An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

He then asked, "I guess your mother's dowry doesn't include a very large mansion, right? It shouldn't be in the inner city either?" Although it was a question, his tone was very firm.

Jing Chunxi answered honestly: "Although my mother divorced me, she took the initiative to do so. That old witch..."

She paused at the tip of her tongue, and her tone became calm when she looked at the emperor.

"At that time, in order to bring my younger brother out, we didn't manage to take out the dowry. We only had Qingshan Manor and a small house in the east of the city. That was a birthday gift from my maternal grandparents to Chunxi, so we naturally wouldn't leave it to those people to ruin."

The emperor frowned slightly, seeming displeased.

"But we will find a way." She added softly, but in her mind she was thinking about the properties that were still in the names of her confidants and had not yet been transferred.

During the past few days back at Qingshan Villa, he was so busy reuniting with his family and telling them about the thrills and achievements of his trip to the south of the Yangtze River that he even forgot to ask his mother and stepfather about the transfer of property.

There are very few houses in the inner city, most of which are given by the emperor, and there are not many that can be bought and sold.

The emperor pondered for a moment and asked tentatively, "Have you ever thought about moving back to your original home?" He was referring to the Pingyang Marquis Mansion.

"Absolutely not!" Jing Chunxi answered firmly, her voice filled with undeniable determination. That place held the nightmares of two lifetimes, a shadow she had only just escaped. She would never allow her mother, brother, or loyal servants to set foot there again.

Seeing this, Xu Zize also shook his head slightly at his father.

The emperor nodded in understanding, and suddenly smiled and said, "Then live next to Prince Jing's mansion. In the future, we'll open a small door on the wall so that it will be convenient for you to meet your mother and your sister-in-law. Even if you want to visit in the middle of the night, it won't be a problem." As he spoke, he laughed heartily, and seemed very satisfied with his arrangement.

"Your Majesty, that house is too big. It would be too empty for Chunxi and my brother to live in it." Jing Chunxi declined politely. After she got married in the future, her brother should live with her, and she felt sad when she thought of him living alone in such a desolate house.

Moreover, she suddenly remembered the origin of the mansion next to Prince Jing's palace—wasn't it the former residence of the crown prince of the deposed emperor? Living in such a place would not only bring bad luck, but would also attract criticism from the clan officials.

"Xi'er misunderstood."

Xu Zize's sleeve gently brushed the back of her hand and gave her a soothing look, "Father is talking about the house on the other side. It's of moderate size and not eye-catching." His voice was gentle and firm, which made Jing Chunxi feel a lot more at ease.

The emperor took over the conversation, a flicker of reminiscence in his eyes. "That was the residence of Xiaokang's aunt, my biological sister. More than twenty years ago, she married into the Western Liang Kingdom. The Empress Dowager originally thought that the princess would be able to return home in three to five years, so she asked the Emperor to grant her this residence. Unfortunately..."

His voice deepened, his eyes moistened slightly. This was his only biological sister. "I never thought that my sister would pass away on the way to the marriage."

Jing Chunxi looked at Xu Zize, not knowing how to comfort him.

"If that beast hadn't cared about his reputation, this princess's mansion would have been razed to the ground long ago, or given away as a reward to some beautiful woman's family."

Jing Chunxi listened quietly, feeling a certain pity for this princess he had never met. The deposed emperor, who had murdered his father to seize the throne, was not even allowed into the ancestral temple or the imperial mausoleum after his death, and ultimately ended up with his body wrapped in a straw mat.

"The house is only half the size of the general's mansion," Xu Zize explained at the right time, with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

“But it was designed and built by the former Minister of Works himself, and every detail is exquisite.

Apart from the main courtyard in the front hall, there are only three courtyards, one large and two small. However, the back garden is quite impressive, with a lotus pond and pavilions.

My grandmother took me there once, and Brother Xiaokang didn't want to come back after he left."

Jing Chunxi's heart was moved by these words. She knew Xu Zize would not lie to her. Anything made by a skilled craftsman would be of good quality and appearance.

The main reason is that we live so close to each other, so there is less pain of missing each other as family members, and I will be closer to my younger brothers and sisters in the future.

A house like this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"Your Majesty," she pleaded earnestly, "Chunxi is willing to buy this house. No matter how much silver, as long as Your Majesty names the price, Chunxi will raise it. Since Brother Xiaokang likes it so much, Chunxi and Qingpu will surely love it as well."

Xu Zize's eyes lit up with joy when he heard this. To him, anything that made his loved ones happy was priceless.

Just like the woman in front of him who he fell in love with, she was also a rare treasure in the world.

"If I charge you money for a gift from the Emperor, wouldn't it make me, the Emperor, seem too greedy?"

The emperor clapped his hands and laughed, the smile lines at the corners of his eyes stretched out, and the cuffs of his bright yellow dragon robe swayed slightly as he raised his hands.

He deliberately glanced at his son standing below, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, "What's more, my son~" The tone was drawn out meaningfully, and his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the dragon throne.

"Father," Xu Zize quickly raised his voice. He gave the emperor a dissuading look, his brows slightly furrowed but with a helpless smile.

The emperor smiled even more broadly upon seeing this.

Jing Chunxi took the opportunity to change the subject: "Your Majesty has already rewarded. If you reward the Rong En Marquis with such a nice house, I'm afraid it will be criticized."

The tips of the girl's ears gradually turned crimson, like the first peach blossoms blooming on a branch in March. She remained upright, speaking in a clear voice, "If Your Majesty insists, Chunxi is willing to use the proceeds from the second half of the year's tea and porcelain trade to purchase another 200,000 jin of grain and donate it to the court."

Her thoughts raced. Although the Rongen Marquisate was acquired through the efforts of Prince Jing and her stepfather, it was an unprecedented favor. If she acquired another mansion like this, not only would the court officials question the emperor's bias, but the Rongen Marquisate would also be thrust into the spotlight, something she hated most.

Jing Chunxi was thinking about how to donate the grain that was about to be harvested in the space. This was a perfect opportunity, so he offered to donate without hesitation.

As she was pondering this, she felt someone gently tug at her sleeve. She looked up and saw Xu Zize nodding approvingly at her, his eyes filled with pride, and the faint smile on his lips was warmer than the sunshine outside the palace.

"Chunxi, Xiaokang..." The emperor sighed suddenly, the jade ring on his fingertip making a crisp sound on the table. "Having a child like you who understands the big picture is a blessing for Daqing." He glanced back and forth between the two children and finally nodded: "I approve."

Xu Zize glanced at the bronze clock in the corner of the hall, stepped forward and grabbed Jing Chunxi's sleeve: "Father, it's getting late. I will take Xi'er to Fengyi Palace to pay my respects to the Queen Mother."

He smiled and softened his voice, "My brother and sister are also clamoring to see Sister Chunxi."

"Wait a minute." The emperor suddenly raised his hand to signal, and the dragon pattern on his bright yellow sleeve trembled slightly with his movement.

Seeing the two children looking at each other in confusion, a sly look flashed in his eyes. "I have ordered the Ministry of Works to repair that house since I ascended the throne. It has been over two months now. Now that the emperor has returned, you will personally supervise the inspection."

He looked at Jing Chunxi meaningfully and said, "Take them to see it someday. If you think it's not right, feel free to ask them to change it."

"Chunxi and Qingpu thank the emperor for his grace." Jing Chunxi bowed hurriedly, and the pearl hairpin in her hair swayed slightly with the movement.