Chapter 11592 — Justice Binds the Heart

This new regulation the other side had dragged out was plainly unreliable, and in all likelihood it would indeed be overturned later on.

After all, a rule like this was a massive hazard for every rule design institute; if it were truly allowed to stand, any of them could become the next victim at any moment.

Even the Rule Supervision Bureau could not afford to provoke such universal outrage.

But the problem was, all of that was a matter for later.

By the time the new regulation was overturned, their own rule design institute would long since have been picked clean by the other side, not even half a scrap left behind.

And this was plainly within the other side's calculations.

The other side was exploiting precisely this gap in time.

What was more, during this period of blockaded inspection, the other side could perfectly well engage in some petty maneuvers—framing them, setting them up, whatever it took—and pin the charges down completely.

By then, there would truly be no turning things around.

Chai Minbin's heart grew ever more anxious, yet beneath his surface there was still not the slightest waver; he answered with a stern face, "Justice binds the hearts of men. Are you suggesting we would not make the right choice?"

Then the man on hand came forward to report to Wang Lai; Wang Lai and Zhao Feng exchanged a glance, and with a face of great solemnity he announced publicly.

"Miss Cheng, rice cannot be eaten at random, but words cannot be spoken at random either—what have you done?"

Chai Minbin was choked into silence.

Zhao Feng put on the manner of a brazen extortionist: "Your words are out there in the open. If I really were to rough you up, I'm afraid your Zhao Mansion might not be able to afford the compensation!"

Since the other side dared to take that step, it meant that at the very least the core links had all been opened up.

Wei Zhao was furious and immediately moved to strike at Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng laughed without a shred of fear: "I am always a law-abiding, good citizen. If he talks nonsense, I will sue him for defamation, you know."

Cheng Shuang'er answered with silence.

Chai Minbin could never have imagined that, given those people's relationship with Zhou Wei, at a time like this they would actually side with Chai Minbin of the Night Central Palace!

"Outrageous!"

Wei Zhao grew ever more enraged.

The fat piece of meat that was the Rule Design Institute still had no master; only Zhao Feng was to get his mouth on it—no one else in any household was to be allowed to covet it.

So long as the Eight Great Princely Mansions and the Zhou Emperor spoke up and applied pressure, the Rule Supervision Bureau would inevitably have to yield, and the situation before them would naturally resolve itself.

"Tsk tsk, so stubborn."

But he was still stopped by Cheng Shuang'er.

"A pack of dogs!"

Cheng Shuang'er did not even need to ask—one look at your grave expression, and the outcome was plain.

Were the Son of Heaven to speak alone, there would indeed be those who took it seriously. But without the backing of the eight lesser princely mansions of the Coalition Alliance, that was a different matter altogether.

Zhao Feng said smugly, "Tell him a piece of common knowledge: your Night Central Palace and the lesser princely mansions are the true community of shared interests. Zhou Wei has admittedly brought us some value, but compared with your Night Central Palace, it hardly bears mention—to say nothing of the fact that I am a dead woman now, long since gone and forgotten."

The sunshade went up, and several reclining chairs were lined up in a row.

Wang Lai turned at once to Zhao Feng. "President Wang, their Night Central Palace's Rule Design Institute is the recognized authority in the field. Might we trouble them to handle this matter on our behalf?"

Zhao Feng held up two fingers and reminded them softly, "Twenty million in fortune. That was your opening offer, and his opening chance to cut his losses. If he won't accept it now, not a hair of it will be left, and when it's done they'll be hauled off to the lockup besides."

"Oh? Miss Zhao wants to hit you? Come on, come on—hit me right here."

"Think it over for yourself and consider carefully how you ought to choose."

Cheng Shuang'er reminded him, "The Son of Heaven's side has to be sounded out as well."

At this critical juncture, to strike at Zhao Feng in public—quite apart from whether one could beat her—would in the end only play right into the other side's hands.

An hour earlier, Chai Min had come hurrying over.

Cheng Shuang'er was unmoved. "Then we shall wait and see."

"The search just now has proven that the design procedures of their entire Rule Design Institute suffer from fatal flaws. Every man-made rule they produce may pose a threat to your Inner Royal Court's security and must be subjected to a comprehensive re-examination and reworking."

To break this deadlock, there was no path but through the higher channels. Her own weight was far from enough; only Zhao Feng could step forward.

Zhao Feng laughed softly. "There's nothing wrong with those words. If it is the correct choice—but in the end, who gets to represent the correct choice? You, or me?"

Zhao Feng, cigar clamped between his teeth, swayed over and settled into a chair, assuming the air of a man settling in at close range to spectate from the sidelines.

When Zhao Feng learned of the situation, she could not help but be both startled and furious.

But be that as it may, since things had not yet come to that pass, whatever ought to be tried still had to be tried—you had no other choice.

The other side's machinations did not merely treat Wei Zhao as though he were already dead; they did not put so much as a shred of regard for her Zhao Mansion either.

At a time like that, staying clear of it was not taking sides.

"So that's a fight, is it? How lively."

Cheng Shuang'er said sternly, "I'll say it once more: the Rule Design Institute is your young master's property. Without your young master's nod, no one can take it away."

Chai Min laughed heartily. "I know what he's thinking. Isn't it that he wants to work through the higher channels of the eight lesser princely mansions and the Son of Heaven? Does he really believe they'll step forward on his behalf?"

The other princely mansions, with the Qi Mansion at their head, had all chosen to stay out of the matter. As the sole son of the Prince of Zhao, you had not even managed to lay eyes on Qi Wang and the rest before being turned back at the gate.

Zhao Feng sat back down, thoroughly disappointed, his expression turning even more mocking.

"Still giving you that same old line."

Chai Min nodded. "I know. You'll have Sister Youshi put in a good word for you."

Just as the tension hung at its tightest, a group of people came up from behind.

Cheng Shuang'er hurriedly contacted Zhao Feng.

The asking price had been eighty million before, and now it had dropped to twenty million. What that implied needed no spelling out.

Puppet emperor though he was, he still laid claim to legitimacy and the moral high ground.

By then, the whole affair would only become that much harder to untangle.

Zhao Feng gave a snort of contempt and shook his head in disappointment. "I thought he was a man who understood reason, one who could at least read the situation. Turns out he's all hair and no sense, a stubborn fool with a one-track mind."

Zhao Feng clapped his hands and said mockingly, "Seems these little people still haven't made the right choice. Miss Cheng, are they all dead set on their course now?"

Yet Chai Minbin remained uneasy at heart.

"Going on and on about your young master—I told you long ago, no one comes out of the Criminal Realm alive. Your young master has long since been a dead man."