Chapter 48: The Least Favored Prince

Another red arrow pointed toward a well-dressed young master, clad in a pale cyan ink-wash robe with a paper fan tucked into the back of his collar, looking very much like a rascal.

This person was none of the others, but the Ninth Prince, born to Noble Consort Dai, the Prince of Yan, Mo Yuan.

Judging by his wildly arrogant and insufferable demeanor, he was probably cut from the same cloth as his cousin, Lu Lan.

His fief was in Yanzhou, a barren wasteland situated a hundred thousand miles away from the capital city of Shengjing—a notorious and desolate frontier.

For reasons unknown, he had suddenly returned to the capital.

Jian Aozhu still harbored another doubt in her mind.

Why had Mo Yuan’s fame value reached 5500 points?

It was not to say that this figure was terrifyingly high; after all, he was an imperial prince.

It was simply that...

Jian Aozhu had once seen the fame values of the other princes.

Only the Crown Prince, Mo Ming, stood at 9300 points, while none of the others exceeded 4000 points, signaling that they had no destiny whatsoever with the dragon throne.

Yet Mo Yuan’s fief was Yanzhou. Anyone using their heels to think would know he was the prince least favored by His Majesty.

So much so that a popular joke circulated among the common folk: "An emperor favors his eldest son, while ordinary parents cherish the youngest."

It was an open secret in the world that the Ninth Prince lacked favor.

Why, then, did his fame value surpass that of the other princes?

Jian Aozhu recalled what the system had said at the time: after Lu Lan’s destiny was altered, it triggered a "butterfly effect," causing the fame values of those connected to him to shift as well.

Panic was steadily mounting within her now, as she felt the situation gradually slipping beyond her control.

Something was tearing down her plans, and the people in Gu Xingwan’s camp were growing stronger one by one.

This force was far more formidable than the "system."

She had once believed the so-called "system" was actually the Will of Heaven.

But now, it seemed otherwise.

Within a few breaths, Pang Shiyuan and Mo Yuan had already moved away from her. The two walked in opposite directions; Mo Yuan headed toward the Lu family's estate, while Pang Shiyuan walked into the alley.

Since she frequently entered the palace, Mo Yuan would likely stay there for some time, making him not too difficult to find.

She decided to lock onto Pang Shiyuan’s location first, following him all the way to Yandai Xiejie Alley.

"Yifangting Inn..."

Jian Aozhu could not fathom this man’s background, but anyone possessing 7400 points of fame was certainly no ordinary character.

Pang Shiyuan ordered a plate of beef, a roasted chicken, and a flask of osmanthus liquor at the counter before heading upstairs.

Jian Aozhu walked up to the counter and placed a ten-tael silver ingot down.

"Innkeeper, that gentleman who just went up, do you know what he does for a living?"

Upon seeing the ten-tael silver ingot, the innkeeper’s face instantly blossomed into a wide smile. Disregarding everything else, he narrowed his eyes and chuckled, "He is a horse-trading merchant. Every year after the autumn harvest, he comes to the capital to trade horses and stays at my establishment. He runs a massive business and owns a private horse farm in the eastern suburbs. What might the young lady be looking for him about?"

Could she be a young girl trying to hook up with a wealthy patron?

Haitang nearly lost her mind watching Jian Aozhu’s operation.

Spending ten taels of silver just to ask about someone?

My good young miss, how much is your entire year’s allowance!

Without pursuing the matter further, Jian Aozhu turned around with an icy expression and walked away.

The innkeeper wore a puzzled look—wasn't earning this ten taels of silver a bit too effortless?

After leaving Yifangting, a beam of light materialized before Jian Aozhu’s eyes. She tapped the item repository in the bottom right corner:

[2 Bonds Talismans]
[1 Teleportation Talisman]
[1 Bottle of Fatal Half-Step Smile Poison]
[1 Pill of All-Poisons Myriad Spirits]
[1 Pouch of Five-Intoxication Joy Powder]

Gazing at the pitifully few items available, Jian Aozhu finally realized that ever since arriving in Shengjing City, she had focused all her targets on Gu Xingwan and Mei Xianghan. As a result, she had failed to steal fame value for a prolonged period, leaving her unable to replenish her item repository.

It was time to reap some rewards.

"Little System, I want to use a Bonds Talisman. The target is Pang Shiyuan."

Regardless of who he was, she would secure him first.

[Understood, Host.]

The number of Bonds Talismans in the item repository decreased by 1.

[The Bonds Talisman has been activated. The system has arranged for a horse buyer to invite Pang Shiyuan to the eastern suburbs' horse farm at noon tomorrow to select fine steeds. Along the way, ruthless bandits will stage an ambush. Just as Pang Shiyuan’s life hangs by a thread, the Host will make a timely appearance to play the hero saving the beauty. Once the mission is accomplished, the Host will trigger the 'Bonds Talisman' buff, leaving an indelible favorable impression deep within Pang Shiyuan's heart.]

Jian Aozhu felt immensely satisfied with herself.

Although the routine was much the same as the one she used to manipulate the Grand Princess, this strategy never failed. Pang Shiyuan was already meat in her mouth.

Seventy-four hundred points of fame! She would smile even in her sleep. Once stolen, she would surely be surrounded by wealth and prosperity all the way.

Standing on the side and completely bewildered, Haitang puffed out her cheeks and complained, "Young Miss, why on earth did you inquire about that horse trader?"

How had her young miss reverted to being just like she was back at the borderlands, paying such extraordinary attention to strange men?

Yet this man looked to be around forty years old, and in all likelihood, already had a family. Moreover, his appearance was utterly ordinary, and the inn he stayed at was quite run-of-the-mill—what on earth could her young miss possibly want from him?

Was she after his advanced age and lack of bathing?

Ten taels of silver wasted for nothing.

She really was regressing as she grew older.

"You had best keep your mouth shut about things that are none of your business."

Jian Aozhu’s expression turned stern. She had never revealed anything about the system to a single soul, keeping her lips tightly sealed even toward Haitang, whom she trusted the most.

Although Haitang knew nothing of the system, having grown up alongside Jian Aozhu, she had still noticed some unusual things.

Her young miss would frequently talk to herself, as if conversing with someone, yet there was no one else around besides her.

None of that mattered much; she simply chalked it up to the young miss occasionally having absent-minded spells.

However, the scandal with Mei Xianghan had only just subsided. What if that Pang Shiyuan had a wife and family? Wouldn't that invite disaster upon themselves all over again?

She still remembered back in Jiaozhou, when they once provoked a married man, his vicious wife had brought household servants to chase and beat them all over the streets. The young miss had used her lightness skills to slip away on her own, leaving Haitang to take a frightful beating.

"Young Miss, you are now a maiden awaiting marriage; you must no longer have entanglements with outside men. The capital is not some small place like our Jiaozhou borderlands. The Mei family is a prominent and powerful clan that values a woman's chastity above all else. If anyone were to find out..."

Haitang offered a warning, only for her left cheek to take a solid, resounding slap.

Crack!