"Relieve my worries? Hahaha..." Chancellor Chu seemed to have heard something extremely amusing. "You, a mere young lady from a boudoir, think you can do it?"
"If the chancellor looks down on me, Bai Zheng, how about we make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"If I can raise 200,000 taels of silver for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince within three days, the chancellor should agree to annul my engagement and stop making things difficult for my father."
Feng Jingye asked with interest, "And if you fail?"
"What does Your Highness think would be appropriate?" Bai Zheng countered.
Feng Jingye looked at Chancellor Chu. The chancellor stroked his beard, thought for a moment, and said, "If you fail, you shall kneel three times and kowtow nine times all the way from the West City Gate to the East City Gate, shouting, 'Bai Zheng has no discernment and has slandered Chu Feng.'"
"No!" Bai Yinan shouted.
Before he could say more, Bai Zheng's clear "Yes" resounded. "Today, in front of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Fifth Prince, let's seal this oath with three high-fives."
Seeing Bai Zheng's confident look, Chancellor Chu hesitated for a moment. He shook his head. She was just a young girl, talking big. Thinking this, he raised his right hand.
Before Bai Yinan could stop her, Bai Zheng's right palm had already slapped against his.
"One high-five, under the bright sky and the shining sun," Bai Zheng said without hesitation.
As soon as the words left her mouth, her second palm slapped against his.
"Two high-fives, may heaven and earth be the witness of this bet." Then she slapped their hands together for the third time. "Three high-fives, if anyone breaks this oath, may they be ruined in reputation and fortune!"
Bai Zheng lowered her hand, took two steps back, and politely bowed to everyone. "Thank you, Your Highnesses, for being the witnesses. I will surely raise the 200,000 taels within three days."
With that, she turned around, grabbed the still-dazed Bai Yinan, and walked out of the General's Mansion hall without looking back.
In the carriage, Bai Yinan's gentle and refined face was filled with deep worry. He looked at Bai Zheng for a long time. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, it turned into a long sigh.
Bai Zheng knew what Bai Yinan was worried about. To pay back the 3,000 taels, she had already planned a way to make quick money.
She wasn't completely confident about raising 200,000 taels, but Yongding City was full of prodigal sons and high-ranking officials who spent money like water. She should be able to swindle most of it.
When the carriage passed by the bustling street, Bai Zheng suddenly shouted, "Stop." Seeing Bai Yinan looking at her in confusion, a cute smile appeared on Bai Zheng's face. "Father, I'm going to Jizhen Tower. You haven't rested since you came out of the Ministry of Justice. Go back to the mansion first. Mother and the younger brothers must be waiting anxiously."
Jizhen Tower?
Bai Yinan was stunned for a moment. So that's it.
Jizhen Tower was the largest auction venue in Yongding City. It held an auction of rare treasures on the 15th of every month.
Although the national treasury of the Great Zhou was empty, Yongding City, as the capital, gathered all the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Great Zhou.
The Jizhen Tower auction on the 15th of every month had become the most exciting event in Yongding.
Jizhen Tower really lived up to its reputation as the largest auction house in Yongding. It always presented some rare treasures that were rarely seen in the world, which always attracted many nobles to bid for them.
It was said that even the current emperor sometimes went incognito to join in the fun and buy some new and interesting treasures.
Seeing Bai Yinan looking worried, Bai Zheng nodded and said, "Father, don't worry. I'll earn the money honestly without stealing or robbing."
But even if they sold the entire Bai Mansion, they couldn't raise 200,000 taels of silver!
Just as Bai Yinan was about to start lecturing, seeing his unfriendly expression, Bai Zheng got out of the carriage first.
Bai Yinan sighed helplessly and planned to ask the accountant to calculate the family's property as soon as he got back, and then ask the brothers in the clan to lend some money.
In any case, he would never allow his precious daughter to kneel and kowtow! He would even give up his life if necessary!
Bai Zheng stood in front of Jizhen Tower. It would be the 15th of the month in three days. Jizhen Tower usually promoted the rare treasures to be auctioned half a month before the auction.
It seemed that there was nothing special this month, so there was no extra publicity. Bai Zheng curled her lips and walked in.
On ordinary days, Jizhen Tower was just an ordinary treasure store. There were not many customers at this time.
When she entered the store, a plain-looking man who looked like a waiter stepped forward respectfully and greeted her, "Miss, are you looking for something?"
Bai Zheng scanned the store and showed a bored look. She sighed and said, "They say Jizhen Tower has gathered all the treasures of the Great Zhou, but I didn't expect them to be just common things."
Seeing that although Bai Zheng was dressed simply, the material of her clothes was not too bad, the waiter apologized and stepped back.
Not long after, a man who looked like a steward walked forward and said to Bai Zheng with a kind smile, "I'm sorry for my poor reception. I heard that the girl didn't take a fancy to the treasures in our Jizhen Tower. I wonder if the girl could tell me what you have in mind so that I can look for it for you."
Bai Zheng had a gentle smile on her face, but her eyes were looking at the second floor.
Jizhen Tower had three floors. Usually, only the first floor was open, where there were some good things that other treasure stores couldn't offer, although they were not as valuable as the auction items.
The second floor had private rooms for the wealthy and noble young masters to spend their money.
Bai Zheng looked back at the steward. The man paused for a moment and then led Bai Zheng up to the second floor and into a private room.
A beautiful maid came in to pour tea. Bai Zheng thanked her naturally and began to taste the tea.
The steward observed her imperceptibly for a while. He really couldn't figure out what this mysterious woman's purpose was, so he could only wait quietly.
Seeing that the steward didn't urge her and always stood there respectfully waiting for her instructions, Bai Zheng couldn't help but praise in her heart. It seemed that the rules of Jizhen Tower were very good.
Bai Zheng took a sip of the hot tea and then said, "I wonder what the highest price ever fetched for a treasure in Jizhen Tower since its opening?"
"Three hundred thousand taels of gold," the steward replied calmly without showing the slightest sign of pride.