"Imperial Brother, would you like to consider buying a separate mansion for emergencies?" There was an obvious hint of gloating in the Crown Prince's voice.
"I believe it will often come in handy."
"..." Xiao Yi's face darkened. He gave the Crown Prince a cold glare.
Slowly opening his mouth, he said, "Imperial Brother, you're overthinking. My wife and I have a harmonious relationship and will not live separately."
"What I mean is, when you're driven out in the future, you'll have a place to stay instead of wandering on the streets."
The two brothers were bantering and mocking each other. Shen Xiabai lowered his head and slowly sipped his tea.
Suddenly, Xiao Yi's gaze fell on him.
He wanted to win Shen Xiabai over, but with Cui Yunchu's behavior, he really couldn't show a good attitude towards Shen Xiabai.
"Is Lord Shen here to watch a show?"
Shen Xiabai put down his teacup and echoed the Crown Prince's words, "Prince An is indeed quite pitiable."
"..."
Xiao Yi frowned and said, "So, Lord Shen thinks it has nothing to do with him?"
"I heard that Prime Minister Cui intends to betroth his eldest daughter to Lord Zhou. As her brother - in - law, it wouldn't be right for me to do nothing. How about I ask Father Emperor for a marriage decree on Prime Minister Cui's behalf at tomorrow's morning court?"
"..."
The Crown Prince slowly took a bite of the pastry and thought to himself.
This younger brother is really something.
Perhaps being hit where it hurt, Shen Xiabai stared at Xiao Yi with a calm look and said nothing.
The Crown Prince interjected, "I remember that my father - in - law once intended to betroth my sister - in - law to Lord Zhou. He was quite regretful when it didn't happen in the end."
Xiao Yi frowned and gave the Crown Prince a sidelong glance. "Imperial Brother, isn't the pastry in my palace delicious?"
Can't you keep your mouth shut while eating?
The Crown Prince smiled. "I'm just sighing that my father - in - law really values that Lord Zhou."
Shen Xiabai also said slowly, "What the Crown Prince said is true. Lord Zhou is still alive and kicking. It's really Prince An's incompetence."
"..."
After all, they were monarch and ministers, but now they were speaking so bluntly.
But neither the Crown Prince nor Prince An thought there was anything wrong with it. After all, Shen Xiabai had power and the emperor's favor. Maybe their relationship had long gone beyond that of monarch and ministers.
Xiao Yi sneered. "What Lord Shen said is true. Among all the young men in the capital, Lord Shen is the most capable."
So capable that he was played around by Cui Yunchu. He surrendered within just a few months and was willing to risk his life for her.
With Cui Yunchu's tricks, even a man with a simple mind shouldn't be seduced by her.
"Lord Shen is powerful in the court, but in the end, he was deceived by a hawk."
"..."
Xiao Yi's taunts left Shen Xiabai speechless for a moment.
He had nothing to say.
Just as Xiao Yi said, Cui Yunchu's tricks were really inferior. He entered the situation very clearly, and now he couldn't get out.
Even her methods of framing were so crude, leaving such a big loophole with Gu Xuan's body.
She was very unscrupulous, thinking that she had him firmly in her grasp.
For him, it was even a kind of humiliation.
Because while his heart was cold, he really couldn't bring himself to be cruel to her.
There was a moment of silence in the main hall. After they had stepped on each other's sore spots, they finally quieted down. The Crown Prince was the first to speak. "In a few days, Cui Yunli will be back."
Hearing this, Prince An naturally knew what it meant.
Then he heard the Crown Prince continue, "Qingwan has her eye on a position in the Ministry of War."
How straightforward!
Xiao Yi's face was expressionless. "Since it's what the Crown Princess ordered, why don't you arrange it quickly, Imperial Brother? What's the use of telling me?"
He hadn't received any notice.
The Crown Prince said, "In the current situation, the most likely person to fill the position in the Ministry of War is your man, Imperial Brother."
"So?" Xiao Yi raised his eyebrows. "Imperial Brother, do you expect me to give it up voluntarily?"
It was simply a joke.
The position in the Ministry of War was so important. He had spent years maneuvering to get his man in there. How could he just give it away?
