Baili Cheng looked at him with a cold smile: "No, Father Emperor has ordered that anyone suspected must be imprisoned. Princes are subject to the same laws as commoners. Fifth brother, I have offended you this time. Guards, take them all away!" After saying that, Baili Cheng waved his hand and turned to leave with his men.
Baili Jian's face was extremely gloomy. He suddenly kicked over all the stools around him and roared, "Baili Cheng, you're something else! You're only arrogant at times like this. I'll make you pay the price!"
"Go in!"
"Ah! What are you doing? Let me go!" Fu Meier wasn't taken directly to a cell by Baili Cheng, but instead blindfolded and led to an unknown room. The room was simply furnished, similar to a superior room in an inn. However, more than ten burly, cold-faced guards stood in the room. Baili Cheng was sitting in the room. Fu Meier was forced to the ground and struggled to lift her head, screaming in terror. She knew that once she was brought out, everything was out of her control, and the feeling of being a lamb to the slaughter terrified her!
At this moment, Baili Cheng suddenly stretched out a foot and lifted Fu Meier's fair chin, revealing a seemingly tender expression on his face, but in Fu Meier's eyes, it was terrifying: "Your Highness... I don't know anything, why are you arresting me?"
Upon hearing this, Baili Cheng's expression immediately changed. He suddenly pulled back his foot and kicked Fu Meier directly in the face. Fu Meier immediately felt a burning sensation on her face and cried out in fright, "Your Highness, please spare me! I really don't know anything!"
Bai Licheng's face was icy cold: "The wealth of the Fu family over the years is definitely not what it appears on the surface. Tell me, does the Fu family have other assets hidden elsewhere? If you tell me, I can spare your life, and I might even make you a comfortable concubine of the Prince. I can even help you become the principal wife. You should know that with your merchant background and the big case your family is involved in, it is a blessing from your past life that I am giving you this promise. If you are smart, quickly tell me everything you know."
Fu Meier was startled. How could the Crown Prince know that part of the Fu family's money had been transferred? She was shocked, but she dared not speak. Fu Meier was not stupid. If she told him, wouldn't the Crown Prince kill her to silence her? She had no trump cards to play. Even if the Crown Prince truly spared her and allowed her to return to the Prince's residence, Baili Jian would likely suspect that she had been safely sent back and that everything that had happened with the Crown Prince would leave her with no way to defend herself. This was clearly a scheme designed to ensure her demise. Fu Meier felt a chill in her heart and immediately cried out, "Crown Prince, I truly don't know anything! Please spare me! I am your brother's wife after all. Please, for your sake, I truly know nothing! In all these households, men are in charge. Although I am the legitimate daughter of the Fu family, my father has never allowed me to participate in the Fu family's business. I truly know nothing!" Fu Meier immediately burst into tears, but unfortunately, her face was red and swollen from being kicked by Baili Cheng, which greatly diminished the effect of her performance.
Bai Licheng looked at Fu Meier and sneered, "You still dare to act with me? Very well, I didn't expect the Fu family to produce such tough guys. Fu Lin refuses to talk, and those women of Fu Lin either don't know or are stubbornly refusing to talk. You, the legitimate daughter of the Fu family, also have backbone."
Suddenly, Baili Cheng squatted down, grasped Fu Meier's smooth chin, and gently stroked it with a sinister smile, saying, "Do you know what happened to those women in the Fu family who refused to speak?"
Fu Meier looked at Baili Cheng and suddenly shuddered. When she was with Baili Jing, she had met Baili Cheng, though not often. In her memory, Baili Cheng was a very self-possessed and noble person. Fu Meier had considered it, but she knew that no matter how hard she tried, it was impossible for her, as the daughter of a merchant, to become the Crown Prince's principal wife and the future Empress. As for being a concubine, her pride would not allow it. Moreover, her true love was Baili Chen, whose appearance was unparalleled and who always made her heart flutter.
She had never seen Baili Cheng like this before; his cold, demonic aura sent chills down her spine. "Your...Your Highness...I really...really didn't know..."
