His Highness the Madman gave in again today.

How did you know?

"Just a guess."

Mo Sangyu didn't say anything more, only saying, "No rush, it's not too late to do this handover ceremony when he comes back."

Chu Canglan knew, of course, who this "he" referred to.

He chuckled, his expression clearly intended to sow discord: "What, does the Seventh Prince really think he'd compete with his own wife for the position of city lord? I certainly didn't compete with Yue'er for it..."

"Who said I would compete with her for it?"

Feng Xingyu's voice came from behind the two of them, still low and calm, but the atmosphere around them suddenly turned colder.

He walked behind Mo Sangyu, leaned down slightly, and placed his hands on the armrests on either side of her chair.

His tall figure cast a shadow, completely enveloping her and forming a possessive encirclement.

He didn't look at Mo Sangyu, but instead looked straight at Chu Canglan from above her head: "Let my wife take the position of city lord."

Mo Sangyu looked up, and could only see his well-defined jawline.

She didn't say anything, but reached out and grabbed his wrist, which was resting on the armrest, with a slight pull.

Feng Xingyu straightened up.

Mo Sangyu took his hand and walked a few steps away before whispering, "I won't be the city lord, don't listen to his nonsense."

She's used to being free and unrestrained. If she becomes the city lord, will she still have any freedom?

No no no.

She can seize power, but she must never be bound by it.

Upon hearing this, Feng Xingyu gently curled his lips and smiled, "If you don't want to be one, then don't be one. Do whatever you want; no one can force you."

He lowered his voice and moved closer to her: "Including me."

Mo Sangyu's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

This man seems to understand her heart.

How did she become so understanding?

Mo Sangyu nodded: "Then let's go. Let's go and hold a handover ceremony with him first. Whether his subordinates are usable remains to be seen."

"Um."

The two returned to their seats, and Chu Canglan's gaze swept over them indifferently: "So, have you decided who will take over the position of city lord?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Mo Sangyu gave him a warning look: "If you make me unhappy, I'll make sure you can't find your Yue'er for years to come."

"Hey, no..."

Upon hearing this, Chu Canglan immediately became obedient.

This woman is not someone you should mess with.

The three of them walked out of the city lord's mansion together.

Outside the mansion gate, the wide bluestone square was already packed with people.

On the left is a red-armored guard wielding a halberd, and on the right is a sentry whose aura is concealed, his entire body wrapped in black soft armor.

Further on, there were several teams of law enforcement officers dressed in uniform, with tokens hanging from their waists.

Mo Sangyu's gaze swept over them silently.

The Red-Armored Guards possessed a powerful aura, and their martial arts practitioners were mostly between the fifth and sixth ranks.

The sentries' breathing was barely audible; they were all experts skilled in stealth and assassination.

Although the law enforcement officers varied in ability, they were sharp-eyed, disciplined, and well-trained.

These 10,000 men are indeed equivalent to an ordinary army of 100,000.

In addition, Youdu City has high walls and deep ravines, with mysterious restrictions for defense, no wonder no one has dared to easily invade it for so many years.

At this moment, everyone in the room stood ramrod straight, their eyes fixed on the high platform at the gate of the mansion.

The seven-day lockdown was unprecedented, and everyone was filled with surprise and doubt, yet no one whispered to each other, and even the exchange of glances was kept to a minimum.

They simply waited in silence.

Chu Canglan stepped onto the highest stone step, while Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu followed half a step behind.

"Brothers, from this day forward..."

Chu Canglan spoke succinctly and solemnly: "I am no longer the Lord of Youdu City."

His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear him clearly.

These words were like a boulder thrown into a lake.

A slight commotion finally broke out in the crowd below, but it was quickly suppressed.

Countless gazes focused on Chu Canglan, then turned to the two people beside him.

Among the Red Armor Guards responsible for guarding the city, some recognized Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu.

Didn't these two just enter the city a few days ago?

How come they're standing with the city lord?

However, what happened next shocked them even more.

Chu Canglan stepped aside, making way for Feng Xingyu, and gestured with his hand: "This will be the new city lord from now on."

Feng Xingyu stepped forward and stood side by side with Chu Canglan.

He didn't unleash any pressure, but calmly uttered two words: "Mo Qi".

Mo Sangyu stood to his side and slightly behind him. Upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

Mo Qi?

He actually wants to take over Youdu City using this name?

Mo Sangyu had only heard that in ancient times, women would take their husbands' surnames. Why was he doing the opposite?

Upon hearing this, Chu Canglan's lips twitched involuntarily.

That's pretty shameless, isn't it?

His gaze swept over Feng Xingyu, his expression carrying a subtle hint of "I've learned something" in his tone.

Feng Xingyu showed no reaction to this, his expression remaining unchanged.

Chu Canglan turned around, faced the crowd, and continued, "This Seventh Master is the new City Lord of Youdu City. The lady beside him is the City Lord's wife. From this moment on, you must obey the new City Lord's orders, be loyal to the City Lord and his wife, continue to guard Youdu, and must not have any disloyalty."

This time, the people below could no longer remain calm. Gasps of surprise filled the air as everyone looked at each other, none of them knowing what had happened.

Why the sudden change of city lord?

Moreover, the new city lord is an unknown nobody, and nobody knows who Mo Qi is.

