"Alright then. How much did that person pay you? I'll double it."
"Oh?" The leading man raised his eyebrows with interest, his eyes fixed on Feng Linyuan full of mockery. "As far as I know, the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion has been in decline for seven years. I'm afraid the marquis can't afford to double the price."
Feng Linyuan curled his lips slightly, not irritated by the mockery. He simply said indifferently, "One hundred thousand taels of silver."
"One hundred thousand taels?" The man's pupils suddenly shrank, clearly shocked by this figure.
For anyone, one hundred thousand taels of silver was an extremely appealing amount, especially at a time when the Great Zhou was plagued by internal and external troubles, with an empty treasury and people living in misery.
Bai Zheng clearly saw that after Feng Linyuan uttered this figure, the eyes of the surrounding black - clothed men also began to shine. But since the leading man hadn't given an order, they didn't act rashly.
"Sure enough, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. The glory of the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion remains undiminished." The leading man clapped his hands and said with a smile.
Feng Linyuan smiled faintly. "If you don't believe me, you can let my wife go back to get the silver. We'll exchange the money for our freedom. We'll owe each other nothing."
"Oh?" The leading man glanced at Bai Zheng and sneered. "Let the marquis's wife go back for the money? Does the marquis think he can play me for a fool?"
It was obvious to everyone that Feng Linyuan cared about the woman in his arms more than his own life.
Let her go back? She would surely never return.
His gaze shifted among Bai Zheng, Feng Linyuan, and Mo Li, and finally settled on Mo Li. Pointing at him, he said, "You! Go back and get the money. If you let others know or if I don't see the silver later, you can wait to collect the bodies of your marquis and his wife!"
Mo Li, who was pointed at, was startled and refused without hesitation. "I won't go! Let the marquis or the madam go back. I'll stay."
The leading man snorted. "You stay? What use are you, just a subordinate? Do you think you're worth one hundred thousand taels?"
Mo Li gritted his teeth. "My marquis is injured. I know a bit of medicine and can take care of him. Otherwise, if anything happens to the marquis, you won't get a single tael. Let the madam go back instead."
"Injured? Hahaha..." The leading man burst into laughter as if he had heard the funniest joke.
"Compared to the wounds the Marquis of Dingyuan suffered on the battlefield back then, this minor flesh wound is not something you can use as a bargaining chip. It'll only make people laugh. If you don't hurry up, the marquis's wound will be healed. Hurry up and get out of here!"
"Mo Li, you go first." Feng Linyuan said in a deep voice.
Mo Li frowned deeply and stubbornly refused to move. After a long stand - off with Feng Linyuan, he finally lowered his head and said unwillingly, "This subordinate will go get the silver. Please wait, marquis."
Then he glared fiercely at the leading man and gritted his teeth. "I'll go back for the money right away. When I come back, I must see my marquis and his wife safe and sound. If a single hair on their heads is harmed, I'll raze your lair to the ground!"
A cold sneer appeared on the leading man's lips as he watched Mo Li fly away.
Then he turned back and pointed at two of his men who looked strong and skilled in martial arts. "Follow him. Make sure he doesn't bring the government officials here instead of the silver. Although the Marquis of Dingyuan's Mansion no longer has the Changping Army, it still has some influence and connections in the military. Keep a close eye on him."
Seeing the leading man talking so knowledgeably, Feng Linyuan's lips curled up slightly in a half - smile. "You seem to know quite a lot about my mansion."
The leading man's gaze swept over Feng Linyuan indifferently and then stopped on Bai Zheng, who had been hiding in Feng Linyuan's arms and hadn't said a word.
His gaze was cold and eerie, making Bai Zheng shiver. She felt a chill run down her spine.
Seeing Bai Zheng's involuntary shrinking reaction, the leading man smiled in satisfaction. "Do you two want to go on your own, or should I send someone to escort you?"
Feng Linyuan flicked his sleeve and replied indifferently, "We'll go on our own."
The leading man nodded and didn't look at them anymore. He turned around and walked away.
Feng Linyuan and Bai Zheng glanced at each other and followed.
This was a mountain range about a hundred miles away from Yongding's main city. The mountains were steep and the vegetation was lush. From a distance, it was impossible to tell that there was such a large bandit lair hidden here.
Sure enough, they had been kidnapped. Bai Zheng looked at the situation in front of her helplessly.
Perhaps because Feng Linyuan and Bai Zheng were still worth one hundred thousand taels, after they entered the bandit lair, they weren't thrown into the gloomy dungeon but were locked in a rather shabby hut.
The leading man originally wanted to lock them up separately. But after Feng Linyuan easily disabled several bandits who tried to separate them, the leading man had to abandon this idea.
When the door was closed, the panic on Bai Zheng's face disappeared instantly, replaced by calmness.
The hut was very similar to the one Bai Zheng had lived in when recuperating in Qinghe County. There wasn't much in it, just a wooden table with two small stools beside it.
Feng Linyuan walked straight over and sat on a small stool. Looking at Bai Zheng, who was still observing the surroundings, he said gently, "Zheng'er, have you noticed anything?"
Bai Zheng shook her head. Then she walked to the door and listened to the movement outside. Then she walked up to Feng Linyuan and whispered, "It's so far from Yongding. Can Mo Li find us?"
Feng Linyuan curled his lips slightly. "Those two aren't a match for Mo Li. He'll find us soon."
Bai Zheng let out a sigh of relief and nodded. She also came to the stool and sat down. After frowning and thinking for a moment, she slowly said, "Although there are only a few people who want to harm us and can collude with bandits, to find the evidence, we still need to find an opportunity to go out and take a look."
"Do you know them, Zheng'er?" Feng Linyuan asked with interest.
Bai Zheng nodded. At the moment when she locked eyes with the leading man, some scenes that had been lingering in her mind suddenly became clear.
She had seen these people before...
"Last time, I fell off the cliff because I met them..."
The words "died" were stuck in her throat and she didn't say them in the end.
Bai Zheng couldn't help but clench her fists. The previous Bai Zheng had truly died at their hands.
And this time, these bandits were also entrusted by someone to cause them trouble.
Moreover, the way the leading man looked at her clearly showed that it wasn't their first meeting.
But last time, Bai Zheng had been humiliated by Chu Feng and Bai Di. Unable to bear the humiliation, she had run out alone at night on the mountain road. It was almost impossible for these bandits to clearly see Bai Zheng's appearance.
Moreover, because she had come in a hurry, Bai Zheng was still dressed as a handsome young man. Although her hair was in a mess and everyone could tell she was a woman, she was clearly different from the Bai Zheng of that day.
Unless...
Bai Zheng's eyes widened!