Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

Cang Mingze's face turned pale, and he was so angry that his vision blurred.

Finally, he closed his eyes and fainted.

The Crown Prince glanced at him and asked in surprise, "Second Brother, did you... faint from being moved?"

Everyone: "..."

Does he look touched to you?

The crown prince shook his head helplessly and ignored Cang Mingze.

He turned around and his face turned cold: "Prefect Yuan, this is the third leader of Qinghuang Mountain."

His house might be a bandit's den. As the prefect of a prefecture, you must investigate this thoroughly.

Yuan Fuhai quickly bowed and said, "Yes, Your Highness, this old minister will definitely investigate this residence thoroughly."

The Crown Prince nodded in satisfaction, "Good, Prefect Yuan, I trust you with this matter!"

After saying that, he added, "I just don't know why the Second Prince is here."

He even settled Fu'er here. Could it be that he and the Third Master Wen really had been together for a long time...?

The crown prince had a meaningful look on his face.

Everyone was also having wild thoughts.

The Crown Prince smiled and turned to walk out side by side with Ying Yufu.

Princess Mingluan stared intently at Ying Yufu's figure, her eyes blazing with a frenzied killing intent.

Ying Yufu escaped again.

How could she be so lucky?

Their carefully planned scheme not only failed to win her over, but also angered the second prince...

Mingluan looked at the unconscious Second Prince, her eyes red with anger.

Beside her, the usually low-key Su Jinyu spoke softly, "Mingluan, if we don't get rid of her this time, we'll have another chance."

Mingluan looked at him and said, "Next time, I'll make sure Ying Yufu can't recover!"

Mingluan clenched her fists fiercely.

Su Jinyu smiled reassuringly and said, "Don't be angry. Let's take the Second Prince back and wait for him to wake up."

Mingluan looked at the Second Prince and nodded slightly.

Mingluan went to the Second Prince's side, while Su Jinyu moved slightly to Rong Qing's side.

"Brother Rong, what do you think?"

Rong Qing looked at him with a subtle expression: "Young Master Su, do you really think the Second Prince and that Young Master Wen, they really are..."

Su Jinyu's face darkened.

He looked at Rong Qing with a troubled expression. "Brother Rong, you didn't actually believe Ying Yufu's nonsense, did you? That was clearly..."

Rong Qing smiled slightly: "It's clear that the Second Prince failed and was instead tricked."

Su Jinyu was taken aback.

He gave Rong Qing a deep look. "We have to help Mingluan."

Rong Qing nodded: "Does Prince Su have any ideas?"

Su Jinyu seemed to be deep in thought. "I heard that the bandits in Yuzhou have now formed two major forces, one in the south and one in the north."

The troops on the north side are strong and well-equipped, and have already formed the prototype of an army.

Their leader, I heard, used to be a pig butcher.

Su Jinyu couldn't help but laugh.

This Northern Xuan is really interesting. First, a peasant became emperor, and now a butcher wants to rebel.

Su Jinyu smiled, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

How can a barbaric place like Beixuan compare to Dongchen?

Dongchen is the true successor of the dynasty and the leader of the four kingdoms.

Rong Qing looked at the disdain in his eyes.

Su Jinyu continued, "Although the forces in the south are weaker, their leader is a scholar who has reportedly taken control of the southern canal transport."

Moreover, traveling merchants had to pay them money.

Brother Rong, do you think the Crown Prince will attack the north first, or the south first?

Rong Qing stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. After a moment, he said, "Suppressing the bandits is a task that Emperor Cangxuan has given to the Second Prince."

The crown prince is only here to promote the new grain variety.

Su Jinyu said, "That may be true, but isn't the Second Prince sick?"

With the Second Prince ill, how could the Crown Prince, as the heir apparent of Beixuan, sit idly by and do nothing?

Rong Qing asked in surprise, "Does Prince Su mean that the Second Prince should pretend to be sick?"

