Chapter 24

Prince Cheng was also a decisive man; once he said he would take action, he would act without hesitation.

"Jia Er, how are things going?"

"Your Highness, everything is in order. As long as the manager of Fengyun Bank takes a liking to a restaurant, I will secretly buy it and wait for him to come to us."

Yuwen Zhe nodded in satisfaction. As long as the people from Fengyun Money House came looking for him, he would have the upper hand. No matter what, such a powerful force had to belong to him. If he couldn't win them over, he would have to destroy them!

"There can be no mistakes in this matter."

"promise."

Hopefully, the person in charge is a smart one and knows what's good for him.

Was Yuan Liu Niang a smart person? Of course not!

Does she know what's good for her? Heh.....

If she could console herself that it was just a coincidence if her chosen spots were snatched away once or twice by people from the Prince Cheng's mansion, what about three or four times?! If she still couldn't see anything suspicious, then she would have lived these two lives in vain!

Today, after her favorite spot was taken away again, Yuan Liuniang completely lost it!

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry! Aaaaaah! I'm going to kill him! I don't care if he's a prince or not, I'm going to kill him!! I'm so angry!!!"

In a newly renovated four-courtyard mansion in Sihuan, Yuan Liu Niang was furious.

The fourth brother sat upright in the living room, smiling at her: "Alright, stop wandering around! Come and have a cup of chrysanthemum tea to cool down."

"Drinking tea? You actually have the mood to drink tea here?!" Yuan Liu Niang stepped forward, snatched his teacup, and slammed it onto the table. "Don't drink it! Curse him for me!"

"Why is this young lady so irritable?" The fourth brother shook his head, somewhat wistfully, "Sixth Sister, you weren't like this before..."

Think back to how sensitive and pretentious Yuan Liu Niang was when she was first abducted to the mountain, and then look at her now, so fiery and prone to getting angry at the slightest provocation—tsk tsk, she's practically a completely different person.

"Isn't this something you guys infected me with?!"

Spending all her time with these roughnecks, who is she trying to impress with her pretentious act? She'd be better off practicing her martial arts skills!

She sat down on the other side, irritated, and calmed herself down. Her delicate peach blossom eyes narrowed slightly, and her expression became serious: "Tell me, what exactly does this Prince Cheng's Mansion mean?"

Yuan Liu Niang's drastic personality change is inextricably linked to the smiling tiger, Lao Si. Yuan Liu Niang was initially assigned to manage the gambling den and money exchange with Lao Si, but she suffered many hidden losses under his control.

Later she realized that crying was useless after being taken advantage of; Lin Qiang wouldn't help her. Being dramatic was pointless; no one would comfort her. She sulked alone, turning herself into a pufferfish with anger, but still, nobody paid her any attention!

So she understood: if you're wronged, retaliate! If someone provokes you, punch them back! If you can't beat them, use your intelligence to get revenge! The more she and Lao Si schemed and harmed each other, the less resentment they had for each other. Isn't that amazing?

"It means exactly what you think."

Over three years, the fourth brother and Yuan Liu Niang went from disliking each other to becoming true partners, able to see through each other's thoughts at a glance.

“We’ve just arrived in the capital and haven’t offended him. He’s doing this simply to get us to come to him so he can win us over. Are you going?”

"Go! Why wouldn't you go?!"

Yuan Liu Niang stood up abruptly.

"I said I'd open the Fengyun Restaurant as a surprise for the boss. Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll kill them!"

He's just a crippled prince.

She has the ability to open banks and gambling dens in the fiefdoms of various lords, so why would she be afraid of a petty person who only knows how to use underhanded tricks behind people's backs?!

**

Meanwhile, Lin Qiang and his group headed straight for the capital after leaving Lingnan.

The scenery along the way was quite beautiful. Lin Qiang sent Wild Wolf and Cheng Mingyu to handle the affairs of Fengyunxu, while he leisurely rode his horse alone.

In fact, people who have experienced life and death have become indifferent to fame and fortune.

He has no ambition, nor is there anything he absolutely must do. Everything he does now is simply to avoid being controlled by others and to live according to his own will.

Thinking of this, the little girl's cunning face reappeared in his mind.

Why leave?

He met the right person at the right time. That person is irreplaceable. No matter how good others are, they have nothing to do with him, and they are certainly not his vibrant and radiant little girl.

In this unfamiliar world, her presence gave him a sense of belonging. He wanted to accompany her as she grew up, to watch her blossom, to see her sly and triumphant smile, to cherish her dearly, and to spoil her to the extreme.

But in the end, she was lost...

"Girl, are you blaming me?"

Did my answer that day disappoint you?

In the palace, Yuan Qiong stood on the highest palace wall, her gaze distant, her robes fluttering in the wind, as if trying to travel across a vast distance to see the great mountain from her memory.

"Your Majesty..."

