Chapter 255: Chapter 190 North Prince Must Not Stay_2

At the same time.

In Chu Qingli’s room.

Chu Qingli sat in the bathtub, scrubbing her body over and over again.

Every time she thought about what had happened last night, her delicate body couldn’t help but tremble involuntarily.

She had actually made such shameful noises and even hugged Lu Chen on her own initiative—how could she have behaved like that!

All that was merely a transaction, and yet she had actually taken pleasure in it.

Chu Qingli couldn’t forgive herself.

At this moment, Chu Qingli’s eyebrows lifted as if she had realized something.

Hypnosis! It must have been hypnosis!

If it weren’t for hypnosis, how could she have become such a shameless woman?

It must have been Lu Chen who hypnotized her.

This devil, always resorting to despicable means.

Sooner or later, she would take her revenge on him.

Although she was no match for him now, the future was uncertain; she must work hard to become stronger and one day make Lu Chen pay a heavy price.

With this thought, Chu Qingli felt much better in her heart.

Even though she had lost her virginity, it was all for the sake of her sister.

As long as she served Lu Chen ninety-nine more times, her sister could regain

her freedom.

If she served Lu Chen once a day, then in just three months at most, Lu Chen would have to remove the hypnosis from her sister.

It was just three months; she could grit her teeth and get through it.

Thinking of her sister regaining her freedom made Chu Qingli feel that everything she was doing was worth it.

So what if she was bedded by Lu Chen? There was nothing she couldn’t accept. Although her body would feel strange, she didn’t feel any pain.

Moreover, she found that her skills would return as soon as she left Lu Chen. With this in mind, even though she had lost her virginity, there weren’t too

many other losses.

With these thoughts, Chu Qingli murmured, “Ninety-nine more times, Sister, I will definitely free you as soon as I can!”

The reforms in North City were extensive, and the news quickly spread to the Capital city.

Lu Chen was the first Seignior to stipulate through law that the land ownership rights in his fief belonged to him alone.

Land was already a sensitive topic; as soon as he touched on land ownership rights, the news became known to all.

One stone stirred up a thousand waves; when the news reached the Capital city, the discussions about the war between Great Wu and Great Sum died down, and the topics among the common folk were almost all about the reforms in North

City.

At Prince Lu Shuyun’s residence.

Many representatives from the Aristocratic Family had arrived today, among them the disgraceful Chu Hongfei from the Chu Family. He was representing the entire Chu Family this time.

Although Chu Xiong had lost his position as the Family Head, because of his alliance with Prince Lu Shuyun, Chu Hongfei retained a status within the Chu Family that was not much different from before.

This time, they had gathered at Prince Lu Shuyun’s residence mainly to discuss the war between Great Wu and Great Sum.

The Sum Emperor was already considering compromises; the war was nearing its end. Now was the time to discuss the terms.

First, Great Wu needed the Chu Family’s mediation to end the war, and Great

Sum would also have to pay a hefty price.

If Great Wu agreed to end the war, what would follow was a process of bargaining between the Aristocratic Family and the Sum Emperor. This time, it was clear that the Aristocratic Family had instigated the war, and if the Sum Emperor wanted to end it, he naturally had to show some sincerity.

At this moment, Chu Hongfei felt a surge of pride. Back when his father was the Family Head, he hadn’t been given much responsibility, but now that his father had been stripped of the position, he, as the former Family Head’s son, had ironically become more valued.

This time he was representing the entire Chu Family; if they didn’t value him, they wouldn’t have sent him.

In the past, his father always criticized him for being indulgent and ignorant, so he was never allowed to get involved in the family’s major affairs, which had long caused him to feel dissatisfied.

After all, he was the son of the Family Head, yet he held less power than the side branches of the Chu Family.

Now, things were different. Since his father stepped down, he had been involved in virtually all major affairs of the Chu Family.

It was evident that the Chu Family valued him greatly, and just thinking about the possibility of becoming the next Family Head filled Chu Hongfei’s heart with immense excitement.

Wanting to strengthen his ties with Prince Lu Shuyun, Chu Hongfei suggested, “Your Highness, I think this is an excellent opportunity for you. Now that His Majesty has already shown signs of compromise, our Aristocratic Families from the South should push further and force His Majesty to appoint you as the

Crown Prince.”

