Shen Lixue looked coldly at Lei Hong: "Aside from blood ties, we have no relationship whatsoever. Why should I help him?"
"Since ancient times, filial piety has been the most important virtue. There are no parents who are wrong. Everything Minghui has done is for your own good!" Lei Hong looked coldly at Shen Lixue and reprimanded her sternly.
Shen Lixue sneered. Making her take the blame for adultery for Shen Yingxue was for her own good? Making her marry Lei Cong, that philandering bastard, was for her own good? Lei Hong and Shen Minghui are indeed birds of a feather, shameless to the extreme.
Shen Lixue remained silent, and Lei Hong assumed she was feeling guilty, so he pressed his advantage: "There are no parents in the world who don't love their children. You must have some misunderstandings about your father. Today, I, as your uncle, will be your witness. You and your father should make up. If you ruin your relationship, others will only laugh at you!"
“Minister Lei, my uncle’s name is Lin Qingfeng, not Lei Hong!” Shen Lixue said calmly, her face expressionless.
Lei Hong was stunned. His old face turned red and white in an instant, changing dozens of colors. He was the uncle of the Vice Minister of War and the maternal grandfather of the Grand Commandant. Many people would like to have such a relationship, but Shen Lixue didn't care about him. She was only thinking about Lin Qingfeng, who had committed a serious crime and was suffering on the border. She didn't know how to appreciate his kindness.
“Chen Lixue, Qingyan values filial piety. Minghui is your biological father. He is suffering from a heart ailment and needs your blood to heal it. His consultation with you is out of respect for you. He is the Prime Minister of Qingyan. He can directly tell the Emperor the truth. The Emperor is a wise ruler who can distinguish between priorities. Once an imperial edict is issued, you will have no choice but to donate!”
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. If the soft approach didn't work, she'd resort to force. Lei Hong was truly skilled; having taught the two a lesson, she knew it was time to get down to business: "It's not impossible for me to donate blood to Prime Minister Shen, but I have a condition!"
"What are the conditions?" When Shen Lixue agreed, Lei Hong was overjoyed. He dared not tell the Emperor about Shen Minghui's mental illness; he had only been trying to scare Shen Lixue.
"I want one million taels!" Shen Lixue paused, then parted her cherry lips slightly: "Gold!"
"Shen Lixue, don't push your luck and ask for more!" Lei Hong was taken aback, staring coldly at Shen Lixue, his sharp eyes burning with anger. One million taels of gold was enough to buy her life dozens of times over.
Shen Minghui's face was also terribly gloomy. This daughter of his was always looking for an opportunity to blackmail him. She was such a vulgar woman, shallow-minded and unbearably tacky. All she cared about was gold and silver, and she couldn't see a trace of genuine human kindness.
"Does Minister Lei think that Prime Minister Shen's life isn't even worth a million taels of gold?" Shen Lixue raised the corners of her mouth slightly, looking at Lei Hong with a half-smile.
"Human life is priceless, how can it be measured by vulgar gold?" Lei Hong angrily rebuked, mocking Shen Lixue for being vulgar and lacking in true feelings. Having been an official for many years, he had seen countless troublemakers, but this was the first time he had ever seen such a shameless daughter.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow. The reason she came up with was quite good, but unfortunately, it had no effect on her at all: "I am an orphan without parents, and I cannot have your so-called true feelings. So I can only ask for more gold and silver to make my life better. One price, one million taels of gold. If you agree, I will donate blood. If you don't agree, the door is over there. Goodbye and don't come back!"
"You!" Lei Hong gritted his teeth, pointing at Shen Lixue, too angry to speak. One million taels of gold, that's almost half of the Grand Commandant's estate.
"Fine, I agree. One million taels of gold!" Shen Minghui said weakly, his eyes dark. Life was more important than gold.
"Prime Minister Shen is indeed a man of few words." Shen Lixue smiled radiantly, like spring flowers in full bloom: "Please deliver 700,000 taels of gold to the War Prince's residence this afternoon..."
"You want gold before you've even donated blood?" Lei Hong raised an eyebrow at Shen Lixue. "According to Qingyan's rules, it's a cash-on-delivery arrangement. We'll present the gold immediately after you donate blood!"
“I am a weak woman, and I cannot carry so much gold after losing blood. Consider this 700,000 taels as an advance payment.” Shen Lixue took a sip of tea and said leisurely, “Besides, what if I donate blood and you don’t give me gold? Wouldn’t my blood donation be in vain!”
Lei Hong frowned. That was indeed his plan. After donating blood, Shen Lixue would die, so there would be no need to pay gold: "Seven hundred thousand taels of gold is no small amount. Even if the Grand Commandant's Mansion and the Prime Minister's Mansion combined, they simply couldn't raise the money in a short time!"
"Then I'll donate blood once you've collected enough gold!" Shen Lixue smiled. Lei Hong and Shen Minghui were of questionable character and could not be trusted. How could she donate blood if she couldn't see a million taels of gold?
