The Obsessive Crown Prince Can't Let Me Go Chapter 465 - 463: Her Young Lady is Even More Formidable th

Chunxi Palace.

Lian Ye entered the room carrying a money chest, excitedly saying, "Your Highness, it’s only been a few days, and already people outside have paid respects with so many silver notes!"

Shen Yunxi dismissed the palace maids, and the master and servant leaned over a carved table to count the money together.

"Altogether, 180,000 taels of patterned silver..." After counting, Lian Ye took out a thin roster, "This list records all those who have paid respects to Your Highness. Among them, 30 people are vying for the position of County Magistrate, each paying a deposit of 2,000 taels. Twelve people are vying for the position of Prefectural Governor, each paying a deposit of 10,000 taels. Many others are asking for news, hoping to buy titles from us."

Lianxin brought in hot floral tea and flower cakes. "The territory of Bei Yan is similar in area to Great Zhou, and considering the uninhabitable cold lands at the northern border, there will likely only be 50 to 60 prefectures established in total. You’ve already sold off positions for more than a dozen Prefectural Governors..."

Keep selling like this, and wouldn’t half of Bei Yan’s governor positions end up being sold?

Her mistress even outpaces the Emperor’s influence.

She placed the tea and cakes down one by one. "As your servant, I believe, secretly doing such things once or twice might be excusable—you trick a couple of people, and they wouldn’t dare co to the Capital seeking retribution. But now this involves so many people. If they all realize they’re being conned and unite, perhaps the one who falls into trouble will be Your Highness."

Shen Yunxi sneered coldly, "How to sell titles to officials is up to . You’ve grown quite audacious, daring to instruct ?!"

Her gaze landed on Lianxin.

Lianxin was naturally delicate and charming, but with the adjustnts by the matrons in recent days, her skin appeared even more radiant and beautiful. Add to that her slim waist and broad hips, she looked very much like soone suited to bear sons.

Shen Yunxi recalled her own inability to have children, coupled with the fact she was about to offer Lianxin to Lu Ying. A deep wave of jealousy surged in her heart.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and delivered a slap to Lianxin, cursing, "Insolent creature! I am your mistress for one day and will remain your mistress for your entire life! Don’t think that just because you’re about to climb into the Emperor’s bed, you can stand shoulder to shoulder with ! I’m rely borrowing your womb—it has always been, and will always be, that you’re nothing but a beast I summon and dismiss at will!"

Lianxin fell to her knees, tears streaming down like pearls: "Your servant has followed Your Highness since childhood. You should know I’ve always been loyal to you, never harboring such thoughts... Even being sent to the Emperor’s bed isn’t sothing I willingly consented to. All I wish is to serve Your Highness and have never entertained any other improper ideas!"

Lian Ye also knelt beside her, pleading, "Your Highness, please calm down!"

Looking at the red and swollen handprint on Lianxin’s cheek, Shen Yunxi thought back to the days when the three of them grew up together—even when relegated to the Cold Palace alongside Lu Ying, they had not been separated. Her hands clenched tightly, and she bit her lip faintly.

She turned her face away. "Leave now! You don’t need to be on duty today!"

Lianxin bowed and left, wiping away tears.

In the Imperial Garden, shadows stretched askew. The glaring sumr sunlight was sowhat blinding.

Far off, cicadas chirped.

Lianxin leaned against a beauty’s resting spot in the corridor. Her cheek was still swollen as she wept quietly at her reflection in the pond.

Liao Lili passed by, fanning herself, and raised an eyebrow. "Oh dear, isn’t this one of Consort Rong’s people? Why hide here crying alone? You look so pitiful. Haitang."

The maid behind her walked forward and handed Lianxin a handkerchief. "Sister, don’t be upset!"

"Must’ve been Consort Rong who hit you," Liao Lili said, half her face concealed by the fan. With a display of shared indignation, she stepped forward to take Lianxin’s hand and said, "Who doesn’t make mistakes as a maid? Being slapped over it is too much. Co, I’ll speak to her for you!"

"No..."

Lianxin quickly withdrew her hand, lowering her eyes and speaking in a small voice, "Consort Rong did not hit ..."

"Your face is swollen with such a massive handprint, and you’re saying she didn’t hit you?" Liao Lili sighed. "You’re too kind-hearted, going so far as to cover for your mistress."

As Lianxin remained silent, a flicker passed through Liao Lili’s eyes.

Whatever she was thinking, she smiled slightly. "I know soone who can deal with your mistress. Co, let take you to her!"

Without explanation, she pulled Lianxin along, heading toward Wu’an Lake.

Currently, Liao Lili was the only one with access to Wu’an Lake.

She took Lianxin into Penglai Palace, sat her down on a circular chair, and called out to Shen Yinning, who was coming from behind the bead curtain with Haitang: "Commandery Princess, see who I’ve brought."

Haitang raised the bead curtain.

Shen Yinning stepped forward gracefully and imdiately spotted Lianxin, who stood uneasily to greet her.

Shen Yinning glanced at Liao Lili.

Liao Lili subtly gestured toward the handprint on Lianxin’s face with her eyes.

Shen Yinning understood and smiled knowingly.

Liao Lili likely thought Lianxin bore resentnt toward Shen Yunxi from being struck and wanted her to exploit this sentint to target Shen Yunxi. That’s why she’d brought her here.

It wouldn’t be certain, though, that Lianxin would betray her mistress.

Shen Yinning sat down and spoke warmly, "What a rare guest, Miss Lianxin."

Liao Lili produced a dical kit and personally applied dicine to Lianxin’s face. "Poor thing, such a beautiful face ruined like this. It pains to see! The Commandery Princess and Consort Rong are sisters. If Miss Lianxin has suffered grievances with Consort Rong, why not tell the Commandery Princess and ask her to speak on your behalf?"

With her eyelashes lowered, Lianxin’s hands were nervously folded on her lap.

She understood full well the adage that unsolicited kindness usually hides ulterior motives.

Where once Shen Yinning sought to harm her mistress, now she realized Liao Lili had long been in cahoots with Shen Yinning!

If so, it seed the recent tens of thousands of taels lost by her mistress might well have been a deliberate sche orchestrated by these two colluding villains!

Now, they were even attempting to win her over to turn her against her own mistress...

Lianxin secretly clenched her fists.

Though her mistress could sotis treat them poorly, during festivals her rewards never fell short. She never asked her and Lian Ye to labor harshly, and always rembered them when there was good food and drink.

Once, they were like true sisters...

Complicated thoughts swirled in Lianxin’s mind.

After a mont, she raised her head again with a look of aggrieved fear: "Today, I misspoke twice, and Consort Rong slapped ... She’s likely irritable and easily angered lately from losing so much silver. Not only I’ve been beaten; even my close companions have also suffered from her temper."

Liao Lili finished applying the dicine and sighed, "Consort Rong truly isn’t easy to serve. You must have had a hard ti all these years. If you ask , you’d be better off serving the Commandery Princess in Penglai Palace. Look at Haitang, Wei Yu, and the others—they’re like sisters here."

"I’d really love to..." Lianxin glanced warily at Shen Yinning, "But I don’t know if the Commandery Princess would accept ..."

Shen Yinning smiled faintly, picking up a cherry.

Lianxin was playing her part now.

Shen Yinning chose to accommodate her play and replied, "Why wouldn’t I? Yet, Lianxin, you must understand—I never do anything without profit. While I could get you out of Chunxi Palace, why should I expend my effort for you?"