Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 110 Extortion

Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Extortion

If the Beiman and Ningzhou ceasefire lasts for several months, Xie Zhang might sneak away to accompany Feng Shu to roam the land and may receive orders to head directly to Ningzhou.

The two indeed share no deep acquaintance, only having crossed paths several times at palace banquets.

Xie Xun watched the Crown Prince’s departing figure, frowning slightly. The Crown Prince treats the mighty with respect and the weak with compassion. Apart from being ineffective in supervising the military provisions case and his wealth-hoarding tendencies, his record was devoid of major faults. When it came to the military provisions case, the Crown Prince’s influence was limited. The Ministry of Revenue couldn’t allocate funds, there were natural disasters, and the Eastern Palace lacked the courage to demand provisions from the seven major aristocratic families, inevitably leaving vulnerabilities in the case.

After the Crown Princess Consort’s childbirth, Xie Xun accompanied the Marchioness to visit her. Her complexion appeared radiant and healthy. The couple treated each other with respect, enjoying a harmonious life. Due to guilt over the military provisions case, the Crown Prince had intentionally sought goodwill from Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. Xie Xun also hoped for peaceful coexistence between the Eastern Palace and the Marquis Mansion, as it involved the next heir to the throne and the legitimate eldest son with Lin Family’s bloodline. The Crown Prince had no apparent reason to turn against the Mansion.

At least... not for the next few years.

The Eastern Palace.

Returning to his residence, the Crown Prince changed into casual attire before heading to the Crown Princess’s chambers. At twenty-three, the Crown Prince had only three concubines. Besides the Crown Princess Lin Yushu, the other two concubines of low rank bore him no offspring.

"The Crown Princess truly has fortune on her side, giving birth to the Crown Prince’s sole offspring and being favored by him. Truly, it’s a blessing earned over three lifetimes."

"Every day when His Highness returns to the palace, he first visits the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince’s grandson, practically holding them in the palm of his hand."

...

The Crown Prince, handsome and gentle, alongside the serene and graceful Crown Princess, appeared to the palace maids as a couple in perfect harmony, radiating love and affection. After Lin Yushu gave birth to the Crown Prince’s grandson, her favor increased, and many envied her.

Lin Yushu was still within her sixty-day postpartum rest period, halfway through. The Crown Prince joined the Crown Princess for a meal in the chambers, cuddled the Crown Prince’s grandson, and spent time together as a joyous family. Lin Yushu smiled as she watched the father and son play, feeling her chambers warm like spring. Life now carried new hopes.

The infant often slept. After helping the Crown Prince’s grandson fall asleep, the Crown Prince conversed with Lin Yushu about family matters before returning to the front courtyard.

The senior palace maid Susu commented, "My lady, His Highness truly treats you well. Every day after court sessions, the first thing he does is visit you and the Crown Prince’s grandson. No matter how busy he is, he ensures you dine together."

"These are things any husband would do." The Crown Princess gently curled her fingers around the infant’s delicate and soft hand, her heart melting at the touch. "Abao must grow up safely and well."

In the front courtyard of the Eastern Palace, Lin Cheng was already waiting.

After Eunuch Su served hot tea and withdrew, dismissing all attendants, only the Crown Prince and Lin Cheng remained in the hall. The Crown Prince held a handkerchief and delicately wiped his fingers as though removing some unseen dirt, carefully cleaning each finger.

"What have you discovered?" The Crown Prince’s voice was gentle, laced with laughter.

Lin Cheng, composed and calm, responded softly, "During the snow disaster in the northern part of the city, Fengyu secretly extended assistance. That region is home to military households under General Wude’s troops. Fengyu has consistently provided care, preparing provisions, medicine, and clothing in previous years to help them through hardships. This year was somewhat different due to the meddling of Young Marquis Xie. Fengyu went into hiding. Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s grain reserves aren’t abundant. Fengyu covered the deficit, and the Young Marquis issued Fengyu an IOU worth five hundred thousand taels."

The Crown Prince blew softly across the foam atop his tea, his slender fingers pale as jade, lightly exhaling two words, "Troublesome."

Fengyu’s contributions to the northern city were no secret. The Emperor Jianming and the Crown Prince received intelligence about such matters. For something of this magnitude to go unnoticed in the palace would constitute dereliction of duty by the Forbidden Army and Jinyi Guard.