If I remember correctly, wasn't he the servant of the woman next to him?

What exactly is going on?

This was announced personally by Chu Canglan, and no matter how many questions there were, no one dared to question it on the spot.

After Chu Canglan finished speaking, he stepped back, relinquishing the main seat, signifying that he had handed over power.

Feng Xingyu took a step forward and stood at the front of the stone steps.

His gaze slowly swept over the faces below, some shocked, some confused, and some scrutinizing.

"Gentlemen."

When he spoke again, he exuded the authority and aura of a superior, making it impossible for anyone to look him in the eye.

"Everyone, please return to your positions and maintain the city's defenses and order. Please wait patiently for further instructions, at which time duties will be reassigned and defense arrangements will be made."

There were no lengthy speeches, no attempts to appease or win over, only clear and direct orders.

The handover was completed simply.

One must obey the sentence above unconditionally.

……

In the following days, a complete upheaval began in Youdu City.

Chu Canglan's confidants were summoned for a private meeting and questioned, and the personnel in key positions throughout the city were thoroughly investigated.

Some individuals with sensitive identities who expressed dissent or skepticism were swiftly taken into custody and dealt with.

Inside and outside the city lord's mansion, the original servants and attendants underwent a major reshuffle. Those who were to be dismissed were given money to be laid off, and those who were to be sold off were sold without hesitation.

In just a few days, in the entire city of Youdu, some people fell from heaven to hell, while others went directly from hell to heaven.

For a moment, the entire city of Youdu was plunged into a silent oppression and panic, with no one knowing what awaited them.

The spies that Gu Jinzhi planted in the city were originally just ordinary people. This time, when Mo Sangyu and Feng Xingyu entered the city, they had not been used.

After the city was sealed off, they learned that Youdu City had a new city lord. They were thinking about how to pass on this news to Gu Jinzhi in the border city when, on the fourth day of the city's closure, a large number of troops openly entered the city.

Why does the leader of this army look somewhat familiar?

As long-time undercover agents, they did not take immediate action, but continued to observe from the shadows.

The city lord's mansion had completely changed by this time.

The once grand mansion was now completely empty, with less than half of the former guards and maids remaining.

These people are only the initial selection by Mo Sangyu and will stay in the mansion temporarily. In the future, we will have to wait for Granny Yu to come and confirm the people who will stay in the mansion one by one.

Chu Canglan stopped managing affairs and moved out of the city lord's mansion to a neighboring villa.

Since Yin Yue's soul is still with Mo Sangyu, he naturally won't stray too far.

Yan Xu was seriously injured and went to the other courtyard with Chu Canglan to recuperate.

Feng Xingyu and Mo Sangyu moved to the front yard, still living in the same courtyard but in different rooms.

However, compared to the dilapidated prince's residence before, this place is not only larger and more spacious, but also more exquisite and sophisticated.

The courtyard is spacious, with lush flowers and trees, and winding corridors, exuding exquisite beauty and luxury.

The room was spacious and bright, elegantly furnished, and fully equipped.

The outer courtyard has a separate council chamber, study, and side rooms guarded by guards, while the inner courtyard is more private and quiet.

The most amazing part is the warehouse.

The city lord's private treasury.

Mo Sangyu took a look, and even though she was never short of money, she was almost blinded by the gold and silver treasures inside.

Upon seeing this, Feng Xingyu remained remarkably calm.

These are just private treasuries; the "national treasury" of Youdu City contains even more wealth that is astonishing!

Gold bricks, about half a person's height, were neatly stacked on half a wall, their golden color making the entire warehouse shine.

Silver ingots were piled haphazardly on the wooden frame, like a small mountain.

Various jewels and jade artifacts were packed in open boxes.

Pearls, jade, agate...

There are countless.

On the other side, bolts of Yun brocade and Shu embroidery were piled up, and many rare medicinal herbs were placed in jade boxes or sandalwood boxes, emitting a medicinal fragrance.

There are also all sorts of treasures, some you can name and some you can't, scattered everywhere...

If Yan Qing and Granny Yu saw this, they would probably faint right there in the storeroom.

As the large army entered the city, the people inside dared not come out, but they couldn't help but peek through the cracks in the windows.

The first group was small, nearly five thousand people, and consisted of personnel from the manor led by Gu Jinzhi and Luo Ming.

Less than half a day after arriving at the city lord's mansion, the second group of people also entered the city.

This team, led by Yan Qing, had the largest number of members, over ten thousand. They had been lying in wait on the road to Youdu City. Because of their large numbers, their speed was slow.

Fortunately, they finally entered Youdu City safely and smoothly.

The remaining troops were under Yuan Zhao's command, and the dozen or so small teams that were dispatched were already on their way in secret.

The people are not far apart, and they can all arrive before the lockdown of Youdu City is lifted.

In the city lord's palace.

Granny Yu led the group of people from the Prince's residence like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, marveling at their every step of the way.

Everyone felt they didn't have enough eyes to see everything, and everything seemed so new and exciting.

Dressed in tattered clothes, they were covered in dust and dirt from days of hard work and sleeping outdoors.

When they first entered the mansion, they thought it was some kind of refugee or beggar who had wandered in, which startled the maids in the mansion, causing them to scream in fright.

Until, one of the dirty-looking girls suddenly lunged forward, directly at...