The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window onto the table. Crown Prince Chu Chengli sat there, his eyes dazed as he stared at the food before him. Next to him sat Li Jingshu, who softly asked, "Your Highness, did you not get enough rest last night?"

Chu Chengli frowned slightly, seemingly lost in thought. He muttered to himself, "Jingshu, you know, I had a strange dream last night. In the dream, one person turned into a completely different person. What does this mean?"

Li Jingshu's heart tightened at Chu Chengli's words, but she tried to keep her voice calm. "Your Highness, did you dream about Luo Lingyue?" She stared at Chu Chengli, trying to catch a clue from his expression. Chu Chengli's eyes widened in surprise, and his voice unconsciously rose: "How did you know?"

Li Jingshu's mouth twitched slightly, but she quickly regained her composure. She lowered her head and drank the milk silently, as if trying to mask her inner anger. However, when she raised her head again, her face was filled with an elusive expression of indifference.

"I heard His Royal Highness the Crown Prince calling Luo Lingyue's name last night." Her tone was light, as if she didn't care, but there was a barely perceptible resentment in her eyes.

Chu Chengli's expression instantly darkened, his eyes flickering as he seemed to be pondering how to handle the situation. After a moment's silence, he finally explained to Li Jingshu, "Last night, I dreamed that the ugly maid was Luo Lingyue! Perhaps it's because so many things have happened recently, and I'm a little uneasy."

Li Jingshu's heart grew heavier, but she forced a smile and consoled him, "Your Highness, dreams are often illusory and impermanent, so don't take them too seriously. Perhaps you've simply been overworked and restless lately." However, her heart remained uneasily calm, for she knew full well what this dream might mean...

Li Jingshu felt a tightness in her chest after she finished speaking, and continued to eat her breakfast absentmindedly. Her mind had already flown elsewhere, and she didn't pay much attention to what Chu Chengli said next.

Seeing this, Chu Chengli also felt bored and did not mention the dream again. After all, to him, it was just an insignificant dream.

However, last night, after falling asleep, Li Jingshu fell into that strange dream again. In it, she clung to a man, just as in the previous dream, constantly bewitching him with sweet words: "Cheng Li! Kill Luo Lingyue! Kill her, and everything will be ours!" Her voice was filled with temptation and longing, as if Luo Lingyue's existence was the biggest obstacle to their happiness.

After Chu Chengli finished his breakfast, he left the East Palace. His steps seemed hurried, as if there was something important waiting for him to deal with.

Meanwhile, in the East Palace, Li Jingshu summoned Bing'er. Her eyes gleamed with resentment, as if burning with endless rage. Bing'er stood quietly by, sensing her master's wrath, but she dared not say anything, simply waiting silently for instructions.

"Go find someone to find a way to get rid of Luo Lingyue!" Li Jingshu's voice was cold and firm, revealing a sense of determination. Bing'er trembled slightly. She knew the difficulty of this task, but she also knew that she could not disobey her master's orders.

Elsewhere, in a teahouse in the capital, Dark Moon Fairy was meeting with Ying Liu. Her brows were furrowed, her eyes revealing dissatisfaction and confusion.

"I asked you to go to Jiangnan and follow Luo Lingliu, why did you come back?" Dark Moon Enchantress' tone was filled with a hint of blame.

The corner of Ying Liu's eye twitched, and he lowered his head, not daring to meet Dark Moon Enchantress's gaze. "Pavilion Master... I think I did something wrong..." His voice was filled with self-blame and uneasiness.

The Dark Moon Pavilion Master's heart suddenly sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over her. She hurriedly asked, "Where are Sword Four and Sword Five?"

Ying Liu quickly replied: "They are still in Jiangning, secretly protecting Young Master Luo..." His words revealed a hint of helplessness and regret.

The Dark Moon Pavilion Master poured a cup of tea and gently handed it to Ying Liu, motioning him to sit down. Her voice was calm and serious: "Tell me in detail what you did wrong." Ying Liu took the teacup, glanced at the Dark Moon Pavilion Master with gratitude, then slowly sat down and began to recount what had happened.

Luo Lingliu embarked on a safe journey to Jiangnan. As a shrewd and capable businessman, Luo Lingliu possessed not only excellent eloquence but also keen insight. While carefully monitoring the operations of his own business, he also kept an eye on the dynamics of merchants along the way, making many like-minded business friends.

Meanwhile, Jian Si, Jian Wu, and Ying Liu were ordered by the Pavilion Master to come and protect Luo Lingfeng. Disguised as chivalrous warriors, they quietly followed Luo Lingliu, always on guard.

After a long journey, Luo Lingliu finally arrived at his destination, Jiangning, Jiangnan's most prosperous and bustling city. This place was the largest silk production center in Dazhao State, and its reputation spread far and wide. Luo Lingliu had come to Jiangning specifically to purchase various goods. He also intended to open a restaurant here, specializing in Shangjing specialties, to expand his business.

Everything was going smoothly, but unexpectedly, while shopping for silks and satins, Luo Lingliu encountered a business expert. This woman was none other than Shen Yourong, the only daughter of Shen Yuqi, the richest businessman in Jiangning.

Shen Yourong was a well-known figure in Jiangning, renowned for her business acumen. Despite her beauty, her shrewd personality made her a daunting prospect. In Jiangning, most people would shake their heads helplessly at the mere mention of Shen Yourong's name.

Now, Shen Yourong was over nineteen years old, yet still unmarried. The reason for this was that the Shen family only had this precious daughter, and Shen Yuqi had established a rule: Shen Yourong's future husband must marry into the Shen family, and any child they had must also bear the surname Shen! Such harsh conditions deterred many interested parties.

The many prominent and scholarly families in Jiangning City all placed great importance on respectability and reputation. How could they easily send their sons to become sons-in-law of merchants? After all, in the eyes of these families, merchants were of low status, and even if the other party was extremely wealthy, they would not be able to match their status.

On the other hand, ordinary families were equally intimidated by Shen Yourong. Although they coveted the Shen family's wealth, they were intimidated by her aggressive and shrewd personality. No one wanted their son to be bullied and suffer misery after marriage.

As time went by, Shen Yourong's marriage was delayed. She was already 19 years old, but she still couldn't find her ideal husband!