Chapter 183
"A prince like you, why must you insist on targeting my Huo family?" Huo Yunzhi asked angrily.
How could she possibly remain unscathed?
"Your Huo family has bullied my people repeatedly. Am I supposed to thank you for that? What are you waiting for? They refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Don't you understand?" Xu Heming shot a cold glance over, and Qingsong promptly signaled for the men to force-feed the two women wine.
Huo Yunxuan, standing to the side, wanted to struggle but could do nothing.
He could only watch helplessly as his two sisters were forced to drink.
"Feed him too, until that whole vat of wine is finished. Have the physician watch them, don't let them die!" After saying this, Xu Heming strode away without looking back at them.
Huo Yunzhi couldn't believe this man could be so cruel. He was simply a demon.
Chen Sanlang had originally come to the Huo residence looking for Huo Yunzhi. She used to visit him every day, but today she hadn't come, which made him feel uneasy.
Huo Yunzhi was his golden ticket. Ever since he met her, the Chen family's standard of living had improved.
Although his mother and sisters-in-law often bossed Huo Yunzhi around, they all hoped he would marry her soon.
After all, she was a young lady of the Huo family, with a very substantial dowry.
But what had he just witnessed?
He saw the Huo family members, in front of that man, like ants, utterly powerless to fight back.
Seeing the Huo family's miserable fate, Chen Sanlang no longer dared to harbor any thoughts about Huo Yunzhi. He feared that man might turn his hand against the Chen family.
Moon Gazing Pavilion
"When will your prince arrive?" Huo Yunyao couldn't remember how many times she had asked the guard beside her.
"The prince will come when he is finished with his business. The prince said if Second Young Lady Huo is hungry, she may dine first," the guard said coldly.
"Hmph!" The more Huo Yunyao listened, the more she felt something was wrong. She remembered that back at the mansion, she was supposed to go rescue her fourth brother.
She wondered how her fourth brother was faring.
"I need to return home. I'll drink with your prince another day." Huo Yunyao stood up, wanting to leave.
"Second Young Lady Huo, it's too late to leave now," Xu Heming said as he walked in from outside, a trace of a mocking smile on his face.
"Your Highness, I just remembered there is urgent business at the mansion. Perhaps we could reschedule?" Huo Yunyao said with an awkward smile.
"Unfortunately, Second Young Lady Huo, no one has ever dared to stand me up on an agreed matter. Today, you must drink this wine." Xu Heming signaled for the guard to bring up the wine.
At this moment, Huo Yunyao had lost all her previous fanciful thoughts about Xu Heming.
Her mind was filled with worries that something might have happened to her brother.
Moreover, her heart grew increasingly panicked, filled with a sense of impending disaster.
"I..." Huo Yunyao wanted to leave, but seeing Xu Heming's expression, she felt a twinge of fear.
"What, Second Young Lady Huo dares not grant me this honor?" Xu Heming gave a wicked, charming smile that made Huo Yunyao blush.
"It would be my honor," Huo Yunyao replied. She thought to herself that her fourth brother was in their own mansion, surely nothing could happen there.
With so many servants in the mansion, they couldn't possibly fail to take care of one person.
Opportunities to drink alone with the prince were rare.
Later, after they drank, it wasn't impossible for something to happen between them. Wouldn't that give her a chance to marry him?
Thinking this, Huo Yunyao grew excited again. She couldn't just leave like this.
Xu Heming felt nothing but contempt in his heart.
However, to teach this ungrateful woman a lesson, he personally poured wine for her.
"Second Young Lady Huo, this is the first time I've ever poured wine for a woman. You must grant me this honor!" Xu Heming said while pouring, the smile in his eyes not reaching their depths, holding only mockery.
"O-Of course!" Hearing this, Huo Yunyao felt secretly delighted. She never imagined a prince would pour wine for her.
Without a second thought, Huo Yunyao drank the wine.
After three cups, a knock sounded at the door.
"Your Highness, the person has been delivered," the voice of a guard came from outside.
Xu Heming breathed a sigh of relief. He could finally stop acting with this disgusting woman.
Since she liked beggars so much,
he would grant her wish.
"What person?" By now, somewhat drunk, Huo Yunyao asked hazily, her vision blurry.
Huo Yunyao's maid had long been taken away by Xu Heming's men.
"Second Young Lady Huo, I have a generous gift for you," Xu Heming said, then left the Moon Gazing Pavilion.
Huo Yunyao, quite drunk, felt the whole room spinning.
Shortly after, the room door opened from the outside.
Three beggars walked in.
"Your Highness, how did you become three? Hehe?" Huo Yunyao looked at the three beggars and asked with a giggle.
"Well, what's this lady calling us?"
"What she calls us doesn't matter. What matters is we took someone's money to play with her."
The beggars drank quite a bit more with Huo Yunyao, who by now could no longer distinguish who was in front of her.
Capital City, Treasure Pavilion, Third Floor, Private Room
"You've been at the prince's mansion for some time now. Have you discovered anything?" A man in black sat upright at the table, looking displeased at Zheng Qiaoshu before him.
"Master, the An Prince simply isn't at the mansion. This subordinate is incompetent." Zheng Qiaoshu wished she could do something, but apart from an old woman, she was the only one in the mansion.
She could do nothing.
"Useless!" The man in black was extremely displeased upon hearing this.
"Our informant in Li'an County reported possibly seeing the An Prince there. He might have gone to Li'an County," the black-clad man said, thinking of the letter he received today.
"What? No wonder I haven't seen any trace of him at the mansion. Should this subordinate find a way to go to Li'an County now?" Zheng Qiaoshu thought of how yesterday she told the old princess consort she wanted to go to the magistrate's office to find the prince, and the old woman didn't allow it. She wondered if mentioning Li'an County would be permitted.
"No need. Find a way to inquire if any part of the dowry the Li family brought over back then was left at the An Prince's mansion. Go see if there is such an item." The man handed a drawing to Zheng Qiaoshu.
Zheng Qiaoshu looked at the drawing, memorizing its appearance.
"Additionally, put this medicine into the old woman's food." The black-clad man took out a packet of medicine, his voice cold.
Without a second thought, Zheng Qiaoshu took the medicine packet.
She didn't ask what kind of medicine it was.
"Once something happens to that old woman, Xu Heming will naturally return. Then, you should build a good relationship with that Li Zhiwei and go to the Li family to see if you can find this thing! Also, don't slack off regarding Xu Heming. If necessary, eliminate him without anyone knowing." The man made a throat-slitting gesture. Just thinking of Xu Heming made him gnash his teeth.
"Yes!"
"Young Lady, are you finished resting?"
Outside the door, the anxious voice of a Treasure Pavilion maid sounded.
After all, the third floor of the Treasure Pavilion wasn't a place just anyone could come to.
The young lady earlier was feeling unwell, and since she claimed to be from the Prince An's household, the maid dared to lend her the third floor for temporary use.
However, now that Lady Fu'an is about to arrive and wishes to go to the private room to select jewelry, the maid dared not delay and hurriedly called out.
If they made Lady Fu'an wait on the second floor, they would surely be punished later.