Bai Licheng gently patted Fu Meier's uninjured cheek, then suddenly exerted force, grabbing her chin and lifting her up slightly. Fu Meier cried out in pain, then realized she was looking directly at Bai Licheng. He was actually smiling gently, but that smile sent chills down Fu Meier's spine, causing her to tremble even more. Bai Licheng lowered his voice and said, "Do you know what a prison is? It's full of vicious criminals. Each criminal imprisoned there has been imprisoned for several years, or even more than ten years, some even for crimes committed at a young age. These people are all madmen, all demons, but from the day they were locked up, they haven't touched a single woman."
Upon hearing this, Fu Meier's face turned deathly pale, and she trembled all over. Baili Cheng kindly explained to her, "That scoundrel Fu Lin is as fat as a pig, but his methods for choosing women are quite remarkable. Tsk tsk tsk, those women are all so fair and tender, with incredibly smooth skin. But as soon as one is put in, they pounce on him like tigers and wolves. Tsk tsk tsk, the scene is truly insane. Listening to the painful yet pleasurable moans of the concubines in the Fu household, any man would be burning with lust."
Fu Meier was so frightened that her teeth chattered uncontrollably, making a 'crackling' sound as they clattered together: "Your...Your Highness...you were acting on Father's orders! How could you...how could you do this? If...if Father finds out, you will definitely be punished!"
Bai Licheng gently stroked Fu Meier's face: "Tsk tsk, this young lady is so smooth. Compared to those older concubines in the Fu family, she must taste even better. Those who have been starving for so long will definitely like her even more."
"No, no, Your Highness, I beg you, you can't do this! I'm the concubine of the Prince, and if he finds out, he'll never let you off the hook. Besides, I'm listed in the royal family's genealogy! If Father finds out about this, he'll definitely not let this kind of behavior by the Chen royal family go unpunished!" Fu Meier trembled like a leaf.
Baili Cheng gripped Fu Meier's chin tightly, with such force that it seemed he wanted to crush it. But Fu Meier couldn't care less about the pain on her face. She was afraid that Baili Cheng would really do as he said and throw her into the prison, where those prisoners who hadn't touched women for years would defile her body. If that happened, she would be finished.
"You wretch, I gave you time to talk. Don't waste my time here. If you don't speak now, you'll know what happens. Oh, I forgot to mention, your mother was quite the fiery one. Seeing that scene, she smashed her head against the wall and died. I quite admire that kind of spirit. But because of her, I've thought of some precautions. I can guarantee that I will never let such suicidal acts happen again. Of course, some things are unavoidable. The seventh among your half-sisters, the one who looked most like you and was the most beautiful, was just too popular. She couldn't handle a dozen people taking turns attacking her, and she died just like that!"
Fu Meier was terrified, her face drained of color. Her heart trembled. What should she do? What should she do? The Crown Prince wouldn't let her go. But after revealing that secret, she knew she wouldn't survive. What should she do? Should she seek death for a moment of relief? But if she didn't speak up, wouldn't the Crown Prince really have someone smear her reputation? Fu Meier's entire face twitched uncontrollably, her eyes rolling back in terror, looking extremely frightening.
Upon seeing this, Baili Cheng stood up with a look of disgust, his heart filled with rage. He had been willing to spend so much time with Fu Meier, yet she remained completely silent. Baili Cheng even doubted whether his guess was correct, a guess he had made based on his years of contact with Fu Lin. In truth, he wasn't very confident, but he wouldn't let this opportunity slip by. Looking at Fu Meier, his eyes turned cold as he said, "Gag her and throw her in jail."
Fu Meier's eyes widened in fright. She was about to speak when her mouth was gagged. She whimpered, but was knocked unconscious. When she regained consciousness, she was met with an extremely pungent, fishy stench. She struggled slightly to get up, feeling something sticky. Reaching out to look, she was immediately overwhelmed by the yellow substance and the unbearable stench—it was excrement! This was a high-security prison cell; there was no toilet. All the prisoners relieved themselves here, doing whatever they wanted, creating an unbearable stench!
