I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

The palace doors opened, and Lu Yuan stepped inside.

As soon as he entered the room, he sensed that something was wrong; the civil and military officials on both sides were shrugging their necks like quails.

It looks like some kind of major social incident just happened in that open space in the middle.

Lu Yuan's gaze swept back and forth between Xie Guangkun and Liu Neng twice, and the corners of his mouth curled up.

"Oh dear, what's going on here? The expressions on your faces are quite interesting. Did a full-blown fight just now?"

Xie Guangkun's face turned green, and he moved his lips but didn't say a word.

Liu Neng was even more straightforward; he simply turned his face away, pretending not to hear.

Zhao Guoqiang stood in the middle, the sweat on his forehead still wet. Hearing this, he wished he could go up and cover Lu Yuan's mouth.

Lu Yuan walked leisurely into the hall with his hands behind his back, as if he were strolling through his own backyard.

"Ninth Brother."

A voice came from the corner of the palace.

Lu Yuan looked in the direction of the sound.

Lu Cheng, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed to a position against the wall.

Most of the gauze on his body had been removed, leaving only his arms and head wrapped in it.

But the face was already visible, a mixture of blue and purple, looking like a rotten eggplant.

Lu Cheng stared at Lu Yuan, his voice hoarse.

"In this place where state affairs are discussed, how can you behave with such a frivolous and mocking manner?"

Lu Yuan stopped and turned to look at him.

"Oh, Second Brother."

Lu Yuan feigned surprise. "Weren't you under house arrest? Why are you out again? Has that smell on you dissipated?"

Lu Cheng's face stiffened.

The curfew has indeed been issued, but today's morning court session focused on matters of national importance.

So he used the excuse of repentance to sneak into the palace and attend court.

Lu Cangqiong, mindful that he was a prince, allowed him to sit in the corner of the hall.

"None of your business!"

Lu Cheng squeezed out those words through gritted teeth.

"I've seen people freeload before, but this is the first time I've seen someone freeload off the emperor."

Lu Cheng was furious, but he managed to suppress his anger in the end.

He could no longer confront Lu Yuan head-on.

The lesson from last time hasn't fully healed yet, and these injuries are proof of that.

Lu Cheng took a deep breath and put on a calm and composed expression.

"Ninth Brother, now that you're here, that's perfect."

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Lu Cheng looked at Lu Cangqiong on the dragon throne, cupped his hands and said, "Father, my ninth brother is now married. According to ancestral rules, married princes should participate in politics and share your burdens."

Lu Cangqiong glanced at him but didn't reply.

Lu Cheng continued, "Just now, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue were arguing over the matter of funds. Now that Ninth Brother is here, why not let him handle this matter?"

"It will also allow my ninth brother to gain some experience and prepare for his future enfeoffment."

These words sound nice, but the old foxes in the hall all understood what they meant.

The Ministry of Works needed 300,000 taels of silver to build cavalry equipment, but the Ministry of Revenue said they had no money.

This is a dead end.

Whoever takes over will have a headache.

Lu Cheng pushed this task onto Lu Yuan, clearly wanting to see him make a fool of himself.

Lu Yuan glanced at Lu Cheng, then at Lu Cangqiong above him, and finally turned to ask Xie Guangkun.

"Lord Xie, what's going on? Tell me."

Xie Guangkun glanced at Lu Cangqiong, and seeing that the emperor did not stop him, he began to explain the whole story.

The Ministry of Works needed 300,000 taels of silver to make horseshoes, stirrups and saddles for the entire army, but the Ministry of Revenue refused to pay, saying that the river embankment needed to be repaired, the official road needed to be patched up and the post station funding was two years overdue, so there was no surplus silver at all.

After hearing this, Lu Yuan tilted his head to the side.

"this one?"

Xie Guangkun was stunned. "Your Highness, three hundred thousand taels is no small sum..."

"I know it's not a small amount."

Lu Yuan waved his hand. "I mean, how could you two argue like that over something so small?"

He turned around and bowed towards the dragon throne.

"Father, leave this matter to your son. I will conjure up the silver for you within a month. The Ministry of Works' equipment will not be delayed, nor will the Ministry of Revenue's river embankment project."

Lu Cangqiong frowned.

"Stop talking big."

Lu Cangqiong's voice turned serious. "I know the Ministry of Revenue's accounts better than anyone. There's only so much silver; you can't conjure it up."

Lu Cheng chimed in from the side, his tone sarcastic.

"Ninth Brother, governing the country isn't some street performance; you can't just pat your chest and say a few nice words and get things done. You spent ten years walking around with your birds, and even the household accounts were managed by the steward. The affairs of the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue... I'm afraid that would be too much for you."

Lu Yuan turned his head, looked at Lu Cheng, and smiled.

"Second brother, it's one thing for you to be a good-for-nothing, but don't use your limited perspective to judge others."

Lu Cheng gripped the armrests of his wheelchair tightly.

"you……"

"What? You don't accept it?"

Lu Yuan stared at him. "If you think I'm bragging, let's make a bet."

Lu Cheng was taken aback. Then a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

"it is good."

Lu Cheng sat up straight. "Since Ninth Brother is so confident, let's make a pledge. If you can solve the problems of both the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue within a month, I, Lu Cheng, will let you do whatever you want with me."

"At my disposal?"

"Do whatever you want."

Lu Yuan tilted his head.

Are you sure?

"I'm sure."

Looking at Lu Cheng, a smile appeared on his lips.

He just couldn't believe it—a good-for-nothing playboy who'd been walking his bird for ten years.

They were able to resolve six financial problems that had been dragging on for six months within a month.

"Alright!" Lu Yuan clapped his hands and said, "It's a deal."

The officials inside the hall exchanged glances and then began to whisper among themselves.

Wang Shuzi of the Hanlin Academy shook his head and whispered to the person next to him, "His Highness the Ninth Prince is too young and impatient. How could he possibly fill a hole of 300,000 taels within a month?"

The person next to him sighed and said, "That's right. The Ministry of Revenue is in deficit every year, and Minister Liu barely manages to keep it afloat through careful budgeting. His Highness probably has no idea how deep the water is."

Liu Neng stood on the train and pursed his lips.

When the money can't be conjured up, let's see how he handles the situation.

Xie Guangkun glanced at Lu Yuan a couple more times.

He personally went to the Ministry of Works to inspect the horseshoes last time, and they were indeed very exquisite.

The Ninth Prince is usually carefree and irresponsible, but he seems to have something in his head that others don't.

After Lu Cangqiong sat on the dragon throne, he did not speak.

He didn't stop the bet either.

It wasn't that he truly believed Lu Yuan could solve the problem, but rather that he wanted to see what kind of confidence this kid had.

"Alright."

Lu Cangqiong said, "Let's put the gambling matter aside for now."

"What brings you here today?"

Lu Yuan was brought back to the main topic.

After standing up, the playful smile on his face faded considerably.

"Father."

Lu Yuan took two steps forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Father, I have come here by chance to obtain a treasure, which I have brought to present to you."

Lu Cangqiong's eyes immediately brightened.

His body leaned forward about an inch, and his hands were on the handrail.

Lu Cheng suddenly became agitated and instinctively cursed, "What divine object? You're talking nonsense! What kind of divine object could you possibly obtain? Ninth Brother, you're deceiving the Emperor! You're deceiving the Emperor, do you know that?"

As soon as Lu Cangqiong uttered those words, his face turned ashen.

"You unfilial son, shut your mouth!"