No title, no marriage? Do you think I'm some kind of lapdog?

The Duke of Xin's Mansion.

When Su Chuang returned from the palace, the warmth of Lin Ruxue's wrist seemed to linger on his fingertips.

When I close my eyes, all I can see are those tearful eyes.

"well…"

"Suppressing desire is less satisfying than releasing it."

He finished his meal with lingering fear in his heart.

Without stopping, he began to memorize the story material needed for tomorrow.

He currently owns two major economic sectors:

The first beverage industry.

Thanks to Wang Wenxiang's tireless efforts, coupled with Su Chuang's unique brewing recipe.

They now firmly control 70% of the market share in the entire capital.

And it began to radiate outwards, and within a year or two, it could spread throughout the country.

The revenue generated was enormous, enough to support the development of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

A small portion of the surplus was stored in Su Chuang's slush fund.

The second industry story.

The descriptions range from people in their eighties to three-year-old children who have just started talking.

Everyone, regardless of age or gender, can talk about it; it's also a topic of casual conversation after meals.

The daily turnover was guaranteed to be at least one thousand taels of silver.

"It's time to start the third industry."

Su Chuang began writing down methods for refining sugar and had the Embroidered Uniform Guard pass them on to Jia Xu.

He had no choice but to entrust the business to a cunning old man.

Besides that, he had no one he could trust.

Jia Xu lived and ate entirely at the brewery, while the Duke of Xin's mansion was merely an empty shell.

……

The next day!

Su Chuang opened his eyes, the image of Lin Ruxue's tearful eyes from last night still lingering in his mind.

He rubbed his temples, suppressing his romantic thoughts, and began checking today's daily tasks.

[Congratulations, host, you have successfully unlocked today's check-in task:]

[Beginner Level: Duke Xin's Mansion, reward: Grade B business talent.]

[Intermediate Level: Patrol Army Commander's Office, reward: A-level business talent.]

[Advanced: Ten Mile Slope Outside the City, reward: S-level business talent.]

"It seems something big is about to happen at Shilipu today."

Su Chuang dressed and ate with the help of a group of maids.

"My lord!"

Lu Bing appeared silently in a dark corner next to Su Chuang.

He also sent Jia Xu's secret report and account books together.

The winery was making a fortune every day, and the storybooks were all the rage in the capital, but Su Chuang only glanced at them.

"Hmm...you may all step aside."

He understood that Lu Bing's early appearance here must mean he had important news to report.

"Your Majesty, the Second Prince secretly met with Wanyan Zongbi yesterday."

Lu Bing stepped out of the shadows, his voice low.

"how long?"

Upon hearing this, Su Chuang paused in his grip on the chopsticks.

"Three hours."

Lu Bing said calmly.

"Three hours...that's enough time to negotiate a pretty good deal."

Su Chuang put down his chopsticks, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and he sneered inwardly:

They couldn't sit still any longer.

The question is whether to borrow the Xiongnu's sword or to send them grain.

"Have you found out who the assassin from the Temple of Light and that fake angel were working for?"

He pressed for an answer.

"Not under the Second Prince's command."

Lu Bing replied calmly.

"So someone wanted to use him as a tool to frame someone else. What a clever scheme."

Su Chuang sneered, immediately realizing that there were indeed people in the country secretly colluding with the Xiongnu.

"There is one more thing. General Rose—Xu Mengran—is returning to the capital today and will be arriving at Shilipo."

Lu Bing then delivered another message.

Shili Slope?

Su Chuang suddenly looked up.

System tasks, Xu Mengran, the Second Prince, the Xiongnu... Are these lines going to get tangled up somewhere?

He knew that Xu Mengran owed the Su family a life back then, and now she held military power in the southern border region. If something were to happen to her now...

This might be detrimental to him!

What was originally good news now seems somewhat forced.

"besides."

"The imperial physicians are frequently coming and going; His Majesty is coughing up blood, which seems to be tuberculosis."

Lu Bing paused for a moment, then continued.

This news is quite explosive and tricky.

"Ta-da..."

Su Chuang remained silent for a moment, then tapped his knuckles on the table.

If Emperor Wu falls, the capital will surely descend into chaos.

In addition, the position of crown prince has always been vacant.

The current empress has no children, so the court is bound to become increasingly unstable.

He needs to secure enough leverage to save his life before that happens.

Or he might leave the capital to join the army on the frontier.

"Okay... I understand..."

"Go and summon Yue Fei."

"Also, we need to quickly build an underground passage to connect this place with the Gold and Silver Mansion and the brewery."

Upon hearing this, Su Chuang waved his hand and continued eating.

But his mind was no longer on the dinner table.

"My lord!"

A quarter of an hour later, Yue Fei spoke in a deep voice, pulling Su Chuang back to reality.

"Pengju, recruit three hundred personal guards. No fancy moves, just men who have seen blood and are willing to fight to the death."

Su Chuang had already spread out a map of the capital and pointed to the southwest direction of the city on the map.

"Search in places like horse markets, security escort agencies, and retired veterans."

As he spoke, he pulled out ten gold notes from his pocket, actually from his storage ring.

It was handed over to Yue Fei as part of his expenses.

"The equipment is configured according to the standards of the elite border troops."

"We must ensure that the armor is light, the blade is sharp, and the horse is of good quality!"

"Twice the usual pay is sufficient!"

"If you don't have enough money, come to me again. It's no problem."

These three hundred men are the foundation; they are the ones who will follow him to venture into the northern frontier and investigate bloody cases in the future, so they must be tough enough.

"Furthermore, in addition to ensuring loyalty, they must also be able to ride a horse!"

He understood that in the era of cold weapons, cavalry was the strongest type of soldier!

"Here you go!"

Yue Fei gladly accepted the order, finally able to realize his ambitions and make a great contribution!

Fifteen minutes later.

After arranging everything, Su Chuang stood up and put on his sword.

"My lord, are the patrol troops going to roll call today?"

Zhao Yun asked.

"I'll definitely go."

Su Chuang nodded.

It's still early, so there's no rush to go to Shilipo to take photos.

"Should I stay here and watch the house? Or...?"

Zhao Yun continued to inquire.

"No need to look at this house."

Su Chuang had just stepped out of the gate when he heard this and turned back to look at the Duke of Xin's mansion, and said to himself with a self-deprecating smile.

His most valuable and precious possessions were stored in the storage ring, so he was not afraid of anyone stealing from his house, and therefore there was no need for anyone to guard it.

Fifteen minutes later, Su Chuang arrived at the Commander's Mansion with a roguish smile and an air of utter disregard for family.

"Greetings, Commander!"

Feng Feng led all the patrol soldiers to kneel and bow.

The former chaotic and disorderly atmosphere of the Commander's Mansion has been completely swept away, giving it a brand-new feel.

"Um…"

Su Chuang sat in the main seat with satisfaction and waved to Feng Feng and the others to rise.

"Feng Feng, go and inform them."

"As long as it is a murder case that occurs in the capital, our patrol army will participate in the investigation and uphold justice."

"Our patrol troops, knowingly violating the law, are guilty of an even greater offense!"

He then gave the order.

Having popular support would be very beneficial for him in recruiting his personal guards.

"Here you go!"

Feng Feng accepted the order; it was something he had always wanted to do.

It now seems that Su Chuang's reputation as a spoiled brat is much better than the rumors suggest!

"My lord!"

While Su Chuang was going through some old cases of the patrol army.

A squad leader of the Imperial Guards rushed over.

"What is it?"

Su Chuang didn't look up, but asked in a deep voice.

"Something's happened at Shilipo!"

"General Xu Mengran has been ambushed by multiple, unidentified groups!"