[On this day, Ye Yu formally informed Ye Kuiliang that he would start competing for the throne.]

[But since you want to see if silver can pave the way to the position of crown prince, it is impossible without some assistance.]

[Through Ye Yu’s persistent coaxing and hard bargaining, he managed to extract thirty thousand spirit stones from Ye Kuiliang.]

[The reason given was to support his dreams.]

[Looking at the missing storage ring in his hand, Ye Kuiliang sighed and lamented throughout the night in the Yangxin Hall.]

[How could he have been so misled by this boy?]

[However, before leaving, Ye Yu had also pledged a military order, saying that since he had received the money, he would indeed take action.]

[He would fight for the crown prince position as promised!]

[This assurance did provide Ye Kuiliang with some comfort.]

[When morning court convened, many officials and princes once again joined forces to accuse Ye Yu, insisting that the emperor must make a decision.]

[Yesterday, when faced with accusations, you said you needed to think about it.]

[Having thought about it all night, you should have made up your mind, right?]

[Faced with the outrage, Ye Kuiliang calmly said: I have already reprimanded Ye Yu last night. Let this matter be settled.]

[This statement caused everyone present to change color in shock.]

[Many princes frowned deeply, yet remained silent.]

[The prime minister, who had been fainted after being angered by Ye Yu, immediately stepped back.]

[Ye Kuiliang’s reaction was too strange.]

[A hundred accusations resulted in only a reprimand?]

[What did Ye Yu do that would make Ye Kuiliang protect him so?]

[Or is it that the sky of the Great Yong Dynasty is about to change?]

[At the same time, Ye Yu was not idle either; he proactively approached his grandfather, Zhou Baiwan.]

[The latter’s first action upon seeing him was to clench his fists to protect the storage ring on his hands.]

[It was not that Zhou Baiwan was stingy.]

[What 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.]

[This was the confidence of the head of the largest trading house in the Great Yong Dynasty.]

[However, starting from yesterday, Zhou Baiwan had already decided not to give Ye Yu any more large sums of money before he matured.]

[Zhou Baiwan was truly afraid that such money would harm Ye Yu.]

[With ten thousand spirit stones, you dared to buy the prime minister’s house. If given a hundred thousand, would you plan to buy the palace?]

[In this branch of the Zhou family, Ye Yu was the only descendant.]

[Zhou Baiwan did not want anything to happen to him.]

[Therefore, this silver and spirit stones were absolutely not going to be given again.]

[To make Ye Yu give up entirely, Zhou Baiwan decisively stated that anything else could be discussed, but money was out of the question.]

[Of course, only large amounts were refused; small amounts for pocket money were available.]

[Ye Yu scoffed.]

[He said: Grandfather, I don’t understand what large or small amounts mean. Just give me a hundred thousand spirit stones to start with.]

[Zhou Baiwan was almost driven mad.]

[Are you completely unable to understand what I’m saying?]

[You ask for a hundred thousand spirit stones directly. Do you know how many cultivators’ lives that amount could buy?]

[And you’re only fifteen; what do you need so many spirit stones for?]

[Even to raise elite guards, it’s not necessary to use so much.]

[Ye Yu slowly uttered the words.]

[I want to be the crown prince.]

[Time seemed to stand still.]

[Zhou Baiwan stood there, unmoving for a long while.]

[It wasn’t until a tear slowly rolled down his face that he came to his senses.]

[The first thing he did was go to the Zhou family ancestral hall and kneel before the ancestors.]

[He had finally understood.]

[Previously, Zhou Baiwan had heard from Lady Zhou that Ye Yu was not interested in the throne.]

[At first, Zhou Baiwan was somewhat disappointed.]

[After all, who wouldn’t want their child to sit in that position?]

[But Zhou Baiwan didn’t dwell on it too much. Soon, he had come to terms with it.]

[Since Ye Yu was the only heir, if he didn’t want to fight for the throne, so be it.]

[With the Zhou family backing him, being the richest prince in the Great Yong Dynasty wouldn’t be so bad.]

[But now, a mischievous child who had been idle for so long suddenly declared his intention to join the struggle for the crown prince.]

[Isn’t this a sign of growing up?]

[After howling in the Zhou family ancestral hall, Zhou Baiwan emerged, full of vigor.]

[Good grandson, since you want to vie for the crown prince position, grandfather will definitely support you wholeheartedly.]

[If a hundred thousand isn’t enough, take two hundred thousand first and use more if needed.]

[The Zhou family may not have much, but we have plenty of money!]

[At this moment, Ye Yu finally saw the dominance expected of the head of a trading house in Zhou Baiwan.]

[To be honest, there’s a certain inexplicable charm in men when they talk about money.]

[After obtaining the spirit stones, Ye Yu officially embarked on the path of vying for the crown prince position.]

[The first step was to win over some ministers.]

[After all, one must have influence in the court, right?]

[But these ministers had also heard of Ye Yu’s reputation for spending extravagantly.]

[At first, they were all unwilling to meet or interact with him.]

[Because the ministers also needed to choose sides.]

[Only those who earned the favor of the dragon would have a chance to soar. To continue shining brightly.]

[But Ye Yu, no matter how you looked at him, didn’t seem like someone who could become the crown prince.]

[So, when the ministers heard about Ye Yu’s visit, they all shut their doors and refused to see him.]

[This situation made Ye Yu very upset.]

[If you won’t let me squander money, then you’re my enemy!]

[That day, he called in the Zhou family’s cultivators and had them break the legs of the minister, Sun Longhai.]

[Ye Yu then went to visit him, feigning kindness.]

[He presented a generous token of his goodwill.]

[Before leaving, he even patted Sun Longhai’s shoulder warmly.]

[He told him that a broken leg was nothing compared to the real pain of losing a third leg.]

[If you close your doors again, you know the consequences.]

[Of course, you can also write a memorial to the emperor and accuse me!]

[After hearing these words, Sun Longhai’s face turned ashen.]

[He was merely a third-rank minister.]

[This prince in front of him had even made the prime minister faint with rage.]

[And nothing happened to him in the end.]

[What if his leg was broken?]

[Besides, there was no direct evidence proving that Ye Yu was behind it.]

[So how could he report it? With what evidence?]

[Sun Longhai’s mind raced.]

[Before 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.]

[Choosing to surrender for the sake of preserving one’s life wasn’t shameful.]

[Moreover, with Ye Yu’s methods, who would dare say he lacked the means to vie for the crown prince position?]