Chapter 187: Chapter 187 Prince Longevity (17)
 

For the next few days, Chuzheng simply delivered items to the palace and never went in again.

After all, entering the palace was such a hassle.

She had to scale the walls.

The walls were so high.

Climbing them was so exhausting.

She was still a child.

Xiao Guizi seemed grateful for Chuzheng’s help with Yan Gui, generously passing along news to her.

With the Imperial Physician’s care, Yan Gui’s illness improved quickly, though his constitution had always been weak since childhood, and that was something that couldn’t be helped.

–

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study.

“Your Majesty.”

Cheng Xiao, dressed in her magnificent palace attire, entered the hall with the guidance of the Palace Maid, greeting and bowing with a particularly soft and charming tone.

Since she couldn’t leave, she could only figure out ways to make her life in the palace better.

“My consort,” the Emperor seemed to be in a good mood, beckoning Cheng Xiao to come closer.

Cheng Xiao had once been punished with a beating, but after her injuries healed, she became one of the Emperor’s most favored beauties.

Now, she was even granted a title, and her popularity soared.

“Your Majesty,” Cheng Xiao snuggled into the Emperor’s embrace and complained, “You promised to dine with your concubine today. How could you break your word?”

“Hahaha, I got busy with state affairs and forgot, I will make it up to my consort,” the Emperor laughed.

“That won’t do, your concubine is upset,” Cheng Xiao pouted cutely, looking charming and adorable.

“Alright, alright. Then what does my consort want? Tell me, I’ll give you anything you desire,” the Emperor said.

Cheng Xiao hummed, “Sister Rou recently received a peony. I’ve heard that the peony is the ‘king of flowers’ with its elegance and beauty, and I too wish to witness the peony in full bloom, looking as splendid as brocade. Is that possible?”

Upon hearing this, the Emperor was delighted, “That’s no trouble at all. If my consort likes it, all the peonies in the world will appear before you.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor ordered that all peonies in the country be sent to the Imperial Capital. Since the Imperial Palace couldn’t accommodate them all, they were placed outside for public viewing.

The gorgeous peony flowers became a common sight everywhere.

Through this, everyone also knew that Cheng Xiao was currently in favor.

Just because she wished to see them, the Emperor decreed.

The city was filled with peonies.

Flowers blooming like brocade.

No one could surpass her.

–

[Main Task: Please purchase one hundred thousand crabapple trees within a month.]

Chuzheng: “…”

Am I buying crabapple trees to eat or what?

One hundred thousand trees!

Where do I put them all?

[Sister, you can do it! You must turn wastefulness into an art form!]

Buying trees counts as what kind of stupid art form?

[Sister, cheer up, you can do it, go get them!]

Chuzheng: “…”

I can do a ball!

I cannot!

One hundred thousand crabapple trees, setting aside the sheer volume which I couldn’t purchase in such a short time, even if they were available, it would take time to transport them here.

Moreover, crabapple trees seem to be quite precious in this world, which makes them very expensive.

Adding the transportation costs and all sorts of miscellaneous expenses…

This is indeed a very effective way to squander wealth!

Bastard is still a bastard!

Chuzheng asked the Shopkeepers of Juyuan Pavilion and Embroidered Brocade Pavilion to help her out.

The Shopkeepers from both stores knew many people and quickly made contact with sellers.

But once the crabapple trees were bought, there was nowhere to put them…

This nearly drove Chuzheng mad.

Even if chopped down for firewood, there wouldn’t be enough room in Prince Cheng Residence to store them!

Eventually, Chuzheng had no choice but to have people plant them on the streets.

The other trees planted along the streets were all moved to make way for the crabapple trees.

The citizens of the Imperial Capital were quite perplexed.

“Are these all crabapple trees?”

“Such large crabapple trees must be worth a lot of money, right?”

“What’s this for? Is something big going to happen?”

“I heard it’s done by that Miss from Prince Cheng Residence.”

“Really?”

“That’s what I heard…”

“How much money would that cost?”

