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

Chu Tianyuan's words were filled with unparalleled domineering power and confidence.

Tianming's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly, but he didn't say anything.

As Xiao Nihuang watched Chu Feng being taken away, a hint of worry, visible to outsiders, appeared in her cold phoenix eyes for the first time.

She stepped forward and coldly said to Tianming and all the people from the Imperial City Guard, "Remember, you are taking away my husband, Xiao Nihuang's husband. If even a single hair on his head is missing from the Imperial City Guard, I guarantee that the entire Imperial City Guard will be wiped out of the capital."

After saying that, she looked at Chu Feng again, her cool voice carrying a hint of softness that she herself was unaware of: "I'll wait for you to come back."

Tianming gave Xiao Nihuang a deep look, but didn't respond. He simply waved his hand at his subordinates and said, "Take her away."

Two Imperial Guards stepped forward and put a pair of specially made shackles, crafted from black iron, on Chu Feng.

Chu Feng did not resist, letting them do as they pleased. But before being taken away, he turned back and grinned at Xiao Nihuang, "Wife, wait for me to come back for our wedding night!"

Xiao Nihuang's body trembled slightly, and two blushes instantly appeared on her usually cold face.

Soon, the Imperial City Guards, along with Chu Feng, retreated like the tide.

Silence returned to the Prince's mansion once again.

Duke Xiao looked at Chu Tianyuan with deep concern and said, "Old fool Chu, what are you really up to? Just letting Feng'er be taken away like this? Should I go to the palace right now and plead with His Majesty... plead with His Majesty for her?"

He initially intended to use the word "theory," but considering the current situation, he ultimately changed it to "pleading for leniency."

Chu Tianyuan shook his head, a wise glint in his cloudy old eyes: "If Feng'er were still the same good-for-nothing as before, pleading might have worked. But now... it's useless."

He sighed: "Your Majesty will never allow another peerless prodigy like the Mad Dragon to appear in my Zhenbei Prince's Mansion."

The "Mad Dragon" refers to Chu Feng's father, Chu Kuanglong.

A name that once instilled fear in the entire Great Qian imperial family and even other nations.

"What should we do?" Duke Xiao asked anxiously.

"Grandpa, why don't I just storm the Imperial City Guard and rescue Xiaofeng!"

Chu Qingge's body surged with sword intent. "Then we'll go back to Heavenly Sword Mountain together. I want to see if the Great Qian royal family dares to come to my Heavenly Sword Mountain to demand their people!"

"That's a great idea!" Duke Xiao's eyes lit up. "Tianjian Mountain is the number one sect in the Great Qian Dynasty, with unfathomable depths. Even the Emperor himself would have to be wary of it!"

"No," Chu Tianyuan refused resolutely. "How can the sons of the Chu family become stray dogs, deserters?!"

He looked at the two men, a shrewd smile spreading across his face: "Don't worry, if the emperor wants to play, I'll play along. He wants an interrogation, huh? Let him interrogate me. I want to see who ends up embarrassed!"

Seeing Chu Tianyuan's confident demeanor, Duke Xiao and Chu Qingge, though still worried, had their anxiety subsided considerably.

Soon, the news that Chu Feng, the heir apparent of Zhenbei, was being pursued by the Imperial City Guard for murdering the fourth prince spread like wildfire throughout the capital, causing a huge uproar among various factions.

From royalty and nobility to commoners and laborers, everyone was talking about it.

The air throughout the capital was thick with a tense atmosphere, as if a storm was brewing.

……

The Prime Minister's Residence, Back Garden.

The current Prime Minister, Su Wenyuan, sat leisurely at a stone table, a cup of fragrant tea in his hand, listening quietly to his subordinates' reports. His face was refined, his temperament gentle, as if the changing winds and clouds of the outside world were irrelevant to him.

"Your Majesty, in the end you couldn't resist and decided to take action against this fierce tiger of the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion?" He gently blew on the tea leaves in his cup, his tone calm.

"However, this Chu Feng is truly a remarkable figure." A hint of admiration flashed in Su Wenyuan's eyes. "To bear the reputation of a spoiled brat and endure for so many years, his character is unmatched among the younger generation in the entire capital. What a pity, what a pity..."

He shook his head and said no more, but his deep gaze seemed to have seen through the future course of this game.

……

The Third Prince's Residence.

"Hahaha! Great! That's fantastic!"

As soon as Lu Feng returned to his residence, he could no longer contain his joy. He smashed a valuable porcelain bottle on the ground, venting the resentment and excitement that had been building up for days.

