Murong Min was not only the emperor but also the husband of Dugu Lanyue. If word got out that his legitimate wife had to pay for her own hot - spring bath, wouldn't the other kingdoms laugh their heads off?
"The Northern Yan is not short of that bit of silver. How could I possibly spend the queen's money? I'll immediately order the acceleration of the renovation of the hot - spring palace."
Dugu Lanyue slightly raised her eyebrows. "Your humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your great kindness. Your Majesty is the best to your servant."
Huo Wei's face darkened. "Your Majesty, the queen surely doesn't feel any pain spending the Northern Yan's silver."
Murong Min picked up an orange from the plate and threw it at him. "Prince Yuzhang, eat your orange. Don't stare at my queen so fiercely."
Dugu Lanyue softly said,
"Your Majesty, such an important matter as the renovation of the hot - spring palace requires a supervisor.
This person has to be as fierce as Prince Yuzhang. Otherwise, when will this project be completed?"
Murong Min then said, "Huo Wei, I'll leave the renovation of the hot - spring palace to you. If the queen is not satisfied, I'll surely hold you accountable."
Recently, Murong Min had almost always granted the queen's requests.
The astonishment in Huo Wei's black eyes flashed by and then returned to the abyss - like calm. Since Dugu Lanyue had said those words about keeping out of each other's way, she seemed to have truly kept her word.
Moreover, after the old emperor had sorted out the concubines in the harem, he doted on her even more.
She must have used some seductive tricks again to make the emperor dote on her without limit.
This was not the right time to renovate the hot - spring palace at all.
Dugu Lanyue said faintly, "What's wrong, Prince Yuzhang? Do you want to defy the imperial edict?"
Huo Wei stood up and bowed. "Your servant obeys the edict."
Xie Xuanjin pulled Murong Min aside for a private chat. Their steps were slow, but they walked farther and farther away.
In the pavilion in the imperial garden, only Huo Wei and Dugu Lanyue were left.
Huo Wei's face was gloomy, and he sneered. "On purpose?"
Dugu Lanyue peeled an orange herself and slowly put it into her mouth. "What is Prince Yuzhang talking about? I don't understand your meaning."
Huo Wei leaned forward and asked in a deep voice,
"The Northern Yan is taking the lead in the cooperation with the Eastern Ning. It requires a large amount of manpower and material resources. You're consuming the state treasury at this time. Aren't you deliberately trying to mess up the cooperation between the two kingdoms?"
Dugu Lanyue stood up and walked away.
"I'm just a woman. I don't understand this cooperation between the two kingdoms you're talking about."
She walked very quickly towards the back of the rockery.
Huo Wei also got up and walked over, grabbing her arm. "Go and tell His Majesty to postpone the renovation of the hot - spring palace. After the cooperation between the two kingdoms matures, I'll personally supervise the renovation."
Dugu Lanyue shook off his hand. "What if I don't?"
Huo Wei saw the coldness and estrangement in her eyes today. In the past, Dugu Lanyue would create opportunities if there were none just to be alone with him. But now, after just a few private words, she was about to leave.
He was a bit confused. So confused that he kept thinking about it and wanted to figure it out.
Dugu Lanyue lifted her skirt and was about to continue walking. He stretched out his arm and leaned against the rockery, blocking her way. "What do you mean recently?"
When she heard this, she secretly smiled in her heart but still remained calm.
"Didn't I say last time that we should keep out of each other's way?
Prince Yuzhang loathes me from the bottom of his heart. I've tried hard and struggled to change my impression in your heart.
I think I've done my best. But that day at your mansion, you should know what you said."
Huo Wei's black eyes shrank slightly, and he asked, "What did I say?"
Dugu Lanyue removed his arm, lifted her skirt, and left from behind the rockery.
Huo Wei wanted to say something else, but in the end, he watched her back and stopped himself. Then he took out the jade hairpin she had left behind from his bosom, looked at it for a few times, and put it back.
That day, he seemed to have said some inappropriate things. But those were just to test her. He never thought she would still remember them.
After walking out of the imperial garden, he heard several noble ladies of the Northern Yan just leaving the concubines' palaces. They were chatting with each other.
The lady in yellow said,
"Madam Zhao, do you know what the Queen Dugu did to organize Prince Yuzhang's birthday in a proper way, neither making His Majesty lose face nor making Prince Yuzhang seem too overbearing?"
Huo Wei walked behind them. Since he was a martial artist, he walked very lightly. He pricked up his ears and listened carefully.
The noble lady in the green dress shook her head. "I don't know. What has this evil queen done again?"
The lady in yellow snorted.
"She used both hard and soft tactics.
The queen personally wrote the invitation cards, stamped them with the phoenix seal, and also sent the precious jadeite brought from the Southern Chu. She even sent the palace servants to deliver gifts door - to - door.
You know, the imperial green jadeite is a rare product in the Baiyue Prefecture of the Southern Chu. It's very precious, but she was actually willing to part with it."
The lady in green was more composed.
"She really has some tricks. Stamping the phoenix seal is to tell the invitees that this is the queen's order, which is the hard approach;
Sending the imperial green jadeite is to make people happy and willing to go to the prince's mansion to offer congratulations, which is the soft approach.
Tsk tsk tsk. This Queen Dugu really has some skills. No wonder she's in favor.
The queen was really considerate. She even personally wrote so many invitation cards for the court officials. She really knows how to humble herself."
The lady in yellow rolled her eyes. "An evil queen is an evil queen. She probably has some bad intentions."
Hearing these words, Huo Wei couldn't help but slow down his steps. He remembered that day when he saw many pinpricks on Dugu Lanyue's fingertips and that she had personally written a huge number of invitation cards...
Huo Wei thought that actually, both the sewing of the belt and the writing of the invitations could be done by others. Why did she do everything herself?
The black eyes of the fierce beast shrank, unclear and dim. His fingers reached for the celestial silk belt around his waist and gently stroked it.
Without thinking much more, he left the palace. A few days later, he summoned the officials of the Ministry of Works to discuss the renovation of the hot - spring palace in his mansion and didn't obstruct it anymore.
Huo Wei's requirements were simple: fast, stable, and cost - saving, without affecting the cooperation between the Northern Yan and the Eastern Ning.
He took the well - organized memorial and submitted it to the Zichen Hall. Murong Min told him that the queen was not satisfied, so he had to go to the Fengluan Palace in person until the queen was satisfied.
Dugu Lanyue was reclining on the beauty's couch, looking leisurely. She said softly, "What brings Prince Yuzhang to me?"
Huo Wei said, "Regarding the renovation of the hot - spring palace, Your Majesty, why have you been returning the memorials?"
Dugu Lanyue said, "It's too shabby and too casual. I don't like it.
How could Prince Yuzhang use ordinary bricks for the floor tiles of the bathing pool? I want jadeite to pave it. The best jadeite should cover the entire bathing pool. And then use pure gold to make a spout in the shape of a dragon and a phoenix singing in harmony, inlaid with pigeon - blood rubies from Siam."
Huo Wei was from a military background and couldn't tolerate extravagance and waste at all. Sometimes, he couldn't even stand the extravagance in the harem.
This queen actually wanted to use jadeite to pave the bathing pool. She really didn't think the money of the Northern Yan was money.
He threw the memorial on the table, walked to the beauty's couch, and looked down at Dugu Lanyue.
"I've submitted the memorial three times, and you've had His Majesty return it three times. You've been constantly increasing the silver expenditure, which has touched my bottom line."
Dugu Lanyue slowly looked up at him.