"Ugh!" Suddenly, Fu Meier groaned in pain, but then she heard some strange laughter. Fu Meier froze, looked up in fear, and saw a dozen or so people wearing tattered prison uniforms. They all had messy hair, some had hideous scars on their faces, some were missing half an eye, some had cloudy faces and kept drooling while staring at her, some even had blank stares, and some had a cold and murderous aura. There were all kinds of people, and the only thing they had in common was that they were all men.
Thinking of the Crown Prince's threats, Fu Meier trembled with fear. She opened her mouth to scream but found it was stuffed with something, and only a low 'woo-woo' sound came out. She wanted to call for help, but at this point, even if she wanted to back out, no one would hear her.
Fu Meier shook her head incessantly, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed. However, the prisoners paid her no heed. Seeing her like this only fueled their instincts, and they let out strange cries as they pounced on her. Fu Meier felt as if her body was being torn into countless pieces in that instant. The pain was so intense that she wished she could just bite her lip and die, but her mouth was gagged, making it impossible for her to even commit suicide by biting her lip.
Fu Meier was in unbearable pain, and she screamed wildly!
No! She couldn't accept this! She was the noble concubine of a high-ranking prince, and yet she was being so humiliated by these prisoners. She couldn't bear it!
????No!
☆、185、The Fu family was destroyed!
Fu Meier screamed inwardly, but no one heard her cries of pain. She felt waves of nausea and wanted to vomit, but her mouth was covered, so she couldn't. Instead, the feeling made her feel even more nauseous. Over and over again, the muscles on Fu Meier's face twitched, her expression became very stiff, and eventually her whole body trembled uncontrollably. However, the prisoners who were groping her ignored Fu Meier.
Her clothes had long been torn off, and her originally delicate skin was now covered in bloody streaks from rolling around on the filthy, coarse weeds of the prison. It looked like blood snakes coiled all over her body, a terrifying sight that made one's scalp crawl.
"Alright! You've had your fun, all of you, leave now. Those women of the Fu family will be demoted to prostitutes sooner or later anyway, so you'll have plenty to play with. If you manage to get anything useful out of them, I'll reward you handsomely. Now, go." Suddenly, a deep voice rang out, and to Fu Meier, it sounded like heavenly music.
The people in the cell quickly retreated, but their faces couldn't help but show their immense joy. These people had committed serious crimes, and it was hard to say whether they would even get out alive. They might not encounter a woman for years or even decades. This time, such good fortune had happened one after another. Even before they were in prison, given their status, they would never have encountered such alluring young women. As for Fu Meier, who had already been used, they naturally had no attachment to her.
Fu Meier felt as if her whole body had fallen apart; even lifting her hand was extremely painful. She kept whimpering as she struggled to lift her head and saw a yellow hem of clothing in front of the cell, along with a pair of white shoes embroidered with gold dragon patterns. They looked completely out of place in the dirty and messy cell, as exquisite as samples used to greet customers in a shop. At that moment, she burst into tears. Baili Cheng waved his hand: "Take the cloth down and see what she has to say."
Suddenly, someone walked in, but looking at Fu Meier now, probably no one would have any improper thoughts about her. Even though she was naked, her body was dirty and stained with red marks, and her face was a dark yellow. Where was her former charm? If they had encountered someone like this who looked like a beggar in the past, they would have kicked her away long ago. The person covered his mouth and, with a look of disgust, pulled out a handkerchief and removed the cloth from Fu Meier's mouth. Fu Meier immediately burst into tears.
"Shut up! Wasn't the punishment just now enough? Do you want me to call over a dozen more to play with you?!" Upon hearing this, Baili Cheng frowned and shouted.
Upon hearing this, Fu Meier gasped in shock, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lip tightly, even though she could smell the rust in her mouth and knew her lips were bleeding, she dared not cry out. Baili Cheng laughed, "Fu Meier, you're a smart woman. Now I'm giving you this opportunity. It's up to you to see if you can seize it. If you do well, I might let you go back. If not, I have a hundred ways to tell everyone you died in an accident, and then send you to a brothel. You'll have to see a hundred customers every day, and you won't be allowed to eat or sleep. You'd better think this through carefully."