"Chu Feng! You damned piece of trash! You're finally finished! Finally finished!" His face was contorted with rage, and he looked like a madman.

Although the plan was fraught with twists and turns, and even Marquis Tiannan Luo Qingyang got caught up in it, the final result was extremely satisfying for him.

With the death of the Fourth Prince Lu Ling, he has lost one of his strongest rivals.

With Chu Feng captured, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion, this tough nut to crack, is about to be completely crushed by the Emperor.

Killing two birds with one stone!

The refined man who had been by his side all along now stood bowing to the side, a slight smile on his face: "Your Highness, we have won a great victory this time. After this battle, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion has no chance of rising again."

"That's right!" Lu Feng's eyes gleamed with greed. "It's just a pity about Marquis Luo. However, as long as we can get rid of that bastard Chu Feng, it's all worth it! Next, this prince must find a way to obtain Nihuang!"

The thought of Xiao Nihuang's heroic and stunning beauty ignited a burning desire in Lu Feng, who wished he could snatch her away immediately.

At this moment, the refined man spoke up: "Your Highness, Xiao Nihuang is strong-willed and has the protection of Duke Xiao. It would be extremely difficult to get her to willingly remarry you."

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Lu Feng asked, frowning.

The refined-looking man leaned close to Lu Feng's ear, lowered his voice, and a glint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes: "Since the open approach won't work, then we'll use some... special methods. Once the deed is done, for the sake of the Duke's mansion and Xiao Nihuang's reputation, Duke Xiao will have no choice but to swallow his pride and accept it..."

As Lu Feng listened to the whispered words in his ear, his expression shifted from hesitation to struggle, and finally to ruthlessness and determination.

……

The Eastern Palace.

Crown Prince Lu Yuan paced anxiously back and forth in his study, his forehead covered in sweat.

"Grand Tutor, what should we do? Will Father be angry with me for going to the Prince of Zhenbei's residence today?" He looked at Grand Tutor Xu Shaochang, who sat calmly before him, his voice trembling.

Xu Shaochang picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then said gently, "Your Highness need not worry so much. His Majesty is wise and powerful, and naturally can distinguish right from wrong. He will not hold a grudge against Your Highness because of this matter."

"Moreover..." Xu Shaochang put down his teacup, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, "Your Highness, behind you stands the Prime Minister's residence. As long as Prime Minister Su remains in power, no one can shake your position as Crown Prince. Now, we only need to wait and see, and watch the tigers fight from the sidelines."

Upon hearing the words "Prime Minister's Residence," Lu Yuan's panicked heart calmed down slightly.

Meanwhile, in another sleeping quarters of the Eastern Palace, Crown Princess Su Youwei leaned against a soft couch, holding a book in her hand, but she couldn't concentrate on reading a single word.

The scene of her passionate encounter with Chu Feng that day kept replaying in her mind.

For some reason, she felt a strange pang of pain and worry in her heart.

"Will he... be alright?"

Su Youwei murmured to herself, unaware that her voice carried a hint of concern that even she herself found unfamiliar.

……

Deep within the imperial palace, inside a magnificent palace.

The fourth prince's mother, the sister of the Taiyi Sect Master, was currently holding Lu Ling's cold body, weeping uncontrollably.

"My son! My Ling'er!" Her cries were filled with endless grief and resentment.

"Chu Feng! The Prince of Zhenbei's Mansion! I will make you pay for your crimes in blood! I will make you suffer a fate worse than death!"

She suddenly raised her head, and her eyes, red and swollen from crying, burst forth with endless resentment and madness.

"Someone! Send someone immediately, with utmost urgency, to the Taiyi Sect! Tell my brother that Ling'er... Ling'er has been murdered!"

"He must kill that little beast named Chu Feng no matter what! I want the entire Zhenbei Prince's Mansion to be buried with my son!"

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the Empress's bedroom.

As Mu Wanqing listened to the news about the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion reported by her maid, a hint of surprise appeared on her usually aloof face.

"This Chu Feng is quite interesting," she murmured to herself.

The personal maid standing beside her, however, looked worried. She asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, why...why has the tribute over there suddenly increased tenfold? And why are you told to return in three months? Could it be...that something has happened over there?"

"Your Majesty, are you really going back?"

Mu Wanqing's eyes instantly turned icy cold. She clenched her jade-like hand, and the corner of the table in front of her silently turned into dust.

"I will never allow myself to become his furnace."

Her voice, as if from beneath a thousand years of ice, was filled with unwavering resolve.