"It was my fault, I wronged you, please don't be angry." Then he shouted outside, "Someone, throw Minghua out."
Lin Yingying grabbed the Crown Prince's hand, saying, "Your Highness, I used to think Minghua was a well-mannered girl. Her sudden change might be due to some misunderstanding. If I'm truly wrong, I'm willing to apologize. I don't want to see the Crown Prince's residence in such chaos." The Crown Prince felt a surge of excitement, and his large hand instinctively reached for Lin Yingying's chest. Lin Yingying cried out, her moans a mixture of pain and pleasure. The Crown Prince, impatient, pressed his body against Lin Yingying's, and a passionate encounter ensued.
After the matter was settled, the Crown Prince's attendants brought the pale-faced Minghua into the room. Seeing Lin Yingying's flushed face, Minghua couldn't hide her jealousy. The Crown Prince looked at Minghua and said indifferently, "What was the matter with you coming to Consort Lin's place to make a scene earlier? You can speak freely about any grievances you have, but if you're just being unreasonable, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Minghua's face stiffened, but she beckoned, and a maid immediately came in carrying a tray. Minghua's eyes were filled with tears: "Minghua comes from a humble background and knows that she has no strength to compare with Consort Lin. Minghua has never thought of competing with Consort Lin for anything. Outsiders have always said that Consort Lin is an extraordinary woman who is the most magnanimous and tolerant. Why does Consort Lin have to make things difficult for this lowly concubine?"
Lin Yingying's face darkened: "What are you saying? When have I ever been unable to tolerate you? What nonsense are you spouting? You are truly ungrateful. I was so happy to have you in the household before, and I specially ordered someone to send you some precious jewelry. Those pieces of jewelry were probably things you had never even seen before. I gave them to you without any hesitation, and now you're turning around and blaming me. How awful you are!"
Upon hearing this, Minghua's face grew even more indignant: "Precious jewelry? Is this the kind of shoddy junk that Consort Lin speaks of?!" Minghua waved her hand, and the servant immediately lifted the cloth on the tray. Inside were indeed several pieces of jewelry, both gold and silver, but almost every single one was damaged. Some had broken floral designs, some had broken hairpins, and some even had their blackened lining worn through. They looked valuable, but in reality, they were broken and rotten inside. Minghua was a former courtesan, and it seemed as if Consort Lin was subtly mocking her, saying that even though she had entered the Crown Prince's residence and been gilded, her insides were already rotten, filthy, and terrifying. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but this person was personally taken out of the residence by the Crown Prince, and his fondness for her hadn't faded yet. Wasn't this a slap in the face to the Crown Prince?
The Crown Prince's face immediately darkened, and Lin Yingying's face also turned pale. She immediately said to the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, how could Yingying do such a thing? This is definitely not something I sent."
Minghua cried softly, “When Consort Lin sent it, I liked it very much and tried it on, but it turned out like this after I put it on. The person who sent it to Consort Lin hasn’t even left yet, and she can still make decisions for me.”
Lin Yingying's face immediately turned even uglier: "How is this possible? These things were all used by this concubine herself. How could they have spoiled in your hands? You're wronging me!"
Minghua remained silent, which only made Lin Yingying appear more arrogant and domineering. The Crown Prince looked at Lin Yingying with a cold expression. Lin Yingying cried out in anger, "No! Everything I use is of the best quality. These items were bought from a famous jewelry store in the capital. Each piece costs at least several hundred taels of silver. How could they be such damaged goods? Investigate! Investigate! You must find out the truth for me!"
Upon seeing this, the Crown Prince also felt that Lin Yingying's words did not seem to be false, and immediately ordered people to investigate thoroughly. This was in the Crown Prince's residence; if Lin Yingying really took these things out, and they were discovered by the ladies and young women of prominent families in the capital, not only would Lin Yingying be ashamed to face anyone, but he, the dignified Crown Prince, would also be disgraced.
Three days later, Crown Prince Baili Cheng, holding the credentials for the investigation, had a very strange expression: "Is everything I've investigated true? Are you sure?!"
The three people kneeling in the room were all trusted confidants of Crown Prince Baili Cheng. They nodded and said, "Your Highness, it is true, absolutely true. When I first found out, I was also shocked and thought the investigation had failed. But no matter how I investigated, the result was always the same. There is absolutely no mistake."
