Having money certainly made things easier. With ample financial backing, they recruited a batch of new people.
Some individuals just had an unpleasant aura. The moment Madam Bai saw Wu Caiwei, she felt uneasy. After much thought, she couldn't come up with a way to deal with her. It was Bai Shuming who couldn't stand it any longer and told his mother about a classmate. This classmate came from an excellent family background, had no concubines or maids at home, and his family was simple. However, he had a peculiar habit: he only loved men, not women. Bai Shuming discovered this accidentally due to their close relationship. His parents had worried about this for quite some time.
Recently, they were in a rush to find a wife for him, hoping she could manage him properly.
"You mean we can marry her off to that family?" Madam Bai immediately understood her son's intentions and asked uncertainly.
"I just had the idea. It depends on whether Mother is willing to part with her," Bai Shuming wanted to facilitate this marriage. Firstly, he saw how much his mother detested that sister. Secondly, his classmate's father was the Minister of Personnel, and he wanted to pave his own way into officialdom in advance.
Madam Bai was decisive. She didn't want to see Wu Caiwei for another day.
When Lord Bai heard about the candidate, he fell silent. Frankly speaking, it was a very good choice. He had even met the son of the Minister of Personnel some time ago. He was handsome and dashing, and would indeed be a good match for his daughter.
However, he couldn't help but recall that his daughter had mentioned having a beloved person. He hesitated for a moment. "Let me consider it again. Besides, our discussion here is useless; it also depends on whether the Minister of Personnel agrees."
"My lord, please don't worry about this matter. If we weren't sure, would we bring it up? This opportunity won't come again. I implore you to consider it carefully," Madam Bai urged, unwilling to give up when her husband didn't immediately agree.
"I understand. It's rare for you to care so much about our daughter's affairs. If only you had been like this earlier," Lord Bai thought Madam Bai had relented and looked at her with some relief.
"Regardless, she is my daughter, flesh and blood. How can I truly not care about her?" Madam Bai seized the opportunity as her husband's attitude softened.
Lord Bai nodded in appreciation. It was rare for them to sit together peacefully, drinking tea and chatting.
Shortly after Madam Bai left, Lord Bai specifically summoned his daughter. "You told your father last time that you had someone in mind. Tell me honestly, who is that person? If you don't tell me, I'll always feel uncertain."
In fact, not only had Madam Bai sent people to monitor her, but she also had people watching Madam Bai's every move. As soon as Madam Bai left, Lord Bai asked about her marriage. It was easy to imagine what they had discussed.
Moreover, Wu Caiwei didn't believe Madam Bai genuinely cared about her as a daughter or would find a good family for her.
She hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked to the door and looked around. Seeing no one in the courtyard, she quickly closed the door and asked cautiously, "How much do you know about the Prince of Lu's heir, Father?"
Upon hearing this, Lord Bai immediately stood up. "You mustn't be foolish. The Prince of Lu's heir is known to be sickly. As far as I know, all the vassal princes are restless. If he remains in the capital, he might lose his life. Moreover, I've heard that the Prince of Lu doesn't care about this heir; he's been abandoned by everyone."
"If the Prince of Lu's heir is not sickly, and all of this is a facade, what kind of person do you think he is then?" Caiwei looked him squarely in the eyes and revealed Huangfu Xingchen's biggest secret.
"Aren't you afraid I'll reveal this? I believe the Emperor will surely praise me for it." As far as he knew, this daughter was very intelligent, so she wouldn't lie about such things. He was curious. Wasn't she afraid he would expose it?
"That depends on whether Father cares about me, his daughter. I can betray everyone in the world, but I cannot betray him. Father can report this, but please kill me before you do." Wu Caiwei looked at her father solemnly, not like she was joking at all.
Lord Bai gazed at his daughter for a long time. Wu Caiwei met his gaze fearlessly. Finally, Lord Bai relented with a sigh. "This puts me in a difficult position. To be honest, I don't think highly of him so far, nor do I intend to take sides in court. But you are forcing me onto his ship!"
"If Father is afraid of taking risks, you can help him in secret. After all, a young man of one or two decades who has endured for ten years might have a different perspective after getting to know him," Caiwei had great confidence in him, but his future path was very long and he was currently isolated. She could only drag the Bai family into it for now.
"Do you know that if even a little of our conversation leaks out, the Bai family will be ruined forever? I hope you are not acting impulsively," Lord Bai warned with concern. Although he didn't think his daughter was that kind of person, what if she was?
"If there's an opportunity, I'll have him meet you so you can talk in person. Also, there are some things I know I can't hide from Father's eyes, so I need to inform you in advance."
"What else is there? Hurry and tell me. Your father can still handle it," Lord Bai's heart leaped into his throat upon hearing that it wasn't over yet.
"All the money I've earned recently has been given to the Prince of Lu's heir. After all, cultivating one's own forces is an astonishingly fast way to spend money. I hope Father can cover for me a little," After hearing his daughter finish, Lord Bai felt his heart condition was about to act up. She was too bold. It seemed that whether he admitted it or not today, the Bai family had already stepped into the vortex.
At this moment, he regretted it a little. Perhaps it would have been best not to bring her back, as his wife had suggested. While fortune favors the bold, failure could mean ruin for the entire clan.
Having been an official in the capital for so many years, though he wanted to advance further, it was nothing compared to his life and fortune.
After all, the year his daughter was lost was filled with war, much like the current environment. Many civilians were displaced, and countless noble families disappeared from the world afterward. The thought was terrifying.
"Father always says I'm smart, doesn't he? Please believe me just this once," Wu Caiwei looked at him sincerely.
"Do I have a choice now?" Lord Bai sighed helplessly.
After revealing some of her plans to her father, Bai Shuxue withdrew tens of thousands of taels of silver from the accounting department to invest in business.
From then on, she was even more busy, leaving early and returning late, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to her career. Whenever An Yun, under the guise of buying things, secretly received cartloads of silver from her, she couldn't help but marvel inwardly, thinking she was truly a money-making machine; the speed at which she earned money was like snatching it.
Recently, Huangfu Xingchen had also been extremely busy. It is said that if you walk by the river often, you are bound to get your shoes wet. Although he was very discreet in recruiting soldiers and horses, and they rested during the day and trained at night to avoid detection, over time, it was inevitable that someone would discover something.