I, a spoiled young master, conquered the Crown Princess right from the start!

"You!" Zhuge Yue's face darkened instantly, a surge of shame and anger at being mocked welling up inside her.

"Outrageous!" The steward beside him roared in fury, pointing at Chu Feng and shouting, "What do you mean by this? If you have no intention of proposing marriage, why did you step onto the Zhuge family's arena? Are you making a fool of the Zhuge family?!"

Chu Feng picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and then raised his eyelids, his gaze falling on Zhuge Yue's fair neck.

"I've come up here simply to know where Miss Zhuge got this jade pendant around her neck?"

Upon hearing this, the butler's expression changed drastically, and his eyes instantly became extremely wary.

Zhuge Yue's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously covered the crystal-clear jade pendant on her chest, her beautiful eyes narrowed as she stared intently at Chu Feng.

"Your Highness, do you recognize this?"

"I am naturally aware of the spirit stones used by martial arts cultivators," Chu Feng said calmly.

"Martial monk!"

"Spirit Stones!"

These two words struck like bolts from the blue, completely changing the expressions of Zhuge Yue and the steward.

Their Zhuge family's biggest secret was revealed by this outsider!

Zhuge Yue took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in her heart. She looked at Chu Feng with an extremely complicated expression.

"Young Master Chu, do you want this spirit stone?" she asked tentatively.

"That's right." Chu Feng put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and his dark eyes seemed to see right through people. "I'll take as many as you have."

The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense and confrontational.

Zhuge Yue remained silent for a long time before suddenly smiling. Her smile carried a profound meaning, as well as a sense of desperate gambling.

"I can," she said slowly, "unless, Prince Chu is willing to marry me, and I cannot be a concubine."

Otherwise, there's no point in discussing anything further.

After saying that, she stood up abruptly, giving Chu Feng no chance to speak again, and turned to leave, her skirt tracing a cold arc.

"Miss!" The butler hurriedly followed.

Only Chu Feng remained in the private room.

He rested his chin on his hand, seemingly lost in thought.

"Little brother, why waste your breath on her?" The enchantress's voice echoed in his mind, filled with disdain. "Just storm into their house, capture the entire Zhuge family, and you'll surely find out the whereabouts of the spirit stone mine."

"Since you can sense the energy aura, can't you sense the exact location of this spirit stone vein?" Chu Feng asked in his mind.

"No," the demoness said somewhat dejectedly. "The aura of that spirit stone vein seems to be concealed by some extremely sophisticated formation. I can only sense a general location, not a precise one. Otherwise, there would be no need for such trouble."

"It seems we have no choice but to resort to force." A cold glint flashed in Chu Feng's eyes.

……

The night was as deep and still as water.

The Zhuge family's study.

"Father, that's how it is." Zhuge Yue recounted the events of the day to the middle-aged man in front of him, who was dressed in a scholar's robe and had a refined demeanor.

This person was none other than Zhuge Qingyun, the head of the Zhuge family and a peerless genius who was once known as "reading books to the point of reaching the realm of celestial phenomena".

"A spoiled brat, how dare he know about the existence of spirit stones and cultivators?" Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingyun's usually calm face showed a serious expression for the first time. "This is no small matter! The secret of my Zhuge family's possession of spirit stone mines must not be revealed! This boy must not be allowed to live!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was filled with an undeniable killing intent.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Yue's expression changed slightly: "But Father, he is, after all, the grandson of the Prince of Zhenbei. If we harm him, what will happen to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion..."

"Hmph, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion?" Zhuge Qingyun sneered. "The Zhenbei Prince's Mansion is already at its last gasp, regarded as a thorn in the side by the Great Qian royal family. Its destruction is only a matter of time! If we kill it, the royal family might even thank us."

Just then, the butler hurriedly walked in from outside.

"Master, Miss, His Highness the Fifth Prince requests an audience."

"Let him in."

Soon, Lu Chen entered the study under the guidance of the butler.

"Junior Lu Chen greets Mr. Zhuge." Lu Chen bowed respectfully to Zhuge Qingyun.

"What brings the Fifth Prince here so late at night?" Zhuge Qingyun asked bluntly.

Lu Chen glanced at Zhuge Yue beside him, a burning glint in his eyes, before he said solemnly, "I have come today still to seek Miss Yue'er's hand in marriage. I can guarantee that if Miss Yue'er marries me, after I ascend the throne, she will be the Empress of this Great Qian!"

"Does the Fifth Prince intend to use the power of my Zhuge family to help you ascend the throne?" Zhuge Qingyun revealed his intentions in one sentence.

"That's right!" Lu Chen made no attempt to hide his ambition. "As long as you and the Zhuge family are willing to help me, and with my teacher's influence as the greatest Confucian scholar in the Great Qian Dynasty, the position of Crown Prince will be within my grasp!"

"If I become emperor in the future, the Zhuge family will be the foremost aristocratic family in our Great Qian Dynasty, wielding immense power and influence, unmatched by anyone!"

The blueprint he painted was full of endless allure.

A flicker of interest also flashed in Zhuge Qingyun's eyes.

However, at this crucial moment, a playful voice rang out unexpectedly in the study, breaking the delicate atmosphere.

"The Fifth Prince has quite the ambition."

The moment the words fell, a black figure appeared in the center of the study like a ghost.

If it's not Chu Feng, then who is it!

"You!" Lu Chen looked at Chu Feng as if he had seen a ghost, pointing at him, too horrified to speak.

Zhuge Qingyun's pupils constricted sharply. He abruptly stood up, his powerful aura locking onto Chu Feng, and shouted sternly, "How did you get in?!"

"I thought I'd come, so I did." Chu Feng shrugged indifferently, pulled up a chair and sat down, his demeanor even more casual than if he were at home.

The atmosphere in the study froze at freezing point the moment Chu Feng appeared.

Lu Chen recovered from his initial shock. Looking at the menacing figure before him, he felt fear, but the thought of his powerful backer and the strength of the Zhuge family emboldened him.

A glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly spoke, "Chu Feng, I know you are quite capable. But are you aware of the current predicament of your Zhenbei Prince's Mansion? My father has long regarded you as a major threat and wants to eliminate you as soon as possible!"

"If you are willing to lead the Zhenbei Army and pledge your loyalty to me, I can guarantee that after I ascend the throne, the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion will remain the foremost princely mansion in the Great Qian Dynasty, unshakeable by anyone!"

He actually wanted to recruit Chu Feng at this time.

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Qingyun's heart stirred. If they could truly bring the Zhenbei Army, this fierce tiger, under their command, it would be a tremendous help to Lu Chen in his quest for the throne.

After hearing this, Chu Feng seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He sneered and looked at Lu Chen as if he were looking at an idiot.

"I don't like to be subordinate to others."

"Why don't you pledge your allegiance to me? I can help you ascend the throne, what do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen's face instantly darkened.

"You want to make me your puppet?!"

"How can you call it a puppet?" Chu Feng shrugged, smiling innocently. "It's called being a wise man when you know when to yield."

"You're dreaming!" Lu Chen roared in fury, completely abandoning all pretense of civility.

"Oh, you refuse?" Chu Feng's smile vanished instantly, replaced by indifference. "Then die."

Before he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.