mistress didn’t have many friends in the capital. Mu Qingwu would’ve counted amongst the few.

“I won’t dispute with Mu Qingwu’s choices at all. The bet was between me and Mu Liuyue to begin with, and had nothing to do with anyone else!” Han Yunxi said, looking natural and unrestrained. It really seemed like she didn’t care.

Now that the fuss was over, she brought Zhao mama and Su Xiaoyu over to the Han Estate in the north. Unexpectedly, they met with Mu Liuyue’s sedan chair doubling back on the way there. Hadn’t she left? What is she doing back here? Moreover, Mu Liuyue is traveling in the exact opposite direction as us. It looked like she’d done it on purpose.

The road was very narrow, so the carriage and sedan chair were forced to slow down and take care when passing each other. Otherwise, they’d get stuck. Eventually, both of them stopped. Because there was no one here but their group, Mu Liuyue had no scruples about acting wanton. She didn’t get down from her sedan chair, before simply lifted the curtains with a smile. “Han Yunxi, come out!”

Han Yunxi was too lazy to play along. She simply lifted her own curtains and demanded, “What is it?”

“I forgot to tell you back then. The crown prince is going to give me a magnificent wedding procession. He’ll even come to pick me up, in person, from the general’s estate! And also, the betrothal gifts I got from the imperial clan are enough to pave an entire street!” Mu Liuyue’s tone was utterly smug. She was about to go home when the recent events made her more and more angry. Finally, she had decided to turn back and chase after Han Yunxi.

“What does that have to do with me?” Han Yunxi replied coldly.

“I’m inviting you to come, so you have to show up!” Mu Liuyue grinned. “You married into the imperial clan too, but it’s a pity you had neither betrothal gifts nor money. I heard only the Duke of Qin’s estate only sent a single wedding granny to pick you up. What’s more, your Han Clan even paid for the members of the wedding procession to take you away. Tsk, tsk, how pitiful. You’ve probably never seen what a proper imperial wedding looks like! You can have your fill on my big day! And if you want to see how many presents I got from the royal family, come visit my house afterwards.”

Han Yunxi suddenly grew very still. “Is there anything else?” she asked.

“No, just this one! I came to give you a personal invitation!” Mu Liuyue was smiling brilliantly.

Han Yunxi was very calm. “Then if that’s all, move out of the way. Don’t block the road.”

Mu Liuyue felt great after showing off, so she simply lowered her curtain and had her sedan chair edge past the carriage’s right side.

Han Yunxi’s voice came faintly from her carriage. “Since you’re the consort of the crown prince, you need to call this wangfei ‘imperial aunt.’ The next time you call me by name, I won’t show any mercy.”

Mu Liuyue humphed. “Imperial aunt? Heheh, I’ll never call you that!”

The sedan chair passed by the carriage and stalked off. Han Yunxi’s carriage remained in the same spot for a long time. Han Yunxi herself was frighteningly quiet, enough to scare both Zhao mama and Su Xiaoyu. They exchanged glances wordlessly. Mu Liuyue hadn’t been wrong. Esteemed wangfei had married into the imperial clan with absolutely nothing. Comparing her wedding to Mu Liuyue’s was like the difference between Heaven and a mudhole. Even the most optimistic woman would take offense to such a wedding being rubbed in her face, right?

Zhao mama assumed that esteemed wangfei would become angry and terrifying, but Han Yunxi simply leaned against her seat and lost herself in thought. After a while had passed, she asked, “Zhao mama, isn’t Grand Concubine Yi’s birthday coming up in the next few days?”

Zhao mama grew suspicious. Why was esteemed wangfei suddenly asking about that? What was wrong with her?

In former years, Grand Concubine Yi would always celebrate her birthday. Murong Wanru was in charge of arranging everything, but ever since she’d fallen into her coma and Grand Concubine Yi retreated to the Buddhist hall, nobody had mentioned it ever again. Zhao mama did some mental calculations and answered, “It’ll be here in three more days. Esteemed wangfei, what are you…”

Han Yunxi’s eyes flickered shrewdly as she broke into a cold smile. “Return to the estate. I’d like to discuss something with His Highness.”

Zhao mama was nervous. Just what was up with her mistress? Had Mu Liuyue provoked her too much? Could she be planning to ask His Highness Duke of Qin for betrothal gifts? But that didn’t seem to fit her personality! So just what was she planning?

Currently, Long Feiye was deep in discussion with Tang Li and Chu Xifeng at the estate. He hadn’t left the capital ever since he had come back from Pill Fiend Valley. The crown prince’s impending wedding was truly a threat to his power, but he had already made moves against the imperial uncle’s estate before the marriage was announced.

“Master, we’ve already looked into it. There’s a total of 40,000 dan of grain reserved for the refugees. The national treasuries offered 20,000 dan, while merchants around the country amassed 20,000 additional dan on their own. But only 10,000 dan of grain actually reached the refugees! Right now, we’re still trying to find out how much grain the imperial uncle’s estate claimed for themselves,” Chu Xifeng reported.

Long Feiye clenched his hands into fists and pounded them against the table. He was about to speak up when Han Yunxi came inside…