“Once you become the Crown Prince, you will have greater authority, and none of the other princes will be able to contend with you.”

Hearing Chu Hongfei’s words, Lu Shuyun smiled lightly and then said, “Brother Chu’s idea certainly sounds pleasant, but the position of Crown Prince is not a desirable one, especially at this moment in time.”

Lu Shuyun also coveted the position of Crown Prince, but after some thought, he realized that if he were to force his father the Emperor to appoint him as the Crown Prince now, it would place him not only against his own father but against all his brothers as well.

The seat of the Crown Prince would likely prove too hot to hold; it was doubtful he could secure it firmly.

Speaking on behalf of the Wang Family, Wang Yong said, “Your Highness is right. It is absolutely the wrong time to discuss the position of Crown Prince with His Majesty. If His Majesty were to name Your Highness as the Crown Prince now, it would basically be telling everyone that our Aristocratic Families from the South have instigated the conflict between Great Wu and Great Sum, and that the Emperor is compromising with us, hence the reason why Your Highness would be appointed as the Crown Prince.

The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, Wang Chengshuo, then spoke with a smile, “It’s not entirely impossible to bring it up.”

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to Wang Chengshuo. Wang Yong asked, “Cousin, what are your thoughts?”

Wang Chengshuo said, “Right now, His Highness has no notable achievements. If suddenly he becomes the Crown Prince for no apparent reason, it will surely provoke dissatisfaction among many.”

“However, the conflict between Great Wu and Great Sum has not yet ended. If His Highness can earn distinguished merit in this war, then his ascension to Crown Prince would be justified.”

As Wang Chengshuo spoke, everyone quickly grasped the point.

Indeed, the war is not over, and Prince Lu Shuyun still has the chance to earn military honors.

If Prince Lu Shuyun becomes the pivotal figure in changing the course of the war between Great Wu and Great Sum, that would amount to a tremendous service, silencing other powers within the court when suggesting him for the Crown Prince.

Now that the Sum Emperor was ready to compromise with the Aristocratic Families from the South, as long as they suggested dispatching Prince Lu Shuyun to the frontlines, the Emperor would understand their intentions and have no choice but to agree to their conditions.

Hearing Wang Chengshuo’s words, Lu Shuyun felt a stir of excitement within him – how had he not thought of this himself?

If he became the one to turn the tide of the conflict, his path to becoming the Crown Prince would naturally unfold.

The mere thought of that long-coveted position filled Lu Shuyun with sheer exhilaration.

Just then,

Lu Shuyun’s trusted aide suddenly approached him, whispered something in his ear, and then handed him a piece of intelligence.

Lu Shuyun opened the report, skimmed through its contents, and his expression shifted from curiosity to a frown before revealing a trace of a smile. He then passed the report to Wang Yong standing beside him.

Wang Yong was curious about what intelligence had made Lu Shuyun so happy. When he opened the report, he found it concerned the reform issues in North City.

After reading the content, Wang Yong scoffed and said, “Under all the heavens, is the land not the king’s land? On its shores, are the people not the king’s subjects? The North Prince is indeed audacious! Isn’t he afraid that biting off more than he can chew will lead to his own demise?

With that said, Wang Yong handed the report to the others in the hall.

All those in the hall were members of Aristocratic Families, and their faces turned sour at the North Prince’s intentions to reclaim all land ownership rights.

This wasn’t merely reclaiming land ownership; this was threatening the very lives of their Aristocratic Families.

Although Chu Hongfei didn’t understand politics very well, when he saw the reforms proposed in North City as outlined in the report, he couldn’t help but say, “The North Prince is courting death, boldly trying to reclaim the land ownership!”

At that moment, Wang Yong added, “Your Highness, the North Prince must not be left alive. If this precedent is set, it will surely spell disaster for the Aristocratic Families.”

Even though the North Prince’s reforms were localized to his dominion and the policies of North Country were unlikely to immediately affect the rest of Great Sum, it was like a small flame that could ignite a great disaster for the Aristocratic Families if allowed to spread.

Almost simultaneously, all members of the Aristocratic Families developed a deep desire to kill Lu Chen.

Anyone who dares touch the right to land ownership must die!