Consort Sun nodded in satisfaction: "I will summon her to the palace immediately."
Upon hearing this, Baili Jian's eyes lit up with joy, and he said, "Mother, I will go see Father now."
"Yes, keep an eye on things. This matter must be handled well. We can't let the Crown Prince be the only one to steal the spotlight." Baili Jian nodded in agreement: "Your subject understands." Then he withdrew.
The old nanny Qi, standing nearby, chuckled, "The Fifth Prince is becoming increasingly shrewd and difficult to manage. The Imperial Concubine will surely be able to leverage the Fifth Prince's influence in the future." Imperial Concubine Sun smiled and said, "Summon Sun Meng'er to the palace."
"Yes, Your Highness."
In an ordinary manor house on the outskirts of Beijing, a dozen or so men dressed in coarse cloth suddenly rushed over and grabbed all the guards who hadn't had a chance to resist. The leader said, "Search! There are secret passages under this house. Dig three feet into the ground and find them."
"Yes!" The manor immediately erupted into chaos. A full hour and a half later, a dirty-faced man rushed in: "Found it!"
"Quickly, lead the way!"
But at that moment, two more squads of guards suddenly rushed in from outside the manor. They were all dressed in military uniforms and carrying long spears, looking very imposing.
"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Soldiers have surrounded the entire manor!" The people inside the manor immediately panicked. Baili Cheng, the former leader, now had a grim expression: "Who dares to be so audacious as to surround me?"
"Haha, Your Highness, the Fifth Prince has come to lend you a hand." Just then, a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside. Baili Jian, dressed in court attire, led a group of soldiers into the manor, which looked very ordinary on the outside, so ordinary that no one would give it a second glance. However, there were two very important figures in this manor.
Baili Cheng's eyes narrowed immediately upon seeing this: "Fifth Imperial Brother, why are you here too? I am here on Father Emperor's orders to investigate the case. What you are doing is disturbing my work. Be careful, or Father Emperor will hold you accountable!"
Baili Jian laughed and said, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. However, I heard that the Fu family once transferred a huge sum of money. I was afraid that it was hidden too well and that it would be a waste of time for Your Highness to do it alone. That's why I asked for permission to investigate the whereabouts of this huge sum of money together with Your Highness. Father has agreed."
A cold glint flashed in Baili Cheng's eyes. By now, he understood perfectly well that Baili Jian had come for the huge sum of money and had anticipated his intention to embezzle it. This was Baili Jian's way of robbing Hu to annoy him. However, Baili Cheng couldn't refuse at this point, otherwise Emperor Mingxian would become suspicious. A chill ran through him; Fu Meier had dared to keep it from him! If not for that, the money would probably have been hers long ago. If Fu Meier had spoken up earlier, Baili Jian probably wouldn't have had time to follow them. How hateful!
Baili Jian sneered. Fu Meier had told him about the huge sum of money, but he didn't know its location. Although Baili Cheng thought his plan was flawless and his disguise excellent, Baili Jian had been watching him closely and naturally noticed the problem. That's why he brought troops, directly thwarting Baili Cheng's scheme. Of course, if he had waited any longer, he wouldn't have had the chance. If he had gone to the palace to request permission then, the Crown Prince would have turned around and accused Baili Jian of deliberately framing him out of personal grudges and revenge for the Fu family. In that case, Baili Jian would have incurred Emperor Mingxian's displeasure. Baili Jian had calculated that Fu Meier, for her own benefit, wouldn't tell Baili Cheng first. With this maneuvering, Baili Jian had enough time to do his thing.
"Men, search!" The soldiers brought by Baili Cheng and Baili Jian immediately began searching. They found the place where the huge sum of money had been transferred, which turned out to be a cave under the manor. There was even a formation set up inside. Half of the men they brought died before they were able to enter successfully. When they saw the chests of gold and silver ingots and numerous jewels, Baili Cheng and Baili Jian, who considered themselves well-traveled, were also extremely shocked and envious.
"Hehe, Your Highness, what do you say if we brothers split this in half?"
Baili Cheng laughed: "That's a good idea."
"Men, move them out and send them directly to the palace." However, the next moment, the two gave the order at the same time. They knew very well that they were mortal enemies and could not possibly leave such leverage in each other's hands. Although these things were really tempting to them, they could not take a single penny!
