Chapter 259 They actually tricked him like this!

Prince Xin suddenly stared at Zhou Zhining and fell silent.

A long period of silence.

Zhou Zhining felt uneasy and raised her eyelids to look at him: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Prince Xin said, "You actually care about whether the people can buy things? Don't you find it troublesome?"

Under Prince Xin's intense gaze, Zhou Zhining's eyes flickered.

They are definitely not people who care about the interests of ordinary people...

Zhou Zhining forced a smile: "I'm just stating the facts. Back then, didn't Yao Qingling involve herself and the people, using public opinion to pressure Zhan Xingzhuo into agreeing to the divorce and making the Grand Princess let go?"

"This time, isn't Yao Qingling using the same old tricks again, forcing Lin Shiyuan to end his investigation of her as soon as possible?"

She countered, "Hui Ba Fang is closed down, while Jin Man Tang has made a fortune for three consecutive days. At this rate, Jin Man Tang can make even more money, but why do I feel that Your Highness doesn't seem very happy?"

She held a handkerchief and gently wiped the statue of the God of Wealth, stealing glances at Prince Xin's expression out of the corner of her eye.

Prince Xin lifted the hem of his robe and sat down, calmly picking up his teacup: "Zhou Zhining, I do like money, but I'm not short of it. I hope you didn't do something on your own initiative that I don't know about."

His voice was chilling, so cold that Zhou Zhining's heart trembled, and she almost dropped the statue of the God of Wealth.

"I didn't do anything."

Prince Xin glanced at them coldly, his eyes narrowing slightly: "Is that so?"

"But Zhan Xingzhuo is fighting against Lin Shiyuan for Yao Qingling's sake. He's even willing to go back to the Duke's mansion to ease tensions. And you're not angry?"

This doesn't fit Zhou Zhining's personality.

She wouldn't allow Zhan Xingzhuo to do anything for Yao Qingling. If he showed even the slightest concern in front of her, she would feel extremely uncomfortable, and she would turn around and keep a closer eye on Zhan Xingzhuo.

Zhou Zhining's breathing tightened, and she swallowed.

Prince Xin may seem like a carefree hermit, but he is actually incredibly cold and cunning, with a deep and unfathomable mind. No one can truly understand him.

She thought she wouldn't be noticed, but the king, through just a few questions, figured out that the matter was related to her.

Zhou Zhining bit her lip, lowered her eyes, and remained silent.

Prince Xin suddenly smashed the teacup at her feet.

"Ah!" Zhou Zhining was so frightened she almost jumped up. Although she remained dignified and motionless, the flying shards cut her face.

She wiped her face and saw blood all over her hand. Before she could even cry, she immediately knelt down and prostrated herself on the ground.

She knew that her tears would be useless in front of Prince Xin.

The man looked at her coldly: "Aren't you going to tell the truth?"

Zhou Zhining took a deep breath and could only admit that she was the one who asked someone to report Yao Qingling.

"...Zhan Xingzhuo returned to the capital, but Yao Qingling gave birth to his son. I'm worried that Zhan Xingzhuo will become estranged from us because of that child. If Yao Qingling is found to be hiding tribute, the Emperor will not let her off easily. What I'm thinking is that Zhan Xingzhuo will not want her anymore, and the Grand Princess of Deyang will not take back a woman with a tainted reputation as her young mistress."

"Foolish woman! I cannot trust a stupid woman like you!"

Prince Xin flew into a rage, pointing at Zhou Zhining and shouting, "You went and reported Yao Qingling?"

"You sent the golden silk into the Marquis's mansion, did you think you could frame her and win against her?"

"Don't you know what kind of predicament you've put me in?"

The Prince Xin's mansion contained countless tributes plundered from various regions.

He can even find things that are not in the imperial treasury.

In those years, he ostensibly traveled and enjoyed the scenery, but he never concealed his identity as a prince. Officials and wealthy merchants from all over the country carried chests and chests of treasures into his residence.

It was the Yu family of Jinzhou who claimed that the production of the rare Golden Feather Silk was so high that they had ten bolts piled up in their warehouse, more than twice the amount in the emperor's private treasury.

For Prince Xin, this was not a big deal; he was already used to it. But suddenly, the corruption in the palace was exposed, and the investigation fell on Lin Shiyuan, that murderous devil. Now everyone is on edge.

The various noble families who were holding lavish banquets just a few days ago have suddenly become low-key, each pretending to be honest and upright.

Prince Xin was furious with this stupid woman.

To prove she was better than Yao Qingling, and to steal his man, she actually tricked him like this.

They actually wanted to deceive him?

Prince Xin stood up, walked up to Zhou Zhining, and kicked her in the shoulder; Zhou Zhining was kicked to the ground, bit her lip, and then respectfully knelt back down.

She had never suffered such humiliation before, which shows that she had truly stepped on Prince Xin's taboo.

Therefore, after she did that, she didn't dare to reveal even a single thing.

Prince Xin angrily said, "I wanted to elevate you, to restore you to your former glory as a talented woman, and to make you famous throughout the capital. Is this how you repay me? Huh?"

His subordinates had selfish motives and acted in his name, but Prince Xin often turned a blind eye and even allowed them to abuse his power.

Because their actions, to some extent, represented the power of the King, and could also test just how much those who feared him truly feared him.

But Zhou Zhining is different.

She thought herself clever and actually came up with the idea of ​​framing someone.

Even if she used his name to swagger in front of Yao Qingling, it would be much better than what she's doing now.

No wonder some powerful and wealthy people would rather find a stupid woman than a woman who only has a pretty face and claims to be talented.

If we're talking about smart women, Yao Qingling is the only one who catches my eye.

This stupid woman in front of me wanted to prove that she was better than Yao Qingling, but she failed at everything she did.

Oh, she thought that by taking Zhan Xingzhuo back, she had won against her.

Zhou Zhining only took advantage of the fact that her father was Grand Tutor Zhou and had been his mentor, and did not truly treat him, the Prince of Xin, as a prince!

Zhou Zhining knew she had angered Prince Xin, and this kick woke her up.

In Prince Xin's eyes, she was nothing more than a servant.

If it weren't for Prince Xin's fear of the account books she possessed, she would have died in some corner like the other servants who had done wrong.

No, right now, he could draw a sword and stab a hole in her right there.

Zhou Zhining sobbed, swallowing the blood she had bitten off, and said, "Your Highness, Lin Shiyuan won't find out about you."

“Yao Qingling doesn’t know it was me. Even if she investigates further, she’ll only find out about the recently deceased Lady Zhongyong and her daughter Yao Qingqi. That concubine Zhao has already silenced them and pinned everything on her.”

“Even if Lin Shiyuan doesn’t find anything in Hui Bafang, they will find irrefutable evidence on the Marquis of Zhongyong.”

"Your Highness, do you not know how much the Marquis of Zhongyong has done these days?"

Prince Xin's eyes shifted slightly.

The Marquis of Zhongyong thought he was getting away with it, and that since he was working in the Shanglin Garden where no one cared, no one would be watching what he did.

But surely he trusts the king to do things, and there must be a reason for that.

It was only after the Marquis of Zhongyong began to engage in corruption, using those rare and exotic animals to win over officials and get them to do things for him, that the whole thing was a setup.

Prince Xin took a deep breath and stared at Zhou Zhining: "You want to use the scheme I've been setting up for so long as a tool for your escape?"

I really want to strangle her!

Zhou Zhining lowered her head even further and said, "Your Highness, don't you want to know if Lin Shiyuan has an affair with Yao Qingling?"

Prince Xin paused, his cold expression softening as he looked at Zhou Zhining with an inscrutable gaze.