Marrying a concubine and swallowing her dowry? The mistress turns around and marries a high-ranking

Chapter 528

At the end of Baitao Lane on Changting Street in the south of the city, there was a shady brothel called Nanfeng Pavilion.

There are three incredibly handsome men inside, each with their own unique charm.

After rumors of Huo Sizhen's homosexuality reached Ancheng, Huo Tingsheng rebuked him, warning him to behave himself and not to let any more rumors circulate, or he would be stripped of his position as crown prince.

In order to prove himself, Huo Sizhen had to get rid of all the handsome male advisors, guards, pageboys, and servants in his mansion. Now, most of the servants in the mansion are maids and nannies, and the men are all old and ugly.

He has already married the Crown Princess and a concubine, and has many maids in his harem. The Crown Princess has also given birth to a daughter for him. On the surface, there seems to be no problem.

He could have gotten away with it this way, and once the storm had passed, he could have kept his position as crown prince.

But Huo Sizhen didn't know why, ever since he returned from Bei Yi, he felt his desires gradually becoming stronger and stronger.

Moreover, he couldn't control himself rationally at all. If he didn't vent, he would feel uncomfortable all over, irritable, and unable to concentrate on anything.

He couldn't find women to vent his frustrations on, because he had absolutely no interest in women. In the past, when he went to sleep with his wives and concubines, he would drink wine to enhance the experience and force himself to sleep with them, which was torture for him rather than enjoyment.

With no handsome men left at home, Huo Sizhen had no choice but to look for them outside.

Ancheng has several underground Nanfeng Pavilions, hidden very well. Those who frequent them are mostly high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and the super-rich. As long as you are careful to keep your identity secret when you go, you can leave after you're done, which is convenient, provides a good experience, and makes it difficult for others to discover you.

Huo Sizhen would go to several different places in rotation, and he would always be completely disguised and extremely careful when he went.

But what exactly did Huo Jinghuai mean by that?

Since they were able to give the address at the end of Baitao Lane on Changting Street in the south of the city, they must have really seen something!

When he visited the Nanfeng Pavilion, Huo Jinghuai recognized him.

Huo Tingsheng looked at Huo Sizhen and slowly said, "Your Highness, it seems you know something?"

Cold sweat poured down Huo Sizhen's back.

His father was already dissatisfied with him. If it were confirmed that he had gone to the Nanfeng Pavilion, he could forget about sitting in the position of Crown Prince!

Huo Sizhen immediately said, "Your Majesty, I do not know what Seventh Brother is referring to, but the assassination of a prince is a serious matter. If Father agrees, Your Majesty, I am willing to investigate."

He tried his best to appear open and innocent, with a sense of helplessness that said, "I know you're definitely suspicious of me, but it really has nothing to do with me." In reality, his heart was pounding and his palms were sweating.

Huo Tingsheng looked at Huo Sizhen for a few seconds, unable to discern his emotions, nor whether he believed him or not.

Finally, he simply said, "No need, the Ministry of Justice will investigate."

Over the years, Huo Sizhen had never been able to fathom his father's thoughts, but he knew that Huo Tingsheng's reaction most likely meant that he simply did not believe him, and his dissatisfaction with him had definitely deepened.

He wasn't publicly held accountable, but this underlying disappointment was even worse.

Huo Sizhen gritted his teeth secretly, not daring to say anything more, and in his heart he wished he could tear Huo Jinghuai to pieces.

He underestimated his seventh brother, who was usually so quiet that he would never utter a sound. At the most unexpected moment, the brother stood up and suddenly stabbed him in the back.

He's definitely a character who keeps his true abilities hidden!

Throughout history, there have been many princes who, though seemingly insignificant, bided their time in the struggle for the throne and ultimately reaped the benefits. The current emperor, Huo Tingsheng, is a prime example.

Huo Jinghuai absolutely cannot be allowed to live any longer. We must get rid of him before he really becomes a threat!

Empress Jiang Yunwan, sitting on the throne, was very anxious when she saw her eldest son being suspected. She wanted to speak up for Huo Sizhen, but Huo Sizhen gave her a look, telling her not to act rashly.

The next day, Huo Sizhen went to the palace to see Jiang Yunwan.

Jiang Yunwan was having the palace maids take care of her delicate hands.

The process is extremely intricate and meticulous. First, hands are cleaned and soaked in hot water with flower petals added. Then, a thick layer of medicinal mud is applied to both hands and massaged for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. After washing it off, a hand cream with added fragrance is applied, and even the crevices of each nail are carefully brushed with essential oil and massaged in again. Finally, the long, slender nails, which have been nourished to the point of being like water lilies, are touched up with nail polish and fitted with openwork, carved, enamel, jade, and gold nail guards.

With just those two hands, there were three or four palace maids bustling around her.

Jiang Yunwan was born an orphan. Because she was a beauty from a young age, the brokerage firm where she worked treated her as a rare and highly sought-after young woman and raised her with great care.

Every single hair on her body, every single finger, is meticulously cared for. She teaches only the arts to attract men and cultivates only the charisma to captivate them.

By the time she turned sixteen, she possessed an unparalleled beauty, with delicate, fair skin that was irresistible to the touch. Her figure was slender and graceful, and every smile and gesture exuded captivating charm. She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was especially skilled at dancing the graceful and elegant Green Waist Dance, a performance that could utterly bewitch all who saw her.

It was precisely because of her stunning beauty that Huo Tingsheng, who was still a prince at the time, fell in love with her at first sight and tried every means to finally get her into his hands.

Jiang Yunwan soon gave birth to a son for Huo Tingsheng, Huo Sizhen. Later, because Huo Tingsheng wanted to marry Xie Qingmo, he had to send her and her son away and hide them until Xie Qingmo was sent to the Cold Palace and then brought to the palace.

Jiang Yunwan was initially very favored. Huo Tingsheng even fabricated a family background for her so that she could become empress, claiming she was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Lu's family who had been living away from home.

However, by now, that favor is no longer what it once was.

Jiang Yunwan believed that this was because her stunning beauty was gradually fading with age, so she was obsessed with preserving her youthful appearance and spared no expense in doing so.

She sought out all sorts of beauty and anti-aging remedies, both internally and externally. She spent at least three or four hours every day on the care of her face, body, hair, and so on.