The Crown Prince, holding the documents in his hand, burst into laughter: "Hahaha, truly heaven is helping me! Heaven is helping me! Hahaha, you didn't take the road to heaven, but you forced your way into the gates of hell! Good, very good! Send troops to keep a close watch on them, keep a close watch on them, and don't let a single one of them escape."
"It's the Crown Prince!"
The Crown Prince paced back and forth in the room, his face beaming with undisguised joy. After circling countless times, he suddenly stopped and ordered, "Someone, prepare the sedan chair, let's go to the palace!"
That night, the night sky was unusually quiet. The weather had been gloomy since daytime, and by night there wasn't a single star in sight. The moon was obscured by clouds, and the entire night sky appeared very dark, carrying a depressing atmosphere.
At this moment, behind a shop, a family of four was carrying a large red box in groups of four. Surprisingly, more than ten shops in the city's alleys were doing the same thing at the same time.
"Alright, last box, done, let's go!" Four large red boxes were unloaded from each carriage. Then, at a command, a group of people silently left. Afterwards, nearly ten more people surrounded the boxes and walked towards Chenghua Street. If someone were paying attention, they would notice that every carriage was heading in the same direction. However, half an hour later, all of these people mysteriously disappeared from the street, as if they had never been there at all. Their disappearance was very strange.
"Bang bang bang"
Just then, a group of imposing riders rode along the three main streets adjacent to Chenghua Street. The sound of their horses' hooves pounding on the ground disturbed the sleep of the nearby residents, who couldn't help but come out to see what was going on. However, when they saw the Imperial Guards of the capital passing by with murderous expressions, they all shrank back into their houses, wondering to themselves, "What big event has happened, sending out so many Imperial Guards so late at night?"
"Quickly, quickly move the goods over here, then leave through the secret passage." In a secret passage under a mansion, someone was directing the transport of boxes of goods.
"Men, surround the Fu residence completely! No one is allowed to leave! Immediately send out two teams to search the entire Fu residence thoroughly, paying particular attention to the tunnels. Don't miss a single corner!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" A hundred or so people responded in unison, their voices booming through the air. The Fu residence was thrown into chaos, filled with screams and shouts.
Fu Lin stumbled and crawled out. He had never encountered anything like this in all his years in business. He had given the Crown Prince many benefits before, and even after Fu Meier married Baili Jian, Fu Lin had continued to secretly support him. He thought it was impossible for the Crown Prince to do such a thing. Seeing Baili Cheng's gloomy face, Fu Lin hurriedly smiled and said, "Your Highness's presence is an honor for this humble subject. Please come in, Your Highness."
Bai Licheng looked at Fu Lin and sneered. He waved his hand and shouted angrily, "Guards, arrest Fu Lin, who dared to forge official silver and commit a heinous crime! Arrest everyone in the Fu family, including their livestock! Anyone who dares to utter a word of resistance will be executed on the spot!"
Fu Lin trembled violently and stammered, "Your Highness, what... what are you saying? How could a commoner dare to forge official silver? That's a capital offense, punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire family! There must be some misunderstanding here!"
Baili Cheng's eyes were cold: "Fu Lin, you dared to betray me back then, not only marrying your daughter to the Fifth Prince, but also constantly giving him money. This time, I will make your entire Fu family disappear from this world!"
Fu Lin was terrified, his face turned ashen, his chest trembled violently, and his whole body was soaked in cold sweat. He looked up at Baili Cheng with trembling eyes, only to see Baili Cheng's endless killing intent!
☆、184, Punishment! The tragic fate of Fu Meier (Seeking votes for the company's annual meeting)
"Your Highness, Mei'er will marry the Fifth Prince; it was the Emperor's decree," Fu Lin said urgently, his face grim.
Baili Cheng sneered, "Oh? Even if it was the Emperor's decree, I haven't seen any rebellious thoughts from you. I heard that recently you've spent a lot of money on my fifth brother, the Fu family, for him. The diamond jewelry you gave to Xuanyuan Yue was quite expensive. But lately you've been avoiding me whenever possible. What is this if not betrayal?"