As they walked toward the palace, Baili Jian couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, when you checked the household accounts, they only amounted to a little over a million taels. This place is probably worth even more."
Baili Cheng's face turned ashen. If it weren't for Baili Jian's meddling and Fu Meier's deliberate concealment, this huge sum of money would have been his, which would have helped him a lot in his endeavors. Baili Cheng's grip on the horse's reins tightened, and his eyes were filled with coldness.
Emperor Mingxian was very satisfied with the huge sum of money worth nearly two million taels that Baili Cheng and Baili Jian had found. He rewarded Baili Cheng and Baili Jian with a big meal. Of course, this was incomparable to the huge sum of money in the Fu family. However, the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince were applauded by many people for this matter and gained a good reputation.
"Poison this slut and make her mute!" Baili Cheng rushed back to the villa and shouted angrily as soon as he entered Fu Meier's room.
Fu Meier said urgently, "Your Highness, you promised me that you would let me go as long as I told you about that place. You even swore an oath on your position as the Crown Prince!"
"You wretch! I told you I was going to get a huge sum of money, and you deliberately concealed it, delaying the process so that Baili Jian would realize what was going on. How could I let you live? Get to work now!"
"No, sob sob..." The people around the Crown Prince immediately carried a bowl of dark, murky medicine towards Fu Meier. Fu Meier's eyes widened, and she struggled incessantly, but her body was held down tightly by four strong, adult men. They pried open her mouth and forced the poison down her throat. The moment the poison entered her mouth and went down her throat, Fu Meier felt a burning pain. In no time, her eyes widened, but she could no longer make a sound. Fu Meier cried in agony; she wanted to explain, but it was too late.
Baili Cheng stared at Fu Meier, his heart filled with overwhelming hatred. This Fu Meier dared to conceal things from him, causing him to lose such a large sum of money. However, he couldn't let Fu Meier get away with it, nor could he allow her to speak freely. Otherwise, if she talked nonsense and revealed what had happened to him recently, it would be enough to give Baili Cheng a headache. Thinking this, Baili Cheng's eyes turned cold, and he had already come up with a plan: "Guards, take her to the prison!"
"Bang! Go in!" As soon as he brought her to the cell, the prince's attendant threw Fu Meier down without any politeness and kicked her into the cell.
Fu Lin was sitting against the wall. All the male and female prisoners from the Fu family were placed in the largest cell in the prison without any separation. When he saw Fu Meier being brought in dressed in a beautiful dress, Fu Lin was stunned and immediately went over and said, "Meier, how did you get in here?"
Fu Meier tried to speak, but could only make "ee-ee-ya-ya" sounds.
Bai Licheng's cold voice rang out: "As a concubine of the Prince, Fu Meier's report on the Fu family's embezzlement of official silver is meritorious and worthy of a heavy reward. However, through my investigation, I have discovered that Fu Meier also played a significant role in the Fu family's transfer of huge sums of money and embezzlement of official silver. Her crimes are equally unforgivable, and she should be sentenced along with everyone else in the Fu family. Let's go!"
After Baili Cheng finished speaking and left, the prison cell erupted in chaos: "What?! You actually betrayed the Fu family? So it was you who did it!"
"You wretch! As the legitimate daughter of the Fu family, you betrayed the Fu family at a crucial moment! Did you really think you were royalty? Now you've been arrested and are being questioned just like us. You deserve it!"
"That damned bitch! How dare she do this to us! I won't be satisfied until I beat her up!"
"Yeah, before I die, I'm going to grab someone to use as a cushion and beat her up!"
"Hit her!"
Although this prison cell occupied the largest area, it was still very crowded with so many people from the Fu family. At this moment, they all rushed towards Fu Meier and began to punch and kick her.
Fu Meier was now speechless, constantly letting out piercing screams. But in no time, she was beaten bloody by the Fu family's men. Her once beautiful clothes were now filthy and disheveled, and her hair was in disarray. Two young women were grabbing Fu Meier's head and slamming it against the prison bars. "Bang, bang, bang!" The entire prison echoed with heavy impacts, and Fu Meier let out even more shrill screams, but what came out were still amplified screams.
Fu Meier was in unbearable pain. She stretched out her arms and looked at Fu Lin with all her might. Her eyes were full of pleading, begging Fu Lin to save her. However, Fu Lin looked at her coldly and did not say a word.
