These past few days, Lu Xiaomei has been helping out at Meiwuzhai with Gu Nanjiao, which has aroused Lu's mother's suspicion: "Why hasn't she gone to practice martial arts?"

After being punished by Lu Yanzhao, Lu Xiaomei didn't dare to say anything more and just looked at Gu Nanjiao with longing eyes.

Gu Nanjiao pursed her lips: "Mother, Yanzhao and I think that martial arts school is unreliable. We're thinking of sending my little sister to Yingniang's school these next few days."

After a moment of silence, Lu's mother said, "I don't understand these things either. You and Yanzhao can make the decisions."

Meanwhile, the number of customers at Meiwuzhai was increasing. Gu Nanjiao was extremely busy. Lu Xiaomei followed behind Gu Nanjiao, hesitant to speak. However, Gu Nanjiao was too busy to notice Lu Xiaomei's unusual behavior.

...

Lu Yanzhao was driving a carriage through an alley when Zheng Shiyi suddenly blocked his way.

Once the carriage had come to a stop, Lu Yanzhao cupped his hands in greeting to Zheng Shiyi: "Master Zheng!"

Zheng Shiyi glanced at Lu Yanzhao and said cryptically, "Someone wants to see you!"

Zheng Shiyi greatly admired Lu Yanzhao. When the headmaster first assigned Lu Yanzhao to him as his disciple, Zheng Shiyi scoffed, thinking, "He's such a grown man, what good is martial arts if he's just all show and no substance?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Yanzhao had a good foundation and was a martial arts prodigy. In less than a year, his martial arts skills had improved by leaps and bounds. It's just that he's a bit old and started learning martial arts relatively late; otherwise, he might have really surpassed him.

Although Lu Yanzhao could easily take down five or six men with his bare hands, he was still far inferior to Zheng Shiyi.

Even with exceptional talent, the learning time is still relatively short, and the body's growth is already complete. To surpass a master like Zheng Shiyi is still a pipe dream.

Therefore, Zheng Shiyi focused on teaching Lu Yanzhao light-footed skills, hoping that if they encountered bad guys, they could run away quickly even if they couldn't beat them.

Following Zheng Shiyi through a maze of twists and turns, Lu Yanzhao saw the familiar name on the plaque and curled his lips into a smile.

Chu Luoxun couldn't resist seeing him.

This martial arts school is not the one Lu Xiaomei stayed at; it is an extremely secluded place. Although the name is the same, the layout of the school is extremely complicated, and ordinary people cannot find it at all.

Inside the building, dozens of thin, frail boys were practicing horse stance. Noticing Lu Yanzhao's gaze, Zheng Shiyi laughed and said, "These are little beggars from the south of the city. They have no home and have been taken in here."

Lu Yanzhao curled his lips, probably thinking that taking the beggar in was just a pretense, and that his real intention was to train the beggar for his own use.

Inside the room, Chu Luoxun lay lazily on the chaise lounge. Hearing the noise, he didn't even look up and said, "You've come!"

Lu Yanzhao's smile faded, his eyes regaining their usual coldness. He cupped his hands in greeting to the man on the chaise longue: "Your Highness!"

Chu Luoxun was taken aback; he knew his identity couldn't be hidden from Lu Yanzhao. A top scholar at such a young age—how could it be simple?

Chu Luoxun quickly stood up, casually pointed to the stool, and said with a smile, "Lu Jieyuan, please sit down!"

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Lu Yanzhao bowed and sat down without ceremony.

"I presume the headmaster has already informed you of some things. You also know my identity." Chu Luoxun picked up a list from the table and handed it to Lu Yanzhao, getting straight to the point: "I won't waste any more words. This is the list of people who pose a threat to you in the Spring Imperial Examination. Their scores are naturally inferior to yours, but their families wield immense power. I've already secretly dealt with those I could, and some are even among our people, but there's one person I can't touch!"

Lu Yanzhao looked at the last name on the list.

Zhou Lai, son of the Minister!