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Fu Lin's eyes. Bai Licheng's words were utterly laughable. Even if the Fu family had previously served Bai Licheng, there was no signed agreement. Fu Meier's marriage to Bai Lijian meant they were now on the same side, naturally closer than Bai Licheng—a fact known to all. Yet Bai Licheng used this as a pretext, proving he was here specifically to target the Fu family. Fu Lin's expression changed drastically as he said, "Your Highness, if Your Highness helps the Fu family through this crisis, I will do whatever you ask, without hesitation or evasion."
Baili Cheng glanced at Fu Lin, who was riding a majestic horse with more than ten strong guards beside him. Baili Cheng looked up at the Fu family's signboard, then pointed at it with his riding whip and said, "Smash this signboard down for me!"
"No!" Upon hearing this, Fu Lin immediately turned around to stop him.
????"Bang!"
"Pfft!" Suddenly, Fu Lin's body shot out like a ray of light and slammed hard into the gate of the Fu residence. He then spat out a mouthful of snow and collapsed to the ground. At that moment, a piercing impact sound came from above his head.
"Crash! Bang!" He then felt something falling continuously. Fu Lin propped himself up and sat up, only to see the Fu family's plaque, now completely shattered into dust. Fu Lin's pupils contracted, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. This plaque was incredibly important to a family; it represented their face, something passed down from their ancestors, a symbol meant to ensure the family's continued existence. No one would dare to touch a family's plaque unless there was a deep-seated grudge. Fu Lin asked himself if he had done anything to the Crown Prince, especially since he had previously contributed money and effort, and the Crown Prince, Baili Cheng, had undoubtedly received considerable benefits from him. Yet, at this moment, the Crown Prince showed no mercy whatsoever. Fu Lin's resentment grew even stronger.
"Your Highness, don't go too far!" Fu Lin's face twitched, and he couldn't help but roar out in anger.
Bai Licheng was surprised that Fu Lin dared to yell at him at this moment, and his face became even colder: "Fine, a commoner dares to speak to me like this, so disrespectful and ignorant of hierarchy, someone come and teach him manners!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
With a whoosh, five or six burly guards surrounded Fu Lin. Fu Lin's expression changed, and he tried to beg for mercy, but these men rushed over and gave him no chance. They immediately attacked him with deadly force, making Fu Lin howl in pain. Fu Lin was already quite chubby, and although he had built a large business over the years, he had lived a life of luxury. He couldn't withstand such beatings. Soon, his eyes rolled back, and his face and body twitched uncontrollably. It seemed that he was on the verge of being knocked unconscious or killed. Seeing this, the guards stopped.
The Crown Prince looked at Fu Lin, who lay on the ground like a dead dog, a cruel smile playing on his lips. As the Crown Prince, Baili Cheng naturally valued his image highly, avoiding anything that could affect him. Over the years, many of his followers had defected to other factions, only to die mysteriously. Baili Cheng was, in reality, an extremely cautious man. He wanted his people to forget they were his people, and anyone who dared to betray him would be severely punished, making them regret ever being born.
Even if we don't receive any intelligence this time to deal with the Fu family, it's only a matter of time before the Fu family suffers a calamity. As long as Baili Cheng keeps it in mind, the Fu family will face this calamity sooner or later.
"Your Highness, we've found it!"
"Your Highness, I have also found it!"
"Your subordinate is also..."
Just then, a group of people rushed out of the Fu residence. Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince's face lit up with joy, and he quickly dismounted. Two people carried a box each, placing it on the ground with a loud thud. Fu Lin, whose head was still spinning from the beating, was startled awake by the sound and the guards' words. When he saw the red boxes, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted, "Your Highness, this humble subject is willing to offer all the property of the Fu family in exchange for my life! Your Highness!"
Baili Cheng sneered, "Open it, I want to inspect it!"
"Click, click..." One by one, the red boxes were opened, revealing dazzling gold and silver ingots. After a moment's initial shock, a closer look revealed that these ingots appeared somewhat duller in color than normal gold and silver. Baili Cheng drew a guard's sword and smashed it down on one of the silver ingots with a "bang." At the same time, Fu Lin cried out in terror, "No!"
The silver ingot had one end cut off, revealing a blackish-white interior mixed with silver. Baili Cheng smiled coldly: "Fu Lin, you have some nerve! You dare to disregard the imperial dignity and, taking advantage of your position as a royal merchant, use the annual imperial allocation to counterfeit silver and cheat the people, while simultaneously manipulating the Great Zhou Dynasty. You have audacity! Guards, seal off the entire Fu residence, imprison all important personnel, and confiscate all account books, gold, and silver. Let's see what other shady dealings the Fu family is up to."