This version of Yuan Qiong felt unfamiliar to Xiao Zhi.

Almost every month, the Empress would come here several times, gazing in a certain direction.

"His Majesty is waking up soon..."

"I understand. You may leave now."

"promise."

On the magnificent palace walls, only the woman in the phoenix robe remained.

She sat down, leaning against a red palace pillar, hugging her knees and resting her chin on them. She was completely devoid of her usual aloof and dignified demeanor as the Empress.

On the tranquil city wall, only the sound of the wind could be heard. After a long while, she murmured something as if in a dream.

"Big Beard, I miss you."

Everyone makes mistakes when they are young. Some mistakes can be made up for, but some mistakes cannot be undone.

As the eldest daughter of the Yuan family, she enjoyed the family's privileges and was obligated to contribute to them. Her grandfather would not allow her to resist the marriage. All she could do was bring back a forged copy of "Fu Yuan's Notes" made from military strategy, so that her grandfather would no longer keep an eye on Black Cloud Village.

If she wants to break free from her grandfather's control and escape the shackles on her body, she needs to have enough power.

But she can only obtain rights through her own efforts...

**

Spring mountains, warm sun and gentle breeze, balustrades, pavilions and curtains, willows and swings in the courtyard.

At the foot of Zifang Mountain outside Yandu, there is an exquisitely crafted villa named Xunluo, built by Yuwen Zhe based on his memories. In her previous life, Hua Wenluo loved to hold literary gatherings at Xunluo Villa and make friends with famous scholars from all over the world.

In this life, without the mistress of the house, it has become a place for Yuwen Zhe to relax, meet with officials in private, and hold secret meetings.

After several years of maneuvering, nearly half of the ministers in the court have been won over by Yuwen Zhe. Most of them have long suffered under the Yuan clan, but dared not speak out due to the prime minister's authority. However, now that Prince Cheng's power is growing, they see a new opportunity.

However, this time, the gathering brought only unfortunate news.

"Your Highness, the Grand Physicians Fei Zheng and Zhao Long have had their homes confiscated by the Empress Dowager!"

"She's just a woman in the imperial harem, yet she dares to interfere in state affairs! And His Majesty doesn't care at all, listening to her every word. If this continues, the Great Yan Dynasty is in grave danger!"

"With the Yuan clan controlling the previous dynasty and Empress Yuan ruling the harem, the empire will inevitably fall under the Yuan family sooner or later! Moreover, she now wants Prince Cheng to leave the capital and go to his fiefdom. This is simply outrageous!"

"Yes, Doctor Shu's concerns are our concerns as well. Your Highness, you are our hope; you must not compromise with that Empress Yuan!"

"......"

The man with his hair tied up in a jade crown sat in a wheelchair with his eyes closed, listening to a group of ministers accusing the Yuan family of their crimes, his face expressionless.

"Treachery and corruption are rampant, and the feudal lords are stirring up trouble. The people are living in misery. Your Highness, you cannot ignore this!"

The official knew he had made a mistake as soon as he spoke.

The first thing the new emperor did upon ascending the throne was to grant his favored younger brother a prime fiefdom. To be precise, Prince Cheng, Yuwen Zhe, was one of many princes, but due to the emperor's favor, he remained in the capital.

Therefore, as soon as he said this, he was extremely uneasy. He glanced at Yuwen Zhe's expression and only felt relieved when he saw that he was not dissatisfied.

The others also looked expectantly at Yuwen Zhe, waiting for him to speak.

"Yuan Qiong cannot do anything to me."

Yuwen Zhe opened his eyes, his tone firm and confident. His aura as the male lead was no joke; a single sentence from him instantly put the ministers at ease.

"No one can force me to return to my fiefdom unless I say so!"

"In that case, we can rest assured! The hope of the Yan Kingdom rests on Your Highness. If there is anything you need, please just give us your orders, and we will do our utmost to help you even at the cost of our lives!"

After the officials pledged their loyalty, Yuwen Zhe offered a few words of reassurance and then sent them back.

He stood up and walked into the garden, feeling both excited and regretful.

Excitingly, Yuan Qiong finally began to make her move. Everyone had assumed she was an appendage of the Yuan family, merely representing their interests.

Only he knew that she was plotting for herself, trying to break free from Yuan Su's control. This was his chance.

Unfortunately, the person who was by his side in his previous life has vanished without a trace in this one, leaving him truly alone.

Remembering Hua Wenluo's past as a courtesan, he already harbored the worst-case scenario in his mind: "Wenluo, as long as you are still in this world, I will find you. No matter what you become, I will not despise you..."

dislike?

Yuan Liu Niang, carrying gifts and preparing to go to collect the debt, cracked her knuckles.

Anyone who dares to look down on me, just try it!

Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants!

Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:

Even the top bunkmate who's terrible at naming things gets a name from one bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!