A few years ago, the Crown Prince largely ignored her. Truth be told, he didn’t care about the lives of those civilians. Since someone was managing affairs on behalf of government officials and not demanding funds from the Ministry of Revenue, he was pleased to let it be. Fengyu, being astute and modest, neither flaunted her accomplishments nor sought public recognition. The Crown Prince had, therefore, disregarded her actions. He hadn’t anticipated this year’s unexpected interference by the Young Marquis.

Lin Cheng explained, "Assigning the Young Marquis to the Kyoto Capital Guard was initially a brilliant move. The Kyoto Guard is challenging to manage and riddled with issues; he was expected to be overwhelmed. However, during the snow disaster, he managed to rally the Kyoto Guard. Marquis Zhenbei Mansion now lacks grain reserves, and without Fengyu’s fifty thousand taels, he wouldn’t have won the goodwill of the Kyoto Guard so quickly."

Lin Cheng implied that Fengyu was the culprit.

The financial troubles of the Eastern Palace were well-known. The Crown Prince permitted his subordinates to amass wealth for themselves. The national treasury was depleted, and natural and man-made disasters demanded funding. The Eastern Palace itself was struggling. Fengyu, however, could produce immense sums of money, which drew envious eyes.

Taking advantage of the snow disaster, Xie Xun had gained power and stepped out of the Crown Prince’s control, much to the Crown Prince’s displeasure.

"Do Xie Xun and Fengyu have private dealings?" The Crown Prince set his teacup down, his demeanor still mild and affable.

"During the Lantern Festival, city spies reported that the Young Marquis took Fengyu to the Stargazing Tower to admire the lanterns," Lin Cheng said indifferently. "Privately, Fengyu provided the Young Marquis roughly twenty thousand stones of grain, which he transported to Ningzhou. The Young Marquis, arrogant by nature, seems to be frequently courting Fengyu. He likely covets the mountains of gold and silver backing her."

At Yiling Village, Fengyu had already intervened financially against him. Indiscriminately and openly aiding Xie Xun, Fengyu continuously opposed him. A murderous intent gradually surfaced in the Crown Prince’s brows.

Lin Cheng, attuned to the Crown Prince’s inclinations, said gravely, "Your Highness, Feng Shu and Xie Zhang are already betrothed. If the Young Marquis intends to marry Fengyu, the Su Family’s wealth will end up in the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion’s hands, which would be extremely disadvantageous for you."

The Crown Prince was fully aware of this. His previous attempt to assassinate Fengyu had failed. Elder Lin had issued a veiled warning, making it clear he couldn’t act against Fengyu again. Sending her into the third prince’s household would have been the best solution, but the plan had backfired. Now she was indeed a thorny problem.

The Crown Prince rose and walked over to a small fish tank. Inside, two koi fish swam about. He calmly fed them bait while appearing lost in thought. After Feng Shu left the Capital City, he had dispatched people to approach Fengyu, hoping to secure her financial support. Fengyu claimed poverty, saying her sister held the purse strings. If it was merely a refusal, for the sake of past acquaintance, he could have let it slide. But she had persistently opposed him, repeatedly funding Xie Xun with financial resources.

Years of tolerance toward Fengyu had culminated in this. After the Lantern Festival, Feng Shu returned to the Capital City. Besides visiting Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, she had held a secret one-hour meeting with Prince Kang. For Fengyu.

Fengyu... again it’s her! She always inadvertently sabotaged him. The Ningzhou victory had only intensified his insecurity. He had to act decisively to quell this anxiety.

"Kill her!" The Crown Prince chuckled lightly. "If she won’t work for me, then there’s no need for her to remain."

"Yes!" Lin Cheng accepted the order, pausing. "Your Highness, I have a suggestion."

"Speak!" The Crown Prince set down the fish bait and turned back, picking up his handkerchief to wipe his hands.

Lin Cheng said, "Fengyu has profound scheming and a ruthless heart. She may not desire entanglements with the Marquis Mansion. The root of this problem lies with Feng Shu. She’s betrothed to Xie Zhang, yearly providing half of Ningzhou’s grain and military supplies, exhausting herself for Ningzhou. Without Feng Shu, everything would be resolved effortlessly."

The Crown Prince tossed the handkerchief lightly onto the table, his smile unexpectedly tinged with sweetness. "Oh, your suggestion is?"

"Feng Shu, while traveling across the lands, is accompanied by guards, but they’re no match for the Jinyi Guard. Eliminating her would be easier than killing Fengyu. These sisters both deserve death. With them gone..."

