Chapter 41: Prince Ding Proposes to Song Shiwei?

Hearing this, Bai Bohan gave a helpless chuckle and shook his head. "You really should let Yang Hu and the others hear you say that and see you right now."

A deeper frown creaked between Song Shiwei’s brows, and her voice turned cold. "Prince Ding, I fail to see what this has to do with Yang Hu and the others."

Sensing her impatience and displeasure, Bai Bohan casually dropped, "Yang Hu and the others believe that you and I are a perfect match, and they are bent on playing matchmaker between us."

This remark froze the expression on Song Shiwei’s face, her eyes widening slightly. "What?!"

Her uncharacteristic reaction greatly amused Bai Bohan.

He chuckled lightly, his tone breezy. "Just as you heard."

"However, after careful consideration, I find the idea rather good."

The smile at the corners of his lips deepened as he gazed at Song Shiwei. "Look, I do not have a Princess Consort, nor is there a woman to manage my estate."

"And since you need to resolve the matter of clearing your family's name, marrying me is the best possible course of action, isn't it?"

Song Shiwei found it difficult to tell whether he was joking or being entirely serious.

She arched her willow brows and spoke with severe sternness. "Prince Ding, if you continue with this nonsense, I see no reason for our cooperation to proceed."

"You needing a Princess Consort is your own affair; please refrain from making jokes at my expense."

Having endured the confiscation of her family's estate, banishment, and the betrayal of her former fiancé, she had long since lost any desire for marriage.

At present, her only thought was to arrive safely at their place of exile with her family, and then find a way to clear their name so they would no longer suffer.

Bai Bohan raised the outer corners of his eyes, his expression unchanged. "Eldest Miss Song, I am not joking."

"I understand your thoughts, but you must realize one thing."

"Following the incident with the Cheng family, the Emperor is even more eager to dispose of Lord Song."

"In the Emperor's eyes, as long as Lord Song draws breath, he remains a grave threat."

Song Shiwei's gaze darkened with a flicker of unease. She had not expected that, even under these circumstances, the Emperor still refused to let her family go.

"Prince Ding, could you elaborate on this?"

Bai Bohan nodded and explained in detail. "The investigation into the Cheng family did not stop with them alone; it also targeted those families and in-laws who maintained close ties with the Chengs."

"Did many people die?" Song Shiwei's heart sank steadily.

Bai Bohan let out a soft hum. "The entire Cheng family was executed to the last member."

"Beyond that, the two or three families that interacted most frequently with the Chengs were similarly executed."

Song Shiwei drew a sharp breath, instinctively reaching up to touch the chill settling on the back of her neck.

From this single matter alone, it was evident that the Emperor was far more ruthless and cruel than she had previously known.

Bai Bohan poured a cup of tea for her, his tone growing heavier. "Those families whose officials were stripped of rank and whose properties were confiscated—on the surface, their family members managed to survive safely, but in reality..."

"They are all dead?" Song Shiwei gripped her trembling hands tightly.

With a grim expression, Bai Bohan nodded. "They all perished on the road, every last one of them dying in so-called accidents."

Song Shiwei's complexion gradually paled. The situation was far graver than she had imagined.

"Then why didn't the Emperor manufacture an accident for my family back then?"

Bai Bohan explained, "It is quite simple. Lord Song enjoys a certain reputation and high regard both at court and among the common people."

"The Emperor is a man who cares deeply about his facade and reputation, and he did not wish to blemish it."

"Secondly, the Cheng family's scandal had not yet broken out, so the Emperor chose to spare your family's lives for the time being."

Upon hearing this, Song Shiwei picked up her teacup and drained the contents in a single gulp.

The lukewarm tea slid down her throat, gradually steadying her emotions. "Viewed in that light, my family remains safe for the present."

"Though the Emperor has dealt with the Cheng family and a few others, there are still numerous follow-up matters to handle."

"Not to mention, there is still the restless Princess Anning, leaving the Emperor with no spare hands to address my household."

During this window of time, she had to secure a trump card.

A trump card formidable enough to make the Emperor hesitate.

Seeing how quickly she regained her composure and deduced this much, Bai Bohan looked at her with undisguised admiration.

"Just as you said."

A hint of sarcasm surfaced in his eyes, his tone turning cool. "The Emperor intends to use the affair of the Cheng and other families to forge a better reputation for himself."

He paused briefly before continuing, "You might want to reconsider my proposal."

Song Shiwei had been pondering how to secure a suitable trump card, so she was momentarily stunned when these words caught her off guard. "Hm?"

Her blank expression coaxed another chuckle from Bai Bohan. How different she looked now from the shrewd and elegant young woman she had been at the banquet.

Yet, this side of her was rather endearing.

"Eldest Miss Song, I am referring to the matter of you and me getting married."

A strange look crept into Song Shiwei's eyes. Could this man possibly harbor genuine intentions toward her?

"Prince Ding, this is not a joking matter," she said with a grave face.

Bai Bohan leaned forward slightly, the smile at the corner of his lips spreading. "Do I look as though I am joking?"

"I am unwilling to have my marriage used and calculated by the Emperor, nor am I willing to let those people make an issue of my nuptials."

Because he was out of favor, the Emperor hardly ever gave his marriage a second thought.

If someone were to bring it up, given the Emperor's character, he would undoubtedly exploit the marriage for his own ends.

Song Shiwei said, "Prince Ding, I am a person under a criminal charge."

"If you choose to ally with me, I fear the Emperor will only be more eager to eliminate you."

Bai Bohan replied calmly, "I have considered all of that."

"Have you ever thought that once my marriage is exploited by the Emperor, my death will not be far off?"

Song Shiwei failed to fully grasp his meaning here. "If the Emperor uses your marriage, surely he wouldn't have you killed right away?"

A sarcastic smile touched Bai Bohan's lips. "The Emperor would choose for me the daughter of a family destined to have its estate confiscated."

"That way, he rids himself of both a thorn in his side and an unfavored son in one stroke. How convenient."

Song Shiwei felt a chill run through her hands and feet as she listened. "If you were to truly petition the Emperor to marry me, the Emperor might well take your life on the spot."

Yet Bai Bohan asserted otherwise. "Knowing the Emperor as I do, he would be suspicious."

"He would suspect whether I had colluded with the Song family long ago, whether we harbor certain secrets, or if we maintain close contact with certain court officials."

He raised a single finger. "Under such circumstances, the Emperor would undoubtedly investigate thoroughly first before deciding how to deal with me."

Song Shiwei nodded slowly, though certain doubts remained. "Why did Prince Ding choose me?"

"For your plan, choosing the daughter of some other family would work just as well, if not better."

Bai Bohan took a sip of tea before leisurely replying, "I cannot guarantee whether another person might harbor ulterior motives."

"Or perhaps, under the Emperor's threats and temptations, they would betray me."

"Eldest Miss Song is different. You understand the Emperor's character all too well, and you know clearly that the Emperor will never truly let your family go, meaning you will never choose to oppose me."

Song Shiwei did not deny this. "Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision by Prince Ding?"

Bai Bohan replied, "In a way, yes; in another, no."

"I have received word that Anning has singled me out among the princes to be her target."

Cold light flashed in his eyes, laced with sarcasm. "Anning intends to ruin my reputation with a woman, and then stage the illusion of my suicide."

Sometimes he wondered whether Princess Anning was truly clever or merely pretending to be.