The mad princess forces love upon him, and the aloof imperial advisor trembles every night.

Zhui Feng paused for a moment, then quickly replied, "120,000 taels of gold, 800,000 taels of silver, plus banknotes from three money shops, totaling approximately..."

"Enough." Chu Xuanjing interrupted him, gently placing the white jade chess piece next to the black jade chess piece, creating a standoff.

"Go and contact the middleman of Jinxue Pavilion. Tell him that the Third Prince's residence has a huge business deal and wants to discuss it in person with the Pavilion Master of Cangming Pavilion. Let him name his price."

Zhui Feng hesitated: "Your Highness, Jinxue Pavilion has always been shrouded in mystery, I'm afraid..."

"The mystery stems from the price not being attractive enough." Chu Xuanjing's voice turned cold. "Tell the middleman that I'm willing to offer... five times the market price. A 30% deposit is acceptable upfront."

He paused, then added, "Also, find a way to pass on a message to Cangming—it's better to cooperate with a prince who is about to enter the Eastern Palace and will one day rule this vast country than with a princess who could be abandoned by her father at any time, besieged by her brothers, and can only rely on her looks and madness to gain temporary protection."

He looked up, his gaze sharp as an eagle's:

"For Jinxue Pavilion to have reached its current scale, Cangming must be an exceptionally intelligent and ambitious man. A wise person should know that—"

He flicked his finger, and the white jade chess piece made a crisp sound. "Which side should we place our bet on?"

Zhui Feng bowed and said, "Understood, I will take care of it immediately."

After he left, the secret room returned to silence.

Chu Xuanjing sat alone at his desk, the candlelight casting a long shadow of himself against the wall, like a lurking beast. He looked down at the two chess pieces on the board—one black and one white, standing facing each other.

The black piece represents Chu Xuanche, that foolish and arrogant eldest prince. The white piece represents Chu Qingyue, that crazy and dangerous ninth princess.

As for himself... he reached out and took out another gray jade chess piece from the chess jar, gently placing it between black and white.

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

He murmured to himself, his fingertips brushing over the three chess pieces.

"Chu Qingyue, since you're going to be this sharpest blade, I'll make good use of you—first, I'll kill the boss, then..."

With a flick of his finger, the gray jade chess piece gently struck the white piece. "I'll break you."

The flickering candlelight reflected the unfathomable calculation in his eyes.

—————Imperial Palace - Royal Banquet—————

In the height of summer, the imperial garden is filled with the fragrance of lotus blossoms. The palace banquet is held in the winding corridor by Taiye Pond, with silk gauze curtains hanging beneath the corridor. Lotus lanterns are lit in the pond, making it seem as if a galaxy has fallen to earth.

Amidst the sounds of string and bamboo instruments, a figure shattered the floating light and arrived.

Chu Qingyue wore a princess's court robe with crimson satin trimmed with gold python patterns. The crimson satin surface resembled the raging fire forged from molten lava, while the black trim was like the silence of a blade wrapped in midnight.

At the intersection, a phoenix woven with gold thread spreads its wings as if about to take flight, its tail feathers trailing on the ground, each step seemingly crushing frost and snow.

A black jade belt inlaid with beads tightly cinched her slender waist, adorned with ornaments made from a modified version of the Northern Sea Kingdom's jade disc, their cold light subtly gleaming. Red and black clashed, unleashing a fierce killing intent; gold and jade forged a sharp, aloof elegance. Her beauty overwhelmed all the flowers in the garden, her aura crushed all the music and song.

A smile, unchanging yet enigmatic, played on her lips. Her gaze swept across the room, causing all the noble ladies and dignitaries to bow their heads. All eyes were fixed on her—some with awe, some with fear, some with curiosity, and some with a hidden, venomous resentment.

As if unaware, her eyes, bloodshot like the deep pool reflecting the setting sun, walked straight toward the seat—the most prestigious seat after the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince, the very center of the power vortex.

"Ninth Imperial Sister." A sweet, honey-like voice sounded from beside her.

The Fifth Princess, Chu Qingyao, wore a bright red dress adorned with butterflies and flowers, her makeup was exquisite and flawless, and the crimson silk scarf tied around her neck perfectly concealed the scratches from the previous night.

Her jade pendants tinkled as she laughed innocently, as if the near-death nightmare of the previous night was nothing but an illusion.

"It's been so many years, my dear sister, I've missed you terribly."

Chu Qingyue slowly raised her eyes, a bloodshot glint in them: "Fifth Princess, did you sleep well last night?"

Chu Qingyao's smile froze almost imperceptibly, then blossomed even wider: "Thanks to my royal sister, I had a... interesting dream. In my dream, there was a little white cat, all wet, lying on the ice, so pitiful. By the way, does my royal sister remember? You also had a pure white cat when you were little, and later..."

She paused deliberately, watching with satisfaction as Chu Qingyue's hand holding the cup remained motionless.

"What happened next?" Chu Qingyue asked softly, her tone as indifferent as if she were asking about the weather.

"Later," Chu Qingyao's smile deepened, "it was skinned and hung on a peach tree branch in the Imperial Garden. It was raining that day, and blood mixed with the rainwater, flowing down and staining the soil beneath the tree red. The palace servants all said that the cat's eyes were always open, staring straight in the direction of the Star-Picking Tower—"

Before she could finish speaking, Chu Qingyue suddenly laughed. The laughter was extremely soft, yet it sent a chill down Chu Qingyao's spine.

"Cats have nine lives." Chu Qingyue held up her cup, the amber liquid swirling gently in the luminous glass. "So that little guy's remaining eight lives will be used... to properly avenge its enemies."

She suddenly reached out, her fingertips icy cold, and brushed against the silk scarf around Chu Qingyao's neck.

"For example, some necklaces made of eyeballs," she whispered softly, like a lover's murmur. "Why do I feel that Fifth Princess's neck... is a little sticky?"

Chu Qingyao froze.

"I've heard that people's eyeballs have secretions that can't be washed off." Chu Qingyue leaned closer, her warm breath brushing against Chu Qingyao's ear.

"That slime attracts...small things. Centipedes, snakes, scorpions. They love to follow the scent and crawl into people's bodies."

She paused, admiring Chu Qingyao's deathly pale face.

"By the way, Your Highness, you must keep your mouth tightly shut when you sleep at night. I saw this back in Beiming—centipedes love to crawl into your mouth, down your throat, circle around, and then come out of your nose. Sometimes, when they're in a good mood, they'll even go into your ears, circle around inside your skull, and finally... crawl out of your eye sockets, covered in blood and fluid. Just imagine how interesting that would be compared to your dreams!"

"You...you're crazy..." Chu Qingyao's voice trembled, and she subconsciously touched her neck. The skin under the silk scarf really began to itch, as if hundreds of tiny feet were crawling on it.

Chu Qingyue withdrew her hand, took a sip of wine from her cup. The wine glistened on her rosy lips in the candlelight, giving them an eerie amber glow.

"Whether I'm crazy or not, doesn't my elder sister know best?" She raised her eyes, the bloodlust in them settling into a bottomless, icy pool.

"After all, you guys were the ones who created this madman."

Chu Qingyao's hatred surged. What right did this vile woman have? A bastard born of a maid should rot in the cold palace! Suppressing her fear, she whispered the most vicious curse:

"Chu Qingyue, don't be too smug. Your fate won't be much better than your lowly mother's—"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp slap rang out.