Chapter 8: The Old Fox

  "This..." Chancellor Wei was momentarily lost for an excuse, especially under the overwhelming presence of Yun Xie, which already made him feel timid.

  The Evil King had consummated the marriage with Wei Yuanwei st night, so he was more than familiar with her body.

  Whatever he said now would only sound like an excuse in Yun Xie’s eyes, and might even provoke his displeasure. On top of that, marrying Wei Guanshu off to the Marquis of Wenchang years ago likely already angered Yun Xie.

  "This was a failure on my part. I’ve always seen the Princess Consort as my granddaughter and never expected that others in the manor would dare bully her behind my back. The Princess Consort has always been obedient, well-mannered, and not good with words. She never mentioned any mistreatment to me. I will thoroughly investigate this once I return!" Chancellor Wei's murky eyes fshed with cunning as he cleverly shifted the bme onto the womenfolk of the household.

  The corners of Yun Xie’s lips curved coldly beneath his mask. How could Wei Yuanwei have mentioned anything to him when she was locked in the horse stable? And after years of mistreatment in the Wei household, did the chancellor truly not know?

  This old fox—back when Yun Xie was disfigured and blinded in a fire, the chancellor had immediately married off Wei Guanshu to someone else, fearing his prized granddaughter would be wasted on a “cripple.” All to avoid squandering a carefully cultivated chess piece.

  "This prince is asking about your earlier words: 'What others have, the Princess Consort also has; what others don’t have, she also has.' What exactly did you mean by that?" Yun Xie’s voice grew low and dangerous, clearly unimpressed by the chancellor's previous words and determined to pressure him.

  Cold sweat broke out on Chancellor Wei’s back. "That... naturally refers to my affection for the Princess Consort!"

  "Affection? When other noble daughters marry, their dowries are counted by the carriage-load. Yet the Princess Consort only received two measly chests? Is that what you call affection?" Yun Xie’s previously indifferent tone turned sharp and mocking. He flicked his sleeve, exuding a powerful aura that made Chancellor Wei panic.

  "My lord, the imperial decree came so suddenly. I truly had no time to prepare!" Chancellor Wei was visibly terrified. Neglecting Wei Yuanwei might be forgivable, but marrying her off to the Evil King with only two chests of dowry? That was a btant insult to the prince!

  "I will make up the full dowry and have it delivered to your estate once it’s ready!" The chancellor had no choice but to comply. He had always prided himself on his judgment, assuming Yun Xie would be useless after surviving that explosion. But who would have thought the once-learned prince would return with unmatched skill in both civil and military affairs, becoming a brilliant strategist and warrior?

  Yun Xie had risen as the youngest—and most formidable—prince in all of Dongchu.

  To be honest, the chancellor now regretted it. Even though Yun Xie’s personality had drastically changed and most were afraid to marry into his household, he was sure Yun Xie would never harm Wei Guanshu.

  Yun Xie raised his eyebrows, clearly pleased with the chancellor’s new tone. "So, Chancellor, how much dowry do you pn to offer to demonstrate your affection?"

  He was clearly forcing the chancellor's hand.

  Chancellor Wei gritted his teeth and raised eight fingers...

  Yun Xie shook his head slightly. "Didn’t you say the Princess Consort would have what others don’t?"

  Chancellor Wei, trembling, stretched out all ten fingers...

  "This prince does not mean to make things difficult. But the emperor heard your words too. If word gets out that the princess consort was married off with only two chests, the emperor might think you were slighting me. I don’t ask for much—just give her the same wedding pomp and dowry as your granddaughter Wei Guanshu received." Yun Xie said this casually, but the depth of his gaze was chilling.

  Upon hearing this, Chancellor Wei nearly coughed up blood. Back when Wei Guanshu married the Marquis of Wenchang, her wedding was the most magnificent in the capital—twenty servant girls as dowry attendants, and a “Ten-Mile Red Dowry” that made countless others envious.

  It had taken craftsmen six months just to prepare!

  Chancellor Wei knew Yun Xie was doing this on purpose—to punish him for marrying off Wei Guanshu to someone else back then. That original dowry had been prepared for Yun Xie and Wei Guanshu’s wedding.

  "My lord, that dowry took six months to assemble..." the chancellor said cautiously, his heart aching.

  Wei Guanshu was his most cherished granddaughter, and that marriage had significantly boosted his political standing. But who was Wei Yuanwei? Just a wild girl raised in the stables—how could she deserve such grandeur?

  "This prince is in no rush. Deliver it to my estate six months from now," Yun Xie said lightly, turning to leave with regal grace.

  His tall, jade-like figure exuded an overwhelming kingly presence that made Chancellor Wei feel suffocated—as if something was gripping his throat.

  Even his vision blurred, and he struggled to remain standing. Without sheer willpower, he might have toppled down the steps right then!

  The Ten-Mile Red Dowry! Hundreds of pieces of jewelry alone, not to mention garments, fabrics, furniture, antiques, paintings, medicinal herbs, farmnd, and shops...

  And now he had to give all that to a wild girl raised in the stables!

  The more he thought about it, the more his chest felt stifled. Rage surged to his head until his body tilted—and he colpsed.

  "Chancellor Wei!"

  "Chancellor Wei!"

  At the Evil King’s Estate

  After a night of stomach pain, Wei Yuanwei had only just fallen into deep sleep at dawn.

  But then, outside, she heard someone call her a “wild seed” and say worse things. Startled awake, her eyes snapped open.

  "Who would've thought that wild seed’s still alive? And the chancellor’s estate actually raised her?"

  "Raised her? My neighbor’s daughter works at the estate—she said that wild seed ate and slept with horses, stank to high heaven, and was bullied by every servant. If the emperor hadn’t decreed the marriage, she’d still be living with horses day and night!"

  "Oh, I wonder what the Evil King will think once he learns that the ‘noble daughter’ he married is actually a wild seed. Why hasn’t the estate dragged out her corpse yet?"

  "She’s probably dead already! Maybe the Evil King, feeling disgusted, tossed her in a mass grave without even a coffin..." came another sneering voice.

  "In fact, technically, that wild seed is the Evil King's childhood sweetheart’s cousin!"