"You want me to get rid of him?" Lu Yanzhao placed the list on the table and bowed. "Your Highness, I am just an ordinary student. It is already a blessing from heaven that I have achieved the highest rank in the provincial examination. How could I possibly compete with powerful families?"

Chu Luoxun smiled faintly. If Lu Yanzhao were an ordinary student, would the headmaster have given him special attention? Someone who could earn such high praise from Headmaster Zheng must be exceptional.

However, Lu Yanzhao is resolute and difficult to control. Without a deeper relationship, he cannot feel at ease.

“Lu Jieyuan is too modest. If you want to, Zhou Lai is no match for you.” Chu Luoxun paused and said, “By the way, why hasn’t your sister come to the martial arts school lately?”

“My younger sister is unruly and behaves inappropriately, which may offend His Highness the Crown Prince.” Lu Yanzhao lowered his eyes, suppressing his unease, and said, “This humble subject has decided to send my younger sister to Nanshan Temple to study Buddhism and calm her down.”

Chu Luoxun laughed heartily, completely ignoring Lu Yanzhao's last words: "This Crown Prince finds the little girl quite adorable, perhaps..."

"How about I marry my little sister as her concubine when she comes of age in three years?"

"This humble subject is terrified!" Lu Yanzhao immediately knelt down, lowering his eyes to hide the disdain in them: "My sister's behavior is uncouth and unworthy of her position. This humble subject only wishes that my sister will marry into an ordinary family and raise children in peace."

A Liangyuan? To put it nicely, she was a concubine of the Crown Prince, ranking below the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince's Liangdi. To put it bluntly, she was a concubine. Although Lu Yanzhao came from a poor peasant family, the women in his family would never become concubines, not even the Crown Prince, who held a high position. Besides, given his younger sister's personality, if she entered the palace, she probably wouldn't survive more than two months.

Chu Luoxun was somewhat angry. This Lu Yanzhao was truly ungrateful. Women from noble families who were considered the Crown Prince's consorts might not even be qualified for the position, yet he refused without even thinking about it.

However, it's understandable that talented people might be aloof. Once Lu Yanzhao enters the capital, surrounded by dazzling temptations, he refuses to believe that Lu Yanzhao won't be tempted!

The position of Crown Prince's Consort is second only to the Crown Princess and the Consort of the Imperial Family, a position that many people covet but cannot attain!

After leaving the martial arts school, it was midday and the sunlight was a bit dazzling, so Lu Yanzhao squinted slightly.

Zheng Shanchang is the former Grand Secretary and the Crown Prince's tutor. Now, he is implicated because the Empress was brought down by Consort Yue. He and the Crown Prince are hiding in this small county town to secretly develop their power.

The emperor knew perfectly well who the officials in the court were loyal to, and even if he didn't, Minister Zhou had undoubtedly dealt with countless of them, both openly and secretly. Headmaster Zheng was also clever, cultivating talent from among the impoverished scholars preparing for officialdom to serve the crown prince.

The prince opened a martial arts school, secretly taking in and training young beggars, preparing to develop a clandestine force for his own use.

And then there's Bai Luochen, who has been vigorously developing commerce, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals to accumulate wealth, presumably all to support this Crown Prince.

These people have deep-rooted influence, and how stable their power is in the capital is something Lu Yanzhao cannot find out at the moment.

The only thing he was certain of now was that if he wanted to rise through the ranks, he had to join their cause and become in their shoes. Failure meant certain death. Success meant rapid promotion and high rank.

The Crown Prince was suspicious and believed that only by becoming related by marriage and keeping Lu Xiaomei under his watchful eye could he get Lu Yanzhao to work for him obediently. To be on the same side as him was tantamount to asking a tiger for its skin, but Lu Yanzhao, born into poverty, had no choice. For the sake of his family, he had to grit his teeth and continue.

If they set their sights on his family and harm them, he will fight to the death to bring them down with him.

When he looked up again, Lu Yanzhao concealed the fierceness in his eyes and regained his usual refined and handsome appearance.