"Ahhh..." Fu Meier was in excruciating pain. She never expected that even her father, who usually doted on her the most, would stand by and watch his clansmen beat her like this. She was innocent!
Fu Meier was unaware that Fu Lin, while not believing she was the one who reported the Fu family for embezzling a huge sum of money, was none other than Fu Meier in the matter of the transferred funds. When the Crown Prince arrested Fu Lin, he had interrogated him, but Fu Lin, to protect himself, wouldn't speak, waiting for the best opportunity to save his life. However, he hadn't expected the Crown Prince to never question him again. Just as he was beginning to suspect this, Fu Meier entered and, based on her words, Fu Lin understood. It was Fu Meier who had revealed everything, even the Fu family's last trump card, making her the culprit who had plunged the Fu family into destruction. Now, Fu Lin also deeply hated Fu Meier and would never save her. Even if Fu Meier were beaten to death by her family right now, Fu Lin wouldn't utter a word.
Of course, even if he spoke up, his family and clansmen wouldn't listen to him at this time. If they couldn't vent their anger, they would all die with their eyes wide open in disbelief!
Of course, in the end, these people from the Fu family didn't kill Fu Meier, but it was no different from not killing her. Fu Meier was barely breathing, just hanging on by a thread, waiting for the Emperor's final order.
Two days later, an imperial edict was issued, ordering all members of the Fu family to be executed. Those directly responsible for the numerous crimes, including Fu Lin, Fu Meier, and other high-ranking officials, were all sentenced to slow slicing. To serve as a deterrent, all citizens and merchants of the capital were required to close their businesses on the day of the execution, and everyone was required to witness the executions. This was meant to intimidate the world and show that anyone who dared to challenge the authority of the court would face the same fate. All 468 members of the Fu family perished.
Fu Lin, Fu Meier, and the others were hacked to death with 104 cuts. No one who saw the bloody scene wanted to see it again!
Inside the Prince Chen's residence, Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue strolled hand in hand in the back garden. They naturally didn't go to the scene. At this moment, a servant came to report: "Your Highness and Princess, Prince Zhi requests an audience and is already waiting in the main hall."
"Third brother? What is he doing here at this time?" Baili Chen wondered. Ouyang Yue also raised her eyebrows. Because of her, Baili Zhi had rarely seen Baili Chen recently. Since they were practically inseparable, she disliked seeing him, which meant that Baili Chen had also seen him less often.
However, the two did not keep Baili Zhi waiting for long. As soon as they heard the announcement, they went to the hall to meet Baili Zhi.
In the hall, Baili Zhi was dressed in a gray long robe, his hair held up only by a hairband, and his face was indifferent. Apart from his noble air, Baili Zhi looked quite ordinary. Baili Chen and Ouyang Yue greeted him at the same time, "Third Imperial Brother".
"Third Imperial Brother."
Baili Zhi nodded, glanced at Baili Chen, and finally fixed his gaze on Ouyang Yue's face, seemingly lost in thought. Baili Chen smiled and said, "Third Brother, it's been a few days since we last met. I wonder what brings you here today?"
Baili Zhi couldn't help but say, "It's been several days since we last met. It's all because you refused to go to court and just stayed in the Prince Chen's residence. How could we possibly have time to meet?" His words carried a hint of reproach, but Baili Chen just smiled and didn't say anything more. He was currently busy with the affairs of the Fu family, and it was rare for him to see people. It was just a polite remark.
Baili Zhi was not truly blaming anyone. He had already explained his purpose: "I have something to say today. Seventh Prince, could you please leave first? I have something to discuss with Princess Consort Chen!"
Baili Chen's expression immediately changed: "Third brother, is there something you can't let your younger brother know, something you can only tell Yue'er alone?"
Baili Zhi and Ouyang Yue have never had a good relationship. If Baili Chen were to let the two of them talk alone, he was afraid something might happen!
Baili Zhi looked at Ouyang Yue, his eyes flashing slightly, and said in a calm voice, "This matter can indeed only be discussed with Princess Chen!"
☆、186、Angrily rebukes Baili Zhi!
Baili Chen paused, then smiled and said, "If there's something to say, tell Yue'er. Can't even my imperial brother know?"
Baili Zhi looked at Baili Chen: "You will naturally find out later."
