Bai Zheng pursed her lips and said nothing, looking at Feng Jingye with a half - smiling look in her eyes.
His heart started to feel uneasy under her gaze.
"Then... three thousand taels?" he continued to probe.
Bai Zheng still kept silent.
"Four... four thousand taels?" Feng Jingye felt as if his heart was being cut with a knife.
Bai Zheng smiled, her fingers gently tapping on the edge of the teacup, one tap after another.
Feng Jingye stared directly at Bai Zheng's fingers, and his heart skipped a beat with each tap.
This feeling of being completely led by Bai Zheng was really unpleasant.
It was not only frustrating but also extremely infuriating.
After a long while, he raised his eyes. All the probing look in them was gone. "Does the Marquise have any evidence regarding Feng Jingxuan's act of secretly raising troops?" he asked calmly.
Bai Zheng slightly raised her eyebrows. "Your Highness can go and check for yourself at the place where the Third Highness hides his troops. Won't that be evidence enough?"
"Me? How can I go? You won't even tell me where he hides his troops!" Just thinking about what Bai Zheng had said earlier, Feng Jingye flew into a rage.
Bai Zheng propped her chin with one hand. Her hair fell in front of her forehead, making it hard to see the look in her eyes. One could only sense a faint sneer on the corner of her mouth.
"Your Highness's words are really strange. I don't owe Your Highness anything. For now, at least the Third Highness hasn't bothered me. But Your Highness, the Crown Prince, sent people to smash my shops and injure my men. It's already kind of me not to side with the Third Highness against Your Highness to avenge my subordinates. Why should I turn around and help Your Highness? Just because Your Highness has a big face?"
"Bai Zheng! You... How dare you!" Feng Jingye never expected Bai Zheng to be so straightforward. She didn't give him, the Crown Prince, any face at all.
For a moment, he was so angry that he gasped heavily, and his fingers dug into his palms.
"Your Highness," Bai Zheng put away the sneer on her face. Her expression turned cold as she replied calmly, "Those who aim to achieve great things should have a long - term vision and a broad mind. They shouldn't always focus on trivial details and haggle with others.
If Your Highness really wants to sit on the throne, you should carefully weigh who can be your friend and who is your enemy in the court. You should concentrate on figuring out who you should deal with the most right now!
If you can't tell friend from foe and are impossible to teach, why should the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion place our bet on a fool who can't achieve great things!"
These words made Feng Jingye's face turn deathly pale instantly.
He stared blankly at Bai Zheng, as if he was seeing her for the first time.
He had been living in comfort for too long recently. So long that he really thought the throne was in his pocket.
Even the Emperor Feng Linche seemed to have no other hopes. He had started to hand over some important state affairs to Feng Jingye.
Although Feng Jingye was mediocre in talent, he had the Queen Chu behind him. The Queen Chu was always brave and resourceful, with great political talent. With the support of the Chu family and the Chen State Duke's Mansion, his achievements were just average but still acceptable, which made Feng Linche more and more satisfied with him.
As a result, he had overlooked the biggest enemy still lurking around him, the Third Prince Feng Jingxuan, who had never given up his ambition for the throne.
Today, Bai Zheng's words completely woke him up.
He hadn't sat on that throne yet. Even if he did, whether he could sit firmly on it would depend on his own management and tactics.
The higher one stands, the colder it gets. There is no such thing as a care - free and smooth path.
If he wanted to be a qualified emperor, the most important thing he should do was not to make enemies but to try his best to win people's hearts.
The Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had once been affected by Feng Linyuan's serious illness and Feng Jingye's private grudge with Feng Linyuan when they were young, which made him never think about winning over the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.
But things were different now. Feng Linyuan had recovered. With his ability, it was only a matter of time before the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion regained its former glory. Moreover, there was Bai Zheng, a quick - witted woman, by his side.
If Feng Jingye had any sense at all, he should know that for such a Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, even if he couldn't win it over, he mustn't push it away and let it be used by his opponents.
Of course, it was better to win it over if possible.
After all, what the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion represented was not only its century - old prestige but, most importantly, the hearts of the people of the Great Zhou.
Thinking of this, Feng Jingye's eyes lit up slightly. His lips trembled slightly with excitement. "Did the Marquise say earlier that the loss was eight thousand taels?"
Bai Zheng slightly raised her eyes.
A bright smile spread across Feng Jingye's face. "I, the Crown Prince, have been friends with the Marquis for many years. I didn't give any gifts when the Marquis and his wife got married last time. I've always felt guilty about this.
Well, for now, I can't come up with any rare treasures. I'll just give ten thousand taels of silver as a wedding gift to the Marquis and his wife. I hope the Marquise won't mind."
Hearing this, Bai Zheng's lips curled up slightly. "Your Highness the Crown Prince is so generous. I'm really unworthy of such kindness."
Feng Jingye chuckled. "Where, where. This is only right. The Marquise can just take it. Then... what about my third brother's act of raising troops?"
Bai Zheng nodded. She crossed her arms and leaned lazily on the sofa. "Your Highness the Crown Prince can rest assured. The Third Highness once framed my father and made me lose two hundred thousand taels of silver. Even my fall off the cliff was related to him. There is no way I can reconcile with him.
But the Third Highness is a cautious man. He has hidden his troops very deeply. If Your Highness goes there without permission, you may just alert the enemy.
How about Your Highness be a little more patient? The day after tomorrow, when the Third Highness gets engaged to Princess Yunxi, the defense of the barracks will surely be the most lax. At that time, my Marquis Mansion will send people to lead Your Highness's troops there. How about that?"
Hearing this, Feng Jingye let out a long sigh of relief. "Since that's the case, it's a deal."
"It's a deal," Bai Zheng replied.
Finally, the matter was settled. Feng Jingye relaxed. Only then did he have the mind to pick up the small porcelain cup in front of him and take a light sip. A sweet taste he had never tasted before filled his mouth, making him extremely delighted.
"What is this?"
At first sip, there was a strong fragrance, followed by a faint sweetness that lingered. After swallowing the smooth liquid, a slight bitterness came back to the tip of his tongue.
It was both novel and delicious.
Bai Zheng smiled. "This is milk tea. If Your Highness likes it, you can get a membership card for this teahouse and come here to drink tea and eat desserts when you're free."
At this moment, how could Feng Jingye say no to Bai Zheng? Moreover, this drink was really delicious. And when he walked into this teahouse just now, he noticed that its sound - insulation effect was almost the best among all the teahouses he had ever been to.
It would be a good choice to come here for discussions in the future.
Thinking of this, he nodded.
Bai Zheng waved her hand, and a cute little maid walked over.