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"Master, Princess Mu is here," Steward Fang said with a wry smile.

"Princess Mu? As in Mu Yaoyao?"

Grand Secretary Fang frowned, but before he could say anything, Mu Yaoyao's shrill voice came from outside. "This is my grandpa's house. Why can't I come in? Get out of my way! Now!"

Mu Yaoyao ran into sight as she yelled!

She put on a charming, innocent smile as soon as she spotted Grand Secretary Fang in the pavilion. However, she looked disgusted as soon as she noticed Feng Wu.

"Feng Wu! What are you doing here?!" Frowning, Mu Yaoyao glared at Feng Wu.

Feng Wu shrugged. None of your business, girl.

"Grandpa, what's she doing here at this early hour?!" Mu Yaoyao hurled the question at Grand Secretary Fang.

The old man was displeased.

All men had preferences, and compared with Mu Yaoyao, the old man liked Feng Wu much better as a granddaughter.

For Feng Wu fitted the image of an outstanding youngster.

At the age of thirteen, the girl was brilliant, beautiful, adorable, talented, capable, level-headed, and knew what she was doing... The list simply went on and on.

Whereas Mu Yaoyao... She was nothing but a spoiled girl who only wanted more things.

Taking that into consideration, the old man liked Feng Wu even more.

Hence, he frowned at Mu Yaoyao. "Do you want to talk to me?"

Hearing that question, Mu Yaoyao immediately forgot about Feng Wu. Running up to Grand Secretary Fang, she held the old man's arm. "Grandpa, I brought you someone. I'm sure you'll be glad to meet him!"

"I'm your granduncle." The old man corrected her.

Mu Yaoyao ignored the reminder. She went on swaying Grand Secretary Fang's arm back and forth. "Grandpa... aren't you going back to your hometown after you retire? You're going to sell this house, aren't you? How about you don't sell it? Can you give it to me, please?"

Give it to you? Excuse me? Feng Wu threw a dirty look at Mu Yaoyao.

The area under these buildings was filled with top-grade spiritual stones! Give it to her?!

Grand Secretary Fang frowned a little.

"Grandpa, can't I have it..." Mu Yaoyao sounded disappointed, but she cheered up almost right away. "Grandpa, it's alright if you can't give it to me, but you have to promise me something."

At those words, Mu Yaoyao turned around and said to a middle-aged man, whom she had led into the house, "Chief Yao, this is Grand Secretary Fang, my grandpa."

Mu Yaoyao then said to Grand Secretary Fang, "Grandpa, this is Yao Zhong, the current chief of the Yao clan, who's from the eldest branch of the clan. Their family business is very famous in the imperial capital. They have shops all over the empire and they're one of the three largest businesses..."

Grand Secretary Fang frowned and stopped Mu Yaoyao with a wave of his hand.

"I'm not that old yet and I know what the Yao clan does for a living," Grand Secretary Fang said impatiently. "Cut to the chase."

"Alright..." Mu Yaoyao was noticeably crestfallen. Sensing Feng Wu's gaze, Mu Yaoyao glared at her. She went on, "Grandpa, isn't your house for sale? Chief Yao is very interested."

The frown on Grand Secretary Fang's face grew bigger!

Feng Wu was going to stay out of it at first, but she pricked up her ears when the house was mentioned.

She had to have this house and no one could take it from her!

Despite her determination, Feng Wu maintained her indifferent demeanor and didn't let her emotions show.

Grand Secretary Fang said nothing, which Mu Yaoyao took as him considering the offer. She smiled.

Henyee Translations Henyee Translations

"Grandpa, isn't your house for sale already? You can sell it to the Yao family now. They're very rich people."

Mu Yaoyao gave Chief Yao a look, prompting him to speak.

Chief Yao smiled. "Grand Secretary Fang, I heard that this house is selling for 10,000 taels of silver? Well, the Yao clan is willing to give you a million silver taels, together with a ten-thousand-year-old lingzhi mushroom and a blood ginseng."

Ten times?!

The Yao clan was offering a price ten times what was asked for!

They weren't buying a house! They were dumping money on the old man!

Feng Wu was alarmed.

Could it be that the Yao family had learned of the possible treasure hidden in this house? Otherwise, why would they offer an exorbitantly high price? This didn't make sense.

Grand Secretary Fang thought the same.

He gestured at an empty chair in front of him.

Flattered, Chief Yao only sat down after politely declining at first.

"Why?" Grand Secretary Fang neither rejected nor accepted the offer at once. Instead, he studied Chief Yao with a brooding look in his eyes, which had seen a fair share of the world during his long career as a politician.

Chief Yao said, "Grand Secretary Fang, your manor has great feng shui. With the lake at the front and the mountains in the distance, feng shui-wise, the residence is such an auspicious place."

"That's it?"

"Grand Secretary Fang, to tell you the truth -" Chief Yao said with a wry smile, "With my family's business, we've accumulated some wealth over the years, but the kids of the younger generation haven't been doing well in their studies. Only a handful of them have gotten into Imperial College and the future of the clan doesn't look very promising. We thought that maybe if we bought your house, the kids could gain from this association with you. Maybe they could do better."

"That's it?" Grand Secretary Fang repeated the question, but the look in his eyes was more stern now.

To Feng Wu, Grand Secretary Fang was an amiable elderly man who was a little proud at times, but to Chief Yao, he was the old grand secretary.

To be able to work as a grand secretary, the old man was anything but ordinary. He had to be exceptionally circumspect and farseeing to manage all his subordinates, not to mention that he had managed to retire peacefully.

With all the experience he had accumulated over the years, a fraction of his majestic demeanor was enough to intimidate Chief Yao here.

Under Grand Secretary Fang's wise, piercing gaze, Chief Yao felt suffocated.

He flinched...

The old man might be retired, but he was no less frightening than when he had held that post.

Chief Yao had no choice but to tell the truth. "I overheard that there's a big secret hidden in this house and the Fang family hasn't been able to solve it, so..."

Grand Secretary Fang turned his sharp gaze on Mu Yaoyao!

Lady Mu, Mu Yaoyao's mother, had grown up in the Fang manor, which was why she knew about it.

"Your mother told him that?"

"Grandpa, Mother... did tell me about it, but... haven't you been unable to solve it? If we wait any longer, it'll bring the Fang family ill fortune. Grandpa, just sell the house to the Yao clan!"

"How much did they pay you?" Grand Secretary Fang asked in an emotionless, unhurried tone.

"Grandpa... I didn't..." Mu Yaoyao tried to play the innocent girl again.

Grand Secretary Fang snorted.

As the saying went, "money makes the world go round." Someone like Mu Yaoyao would never offer her help without enough financial incentive. Grand Secretary Fang waved his hand. "See them out."

"Grandpa, Grandpa -"