With a whoosh, another group of men brought by the Crown Prince stormed into the Fu residence. They grabbed and beat anyone they saw, causing a scene of utter chaos and wailing. The surrounding mansions naturally heard the news and sent a few people to keep watch from the shadows. Seeing this spectacle, none of them dared to step forward and instead returned to report. Although it was nighttime, the case of the Fu family's illegal counterfeiting of government silver, which should have resulted in the execution of the entire family, spread like wildfire throughout the capital.
"What! The Fu residence has been seized? What about his shops? My goods are due and I haven't been paid yet."
"What?! The Fu residence has been seized? What about the money shop? Has the money shop been seized? What about my 20,000 taels of silver notes? Can I still use them?!"
"What? The Fu family mansion has been sealed off? How could it be sealed off so suddenly? The Fu family is a large and powerful family, and they even have the daughter of a noble prince's concubine. Who would dare to touch the Fu family mansion?"
"Damn it, this is it! My money! What am I going to do?!"
"Quickly, go to the Fu family's money exchange!"
"Charge! Take everything of value from the Fu family's money shop!"
Those who had dealings with the Fu family, and those who had deposited money in the Fu Family Bank, went mad. They had deposited their money in the Fu Family Bank because the Fu family was the top imperial merchant family in the Great Zhou Dynasty. They had always believed that if any other bank had problems, it shouldn't be the Fu Family Bank. All that trust had turned into anger and worry. However, when they arrived, the Crown Prince had already seized all of the Fu family's properties, saying they would liquidate them all. Now, everyone who had dealings with the Fu family was dumbfounded. If this seizure ultimately revealed that the Fu family had embezzled a large sum of money, what would happen to their money? That would be embezzling government funds! The court had lost far more money than they had over the years. Would they even be able to get their money back?
Unfortunately, while they were furious and crazed, they weren't completely devoid of reason. If they directly clashed with the officials, none of them would fare well. Who would suffer then? All the important figures of the Fu family were arrested and interrogated one by one. Even some of the employees of the Fu family's businesses were arrested. Those who couldn't be questioned were naturally released. The Fu family was the richest family in the Great Zhou Dynasty, with countless employees working for them. If they were all arrested, they would have to be fed and clothed, and the prison would be overflowing. However, once these people were released, they would definitely be surrounded and beaten by those who held grudges. In addition, there were quite a few of these people. Even if the Fu family went to report the case, the government would arrest them all and wouldn't be able to suppress them for long. What's more, some of them were sent by powerful families. They could be released the moment they were locked up, and the Fu family's people would be beaten for nothing.
Curses erupted immediately. Those who worked for the Fu family but suffered unjustly cursed Fu Lin's ancestors for eighteen generations. People cursed Fu Lin's family members every day, and people blocked the entrance of the yamen every day, strongly demanding that the Fu family be severely punished.
With the people's outcry so great, the imperial court took the Fu family's case even more seriously. Emperor Mingxian was already furious about the embezzlement of official silver and had ordered the Crown Prince, along with the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Censorate, and the Ministry of Revenue, to investigate the matter. The Crown Prince's first action was to dismiss the Minister of Revenue, temporarily appointing the Vice Minister in his place. Although official silver was issued by the national treasury, it was actually distributed directly by the Ministry of Revenue. Since Fu Lin had embezzled official silver, the Ministry of Revenue was naturally a suspect, and Minister Ming (father of Consort Ming) could not escape punishment. The Crown Prince investigated the case and immediately arrested several people involved, his methods swift and decisive. This immediately drew applause from the people of the Great Zhou Dynasty, who praised Baili Cheng for his impartiality. For a time, Baili Cheng, the Crown Prince, was riding high, the second time he had been so prominent since being appointed Crown Prince.
Inside the Prince Chen's mansion, Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen were sitting in the back garden admiring the flowers, with Chuncao and Dongxue standing beside them to take care of them. Leng Sha, along with two guards, stood at a distance, while the other attendants stood even further away, unable to hear what they were saying.
Ouyang Yue said, "How is Qiuyue? We've seen a doctor."
