Chapter 40: A Belly Full of Bad Water

  As soon as she saw him, her eyes lit up, and in an instant, her anger turned to joy. She got out of bed, stood up straight, and bowed politely, smiling slyly: "Look at the prince's face full of spring breeze, things must be going very smoothly, congratulations on your victory."

  Never had he seen her so well-behaved, Chu Ba's heart was delighted, and with a flick of his finger on her forehead, "Look at you, little sycophant, when there's something to gain, you carry people around, but once they're no longer valuable, you start looking down on them, huh?"

  "What did Your Highness say? I couldn't quite understand?" Hua Zhe Yu opened her eyes wide, with an innocent face, "Could it be that Your Highness thinks I'm a person who only opens my eyes for profit? If so, then Your Highness is really looking down on people."

  She raised her hand solemnly, "Heaven as my witness, Hua Zhe Yu is absolutely not that kind of person who burns bridges after crossing the river. If I'm wrong, may a block of tofu hit me on the head and kill me when I walk out the door."

  Chu Bao was both annoyed and amused by her inconsistent oath. He had never met anyone who dared to speak to him in such a teasing manner before. Most people treated him with respect and caution, and if someone dared to be so reckless with their words, they would probably have been dragged out and executed by the rules-keepers around them. But for some reason, he found her attitude of being both arrogant and humble at the same time to be quite refreshing, even though he knew she was cunning and deceitful.

  Despite that, he said with a straight face: "Although tofu can't kill people, wait until I put an iron plate in the tofu and see if you won't take back your nonsense."

  "Hua Zhe Yu" patted his nose and said, "Your Highness has been working hard for so long, can't I just say something to tease you? Do you have to be so serious?"

  She turned her head to look at Peony who was standing at the door, and this girl actually sought to curry favor with the master?

  Peony shook her head innocently, what could she do when he was the crown prince?

  "It's all settled then." Chu Bao hummed and lowered his voice to whisper in her ear, "Now the Gu family has sent out a large group of people to investigate the whereabouts of those grains. Fortunately, I and Fang Zhanglao had already prepared a countermeasure, so even if their dog's nose is extremely keen, they won't be able to find those grains again. You can just wait for Fang Zhanglao to collect the money."

  Hua Zhe Yu was taken aback, "Fang Zhanglao?"

  Chu Ba raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sideways, "You've signed a contract with him, surely you know who Fang Zhang Lao is?"

  Isn't that Fang Ling Sheng? Thinking back to how he deliberately kept her at arm's length, afraid she would hear about his identity, Hua Yu splashed some water on her mouth and said, "So what if it is Fang Ling Sheng? I don't care who he is, as long as he pays the amount according to the contract right now."

  Chu Ba laughed and said, "You're quite straightforward. I'm most familiar with Fang Zhanglao's character, so you don't have to worry that he'll cheat you out of your silver. Just now, I came with him, and he's currently talking to your father in the study. I reckon they've just about finished discussing the important matters. Let's go over together."

  As soon as he heard that there was money to be collected, he immediately forgot about the rain and had Pheasant bring a bamboo parasol along with him to the outer study.

  "I heard that my fourth brother came to propose to your eighth sister today, but when I arrived just now, I saw that your father's face didn't look good. Did something happen?" Chu Ba suddenly remembered this and asked strangely along the way.

  "Besides, I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. The imperial physician who was by the empress's side diagnosed Eighth Sister as pregnant on the spot, so naturally the marriage couldn't be discussed. With something this big happening, do you think my father's face would look good?"

  Chu Ba looked her up and down, then clicked his tongue and said, "Things are too strange, aren't you still reluctant to let go of the ghost that Fourth Brother Huang made..."

  The peony under the umbrella stumbled, and the flower-bearing rain did not leave any marks as it supported her. Then, she gave Chu Ba a white look, "I admire the North Ming King who is about to arrive in the capital very much, how could I still be infatuated with the Fourth Imperial Prince?"

  Chu Ba heard this and was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said: "You really admire the King of Beiming?"

  Hua Zhe Yu didn't answer him because the outer study had arrived, and Hua Bu Que and Fang Zhong Sheng, who was wearing a white long gown, happened to be walking out from inside.

  "Rain, you've arrived just in time. Elder Fang has been entrusted by the King of North Ming to visit you, and he's very familiar with the customs and people of North Ming. You should ask Elder Fang for more advice on the local customs so that you'll be prepared when things happen." Flower spoke loudly to Rain, her expression changing from gloomy to sunny.

  Miss Qi looked at Fang Sheng with a hint of suspicion and concern, while he also gazed back at her with clear eyes, nodding his head: "Miss Qi, we meet again."

  Chu Bao said strangely: "Lisheng, how did I not know that you were entrusted by the King of North Ming to visit Seventh Miss?"

  Fang Xuan smiled faintly and walked slowly, "Your Highness also knows that my main purpose this time is the matter of the Alliance, and the task entrusted by the King of North Ming is secondary, so I didn't explain it to you one by one."

  This man is full of evil intentions, and it's probably not as he said. Hua Zhe Yu Jian Kou Dao: "Your Highness doesn't know many things, actually there's another matter..."

  "Miss Qi, don't you want to know what the King of North Sea has asked me to bring to you?" Fang Qingsong stopped a few steps away and looked at her.