Yuan Bao knocked on the door. "My lord, this humble servant has something to report."
Chen Tingfeng glanced at Fu Zhen. When she nodded, he replied, "Come in."
Yuan Bao walked in with his head down, not daring to look up. He just bowed and said, "My lord, we found this when interrogating Yuanyang just now."
With that, he presented the item in his hand.
It was a human - skin mask with faint bloodstains on it.
Fu Zhen took a closer look and recognized it as Yuanyang's face.
Her mind raced, and in an instant, she understood everything. With an indescribable emotion, she forced a smile. "So that's how it is."
The real Yuanyang had long been dead. The one they knew was a ghost in human skin.
No wonder she had been able to stay in the Marquis Mansion for so many years, even deceiving Chen Tingfeng.
Chen Tingfeng took a glance and told Yuan Bao to put it away. "Did you find out anything else?"
Yuan Bao shook his head. "That dead - loyal servant has a very tight mouth. I tortured her, but I couldn't get a word out of her. I only managed to peel off this mask from her face."
Since she was an undercover agent, it was natural that her mouth was as sealed as if with cement.
Chen Tingfeng didn't blame him. He just nodded and said, "Tell Qian Tong to interrogate her again. If he still can't get anything, kill her."
"Yes." Yuan Bao bowed and retreated.
Fu Zhen leaned her head on Chen Tingfeng's shoulder. Her eyes showed exhaustion as she murmured, "No wonder the emperor wanted to eliminate the Song family. Such tactics are truly impossible to guard against."
It wasn't that she understood the emperor's cruelty, but regarding the emperor's attitude towards the Song family, Fu Zhen faintly understood his thoughts back then.
He was the emperor, commanding the world. Since his officials should listen to his orders respectfully and loyally.
But the Song family was a ferocious dog that he couldn't control.
What could he do?
Kill them.
If their tactics were impossible to guard against, then use brute force. No matter what tricks they had, he would wipe them out.
Chen Tingfeng stroked her somewhat cold long hair and said softly, "Since ancient times, it's always the winner takes all and the loser perishes. If one day the Marquis Mansion becomes as powerful as the Song family used to be, there's no guarantee that Xie Yan won't do the same."
It wasn't that he was maliciously speculating about Xie Yan, who was like a brother to him. But people's hearts were changeable, and he had to be on guard.
He wasn't alone. Behind him were his parents, his wife, and perhaps children in the future.
He had to plan for them.
Fu Zhen looked up at him. "Do you have a countermeasure?"
He smiled faintly. "Retreat in time when things are at their peak, just like the Zhang family. If he really shows signs of not being able to tolerate me, I'll just immerse myself in the academy. Can he kill all the scholars in the world just because he can kill powerful officials?"
This was the way out the Zhang family had left for him from the very beginning.
If one day he was really feared by the emperor, he would take over the position of Lord Zhang and spend the rest of his life in the academy.
Fu Zhen was momentarily stunned. After a while, she smiled softly. "It really sounds like something you would do."
Chen Tingfeng became a powerful official because he had the ability and could easily obtain that position, rather than a choice made after painstaking efforts.
So status and power were not extremely important to him, but they were also indispensable.
Chen Tingfeng raised his eyebrows slightly. "At that time, will you blame me for being useless?"
Fu Zhen rolled her eyes at him. "By then, our children will be grown - up. Why would I still fight for wealth and power?"
"I was just unwilling because I had never obtained them before," her gaze gradually drifted into the distance, and she seemed a bit absent - minded. "People always hold on to things they haven't got."
This topic was too heavy. Chen Tingfeng didn't want to make her sad at this time. Instead, he caught the key point in her words and joked, "Oh—so my cousin wants to have a child with me."
Fu Zhen: "…"
She punched Chen Tingfeng in the chest. Caught off guard, he gasped for breath and turned his head to cough continuously.
She was a bit annoyed. She got off his lap, couldn't help but kick him, and said angrily, "You can give birth by yourself!"
With that, she turned around and ran away.
She looked rather like a person fleeing in a hurry.
Chen Tingfeng grinned and laughed. While still coughing, he nimbly followed her, still teasing her, "I'm too timid to give birth alone. I need my cousin to accompany me..."
In the middle of the night, the world was silent, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas.
A black shadow flashed across the Baiqu Courtyard. Qian Tong in the tree instantly opened his eyes. With a flip of his right hand, his sleeve - arrow was immediately aimed at the shadow.
The shadow stopped at the door, tore off the mask on his face, and gave Qian Tong in the tree a provocative smile.
Qian Tong stared at him coldly. After a while, he put away his sleeve - arrow.
Yuan Bao walked out of the shadows and said with a smile, "Didn't the Third Prince just go to the Northern Border? Why are you back again? This humble servant doesn't remember the marquis sending for you to return."
The Third Prince's eyes moved. He stared at Yuan Bao and sneered. "I have something to see your marquis. Open the door."
But Yuan Bao ignored him. He casually put his hands into his sleeves and said playfully, "The door is right there. If you want to see the marquis, knock on the door yourself."
The Third Prince gritted his teeth, and his tone softened. "I really have something urgent to report to the marquis this time. Please announce my arrival."
Because of his arrogant and unruly nature, the Third Prince had been disciplined by Chen Tingfeng several times. So he didn't dare to act recklessly in front of Chen Tingfeng.
Although he obeyed Chen Tingfeng, he thought he was superior to these servants. So there was always an involuntary arrogance in his speech.
Others were broad - minded and didn't care, but Yuan Bao wasn't.
He was extremely petty. Whoever offended him would really be in trouble.
Seeing that the Third Prince's attitude had softened, and fearing that what he said was really urgent, Yuan Bao just sneered a couple of times. Then he stepped forward and knocked on the door. After three knocks, he said respectfully, "My lord, the Third Prince is here."
Only Yuan Bao and Qian Tong were allowed to enter Chen Tingfeng's study when they knocked on the door. If others tried to break in without permission, they would be shot full of holes by Qian Tong's sleeve - arrows the next second.
They heard a faint reply from inside. "Come in."
Yuan Bao pushed open the door and stepped aside, saying with a smile, "Please."
The Third Prince dared not show his anger. Holding his breath, he quickly walked in.
No matter how many times he came to this place, he always felt uncomfortable, especially when facing Chen Tingfeng. It was as if the toxin was still coursing through his body, making him ache all over.
The Third Prince had been poisoned by Xie Guang with a deadly poison. There was only medicine to suppress it, but it couldn't be completely cured. Xie Guang had intended to threaten the Third Prince to do things for him, but unexpectedly, the Third Prince defected to Chen Tingfeng.
Because Chen Tingfeng also had this medicine.
For him, his hatred for the royal family had overridden his embarrassment about the reversal of status. He would rather bow to Chen Tingfeng, a court official, than fawn on the culprit.
Chen Tingfeng's cold eyes fell on him. "Didn't I tell you to go back and keep an eye on things? Why are you back?"
The Third Prince felt a rush of anger in his heart, but he didn't dare to offend Chen Tingfeng. He had to hold it back, his face turning blue and purple. "I was already halfway there. I saw something and wanted to come back and tell you."
Chen Tingfeng looked at him, indicating for him to get to the point quickly.
The Third Prince dared not show his anger. He stiffened his neck and huffed for a while. Finally, he gave in and said dejectedly, "I saw Liu Zhengze meeting with Helian Zhen. How about it? Isn't this news exciting?"