"Your Highness, the doctor has examined Qiuyue's hands. They are badly injured and she needs to rest well. Otherwise, she may never be able to hold a needle and thread again." Qiuyue's greatest skill is her embroidery. If her hands are ruined and she can no longer hold a needle and thread, it will be an extremely painful thing for her.
Ouyang Yue nodded: "It doesn't matter what kind of good medicine we use, the main thing is to heal Qiuyue's hands, which are crippled by cold."
Dongxue replied, "Your Highness, Leng Can is a man and has a strong body. He will be fine after a few days of rest."
Ouyang Yue nodded and looked at Baili Chen: "Judging from the shouts outside, the Crown Prince is really enjoying himself now."
Bai Lichen sneered: "The more successful he is, the more people will dislike him."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "It's a pity that no matter how much they dislike someone, some people can only worry about their own safety first." Baili Chen held Ouyang Yue's hand and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen such an interesting show."
Ouyang Yue smiled and said, "So we have to thank Fu Lin and Fu Meier. Without them, we probably wouldn't know when this show would have started."
Chuncao said with great satisfaction, "Hmph, they tried to harm Meiyi Pavilion back then, causing Qiuyue to be so badly injured. This time, let them reap what they sow. Let's see if they dare to do anything bad again. In the end, they will all die, so that they won't be left in the world to continue harming people!"
Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen both smiled. When Fu Meier wanted to take over Meiyi Pavilion, Ouyang Yue disagreed, but Fu Meier acted as if she were forcibly taking it, which puzzled Ouyang Yue greatly. Later, Baili Chen sent people to keep an eye on it and gradually discovered that there seemed to be some problems with the official silver being distributed each time. Coupled with Ouyang Yue's review of the accounts of the Fu family's money shop, everything finally connected. The Fu family's money shop's accounts were incorrect, although they were very meticulously maintained, Ouyang Yue still found suspicious points. Deliberately mentioning 720,000 taels of silver, Fu Lin was initially very nervous, but a shop being more important than 720,000 taels of silver only made people more suspicious. In the end, Fu Lin accepted the 720,000 taels of silver. Many people said Fu Lin was foolish, but was he really foolish?
Ouyang Yue thought that even if Fu Lin was in great pain, the fact that he dared to agree meant he could afford it. If the 720,000 taels of silver were a matter of life and death for the Fu family, Fu Lin would probably have to consider it. The fact that he finally agreed meant that the 720,000 taels of silver he offered was not enough to cause the most serious damage to the Fu family. But even though the Fu family was the number one imperial merchant, it included all their businesses. It would be very difficult for him to come up with 720,000 taels of cash in a month. Why did he accept the money but refuse to give it to the shop?
Of course, this was all thanks to Baili Chen. He kept a close eye on Fu Lin and finally discovered some strange things. He even managed to get some gold and silver ingots from the Fu family. After a lot of research, he finally found the problem. Thinking about it, they suddenly understood. The Fu family had shops in various shops in the capital. Basically, there were two shops on each street, and the shops were usually opposite each other. As the shop with the largest area, the shop opposite Meiyi Pavilion was obviously the starting shop. If they could take over Meiyi Pavilion, the Fu family's shops would form two parallel lines in the capital. Baili Chen also said that many shops in the capital like to open a secret passage or warehouse under the shop to store things. This also exists in various large mansions, mainly for winter storage preparation.
However, if the Fu family were to connect all these shops, he could easily construct a long tunnel beneath them, extending all the way out of the city. He could then transport whatever he wanted without anyone noticing. If Fu Meier hadn't insisted on taking the Meiyi Pavilion shop, Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen would never have discovered this secret or taken it seriously. Fu Lin was indeed very shrewd and acted with great secrecy, but even the most meticulous plans can have flaws. He hadn't anticipated that Ouyang Yue would acquire the Meiyi Pavilion, nor that Ouyang Yue would become suspicious simply because of Fu Meier's outburst. He also hadn't anticipated that their plan to swallow the Meiyi Pavilion would give Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen a breakthrough, ultimately harming the entire Fu family.
This is probably the cycle of cause and effect. There are no secrets that last forever. No matter how mysterious you are, you can never hide your mistakes forever. Fu Lin deserves what he got!
