"What! Why would Your Highness have me sell my dowry? Those shops and manors, their annual profits are not insignificant. Wouldn't it be a great pity to sell them like this, resulting in such a loss?"
"Tang'er, you are the only one who can help your husband now." He looked at Bai Ran Tang with deep affection and resolve. Bai Ran Tang turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.
Zhao Yun Yi grabbed her shoulders, turned her around, and met her eyes directly. His voice was seductive as he said,
"Tang'er, sacrifice the small for the great! Once our great undertaking is complete, I will compensate you with countless dowries. Do not be limited by what is before you; look to the future."
"But I don't have much ready cash; it's mostly in the form of assets. Property deeds and land deeds cannot be sold off so quickly." Bai Ran Tang said with considerable hesitation.
Zhao Yun Yi excitedly kissed her on the cheek. "I knew Tang'er would be willing to help me. Give me the items. I will handle them properly and will surely compensate you a thousand, ten thousand times over in the future."
"Alright." Now that she was on this treacherous path, she could only go for broke.
The Crown Prince had been closely monitoring the affairs of the Second Prince's manor. To have maintained his position as Crown Prince for so many years, he was certainly not a man without foresight.
He had long suspected that the Second Prince was raising private troops. The Old Emperor had kept the tightest watch on him, so he had never dared to overstep.
One wrong step would lead to utter ruin. Therefore, he was very patient, never making a move without absolute certainty.
The Second Prince had established contact with the Xue family several times, transporting such large quantities of goods. Even though the routes were different each time, he managed to ascertain the Second Prince's base of operations.
However, the Second Prince's face was etched with worry recently, indicating that those goods had not been successfully delivered.
Recently, several of his private properties had received items from the Second Prince Consort's dowry. This clearly showed that the Second Prince was in desperate straits this time.
The birthday of the wife of Marquis Ping'an was fast approaching. The Crown Prince had secretly sent people to disguise themselves and purchase several unique dowry items from Bai Ran Tang, along with a few rare books. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Zhao Yun Yi managed to secure the funds this time, successfully delivering them to the intended recipients. Jun Jiu Li did not want them to starve in vain; they had to be put to use for the nation.
On the day of the wife of Marquis Ping'an's birthday, several ladies and young ladies presented gifts that were part of Bai Ran Tang's dowry.
When the gift list was read out, the Prime Minister's wife's face darkened several shades. The expressions of the ladies familiar with her were also not good.
This Second Prince Consort truly was a phoenix rising from ashes. Even if she was displeased with the dowry prepared by her stepmother,
She didn't have to sell it off immediately, did she? These were all rare treasures. Surely the Second Prince's manor wouldn't dare to spend the dowry of a Prince Consort?
The Emperor, with his all-seeing eyes, knew of this matter immediately without the Crown Prince needing to instigate anything. He summoned the Second Prince.
The Old Emperor was so enraged that he threw the memorials on his desk at the Second Prince's face, pounding the table furiously.
"How have I mistreated you that you would sell your wife's dowry? Even common folk would be ashamed of such a thing. Are you trying to anger me to death? What! Your maternal grandfather is gone, and you cannot live any longer?"
"Father, please calm your anger. Your son dares not." The Second Prince hurriedly knelt on the ground, kowtowing and admitting his fault.
"You dare not? I think you dare quite a lot."
The Second Prince knew that the Emperor summoning him meant he had evidence. Blind denial would not work, so he could only admit fault and offer a plausible excuse.
"Your son does not know why Ran Tang decided to sell her dowry. It is all my dereliction of duty. Your son admits his mistakes and implores Father to mete out punishment."
"You are quite adept at shifting blame. She is but a woman. How could anything she does in the manor be hidden from your eyes? Or are you implying that my second son is so useless that he cannot even manage the affairs of his own household."
The Old Emperor clenched his prayer beads, saying this with regret that his son was not better. Just then, a silent guard entered and handed the Emperor a memorial.
As the minutes ticked by, Zhao Yun Yi felt the pressure mounting.
"It is my son's incompetence." Zhao Yun Yi could only bow his head and admit his fault.
"Incompetent? I think you are quite competent. Xue Qing has confessed everything. Where did all that money you took from him go?" These words struck Zhao Yun Yi to the core.
Zhao Yun Yi's mind raced, trying to devise a defense. He was sweating profusely and trembling like a sieve.
"Second son, second son. I never expected you to be so bold as to raise troops in secret."
The Old Emperor walked step by step in front of Zhao Yun Yi and kicked him in the chest. Zhao Yun Yi fell backward, and upon recovering, he grabbed the Old Emperor's leg.
He wept torrentially, "Father, Father, your son knows nothing. Someone must have deliberately framed your son. Father, you must believe me."
"A barking dog rarely bites, second son. You have hidden yourself very deeply."
Saying this, the Old Emperor pointed to his own head, "However, in this regard, you are far inferior to your elder brother."
"Your son knows his own mediocre talents and has never dared to aspire to contend with elder brother. Someone must be trying to frame your son. I implore Father to investigate thoroughly."
As he spoke, he kowtowed repeatedly, not stopping even when his forehead began to bleed, as if he felt no pain.
"Issue my decree: The Second Prince is rebellious and unfilial, attempting treason. Effective immediately, he is demoted to commoner status and confined to his manor. He is not to leave without my summons."
"Yes."
"Father, Father. Your son did not, your son did not do it. Father, you must believe your son." He crawled towards the Emperor on his knees, tugging at the Emperor's robe.
The Emperor distastefully pulled his robe away, and the guards outside immediately entered and dragged Zhao Yun Yi away. Bai Ran Tang, waiting for news in the manor, felt as if the sky had fallen.
She had chosen the Second Prince in the first place. Firstly, because the Crown Prince already had a legitimate consort, and secondly, because in her previous life, the Second Prince was a dark horse in the struggle for succession.
No one had expected him to dare rebel; he had been very close to success. Although the Crown Prince ultimately emerged victorious, the Second Prince's strength was not inferior.
With her rebirth and her assistance, the Second Prince's faction had flourished. Why had it turned out this way? In her previous life, without her, the Second Prince had smoothly survived until the Old Emperor's death.
In this life, he had been confined so much earlier. Could it be that her rebirth had altered some events, causing a deviation in the Second Prince's fate?
For the sake of the royal family's reputation, it was impossible for her to divorce him and escape. In this current situation, how could the Second Prince turn things around?
As she pondered, the Second Prince was brought back. She hurried to meet him. "Husband, what on earth is going on? Why would Father suddenly depose you as a commoner?"
Zhao Yun Yi was completely dejected, his eyes vacant. He glanced past Bai Ran Tang and walked towards his courtyard.
Bai Ran Tang quickly chased after him and asked for the reason again. This directly angered Zhao Yun Yi. He turned around and slapped Bai Ran Tang.
"Are you happy now that things have turned out this way? It's all your fault, you bitch. Why didn't you inform me beforehand about your unique dowry items?"
"Your Highness, Your Highness has wronged your concubine. Those dowry items were all prepared for me by my stepmother. I had barely even seen most of them and entrusted them entirely to Your Highness's disposal. How would I know that this matter would develop this way?"
Zhao Yun Yi grabbed her chin and said sinisterly, "Bitch, are you calling me stupid? You can't even handle a few items properly."
"Your concubine dares not, dares not. Your Highness is everything to your concubine."
"Hahaha, I am no longer a Prince. I am merely a commoner now. It's just that I had too smooth a journey, so I became arrogant and careless."
After saying this, he ignored Bai Ran Tang, who was kneeling on the ground, and walked away unsteadily.