Fu Meier trembled uncontrollably with fear. The previous punishment had already been a profound humiliation for her. However, this matter could still be concealed if she wanted to. Baili Cheng wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal that he had used his position as a case handler to gain personal benefits and had brought his fifth brother's concubine to be defiled by prisoners. Such an act, done in the name of Emperor Mingxian, would be disastrous for Baili Cheng if it got out. But as Baili Cheng said, if he wanted to, he could find a corpse that resembled Fu Meier and present it as evidence, claiming that she would rather die than reveal the Fu family's crimes. Fu Meier would then disappear from this world, and what awaited her would be a life a hundred times worse than what she was experiencing now.
Thinking of this, and then of the humiliation she had suffered before, Fu Meier felt a nauseous pain all over her body, unable to vomit. She nodded repeatedly, but couldn't speak for a moment. When Baili Cheng saw this, a look of joy flashed in his eyes: "Guards, take her away from me!"
Suddenly, two more people came over, carrying a burlap sack, and went straight to Fu Meier. Fu Meier felt everything go black before her eyes, and then she felt her body swaying. She was carried away upside down, which made her stomach churn, and she vomited with a "whoosh".
The smell soon spread, and one of the people accompanying them outside couldn't help but pinch his nose and mutter, "That woman is absolutely disgusting."
"She's supposed to be the Princess Consort of the Prince, but lowly merchants are just as lowly as they are. How could she do such a filthy thing, causing us all to suffer as a result!"
"That's right, get this done quickly. I never want to see that kind of despicable woman again!"
"Hmph, her innocence has been ruined by so many people. If she were a true lady from a respectable family, she would have died. How can she still have the face to live? She has no shame."
"Hmph, these kinds of people are just born to be dissolute. Didn't you hear those prisoners outside saying they were very satisfied?"
As the conversation outside grew increasingly unbearable, Fu Meier trembled with rage. However, her face flushed red from being suspended upside down in the air. Tears streamed down her face, but the stench of her vomit in the sack made her dizzy and eventually fainted.
????"Bang!"
"Get up, stop pretending to be dead!"
When Fu Meier woke up again, she was in excruciating pain from being hit and hearing angry shouts. Fu Meier groaned in pain and looked around. She found herself in a room, but it did not seem to be the room that Baili Cheng had brought her to before. She said, "I want to see the Crown Prince. I want to see the Crown Prince right now."
"Hmph, with your current status, the Crown Prince might not even want to see you. Just wait here obediently."
Fu Meier said coldly, "Tell the Crown Prince that I need to bathe and change now. If he doesn't comply with my request, he can forget about finding out where that secret is."
Upon hearing this, the man's expression changed slightly. He said to the other two, "Stay here and guard her. We absolutely cannot let her leave." With that, he went out and soon brought back ten women. The women all kept their heads down, as if looking at Fu Meier would bring them bad luck. Not only these women, but then six men entered. The man from before waved his hand, "Immediately help her bathe. Keep a close eye on her. We absolutely cannot let her escape. You few, guard each spot."
Fu Meier's eyes widened upon hearing this: "No man is allowed to watch me bathe."
The man sneered, "Hmph, what else about you is worth seeing? Stop talking nonsense. If you want to see the Crown Prince, you'd better wash up first. These men are all waiting outside. Don't try anything funny or make any more demands, or I'll show you what's what!"
Fu Meier dared not say much at the moment, but her heart was filled with extreme hatred. She was, after all, a concubine of a noble prince, yet these people did not care at all and dared to treat her like this. They were utterly despicable. As long as she got out, she would take revenge on them one by one. She would never let these people go.
The maids followed Fu Meier into the room behind a screen, where someone had already prepared a bathtub. Soon, the maids returned carrying wooden buckets filled with boiling water. After adjusting the temperature, Fu Meier entered the water, but upon seeing the filth floating on the surface, she vomited again. She was immediately scorned by everyone in the room. Fu Meier felt incredibly dirty, and the water was changed three times, her skin almost raw from scrubbing, before she finally had to get up.
