[On this day, Ye Yu formally informed Ye Kuiliang that he would start competing for the throne.]
[But since you want to see if silver can pave the way to the position of crown prince, it is impossible without some assistance.]
[Through Ye Yu's persistent coaxing and hard bargaining, he managed to extract thirty thousand spirit stones from Ye Kuiliang.]
[The reason given was to support his dreams.]
[Looking at the missing storage ring in his hand, Ye Kuiliang sighed and lamented throughout the night in the Yangxin Hall.]
[How could he have been so misled by this boy?]
[However, before leaving, Ye Yu had also pledged a military order, saying that since he had received the money, he would indeed take action.]
[He would fight for the crown prince position as promised!]
[This assurance did provide Ye Kuiliang with some comfort.]
[When morning court convened, many officials and princes once again joined forces to accuse Ye Yu, insisting that the emperor must make a decision.]
[Yesterday, when faced with accusations, you said you needed to think about it.]
[Having thought about it all night, you should have made up your mind, right?]
[Faced with the outrage, Ye Kuiliang calmly said: I have already reprimanded Ye Yu last night. Let this matter be settled.]
[This statement caused everyone present to change color in shock.]
[Many princes frowned deeply, yet remained silent.]
[The prime minister, who had been fainted after being angered by Ye Yu, immediately stepped back.]
[Ye Kuiliang's reaction was too strange.]
[A hundred accusations resulted in only a reprimand?]
[What did Ye Yu do that would make Ye Kuiliang protect him so?]
[Or is it that the sky of the Great Yong Dynasty is about to change?]
[At the same time, Ye Yu was not idle either; he proactively approached his grandfather, Zhou Baiwan.]
[The latter's first action upon seeing him was to clench his fists to protect the storage ring on his hands.]
[It was not that Zhou Baiwan was stingy.]
[What he had given Ye Yu the day before might seem like a vast fortune to others, but to Zhou Baiwan, it was nothing more than a drop in the bucket.]
[This was the confidence of the head of the largest trading house in the Great Yong Dynasty.]
[However, starting from yesterday, Zhou Baiwan had already decided not to give Ye Yu any more large sums of money before he matured.]
[Zhou Baiwan was truly afraid that such money would harm Ye Yu.]
[With ten thousand spirit stones, you dared to buy the prime minister's house. If given a hundred thousand, would you plan to buy the palace?]
[In this branch of the Zhou family, Ye Yu was the only descendant.]
[Zhou Baiwan did not want anything to happen to him.]
[Therefore, this silver and spirit stones were absolutely not going to be given again.]
[To make Ye Yu give up entirely, Zhou Baiwan decisively stated that anything else could be discussed, but money was out of the question.]
[Of course, only large amounts were refused; small amounts for pocket money were available.]
[Ye Yu scoffed.]
[He said: Grandfather, I don't understand what large or small amounts mean. Just give me a hundred thousand spirit stones to start with.]
[Zhou Baiwan was almost driven mad.]
[Are you completely unable to understand what I'm saying?]
[You ask for a hundred thousand spirit stones directly. Do you know how many cultivators' lives that amount could buy?]
[And you're only fifteen; what do you need so many spirit stones for?]
[Even to raise elite guards, it's not necessary to use so much.]
[Ye Yu slowly uttered the words.]
[I want to be the crown prince.]
[Time seemed to stand still.]
[Zhou Baiwan stood there, unmoving for a long while.]
[It wasn't until a tear slowly rolled down his face that he came to his senses.]
[The first thing he did was go to the Zhou family ancestral hall and kneel before the ancestors.]
[He had finally understood.]
[Previously, Zhou Baiwan had heard from Lady Zhou that Ye Yu was not interested in the throne.]
[At first, Zhou Baiwan was somewhat disappointed.]
[After all, who wouldn't want their child to sit in that position?]
[But Zhou Baiwan didn't dwell on it too much. Soon, he had come to terms with it.]
[Since Ye Yu was the only heir, if he didn't want to fight for the throne, so be it.]
[With the Zhou family backing him, being the richest prince in the Great Yong Dynasty wouldn't be so bad.]
[But now, a mischievous child who had been idle for so long suddenly declared his intention to join the struggle for the crown prince.]
[Isn't this a sign of growing up?]
[After howling in the Zhou family ancestral hall, Zhou Baiwan emerged, full of vigor.]
[Good grandson, since you want to vie for the crown prince position, grandfather will definitely support you wholeheartedly.]
[If a hundred thousand isn't enough, take two hundred thousand first and use more if needed.]
[The Zhou family may not have much, but we have plenty of money!]
[At this moment, Ye Yu finally saw the dominance expected of the head of a trading house in Zhou Baiwan.]
[To be honest, there's a certain inexplicable charm in men when they talk about money.]
[After obtaining the spirit stones, Ye Yu officially embarked on the path of vying for the crown prince position.]
[The first step was to win over some ministers.]
[After all, one must have influence in the court, right?]
[But these ministers had also heard of Ye Yu's reputation for spending extravagantly.]
[At first, they were all unwilling to meet or interact with him.]
[Because the ministers also needed to choose sides.]
[Only those who earned the favor of the dragon would have a chance to soar. To continue shining brightly.]
[But Ye Yu, no matter how you looked at him, didn't seem like someone who could become the crown prince.]
[So, when the ministers heard about Ye Yu's visit, they all shut their doors and refused to see him.]
[This situation made Ye Yu very upset.]
[If you won't let me squander money, then you're my enemy!]
[That day, he called in the Zhou family's cultivators and had them break the legs of the minister, Sun Longhai.]
[Ye Yu then went to visit him, feigning kindness.]
[He presented a generous token of his goodwill.]
[Before leaving, he even patted Sun Longhai's shoulder warmly.]
[He told him that a broken leg was nothing compared to the real pain of losing a third leg.]
[If you close your doors again, you know the consequences.]
[Of course, you can also write a memorial to the emperor and accuse me!]
[After hearing these words, Sun Longhai's face turned ashen.]
[He was merely a third-rank minister.]
[This prince in front of him had even made the prime minister faint with rage.]
[And nothing happened to him in the end.]
[What if his leg was broken?]
[Besides, there was no direct evidence proving that Ye Yu was behind it.]
[So how could he report it? With what evidence?]
[Sun Longhai's mind raced.]
[Before Ye Yu was about to leave, he dragged his broken leg and loudly declared: I, Sun Longhai, am willing to serve the Sixteenth Prince and follow him with utmost loyalty.]
[Choosing to surrender for the sake of preserving one's life wasn't shameful.]
[Moreover, with Ye Yu's methods, who would dare say he lacked the means to vie for the crown prince position?]