The news of Miss from Prince Cheng Residence planting crabapple trees throughout the Imperial Capital spread quickly throughout the city.

Your Majesty’s peonies seem to fade in comparison to the crabapple trees that fill the city.

Even Cheng Xiao received the news.

The Emperor sent her peonies.

And her grace, she simply planted crabapple trees outside…

Cheng Xiao was so angry that she smashed porcelain all over the floor, with the palace maids and eunuchs kneeling, not daring to move.

What she suspected even more was where Chuzheng got all that money from.

Wasn’t the money of Prince Cheng Residence under the control of her own mother?

Cheng Xiao had not dared to contact the Princess Consort Cheng during this period.

She feared arousing the Emperor’s suspicion and plunging herself into an irreversible disaster once again.

Cheng Xiao sent people out to send messages.

But the news she received was that all was well.

When asked about Chuzheng, the reply was that she need not worry about these things.

Unable to leave the palace, Cheng Xiao found it odd, but there was nothing she could do. She could only work her hardest to please the Emperor and strive for a greater say in front of him sooner.

–

At Prince Cheng Residence.

“Miss, now that the second young lady is in favor, the Princess Consort…” Lv Zhu worried.

What she was most concerned about now was not the miss spending money on crabapple trees, but Cheng Xiao.

“What does it matter if she’s favored.”

Chuzheng sat by the window, propping up her chin, one hand holding a pen, slowly sketching something.

“Miss, if the second young lady seeks revenge with the sacred favor she now enjoys, what will you do?”

Princess Consort Cheng is still confined in the courtyard.

How will Cheng Xiao react when she knows that?

Dipping her brush in ink, Chuzheng responded with a cold expression, “Revenge, what’s there to be afraid of? Can she chop off my head?”

Lv Zhu fretted, “Is that not possible?”

Cheng Xiao was now a favored consort.

How many emperors in history, out of a desire to please their consorts, have committed absurd acts?

Let alone the current Emperor, who is a tyrant.

Putting down her pen, Chuzheng pulled out the Death Exemption Token.

Lv Zhu had never seen a Death Exemption Token, but she recognized the characters for “death exemption.”

“The Prince… The Prince gave you the Death Exemption Token?” exclaimed Lv Zhu in surprise.

“No,” said Chuzheng, “I found it in the study.”

Prince Cheng died of anger and died quick, never having the time to settle his affairs.

If the original owner had possessed the Death Exemption Token, how could she have met such an end?

“…”

Found it? Can one do that?

How can you so calmly say you found it in the study?!

Even if Chuzheng did not have the Death Exemption Token, she wasn’t afraid.

The loneliness of being invincible is something no one understands.

[…Miss, you don’t need to activate invincibility mode. Please squander seriously, behave seriously as a good person. We should be good… no, be a good person!]

“Yes, I’m serious.” Look at my solemn face; isn’t it extremely serious?

[…]I believe your evil.

–

“Miss, this was sent from the palace.” Lv Zhu placed a small box in front of Chuzheng.

“Hmm?” Who sent it?

“From Wanfu Palace…” Lv Zhu whispered.

Ever since saving that prince on the lake that day, the miss has been sending things to the palace every now and then, but it seemed that the miss didn’t have feelings for Prince Six…

Lv Zhu really couldn’t understand her miss.

The box was roughly the size of two adult male palms put together, round, with three layers.

Chuzheng opened the box.

Inside were delicate pastries.

Chuzheng: “…”

Was she lacking these few pastries to eat?

Chuzheng stuffed one into her mouth, with Lv Zhu reminding her to eat in small bites and not choke, to maintain the image of a proper lady.

The pastry melted immediately upon entering her mouth.

Sweet and soft.

Delicious.

Chuzheng quickly finished all the pastries in the box.

Actually, there weren’t many, after all the box was only so large.

The second layer contained something resembling a cold cake, cold and refreshing to eat.

The third layer held only a piece of paper.

—Thank you gift.

Beautiful handwriting.

The strokes were bold and assertive, revealing sharpness.

It didn’t quite match with that obedient and gentle youth.