Great Qian Empire, Royal Palace, Eastern Palace.
Bang!
With a loud crash, a finely crafted rosewood desk was kicked over, sending brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones scattering across the floor.
“Useless! A bunch of useless trash!”
A young man dressed in a five-clawed python robe stood there, his face twisted with fury, his chest heaving violently, eyes brimming with savage rage.
He was none other than the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Empire, Lu Yuan.
A subordinate knelt trembling on the ground, his head buried low as he stammered, “Your Highness, please calm your anger! We… we didn’t expect Xiao Nihuang to be so powerful. She… she had hidden her true strength. The people we sent…”
“Wiped out?” Lu Yuan’s voice turned icy, cutting him off.
“Yes…” The subordinate trembled even more violently. “But rest assured, Your Highness, they were all dead men. They won’t leave any trace. No one will be able to trace it back to us.”
“Send more people…”
“That’s enough!”
Before Lu Yuan could finish, a steady voice came from outside the hall.
An elderly man with half-white hair, dressed in plain clothing, walked in. Though he wore no official robe, the imposing aura around him, like Mount Tai, instantly subdued Lu Yuan’s fury.
“Grand Tutor,” Lu Yuan stepped forward quickly and bowed.
The man was Xu Shaochang, the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor.
Xu Shaochang glanced at the mess on the floor, frowning slightly as he reprimanded, “Your Highness, how many times have I told you? One who aims for great things must guard against arrogance and impatience. Sending people to assassinate Xiao Nihuang… you are becoming more and more foolish.”
“If this matter is exposed, do you still want to sit on that throne? Don’t forget, your four brothers are all watching you like wolves!”
Lu Yuan’s expression changed as he lowered his head. “Grand Tutor is right. But I am worried that if that waste Chu Feng and Xiao Nihuang get married, the Northern Suppression King’s Manor and the Duke Xiao Manor joining forces may shake the foundation of the empire.”
“Foolish!” Xu Shaochang said with disappointment. “What state is the Northern Suppression King’s Manor in now? Three sons of the King are dead, the Northern Suppression Army has lost its elite forces, and only the old King remains, half a step into the grave. He’s nothing more than a grasshopper after autumn.”
“As for the Duke Xiao Manor, the Duke has long withdrawn from public affairs. Can Xiao Nihuang alone overturn the heavens?”
Xu Shaochang stepped closer, lowering his voice. “Right now, what we should do is not to destroy their marriage… but to turn these two forces into blades in Your Highness’s hand.”
Lu Yuan suddenly raised his head, confusion flashing in his eyes. “Grand Tutor means…?”
“The Northern Suppression King’s Manor has suffered greatly. Everyone in the capital is avoiding them. This is precisely the best moment for us to offer help in their time of need. What does the King care about most? His precious grandson.”
A sharp gleam flashed in Xu Shaochang’s eyes. “If Your Highness takes the initiative to befriend Chu Feng now and sends out a signal that the Heir is under your protection, not only will the Northern Suppression King be grateful and align with you… once Chu Feng marries Xiao Nihuang, won’t the Duke Xiao Manor naturally become part of your faction as well?”
“At that point, with two great military families in your hands and the support of the Prime Minister’s Manor, what will your four brothers have left to compete with you?”
After hearing this, Lu Yuan felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind. All his previous anger and frustration vanished instantly as he clapped his hands in delight. “Brilliant! Grand Tutor, this plan is truly brilliant! How did I not think of this?”
He quickly asked, “Then what should I do?” Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“In two days, it will be the Crown Princess’s birthday. Your Highness can use this opportunity to host a banquet and invite Chu Feng openly, forming ties with him properly,” Xu Shaochang said with a smile, stroking his beard.
“Good! Excellent idea!”
Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly and immediately summoned the Crown Princess, Su Youwei.
“Your Highness, what are your orders?” Su Youwei, dressed in elegant palace attire, her figure graceful, bowed respectfully.
“Youwei, in two days it will be your birthday. I intend to host a banquet for you and celebrate properly.”
A faint smile appeared on Su Youwei’s face as she bowed again. “Thank you for Your Highness’s favor.”
“Mm. Later, send someone to the Northern Suppression King’s Manor with an invitation. Invite Heir Chu Feng to attend.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the smile on Su Youwei’s face froze. Her composed demeanor stiffened ever so slightly, and the fingers at her side curled unconsciously.
“Youwei, what’s wrong?” Lu Yuan noticed her reaction.
