A bustling restaurant in the heart of the capital.
Inside a private room, a veiled woman knelt silently behind Lu Shuyun. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stood by the window, his gaze fixed on a distant attic, lost in thought.
After a long silence, his voice finally broke the stillness.
"It's been so long… yet the Misty Rain Pavilion has remained idle. Tell me, what's the point of me supporting your faction if you can't even deliver results?"
Startled, the veiled woman behind him quickly replied,"Your Highness, the Saint has already made contact with the Northern King. Once she confirms that the mysterious master has left the Northern King's Palace, she will strike. I believe she will complete the mission soon!"
Lu Shuyun's tone turned frigid, "Soon? What I need is a definite time, not empty promises."
The woman fell silent, sensing the danger in his voice.
Just then, a man entered the room briskly.
"Your Highness, the Blood Moon Tower has agreed to the contract. However, they've demanded five times the usual price this time. That said, they'll send the Deputy Tower Master personally."
At that, a sliver of anger faded from Lu Shuyun's eyes.
Originally, he hadn't planned to involve the Blood Moon Tower again. Their previous assassination attempt had ended in failure. Besides, he had long cultivated agents from the Misty Rain Pavilion in Beijun and intended for them to handle things quietly.
But lately, voices supporting the idea of a neutral crown prince had been growing louder. That growing public opinion made Lu Shuyun feel a sense of urgency. He needed the Chu family's backing as soon as possible.
Securing the Chu family's support would essentially mean winning over the Jiangnan aristocratic clans. That, in turn, would dramatically increase his chances of becoming the crown prince.
Lu Shuyun had already attempted to build connections with the Chu family. Unfortunately, their response had been lukewarm. It was clear they hadn't completely abandoned his incompetent younger brother.
In Lu Shuyun's eyes, the mysterious master at Lu Chen's side had to be someone dispatched by the Chu family. If the Chu family had really abandoned Lu Chen, why would they still bother to assign someone of that caliber to protect him?
So, Lu Chen had to die.
He turned to the man who had brought the message.
"How strong is the Deputy Tower Master?"
"Your Highness," the man replied, "it is said that he's reached the level of a half-step grandmaster."
Lu Shuyun narrowed his eyes, thinking it over.
Even if the grandmaster beside Lu Chen was still present, the deputy leader of the Blood Moon Tower should be able to stall him. That would leave the rest of the assassins a chance to eliminate Lu Chen. Moreover, the Misty Rain Pavilion had also sent several experts to Beijun. Lu Chen had, at most, one grandmaster and Chu Yuqin by his side.
As for Li Feng? A mere seventh-grade cultivator—not even worth considering.
Lu Shuyun gave the order coldly,
"Tell the Blood Moon Tower: I accept their price. Five times the gold it is. But in exchange, I want to see the head of the King of the North."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The man gave a swift bow and left the room, leaving behind only the veiled woman.
Lu Shuyun turned to her.
"Write a letter to Wang Qingci immediately. Tell her to cooperate with the Blood Moon Tower's operation. If the Grandmaster of the Northern Prince Palace is drawn away, Misty Rain Pavilion must strike immediately."
"Understood."
The woman stood and exited.
Lu Shuyun walked to the window, placing his hands on the sill, gazing at the direction of the imperial palace. His fingers drummed against the wood rhythmically, a chilling smile spreading across his face.
"My dear brother… it's almost time for you to step down."
---
Meanwhile, at the residence of the Eldest Prince, Lu Yi sat comfortably with a scroll of intelligence in his hand, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Little Shuyun… ruthless as always," Lu Yi murmured. "Xiao Chen's already gone to Beijun, yet he still refuses to let him off the hook."
Beside him, a retainer in gray robes asked calmly, "Your Highness, what will you do this time?"
Lu Yi gave it some thought.
"I thought spreading rumors about a powerful expert protecting Xiao Chen would make Shuyun back down. Seems it had no effect."
He placed the scroll down and continued,
"Xiao Chen must not die. If he does, how will I win over the Chu family?"
Unlike Lu Shuyun, Lu Yi came from a different maternal clan. Their positions, ambitions, and methods were vastly different.
Lu Shuyun's strategy was to eliminate Lu Chen, thereby forcing the Chu family's hand. His mother also hailed from a Jiangnan clan. Without Lu Chen in the equation, those clans would have no choice but to support him wholeheartedly.
But Lu Yi saw things differently.
To him, Lu Chen was still Chu Xiong's grandson—the patriarch of the Chu family. Even if the Chu clan had abandoned Lu Chen in terms of political strategy, Chu Xiong likely still harbored personal affection for him.
Eliminating Lu Chen now would mean offending Chu Xiong directly.
Even if the larger Jiangnan clans had no choice but to support Lu Shuyun in the future, this incident would plant a seed of resentment in Chu Xiong's heart.
What Lu Yi wanted was simple: win the Chu family's goodwill and, in doing so, slowly divide them from the other Jiangnan clans.
That was why Lu Yi favored protecting Lu Chen.
Besides, to him, Lu Chen was nothing but a fool—uneducated and useless. He posed no real threat to Lu Yi's bid for the throne.
In fact, if Lu Yi became emperor, he could even prop Lu Chen up as the new figurehead of the Jiangnan clans. A simpleton like Lu Chen would be far easier to control than the cunning aristocrats of Jiangnan.
With that thought, Lu Yi turned to a guest seated beside him.
"Mo Dongping, go spread the news that the Deputy Tower Master of the Blood Moon Tower is heading to Beijun."
This piece of information might not save Lu Chen's life—but Lu Yi could only help him this far.
After that, whether Lu Chen survived or not would depend entirely on his own fate.
---
Back in Beijun, Lu Chen remained unaware of the looming storm in the capital.
He spent his days at leisure in the Prince's Mansion, cultivating his relationship with Zhou Youyou.
With Mu Zixuan and Zhou Xiaoxiao both pregnant, Zhou Youyou was the only one left to serve him, which left her both exhausted and overwhelmed.
Lu Chen, now a fourth-rank warrior, had recently taken the Dragon-Tiger Pill. With his enhanced strength and vigor, the delicate Zhou Youyou could no longer keep up with his growing appetite.
---
North Courtyard.
Mu Zixuan and Zhou Xiaoxiao strolled side by side, chatting softly.
Based on the perfume formulas Lu Chen had provided, they had already created several varieties. The North Courtyard was filled with all kinds of blossoming flowers, and the two women planned to experiment further, using those flowers to develop more perfumes.
As they approached the yard, they suddenly heard a faint moan drifting from the distant pavilion—sometimes soft, sometimes high-pitched.
Their footsteps paused.
Two young maids—assigned to assist Zhou Youyou—approached with flushed cheeks, their eyes darting nervously.
"Greetings, Princess."
Mu Zixuan and Zhou Xiaoxiao exchanged knowing glances. Just one look at the maids' embarrassed faces was enough to guess what was happening inside the pavilion.
Zhou Xiaoxiao hesitated, then spoke in a soft voice, "Sister, now that I'm pregnant… Youyou is the only one left to serve the Prince. And it seems he's been… increasingly energetic lately. She's having trouble coping. Should we… ask if he's willing to take another concubine?"
She was only a concubine herself—it would be inappropriate for her to raise such a matter directly. The final decision could only come from Mu Zixuan, the legitimate princess and the mistress of the Northern Prince's Mansion.
Mu Zixuan let out a quiet sigh.
"Sister… I've actually already brought it up with him."
Zhou Xiaoxiao blinked in surprise.
Mu Zixuan continued, "The Prince said he'd rather have none than accept someone unworthy. He doesn't like ordinary women."
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