Baili Cheng was very generous, providing her with the finest clothes and jewelry. After Fu Meier finished dressing, she sat quietly waiting for Baili Cheng's appearance. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Baili Cheng finally walked over with a beaming face. Fu Meier was seething with anger. If it weren't for Baili Cheng, she wouldn't be suffering like this. But now the situation was beyond her control, and she had no choice but to get up, dragging her still aching body: "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Yes, my sister-in-law came over this morning. I just have a few questions for you. I hope you can answer truthfully so that I can let you leave. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to Father." Baili Cheng's face was gentle, as if he were seeing Fu Meier for the first time. If Fu Meier hadn't clearly remembered how ruthless Baili Cheng had been before, she would have thought she was dreaming. But the pain in her body and the hatred in her heart told her that it was not a dream. Baili Cheng had this ability to change his expression.
Fu Meier suddenly felt incredibly foolish. All her previous methods paled in comparison to Baili Cheng's. Was this the kind of person the palace had trained? His ruthlessness was beyond her wildest imagination. Fu Meier suddenly sneered. This Baili Cheng was no pushover. The power behind Xuan Yuan Yue had always been something these people feared, and Xuan Yuan Yue would undoubtedly be a target. She had her day, and Xuan Yuan Yue would face the same fate in the future—it was certain!
Thinking back to everything that happened in the prison cell, she now imagined that person as Xuan Yuan Yue, her face contorted in pain, her body bearing the grotesque, lewd grins of those filthy prisoners. She was powerless to do anything but cry out and beg for mercy. Only then did Fu Mei'er's resentment lessen somewhat. "Xuan Yuan Yue, I'm waiting for you to be a hundred times more miserable than me."
"Speak!" After he finished speaking, Fu Meier seemed lost in thought, with a ferocious look on her face, which made Baili Cheng coldly rebuke her. Fu Meier was startled and immediately said, "Yes, sister-in-law will tell His Highness the Crown Prince everything I know."
Baili Cheng nodded: "Hmm, you're very sensible, that's good. Now tell me, where is the other part of the Fu family's property?"
Even though Fu Meier knew this would happen, her body stiffened involuntarily: "Can the Crown Prince guarantee my safety?"
A cold glint flashed in Baili Cheng's eyes, but he said, "You can rest assured about that. As long as I get those assets, I will naturally send you safely to your Prince's residence. You don't need to worry about that. I can swear on my position as the Crown Prince."
Fu Meier thought for a moment. Her safety was now in Baili Cheng's hands. His actions meant he probably didn't intend to kill her, which reassured her somewhat. After a moment's thought, she said, "Where are those things..."
In the Imperial Palace, at the Lingyun Palace where Consort Sun resided, there was no one else in the main hall except for Consort Sun, the Fifth Prince Baili Jian, and Granny Qi, an old nanny who served Consort Sun.
"Speak your mind, there are no outsiders here now." Consort Sun, dressed in a deep purple embroidered phoenix robe, sat high on the throne, appearing noble and luxurious.
Baili Jian glanced at Qi, the old woman beside Consort Sun, before saying, "Mother, you must have heard that the Crown Prince is in charge of handling the case of the Fu family embezzling government funds."
Upon hearing this, Consort Sun's expression immediately changed: "Jian'er, you came to the palace not to plead for the Fu family, but because you think you can? Fu Mei'er is just a merchant's daughter. It was already a stretch for her to be your concubine. Now the Fu family is involved in such a big case. Everyone in the court is being careful not to get implicated. The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture was in cahoots with the Fu family and has already been dismissed from his post by the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He is now awaiting execution. In the face of such a major case, your father will not give face to anyone. You must not ruin yourself because of a woman."
Baili Jian laughed and said, "Mother, what are you saying? How could your son do such a stupid thing? That bitch Fu Meier has always been in love with Baili Chen. Do you think I didn't know that? If she hadn't had some use before, would I have given such a promiscuous woman a second glance? But before that, the Crown Prince came to the Prince's residence and took Fu Meier away for questioning."
