[Ye Yu's mother, Lady Zhou, though residing in the inner palace, had heard of the schemes and deceit in the court.]
[She cherished Ye Yu as her only son, naturally treating him as a treasure.]
[Thus, Lady Zhou immediately went to the Yangxin Hall to beg for forgiveness from Ye Kuiliang.]
[She claimed it was her lack of proper guidance that led Ye Yu to act somewhat flamboyant.]
[She pleaded with the emperor to be lenient and not to punish Ye Yu too harshly, considering his youth and ignorance.]
[This was not because Lady Zhou was overly cautious.]
[Rather, it was due to the allure of the crown prince's position, making the princes of Great Yong Dynasty act like hungry wolves.]
[They were all watching each other closely, ready to pounce on any mistake made by their brothers.]
[Should one of them make a mistake, they would unite to attack and eliminate him, thus reducing a competitor.]
[If nothing unexpected happened, the morning court session would see not only ministers but also other princes condemning Ye Yu.]
[After all, no one would want to miss the chance to eliminate a rival.]
[However, what was unexpected was that Ye Kuiliang suddenly burst into laughter.]
[Ye Yu's ignorance and youth were just a huge joke.]
[Wasn't it just a way to distance himself from the fight for the throne by deliberately acting arrogant and wasteful?]
[But since he was a prince of the Great Yong Dynasty, he had responsibilities.]
[The throne wasn't something he could simply avoid contesting by choice. He must compete!]
[Hearing Ye Kuiliang's words, Lady Zhou was momentarily stunned.]
[Then she quickly realized.]
[Indeed, if one were to say that Ye Yu was disrespectful and arrogant, it would be an exaggeration.]
[During his years in the palace, aside from his fondness for squandering money and his one-time altercation with the Fifteenth Prince, Ye Yu had committed no wrongdoing.]
[After his departure to open a manor, his sudden display of arrogance and wastefulness seemed somewhat abnormal.]
[If he were using this to avoid competing for the throne, it was indeed not out of the question.]
[After all, Ye Yu had repeatedly stated his disinterest in the throne.]
[Lady Zhou had long since come to terms with it.]
[If he didn't compete, so be it. Being a leisurely prince, living in peace, was fine too.]
[But now, Ye Kuiliang's intention was to make Ye Yu participate in the fight for the crown prince.]
[Lady Zhou frowned slightly.]
[She tentatively said: Your Majesty, Ye Yu has been resolutely unwilling to vie for the crown prince position since he was young.]
[Forcing him won't help!]
[Ye Kuiliang coldly replied: Who says it won't help? Starting tomorrow, I will make him compete for the position, whether he wants to or not, he must fight for it!]
[That night, Ye Kuiliang ordered someone to summon Ye Yu to the palace.]
[Seeing the palace eunuchs coming to find him, Ye Yu showed no fear, but rather a hint of joy.]
[He strode towards the palace with large steps.]
[Inside Yangxin Hall, Ye Yu first bowed and saluted Ye Kuiliang.]
[But he received no response for a long time.]
[Ye Kuiliang seemed to be ignoring him, continuing to handle the documents.]
[Seeing this, Ye Yu couldn't help but sneer.]
[Are you showing off your power? ]
[You want me to bend over in submission, begging for mercy?]
[Too naive, rebellious father!]
[Ye Yu spoke directly: Thank you, Father.]
[Then he straightened up on his own.]
[This action left Ye Kuiliang dumbfounded.]
[He immediately asked: Did I say you could stand up?]
[Ye Yu nodded: You did, and I heard it clearly.]
[Upon hearing this, Ye Kuiliang was immediately left with a black line on his forehead.]
[This kid was indeed audacious!]
[But the more so, the more Ye Kuiliang found him likable.]
[This wasn't surprising.]
[When all the princes were obedient and conventional, a unique character suddenly standing out naturally felt refreshing.]
[Like the saying, "The dog licks and licks until it ends up with nothing."]
[Ye Kuiliang didn't hold a grudge about it.]
[He simply raised his hand lightly, and two eunuchs carried a square table and placed it in front of Ye Yu.]
[On it were nearly a hundred memorials.]
[Ye Kuiliang teased: These are all memorials to impeach you. Do you want to read them?]
[Ye Yu decisively pushed the table aside.]
[He seriously stated that there was no need to read the contents.]
[His actions had been too unruly, infuriating the Prime Minister, forcibly purchasing properties, committing a major mistake.]
[Ye Yu knew that this was a grave offense.]
[So he willingly accepted the punishment and expulsion from the capital, never to return.]
[Ye Kuiliang couldn't help but laugh.]
[As expected, it was just as he had guessed.]
[Ye Yu's outlandish behavior was simply to escape the capital and avoid competing for the crown prince position.]
[The idea was good, but in the face of absolute power, it all seemed pale and powerless.]
[Ye Kuiliang slowly stood up.]
[He bluntly stated that before the crown prince selection was made, none of the eighteen princes were allowed to leave the capital.]
[I know what you're thinking—you don't want to compete for the crown prince position, right?]
[Well, I'm going to make you compete.]
[I will tell everyone. Soon, you will become the crown prince of the Great Yong Dynasty.]
[Thus, everyone will focus their attention on you.]
[The other princes will also regard you as their primary competitor.]
[Upon hearing this, Ye Yu's face instantly turned pale.]
[Through the money he had scattered yesterday, his strength was steadily improving.]
[Ye Yu believed it wouldn't be long before he reached the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.]
[But such strength was far from enough for self-preservation.]
[With seventeen princes, it was hard to ensure that none would become desperate enough to resort to extreme measures.]
[What if someone hired a cultivator to come assassinate him?]
[That would be pure disaster!]
[Ye Yu's expression grew serious.]
[Damn it, this is a blatant scheme!]
[Ye Kuiliang was determined to push him into the fire pit.]
[Ye Yu was very angry.]
[He said in a deep voice: Why do you have to target me like this? You know I have no interest in the throne.]
[Ye Kuiliang smiled: Being born into the royal family, you must compete whether you want to or not; it's your fate.]
[Of course, if you're willing to actively compete, I won't say anything.]
[You can develop at your own pace.]
[But you must compete for the position of crown prince just like the other princes.]
[By the way, you like to squander money, right? Use silver to pave your way and let me see if you can buy your way to the crown prince position.]
[I'm really curious about that.]
[Ye Kuiliang's words seemed to open a new world for Ye Yu.]
[The anger in his heart instantly dissipated.]
[Yes, since he wanted to squander money, buying properties alone wouldn't be enough.]
[What truly burns money should be buying people's hearts!]