"Thank you, miss. I'm really not thirsty!" Zhu Cai's sweat poured down even more heavily.
Yue Ru said with a beaming smile, "Your master and our master are the closest blood brothers. Our two mansions should visit each other more often."
Zhu Cai wiped his sweat and said, "Yes, yes. You're absolutely right, miss." Then he tilted his head back and downed a glass of water as if his life depended on it.
"Look at how hot it is. Steward Zhu, have a cup of tea. This tea is a collection of our prince. It's very precious. Our princess is extremely kind and never scolds the servants." As she spoke, Yue Ru continued to refill Zhu Cai's teacup.
It was true that the princess was kind to the servants. But if she had a whim once in a while, that would be another story.
"Yes, yes!" Zhu Cai was on the verge of tears. His sweat was pouring down like a waterfall. His lower abdomen was so bloated that it was about to burst.
"Steward Zhu, are you feeling unwell?" Yue Ru asked with a concerned look at the soaking - wet man.
"Miss..." Steward Zhu said with a mournful face, stealing a glance at the princess.
"Can... Can I go out for a moment?" Zhu Cai stammered out what he had been afraid to say before. If he didn't say it, he wouldn't be able to hold it in any longer. His lower abdomen was so hard and bloated that he didn't even dare to take a step.
Yue Ru looked at Mei Qingxue. Mei Qingxue covered her face with a fan and nodded slightly.
"Sure. Do you need me to help you? You look really uncomfortable." Yue Ru pretended to reach out to help him.
"No, I..." As soon as Zhu Cai stood up, his face turned pale instantly.
Yue Ru saw a small puddle of water on the ground, which gradually spread. She stared at Zhu Cai in shock, her mouth agape for a long time. Zhu Cai had already disappeared in a flash.
Mei Qingxue watched the row of water - soaked footprints winding into the distance. She covered her face with a palace fan and stifled her laughter. Many servants who were counting the gold and silver on one side saw their princess teach the third prince's steward a lesson and burst into laughter.
Mei Qingxue held back her laughter and said, "Be serious, everyone. Steward Zhu is just in poor health." If they laughed so blatantly now, how could they handle the situation later?
"Yes, princess!" Uncle Fu glanced at Mei Qingxue, nodded understandingly, and winked at the others. They all managed to hold back their laughter.
"Princess... This..." Yue Ru couldn't stop laughing when she saw the water footprints clearly. "Hahaha..." She burst into another peal of silver - bell - like laughter. She really couldn't hold it in any longer!
Mei Qingxue said with a solemn face, "Steward Zhu is really too weak. Look at how much he's sweating. His Highness, the third prince, doesn't know how to take care of his servants at all."
Damn it! She could say such words so righteously because she was so kind to the servants.
"Yes!" Several people replied.
Everyone's face was filled with uncontrollable smiles. Every time the third prince saw their princess, he would always be rude. Although he wouldn't swear, his sarcastic remarks were getting worse and worse. Now that his steward had been taught a lesson, how could they not be happy?
As the saying goes, when beating a dog, one should also consider the owner's feelings. But their princess dared to ignore that.
Looking at the water footprints on the ground, was this sweat? When Zhu Cai ran away, Yue Ru could smell a pungent odor. This sweat was really... unique! It was clearly...
Thinking of this, Yue Ru's face turned bright red with embarrassment.
Zhu Cai had been gone for a while. Mei Qingxue waited and waited but didn't see him. She craned her neck several times but still couldn't find him. She hadn't finished counting the gold and silver yet, and he had disappeared.
"Uncle Fu, go and check!" Mei Qingxue tilted her head in the direction where Zhu Cai had disappeared.
Uncle Fu understood and quickly chased after Zhu Cai in the direction he had gone. It took him a long time to come back.
"Report to the princess. Zhu Cai is gone." Uncle Fu bowed.
He knew that Zhu Cai had probably gone home to change his clothes. Even the servants of the prime minister's mansion were seventh - rank officials. Moreover, Zhu Cai was the steward of the third prince.
Uncle Fu said worriedly, "If Zhu Cai goes back..."
"It's okay!" Mei Qingxue waved her hand casually. Zhu Cai probably wouldn't expose this matter. Even if he did, so what? It wasn't a big deal.
"Is the amount of silver enough?" This was what she was really worried about. She had been hungry and worried for half a day. She should at least get some compensation.
"The amount is enough, but it's just too scattered."
"That's not a problem. Carry it to my main hall later." It would be nice to see the money every day!
The money from her industries was just a number on the ledger. Just now, she had taught the third prince's steward a lesson, but she had been careful not to go too far, so as not to bring disaster upon herself.
She had watched too many ancient - costume TV dramas from her previous nine lives, especially those about the struggle for the throne among the nine princes. She was always terrified when watching them. Every grown - up son of the emperor always thought that he was the most promising and capable one among all the sons. Therefore, they were willing to kill their own brothers for the throne.
