Hearing this, Concubine Rui was extremely annoyed, but in the end, she had to swallow all her dissatisfaction.
"What on earth do you want today when you come here?"
Fan Zhen curled his lips. Although his heart still ached, it was different from before.
Today, he came here just to try to gain some more benefits for himself.
"It's simple. I've been by Your Highness's side for so many years without getting any benefits. I'm sure Your Highness isn't that stingy, right?"
Concubine Rui, who always maintained an elegant image in front of others, was stunned for a moment and then completely lost her composure. Her face contorted in rage.
"Have the guts to repeat what you just said. Do you really think you can ask me for some compensation?"
"Your Highness is right. Actually, I'm not that greedy. I've heard before that Your Highness has a lot of good things. Even though your maternal family has fallen, I'm sure you still have some things bestowed by the late emperor in your possession, right?"
Concubine Rui was speechless for a long time. She couldn't believe how brazen this man was to say such a shameless thing.
Taking a deep breath, afraid that the commotion here would attract others, she had to suppress her anger.
She quickly pulled the man to the bedside and then closed the door.
"The things bestowed by the late emperor definitely can't be given to you. You voluntarily followed me back then. Why are you asking me for rewards now?"
At this, Fan Zhen's face immediately fell.
"Does Your Highness want to renege on the deal? Or have you forgotten that it was you who took me into your backyard in the first place? It wasn't me who first provoked Your Highness."
Bringing up the old past, at that time, Concubine Rui hadn't been with General Qin yet. She thought Fan Zhen's face resembled General Qin's a bit, so she had been chasing after him. She never thought that now it had become a handle in his hands. Being said like this, it made her seem like she was desperate.
Concubine Rui clenched her fists and endured for a long time before she didn't directly drive the man in front of her out.
"Then what else do you want? Do you really have to force me to empty the Qingning Palace?"
Seeing that she seemed about to cry, Fan Zhen felt no pity at all.
It was as if he was the one bullying her, but in fact, it was all her own doing.
His eyes were filled with disgust, and his face remained cold.
"If Your Highness is willing to give all the valuable things in the Qingning Palace to me, your old lover, it's not impossible."
Concubine Rui directly crushed the table in her hand. It seemed that she was completely going to fall out with this man.
However, all the things in the Qingning Palace were slowly earned by her with her own charm. Why should she give them to this man and let him take advantage for free?
Concubine Rui was not willing, so naturally she wouldn't agree. She still planned to rely on these rewards to make a comeback in the end.
"No, the things in the Qingning Palace must not be touched. All the things are recorded in the storeroom. If something is missing, it will be hard for me to explain when the news gets out."
Seeing her stingy look, Fan Zhen had already guessed it, so he was not in a hurry at this moment.
The man's hand casually swept across the valuable vases.
"I remember this vase was obtained by Your Highness from a concubine in the cold palace back then, right? If that concubine hadn't been desperate, how could it have ended up in Your Highness's hands? However, just after that concubine gave this vase to you, she suddenly died. I've always found it very strange. I don't know if I should ask the Empress Dowager or Concubine Mo to investigate this strange matter?"
Almost without thinking, Concubine Rui interrupted his words.
"No!"
Seeing her so excited, Fan Zhen almost had an idea in his mind. There must be some unspeakable secret in it.
If so, it seemed that there were many strange things in the Qingning Palace. He remembered that when Concubine Rui was still with him, there would be new things coming in from the outside almost every day. On the surface, those things had a clean origin, but who knew what was going on behind the scenes?
Seemingly seeing what the man was thinking, Concubine Rui bit her lower lip hard.
"I can unconditionally do one thing for you and also keep you by the Empress Dowager's side. How about this condition? It's much easier to enjoy good food and drink by the Empress Dowager's side than by my side. Moreover, you should also know that you will get many good things. Instead of keeping your eyes on my Qingning Palace, it's better to go to the Shoukang Palace."
Fan Zhen sneered with a curl of his lips and didn't directly say that he had already stayed by the Empress Dowager's side. According to this woman's temperament, if she knew that he had already stayed by the Empress Dowager's side, she would probably cause some trouble.
He didn't want to cause trouble for the Empress Dowager.
"Your Highness doesn't need to keep pushing me in front of others. Do you think I will still stay in this palace? This palace is like a cage."
Concubine Rui didn't expect that he was unmoved by such a great temptation.
If he didn't agree, then she would have to hand over these hard - won things to him. No, absolutely not. Those things were all hers.
Concubine Rui's mind was spinning rapidly, thinking about how to get rid of the man in front of her.
The two were at a stalemate like this, and Fan Zhen didn't take the initiative to speak again. After a long time, suddenly a maid knocked on the door outside.
"Your Highness, someone has been sent from the Empress Dowager's side, saying that she invites you over."
Concubine Rui suddenly remembered that her next plan must not be delayed any longer, otherwise the plan would fail.
She pursed her lips and forced a smile. "If you really want some compensation, just pick a few items from these things at will. After all, we've had so many years of affection, and I'm not a cold - hearted person."
Concubine Rui's sudden compliance made him a little unaccustomed.
Fan Zhen frowned. He didn't know why she suddenly became so easy to talk to. Was she plotting something?
"Your Highness's sudden generosity really surprises me."
Concubine Rui's tone was a bit impatient. She didn't have much time to waste here.
"Hurry up and make your choice. I'm doing this for your own good. If others find out that you're in the palace later, I'm afraid you won't be able to escape, and you might even implicate your subordinates. This can also be regarded as my final explanation to you."
It had to be said that Concubine Rui was very good at manipulating people's minds. He thought he had already let go, but after she said this, he still felt extremely uncomfortable.