Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Shen Jingwan! Look at what good things you have done!" Xiao Yuanlang angrily threw a memorial at Shen Jingwan's face.

The hard and sharp edge of the letter scratched across her fair cheek like a sharp blade, leaving a shocking blood mark in an instant.

Shen Jingwan was frightened by the sudden attack and trembled all over, but she quickly came to her senses. She didn't even care about the burning pain on her face. She hurriedly squatted down and carefully picked up the letter that fell on the ground.

"Your Highness, what happened? Why are you so angry?" Shen Jingwan asked softly, suppressing the fear and grievance in her heart.

"Hmph! You still dare to ask me what's wrong? Have you been secretly doing business with the Western Regions?" Xiao Yuanlang widened his eyes and yelled at Shen Jingwan.

However, to his surprise, Shen Jingwan, who should have been panicked, seemed unusually calm at this moment.

She did not rush to open the memorial in her hand to check the contents. Instead, she stared straight into Xiao Yuanlang's eyes and asked, "What exactly did I do? Your Highness, do you really not know anything about it?"

Facing Shen Jingwan's questioning, Xiao Yuanlang's eyes began to dodge unconsciously, and he stammered, "How can I...how can I know what you are busy with every day?"

Hearing this, Shen Jingwan couldn't help but sneer: "Haha, Your Highness, do you think that I go to Prince Hao's Mansion every day just to please that old hag Princess Hao? Also, where does all the silver you hand over to the national treasury come from? The huge amount of money you spend on managing various relationships in the capital, do you think all this is made out of thin air? Now that Your Majesty has discovered it, you come to blame me!"

Shen Jingwan said sadly while gently wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.

Her pitiful appearance really makes people feel pity.

"Didn't you say the money you handed over to the national treasury was the profit you earned from Hengfu Bank? That money was the exchange for your entry into the Prince's Palace."

However, in the face of Shen Jingwan's crying, Xiao Yuanlang remained unmoved.

Hearing Xiao Yuanlang's ruthless words, Shen Jingwan couldn't help feeling sad.

She raised her head, looked directly into Xiao Yuanlang's eyes, and responded with a mixture of grief and indignation: "I once earned some money from Hengfu Bank, but Your Highness doesn't trust that bank. Even if I had more money, I couldn't stop you from squandering it all day long. You only know how to ask me for money all day long, but have you ever cared about how this money came from? I run this household, and the hardships and difficulties involved, have you ever understood the slightest bit?"

Shen Jingwan's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Xiao Yuanlang's heart, making him instantly angry and ashamed.

Back then, when he was still in the capital, not only did his mother often give him money, but there were also many people who came to him through connections to do business or buy official positions.

At that time, he was in great glory and never worried about money.

But since coming to Changye, everything has become completely different.

All the people in the capital were opportunists, and when they saw that he had lost power, they all kept their distance from him.

In addition, all the power in the court was controlled by Prime Minister Su and Prime Minister Shen, and it was almost impossible for him to intervene.

What made him even more angry was that even his maternal family, the Duke of Qing’s Mansion, were a bunch of cowards who only knew how to stir up trouble.

Not only could they not provide him with any help, but they often needed him to help clean up the mess.

In this case, how can he count on this group of useless people?

Before this, he had planned to marry the sixth princess, Xiao Jinhuan, to a wealthy businessman in Shu as his second wife.

You know, this wealthy businessman is very wealthy and has countless silver in his hands.

He was filled with joy and sent someone to deliver the letter back to the capital at full speed, but was severely reprimanded by his mother.

His mother was very angry about his behavior and even stopped giving him subsidies in anger.

However, the good news is that there is always a way out.

Just when he was at a loss, his mother sent Shen Jingwan.

Shen Jingwan has a good business sense and is a top-notch earner.

He only needed to grant Shen Jingwan the status of a concubine temporarily, and then coax her with sweet words, promising that as long as she could work hard to earn money for him, he would ask the emperor to issue an order to appoint her as the legitimate consort of the third prince after returning to the capital.

I don't know whether Shen Jingwan is really stupid or just pretending to be stupid. After all, she is a girl from the prime minister's mansion, but she still delusionally dreams of becoming a prince's consort from a concubine.

Of course, Xiao Yuanlang knew exactly where Shen Jingwan's money came from.

But if this matter reaches the ears of my father, it will be a completely different matter.

Only he knew the inside story, and he could choose to turn a blind eye and enjoy the wealth that Shen Jingwan brought back to the mansion in peace and stability.

But once this matter is exposed and discovered by his father, he may face more than just a simple investigation.

The first memorial ordered him to thoroughly investigate the trade with the Western Regions; if he did not stop it in time, the second memorial would be a punishment.

Moreover, Uncle Hao has always been timid and fearful by nature. It is really not easy for me to go to great lengths to persuade him to work with me this time!

If my father knew that Uncle Hao had sided with me just because of a few taels of silver, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Even without waiting for the emperor to speak, Uncle Hao would probably be the first to back down.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yuanlang's face darkened and he said coldly, "From today on, stop the trade with the Western Regions immediately!"

However, facing Xiao Yuanlang's tough attitude, Shen Jingwan snorted softly and responded without showing any weakness: "I can't stop!"

She knew very well in her heart that the Third Prince's Mansion, from top to bottom, inside and out, was now supported entirely by her.

Not only that, even if Xiao Yuanlang wanted to return to Beijing smoothly, he would have to take care of relationships with all parties in Beijing, and the money he needed would have to be withdrawn from her.

Because of this, she has become more and more confident when speaking to Xiao Yuanlang recently.

Seeing that Shen Jingwan had the audacity to reject him directly, Xiao Yuanlang's anger instantly rose, and he shouted angrily: "How can it not be stopped? Since I said I want to stop, then I must stop. There is absolutely no room for negotiation on this matter!"

Shen Jingwan calmly reached out and picked up an exquisite box beside her, gently opened it, took out a thick account book, and then placed it heavily in front of Xiao Yuanlang with a "pop".