I, a spoiled young master, conquered the Crown Princess right from the start!

The Eastern Palace of the Great Qian Dynasty.

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, the fine rosewood table was kicked over, scattering writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones all over the floor.

"Useless! A bunch of useless trash!"

The young man, dressed in a five-clawed python robe, had a ferocious expression, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes filled with rage.

This person is none other than Lu Yuan, the Crown Prince of the Great Qian Dynasty!

A subordinate knelt on the ground, head bowed low, and said in a trembling voice, "Your Highness, please calm your anger! We...we didn't expect Xiao Nihuang to be so powerful, to...to have concealed her strength. The people we sent..."

"Completely wiped out?" Lu Yuan's voice was icy cold, interrupting his subordinate.

"Yes..." The subordinate trembled even more violently, "But Your Highness, rest assured, they are all assassins, they will not leave any trace, and they will not be traced back to us."

"Keep sending people..."

"That's enough!"

Before Lu Yuan could finish speaking, a steady voice came from outside the hall.

An elderly man dressed in casual clothes with half-white hair walked in. Although he was not wearing an official robe, his imposing aura made Lu Yuan, who was furious, instantly calm down.

"Grand Tutor." Lu Yuan quickly stepped forward and bowed.

The visitor was none other than Xu Shaochang, the Crown Prince's tutor.

Xu Shaochang glanced at the mess on the ground, frowned slightly, and scolded, "Your Highness, how many times have I told you? Those who achieve great things must guard against arrogance and impetuosity! Sending men to intercept and kill Xiao Nihuang, you are becoming more and more muddle-headed!"

"If this matter is exposed, do you still want to sit on the throne as crown prince? Don't forget, your four brothers are all watching you like wolves!"

Lu Yuan's expression changed, and he lowered his head, saying, "The Grand Tutor's reprimand is correct. However, I am worried that once that good-for-nothing Chu Feng and Xiao Nihuang are married, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion and the Xiao State Duke's Mansion joining forces may shake the foundation of the nation!"

"Foolish!" Xu Shaochang said with exasperation, "What is the state of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion now? The three sons of the Zhenbei Prince have died tragically, the elite Zhenbei Army has been completely lost, and only the Zhenbei Prince is left, an old man with one foot in the grave, nothing more than a grasshopper in autumn."

"As for the Duke of Xiao's mansion, the Duke of Xiao has long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. How could Xiao Nihuang possibly cause any trouble?"

Xu Shaochang walked over to Lu Yuan's side, lowering his voice slightly: "Right now, what we should do most is not to sabotage their marriage, but to turn these two forces into sharp weapons in His Highness's hands!"

Lu Yuan suddenly looked up, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes: "What does the Grand Tutor mean?"

"With the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion suffering such a calamity, everyone in the capital is avoiding it like the plague. This is the perfect opportunity for us to offer timely assistance. What does the Prince of Zhenbei care about most? His precious grandson!"

A glint of light flashed in Xu Shaochang's eyes: "If Your Highness were to take the initiative to befriend Chu Feng now, sending the message that the Prince of Zhenbei is your man, not only would the Prince of Zhenbei be grateful and gravitate towards you, but also, once Chu Feng and Xiao Nihuang marry, wouldn't the Xiao State Duke's Mansion naturally become part of Your Highness's power?"

"At that time, with the support of two powerful military families and the Prime Minister's mansion, what will your four brothers have to compete with you?"

After hearing his words, Lu Yuan felt as if he had suddenly understood, his previous anger and frustration vanished, and he couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "Brilliant! Grand Tutor, this plan is brilliant! How come I didn't think of it?"

He hurriedly asked, "Then, in the Grand Tutor's opinion, what should I do?"

"Two days from now is the Crown Princess's birthday. Your Highness can take this opportunity to hold a banquet and legitimately invite the Prince of Zhenbei to come and make good friends with him," Xu Shaochang said with a smile, stroking his beard.

"Great idea! That's a good idea!"

Lu Yuan nodded repeatedly and immediately ordered someone to summon Crown Princess Su Youwei.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?" Su Youwei, dressed in palace attire, with a graceful figure, bowed to Lu Yuanying.

"Youwei, your birthday is in two days. I plan to hold a banquet for you to celebrate properly."

Su Youwei smiled and bowed again, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."

"Yes, later send someone to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence to deliver an invitation, inviting the Prince of Zhenbei, Chu Feng, to the banquet."

Upon hearing Lu Yuan's words, Su Youwei's smile froze instantly, and a barely perceptible stiffness appeared on her dignified demeanor. Her fingers, hanging at her sides, unconsciously curled up slightly.

