"Young General Ling could not bear to see his soldiers slaughter each other, so he reluctantly let the Third Prince go..."
"You poisonous woman, how dare you slander this prince!"
Chu Yanxi, in a fit of rage, tightened his grip on Feng Ruoyan's hand, touching her wound. Feng Ruoyan, who had been feigning unconsciousness, gritted her teeth in pain, almost crying out.
Feng Jin naturally noticed this and intended to make Feng Ruoyan suffer a little more.
"If you do not wish to bear this charge, Third Prince, feel free to put her down and leave. Whether you stay or go is entirely up to your own decision!"
Feng Jin acted indifferent, leaning back comfortably in her chair, her words, however, stinging Chu Yanxi: "I thought the Third Prince truly feared nothing for the sake of beauty. It seems that is not the case, and you are ultimately a man of no courage..."
Chu Yanxi, having been praised so highly by Feng Jin, now found himself in a difficult position, unable to advance or retreat.
The beloved in his arms had become a hot potato, one he could no longer discard.
"Third Prince, if you are truly afraid, you should put Feng Ruoyan down, lest you regret it later!"
Feng Jin continued to provoke Chu Yanxi with her words.
"This prince has never been one to shy away from trouble, and therefore will not regret it."
If he had wanted to regret it, he would have had no chance. If he were to put Feng Ruoyan down now and leave alone, he would lose the support of Feng Yuanping, lose the beauty Feng Ruoyan, and his reputation built over many years would be ruined.
Now, he could only push forward. All of this was thanks to Feng Jin.
Chu Yanxi, carrying Feng Ruoyan, walked directly towards the exit.
"Lord Wang, I shall take my leave first." Feng Yuanping followed suit.
"Young General, shall we stop them!"
"No need. I was worried Chu Yanxi wouldn't take Feng Ruoyan with him."
Feng Jin's lips curved into a meaningful smile. The news of Feng Ruoyan's capture and detainment by the Dali Temple was something she had deliberately leaked. Her sole purpose was to lure Chu Yanxi here.
If he didn't come, her plan would fall apart.
"Lord Wang, do you know how to report this matter to His Majesty?" Ling Mohan shifted his attention to Lord Wang.
Lord Wang wiped the sweat from his brow, which had appeared due to nervousness, his voice laced with a hint of timidity.
"Young General Ling, this subordinate... this subordinate truly dares not offend the Third Prince. Look at how this has escalated..."
"I understand your concerns, Lord Wang. You simply need to tell His Majesty the truth. You need not worry about the rest; Young General has made all the arrangements.
"Furthermore, this matter has already become common knowledge. Even if you don't tell His Majesty, it will eventually reach his ears. Whether you speak of it or not, the Third Prince will hold a grudge against you. If you tell the truth, Young General and the Ling family will ensure your safety. Lord Wang is a wise man; you know how to choose!"
With Feng Jin's guidance, Lord Wang immediately made his decision.
"This subordinate has no power or influence. I have held the position of Dali Temple Minister by always being cautious and navigating carefully, daring not to offend anyone. I implore Young General and the Ling family for your protection!"
Lord Wang was also a wise man; he understood what Feng Jin's words implied.
The matter had already escalated. Even if he tried to help the Third Prince conceal it, others would inform the Emperor.
Now, all he could do was try to protect himself.
"Those who know the times are the wise ones. Lord Wang, rest assured, the Ling family will protect you!"
Ling Mohan said in a deep voice. After a few more instructions, he and Feng Jin left together.
"Lu Shi, continue to arrange for people to amplify today's events. Make sure the entire city knows!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Lu Shi acknowledged and then withdrew to make the arrangements.
"Only you could have devised such a plan. Chu Yanxi would never have imagined that today's events were a trap set by you."
Chu Yanxi, being such a cautious and meticulous person, could never have guessed that Feng Jin had deliberately let him know about Feng Ruoyan's situation, all to make him fly into a rage for the sake of beauty and forcibly take Feng Ruoyan away.
"The royal family values reputation above all else. The reason Chu Yanxi has been so beloved in the court and among the people all these years is due to his reputation as the virtuous prince. But now, this virtuous prince has become someone who loves beauty over his country, indulging in sensuality. Moreover, this beauty is a person with malicious intent. Will anyone still support him?"
Feng Jin achieved the effect she desired today. After this incident, Chu Yanxi's reputation was ruined, significantly reducing his chances of ascending to the throne. This was also her way of repaying Chu Chenyi for his protection that day.
"My wife's considerations are thorough. I am truly impressed!" Ling Mohan genuinely admired Feng Jin's meticulous and flawless planning.
"I am also planning for you, me, and the future of the Ling family. Chu Yanxi is narrow-minded, vengeful, ruthless, and suspicious. If such a person were to ascend to the throne, there would be no peace in the court of Eastern Chu."
She intended to live in Eastern Chu, and she had to find a stable path for herself.
Although Chu Chenyi was not perfect, his character was far superior to Chu Yanxi's.
"You also have a personal connection with Chu Chenyi. Supporting Chu Chenyi to ascend the throne is much better than letting the ruthless Chu Yanxi ascend."
Ling Mohan was startled by Feng Jin's blunt statement and couldn't help but cough a few times. "What do you mean by 'personal connection'? Can't you use better adjectives?"
"It all means the same thing. Do you dare say there has been no private dealings between you and Chu Chenyi?"
"We have a friendship. That's not a private connection, nor is it private dealings."
Ling Mohan retorted sternly. He really needed to consider properly instructing Feng Jin on vocabulary and phrasing, so she wouldn't always speak nonsense.
"But when did you know that I had known Jing Wang for a long time?"
If this matter hadn't been brought up, it would have been fine. Now that it was, Feng Jin became even more indignant, and her gaze towards Ling Mohan changed abruptly.
"How dare you say that! You clearly knew Chu Chenyi long ago, yet you pretended not to be familiar with him, forcing me to find ways to approach Chu Chenyi myself. I truly didn't expect you to act so despicably. I really underestimated you!"
Feng Jin's accusations clearly embarrassed Ling Mohan. He cleared his throat to hide his awkwardness and forced a smile as he explained, "You didn't ask me, did you? Moreover, for someone of my status to openly associate with Chu Chenyi would have aroused suspicion from the Third Prince and the Empress, which would have been bad for both of us. I was thinking of you."
After hearing his explanation, Feng Jin rolled her eyes. Did he really think she was easy to fool?
He clearly wanted to stay out of it, watching her scurry around like a clown. Thinking back, Feng Jin was filled with anger.