Before Baili Chen could speak, Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "Your Highness, let me speak with my brother for a few minutes. Since he's visiting the palace, we should treat him to a meal. Or, could you go to the kitchen and give some instructions to prepare his best dishes?" Baili Chen was naturally worried that Ouyang Yue would be taken advantage of, but seeing her expression, he nodded and said, "Alright, I'll just take a stroll in the kitchen and be right back." As he spoke, he glanced at Baili Zhi, seemingly concerned about Baili Zhi and Ouyang Yue being alone together. How could he not be concerned? The two of them didn't get along well; how could he, as the person involved, not know that?
As soon as Baili Chen left, Baili Zhi's face darkened, and Ouyang Yue also stopped smiling. Baili Zhi sneered, "You change your expression quickly."
Ouyang Yue looked at Baili Zhi calmly and said, "I wonder what brings you here so suddenly, Third Brother?"
Baili Zhi glanced at Ouyang Yue: "Did you orchestrate the Fu family incident this time?"
Ouyang Yue picked up her teacup and said, "Third Prince, don't you drink tea? This tea is made by the maids of the Prince's Mansion. They get up early every day to collect dew to brew it. It tastes especially sweet. Even though the Prince doesn't usually like to drink tea, he now praises it highly and is even addicted to it."
Baili Zhi snorted coldly: "Don't try to change the subject. You were ruthless this time at the Fu residence, killing hundreds of people just like that."
Ouyang Yue calmly replied, "It's truly surprising that Third Brother asked such a question. As a member of the royal family, doesn't Third Brother deeply resent the Fu family? I, for one, feel immense hatred. While executing the entire Fu family might be excessive, their embezzlement of government silver has also caused immense suffering to the common people. Now, with the thorough investigation into the counterfeit silver coin case, countless people will lose their wealth. For those impoverished people, those silver coins could be their life-saving money. In this way, the Fu family has harmed countless others. And those implicated..." They looked pitiful, but similarly, after Fu Lin embezzled government funds, they also benefited. They used the ill-gotten gains with a clear conscience, but in the end, they too were implicated. This isn't just my opinion; it's the law of the Great Zhou Dynasty. As a royal daughter-in-law, everything I do is for the court and for my father. The Fu family may be pitiful, but compared to the common people, they died a worthy death, reducing the voices against my father. I truly don't know why my third brother suddenly came to the residence and said these things.”
"So you've learned to use the Emperor to pressure me, the King." Baili Zhi's expression was not good.
Ouyang Yue said calmly, "Third brother, is this the purpose of your visit? Is it because the Fu family came to confront me and said I did something wrong?"
Baili Zhi actually laughed: "You think your trick of using someone else to kill is flawless? Even if no one has evidence that you did it, the conflict between your Meiyi Pavilion and the Fu family will still draw attention to your role in this matter. Once people suspect that you deliberately provoked the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince to confront each other, do you think you can still be so indifferent to say these things to me?"
Ouyang Yue nodded slightly: "Yes, all the struggles between the Crown Prince and the Prince can be attributed to external matters. What's so strange about that? If someone wants to find fault, they will always find a reason. I am an innocent and pure person, the most innocent, weak and pitiful. If someone is falsely accusing me, then I will really have nothing to do but cry."
"You're so pure, weak, and pitiful?" Baili Zhi's face suddenly stiffened. He gave Ouyang Yue a very strange look, but his lips pursed even deeper. He seemed to have mentally prepared himself before saying, "You actually have a photographic memory?"
Ouyang Yue wasn't surprised that Baili Zhi knew. Since she dared to use it, she never intended to keep it a secret. She simply said calmly, "It's not that I have a photographic memory, it's just that my memory is better than others."
Baili Zhi said, "I underestimated you before."
Ouyang Yue shook her finger: "Third brother, you can't underestimate a woman, no matter who you look down on. Third brother, please state your purpose. Or do you want to talk in the flower hall? I think the prince should be back soon."
Baili Zhi paused for a moment and said, "Chaohua is already over twenty, but he is still not married, and he doesn't even have a marriage partner. He stays at the border all year round and has no one to take care of him. Hasn't your sister-in-law ever thought of finding a woman of equal social standing for your brother?"
Ouyang Yue's expression changed immediately: "Judging from what the Third Emperor said, it seems that someone has already been chosen? However, I cannot make a decision on this matter. It depends entirely on my brother's preference. Even my grandmother will not use this as an excuse to force my brother."
“Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers. As long as my great-aunt agrees, given Chaohua’s filial nature, there is naturally no reason for her to disagree,” Baili Zhi said repeatedly.