"Very well, I will send someone to deliver 700,000 taels of gold as soon as possible!" Shen Minghui slammed his hand on the table, stood up, turned around, and strode out angrily. One million taels of gold! Almost half of the Prime Minister's mansion was gone. This daughter was truly his jinx.
"Farewell!" Lei Hong also stood up, glanced coldly at Shen Lixue, flicked his sleeves, and strode away.
"No need to see me out!" Shen Lixue gently swirled the tea in her cup, the light tea-colored water creating ripples on the white cup.
"Are you really going to donate blood to Shen Minghui?" Dongfang Heng walked slowly into the pavilion and sat down next to Shen Lixue.
Shen Lixue nodded: "Yes?"
Dongfang Heng frowned: "For that one million taels of gold?"
“No!” Shen Lixue shook her head, a strange smile appearing on her lips: Shen Minghui suffers from a heart ailment and needs blood, which makes things convenient for her.
"Lei Hong and Shen Minghui are not simple characters, so be very careful!" Dongfang Heng gently embraced Shen Lixue, stroking her silky black hair as he solemnly warned her.
"Don't worry, Lei Hong, it won't be easy for Shen Minghui to scheme against me!" Hearing Dongfang Heng's slightly weaker heartbeat, Shen Lixue's bright smile dimmed. She looked up at Dongfang Heng: "Any news about the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang?"
"I was just about to tell you this." Dongfang Heng's handsome face no longer had the resolute features of before, but was now as gentle as a painting. There seemed to be a hint of a smile in his sharp eyes. "The secret guards have sent word that they have found the Ghost Doctor of Southern Xinjiang, and they are on their way to the capital!"
"Really?" Shen Lixue was taken aback, but a bright smile returned to her eyes: "Your injury can be cured!"
"Yes!" Dongfang Heng nodded, a glimmer of brilliance appearing in his deep eyes that had remained unchanged for a thousand years. He could heal his injuries, have a normal life, and grow old with his beloved.
"Have you told anyone else about this?" Calming down, Shen Lixue realized the seriousness of the matter. Dongfang Heng was the God of War of the Azure Flame, with superb martial arts skills and military power. Some people did not want him to recover from his serious injuries.
"Not yet, you're the first to know!" Dongfang Heng's jade-like hand stroked Shen Lixue's dark hair and then her delicate face. The silky smooth touch was unforgettable.
"Don't publicize it for now, lest it cause more trouble!" Shen Lixue earnestly advised.
"I know!" Dongfang Heng nodded, gently leaned down, and pressed his sexy thin lips to Shen Lixue's alluring lips. It was a gentle and soft touch, like a spring breeze in March or a drizzling rain, and the warm feeling made one feel as if they were bathing in a warm hot spring.
Shen Lixue gradually became intoxicated by this warmth, her mind blank, her body slowly slumping into Dongfang Heng's arms. The faint scent of pine resin enveloped her tightly, like a giant net, leaving no gaps. Her head was dizzy, and she felt as if she were suffocating. Her soft breathing gradually became rapid, and she pushed Dongfang Heng away with all her might: "Dongfang... Heng..."
Dongfang Heng pulled away from Shen Lixue's lips slightly, a fire burning in the depths of his deep eyes as he looked at her flushed cheeks and spring-like eyes. His strong arms tightened unconsciously as he gently kissed her, tenderly and lingeringly.
"Princess, Prime Minister Shen said that he will send 700,000 taels of gold to the Prince of Zhan's residence this afternoon, and asks you to go to the Prime Minister's residence to donate blood tonight!" The guard's report interrupted the ambiguous atmosphere in the pavilion.
Dongfang Heng frowned unhappily and looked at the guard. The guard had just realized that he had ruined Dongfang Heng's good time and quickly lowered his head and retreated.
“One million taels of gold is no small sum. Shen Minghui couldn’t possibly produce it in such a short time,” Dongfang Heng said in a low voice.
“With Lei Hong’s help, it won’t be difficult.” Shen Lixue smiled, a cold glint flashing in her clear eyes: The Grand Commandant’s Mansion is a prestigious family with a deep foundation, and one million taels of gold is not a problem for them.
“Lei Hong, Shen Minghui and Lei Hong have always been at odds. Don’t you find it strange that they’ve reached an agreement to have you donate blood for treatment?” Dongfang Heng whispered a reminder.
Shen Lixue smiled. When Lei Hong and Shen Minghui came to the Holy King's Mansion to find her, she already had her suspicions: "It's fine if they cooperate, but it won't be so easy for them to scheme against me!"
Prime Minister's Residence
When Lei arrived at Ya Garden, she saw that the door to her small storeroom was open and most of the room was empty, while her courtyard was filled with jewelry boxes. The servants opened the boxes one by one, carefully checked them, and occasionally swapped the jewelry in the boxes.
"What are you doing?" Lei shouted angrily and strode over. The servants were so audacious that they actually took advantage of her absence to sneak into her storeroom and switch her jewelry.
"Madam!" The servants trembled, nearly dropping the paper, pens, and jewelry in their hands.