ãYe Yuâs mother, Lady Zhou, though residing in the inner palace, had heard of the schemes and deceit in the court.ã
ãShe cherished Ye Yu as her only son, naturally treating him as a treasure.ã
ãThus, Lady Zhou immediately went to the Yangxin Hall to beg for forgiveness from Ye Kuiliang.ã
ãShe claimed it was her lack of proper guidance that led Ye Yu to act somewhat flamboyant.ã
ãShe pleaded with the emperor to be lenient and not to punish Ye Yu too harshly, considering his youth and ignorance.ã
ãThis was not because Lady Zhou was overly cautious.ã
ãRather, it was due to the allure of the crown princeâs position, making the princes of Great Yong Dynasty act like hungry wolves.ã
ãThey were all watching each other closely, ready to pounce on any mistake made by their brothers.ã
ãShould one of them make a mistake, they would unite to attack and eliminate him, thus reducing a competitor.ã
ãIf nothing unexpected happened, the morning court session would see not only ministers but also other princes condemning Ye Yu.ã
ãAfter all, no one would want to miss the chance to eliminate a rival.ã
ãHowever, what was unexpected was that Ye Kuiliang suddenly burst into laughter.ã
ãYe Yuâs ignorance and youth were just a huge joke.ã
ãWasnât it just a way to distance himself from the fight for the throne by deliberately acting arrogant and wasteful?ã
ãBut since he was a prince of the Great Yong Dynasty, he had responsibilities.ã
ãThe throne wasnât something he could simply avoid contesting by choice. He must compete!ã
ãHearing Ye Kuiliangâs words, Lady Zhou was momentarily stunned.ã
ãThen she quickly realized.ã
ãIndeed, if one were to say that Ye Yu was disrespectful and arrogant, it would be an exaggeration.ã
ãDuring his years in the palace, aside from his fondness for squandering money and his one-time altercation with the Fifteenth Prince, Ye Yu had committed no wrongdoing.ã
ãAfter his departure to open a manor, his sudden display of arrogance and wastefulness seemed somewhat abnormal.ã
ãIf he were using this to avoid competing for the throne, it was indeed not out of the question.ã
ãAfter all, Ye Yu had repeatedly stated his disinterest in the throne.ã
ãLady Zhou had long since come to terms with it.ã
ãIf he didnât compete, so be it. Being a leisurely prince, living in peace, was fine too.ã
ãBut now, Ye Kuiliangâs intention was to make Ye Yu participate in the fight for the crown prince.ã
ãLady Zhou frowned slightly.ã
ãShe tentatively said: Your Majesty, Ye Yu has been resolutely unwilling to vie for the crown prince position since he was young.ã
ãForcing him wonât help!ã
ãYe Kuiliang coldly replied: Who says it wonât help? Starting tomorrow, I will make him compete for the position, whether he wants to or not, he must fight for it!ã
ãThat night, Ye Kuiliang ordered someone to summon Ye Yu to the palace.ã
ãSeeing the palace eunuchs coming to find him, Ye Yu showed no fear, but rather a hint of joy.ã
ãHe strode towards the palace with large steps.ã
ãInside Yangxin Hall, Ye Yu first bowed and saluted Ye Kuiliang.ã
ãBut he received no response for a long time.ã
ãYe Kuiliang seemed to be ignoring him, continuing to handle the documents.ã
ãSeeing this, Ye Yu couldnât help but sneer.ã
ãAre you showing off your power? ã
ãYou want me to bend over in submission, begging for mercy?ã
ãToo naive, rebellious father!ã
ãYe Yu spoke directly: Thank you, Father.ã
ãThen he straightened up on his own.ã
ãThis action left Ye Kuiliang dumbfounded.ã
ãHe immediately asked: Did I say you could stand up?ã
ãYe Yu nodded: You did, and I heard it clearly.ã
ãUpon hearing this, Ye Kuiliang was immediately left with a black line on his forehead.ã
ãThis kid was indeed audacious!ã@@novelbin@@
ãBut the more so, the more Ye Kuiliang found him likable.ã
ãThis wasnât surprising.ã
ãWhen all the princes were obedient and conventional, a unique character suddenly standing out naturally felt refreshing.ã
ãLike the saying, âThe dog licks and licks until it ends up with nothing.âã
ãYe Kuiliang didnât hold a grudge about it.ã
ãHe simply raised his hand lightly, and two eunuchs carried a square table and placed it in front of Ye Yu.ã
ãOn it were nearly a hundred memorials.ã
ãYe Kuiliang teased: These are all memorials to impeach you. Do you want to read them?ã
ãYe Yu decisively pushed the table aside.ã
ãHe seriously stated that there was no need to read the contents.ã
ãHis actions had been too unruly, infuriating the Prime Minister, forcibly purchasing properties, committing a major mistake.ã
ãYe Yu knew that this was a grave offense.ã
ãSo he willingly accepted the punishment and expulsion from the capital, never to return.ã
ãYe Kuiliang couldnât help but laugh.ã
ãAs expected, it was just as he had guessed.ã
ãYe Yuâs outlandish behavior was simply to escape the capital and avoid competing for the crown prince position.ã
ãThe idea was good, but in the face of absolute power, it all seemed pale and powerless.ã
ãYe Kuiliang slowly stood up.ã
ãHe bluntly stated that before the crown prince selection was made, none of the eighteen princes were allowed to leave the capital.ã
ãI know what youâre thinkingâyou donât want to compete for the crown prince position, right?ã
ãWell, Iâm going to make you compete.ã
ãI will tell everyone. Soon, you will become the crown prince of the Great Yong Dynasty.ã
ãThus, everyone will focus their attention on you.ã
ãThe other princes will also regard you as their primary competitor.ã
ãUpon hearing this, Ye Yuâs face instantly turned pale.ã
ãThrough the money he had scattered yesterday, his strength was steadily improving.ã
ãYe Yu believed it wouldnât be long before he reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.ã
ãBut such strength was far from enough for self-preservation.ã
ãWith seventeen princes, it was hard to ensure that none would become desperate enough to resort to extreme measures.ã
ãWhat if someone hired a cultivator to come assassinate him?ã
ãThat would be pure disaster!ã
ãYe Yuâs expression grew serious.ã
ãDamn it, this is a blatant scheme!ã
ãYe Kuiliang was determined to push him into the fire pit.ã
ãYe Yu was very angry.ã
ãHe said in a deep voice: Why do you have to target me like this? You know I have no interest in the throne.ã
ãYe Kuiliang smiled: Being born into the royal family, you must compete whether you want to or not; itâs your fate.ã
ãOf course, if youâre willing to actively compete, I wonât say anything.ã
ãYou can develop at your own pace.ã
ãBut you must compete for the position of crown prince just like the other princes.ã
ãBy the way, you like to squander money, right? Use silver to pave your way and let me see if you can buy your way to the crown prince position.ã
ãIâm really curious about that.ã
ãYe Kuiliangâs words seemed to open a new world for Ye Yu.ã
ãThe anger in his heart instantly dissipated.ã
ãYes, since he wanted to squander money, buying properties alone wouldnât be enough.ã
ãWhat truly burns money should be buying peopleâs hearts!ã