The remaining 20,000 taels of silver were not beyond her earning capacity. It was just that tonight was too rushed, and she was afraid she wouldn't make it in time.
Why not go find Song Yiqing now and sell him some more valuable items?
Feng Jingyi saw Bai Zheng's troubled look and knew what was bothering her. So he said, "I don't need the 20,000 taels that Miss Su sent. You can take it, Miss Bai."
Bai Zheng looked up and quickly declined, "No, no. I've troubled Your Highness for so long. If it weren't for Your Highness, my cousin wouldn't have easily taken out 20,000 taels just because of me."
Just as they were declining, another servant in green clothes walked in and whispered a few words to the steward.
The steward's face showed a look of great shock. He carefully sized up Bai Zheng a few times before taking the smaller gold ingot that the servant in green clothes handed over and walking forward again.
"Our boss said that the treasure Miss Bai auctioned this time can benefit all the people and has brought unprecedented popularity and fame to our Jizhen Tower. On behalf of all the scholars in the world and also on behalf of Jizhen Tower, the boss would like to thank Miss Bai."
Saying that, he held up the gold ingot in his hand and bowed, "Jizhen Tower will not take this 10% profit today. Please accept it, Miss Bai."
Bai Zheng was a little surprised. Her eyes swept over the steward and the servant. She lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before smiling, getting up, and taking the gold ingot with both hands.
"No wonder Jizhen Tower has stood firm for three dynasties. It turns out there is such a kind, wise, and far - sighted boss. I wonder if the boss would do me the honor. I'd like to thank the boss in person."
The steward smiled amiably and said, "I'll go and ask the boss." Then he bowed and backed out step by step.
Bai Zheng looked at the two gold ingots in her hand, one big and one small. When the steward came in just now, no one got up, and no one knew what had happened. But there were so many people interested in the papermaking technique that someone would surely trace it back to her.
Holding 200,000 taels of silver in her hand, she was afraid there would be trouble if things were delayed...
"Is His Highness the Crown Prince still in the private room?" she thought for a while and asked.
"Yes, he is," Feng Jingyi answered without hesitation.
Feng Jingye always disdained to squeeze with the common people. Naturally, he would wait until all the people on the first and second floors had left before coming out.
"Please lead the way, Your Highness. I'll send it there now." Bai Zheng picked up the gold, opened the door, and walked out.
Feng Jingyi quickly followed and led her to the door of the private room where the Crown Prince and Chu Feng were.
Bai Zheng said loudly, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, Bai Zheng, the daughter of the vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue, requests an audience."
Hearing this, Chu Feng inside the room frowned and said disgustedly, "What is she doing here again!"
But a strange thought suddenly came to Feng Jingye's mind. He found it hard to believe, but he also vaguely felt that this thought might be true. So he replied, "Come in."
The door was gently opened. A pair of light purple embroidered shoes stepped lightly over the threshold and came in front of Feng Jingye.
Bai Zheng curtsied and held the gold ingot above her head. "The 200,000 taels that I promised Your Highness. Please check it."
"Whoosh!"
Feng Jingye stood up from his chair all of a sudden.
He stretched out his hands, and his hands trembled slightly uncontrollably.
He grabbed the gold ingot from Bai Zheng's hand and couldn't wait to turn it over to the bottom. Seeing the character "Song" clearly engraved on it, a trace of red seeped into his eyes because of excitement.
"It's you!" Chu Feng shouted sharply. "The papermaking technique, it was you?!"
Bai Zheng ignored Chu Feng, who looked completely incredulous. She said to Feng Jingye in a deep voice, "No, this papermaking technique was actually created by Your Highness the Crown Prince. It's just that Your Highness has the people at heart and auctioned it off to raise silver."
These words stunned Feng Jingye, Feng Jingyi, and Chu Feng.
Feng Jingye quickly reacted and was about to nod when he heard Chu Feng shouting uncontrollably, "It's impossible! You're lying! It was clearly you..."
"Does Young Master Chu not believe that His Highness the Crown Prince has the ability, or is he questioning His Highness's love for the people!" Bai Zheng shouted sharply.
Feng Jingye frowned and swept a sharp look at Chu Feng, which stopped Chu Feng from continuing to roar.
"This is the goodwill from the Song family. I hope Your Highness can put in a good word for the Song family in front of His Majesty at that time."
Feng Jingye smiled. The annoyance that had been weighing on his mind for the past few days was swept away. He felt more comfortable than ever. He personally helped Bai Zheng up from the ground and readily agreed.
"Of course. I will definitely let Father know the goodwill of the Song family, and let everyone in the world know!"
"Your Highness mustn't!" Bai Zheng quickly said. "If everyone in the world, especially the Western Liang, knows that our Great Zhou's treasury is so empty that His Highness has to auction off his own treasures to make up for it, we may soon face not only the war with the Southern Shu."
Of course, the most important thing was that she had promised Song Yiqing that the donation would not affect the Song family's business in other countries.
Feng Jingye also knew that the Western Liang always liked to take advantage of others' difficulties. If this led to the Western Liang's intervention, it was hard to say whether Feng Linche would be so angry that he would depose him as the Crown Prince.
Although a little reluctant, Feng Jingye still nodded and said, "You're right. Then I'll just privately inform Father of the Song family's sincerity."
At this time, Chu Feng finally calmed down. Hearing Bai Zheng's words, he sneered, "What Miss Bai said is interesting. Since you said this thing belongs to His Highness the Crown Prince, if you don't let the world know, how can they see His Highness's love for the people!"
Before Feng Jingye could speak, Bai Zheng stepped forward and replied loudly.
"What on earth is Young Master Chu up to! Does he really want the Western Liang and the Southern Shu to attack us from both sides, leaving the people of the Great Zhou in deep trouble and His Highness's position as the Crown Prince in jeopardy!"
"But if we don't tell the world, what's the meaning of who the papermaking technique really belongs to?" Chu Feng retorted.
Bai Zheng faced Chu Feng. This was the first time she had looked directly at Chu Feng since entering the room. "Isn't it enough that His Majesty knows! Does Young Master Chu think that His Highness the Crown Prince is such a vain person? Young Master Chu has repeatedly encouraged His Highness to make this matter public. Is he determined to push His Highness off the position of the Crown Prince?"
Chu Feng was speechless. Under Feng Jingye's knife - like gaze, he weakly replied, "You, you're lying. I was just..."
"Were you just trying to stand up for Miss Bai Er? Young Master Chu, don't blame me for not warning you in advance. My cousin is very close to the Third Highness. Young Master Chu mustn't forget who is the legitimate descendant of the Chu family just for the sake of beauty!"
With a "thud", Chu Feng staggered and fell into the chair against the wall.
Feng Jingye narrowed his eyes dangerously and pursed his lips without saying a word. But Chu Feng, who had grown up with him, knew that Feng Jingye would only show such an expression when he was extremely angry.
Feng Jingye had really started to doubt him after hearing Bai Zheng's words!
Absurd, simply absurd! Even if he, Chu Feng, was so infatuated with beauty that he forgot his sense of righteousness, he hadn't reached the point of helping outsiders to trample on his own relatives.
Chu Feng was so angry that he trembled all over. He pointed at Bai Zheng and said, "You're slandering me!"