Upon hearing this, Consort Sun frowned and said, "How dare the Crown Prince be so bold! After all, Fu Meier is also your concubine, yet he has no sense of propriety at all."
Baili Jian nodded and said, "This Crown Prince is indeed very arrogant. I originally intended to keep Fu Meier, after all, she is the concubine of the Prince. If the Crown Prince took her away, wouldn't that be a slap in my face? However, the Crown Prince insisted on keeping her."
Upon hearing this, Consort Sun slammed her hand, adorned with a jade bracelet, onto the chair, the bracelet striking the chair with a loud thud. "This is outrageous! The Emperor must know about this! He was merely given this small task by the Emperor, yet he dares to abuse his authority, even arbitrarily arresting people from the Prince's residence. He clearly has no respect for the Emperor. The Emperor has always despised such arrogant people. He's smug now, but I will make him lose face!"
Baili Jian laughed and said, "Mother, there's no rush for this one."
Consort Sun looked at Baili Jian with some suspicion: "You sent all the servants away as soon as you entered the palace today, and you've been acting all mysterious. What are you trying to say? Stop playing coy with your mother."
Baili Jian couldn't help but look at Granny Qi again. Consort Sun said, "Granny Qi is an absolutely trustworthy person. Just say what you have to say. Why are you playing coy with your mother?"
Baili Jian then said, “Mother, the Fu family has embezzled government silver for so many years, and with the income from various shops, their wealth is incalculable. But now the Crown Prince has directly seized all of the Fu family’s shops. What will the result be? The Fu family only has some properties that are worth some money. They have always used money to make a living, and there is not much cash on their books.”
Consort Sun had also heard about this matter. Although the total assets of the Fu family would amount to one or two million taels of silver, which was quite a sum, something still felt off. The Fu family's assets should not be so small.
Baili Jian sneered: "According to Mother Consort, the Crown Prince is not a fool. He now has the Emperor's decree to oversee the case of Jiang Fu Mansion, but he can't go this far. You know, he's too arrogant and domineering. If I'm unhappy and go to the palace to talk to the Emperor, the Crown Prince won't get any benefit. The Crown Prince isn't the kind of person who would do something so stupid in a moment of anger."
Consort Sun listened, but doubts arose in her heart: "Then why did he enter the Prince's residence and forcibly take Fu Meier away? Could he have had some other purpose?"
Baili Jian nodded immediately: "Mother is right, this Baili Cheng does indeed have other purposes." Consort Sun quickly asked, "What purposes?"
Baili Jian's eyes were cold and piercing: "Mother, when Fu Meier was in the manor, she told me a huge secret when she asked me to save the Fu family." Consort Sun stared at Baili Jian without blinking. Baili Jian didn't keep her in suspense any longer and said, "Mother, Fu Lin is not a fool. On the contrary, he is very shrewd. He also thought about what would happen if things fell to this point. He had already transferred a portion of the Fu family's property, and according to Fu Meier, this property is no less than what is currently on the books."
Consort Sun immediately stood up: "So much!" Consort Sun's phoenix eyes flashed with a sharp light, her expression changed for a moment, but she sat down again. "So much wealth, is it really that the Crown Prince is acting out of character? I'm afraid he found out about this from somewhere and wants to swallow this wealth."
Baili Jian said, "Mother is wise, that's right. Fu Meier has not been released yet, that's why I came to the palace to ask Mother for a solution."
Consort Sun sat in her chair, lost in thought. "The Crown Prince dares to do this because he's confident he can embezzle this huge sum. Of course, he doesn't know that Fu Meier told you about it beforehand, and Fu Meier wouldn't be so foolish as to reveal it; otherwise, she'd be doomed. He doesn't know about this, but you, my son, do. In this respect, you have an advantage over him. However, if he succeeds, it will be too late for you to see Your Majesty in the palace. The Crown Prince will then pocket the money and turn around and accuse you of using this as an excuse to frame him. Therefore, you must find out the exact location and directly rob the Crown Prince."
Baili Jian frowned: "I had thought of that too. However, Fu Meier brought it up earlier to negotiate with me. The Crown Prince arrived at that time, and before I could interrogate her, Fu Meier was arrested. I don't know the exact location of that place."