Fu Lin was indeed very clever. The fact that he remained undetected for so many years was due to his skillful methods. Although he directly embezzled government silver, he would add something to it to make the final ingots, gold and silver coins, etc., appear to be of a similar weight to the genuine silver. Only when the inside was cut open would the difference in substance compared to intact government silver be discovered—the purity was incorrect. These modified government silver pieces were mainly used in the prefectures outside the capital. In the capital, he only added a small amount, doing so very carefully to avoid detection. Furthermore, since it was government silver and the Fu family's prestigious reputation was involved, no one suspected anything. As a result, no one exposed this scheme for so many years.
When Baili Chen first discovered this information, he secretly had the official silver from the Fu family transformed into jewelry, ready to be sold. After discussing the plan with Ouyang Yue, the jewelry naturally flowed into the Crown Prince's residence. Following various distribution channels, the official silver issued by the Fu family would eventually be discovered. At that time, the Crown Prince would surely suspect something and petition the Emperor. In such a major case, Emperor Mingxian would naturally rather kill a hundred innocent people than let one guilty person go free, and would definitely investigate thoroughly. Fu Lin, in order to quickly raise 720,000 taels of silver and to quickly send away the goods in his hands to avoid the limelight, would take action that very day. Unless Ouyang Yue and Baili Chen's guesses were all wrong, they would inevitably find clues. In fact, the gains were even greater than they had imagined!
At this moment, a dark cloud hung over the Prince's mansion. Fu Meier paced back and forth in the hall, then suddenly stopped and looked up at the Prince's seat: "Your Highness, please think of a way! What will we do if the Fu family is convicted like this?"
Baili Jian's expression was also extremely displeased. He said impatiently, "How would I know that your Fu family has committed such a heinous crime? I can't control you. This is your own fault. Who else can you blame?" Baili Jian's face was extremely ugly. He hadn't gained anything from this matter. On the contrary, he thought with great resentment that Fu Meier had only been married to him for a short time, and the benefits he could extract from the Fu family were limited. However, when Fu Meier followed Baili Jing, the Fu family had been secretly exploited by the Crown Prince many times. The Crown Prince probably gained far more from this than he had.
Unfortunately, the Crown Prince wasn't stupid. He would never leave any leverage for the Fu family for the benefits they received. Even that old fox Fu Lin couldn't do anything about it; he couldn't force the Crown Prince of a country. In fact, if Emperor Mingxian hadn't so suddenly bestowed the marriage, there was a 90% chance that Fu Meier would have entered the Crown Prince's residence. In that case, the two families would have been completely on the same side, and today's events wouldn't have happened. It can be said that Emperor Mingxian intervened, directly disrupting the various forces and creating a rift between the Crown Prince and the Fu family. The Crown Prince could no longer obtain all the benefits from the Fu family; instead, these benefits would be taken by Baili Jian, helping him to fight against him. Whatever the Crown Prince's purpose, he wanted to get rid of the Fu family as soon as possible and cut off Baili Jian, this powerful ally.
It's fair to say that even without this embezzlement of government funds, the Fu family would have inevitably faced this turmoil sooner or later. However, it happened sooner than expected, and the charges are far more serious—even Baili Jian is refusing to speak up for them. Now that Baili Jian dares to plead with the Emperor, Emperor Mingxian's first reaction will likely be to punish him and question his role in the incident. Out of self-preservation, Baili Jian wishes he had never been associated with the Fu family at all.
Upon hearing this, Fu Meier stiffened and retorted angrily, "Your Highness, ever since I entered your manor, the Fu family has cut off all support. You've received many benefits from the Fu family, so are you trying to turn your back on us now?" Fu Meier was extremely worried, fearing that something might happen to the Fu family, and even more so, what she would do if something did happen to them. She had always been able to live so comfortably because of the Fu family's immense wealth, and her marriage into the manor was precisely because of the Fu family's financial power. If the Fu family were gone, she would have nothing left. Without a wife to rely on, what could a weak woman like her do?
"What, are you questioning me now!" Baili Jian's eyes narrowed, his face now completely devoid of the gentle and refined demeanor he displayed in front of others, his expression turning gloomy.