The Crown Prince smiled. "You're wrong, Imperial Brother. It's not for me, but for the Cui family, for your brother - in - law, your sister's brother."
"..."
Xiao Yi seemed to be suddenly choked and fell silent.
The Crown Prince continued, "It doesn't matter if you're not willing, Imperial Brother. I'll ask your sister - in - law to think of another way."
Anyway, the solution had to involve his Prince An's Mansion.
Xiao Yi had a wooden face, and his peach - blossom eyes were full of gloom.
The Crown Prince looked like a kind elder brother. "I'm also thinking of you, Imperial Brother. Since you have to give it up sooner or later, why not do it cheerfully? It can also make your wife happy, and you'll suffer less."
Shen Xiabai thought to himself that the Crown Prince was really something.
Xiao Yi said, "Do you think that if my man doesn't compete, Cui Yunli can get that position?"
How could the emperor agree?
"That's Lord Shen's business."
"..."
Hearing this, Shen Xiabai, who had been silently drinking tea beside them, frowned.
"The annual official selection in the court is handled by the Ministry of Personnel. Neither you nor I can interfere. But I heard that Lord Shen's nephew works in the Ministry of Personnel."
The Crown Prince looked at Shen Xiabai beside him.
"Your Highness is joking. Shen Zilan just does odd jobs in the Ministry of Personnel. He has no influence at all. How could he help with such a big matter?"
The Crown Prince raised his eyebrows. "So, Lord Shen is not willing?"
"I, I have the intention but not the ability."
He had already tried his best by not being hostile to the Cui family. How could he help Cui Yunli?
He lowered his eyes and tightly squeezed the teacup with his fingers.
He had said that he would use the blood of the Cui family to pay homage to his deceased father and brother. Now, he was sitting here, listening to them discuss how to recommend the Cui family. It was really ridiculous.
He smiled, and his smile was full of sarcasm.
"Lord Shen can sit here and listen to my brother and me plan without a care, knowing all the inside information. Does he think he can get out of this unscathed?" Xiao Yi said calmly.
Shen Xiabai frowned.
Xiao Yi added, "Young Master Shen is indeed of little importance in the Ministry of Personnel. But was it not your doing that he was able to enter the Ministry of Personnel?"
Without connections, how could Shen Zilan enter the Ministry of Personnel?
"Your Highness is joking. Shen Zilan was able to enter the Ministry of Personnel because of the emperor's grace, out of consideration for me."
Shen Xiabai always refused to give in. No matter what the Crown Prince and Prince An said, he deflected their requests skillfully.
Even when Prince An implied threats using Cui Yunchu, he still didn't give in.
...
Cui Yunchu gave the brocade box to Cui Yunfeng.
Cui Yunfeng stroked the brocade box, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Did Father ask you to bring me any message?"
Cui Yunchu shook her head.
Cui Yunfeng wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "It doesn't matter. It's already very good that he asked you to bring me a birthday gift. It's my fault that I disappointed him."
Cui Yunfeng opened the brocade box.
There was no golden color. It was neither jewelry nor anything extremely precious.
In the small brocade box, there was a poorly - carved wooden pony. The lines were not smooth, with a big body and a small head.
It was incredibly ugly.
But Cui Yunchu was staring blankly at it, lost in thought.
Cui Yunfeng immediately burst into tears and picked up the wooden carved pony, holding it in her palm.
"So, Father still remembers."
When she was a child, she had a very exquisitely crafted wooden pony, which she played with in her hand every day.
The patterns on it were smoothed by her touch, and she even held it when she slept.
Later, she returned to the capital.
She met her legendary half - elder sister, Cui Yunchu.
The two were at odds with each other. She accidentally broke the only silver hairpin left to Cui Yunchu by her concubine mother.
Although it was not intentional, she offered a lot of gold and silver to Cui Yunchu, saying that she wanted to compensate her, but Cui Yunchu refused to accept it.
Then one midnight, Cui Yunchu sneaked into her courtyard and snatched the pony from her hands while she was asleep.
She chased after her, crying. Cui Yunchu ran even harder and threw the pony into the lake. The servants searched for it for a long time but couldn't find it.
Her father promised to make a new one for her, but her grandmother didn't allow it. She said it was unfair.
