The number one spendthrift woman in the capital actually brings glory to her entire family?

The gray-clad subordinate respectfully withdrew, and the room instantly fell silent.

Sikong Jin leaned down, her hands braced against the window frame, gazing indifferently at the intertwined petals and shadows of trees outside the courtyard. A faint smile appeared on her delicate face, and a gloomy look surfaced in her usually calm eyes.

……

It was past midnight, and in this cold night, Sikong Jin was not the only one who hadn't fallen asleep.

Deep within the city of Malan, in a secluded spot by clear waters and lush mountains, a quiet courtyard is bathed in a light frost, its reflection faintly visible on the wall.

Inside the room, under the warm, soft light of the lantern, a handsome man dressed in a middle garment and wearing a fox fur cloak sat in front of the couch, his slender fingers casually fiddling with the messy black and white chess pieces on the chessboard.

A short distance below him, a cold-looking man in black stood silently, his eyes occasionally glancing at his master who was deep in thought, not daring to disturb him.

"What's the matter? Why are you here so late? Tell me."

The man suddenly looked up, his eyes, as silent as the night sky, held a faint, unfathomable light, like ripples on the surface of water in the dead of night, reflecting the pale moonlight, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

The man in black clasped his hands and said, "Young master, news has come from the capital that the Emperor has decided to send the Fourth Prince to a marriage alliance... Consort Rong has already sent a letter to the Empress of Dayong. They are determined to secure this marriage alliance..."

Heishan's heart was pounding as he cautiously watched his master before him, knowing his master's feelings for the Emperor...

Ugh……

"Is it?"

In the soft, warm light, the handsome man who had just lowered his eyes raised his eyebrows, and a faint smile suddenly appeared on his elegant face. His bright and beautiful smile bloomed in the soft light, stunning and extraordinary, like a peach blossom that suddenly bloomed in the chill of early spring, with a touch of refreshing elegance in the cold. Hei Shan was stunned and instantly intoxicated.

"The Holy Dynasty embraces jade, spring breezes carry away flowing frost, ten thousand strands of golden light fall, all are intoxicated by the bright moon." Most of the people of the Southern Continent of the Wind and Cloud Continent know this poem, which is used to praise and sing the praises of their Third Prince of the Heavenly Holy Dynasty.

The third prince of the Tiansheng era had the compound surname Tuoba and the single name Yu. The poem above was written by the people based on his name to express their love and respect for this virtuous and respected prince.

"It must have been tough for her. How much effort did she have to put in to get the Emperor to grant their wish?"

His tone was devoid of any emotion, but the smile on his face carried a hint of indifferent mockery.

"Your Highness, should I send a secret letter to several generals and veteran officials, suggesting that we replace the Fourth Prince before the Emperor issues an edict?"

Heishan asked in a low voice, his heart filled with trepidation.

After a long pause, Tuoba Yu finally uttered these words, his hesitant hand already picking up a white piece from the chessboard, "Exchange?"

Tuoba Yu raised his lowered eyelids, looked at Heishan, and asked in confusion, "Replace with whom? You?"

"Young Master, you know, if it were the Fourth Prince..."

Montenegro grew anxious.

"There is no extra space in my palace to house women. So, send a secret letter to those officials in the court, telling them to keep a low profile and eat and drink as they please."

"Your Highness, but..."

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

"Your Highness, I have another matter to report."

Heishan took a deep breath, suppressing the pressure in his chest, and with a forced smile, looked at the prince's tense face and cautiously began to speak.

"speak."

A short, monosyllable falls.

"A scout from the Great Zhou has just reported that he has already left the capital of the Great Zhou and his whereabouts are unknown..."

"Ding!" As soon as Heishan's voice faded, Tuoba Yu paused, and the black piece he was holding between his fingers suddenly fell onto the chessboard, making a clear, crisp sound...

Malan City is a small to medium-sized city in the Dayong Dynasty. Due to its remote location, its economy is relatively underdeveloped. This area is the border of the Dayong Dynasty, which is the boundary between the Central State and the Western and Southern States of the Fengyun Continent. Many tribes live here, giving it a unique exotic flavor.

As the first rays of morning sunlight pierced through the gray clouds, the ethereal and expansive sounds of the Qiang flute and the desolate yet tranquil notes of the shakuhachi intertwined, carried by the wind, while hurried footsteps gradually rose in the alley.

As dawn warmed, soft light slanted through the corridor and into the room.

A loud crash suddenly rang out—the young man who was writing calligraphy by the window with his back to the soft couch in front of him suddenly frowned, the music in the room stopped abruptly, and the musician holding the shakuhachi and harp turned his head to look at the old butler who pushed open the door, then bowed and silently withdrew.

Looking at the table in front of the boy, there was an open map with freshly made dot marks on it, the ink still wet.

"Young Master, Liu Xin and Liu Xianxian are coming aggressively outside the courtyard, this..."

The butler's aged voice trembled and became hoarse. He had been suffering from a cold for several days, and he looked thin and listless. If it weren't for the medicine that Sikong Jin had brought back last night, he probably wouldn't have had the energy to stand here.

"Oh?" "They were blocking the door when they ran into Lord Zhu, who stopped them from entering."

The boy standing in the warm light suddenly stopped moving, his tightly furrowed eyebrows lifted, he looked up, his pink lips slightly parted, a smile appeared on his handsome face, and with a flick of his sleeve, a strange ink flower suddenly appeared on the map in front of him with a 'thud', instantly covering the place that had just been marked, and the boy's hand was empty.

'Looks like you didn't get enough fun...' Sikong Jin stroked her chin, a hint of amusement in her eyes, and murmured to herself, 'But it's just in time.'

"Master, what did you say?"

Old Butler Wu looked at the young master with a puzzled expression, who had a wicked smile on his lips, when he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

"Well, guests are guests, Uncle Wu, you should go and rest."

"Yes, Master!"

……

Heavy footsteps soon sounded outside the door, and with a cloud of dust rising from the entrance, before the person inside could utter a sound, a large ball of flesh had already rolled inside.

"This humble official greets Your Excellency!"

The large, fleshy ball stopped precisely in front of the couch and bowed to the boy lying on the couch, backlit and cracking melon seeds.

"It's been a few days since I last saw you, Lord Zhu. You've become even fairer and more delicate. The water of the Shenglan River has certainly not been wasted."

Lord Zhu, whose surname is Zhu and given name is Si, is a strategist under Sikong Jin.

He was short and round, covered in fat, a big fat man, with eyes the size of mung beans that were almost slits, wearing a white scholar's robe, and his black hair was unevenly draped behind his head and tied with a leather rope.