Consort Sun stroked the back of her chair and said, "This makes things difficult." But in an instant, Consort Sun laughed again, "It's alright. Afterwards, you go to the Imperial Study and apologize, saying that you didn't realize the Fu family could commit such a heinous crime, and that your father chose this marriage for you, so he owes you something in this matter. If you take the initiative to apologize, he will remove you from the list. Then, you can atone for your crime by telling your father everything Fu Meier said to you before. The most important thing is that you must tell your father about this huge sum of money that was transferred. Hmph, it's fine if the Crown Prince didn't get it, but if he did, hmph! Of course, if you can directly rob this huge sum of money, then you can make the Crown Prince suffer."
Baili Jian nodded, but couldn't help saying, "Mother, but if we do this, we'll be directly confronting the Empress and the Crown Prince. This is terrible for us..."
Consort Sun sneered, "Hmph, ever since the two Crown Princesses died one after another, there have been many rumors among the people that the Crown Prince is cursed, and some even say that there are demons causing trouble in the Crown Prince's residence. For the Crown Prince of a country to be associated with ghosts and monsters is not a good omen, and the Empress has been anxious for a long time. This time, the Crown Prince is so eager to get this huge sum of money, probably because he wants to use it to bribe someone. We are inherently hostile to them, so there is nothing to be afraid of in direct confrontation."
Baili Jian replied, "But the Empress Dowager is, after all, the Empress's aunt. Father has always been very filial to the Empress Dowager. If the Empress Dowager says something, wouldn't that be very detrimental to both Mother and me?"
Consort Sun's expression changed slightly: "Hmph, the Empress Dowager has basically been detached from worldly affairs these past few years, and even if she wanted to, how many things could she actually manage? Both the Empress Dowager and the Empress come from the Lin family, and now the Crown Prince's concubine is also from the Lin family. In the absence of a Crown Princess, she is the most likely to accept that position. The leading women of three generations all come from the Lin family. Does she think that sitting high is a good thing? The Empress Dowager is smart and won't act rashly. Go ahead and do it. This time, you must ruin the Crown Prince's plan. This huge sum of money is so important that holding it in your hands will only be a hot potato. We have foresight, but we can't accept this huge sum of money, understand?"
Baili Jian nodded and said, "Mother, I understand."
Consort Sun, seemingly talking to herself, said, "The Crown Prince's insistence on investigating the Fu family matter will surely bring him immense glory and prestige. If we let him continue like this, it might be too late for anything we do." Baili Jian asked doubtfully, "What do you mean, Mother?"
Consort Sun laughed, her phoenix eyes lifting, her beauty exceptional and radiant: "Your younger sister is of marriageable age, and I must find her a suitable husband."
Upon hearing this, Baili Jian immediately understood: "Does Mother have someone in mind?"
Consort Sun raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Your imperial sister is your father's most beloved princess. Naturally, she is not someone that an ordinary family is qualified to marry. She must be an outstanding person, and her family must not have wives or concubines. She must be a young and talented man, or an official of the second rank or above."
Upon hearing this, Baili Jian was filled with doubt. To reach the rank of a second-grade official at such a young age was extremely rare in the court. Even among those with family connections, very few could achieve this rank at such a young age, especially if they were without wives or concubines—making it one in a million. Suddenly, a thought struck Baili Jian, and his face lit up with joy. "Mother Consort means..."
Consort Sun nodded: "Your cousin, Sun Meng'er, seems to be very much favored by Baili Zhi."
Baili Jian hurriedly nodded in agreement, "Yes, although Father Emperor decreed that Meng'er is only a concubine, there are too few women in the Prince Zhi's residence. The other concubines sent in are of too low a status to compare with Meng'er. Moreover, Meng'er was personally trained by Mother Consort. It would be easy for her to control my third brother. Since Meng'er entered the Prince Zhi's residence, as long as Baili Zhi has no official business, he will definitely go to her every day. It is difficult for those concubines to even get a chance to be favored."