Fu Meier's heart skipped a beat, and her voice softened as she said, "Your Highness, that's not what I meant. It's just that the Fu family is, after all, my family, and I'm naturally very worried. I hope Your Highness can help the Fu family out of consideration for how diligently I've served you." Seeing that Baili Jian's expression remained unchanged, Fu Meier gritted her teeth and said, "Your Highness, you should also know the story of the cunning rabbit having three burrows. The wealth of my Fu family is not just what it appears on the surface. There is still some money that we have secured, enough for the Fu family to make a comeback. If this matter is settled, then the Fu family will definitely help Your Highness willingly. As for that money, it will naturally be Your Highness's."
Baili Jian was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "There's more? How much is it worth?"
Fu Meier smiled mysteriously: "Your Highness, Meier is your person, I wouldn't dare to lie to you. Meier dares to guarantee that this money is enough for Your Highness to recruit soldiers and horses, and it is by no means inferior to the money that the Fu family has on the surface."
Baili Jian was somewhat tempted by Fu Meier's words. The Fu family was, on the surface, the richest family in the Great Zhou Dynasty. If these assets were included, their value would be immense. He naturally wanted them, but he also understood that Fu Meier would never reveal the location of the money unless she could rescue the Fu family. In fact, the Fu family had been established for over twenty years since Fu Lin's rise to power. Soon after, he used connections and influence to gain access to the lucrative business of distributing government silver through the Fu Family Money Shop. He also embezzled government silver. Even if he hadn't been able to fully realize his scheme a few years ago, after more than a decade of this operation, how much silver could he have swallowed? It was indeed possible that he had secretly hidden life-saving funds.
Baili Jian was very hesitant, wondering if his sudden involvement in this matter would drag him into it as well.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, something terrible has happened! A large number of soldiers have arrived outside!"
"What? Who dares to trespass on my noble residence?" Baili Jian shouted immediately upon hearing this.
"It is indeed I!" Before the words were finished, Baili Cheng, dressed in the Crown Prince's court robes, walked in with two teams of cold-faced guards. Baili Jian's face was grim: "Brother, what are you doing? What are you doing bringing these soldiers to my palace? Is it just to show off that Father Emperor entrusted this case to you?"
Baili Cheng burst into laughter: "Fifth Imperial Brother, do you think I'm such a boring person? Guards, arrest me!"
"Ah, what are you doing, Your Highness, save me!" Baili Cheng waved his hand, and immediately six or seven guards rushed over and grabbed Fu Meier. More than ten guards rushed into the inner hall to arrest her. Baili Jian saw this and immediately raised his eyebrows and shouted angrily, "Who dares!"
"Your Highness, even if you are the heir apparent, I am still a prince, and my status is not necessarily much lower than yours. You come to my noble residence to arrest people and even want to search the entire place. Do you really think I am a dead man?!" Baili Jian roared. Baili Cheng had brought people to his noble residence to arrest people. Wasn't this a blatant slap in his face? If Baili Cheng really arrested the person, it would be as if Baili Cheng had thrown his face to the ground and trampled on it.
Baili Cheng sneered, "Fifth Prince, don't be angry. I have the Empress Dowager's decree that anyone related to the Fu family's embezzlement of government funds can be arrested and interrogated. This Consort Fu in your household is a key figure in the Fu family, so she must be arrested and interrogated as well. As for all the servants she brought with her, they might know the secrets involved, so they must be arrested as well. If there's anything you don't understand, you can go to the palace now and ask the Emperor. I won't be in a hurry. But I'll decide whether to arrest anyone after you return from the palace."
Baili Jian's face flushed red and then paled. Since Emperor Mingxian had issued the decree, even if Baili Cheng was wielding a dubious authority, if he went to the palace to request the decree now, Emperor Mingxian would inevitably suspect Baili Jian's role in the Fu family. Baili Cheng, on the other hand, had gone to the palace to request the decree after learning the news. Although Baili Cheng had a good relationship with the Fu family before, there had never been any evidence to prove anything. Now, Baili Cheng's request would further absolve him of responsibility. If Baili Jian did the opposite, he would find himself in a quagmire from which he could not extricate himself. If he acted so foolishly while Baili Cheng was at the height of his power, he would be paving the way for Baili Cheng's advancement!
"But Fu Meier is, after all, my concubine. If the Crown Prince has any questions, he can ask them at your residence. Otherwise, it will cause me unnecessary trouble," Baili Jian finally relented.