Peony quickly said, "Young Madam, I'll go serve tea to the Princess!" After saying that, Peony bowed and went out, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.
Seeing that only the two of them remained in the hall, Bai Nuo smiled and invited Princess Cheng to sit down, "Princess, please sit down!"
Princess Cheng didn't stand on ceremony and sat down next to Bai Nuo. After Princess Cheng sat down, Bai Nuo followed suit.
After the guests and hosts were all seated, Princess Cheng smiled at Bai Nuo and said, "You're quite surprised that I returned, aren't you?"
Bai Nuo didn't pretend to know what she didn't, and honestly nodded, "Yes, Your Highness. You just said that you had a few private words to say to me? I wonder what they are?"
Princess Cheng sighed, supporting her forehead with her hand, looking like she had a headache. Bai Nuo didn't ask anything, just waiting for Princess Cheng to speak. Actually, Princess Cheng hadn't spoken yet, but Bai Nuo had already guessed a little bit, but she just didn't want to ask. Once she spoke, she would lose the initiative.
Although Princess Cheng was sighing, she was watching Bai Nuo's reaction. Seeing Bai Nuo like this, she knew that Bai Nuo would not ask. She thought to herself that Bai Nuo was too cautious and smart.
If she didn't speak up, would they have been sitting here all day? Helpless, Princess Cheng could only say, "Actually, it's still related to our concubine Zheng, who hasn't married into the family yet."
"Oh?" Bai Nuo looked at Princess Cheng with a puzzled expression. "Consort Zheng is about to enter the household. This is a joyous occasion. Why is Princess Cheng not happy?"
"This is indeed a good thing for the Prince's Mansion, but it is not a happy event for you and me!" Princess Cheng said quietly.
Bai Nuo looked at her with suspicion. Princess Cheng gritted her teeth in hatred at Bai Nuo's gaze. What was this woman pretending to be confused about? Hu Mingmei was a merchant. She did not believe that Hu Mingmei did not pay attention to important matters of the court. As Hu Mingmei's wife, Princess Cheng did not believe that Hu Mingmei would not tell Bai Nuo that she was completely ignorant.
However, she had already spoken her mind, and she didn't know if the other party was genuinely unaware or pretending not to understand. Before she left, Prince Cheng had given her a strict order: she must make contact with Hu Mingmei. How could she, a woman, do something that even a prince couldn't do? After thinking it over, she could only start with Bai Nuo.
So whether Bai Nuo truly understands or not, she still has to continue speaking.
"To be precise, it's not a good thing for Hu Hua!" Princess Cheng said calmly.
"What does Your Highness mean by this?" Bai Nuo still didn't understand.
"You know that the Hu family and the Zheng family are rivals, right?" Princess Cheng asked.
Bai Nuo nodded.
“Currently, the Hu family is better off than the Zheng family. The Hu family is a business tycoon in the Great Zhou Dynasty. However, once Zheng Qing’er marries into the Prince’s Mansion, this situation will change. The Zheng family will quickly put pressure on the Hu family.” Bai Nuo had been watching her, waiting for her to continue, so Princess Cheng pressed on, “Our Prince does not want Second Master Hu to be bullied, not even by the family of his concubine. So I have come up with a plan.”
"I wonder what method the Princess Consort is referring to?" Bai Nuo asked.
Princess Cheng said, "The Hu family was left behind by the eldest princess, and they have an inseparable bond with us. The Zheng family is the maternal family of Consort Zheng, and they are also very close to our royal family. The best solution for both families is to turn hostility into friendship and have our prince mediate so that both families can reconcile!"
Princess Cheng spoke very cautiously. It seems that Princess Cheng will not speak carelessly before Prince Cheng's position is confirmed. However, in order to help Prince Cheng, she said what she needed to say, and it was very easy to understand and not at all awkward.
The Hu and Zheng families have a long-standing feud, dating back to when Princess Yuru was still alive. Under Hu Mingmei's leadership, the Hu family has doubled in size, while the Zheng family, under Zheng Lin's leadership, is also much better off than their predecessors. The two families are constantly competing with each other, neither willing to give in.
There was no possibility of reconciliation, but once King Cheng intervened, wouldn't both families have to give him face? The Zheng family didn't care, since their daughter had already married into the family and was already on King Cheng's side. But the Hu family was different. Once King Cheng "mediated," wouldn't they be forced to board King Cheng's ship?
Once King Cheng had the Hu and Zheng families under his control, coupled with his influence in the court, he would truly be invincible.
However, Hu Mingmei had clearly stated that he did not want to take sides, especially not with Cheng Wang, which made him even more unwilling.
Immediately, Bai Nuo smiled and politely declined, "I am just a woman of humble origin. Since I became pregnant, I have been managing this small plot of land in the backyard. Although I know that the Hu and Zheng families have a long-standing feud, I cannot make decisions for the men outside. Therefore, I dare not rashly agree to Your Highness's request. However, I appreciate Your Highness's kindness. When Second Master returns, I will definitely tell Your Highness about Your Highness's kindness."
This is putting the blame on Hu Mingmei again, which is like pushing a drop of water into the ocean, where it can't be found anymore. If he could persuade Hu Mingmei, would King Cheng have needed to call him here? But no matter how many times King Cheng wanted to see Hu Mingmei, whether he sent someone to invite him or treated him with respect, King Cheng did everything he could, but Hu Mingmei always said he was sick or that he was out of town. So much time has passed, and King Cheng hasn't even seen him, let alone tried to recruit him.
Seeing Bai Nuo's ignorant appearance, Princess Cheng wanted to curse her out, but considering that her husband needed both families so much, she didn't dare to ruin his important plans. Otherwise, if she pushed the Hu family to the sixth prince, her husband would definitely make her suffer. So Princess Cheng had no choice but to hold back and treat it as a casual reminder, "I'm just a little worried about you, but it's good that you know what's good for you. It's getting late, so I won't disturb your rest any longer!"
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