"Does Young Master Chu know who the current defender of Yan City is?"
"Bai Yihuan." As the legitimate son of the Prime Minister's Mansion, he naturally knew such a thing.
Bai Zheng smiled and said, "So, I really have to thank this uncle of mine. If it weren't for him, why would His Majesty be so concerned about the marriage of a mere Bai Zheng? And where could I find such a good fiancé?"
Chu Feng's eyebrows curved into the shape of a crescent hook. The meaning in Bai Zheng's words was clearly that she was now used by Feng Linche to stabilize the morale of the defenders of Yan City. Whoever dared to lay a hand on her at this time would be going against Feng Linche!
His face instantly turned deathly pale.
Bai Zheng said leisurely, "Young Master Chu, I advise you to be more polite to me. I'm currently in His Majesty's good graces. If you just snatch me away right in front of everyone, isn't that clearly slapping His Majesty in the face?"
"Humph, even if you're in His Majesty's good graces, if I kidnap you, what does it have to do with the Prime Minister's Mansion!" There was already a hint of uneasiness in Chu Feng's words, but he still forced himself to look calm.
Bai Zheng lowered her head and let out a soft laugh. "Young Master Chu, over the years you've been so focused on my second elder sister. Don't you know that the Prime Minister's Mansion has been facing both internal and external troubles?"
Chu Feng suddenly looked up. Seeing this, Xin Nu quickly led the group of vagabonds away.
Only Chu Feng and Bai Zheng were left in the room. Bai Zheng then continued.
"Young Master Chu, do you think about how the Third Prince managed to rise up little by little and become a rival to the Crown Prince? Do you think about who gave tacit approval to Concubine Zhao's idea of arranging a marriage for the Fourth Prince with the Gaochang Marquis Mansion? Do you think about how your elder brother, the eldest young master of the Chu family, lost his life?"
"Bai Zheng advises you here. Our His Majesty doesn't tolerate sand in his eyes! The Prime Minister's Mansion did contribute a great deal to His Majesty's ascension to the throne back then, and His Majesty has also granted the Prime Minister's Mansion supreme status and glory. But precisely because of this glory, in recent years, the Prime Minister has become more and more arrogant, interfering with His Majesty's regime many times. Empress Chu has dominated the harem and successively killed several of His Majesty's new favorites. His Majesty has been looking for an opportunity to punish the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Isn't Young Master Chu just handing a knife to His Majesty, making the Prime Minister's Mansion the next Dingyuan Marquis Mansion?"
"Impossible!" Chu Feng blurted out instinctively.
Bai Zheng's words one after another made him tremble all over.
Over the years, although his father had never said a word about the death of his elder brother Chu Yu, he wasn't completely in the dark.
It was precisely after the death of Chu Yu, the only one in the Prime Minister's Mansion who was of the same age as Feng Linche, that only the old prime minister and the infant Chu Feng were left. That was why the Chu family was rewarded so much glory by Feng Linche without worry.
Those in power always want obedient subjects, not those who will threaten their throne and challenge their authority.
The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion was like this, and the Prime Minister's Mansion was no exception.
Chu Feng looked at Bai Zheng with a complicated expression. "Who told you all this? If you knew all this earlier, why did you come out with me obediently just now?"
Seeing that Chu Feng clearly understood the pros and cons, Bai Zheng showed a big smile on her face. "Because I was going out to handle some business anyway. Of course, I won't miss a free ride. Besides, if I didn't give Young Master Chu this face and let him kidnap me successfully, how could my father go to the Yamen of the Chief Magistrate of the Capital to report the case? And how could the Prime Minister's Mansion send me money?"
"Send what money!"
Bai Zheng blinked and suddenly showed a cute smile. "Young Master Chu, it's really uncomfortable to have my hands and feet tied like this..."
The expression on Chu Feng's face changed several times, and his face became more and more gloomy.
Bai Zheng sighed. "Alas, my father hasn't gone to the Yamen of the Chief Magistrate of the Capital to report the case yet. There's still time to redeem everything. But if we drag it until the Xu hour and my father runs to the Yamen, His Majesty will surely find out..." If something happens to the Chu family, the Crown Prince will surely fall. By then, the Third Prince will gain both fame and fortune, and with my second elder sister in his arms, the Third Prince will surely be very grateful to Young Master Chu."
Chu Feng was stunned and stared at Bai Zheng fiercely. "What do you mean!"
"Young Master Chu, if you really want my second elder sister, shouldn't you help the Crown Prince well and bring down the Third Prince? Why do you always do things that make your relatives sad and your enemies happy, allowing the Third Prince to take all the advantages for free?" Bai Zheng said with a hint of complaint.
Chu Feng's face looked extremely ugly. Bai Zheng's words were like a slap on his face, making him feel a burning pain.
Previously, he really never took Bai Zheng seriously. Even when he went to arrest her last time, it was just out of momentary anger to vent his anger.
As the only legitimate son of the Prime Minister's Mansion, and under Feng Linche's intentional or unintentional indulgence, he had developed an impulsive and reckless personality. As a result, many times he didn't consider the overall situation and just acted on his own will, which made him be used by Bai Di and Feng Jingxuan many times without realizing it.
When he woke up in the brothel yesterday, he knew it was Bai Zheng's doing. In a fit of rage, he assigned people to kidnap Bai Zheng that night, but for some reason, those people couldn't get close to the Bai Mansion at all. Having no other choice, he simply fought his way into the Bai Mansion right in front of everyone and kidnapped Bai Zheng, just wanting her to learn a sufficient lesson.
But Bai Zheng's words just now had really awakened him.
Maybe those people secretly protecting the Bai Mansion were sent by Feng Linche?
Chu Feng opened his eyes wide.
He couldn't go on like this anymore, or the Prime Minister's Mansion might really be finished!
And he would have no chance with Bai Di anymore.
"Alas, my hands really hurt." Seeing his expression change, a cold glint flashed across Bai Zheng's lips for a moment. She sighed exaggeratedly. "These damned people, why don't they know how to be gentle with a beauty at all?"
Chu Feng stood there, stubbornly motionless.
Of course, he knew what Bai Zheng meant now. This girl clearly knew for sure about his affection for Bai Di and his concern for the Prime Minister's Mansion, and was using this to threaten him.
But unfortunately, even though he knew this, he had to be threatened by her.
At this point, there were only two choices in front of him. One was to release Bai Zheng and send her back to the Bai Mansion; the other was to let people humiliate Bai Zheng today as he wished, but he himself would have to pay a heavy price for it.
But could he choose the second option?
Chu Feng clenched his fists tightly.
He was not willing.
He pursed his lips and said difficultly, "Bai Zheng, are you overthinking? Do you think that just because of your few words, I'll really believe that the Prime Minister's Mansion will be exterminated?"
Hearing this, Bai Zheng knew that her hands and feet wouldn't be untied for a while. She simply changed into a more comfortable posture, calmly and contemptuously glanced at Chu Feng who was still struggling, and said slowly.
"Thirty thousand taels of silver."