Chapter 511

Zhang Yanchu looked at the clamoring Shangguan Mu and sighed inwardly. He had intended to let Shangguan Mu be injured, but he couldn’t keep the man trapped here forever, especially since Xu Heming was already married by now. If Shangguan Mu went back and snatched his wife, then it would only be Xu Heming’s own fault for being incompetent.

“Hmph!” Princess Fuan let out a cold sneer, thinking to herself that once she returned to the capital, she would make this wretched man pay.

How dare he order someone to strip her clothes? Her reputation as Princess Fuan was not something to be trifled with.

“General Wen, I wish to return to the capital. I want to ask—is this how your kingdom of Lannuo treats its guests?” Shangguan Mu turned to Zhang Yanchu, his tone dripping with provocation.

He seemed to be hinting at Zhang Yanchu that if he wasn’t allowed to leave this time, he would find a way to report it to the emperor, and then there would be no room for politeness.

“What nonsense is the Third Prince speaking? Our Lannuo kingdom has always treated guests with courtesy. It was this maidservant who had no manners and offended Your Highness. We shall return to the capital immediately,” Zhang Yanchu quickly said.

“Hmph, this maidservant dared to lay her hands on me. General Wen doesn’t intend to let this slide so easily, does he?” Shangguan Mu looked at Princess Fuan, his tone unfriendly.

“Of course not. Rest assured, Third Prince, after I report this matter to His Majesty, she will be handed over to you for punishment,” Zhang Yanchu said, frowning at Princess Fuan. His eyes were cold. He had no idea who had slipped this maidservant in.

She was so audacious as to provoke this calamity. Zhang Yanchu wouldn’t show false kindness to save a woman seeking death.

“Mmph! Mmph! Mmph!” Princess Fuan’s mouth was gagged, but upon hearing Zhang Yanchu’s words, she instantly became furious.

Hand her over to that vile man? What chance would she have to survive?

“Take her away!” Zhang Yanchu ordered coldly to the attendants nearby.

This eyesore of a woman, no matter who she was, would receive no mercy from him.

Shangguan Mu heard this and didn’t press further. After all, given his current state, he had no way to deal with that wretched woman.

For now, he needed to return to the capital as soon as possible. His people were still there.

Moreover, the envoys from the Qinling Kingdom would soon arrive in the capital.

As it stood, the matter of having Lannuo’s emperor sign the century-long treaty was still unresolved.

At the thought, Shangguan Mu felt a bit anxious. His ultimate goal in coming to Lannuo was the century-long treaty. His father had promised that if he secured the treaty, he would be made crown prince.

He wanted Li Zhiwei, but compared to her, he craved the position of crown prince even more.

At that moment, at Prince Lanhuai’s Mansion

Prince Lanhuai returned to his mansion with a gloomy face.

“Your Highness,” Changsheng said, hurrying over when he saw Prince Lanhuai.

“Mm,” Prince Lanhuai replied in a bad mood, feeling irritated by everything.

After all, he had treated Shangguan Yun to fine food and drink for several days without getting what he wanted, and then she slipped away.

How could he be in good spirits?

“Your Highness, they say the iron mine over there has been fully excavated,” Changsheng said cautiously, seeing Prince Lanhuai’s foul mood. He wouldn’t have brought it up if it weren’t urgent.

“What? Fully excavated?” Prince Lanhuai was furious.

That vast mountain had only been mined for a short time. How could it be finished?

“Yes, Your Highness. They await your decision on whether to continue mining,” Changsheng asked softly.

“Dig! Why stop?” Prince Lanhuai glared. How could they stop?

That mine held all his hopes.

The scraps of iron they had previously dug up were nowhere near enough for his grand plans.

“But the funds from Peace County haven’t been sent. Mining further will require a lot of money,” Changsheng brought up another problem.

“Not sent?” Prince Lanhuai frowned. He hadn’t been paying attention to these matters lately, and hearing this now troubled him. Had some low-ranking official embezzled his money?

Thoughts churning, he was puzzled why all the recent news was bad.

“Where’s Huo Yunzhi?” Prince Lanhuai suddenly remembered it was the Huo family that had given him the land deed.

Huo Yunzhi should know what was going on.

“Your Highness, Concubine Huo is ill,” Changsheng said carefully.

“Ill? Has a doctor been called to see her?” Prince Lanhuai didn’t have much fondness for Huo Yunzhi. When he found her useless, he abandoned her in the back courtyard without another thought.

But the women in his mansion were no pushovers. The servants all followed suit, eager to kick her when she was down. Now, Huo Yunzhi was barely clinging to life.

“This servant will send for a doctor for Concubine Huo at once,” Changsheng quickly said.

“I’ll go see her myself,” Prince Lanhuai decided. He knew that if he wanted to get information out of Huo Yunzhi, he’d have to pay a price.

“Your Highness—”

Changsheng hesitated, wanting to stop him. The place where Huo Yunzhi lived was quite shabby.

He feared that visiting such a dirty place might bring bad luck to the prince.

“Can’t you just say what needs to be said in one go?” Prince Lanhuai snapped, thinking of the iron mine, which was vital to him.

“How about this servant brings Concubine Huo here?” Changsheng dared not voice his thoughts directly and instead asked cautiously.

“What? In my own mansion, is there a place I cannot go? Today, I will see it for myself,” Prince Lanhuai said, his temper already frayed, and Changsheng’s words only aggravated him.

No one in this mansion could stop him from going anywhere.

“This ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​‍servant wouldn’t dare stop you. I was only worried that seeing Concubine Huo might spoil your spirits,” Changsheng said carefully.

“Lead the way,” Prince Lanhuai said, convinced nothing could hinder him.

Changsheng sighed inwardly, wondering who had so thoughtlessly angered the prince today. He could only hope no one else was at Concubine Huo’s place, or they’d be in trouble.

But at least Princess Fuan wasn’t in the mansion; if the prince saw her tormenting Concubine Huo, she’d surely face punishment.

Still, Changsheng never imagined that Huo Yunzhi would have a chance to rise again.

At that moment, in a desolate, remote courtyard of Prince Lanhuai’s Mansion

“Secondary Consort of Lanhuai, aren’t you so smug now?”

The maid Tao Zhi slapped Huo Yunzhi’s face mockingly, her expression full of contempt.

“Secondary Consort, I’ve brought you your meal,” Tao Zhi said, deliberately dumping the rice in her hand onto the ground.

Huo Yunzhi’s face was pale, her eyes vacant, the former glory of the Huo family’s third young lady nowhere to be seen.

Seeing the scattered rice, Huo Yunzhi crawled over, grabbing a handful and stuffing it into her mouth.

She didn’t want to starve again.