The whole family is obsessed with love? The princess woke them up one after another.

"Doing business is all about supply and demand," Qi Zhiyu said with a slight smile.

"If someone needs it, I'll provide it, and naturally I'll earn money."

Crown Prince: "..."

"Princess, I wonder if your grandfather ever said that you are very suitable for that position?"

The Crown Prince's words were definitely not meant to sow discord; he genuinely believed it.

Given Qi Zhiyu's shamelessness and thick skin, if she were to take that position, absolutely no one would object.

Qi Zhiyu scoffed, "Even a dog would refuse such a spot, I don't know what you're all fighting over?"

Crown Prince: "..."

He has no chance of getting that position, so he wasn't among those who were criticized for what he just said.

"Qi Yanhe spent quite a bit of money this time." The Crown Prince decided not to continue the previous topic and to return to the original one.

He wanted to talk about one aspect of Qi Zhiyu's plan.

"That's normal." Qi Zhiyu smiled slightly. "He wants to clear himself of suspicion, so naturally he has to do some things."

"What could be more direct than the fact that I was already at odds with Princess Qi and that I deliberately smeared him?"

"He secretly encouraged Princess Qi to befriend the wives of high-ranking officials, just to ruin my reputation."

Crown Prince: "..."

He agrees with this point.

After all, nobody wants to be struck by lightning.

"Since it's inconvenient for Qi Yanhe to get involved in this matter, it can only be done by Princess Qi herself," Qi Zhiyu said with a casual smile.

"Princess Qi is the kind of person who only knows how to make friends by catering to others' preferences."

"Those ladies are only interested in jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and so on."

The Crown Prince nodded: "So, those people are from Da Rui."

The Crown Prince was absolutely certain; there was no doubt about it.

Qi Zhiyu readily admitted, "Yes, our Da Rui planted spies in Bei Dian."

Crown Prince: "..."

I suddenly feel like such a failure.

As the crown prince of Northern Yunnan, not only did he not discover those spies before, but now that he knows they are spies, there is nothing he can do.

The fact that Qi Zhiyu dared to let him know so openly meant that he couldn't touch those people.

He believed that if he made a move... Qi Zhiyu would teach him a profound lesson.

He felt he couldn't bear that lesson.

Given Qi Zhiyu's temperament, she wouldn't hurt him, but rather the people around him.

Qi Zhiyu is incredibly accurate and ruthless when it comes to manipulating people's hearts.

"Princess Qi wants to use gifts to curry favor and open up opportunities, so as her niece, I naturally have to help her," Qi Zhiyu said with a smile.

"Princess Qi thought all those things were good. Otherwise, she wouldn't have spent so much money to buy them."

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, but couldn't hold back any longer: "Could all of this have been a scheme orchestrated by the Princess?"

Qi Zhiyu looked at him innocently.

The Crown Prince really couldn't stand Qi Zhiyu's eyes.

How did she manage to dig the pit and watch people jump in while her eyes remained so clear?

It was as if she had nothing to do with it.

"Princess, it was you who suggested to Prince Ning that we test Qi Yan and them in this way," the Crown Prince said through gritted teeth.

"In my father's view, the shopkeepers' price increases were at the behest of Prince Ning. The reason those ladies befriended Princess Qi was also because Prince Ning discussed it with their husbands and they planned it together."

"In this way, Da Rui's spies will not be exposed, while Qi Yanhe's wolfish ambitions will also be revealed."

"My father will only become more wary of Qi Yanhe."

"But ironically, Qi Yanhe still feels that everything is going smoothly for him."

"Ah, yes, that's right." Qi Zhiyu nodded. "Isn't that how things should have turned out?"

The Crown Prince closed his eyes briefly and continued, "The Princess brought back so much silver, and she even asked Prince Ning to invest it in training soldiers."

"My father would have even less reason to doubt it."

"My father will only think that Prince Ning is reliable and smart, and that he uses Qi Kingdom's silver to support my soldiers in Northern Yunnan."

"My father was even pleased with it."

Qi Zhiyu smiled happily: "What a wonderful thing! Your father is very pleased."

The prince felt a tightness in his chest, as if something was blocking it, causing him discomfort that was neither up nor down.

"Princess, is everything in this world just a pawn on your chessboard?" The Crown Prince stared at Qi Zhiyu with a complicated expression.

The more he interacted with Qi Zhiyu, the more terrifying he felt.

Qi Yanhe thought he had achieved his goal, and his father also felt that Prince Ning had matured and knew how to test Qi Yanhe.

But actually?

The soldiers trained with Qi Yanhe's money will eventually belong to Da Rui.

His father would still doubt Qi Yanhe, and the cooperation between Northern Yunnan and Qi State would definitely not succeed.

Qi Zhiyu simply drew a path on the ground, instructing everyone to follow her plan. And everyone walked along it with great enthusiasm, believing their plan was going smoothly.

Qi Zhiyu... is really terrifying.

Qi Zhiyu smiled and shook her head: "Of course not."

The Crown Prince gave Qi Zhiyu a deep look: "Princess, you are too modest."

Qi Zhiyu was the one who held the chess pieces, and all the pieces were arranged at her will.

Qi Zhiyu smiled and said, "Your Highness, you should know that to play a good game of chess, the best approach is to remain calm while also being fully focused."

"Therefore, I have never been just the player, but also the player on the chessboard."

The Crown Prince stared at Qi Zhiyu in shock, unsure how to react.

"Alright, Prince Ning, you should send the silver to the army. After all, the soldiers' training can't be delayed," Qi Zhiyu said casually.

Jiang Tinghao, who had been sitting quietly to the side, got up, called his attendants, and had the silver carried away.

After Jiang Tinghao left, the Crown Prince also bowed and took his leave.

Once they reached a secluded spot in the courtyard, the Crown Prince grabbed Jiang Tinghao and asked, "What did you learn?"

He knew the person in front of him wouldn't respond, but he still had to speak.

"This is a rare opportunity, so study hard. In the future..." The Crown Prince paused, then continued with difficulty, "Only when you have the ability can you have a place in Da Rui."

"Northern Yunnan is gone, but I cannot abandon my responsibility as the prince of Northern Yunnan to protect its people."

After the prince finished speaking, he released his grip and left.

Jiang Tinghao stood quietly in place for a while before heading to the military camp.

Qi Zhiyu smiled slightly in the room: "I'm growing to like the Crown Prince more and more."

Luo Yu was shocked. "Princess, what does this mean?"

"I believe my grandfather and father will also like the Crown Prince very much." Qi Zhiyu smiled genuinely. "After all, a capable, intelligent, and pragmatic assistant is hard to find."

She gained a lot from her trip to northern Yunnan.