The most dissolute couple in the capital

Butler Sun has been quite busy these past few days.

He'd been playing the abacus for twenty years, serving all sorts of masters. He'd seen plenty of the tricks of the concubines and empresses in the palace. Even if a daughter of a sixth-rank secretary married the Prince of Liang, she was still just a girl from a humble family at heart.

When someone like this investigates the accounts, there are only two possible outcomes—either they find nothing and the matter is dropped, or they find something but are too embarrassed to take action.

He was betting on the second option.

After all, he, Mr. Sun, had followed the prince from the palace and was the oldest servant by His Highness's side. This bond couldn't be shaken by a mere account book.

So when his servants reported that after the rumors started, the princess had calmed down and stopped sending people around, Steward Sun breathed a sigh of relief.

really.

When a new bride first enters the household, she always has to weigh the pros and cons carefully.

But not asking around is just taking a step back; it's not enough.

Butler Sun sneered.

-

That evening, Li Chengjing returned from outside, and his expression was not good.

Cui Qingyi was sitting by the window, reading a book. Seeing him enter, she put down the book and smiled, "Your Highness has returned early today."

Li Chengjing did not respond.

He sat down opposite Cui Qingyi, resting his hands on his knees. He pursed his lips for a long time before finally managing to utter, "Qingyi...are you investigating Butler Sun?"

Cui Qingyi did not deny it: "Why did Your Highness suddenly ask this?"

"Steward Sun came to see me today." Li Chengjing's tone didn't show much anger, but rather confusion and a hint of grievance. "Steward Sun was crying his eyes out just now, saying that the people in your courtyard are running around everywhere, causing chaos throughout the mansion."

Qingyi didn't rush to explain, but tilted her head and said, "Does Your Highness think so too?"

Seeing the princess's smile fade, Li Chengjing felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly raised his right hand and swore, "How could I! How could I miss you so much?"

He glanced at her face, then moved closer to her. "I understand that now that you're in charge of the Prince's residence, there must be many new rules for you. But..." He carefully tugged at her sleeve, "But they're all old acquaintances of mine, and I don't lack the money. We can take things slowly, so there's no need to..."

He swallowed the word "aggressive," jokingly, was that something he could say?

For some reason, although he adored his new queen, he was a little afraid of her after they actually got married.

Of course, only a tiny bit.

He's a grown man; this is just a way of showing respect and deep affection for his wife!

This was the first time the couple had a disagreement about household matters after their marriage.

Cui Qingyi put down the book in her hand, raised her eyes, and met Li Chengjing's clear eyes, which were filled with a hint of confusion.

She let out a long sigh in her heart.

It was perfectly fine before! You just had too much money to burn, and these parasites emptied it all out!

If we don't deal with this properly now, the servants will take advantage of your name to act arrogantly and domineeringly, and who knows how many troubles that will cause.

On the surface, Cui Qingyi showed not a trace of displeasure.

"Your Highness's words make me feel uneasy," Cui Qingyi said in a gentle and soothing voice. "I am new here and unfamiliar with the old rules of the manor. Perhaps my actions were indeed a bit hasty and my methods were not quite right. However..."

She paused at the right moment, her eyelashes drooping slightly, revealing a look of self-reproach.

Li Chengjing couldn't bear to see beautiful women suffer, especially his newlywed fairy-like queen.

Seeing Cui Qingyi's humble attitude, his irritation vanished instantly, and he even softened his voice: "Just what? If you lack anything, just tell me directly. Why bother to investigate those trivial matters yourself?"

"I was just looking through the inner palace accounts and saw that Your Highness's daily expenses were enormous, so I thought I should try to save money wherever possible," Cui Qingyi said sincerely. "I originally wanted to take stock of the finances in various places to save some money for Your Highness so that you could buy more of the novelties from the Western Regions that you like. I didn't expect it to cause panic among the servants. It's all my fault."

Li Chengjing was taken aback.

She wasn't checking the accounts to show off, but to save him money to buy fun things.

The feeling of being wholeheartedly cared for and planned for made Li Chengjing's heart melt completely.

He waved his hand dismissively: "Oh! I thought it was something serious! Do you think I'm the kind of person who's short of money? My brother is the emperor, and the gifts he receives every month are piled up like mountains. Just spend them as you please! Those servants are timid, don't bother with them."

Cui Qingyi smiled knowingly, then changed the subject: "Since Your Highness says so, then I will not be so harsh on them in these trivial matters from now on. However, I have a private matter that I would like to ask Your Highness for permission to discuss."

"What's with all this 'asking' nonsense!" Li Chengjing declared magnanimously. "You are the mistress of the Liang Prince's mansion. If you want the stars in the sky, I'll build you a ladder! Tell me, what do you want?"

Cui Qingyi's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, her gaze softly falling on him: "I have always loved cultivating flowers and plants, but my means were limited when I was confined to my quarters, so I dared not indulge in such fantasies. Now I have heard that the flower garden in the outskirts of the capital has acquired several 'Golden Silk Chrysanthemums' and 'Green Clouds Supporting the Moon,' which are perfect for the autumn scenery. However..."

Li Chengjing said, "I thought it was something important. Just tell the servants to take care of it. Buy whatever flowers you like!"

"Your Highness, please don't be in such a hurry." Cui Qingyi gave him a coquettish look and explained, "If they were ordinary flowers, it wouldn't matter. But these few rare varieties are not only worth a fortune, but they are also very delicate, with extremely demanding requirements for the soil, temperature, and even the style of the greenhouse."

"If we are to bring them back and raise them properly, we will probably have to rebuild the greenhouse and buy the necessary equipment and soil, which will be quite an expense. I think I should inform Your Highness."

Li Chengjing couldn't understand the intricacies of the situation; he only heard the line, "When I was in my boudoir, I dared not indulge in fantasies."

His queen, who was unaware of his plight, had actually suffered such injustice! This was outrageous!

Seeing Cui Qingyi's shy and timid appearance, Li Chengjing was no longer thinking. He abruptly stood up and said, "Liu Lu! Go tell Steward Sun about the Princess's request. She wants to buy the best chrysanthemums, whether it's 'Golden Silk Ink Chrysanthemum' or 'Green Clouds Supporting the Moon,' no matter how expensive they are, bring them back for me! Also, repair the greenhouse and replace the soil!"

"Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness." Cui Qingyi smiled and straightened his clothes.

A deep, cold light flashed in her lowered eyes.

This golden opportunity to embezzle public funds and engage in fraudulent procurement has been handed to you by my own hands; you'd better seize it.