With wives as numerous as clouds and soldiers as numerous as a million, you say he's a useless

"Where is the Crown Prince? Why haven't you come out at once to receive the imperial decree?"

Ye Cheng'an and Huang Zhong, along with their entourage, had just stepped into the Prince's residence when Su Kuo followed them in, looking arrogant and smug. "Oh, I almost forgot, now that you've been stripped of your title as Prince, it's no longer appropriate for me to call you Prince..."

"Young Master, His Highness means that since you are no longer the heir apparent and insist on going to Liuzhou, you should quickly prepare for your trip to Liuzhou in the coming days and not delay your journey."

"Furthermore, you are no longer the Crown Prince of the Northern Territory, so you are no longer needed to handle the affairs of receiving envoys from the imperial court. The prince told me to tell you not to get too close to the princess unless necessary, lest she think that everyone in the Northern Territory is like you because of you, which would unnecessarily tarnish the image of the Northern Territory."

"Furthermore, His Highness also said that the task of restoring the army after the war and preparing for the princess's inspection will be entrusted to the Second Young Master after he wakes up. The Eldest Young Master should understand what this means... Once the Second Young Master successfully restoring the army and completing the inspection, he will become the princess's son-in-law! Someone you can never hope to reach! His Highness told me to tell you that you chose this path yourself, and everything is your own fault. Do not secretly contact the old ministers of the Northern Border and sow discord between them and His Highness. Otherwise, don't blame His Highness for disregarding fatherly affection and punishing you!"

"Yes, I understand. If these are all the requirements of Father, you can tell him that he can rest assured. Uncle Zhong, see the guest out." Ye Cheng'an's tone was calm and without any ripples.

This surprised Su Kuo greatly. The Northern Territory originally belonged to Ye Cheng'an's maternal clan, but now, the prince listened to the words of the princess and her son, not only stripping Ye Cheng'an of his title as heir but also demoting him to Liuzhou. Furthermore, he gave all the political and political opportunities in the Northern Territory to the second young master... Shouldn't Ye Cheng'an be angry, sad, and have many negative emotions?

Furthermore, since she had just deliberately exaggerated the prince's meaning, the other party should have been even more unbearable. How could he appear so calm and indifferent?

This felt like a punch landing on cotton, leaving him feeling utterly disappointed.

Su Kuo left the Prince's residence unwillingly. As soon as he reached the outside of the residence, he saw an extremely luxurious and familiar carriage stop outside.

A noblewoman dressed in a long, bright red brocade dress and wearing a seven-tailed phoenix hairpin slowly stepped down from the carriage, supported by her guards.

Noble, beautiful, and beyond compare!

If it wasn't Princess Zhao Xuefu, the Ninth Princess sent by the imperial court, then who was she?

Even Su Kuo was stunned by Zhao Xuefu's beauty, his breath catching in his throat. After a moment, he frowned and quickly stepped forward, "Your Highness, what brings you here?"

"You probably don't know that Ye Cheng'an has been deposed as the heir apparent, do you? The prince has taken back his authority to receive you, and the matter of inspecting the troops has also been handed over to the second young master. If you have something to say, you can wait until the second young master wakes up. Alternatively, you can come with me to the prince's residence and have the prince arrange another guide for you."

"Shut up!" Zhao Xuefu didn't even glance at Su Kuo once from beginning to end. A mere servant of the Northern Kingdom's mansion was not worthy of her attention. Instead, the guard Hongluan beside her gave Su Kuo a cold look.

Seeing that the two ignored his words and continued walking into the prince's residence, Su Kuo was so anxious that he almost beat his chest in frustration.

Before he arrived, the princess had specifically instructed him to thoroughly humiliate Ye Cheng'an, preferably to make Ye Cheng'an attack him. In this way, the princess could exaggerate Ye Cheng'an's dissatisfaction with him into dissatisfaction with the prince, making Ye Cheng'an's situation even more difficult.

Unexpectedly, Ye Cheng'an was so patient. Even more unexpectedly, the princess was most afraid that Ye Cheng'an would get involved with the Ninth Princess. Today, the Ninth Princess actually came here in person!

No, we have to think of a way to stop the Ninth Princess from contacting Ye Cheng'an!

Su Kuo's eyes darted around, and he immediately had an idea. He waved to the dozen or so people who had come with him to deliver the imperial decree, and caught up with Zhao Xuefu, who was walking towards the Prince's residence. "Princess, wait! I just received news that the military tally of the Northern Border Prince's residence has been stolen, and the only person who has had contact with it recently is Huang Zhong, one of Ye Cheng'an's subordinates. In addition, Ye Cheng'an gave up his good position as the Prince today and insisted on going to Liuzhou..."

"I have a reasonable suspicion that the theft of the military tally was orchestrated by Ye Cheng'an at Huang Zhong's behest, and that his trip to Liuzhou was also intended to cede territory, establish his own power, and launch a rebellion!"

"Now, I must lead men to capture Huang Zhong and bring him back, torturing him severely to retrieve the military tally! Also, if Ye Cheng'an truly harbors treasonous intentions, it may be dangerous for the princess to continue contacting him. I will immediately order men to escort the princess back to the post station."

"Interesting." Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuefu finally glanced at Su Kuo, but only for a moment. "The theft of the military tally is a matter of great importance. I must go with you to take a look."

