"What about the food served in the Emperor's meals?" Prince Cheng asked. "Isn't this being ignored?"

"So what are you going to do?"

"My idea is not to alert the enemy yet. We should secretly send someone to replace the meals sent by the Emperor's kitchen. We should also set up a small kitchen next to the Emperor's bedchamber and secretly replace everything that can be tampered with, including the incense, tea, and clothing in the palace. This way, we can not only thwart the Crown Prince's evil plan, but also make the Emperor think that I am filial and have no desire for the throne."

He paused for a moment and then said, "If Father Emperor is merely testing us because of the rumors, wouldn't the Crown Prince be walking into a trap? I can at least preserve my reputation for caring for Father Emperor."

Bai Luochen narrowed his eyes, as if he were seeing Cheng Wang for the first time. He had previously thought that Cheng Wang was incapable of achieving great things, but now he realized that Cheng Wang's strategies were comprehensive, and he admitted that he was not as good as Cheng Wang.

"But I don't know what to do next. Should I continue to wait, or..."

Bai Luochen knew that the King was also a little anxious, but the more anxious he was, the more likely he was to make a mistake.

"Don't alert him yet. Let's see what the Crown Prince will do next." Bai Luochen narrowed his eyes. "To bring the Crown Prince down, we must ensure he has no chance of recovery. For now, we need to wait. Your Highness just needs to pretend to be doing nothing."

"Okay, whatever you say!"

After discussing the matter with Bai Luochen, King Cheng returned to his residence, spending his days enjoying flowers, drinking wine, and composing poems. An Quan remained oblivious to the affairs of the outside world and did not participate in any disputes at court.

In his spare time, he would visit the emperor's bedchamber to inquire about his health, spending his days drinking tea and chatting. He never asked about matters that were not his concern. The emperor was very satisfied with him.

In contrast, Chu Luoxun's actions were much more daring. He wielded considerable influence in the court, formed cliques for personal gain, and even interfered in military affairs.

On this day, Headmaster Zheng summoned Bai Luochen and asked him to discuss with Chu Luoxun what to do next.

Now that Chu Luoxun has gained power, he believes that in terms of status and background, King Cheng cannot match him. Bai Luochen should be more sensible and offer up the Bai family's wealth to help him advance further on his path to the throne.

He believed Bai Luochen was a smart man, and smart men would side with him. As for Lu Yanzhao, he was prepared to give him one last chance to choose again.

Chu Luoxun also knew that one could not sit idly by and wait for death in any situation, because there were too many changes in this world, and if anything unusual happened, the whole thing would be lost.

Therefore, under no circumstances should we let our guard down; decisive action is key.

Waiting for Lu Yanzhao to surrender is not a viable option; it's too slow and uncertain. He needs to speed things up...

After Bai Luochen entered, he bowed and greeted Chu Luoxun, who was seated at the head of the table.

Chu Luoxun didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "This Crown Prince needs 500,000 taels of silver. I wonder when Cousin Luo Chen will send the silver over?"

Bai Luochen lowered his eyes, a hint of disdain flashing in them, but he straightened his expression and replied, "I wonder what the Crown Prince needs so much silver for?"

"Don't worry about that, I have an urgent need."

Bai Luochen hesitated for a moment before replying, "An iron mine was recently discovered in the south, and we just invested 500,000 taels there. This... can't be raised in a short time."

Chu Luoxun was frantic, pacing back and forth: "I don't care what method you use, just raise 500,000 taels as soon as possible. If I succeed, I will grant my cousin the position of Grand Secretary!"

Having said that, Bai Luochen understood everything. It seemed that Chu Luoxun was truly driven to desperation by the rumors.

Since Chu Luoxun believes the rumors might be true, are the Bai family fools? Would they really give 500,000 taels of silver to help a prince who has no connection to the Bai family?

Although he was confident that he could keep his relationship with King Cheng a secret for the time being, it was still unknown how long he could keep it a secret.

As for Prince Cheng, Bai Luochen and Lu Yanzhao both agreed that he was reliable. With the Empress pulling the strings behind the scenes, everything was under control, and reviving the Bai family would not be difficult.

Chu Luo Xun was truly audacious, asking for 500,000 taels of silver and promising the vague and unattainable position of Grand Secretary.

Throughout history, the greater the power, the greater the invisible threat it poses to the emperor. Isn't my maternal grandfather a perfect example?

Given Chu Luoxun's suspicious nature, once he ascends to the throne, he will likely destroy the Bai family first.

Left with no other option, Bai Luochen could only play coy with Chu Luoxun: "Give me some time. Five hundred thousand taels is no small sum; it will be very difficult to raise."

Before leaving the mansion, Headmaster Zheng stopped Bai Luochen and asked him why he was playing games with the Crown Prince. Bai Luochen had no choice but to make up an excuse.

Before leaving, Bai Luochen said to Zheng Shanzhang, "My mother is seriously ill and misses my grandfather very much. I wonder when my grandfather will have time to go to Yuzhou to see my mother."

When Zheng Shanzhang heard that his daughter was sick, he became anxious: "Is it anything serious? How did she suddenly get sick?"

"The doctor said it was caused by worry and anxiety. She couldn't eat anything every day and became extremely thin. If Grandpa goes to see Mother, I believe she will recover quickly."

"Okay, then I'll set off tomorrow."

Bai Luochen curled his lips. After luring his grandfather to Yuzhou, he would have his father and mother take control of him. This would ensure his grandfather's safety and also allow him to conduct his business in the capital without any restrictions.

...

After a month of postpartum confinement, Gu Nanjiao was completely numb, and seized the opportunity to go out today.

She was going to visit Huang Qingqing, having heard that she and Bai Su had reached the point of discussing marriage.

Huang Qingqing's jade shop is thriving, and many people come for her craftsmanship, especially the literati and scholars in the capital. They love the elegant and refined stone hairpins, believing that hairpins made of gold and jade are just for show and are actually a mess.

The saying "all that glitters is not gold" perfectly illustrates this point.

Stone hairpins are simple and unadorned. Scholars often claimed to regard money as dirt, and wearing a stone hairpin on their head could better express their feelings.

Huang Qingqing has changed a lot now. A neat, light-colored long dress accentuates her slender figure, and she always has a bright smile on her face, giving people a capable feeling.

Upon seeing Gu Nanjiao, Huang Qingqing hurriedly stood up to greet her: "It is an honor for the Princess Protector to grace our humble shop with her presence. We are so sorry for not welcoming you sooner. Bai Su, please serve tea quickly."

"Coming!" Bai Su had a white towel draped over her shoulder and walked briskly, looking exactly like a waiter.

Gu Nanjiao was stunned for a moment, then scolded, "Qingqing, don't tease me. What's our relationship? Don't call me the Princess Protector of the Nation. It makes us feel distant."

Bai Su poured the tea, then tossed her white face towel aside and went to attend to other things.

Gu Nanjiao nudged Huang Qingqing's arm, her face full of gossip: "Isn't Bai Su supposed to be quite arrogant? But now you've managed to subdue her completely. What method did you use? Teach me!"

"Tch!" Huang Qingqing waved her hand dismissively and whispered in Gu Nanjiao's ear, "Isn't the method what you taught me? Make more money, sleeping with money is more reassuring than with a man. With money, what kind of man can't you have? Look, I have many men around me now, and Bai Su is all over me."

"Fortunately, he's more attentive than other men and efficient at his work. I don't want to be a lonely person for the rest of my life, so marrying him isn't a bad idea!"