"That's probably not feasible. The Second Prince is determined to gain the credit for quelling the bandits."

Su Jinyu's lips curled into a confident smirk, but his eyes were icy: "If the Crown Prince dies, the credit will naturally go to the Second Prince."

Besides, if the crown prince dies, will the merit of quelling the bandits still matter?

Rong Qing lowered his eyes. "What Young Master Su said makes sense."

With the Crown Prince dead, Cang Mingze became the rightful heir of the Empress.

The credit, if not his, will eventually be his.

Two days after returning to his original residence, Cang Mingze's high fever still hadn't subsided.

However, he wasn't faking it.

He woke up the day after he returned.

Just as he decided to feign illness, a tile fell from the roof and knocked him unconscious when he got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Moreover, the roof was drafty, and Cang Mingze not only got injured but also caught a cold.

I'm really sick.

The government office.

After reading the report, the Crown Prince looked at Yuan Liangyi, who was sitting opposite him with his head bowed respectfully, with a gloomy expression.

"The south is the territory you control. It's unheard of for bandits to control the canal transport. What did you tell me before?"

You're saying there are no bandits in Huizhou?

Yuan Liangyi bowed and said, "Your Highness, Huizhou is indeed safe. The territory occupied by the bandits is south of Huizhou..."

The crown prince laughed in exasperation; at this moment, he finally felt a little sympathy for his father.

With such a bunch of troublesome people around, it's no wonder his father wasn't driven crazy.

When he returns, he should treat his father better, or at least make him less angry.

Yuan Liangyi left the government office and returned to the Yuan residence.

"The Crown Prince has made things difficult for you?" Yuan Fuhai looked at his eldest son.

Yuan Liangyi sneered: "So what? He won't be able to keep jumping around for long!"

Father, the bandits in the south are now under your control.

He said with a smug look, "That scholar Qin Mu is already a subject under my son's command."

Yuan Fuhai burst into laughter, "Good! Good! We've lost Qinghuang Mountain, and now we have bandits in the south. My son, you've done well!"

Yuan Liangyi also laughed smugly, "Father, if the Crown Prince dares to go south, I will make sure he never returns!"

The father and son exchanged a glance, both of their eyes revealing a fierce intent.

They can't win over the Crown Prince.

Ying Yufu was neither at the government office nor at the original residence; she went to the camp outside the city to find Wushuang and Chong'er.

Just as she stepped out of the city gate, two figures rode up and blocked Ying Yufu's path.

The coachman stopped the carriage and said to Ying Yufu inside, "Miss, there are people blocking the way ahead."

Ying Yufu lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside.

The two riders immediately dismounted and respectfully bowed.

As they raised their hands, the driver's eyes widened in horror.

"Roaming bandits!"

The driver's eyes rolled back, and he fainted from fright.

Ying Yufu climbed out of the carriage and checked the driver's pulse; he had simply fainted from shock.

"Your subordinates Mu Qing and Mu Shan greet the Clan Head!"

The two people opposite knelt down and bowed.

Ying Yufu looked at them, "Are you guys that scary?"

The two people opposite: "..."

"Master, it's not that we're frightening people, it's the reputation of the bandits that's frightening."

The more robust Mu Shan said respectfully.

Ying Yufu's gaze fell on the cuffs of their sleeves, which were embroidered with red flame patterns.

It was the emblem of the southern bandits.

"What's going on? How did you get involved with the bandits in the south?"

"Master, we have come here to report this matter to you."

The bandits in the south have been brought under the control of the Mu family's trading company; the patriarch need not worry.

Ying Yufu asked, "What about the canal transport..."

"The matter of the canal transport was merely a ploy to mislead Yuan Liangyi."

Ying Yufu asked in surprise, "Wasn't that bandit leader supposed to be a scholar?"

Then the slightly weaker-looking Mu Qing said, "Master, that scholar Qin Mu... is none other than me, using an alias!"

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head shyly, his ear tips turning slightly red.