Great, it's just a lackey, we're saved!

Chapter 165 Give it to me!

Qiuhua Palace.

The Third Prince stood outside the door listening to Consort Li's wailing, and his head ached terribly.

"Mother, please stop wailing. What will it look like if others hear you?"

Consort Li was locked inside the room, her hair disheveled, and she was completely unrecognizable.

Hearing her own son speak of her in such a way, Consort Li went even more insane.

"Who else can hear me? My Qiuhua Palace was sealed off long ago by that wretched Yue Li. Who can come in? Who dares to come in?"

"She won't allow me to step out of Qiuhua Palace even once, she's trying to kill me!"

Waaaaah———

As Consort Li spoke, she began to wail again, and the Third Prince sighed deeply.

"Mother, you're the same! My elder sister is your own daughter, my own sister. She asked for military power, and you not only didn't support her, but you even went to Kunning Palace to make things difficult for her!"

"If I were the elder sister, I would lock you up too."

Upon hearing this, Consort Li nearly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Is this the eldest son she has raised for so many years?

Seeing how miserable he was, he didn't feel any pity at all, and even spoke up for that wretched Jiang Yueli!

"Yue Lin, I think you're the one who's gone mad! That military power belongs to the Crown Prince. What is your sister? How dare she even try to get her hands on it?"

The Third Prince frowned. Ever since the day of the literary ceremony, when the Crown Prince slapped him like a madman, he had suddenly become much more sober!

Things that I couldn't see clearly or understand in the past, or things that I didn't care about, I now understand clearly.

“Mother, I heard that the power of those 500,000 troops originally belonged to my elder sister. It was only after you stepped forward and asked my elder sister for the tiger tally that the power was given to the Crown Prince.”

"Since the tiger tally originally belonged to my elder sister, what's the problem if she wants to take it back?"

"But the Empress and the Crown Prince, mother and son, have taken over my elder sister's things, and you're the one who has to teach her a lesson, Mother Consort? Is there any justice in this world?"

"Sometimes I really wonder who your real child is. You ignore me and my elder sister and focus all your attention on scheming for the Crown Prince."

"What? Does Mother Consort still expect that when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he can establish two empress dowagers?"

The Third Prince grew increasingly angry as he spoke, finding Consort Li even more unreasonable.

The two empress dowagers' words were merely meant to anger Consort Li, who was neither the Crown Prince's birth mother nor the Empress.

Even if there were two empress dowagers, it wouldn't be her turn!

Consort Keli seemed oblivious to the Third Prince's sarcasm and shouted from inside the room.

"My sister treats me like a real sister. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne one day, things might just turn out as you say!"

"Yue Lin, you must not be influenced by your sister. The Crown Prince and the Empress are our only support."

“You must listen to the Crown Prince and do his bidding! Your sister is insane and won’t listen to me at all, but you are different.”

"You are a prince, and the future crown prince will have to rely on you, his own brother. You will surely become a powerful prince in the future."

The Third Prince closed his eyes, his blood surging, and he felt increasingly that Consort Li was not normal.

At the grand ceremony for literary cultivation, the crown prince slapped him, a prince, in front of everyone for the sake of a woman of unknown origin.

He showed him no respect whatsoever. Did the Crown Prince treat him like a brother back then?

Such behavior hardly reflects the demeanor of a wise ruler.

If such a person became emperor, he would surely be easily swayed by a woman's few words and lose all sense of direction.

If I work for the Crown Prince, I might not even know how I die!

“Mother, you’ve really gone mad! I am a prince, the son of Father Emperor. No matter who ascends the throne in the future, my identity will not change.”

"Whether the Crown Prince ascends the throne or not, what difference does it make to me? Does he think he can kill his own brothers if I don't help him?"

"If he really dares to do this, isn't he afraid of history recording his atrocities, and afraid of the remonstrances of civil officials?"

As the Third Prince spoke, his patience gradually wore thin.

He began to instruct those around him: "Go and search Qiuhua Palace to see if there are any valuable items."

"Since my mother is being held captive by my elder sister, she probably doesn't need any money. It's perfect for me."

Upon hearing this, Consort Li almost couldn't help but burst into a tirade of curses.

She's already in such a state, and all the Third Prince knows is money?

"Yue Lin, don't you have a heart? I'm in such a state now, and instead of begging your father to release me, or reasoning with your sister, you come here to extort my money?"

When did you become so cold-blooded?

The Third Prince almost laughed in anger when he heard Consort Li say that.

Is he cold-blooded?

If he were cold-blooded, he wouldn't have come to the palace to deliver things to Consort Li, leaving her to fend for herself in Qiuhua Palace.

If he hadn't come, no one would have known that there wasn't even any charcoal left in Consort Li's palace.

"Mother, your palace has been as cold as an ice cellar these past few days. Without charcoal, how have you slept at night?"

"You say the Empress treats you like a sister, so why don't you see her sending you charcoal?"

Consort Li, however, did not see anything wrong with it.

"These are all material possessions, and I don't care about them. Besides, my elder sister, the Empress, is busy managing the inner palace; how could she have so much time to care about me?"

"In the end, it's all because your sister caused trouble for the Empress and the Crown Prince that she's so distressed."

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince was too lazy to say anything more.

You're freezing to death in the palace yourself, and you're worried about whether others are suffering mentally or emotionally?

The Third Prince, who had initially felt some reluctance towards Consort Li, immediately hardened his heart.

"Mother, due to the snow disaster, there is a shortage of supplies in the capital, and the price of grain has risen sharply. I have brought you all the supplies I could find."

"You can stay in Qiuhua Palace without worry. Once your elder sister calms down, she might let you out."

"Also, your son is not wealthy either. This grain, charcoal, and cotton are the savings of my household. Don't be so generous as to give them to the Empress."

"The Empress is the head of the harem, and the Crown Prince is the heir apparent; they don't lack these things."

After the Third Prince finished speaking, he let out a long sigh. It was unclear whether Consort Li had taken his words to heart.

If she doesn't listen and insists on currying favor with the Empress and the Crown Prince, she will only suffer in the end.

Because Qiuhua Palace was sealed off by the eldest princess, it was mistreated by the other palace servants, and the servants lived a very frugal life.

The Third Prince also sent gifts to the palace maids and eunuchs, instructing them: "Serve Consort Li well. If any problems arise, I will hold you all accountable."

After the warning, he softened his tone: "I know that Qiuhua Palace is having a hard time these days, but this is not an exception. Right now, there is a blizzard in the capital, and everyone is struggling to make ends meet."

"I will send you things regularly, and you will not be shortchanged. I will also instruct the other palaces not to mistreat Qiuhua Palace."

"Consort Li is the birth mother of the eldest princess. Even if she is imprisoned, it is only temporary."

"Anyone who dares to mistreat the master, if I find out, I will take his head."

After speaking, the Third Prince looked at Consort Li's personal maid.

The master's storeroom keys were usually kept by the head palace maid.

"Chunfang, bring out the warehouse key."

The head palace maid, Chunfang, was startled and looked fearfully toward Consort Li's room.

Then they heard Consort Li cursing: "Don't give it to him! That belongs to me, not a single penny can be given to him."

"If I give it to him, he'll definitely squander it!"

The Third Prince retorted, "Mother, what am I going to squander? There's a snowstorm in the capital right now, and we're barely able to afford food. Where am I going to splurge?"

"It's because my elder sister needs food and charcoal, but I don't have the money to buy them, so I have to come here to beg for money."

The Third Prince's words nearly made Consort Li faint.