CHAPTER 30: CHAPTER 30: DO YOU THINK YOU’RE SO CLEVER?

A day passed by in a flash.

In the evening, Ling Ying coldly glanced at Bai Susu, who was still reading, while taking advantage of Ling Han’s shift change, and her figure flickered away from the rooftop.

Upon returning to the Eastern Palace, Ling Ying didn’t even go to eat before she went to find Feng Qiwu directly.

"Your Highness, I have an important matter to report, concerning Miss Bai," Ling Ying said.

Upon hearing this, Feng Qiwu immediately put down the booklet in his hand, squinting his eyes and said, "Come in and speak."

"Yes!"

Once Ling Ying entered, Feng Qiwu looked at her with eyes like lightning and asked in a deep voice, "What’s wrong with Susu?"

Seeing that Feng Qiwu had changed the way he addressed Bai Susu, Ling Ying felt even more sorry for him.

She immediately reported Bai Susu’s words to Bai Wanwan one by one.

Finally, she said, "Your Highness, Miss Bai’s heart is only for the Third Prince; she isn’t sincerely willing to marry you. Your Highness should reconsider."

A woman like this is not fit to become the Crown Princess Consort.

However, what Ling Ying didn’t expect was that as soon as she finished speaking, Feng Qiwu mercilessly kicked her over.

Then, with a cold and violent look, Feng Qiwu gazed at her amidst her startled expression, "Ling Ying, who permitted you to slander Susu in front of me?"

Ling Ying froze, "Your Highness, I didn’t! What I said was true to every word!"

She really didn’t embellish anything or badmouth Bai Susu, only repeating the words Bai Susu had said.

To her surprise, when her words fell, Feng Qiwu’s expression grew even colder.

"Do you think you’re very clever?"

"Susu told me last night that Bai Wanwan was plotting against her, and she intended to counterplot. What she said to Bai Wanwan was merely meant to confuse the enemy."

"You did well, instead of secretly protecting Susu, you ran to me to complain about her!"

At this point, a cruel cold smile appeared on Feng Qiwu’s face.

Had he not known how deeply Susu loves him and admires him, hearing Ling Ying’s words, he might have doubted Susu’s sincerity.

If anger overtook him, he might have wanted to strangle Susu, not to mention making her feel that he didn’t believe her and hurting her heart.

Whenever he thought of her crying in front of him, he couldn’t help but want to kill someone.

...

Seeing this, Ling Ying couldn’t help but shiver all over, and then hurriedly knelt down, saying, "I know my mistake! Please calm your anger, Your Highness!"

"Humph! Go to the Punishment Hall and receive a hundred lashes!" Feng Qiwu said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Ling Ying’s body couldn’t help but tremble, yet she also felt relieved.

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

She misunderstood the future Crown Princess Consort and angered His Highness, yet she only received a hundred lashes, which was already a stroke of luck.

At least her life was spared.

"Get out!" Feng Qiwu cast a cold glance at Ling Ying, then picked up the booklet on the table and resumed reading.

In his heart, he cursed Ling Ying as an idiot while secretly praising Bai Susu for her cleverness, recognizing the true nature of the Third Prince.

Ling Ying only saw Susu speaking ill of him in front of Bai Wanwan, but overlooked one crucial fact.

That is, the Third Prince, Feng Wuchen, knowing full well that plotting against Bai Susu would offend him—the manic Crown Prince—yet continued without fear.

This truly reveals that the commonly praised gentle and harmless Third Prince has deep scheming and boldness!

On the surface, he told Susu that he liked Bai Wanwan.

In reality, the Third Prince’s real target is probably Susu.

After all, compared to Bai Wanwan, what value does she have against Susu, the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister’s Mansion?

He doesn’t believe that the Third Prince, who never acts without benefit, would truly fancy Bai Wanwan, a concubine-born servant girl.

And the Third Prince saying he likes Bai Wanwan to Susu, asking her to help mediate, is probably a guise for approaching Susu.

To convince Susu, he likely keeps an ambiguous relationship with Bai Wanwan.

Otherwise, why would Bai Wanwan help him scheme against Bai Susu for nothing?

Ha!

Such a dashing Third Prince.

Turns out to be nothing more than a player with two-timing affairs!

If he succeeds in his scheme, not only would Susu become his captive, but even Old Bai’s heart could lean towards him because of Susu.

His position as Crown Prince would undoubtedly become precarious.

But the Third Prince would never have guessed that Susu had already had feelings for him, whom everyone else shunned—the daring Crown Prince.

No matter how shrewd he is, Susu still stands by him.

Thinking of this, the corners of Feng Qiwu’s lips couldn’t help but curl up, feeling much better, even upon seeing the news of another bandit outbreak in the northwest, he didn’t get angry.

...

Bai Susu had no idea that the words she hastily used to exonerate herself the day before in the side hall were believed by Feng Qiwu.

Not only that, Feng Qiwu even conjured up various reasons himself, laying all the blame on the Third Prince Feng Wuchen.

But even if she knew, she wouldn’t explain.

After all, the original Bai Susu indeed had feelings for the Third Prince.

But because the Third Prince already had a principal consort, she restrained herself.

Because she knows clearly, with her status, Prime Minister Bai would absolutely not allow her to become Feng Wuchen’s secondary consort.

Of course, if Feng Wuchen became emperor and she became a Noble Consort, then it would naturally be different.

But with the Crown Prince still well and safe, the throne couldn’t possibly fall to Feng Wuchen now; thus, Bai Susu could only hold back her full heart of admiration.

As for often taking Bai Wanwan to meet Feng Wuchen... it was merely to avoid affecting her own reputation by seeing a man alone, using Bai Wanwan as a shield.

...

The Third Prince’s Mansion.

Feng Wuchen looked at the message sent by the carrier pigeon, and a deep smile appeared on his gentle and handsome face.

Bai Wanwan indeed has foresight abilities.

In the northwest, as she predicted, there was indeed a bandit outbreak.

Now, these bandits have occupied a very important pass in Da Qin, posing a great threat to the local people.

But that is not the main point.

The point is that Bai Wanwan said a large cache of gold and silver treasures is hidden within the bandits’ stronghold!

If he successfully eradicates the bandits and claims the treasures... how much would that aid him in his pursuit of the Crown Prince position?

According to Bai Wanwan, this bandit extermination task will eventually be entrusted to the Crown Prince, and those gold and silver treasures will also be surrendered to the National Treasury.

But since he now knows the treasures lie within the dens of bandits, this task cannot under any circumstance be passed to the Crown Prince!

With this in mind, Feng Wuchen couldn’t help but narrow his eyes.

...

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study Room.

After reading the booklet sent from the Golden Scale Guards, Emperor Feng Qingyang slammed it onto the desk in anger.

"These good-for-nothing fools, utterly useless, letting the bandit troubles escalate to such a state!" Feng Qingyang’s face was gloomy.

Xia Yu Pass is the most crucial checkpoint on the northwest fortress, now fallen into the hands of a group of bandits!

If this goes on, will the lands of Da Qin itself be jeopardized in the future?