Su Youwei quickly recovered, forcing a smile. “Nothing. I was just thinking about the arrangements for the banquet. I will follow Your Highness’s orders and make the preparations at once.”
“Good.” Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.
…
Meanwhile, deep within the Royal palace, in the Royal Study-room.
The Emperor of the Great Qian Empire, Lu Tianqian, dressed in a dragon robe, held a chess piece between his fingers as he quietly listened to the report of an elderly eunuch before him.
The eunuch was his personal chief attendant, Wei Xian.
“…That is the full account of what happened,” Wei Xian finished respectfully, recounting the events outside the Northern Suppression King’s Manor.
Lu Tianqian placed the chess piece onto the board with a soft click. Without lifting his head, he asked calmly, “Wei Xian, in your opinion, was today’s reversal of the situation orchestrated by Chu Feng… or by the Northern Suppression King?”
Wei Xian pondered for a moment before replying, “Your Majesty, this servant believes Chu Feng has always been a wastrel. He could not possibly possess such scheming and methods. This matter was most likely planned by the Northern Suppression King behind the scenes.”
“Is that so?” A faint, unreadable smile appeared on Lu Tianqian’s lips. “I don’t think so. That boy acted decisively last night, and today he released evidence at just the right moment to reverse public opinion. Perhaps all of this was planned by him from the very beginning.”
Wei Xian’s heart trembled.
He knew very well what it would mean if all of this had truly been orchestrated by that so-called wastrel.
Lu Tianqian slowly raised his head, his deep gaze seeming to pierce through everything. “I should have realized earlier. Chu Tianyuan and Chu Kuanglong… what kind of men are they? How could their bloodline produce a true good-for-nothing? Concealment… perhaps this was a hidden move laid out by the Northern Suppression King’s Manor long ago.”
“Your Majesty, this… seems too unbelievable,” Wei Xian said, still finding it hard to accept.
“Notify the Shadow Guards. Keep a close eye on that boy,” Lu Tianqian said firmly. “From now on, I want to know his every move.”
“As you command!” Wei Xian bowed immediately.
In the capital, on the streets.
Chu Feng walked along with Leng Yue, but his mind was racing, calculating how to make money.
He suddenly stopped and asked casually, “Leng Yue, where in this capital is the most money gathered?”
“Wang Family Bank,” Leng Yue answered without hesitation.
“Wang Family Bank?” Chu Feng was taken aback.
Leng Yue explained, “The Wang Family Bank is the largest bank in the capital. Its businesses are spread across the entire city. In the Great Qian Empire, its wealth is second only to the Jiangnan Merchant Guild in the south.”
“Wang Family Bank… why does that name sound familiar?” Chu Feng rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Suddenly, a round figure emerged in his memory.
“Right! That fat guy!” Chu Feng slapped his thigh. “Didn’t he once claim to be the young master of the Wang Family Bank?”
In his memory, there had been a time when he was enjoying music at a pleasure house, and a fat man had insisted on following him around, calling him big brother and offering to serve him loyally.
But his former self had despised the man’s strong smell of money and kicked him out on the spot.
“Tch, that useless former me really left me with a mess.”
“I wonder if that fat guy still holds a grudge. If I can bring that walking treasure chest under my command, why would I ever worry about money again?”
The more Chu Feng thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He immediately perked up. “Leng Yue, lead the way. We’re going to the Wang Family Bank!”
Soon, the two arrived before a magnificent building adorned in gold and jade. Hanging above the entrance was a large golden plaque… Wang Family Bank.
However, the entrance was crowded with people, packed several layers deep. From within the crowd came arrogant shouting and pained groans.
“So what if you’re the son of some merchant? You think having a bit of money means you’re something? You dare take what belongs to me?”
In the center of the crowd, a richly dressed young man stood with his foot planted on a fat man’s face, his expression full of arrogance.
Beside them, a pot-bellied middle-aged man trembled with anger as he pointed at the young man. “Young Master Li, don’t go too far! Do you really think the Wang Family has no one to stand up for it?”
Behind him, several guards glared angrily, their hands already gripping the hilts of their swords.
“Hmph, what? You want to fight?” Young Master Li sneered fearlessly. “Go ahead and try touching even a hair on me. I serve the Fourth Prince! If you offend me, I guarantee your Wang Family Bank will disappear from the capital tomorrow!”
At those words, the middle-aged man’s clenched fists slowly loosened, his anger turning into humiliation and helplessness.
Just as tension filled the air and everyone fell silent in fear, a lazy voice drifted in from outside the crowd.
“The Fourth Prince… is he really that impressive?”