"Third Brother, you probably don't know the ancestral precepts of the Xuanyuan family," Baili Zhi raised an eyebrow and asked, "What are they?"
"The men of the Xuanyuan family are loyal and devoted their lives. Elders are forced to marry their juniors, and it is entirely up to the juniors' own will. If there is no mutual affection, no matter how urgent it is, it cannot be forced. There is no woman who can truly protect my brother now, so naturally he will not just marry any Tom, Dick, or Harry. Otherwise, there will be unrest in the family, and my grandmother will have to worry about him at her advanced age. That would be the greatest act of filial impiety." Ouyang Yue's voice was very cold, and even carried a hint of sarcasm.
Baili Zhi narrowed his eyes: "Given Chaohua's status, how could he marry just anyone? Besides, this matter still needs to be decided by Chaohua and the Empress Dowager, so there's no need for you to say more. Just make arrangements so that I can meet with Chaohua."
Ouyang Yue laughed: "Third brother, it's not difficult for you to see whomever you want. Do you really need your sister-in-law to arrange it? I think it's unnecessary. But if you don't believe me, I'll make it clear. The Xuanyuan family does have this family rule. It was personally established by our grandfather for the sake of his relationship with our grandmother. Such deep affection from our grandmother is truly rare. As descendants of the Xuanyuan family, we should wholeheartedly admire such a grandfather and grandmother. If it weren't for your brother's consent, even our grandmother couldn't say anything."
"Hmph, the whole world belongs to the emperor. If Father Emperor issues an edict, would Xuanyuan Chaohua dare to disobey?"
Ouyang Yue's face immediately turned cold: "Yes! Although my brother is a subject of the king, he is also the grandson of our deceased grandfather. Since ancient times, there has been no consensus on whether loyalty or filial piety is more important. Our grandfather fought for the court and made countless contributions. If it weren't for our grandmother, there would be no Princess Mansion, no brother, and no me. Yet, our grandfather died unjustly. For such a national hero, his only wish before his death was not to participate in politics, a simple wish without any ambition, and a family precept. Our father is wise and powerful, and he certainly wouldn't issue an edict to force my brother to do so. Third brother, don't you find it strange that my brother hasn't married all these years? How do you know that our father already knew about the family precepts of the Xuanyuan Mansion? It's about respecting our grandfather, respecting the feelings between our grandfather and grandmother, and respecting my brother's choice. Now, third brother, you're here forcing me. What do you mean by that?"
Baili Zhi's expression also turned cold: "I didn't do it out of good intentions. Do you think that you can just manipulate the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince this time and that's the end of it? The struggle between the two sides will inevitably become more intense. You think you can stay out of it? How could that be possible!"
Ouyang Yue smiled with narrowed eyes: "So, Third Brother wants to choose a side for me and for the Chen Prince's Mansion? Forget whether the Prince agrees or not, I won't be able to get past him!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? These are matters between men. You, a woman, should only know how to play with flowers and plants in the mansion and how to please men. How dare you try to interfere in men's affairs? You have quite the nerve. Have you forgotten the precepts for women that you learned in elementary school?" Baili Zhi immediately rebuked.
Ouyang Yue sneered, "Third Brother, don't you know I've been uneducated since childhood? What are those 'Instructions for Women'? I've never heard of them." She continued, "Third Brother, is what you call 'for the good of the Chen Prince's Mansion' really for the good of the Chen Prince's Mansion? Haven't you always been aloof and unassuming? Why are you so eager to get the Chen Prince's Mansion to take sides now? It's really strange. Perhaps you have no right to criticize me. You were just influenced by your wife's whispers and came running here. Let me tell you the truth, no matter who this woman you're talking about is, it's impossible. I will absolutely not allow my brother to marry a scheming and vicious woman into the Princess's Mansion. And given my brother's temperament, if he doesn't want to, no one can force him! Three words: Impossible!"
"How dare you speak to me like that! Do you have any sense of being a junior? What do you mean by 'pillow talk'? As your sister-in-law, how can you criticize your brother like that? You have no manners at all! And you're supposed to be a princess? If this gets out, you'll become a laughingstock of the Great Zhou Dynasty!" Baili Zhi's face turned red with anger.
