Be Your Secondary Consort, Your Concubine?

Left with no other choice, Zhou Wanwan went to the Crown Prince's Summer Palace.

She had previously thought the Crown Prince's Summer Palace was quite nice.

Now I think it's pretty average, considering the things in the underground palace are much more upscale than this summer resort.

The old eunuch saw Zhou Wanwan and grumbled, "You country bumpkin, what brings you here again?"

Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes and said, "What's it to you! You old codger, mind your own business, are you tired of living?"

The old eunuch's face changed, and he said, "You brat, how dare you insult me!"

"You old bastard, I'm cursing you!"

The old eunuch sneered, "Fine, fine, you just wait."

"Alright, alright, I'll wait then." Zhou Wanwan was too lazy to waste words with him and went straight into the Crown Prince's palace.

When the Crown Prince saw Zhou Wanwan enter, he smiled faintly and said, "Eunuch Xu, please step out for a moment."

Eunuch Xu couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, this woman is no good. I'm afraid you'll get hurt."

The crown prince snorted coldly and said, "Step back! I'll call you if I need anything."

Eunuch Xu had no choice but to reluctantly leave.

Zhou Wanwan sat down on the stool, just about to drink her tea, when the Old Scholar Tree knocked the teacup out of her hand. "This tea is poisoned."

Zhou Wanwan looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Your Highness, did you summon me here for something?"

The Crown Prince looked at Zhou Wanwan and said, "Since your men arrived today, they have already killed several assassins for me. I think your men are very capable."

Zhou Wanwan nodded and said, "That's natural, my fees are quite high."

The Crown Prince looked at Zhou Wanwan and asked, "Miss Wanwan, are you engaged?"

Zhou Wanwan frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "I just find you to be genuine and adorable. Would you be willing to become my concubine?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at the Crown Prince calmly and said, "A concubine?"

The Crown Prince smiled and said, "That's right! I already have a principal wife, so I can only ask you to be a concubine."

Just as the Old Scholar Tree beside her was about to make its move, Zhou Wanwan coughed and said, "Then if I become your concubine, what would I need to do?"

The Crown Prince said calmly:

"I'm really facing some difficulties right now; I need money and connections."

I heard you're now the lord of Yanmen Pass, you must be very wealthy?"

Zhou Wanwan looked at him and asked, "How do you know?"

"I inquired about those shops in Yanmen Pass, and they all belong to you. In other words, your businesses are all over Yanmen Pass."

Moreover, it's not just Yanmen Pass; you should have businesses throughout our Great Qi as well.

I don't know how many properties you own.

So my point is simple: we can cooperate and achieve mutual benefit.

Zhou Wanwan looked at the Crown Prince and asked, "Mutual benefit and win-win?"

The Crown Prince nodded and said:

"You want to expand your shop to Great Qi, right? You'll need my support, won't you?"

As long as you become my concubine, I will support you in opening a shop in Great Qi, and then you will be able to make a fortune.

What do you think of this idea?

Zhou Wanwan laughed in exasperation, "Does that mean I can't live without opening a shop in your Great Qi? Be your concubine, your mistress? What are you dreaming of?"

The Crown Prince's face darkened as he said:

"I'm giving you a chance, don't be ungrateful."

"When I ascend to the throne, I might just make you my empress."

Zhou Wanwan's stomach hurt from laughing, "You're trying to make me a fool of myself? I don't want to eat this pie in the sky, you should keep it for yourself!"

The Crown Prince angrily said:

"Zhou Wanwan, don't be ungrateful. Do you think you can become the empress?"

You should also consider whether you're destined to be an empress.

Zhou Wanwan looked at the Crown Prince and said:

"Why can't you understand human language? Our relationship is very simple."

I can offer assistance, but you must pay me; nothing else is negotiable.

You just want a free patron. Let me tell you the truth, I don't care to be your concubine, much less the empress.

So you either pay up or get out.

The Crown Prince was silent for a moment before saying:

"What kind of attitude is that? Zhou Wanwan, don't think I can't handle you."

To tell you the truth, you have to agree today, whether you like it or not.

Zhou Wanwan chuckled and said, "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm not threatening you, I'm just informing you."

Zhou Wanwan looked at the Crown Prince and said, "Fool, you know I have connections, yet you still dare to threaten me."

The Crown Prince's expression changed and he said:

"So what if you have a few Earth Ranking experts under your command? What's there to be proud of?"

Do you really think I don't have any experts around me?

Zhou Wanwan smiled and said, "Oh? Is that so?"

The prince roared:

"Guards, arrest Zhou Wanwan!"

Zhou Wanwan, think carefully today about whether you're willing to assist me.

"You're just a lowly city lord, do you really want to oppose me?"

Zhou Wanwan was speechless. Why did everyone think she was weak and easily bullied?

The third princess covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Oh dear! Zhou Wanwan, you're really unlucky, you're going to be locked up!"

The guards approached and asked, "Your Highness, where should she be locked up?"

"Keep her locked in the woodshed. No one is allowed to release her without my order."

Another woodshed? These people have no originality whatsoever.

The old eunuch laughed heartily, "Your Highness is wise! Trash like you deserves to be locked in the woodshed. Don't give her food or water; let her starve to death."

Zhou Wanwan rolled her eyes. Originally, she really didn't want to lay a hand on them, but they attacked first, so she couldn't be blamed.

Zhou Wanwan was quickly locked in the woodshed.

The Old Scholar Tree muttered to itself:

"We're really unlucky. We're locked in the woodshed all day long, and we can't eat or sleep well."

Why don't we just go back?

Zhou Wanwan shook her head and said:

"No, I'm most comfortable staying here; I have food and drink."

All I need to do is go back for the morning court session each day and then come back.

She would never engage in internal strife; if she was allowed to stay in the woodshed, she would stay there.

The Old Scholar Tree was heartbroken. It tidied up the woodshed and threw all the firewood into the old eunuch's room.

Then they cleaned the room and put Zhou Wanwan's bed into the woodshed.

The Old Scholar Tree frowned and said, "It's too shabby. This wall won't do; we need to cover it with a cloth curtain."

The Old Scholar Tree quickly found curtains, screens, and carpets, and decorated the woodshed.

After a while, the woodshed had been completely transformed.

Zhou Wanwan lay down on the bed and said, "I'm so tired every day! I wonder how my parents are doing in the capital."

The Old Scholar Tree sighed and said, "They're doing very well in the capital! It's just that they're not well-liked."

"Ah?"

"Anyway, everyone's saying your family is so poor you can't even afford to eat."

Your grandparents no longer come to your house for meals; now your family has become the biggest joke in Beijing.

Your older brothers are quite hardworking at the academy, but even so, they're not well-liked.

"Anyway, neither the Noble Consort Ning likes your family, so they naturally won't get away with it either," the Old Scholar Tree said slowly.