"This..." Su Kuo frowned. The theft of the military tally was entirely fabricated by him to prevent the princess from meeting Ye Cheng'an. However, since the princess was the prince's bedmate, obtaining the military tally would be a piece of cake for her!

He was not afraid of what would happen if things were exposed.

Perfect opportunity! Let's make sure the princess has a terrible impression of Ye Cheng'an as a "traitor," so that she will have no choice but to marry the second young master.

"If the princess insists on going with me, I have nothing to say. I only ask this guard to protect the princess's safety."

Hongluan rolled her eyes at him. "Protecting the princess is my duty; I don't need you to remind me!"

Having been rebuffed, Su Kuo said no more and immediately ordered his guards, "Go! Surround Ye Cheng'an's residence!"

Su Kuo came here specifically to cause trouble for Ye Cheng'an, and the men he brought were all his trusted confidants. At his command, his guards instantly surrounded the Prince's residence.

Several others, looking menacing, filed in to clear a path for him.

Ye Cheng'an, who was being tenderly comforted in the arms of his personal maid Zhu Yu, frowned when he saw Su Kuo, who had just left the mansion, return so quickly with so many people who seemed to have ill intentions.

"You have already conveyed your father's message, so why turn back?"

Su Kuo sneered, "What for? The royal military tally has been stolen, and the only person who has had contact with it in recent days is Huang Zhong, the eldest son's subordinate! I'm here to interrogate him!"

"Furthermore, young master, you have acted out of character today, not only resigning from your position as heir apparent but also requesting to go to Liuzhou... I suspect that Huang Zhong was acting on your orders to steal the military tally, and that the two of you are planning to rebel in Liuzhou!"

"Everyone, charge! Take down Huang Zhong! Imprison the eldest young master! Until this matter is resolved, not a single ant is to be released from his residence!"

Upon hearing this, all of Ye Cheng'an's men clenched their fists, their eyes bulging with fury.

If the Crown Prince truly intended to rebel, why wait until today? And why bother stealing the military tally? With just a word from the Crown Prince, none of the old Northern King's former subordinates would have disobeyed.

Without a doubt, this is another underhanded trick by that bitch Su Wanrou in her attempt to kill us all.

Once accused of stealing the military tally and plotting rebellion, the crown prince would face more than just demotion and exile; he would be beheaded.

That woman is ruthless!

"Young Master, if you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. That vile woman Su Wanrou never intended to let you go. Why don't we fight them?" one of Ye Cheng'an's men said unwillingly.

The others chimed in, "Yes, Your Highness! Over the years, the Prince has focused on military achievements, while Su Wanrou and her son have lived a life of extravagance. If it weren't for you, the Northern Border would have been finished long ago. Now that you have resigned your position as Crown Prince, they are still pressing you relentlessly. If we continue to endure this, we will all lose our lives! Let's rebel!"

Facing Ye Cheng'an's men, who had reached their limit of tolerance, Su Kuo's sinister glint deepened. He was hoping that Ye Cheng'an's men would rebel, so that the charge of treason could be more firmly established.

At that time, the princess will no longer need to worry about how to kill Ye Cheng'an on his way to Liuzhou, as the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty will take Ye Cheng'an's life.

However, Ye Cheng'an did not act impulsively like his subordinates. After all, he had lived two lives and experienced many grand occasions. Such a low-level frame-up was full of loopholes in his eyes.

"Su Kuo, you said the military tally of the Northern Kingdom was lost. Do you know that, according to the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty, improper safekeeping of official seals and military tallies is a capital offense?"

"Regardless of whether I ordered the theft of this military tally, if the loss of the tally is true, my father, as the primary holder of the tally, must be held accountable for it..."

"Are you sure you were serious about what you just said?"

Su Kuo was stunned. Damn it! He was only thinking about getting rid of Ye Cheng'an, forgetting that stealing the military tally was a capital offense, and the prince was the primary holder of the tally...

In an instant, he panicked. "I... I think I remembered wrong. What was stolen wasn't the military tally, but the prince's personal jade pendant!"

"Oh?" Ye Cheng'an raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of mockery in his gaze. "So, you haven't even figured things out, yet you led your troops to my eldest son's residence, loudly proclaiming the theft of the military tally..."

"Such a momentous matter, without verification, is being publicized so widely. Aren't you afraid of disrupting the order of the Northern Border, alienating the people, and causing irreparable consequences? Guards, drag him away and beat him severely! Su Wanrou didn't teach her men what rules are, so today I, this young master, will do it for them!"

"And his lackeys, not a single one of them should be spared!!!"

Although he couldn't do anything to Su Wanrou and her son right now, Ye Cheng'an didn't mind taking some of the blame from their subordinates.

Zhongbo and the servants of the Prince's Mansion had long disliked Su Kuo, and now that they finally had the order to teach him a lesson, they naturally wouldn't hold back.

"Young Master, I... Ah! Ahh!" Facing the people who surrounded him with hostile gazes, Su Kuo tried to say something, but was beaten by Huang Zhong and a group of servants in the mansion, and could only scream in pain.

At the same time, he was increasingly puzzled as to how the once kind and gentle eldest son, who never competed with others, had become so cruel and violent.

He gets beaten up over the slightest disagreement?

"Young Master, you'll regret treating me like this!"

Regret? That word has never existed in his dictionary.

Ye Cheng'an's lips curled into a mocking smile. Ignoring Su Kuo, his gaze fell on a wall in the distance. "Princess, you've been watching the show for so long, it's time you showed yourself, isn't it?"