Ouyang Yue slammed her hand on the table and suddenly stood up, saying, "Whether I, the Princess Consort, have the right or not is not for you to judge. My husband and I live our own lives, and only he has the right to criticize me. I will treat what others say as nonsense! Why should I care about others?"
"You, you're utterly insolent! As the Princess Consort of the Great Zhou, you should set a good example. How can you speak so vulgarly? You're incredibly crude!" Baili Zhi's face was already flushed red.
"So what if I'm a nobody? Do you think I love this position as a princess? Have I had a single day of peace since I married into the Chen Prince's mansion? First, you cleverly sent those twenty women to the prince, and then you were jealous and made things difficult for me. Do you think I like that? If I didn't have my eye on Baili Chen, do you think I, Xuan Yuan Yue, couldn't find any husband? Even if I found someone mediocre, someone who would only be my submissive husband, so what? I'd be perfectly content. Do you think I'm chasing after you? Do you think I need you to force women on me and make me unhappy? Let me tell you, if it weren't for my husband's sake, if you weren't my nominal elder brother, I would have refused to come to the mansion today." "I had someone throw you out with a broom." Ouyang Yue, hands on her hips, snapped at Baili Zhi with a fierce expression. "You should stay out of my way from now on. This is my husband and my life, and whether it's good or bad is our business. He hasn't even thought about cheating. You, as his older brother, don't want your brother to have a happy life, and you're even adding trouble to this household. If I weren't sure you two were related by blood, I would really doubt your motives. From now on, if any woman dares to send to the Chen Prince's residence again, I don't care who she is, I'll kill her every time she comes in. Let's see which shameless woman dares to covet my man, Xuan Yuan Yue's man!"
"You...you jealous woman, you shameless jealous woman, how dare you speak to me like that! Aren't you afraid of being ridiculed by the world and punished by Father Emperor!" Baili Zhi was so angry with Ouyang Yue that he couldn't speak.
This era placed great constraints on women. Women's precepts and admonitions were to be memorized and upheld. As women, they were expected to be knowledgeable, reasonable, gentle, and humble. As wives, they were to always respect their husbands, and were forbidden from being jealous or envious. Otherwise, they could not only be divorced under the seven grounds for divorce, but would also be ridiculed by the world. No member of the royal family dared to utter such words. Even if someone could withstand the gossip among the people, the royal punishment would not be light.
"Third Prince, as my husband's own brother, do you really want to see your younger brother and sister-in-law unhappy? Of course you can say it, and once I say it, I can't take it back. If you want to say it, no one can stop you." Ouyang Yue looked coldly at Baili Chen. "However, if I find out that you've forced your husband again, I'm a ruthless and vicious woman. Since you said I was responsible for everything at the Fu residence, I'm capable of anything. I'm not a soft-hearted person. Anyone who crosses me will be punished a hundredfold. At worst, I'll kill that woman who sleeps next to you, then I'll kill my husband, and I'll die. In the underworld, we can be a pair of ghostly husband and wife, carefree and arrogant, without being bound by those pointless people."
Baili Zhi was so angry that he didn't know what to say to Ouyang Yue: "Look at what nonsense you're spouting! Is this something a woman, a princess, should say? You even want to kill my concubine? You're incredibly audacious!"
Ouyang Yue raised her chin: "Third Prince, you have no idea how audacious I am. Since we've already talked things out, you can take your revenge however you like, but I'll say what I want to say. I'm just that domineering. I can't tolerate my man having other thoughts. Otherwise, when I get angry and jealous, I'll either kill him and then commit suicide, or I'll castrate him. I'd rather he be impotent than accept him having other women. And this domineering nature isn't just shown towards my man, but also towards those close to me. I can make this decision myself, regardless of whether the Third Prince objects." "Whoever you recommend, I will absolutely not let them become my sister-in-law. You don't need to tell me who it is; I don't want to hear it. There are several conditions for someone to be with my brother: beautiful and talented, wholeheartedly devoted to him, and someone who's always causing trouble at home is out of the question. My ideal sister-in-law is someone who has lost both parents and can only rely on my brother. Such a person is hard to find. Of course, the most important thing is that they must be mutually in love with my brother. All the previous conditions are secondary. If this isn't met, I will absolutely not allow anyone to ruin my brother's lifelong happiness; no one will do." Ouyang Yue narrowed her eyes, coldly looking at Baili Zhi.
"Both parents are dead, who are you cursing!" Baili Zhi was furious.