"Your Highness, do remember that whatever losses I incur today, Your Highness will have to repay me double in the future."
The air in Anren Alley seemed to freeze. It was like a balloon stretched to its limit. One slight move and it would explode with a "bang".
Everyone wished they could bury their heads in their chests.
Qin Mu also opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
Feng Jingye couldn't help but turn around and look at Bai Zheng. He saw her jet - black pupils and the clean, clear whites of her eyes.
Her lips curled slightly, showing an innocent smile.
It was precisely this smile that made Feng Jingye tremble with fear.
"What's the matter?" He coughed dryly, his heart pounding.
"I, your subject's wife, have something to discuss with Your Highness in private." Bai Zheng said as she walked towards the still - intact teahouse. Her tone was calm, showing no sign of emotion.
Feng Jingye really wanted to refuse, but he had a strong premonition.
Bai Zheng was always full of tricks and unfathomable. Since she dared to speak to him like this, she must be holding something he couldn't refuse.
Feng Jingye watched Bai Zheng's back as she walked towards the teahouse unhurriedly. He lowered his head and thought for a moment, then finally followed her.
This was the first time Feng Jingye had entered this mysterious teahouse.
Even though he had seen a lot in the world, the strange decoration inside still made him look around curiously.
Especially when he saw that the guests on the second and third floors were still sitting quietly in their seats, almost all of them holding a booklet and concentrating on it. He was really amazed.
The loud noise in the alley didn't seem to reach the upper floors at all.
As a result, the guests on the second and third floors never knew what had happened downstairs.
What kind of materials were the windows, walls, and doors made of? The sound - insulation effect was really amazing!
Feng Jingye followed Bai Zheng suspiciously and entered a private room at the innermost part of the third floor.
On the table, the milk tea that Bai Zheng had poured into the small porcelain cup before leaving had already cooled down. When the servant inside saw Bai Zheng coming back, he quickly stepped forward and replaced it with a new pot of steaming milk tea.
Feng Jingye sat on the soft sofa that was so comfortable that one didn't want to get up. He stared wide - eyed as Bai Zheng skillfully lit a small, crystal - clear candle, placed it under a tin rack, and then put the steaming teapot brought by the servant on it, letting the candle slowly boil the tea.
Before long, the faint fragrance of black tea and the fresh smell of milk wafted out from the spout of the teapot, making people drool.
After all these operations, Feng Jingye was a bit dazed. But his mind was still tense. He stared at Bai Zheng's gradually blurred face behind the mist and slowly asked, "Madam Hou, what exactly do you want to talk to this Crown Prince about?"
Bai Zheng was gently wiping her hands with a wet towel. Hearing this, she raised her eyebrows. Just when Feng Jingye thought she was going to settle accounts with him, he heard her say this.
"Does Your Highness the Crown Prince think that since the Third Highness has married Princess Yunxi of Xiliang, he will no longer be a competitor for the throne?"
Feng Jingye frowned slightly. He obviously didn't expect Bai Zheng's topic to suddenly turn to this.
However, before he could think of how to answer, Bai Zheng continued.
"Our Emperor currently has a total of nine princes.
The Great Highness passed away at a young age. The Fourth Highness suffers from hysteria. The Fifth Highness is gentle - natured and has always been indifferent to worldly affairs. The Sixth Highness died unfortunately soon after birth. The Seventh Highness has a lame foot. The Eighth and Ninth Highnesses are still young.
The only one who can pose a threat to Your Highness the Crown Prince is the Third Highness.
But now, the Third Highness has been taken a fancy to by Princess Yunxi. Once he marries a foreign princess, if nothing unexpected happens, he will have no chance of ascending the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty in this lifetime."
After hearing Bai Zheng's detailed analysis, Feng Jingye really wanted to refute her grandly, saying that he was not such a person who only thought about the throne.
But for some reason, in such a peaceful, harmonious, and fragrant environment, facing Bai Zheng's somewhat blurred cheeks, Feng Jingye still nodded involuntarily: "You're right."
As soon as Feng Jingye finished speaking, a low laugh came from across the table. It was not a pleasant one.
Feng Jingye said with a cold face, "What does Madam Hou mean by this?"
"Does Your Highness the Crown Prince still remember the incident of the loss of 200,000 taels of disaster - relief silver?" Bai Zheng asked instead of answering.
Mentioning this incident, Feng Jingye couldn't help but lower his eyes.
At that time, almost all the ministers in the court were involved in this case. Emperor Feng Linche was extremely angry and asked Feng Jingye, the Crown Prince, to preside over the trial of this case.
But what had he found out?
He had found out nothing. Moreover, it was Bai Zheng who helped him fill the hole of the lost 200,000 taels.
"Madam Hou, just say what you want to say." Feng Jingye sat up straight, and his expression finally became serious.
He wasn't stupid. At that time, as the Crown Prince, holding the resources and power of the Chu family and many other noble families, he still couldn't find out anything.
It showed that the person behind this case had a deep foothold and a high position in the court.
Bai Zheng leaned back on the soft sofa and turned her gaze out of the window. Her voice was soft.
"At the beginning, the first person involved in this case was my father, Bai Yinan, the vice - minister of the Ministry of Revenue. As for the 200,000 taels, Your Highness should also remember that it was the money I had just earned with great difficulty and hadn't even warmed it up before I took it out. In this incident, our Bai Mansion suffered the most.
Naturally, I couldn't swallow this humiliation. Your Highness said it was the spies from the neighboring country, but my father thought there was something fishy about it.
So I continued to investigate, but I couldn't find any clues. Until recently, thanks to my good cousin, I really found out something."
Speaking of this, Bai Zheng slightly raised her eyes and gave Feng Jingye a meaningful look. "Does Your Highness know where the 200,000 taels went?"
Feng Jingye shook his head. If he had known, why would he have gone to Bai Zheng's door to beg for help at that time?
Bai Zheng smiled slightly. "That 200,000 taels was taken by our Third Highness to secretly raise troops."
"What did you say?!"
Feng Jingye jumped up straight from his chair.
He could hardly believe his ears.
He stared directly at Bai Zheng, trying to find some clues on her face.
But Bai Zheng just stared at him calmly with her black - and - white eyes, looking calm and showing no sign of guilt after lying.
The veins on his forehead began to twitch continuously. His heart was beating faster and faster. His hands on the table were shaking uncontrollably because of his excitement.
Feng Jingxuan actually dared to secretly raise troops?
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, if a prince was found secretly raising troops, it would be regarded as a crime of rebellion, and he could even be beheaded on the spot!