ãOn this day, Ye Yu formally informed Ye Kuiliang that he would start competing for the throne.ã
ãBut since you want to see if silver can pave the way to the position of crown prince, it is impossible without some assistance.ã
ãThrough Ye Yuâs persistent coaxing and hard bargaining, he managed to extract thirty thousand spirit stones from Ye Kuiliang.ã
ãThe reason given was to support his dreams.ã
ãLooking at the missing storage ring in his hand, Ye Kuiliang sighed and lamented throughout the night in the Yangxin Hall.ã
ãHow could he have been so misled by this boy?ã
ãHowever, before leaving, Ye Yu had also pledged a military order, saying that since he had received the money, he would indeed take action.ã
ãHe would fight for the crown prince position as promised!ã
ãThis assurance did provide Ye Kuiliang with some comfort.ã
ãWhen morning court convened, many officials and princes once again joined forces to accuse Ye Yu, insisting that the emperor must make a decision.ã
ãYesterday, when faced with accusations, you said you needed to think about it.ã
ãHaving thought about it all night, you should have made up your mind, right?ã
ãFaced with the outrage, Ye Kuiliang calmly said: I have already reprimanded Ye Yu last night. Let this matter be settled.ã
ãThis statement caused everyone present to change color in shock.ã
ãMany princes frowned deeply, yet remained silent.ã
ãThe prime minister, who had been fainted after being angered by Ye Yu, immediately stepped back.ã
ãYe Kuiliangâs reaction was too strange.ã
ãA hundred accusations resulted in only a reprimand?ã
ãWhat did Ye Yu do that would make Ye Kuiliang protect him so?ã
ãOr is it that the sky of the Great Yong Dynasty is about to change?ã
ãAt the same time, Ye Yu was not idle either; he proactively approached his grandfather, Zhou Baiwan.ã
ãThe latterâs first action upon seeing him was to clench his fists to protect the storage ring on his hands.ã
ãIt was not that Zhou Baiwan was stingy.ã
ãWhat he had given Ye Yu the day before might seem like a vast fortune to others, but to Zhou Baiwan, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.ã
ãThis was the confidence of the head of the largest trading house in the Great Yong Dynasty.ã
ãHowever, starting from yesterday, Zhou Baiwan had already decided not to give Ye Yu any more large sums of money before he matured.ã
ãZhou Baiwan was truly afraid that such money would harm Ye Yu.ã
ãWith ten thousand spirit stones, you dared to buy the prime ministerâs house. If given a hundred thousand, would you plan to buy the palace?ã
ãIn this branch of the Zhou family, Ye Yu was the only descendant.ã
ãZhou Baiwan did not want anything to happen to him.ã
ãTherefore, this silver and spirit stones were absolutely not going to be given again.ã
ãTo make Ye Yu give up entirely, Zhou Baiwan decisively stated that anything else could be discussed, but money was out of the question.ã
ãOf course, only large amounts were refused; small amounts for pocket money were available.ã
ãYe Yu scoffed.ã
ãHe said: Grandfather, I donât understand what large or small amounts mean. Just give me a hundred thousand spirit stones to start with.ã
ãZhou Baiwan was almost driven mad.ã
ãAre you completely unable to understand what Iâm saying?ã
ãYou ask for a hundred thousand spirit stones directly. Do you know how many cultivatorsâ lives that amount could buy?ã
ãAnd youâre only fifteen; what do you need so many spirit stones for?ã
ãEven to raise elite guards, itâs not necessary to use so much.ã
ãYe Yu slowly uttered the words.ã
ãI want to be the crown prince.ã
ãTime seemed to stand still.ã
ãZhou Baiwan stood there, unmoving for a long while.ã
ãIt wasnât until a tear slowly rolled down his face that he came to his senses.ã
ãThe first thing he did was go to the Zhou family ancestral hall and kneel before the ancestors.ã
ãHe had finally understood.ã
ãPreviously, Zhou Baiwan had heard from Lady Zhou that Ye Yu was not interested in the throne.ã
ãAt first, Zhou Baiwan was somewhat disappointed.ã@@novelbin@@
ãAfter all, who wouldnât want their child to sit in that position?ã
ãBut Zhou Baiwan didnât dwell on it too much. Soon, he had come to terms with it.ã
ãSince Ye Yu was the only heir, if he didnât want to fight for the throne, so be it.ã
ãWith the Zhou family backing him, being the richest prince in the Great Yong Dynasty wouldnât be so bad.ã
ãBut now, a mischievous child who had been idle for so long suddenly declared his intention to join the struggle for the crown prince.ã
ãIsnât this a sign of growing up?ã
ãAfter howling in the Zhou family ancestral hall, Zhou Baiwan emerged, full of vigor.ã
ãGood grandson, since you want to vie for the crown prince position, grandfather will definitely support you wholeheartedly.ã
ãIf a hundred thousand isnât enough, take two hundred thousand first and use more if needed.ã
ãThe Zhou family may not have much, but we have plenty of money!ã
ãAt this moment, Ye Yu finally saw the dominance expected of the head of a trading house in Zhou Baiwan.ã
ãTo be honest, thereâs a certain inexplicable charm in men when they talk about money.ã
ãAfter obtaining the spirit stones, Ye Yu officially embarked on the path of vying for the crown prince position.ã
ãThe first step was to win over some ministers.ã
ãAfter all, one must have influence in the court, right?ã
ãBut these ministers had also heard of Ye Yuâs reputation for spending extravagantly.ã
ãAt first, they were all unwilling to meet or interact with him.ã
ãBecause the ministers also needed to choose sides.ã
ãOnly those who earned the favor of the dragon would have a chance to soar. To continue shining brightly.ã
ãBut Ye Yu, no matter how you looked at him, didnât seem like someone who could become the crown prince.ã
ãSo, when the ministers heard about Ye Yuâs visit, they all shut their doors and refused to see him.ã
ãThis situation made Ye Yu very upset.ã
ãIf you wonât let me squander money, then youâre my enemy!ã
ãThat day, he called in the Zhou familyâs cultivators and had them break the legs of the minister, Sun Longhai.ã
ãYe Yu then went to visit him, feigning kindness.ã
ãHe presented a generous token of his goodwill.ã
ãBefore leaving, he even patted Sun Longhaiâs shoulder warmly.ã
ãHe told him that a broken leg was nothing compared to the real pain of losing a third leg.ã
ãIf you close your doors again, you know the consequences.ã
ãOf course, you can also write a memorial to the emperor and accuse me!ã
ãAfter hearing these words, Sun Longhaiâs face turned ashen.ã
ãHe was merely a third-rank minister.ã
ãThis prince in front of him had even made the prime minister faint with rage.ã
ãAnd nothing happened to him in the end.ã
ãWhat if his leg was broken?ã
ãBesides, there was no direct evidence proving that Ye Yu was behind it.ã
ãSo how could he report it? With what evidence?ã
ãSun Longhaiâs mind raced.ã
ãBefore Ye Yu was about to leave, he dragged his broken leg and loudly declared: I, Sun Longhai, am willing to serve the Sixteenth Prince and follow him with utmost loyalty.ã
ãChoosing to surrender for the sake of preserving oneâs life wasnât shameful.ã
ãMoreover, with Ye Yuâs methods, who would dare say he lacked the means to vie for the crown prince position?ã