Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 610 - 607: Selfishness_1

"Greetings to the Princess of Zhen. What a coincidence... The Crown Prince was just about to send me to invite you, and here you are," Quan Yu said with a smile.

Bai Qingyan dismounted and handed her dark horsewhip to the Bai family guard behind her. She straightened her sleeves and asked, "Crown Prince, is there something you need?"

"Not exactly. Mr. Xiao has just arrived at the Crown Prince’s residence, so the Crown Prince asked me to invite you over," Quan Yu replied respectfully, bowing slightly and gesturing for Bai Qingyan to enter. "Please, Princess of Zhen..."

Xiao Rongyan arriving suddenly in Dadu City led Bai Qingyan to surmise it was due to the Yan and Rong tribes’ alliance to attack Nanrong.

Xiao Rongyan, being the Ninth Prince of Yan, naturally prioritized Yan’s interests. His purpose in visiting the Crown Prince’s residence was likely to ensure the Crown Prince of Jin would remain neutral and not interfere in Yan and Rong’s attack on Nanrong, thereby allowing Yan to easily capture Nanrong and eventually putting Jin in a precarious position for future annexation.

However, Bai Qingyan’s uncle, Dong Qingyue, had plans and arrangements in Nanrong, not to mention A Yu was still there. Bai Qingyan knew she couldn’t let Xiao Rongyan have his way.

The two had a prior agreement, but now that they stood opposed, Bai Qingyan would show no leniency.

The Crown Prince and Xiao Rongyan were having a lively conversation in the main hall, not expecting Bai Qingyan to arrive so quickly. Upon hearing Quan Yu report Bai Qingyan’s arrival, the Crown Prince was surprised and immediately had her ushered in.

With Xiao Rongyan’s arrival today, the Crown Prince had planned to invite Bai Qingyan so the two could meet, hoping that by the end of dinner, he could ask Xiao Rongyan to escort Bai Qingyan back.

Such interactions would naturally foster some romantic feelings between Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan over time.

Moreover, although Xiao Rongyan’s status was that of a merchant, he was the world’s wealthiest merchant, highly talented, and charming. Given that he had already shown affection for Bai Qingyan, how could she not be moved?

The Crown Prince believed that in the long run, Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan’s relationship would flourish. When that happened, Xiao Rongyan would become his financial supporter, rather than just offering half the profits as he did currently.

Xiao Rongyan wore a jade crown, an off-white narrow-sleeved long robe, a warm jade belt, and exquisite deerskin boots that were slightly dusty. His figure, slender and upright, exuded scholarly elegance and extraordinary demeanor.

Hearing Bai Qingyan had arrived, Xiao Rongyan was mildly shocked. He stood up with a smile and respectfully bowed to Bai Qingyan, who was entering the door. "Rong, pays respects to the Princess of Zhen!" fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Bai Qingyan nodded slightly and greeted the Crown Prince, "Greetings, Crown Prince."

"I just sent Quan Yu to summon you, and here you are," the Crown Prince said, gesturing for Bai Qingyan to sit.

After sitting down, Bai Qingyan spoke, "I came to the Crown Prince’s residence because I heard that yesterday the Minister of Judicial Review, Minister Lu, failed to obtain a confession from Fu Ruoxi. Today, I am here to request the Crown Prince’s permission to meet with General Fu. I hope to resolve this matter soon and return to Shuoyang with peace of mind."

Bai Qingyan’s words were reasonable and sincere. After speaking, she added, "Moreover, my uncle’s concubine-born daughter is engaged to the eldest legitimate son of the Fu family. With this matter unresolved, the entire Fu family is in a panic."

This implied that Bai Qingyan’s visit to see Fu Ruoxi also had personal motives—to prevent implicating the Fu family’s eldest son, her future cousin-in-law.

The Crown Prince nodded and shared the news of Madam Fu’s death in prison, having collided with the wall, with Bai Qingyan. He sighed, "Madam Fu was a heroic woman. To prevent the Empress from using her to threaten her son, she took her own life by colliding with the wall. The coroner confirmed that she did indeed suffer from slow-acting poisoning."

"Afterwards, when I left, Minister Lu intended to take advantage of Fu Ruoxi’s grief to obtain a confession, but Fu Ruoxi, whether out of sorrow or a desire to protect the Empress, refused to speak. If the Princess of Zhen can make Fu Ruoxi talk, that would be ideal. I will let Quan Yu accompany you."

"Thank you, Crown Prince!" Bai Qingyan expressed her gratitude with a bow. After sitting down, she proactively turned to Xiao Rongyan. "Mr. Xiao, did you just arrive in Dadu City?"

Xiao Rongyan nodded with a smile, "Indeed."

"Oh?" Bai Qingyan looked directly at Xiao Rongyan, her eyes shimmering with a smile. She nodded in thanks to Quan Yu, who brought her tea, and took a sip. "Mr. Xiao, are you in a hurry for something? You’ve come straight to the Crown Prince in your travel-worn state."

Saying this, Bai Qingyan glanced at Xiao Rongyan’s dusty deerskin boots.

Following Bai Qingyan’s gaze, the Crown Prince noticed the dust on Xiao Rongyan’s boots, which was uncharacteristic of his usually pristine appearance.

Xiao Rongyan had received news from Ren Shijie, rushing back to Dadu without rest, hoping to offer significant profits to dissuade the Crown Prince from sending an envoy to the Rong tribe. Even if he couldn’t stop Jin from sending an envoy, delaying it by half a month would be beneficial.

In half a month, while he couldn’t guarantee that Xie Xun would conquer Nanrong, substantial progress would be made.

The Crown Prince couldn’t help but laugh, teasing Xiao Rongyan, "For a bit of business, do you need to rush like this? Can my residence, the Crown Prince’s Mansion, run away?"

Trusting Bai Qingyan, the Crown Prince didn’t guard against her and openly spoke about business.

"Business?" Bai Qingyan put down her teacup, feigning interest in Xiao Rongyan. "What business does Mr. Xiao have with the Crown Prince? Perhaps you could give Bai Qingyan a chance? With Shuoyang currently in need of funds for military training, a deal with the world’s wealthiest merchant would surely provide sufficient pay for the new soldiers."

Xiao Rongyan’s smile faded. He knew Bai Qingyan wasn’t interested in business, and her sudden aggression suggested she understood his intentions and sought to thwart him.

Naturally, as the masked general might be the Young Master Bai, Bai Qingyan undoubtedly aimed to have the Bai family control Nanrong. This was to counter Yan’s ambitions. With Bai Qingyan’s intellect, she wouldn’t let Jin be squeezed between Yan.

For today’s plan to succeed, Xiao Rongyan had to be fully alert. Given their prior agreement, opposition meant disregarding personal feelings.

"It’s not a major business deal. If the Princess of Zhen is short on Silver Coin, just name the amount... I will certainly provide it," Xiao Rongyan said sincerely with a smile.

The Crown Prince, sipping his tea, raised an eyebrow. He grew more convinced that fostering a relationship between Bai Qingyan and Xiao Rongyan would secure his financial backing.

"I’ve done nothing to deserve such generosity. I wouldn’t dare accept Mr. Xiao’s charity! Yet, I am quite interested in Mr. Xiao’s business... If you don’t mind sharing," Bai Qingyan said with a faint smile, her resolve implacable.