What Are Your True Intentions
The scene instantly descended into chaos. The soldiers swung their heavy hammers, smashing down the greenhouse. The earthen walls collapsed onto the tender young sprouts just breaking through the soil, making the hearts of the Evans family and their hired workers bleed.
Lily Evans couldn’t bear to see her hard-earned business destroyed just like that. Suddenly inspired, she shouted, "This field belongs to Prince Huainan! Who dares to wreck the prince’s land!"
At Lily’s shout, Governor Yale hesitated as expected and said, "Wait, everyone stop!"
He looked Lily up and down. Though she was clearly a village woman, her bearing and looks were far from ordinary. Could she really be one of Prince Huainan’s people?
Although Prince Huainan had been under the emperor’s suspicion these last few years, he was still a royal kin—a true Li family prince. Governor Yale, a mere second-rank official, couldn’t possibly compare.
"Ms. Su, is this field really Prince Huainan’s? You do realize deceiving a government official is a serious crime!" Governor Yale said.
"Of course I wouldn’t dare deceive you, Governor Yale. Do you know Prince Huainan’s heir, Leonard Li?" Back when Governor Yale was in the capital, he’d certainly heard the name Leonard Li—a notorious playboy and Prince Huainan’s son.
"This field belongs to the young prince. If you don’t believe me, go ask around at any famous restaurant in the capital. Those establishments all do business with my young master and get their supplies from this field." Lily made up a story, mixing truth with fiction—enough to scare Governor Yale.
"Uh..." Governor Yale stroked his beard. He’d heard about the hundred-carriage spectacle when this field sold its crops recently. Apparently, Leonard Li had been the one making connections. Could this young woman really be Prince Huainan’s person?
"Governor Yale, don’t believe that wretch! She’s spouting nonsense! She’s just a country bumpkin—how could she be connected to Prince Huainan? She’s stalling for time! Hurry and smash her field!" May Parker, seeing Governor Yale hesitate, urged anxiously. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she saw Lily’s business destroyed with her own eyes.
Lily could see Governor Yale’s hesitation and knew he was wary of Prince Huainan. Feeling emboldened, she said, "Governor Yale, you may not know this, but the vegetables from my young master’s field supply all the major noble families in the capital: the Ministry of Rites, the Prince’s Mansion, the Chief Justice’s Residence… All these dignitaries have signed purchase contracts with us. If there’s any problem with the supply and the young master holds me accountable, I’m afraid I couldn’t bear the consequences."
Lily rattled off the names of so many powerful families in the capital—each one someone Governor Yale couldn’t afford to offend. Sure enough, his expression turned sour.
"Governor Yale, you mustn’t believe her! Lily is a master at manipulating people!" May Parker saw that Governor Yale was about to back down and wished she could grab a hammer herself to smash the field.
"Oh? May Parker, you’re so eager for Governor Yale to destroy my field—what exactly are your intentions?" Lily challenged May Parker.
May Parker shouted, "Your field is ruining the feng shui! I’m just anxious to rid the people of this harm!"
Lily sneered, "Are you really doing this for the people, or just for your own petty revenge? You know exactly why!" She mercilessly exposed May Parker’s motives, then slyly turned to Governor Yale: "Governor Yale, my field isn’t going anywhere. If you don’t believe it belongs to Prince Huainan’s heir, send someone to investigate. If I’m lying, you can come back and smash the field and fine me. But if it really is the prince’s property and you destroy it, just imagine how angry the young master will be… That wouldn’t be good for you, Governor. Take my advice: don’t let yourself be fooled by someone with ulterior motives, or you’ll end up in a mess yourself."