Therefore, Mei Qingxue knew that there was bloodshed in the imperial family, not just the glorious side. Although she was happy to teach others a lesson now, she didn't dare to act recklessly.
Du Gu Qing had no real power and no powerful maternal family. Now, because the emperor was still alive, he seemed to be living a simple life. In fact, this was the best protection for him. She didn't know if Du Gu Qing had realized this.
Zhu Cai returned to the third prince's mansion in a rage. The guards didn't dare to say a word when they saw the gloomy face of the head steward. It was hot, and the water stains on his body were invisible. But when he walked by, one could smell a pungent odor.
Zhang Yi sniffed hard. "Zhang Er, do you smell anything?" The smell seemed to come from the head steward.
"No." Zhang Er gave his cousin an impatient look. How blind he was! At this time, one shouldn't say anything even if one smelled something. Fortunately, the head steward had walked far away.
"Keep your mouth shut and don't say useless things." Zhang Er said.
This job was hard - won for him. His cousin was good in every way, but his mind wasn't flexible enough. It seemed that he needed to give him more advice.
"Report to His Highness, the third prince!" Zhu Cai went to see Du Gu Jue after changing his clothes.
Seeing that his steward was wearing different clothes, Du Gu Jue just felt strange but didn't ask. He just said casually, "Speak quickly if you have something to say!"
"I sent the money to the sixth prince's mansion as Your Highness ordered." Then he briefly told Du Gu Jue about the chaos in the sixth prince's mansion and the process of counting the money.
As he listened, Du Gu Jue imagined the chaos in Du Gu Qing's mansion and burst into laughter.
"Go down!"
Du Gu Jue waved his hand. He knew that it was impossible to get back the silver he had given. The rumor that the sixth prince's mansion was in debt wasn't just for one or two days. He had to find another way to vent his anger. He, Du Gu Jue, would never swallow this humiliation. One hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver was not a small amount. Just thinking about it made his heart ache.
Watching Zhu Cai's back, Du Gu Jue went to the back room. He hadn't vented his anger from this morning before going to the court session. Thinking of the soft and delicate body of Yu Xue and her charming moans, Du Gu Jue felt a burning sensation in his lower abdomen. He just wanted to hold Yu Xue in his arms and caress her.
When he got to Yu Xue's courtyard and looked around, he found that Yu Xue wasn't in her bedroom. A look of dissatisfaction immediately appeared on Du Gu Jue's face.
"Come here!" He called out coldly. When he needed her, she wasn't there. The evil fire in his heart faded a little, but his anger flared up.
"Your servant is here. Please give your orders, Your Highness!" A pretty maid in green clothes walked in from outside. Du Gu Jue sized up the maid carefully and showed a lecherous smile on his lips.
"Where is Concubine Xue?" Yu Xue was his concubine, but she was just a secondary concubine. Even the side - princess in the mansion couldn't compare with her.
"Concubine Xue said that Your Highness had worked hard in the morning court, so she personally went to cook lotus - seed congee for you." The maid said tremblingly.
"Your name is Qing'er, right?" Du Gu Jue smiled at the maid.
Qing'er took a step back in fear. Realizing her rudeness, she quickly knelt on the ground and buried her face as low as possible.
Many maids in the mansion had been favored by His Highness, the third prince. They thought they had risen to a high position, but they disappeared after a few days. Some people said that there was a secret yard in the prince's mansion where the women who had been favored by the third prince were locked up. No one knew if it was true or not.
"Your Highness, your servant is Qing'er." Qing'er's voice was trembling.
Just then, Yu Xue walked in with a small bowl in her hand. "Your Highness, Yu Xue only has this one capable maid. If you take her away, who will serve me?"
Hearing Concubine Xue's words, Qing'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She would rather be sent out to marry a servant when she reached the right age than be favored by the third prince.
"Get out of the way quickly. You're blocking the path." Yu Xue kicked Qing'er. Qing'er felt as if she had been granted amnesty and quickly turned around and left.
"I was just joking. Why are you so angry? Come on, let me give you a kiss." Du Gu Jue reached out his hand to pull Yu Xue. Yu Xue gently pushed the lust - driven man away. If she always made it easy for him, she wouldn't be attractive to him anymore.
"Don't be impatient, Your Highness." Yu Xue held the small bowl she had brought in front of Du Gu Jue. Her fingers accidentally brushed against Du Gu Jue's wrist, which made him itch with desire. He wanted to put down the bowl right away and press the charming woman on the bed and teach her a good lesson.
Watching Yu Xue tidying her hair on one side, Du Gu Jue gobbled up the contents of the small bowl in his hand in a few mouthfuls.
With a "bang", he threw the small bowl aside. The bowl rolled on the table for a few times and finally fell to the ground under the table and broke into pieces.
Yu Xue was pressed under Du Gu Jue and ravaged wantonly. A sweet smile appeared on her face. "Your Highness, will you treat Xue'er well in the future?"
"Sure!" Du Gu Jue replied absent - mindedly while taking off his clothes. Yu Xue didn't believe him at all.