The Crown Prince abruptly clamped his fingers around Lin Cheng’s throat. His long, pale fingers were as unyielding as steel, violently pinning him against the cold stone floor. Lin Cheng felt a sharp, chilling killing intent overtake him, though the Crown Prince’s face remained gentle and serene. Tilting his head slightly, he asked with a feather-light voice, "What was my command?"

Struggling for breath, his throat locked in the Crown Prince’s grip, Lin Cheng couldn’t tell which words had sparked the fury. He managed, with great effort, to gasp out, "Kill... Fengyu."

"Very good!" The Crown Prince’s fingers tightened further, almost crushing his neck. "I only need a blade. A quiet blade. Understand?"

"Yes!" Lin Cheng’s face turned an alarming shade of red from oxygen deprivation, veins bulging visibly. The Crown Prince smiled as he watched Lin Cheng’s life teeter on the edge, seeming amused by the spectacle. His gentle eyes glimmered with mirth until Lin Cheng nearly lost consciousness. The Crown Prince finally released him, blowing lightly on his fingers, as though dirtied, and meticulously wiped them on Lin Cheng’s official robes.

After standing up, the oppressive aura dissipated. Lin Cheng, now gasping for air like a fish near death that had finally found water, felt his back soaked in cold sweat.

"I do not like people who presume themselves clever." The Crown Prince wiped his fingers while tilting his head with a faint smile. "Don’t let it happen again, alright?"

Exiting the Eastern Palace, Lin Cheng’s official robe collar was turned up, concealing the bruises on his neck. The biting wind heightened his chill. This heir to the throne held an elegant demeanor, weak and gentle, always showing a sweet smile and treating others with kindness. It was Lin Cheng’s first time witnessing the Crown Prince’s rage, as though someone had touched his reverse scale.

He hated Fengyu, both personally and professionally. For public reasons, Feng Shu’s and Xie Zhang’s betrothal bound Ningzhou’s military supplies to Marquis Zhenbei Mansion while funding flowed endlessly from the Jiangnan Su Family to the Mansion’s coffers. Personally, Fengyu had ruined his sister’s reputation, reducing her to a discarded pawn, and shamed the entire Lin Family.

He didn’t understand what was wrong with his suggestion.

Fengyu needed to be killed, but Feng Shu was the true root of all issues. Without Feng Shu, Fengyu’s profit-driven nature wouldn’t necessarily align her with Xie Xun.

Yet the Crown Prince seemed to have his own scheme. Having served him for years, Lin Cheng knew too well his shrewdness. If he dared to feign compliance and act against orders, the Crown Prince would exact retribution come autumn, placing his entire family at risk.

For a man who couldn’t tolerate Fengyu, Lin Cheng doubted the Crown Prince could tolerate Feng Shu’s loyalty entirely devoted to the Marquis Mansion.

"Send someone to track Fengyu’s movements."

"Yes!"

The Feng Family’s carriage was parked along Three Cross Street. Fengyu was in Linlang Pavilion’s courtyard conversing with Manager Wen. Though Manager Wen and Wen Shisan were sisters, their appearances differed drastically. Wen Shisan exuded extraordinary allure, with captivating beauty, while Manager Wen had an unremarkable, upright appearance.

She handled Linlang Pavilion and Linglong Ornament Shop, both doing excellent business. Though the two establishments were semi-competing shops located in different districts, they catered to distinct clientele groups. Linglong Ornament Shop—a decades-old business—was popular in both Jiangnan and the Capital City, offering reasonably priced goods. Fengyu, fond of jewelry, often designed ornate styles. Her designs were intricate and elegant, crafted with exceptional materials, which were unfit for Linglong Ornament Shop’s branding.

Having evaluated various high-end jewelry stores in the Capital City, Fengyu identified a gap in custom luxury goods. She specifically commissioned Manager Wen to form a new shop for a high-end line—Linlang Pavilion. Aristocratic ladies were not short on money, and Linlang Pavilion’s business thrived. Though modesty was fashionable at the time, Fengyu single-handedly inspired a trend for opulence.

Manager Wen was discussing matters related to Kyoto Capital Guard with Fengyu.

"Young Marquis Xie, upon assuming responsibility for the Kyoto Guard, has greatly improved public safety, abolishing their corrupt practice of extorting money from shop owners. Yet strangely..." Manager Wen sighed heavily, unable to complete her thought. "Your shops are still being targeted for payments by the Kyoto Guard, with Young Marquis Xie personally demanding them each time."

Fengyu: "..."

This is excessive!

She was only being singled out because she had money.