"Youwei, what's wrong?" Lu Yuan noticed her unusual behavior.

Su Youwei quickly regained her composure and forced a smile: "It's nothing, I was just thinking about the details of the banquet. I will follow Your Highness's instructions and make the arrangements immediately."

"Okay." Lu Yuan nodded in satisfaction.

……

Meanwhile, deep within the palace, in the imperial study.

Emperor Qian, Lu Tianqian, dressed in a dragon robe, was quietly listening to a report from an old eunuch in official robes while fiddling with a chess piece.

This old eunuch was none other than his personal chief eunuch, Wei Xian.

"...That's how it happened." Wei Xian respectfully recounted everything that had occurred outside the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

Lu Tianqian gently placed the chess piece on the board, making a crisp sound. Without raising his head, he asked calmly, "Wei Xian, do you think that game-changing move today came from Chu Feng or from the Prince of Zhenbei?"

Wei Xian pondered for a moment and replied, "Your Majesty, this old servant believes that Chu Feng is a spoiled brat by nature and would never have such cunning and means. This matter is most likely being plotted by the Prince of Zhenbei."

"Is that so?" Lu Tianqian's lips curled into a strange smile. "I don't think so. This boy was decisive last night and today he accurately presented evidence to reverse public opinion. Perhaps all of this was planned by him long ago."

Wei Xian felt a chill run down his spine.

He knew very well what it meant if all of this really came from that纨绔子弟 (a spoiled, dissolute young master).

Lu Tianqian slowly raised his head, his deep gaze seemingly able to see through people's hearts: "Yes, I should have thought of this long ago. What kind of people are Chu Tianyuan and Chu Kuanglong? How could their bloodline really produce a good-for-nothing who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun? Concealing their talents, this may be a hidden move that the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion has already laid out."

"Your Majesty, this... is far too unbelievable." Wei Xian still found it hard to believe.

"Notify the Shadow Guards to keep a close eye on this brat." Lu Tianqian's voice brooked no argument. "From now on, I want to know his every move."

"Yes, sir!" Wei Xian bowed and accepted the order.

……

On the streets of the capital city.

Chu Feng strolled around the streets with Leng Yue, but his mind was racing, trying to figure out how to make money.

He suddenly stopped and asked abruptly, "Leng Yue, where in the capital do you think the most money is?"

"Wang's Money Shop," Leng Yue answered without hesitation.

"Wang's Money Shop?" Chu Feng was taken aback.

Leng Yue explained, "Wang's Money Shop is the number one money shop in the capital, with businesses all over the city. In the Great Qian Dynasty, its financial strength is second only to the Jiangnan Chamber of Commerce, which is based in Jiangnan."

"Wang's Money Shop... Why does that name sound familiar?" Chu Feng pondered, stroking his chin.

Suddenly, a round figure emerged from the depths of his memory.

"Oh right! That Fatty Wang!" Chu Feng slapped his thigh. "Didn't he claim to be the young master of Wang's Money Shop back then?"

I remember once listening to music in a brothel when a fat man insisted on coming up to me, saying he wanted to recognize me as his elder brother and serve me faithfully.

As a result, the original owner disliked the person's money-grubbing attitude and kicked him out on the spot.

"Ugh, my unlucky predecessor, she just keeps causing me trouble!"

"I wonder if that fat guy still holds a grudge. If I could bring this money-making god under my wing, I'd never have to worry about money again!"

Chu Feng thought it over and found it increasingly reliable, so he immediately perked up: "Leng Yue, lead the way to Wang's Money Shop!"

Soon, the two arrived at a magnificent building with a huge golden plaque hanging above the door that read "Wang's Money Shop".

At this moment, the entrance to the money exchange was surrounded by layers of people, and arrogant shouts and painful groans could be heard from the center of the crowd.

"The son of a stinking merchant, he thinks he's all that just because he has a little money? You dare to steal from me?"

In the crowd, a richly dressed young man was stepping on a fat man's face, his face full of arrogance.

Beside them, a portly middle-aged man trembled with rage, pointing at the young master and shouting, "Young Master Li, don't go too far! Do you really think the Wang family has no one left?"

The guards behind him glared angrily, their hands already on the hilts of their swords.

"Hmph, what? You want to make a move?" Young Master Li sneered arrogantly. "You dare touch a hair on my head? I'm the Fourth Prince's man! If you mess with me, I guarantee your Wang Family Bank will disappear from the capital tomorrow!"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man's clenched fists finally relaxed helplessly, and his anger turned into humiliation and resentment.

Just as tensions were running high and everyone was trembling with fear, a lazy voice drifted in from outside the crowd.

"The Fourth Prince, is he so great?"