Forcing him to transfer so much profit to a commoner? Yuan Yuze was extremely reluctant. Did she, Mu Fengqie, even deserve it?
"Doesn't she know her own place? How dare she covet the imperial cuisine under my name! She must have eaten the heart and gall of a leopard!" The Third Prince slapped the table and stood up, his face contorted with rage.
The angrier Yuan Yuze got, the more delighted Mu Fengqie felt. There were two reasons for her targeting the imperial cuisine. Firstly, it was truly one of the top - ranked restaurants, which could bring her a fortune. Secondly, she wanted to drive a wedge between the two princes bit by bit.
If Yuan Yuchuan was without Yuan Yuze by his side, his days as the crown prince would probably be numbered. However, Mu Fengqie knew that it wouldn't be an easy task to turn the two brothers against each other as they were born of the same mother.
"What? Is the Third Prince not willing? Since you're not willing, there's nothing more to say. I'll take my leave."
With that, Mu Fengqie really stood up and was about to turn away. Having finally waited for Mu Fengqie to make a concession, how could Yuan Yuchuan let this hard - won opportunity slip through his fingers?
"Wait! I, the crown prince, agree to your condition. But if I find out that you're playing tricks on me, your end will be worse than this flowerpot!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the flowerpot shattered with a thud, and Yuan Yuchuan had only waved his hand. It was enough to show how terrifying those with internal energy could be.
Mu Fengqie just stood there, not even blinking an eye. A smile spread across her face. She bowed respectfully to the two princes. "It seems that you and I, the crown prince, are now in the same boat. I'd like to ask the crown prince to make arrangements regarding the imperial hospital. As long as the crown prince gives the order, I'll surely follow your lead!"
After Mu Fengqie finished speaking, she turned and left. The crown prince was pleased that they had reached a cooperation, while only the Third Prince sat there with a gloomy face, drinking his sorrows away.
Although his existence was for Yuan Yuchuan, he had been whole - heartedly protecting the crown prince for so many years. Yet just now, the crown prince had, without blinking an eye, given away his property to someone else. He was extremely frustrated but had nowhere to vent his anger, so he could only drink alone.
When the mistress and her two servants came out of the hot - pot restaurant, Xiao Qing finally let out a sigh of relief. The atmosphere in the private room had been so oppressive that she didn't even dare to breathe loudly. Now she finally felt alive again.
"Miss, I don't understand why you agreed to cooperate with the crown prince. What about the Fifth Prince..." Xiao Qing blinked her eyes in confusion.
Mu Fengqie put her finger to her lips, looked around, and then sighed in relief before explaining. "This is just a temporary expediency. Agreeing to cooperate with them not only keeps them from causing me trouble but also gives me a chance to get closer to the palace, make some profit, and even find an opportunity to drive a wedge between the two brothers. It's really a win - win situation."
"But isn't it dangerous for you to get close to the crown prince, miss? What if the crown prince discovers something? How will you get out of it?" Xiao Qing asked worriedly.
What she was worried about was exactly what Mu Fengqie was concerned about. However, she would just deal with the situation as it came. Since the arrow had left the bow, there was no turning back. Things had reached this point, and there was no room for retreat.
"For now, we'll just take it one step at a time. Xiao Qing, Zhu Fei, you two must be extremely careful and cautious when following me. Do you understand?"
"I understand, miss."
"I understand, mistress."
When they returned to the prime minister's mansion, it was completely dark. Mu Fengqie dragged her exhausted body back to the Maple - Listening Garden. She had hoped to make some skincare products if she got back early, but now it seemed that was impossible.
The night in the imperial city was not as quiet as that in a small town. Sometimes the sound of the night watchman could be heard, and sometimes the cries of children... Mu Fengqie soon fell into a deep sleep, her breathing even.
Early the next morning, the Li Mansion became lively because Li Wantong's face had miraculously healed. Although there were still a few acne marks on her face, she no longer needed a veil to cover it.
Li Wantong couldn't believe her eyes. She ran around the Li Mansion early in the morning, asking every servant she saw.
The people in the Li Mansion were all too shocked to say a word when they saw Li Wantong. She didn't even care to have breakfast and rushed to the minister's mansion to share the good news.
When Xiao Qing came to report, Mu Fengqie was also taken aback. She had expected Li Wantong's face to get better, but she hadn't expected her to come to the minister's mansion so soon.
Li Wantong didn't even go to Shen Yiru's place. She went straight to the Maple - Listening Garden, carrying all kinds of presents in her hands. Her face was full of excitement that she could hardly conceal.
"Wantong, your face is really better. Congratulations." Mu Fengqie said with a smile.
She and Li Wantong had only met once, so they weren't very familiar or close. But Li Wantong seemed like a nice person, worthy of further acquaintance.
The moment Li Wantong saw Mu Fengqie, tears welled up in her eyes. She actually knelt down in front of Mu Fengqie on the spot. Mu Fengqie quickly helped her up.
"What are you doing? Get up quickly. Don't catch a cold."
"Fengqie, I owe my recovered face to you. You're my benefactor for life. If it weren't for you, I might have spent the rest of my life alone at home. Thank you so much! I'll surely do my best to repay you in the future!"
Li Wantong sobbed with snot and tears running down her face. At this moment, she no longer looked like a well - bred young lady. Shen Yiru also rushed to the Maple - Listening Garden after hearing the news.
She stared with wide eyes, her jaw dropping in shock. "Wantong, your face is really better. This is simply amazing!"
Except for Mu Fengqie, who remained calm, everyone else present was extremely surprised. They couldn't believe that in just one night, Li Wantong had had a complete transformation.
Although there were still a few acne marks on Li Wantong's face, it was not hard to tell that she was a beauty, and she even seemed more stunning than Shen Yiru.
"Yiru, I really don't know how to thank Fengqie enough this time. Fengqie, these are all the gifts I've brought for you. You must accept them!"
As soon as Li Wantong finished speaking, the maids behind her carried the presents up. There were a full ten boxes of gifts, and the Maple - Listening Garden was almost filled to the brim.
Mu Fengqie noticed the jewelry from the Wanbao Pavilion at a glance, which showed how generous Li Wantong was. There were countless silks and jewels.