The cabin of the Heir Apparent's carriage was spacious and luxurious, its ride so smooth that one could barely feel a bump.
Inside, the scent of calming incense lingered faintly, and the luminous pearls embedded in the corners emitted a soft, gentle glow.
Gu Chengyin showed absolutely no restraint or awkwardness, despite being a subject sharing a carriage with the Heir.
He stretched his body out, leaning lazily against the thick brocade cushions, as relaxed as if he were in his own home.
Luo Zhao, on the other hand, sat upright in the seat of honor, her back straight, maintaining the dignified posture expected of the Heir Apparent.
Though she appeared to be looking straight ahead, she was actually trying to murder Gu Chengyin with her gaze.
Just moments ago.
This damn man had ruthlessly humiliated her once again.
He even had the gall to say she wouldn't be able to hold onto the Great Luo empire for a single day.
Those so-called senior officials and the Second Prince were nothing compared to this guy.
They were merely political enemies on the surface, obstacles on her path to power.
Unlike Gu Chengyin, who was like maggots in her bones—the most absolute trampling of her personal dignity!
His mere existence was her ultimate catalyst.
Whenever she felt exhausted from handling mountains of scrolls in the Hall of Letters and Logic.
Whenever she felt powerless against those cunning, veteran courtiers.
Whenever she recalled the past in the dead of night.
As long as she thought of Gu Chengyin still alive and well, breathing the same air as her.
Luo Zhao's exhausted body and mind would be ignited by the flames of humiliation!
This intense negative emotion acted as the most potent tonic, instantly dispelling all her fatigue and weakness.
Only one thought remained in her mind:
Become stronger!
She must become stronger!
She must become stronger than Gu Chengyin!
She must become smarter, more ruthless, and more adept at reading people's hearts than him!
Only then could she break free from her dependence on him.
And then.
On the day she finally broke free, at the moment she seized absolute power.
She would personally lock this bastard in a dark, sunless underground dungeon!
She would bind his limbs with the strongest chains and cripple all his martial arts and true qi!
She would watch him struggle, watch him despair, bit by bit!
Watch him pay a thousand times over for the humiliation she was enduring right now!
"Hmm?"
Right at that moment, Gu Chengyin, who was leaning against the cushions, suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run down his spine.
He shifted his shoulders in confusion and subconsciously glanced back at the carriage wall.
The windows were tightly shut, the curtains thick. The interior was as warm as spring, without the slightest draft seeping in.
"Strange," Gu Chengyin muttered, touching the back of his neck. "Did I catch a cold?"
He shook his head, tossing the inexplicable feeling to the back of his mind.
His gaze fell upon Luo Zhao, who was resting with her eyes closed.
"Your Highness."
Gu Chengyin spoke, breaking the silence inside the carriage.
Luo Zhao's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she gave a faint "Mhm" in response.
Gu Chengyin continued, "There is something I wish to ask you."
"Speak."
Gu Chengyin crossed his hands over his knees, his tone turning a bit more formal:
"It's about the Imperial Merchants."
"Imperial Merchants?"
The term caught Luo Zhao by surprise.
She pondered for a moment before saying, "Imperial Merchants are funded by the royal inner treasury and are generally managed by imperial relatives, eunuchs, or nobles on the crown's behalf."
"They specialize in purchasing supplies for the palace and hold certain exclusive trading rights."
"I also have quite a few Imperial Merchants under my command, all managed by Yun Ying."
"According to custom, thirty percent of the profits earned by the Imperial Merchants go to the inner treasury for royal expenses, while seventy percent is handed over to the state treasury to enrich the nation's funds."
This was the basic regulation regarding Imperial Merchants in the Great Luo Dynasty.
The Imperial Merchant system was massive and complex. It was not only a crucial source of income for the royal family but also a vital means of controlling key resources and maintaining influence.
Gu Chengyin nodded in understanding, then asked:
"Do members of the noble clans participate in the Imperial Merchants? For instance, as proxy managers."
This question delved a bit deeper.
Luo Zhao frowned slightly, recalling the relevant information. After a moment, she replied, "Yes. The affairs of the Imperial Merchants are complicated and cover a wide range of trades. It's difficult to manage every detail, especially when it comes to specific operations."
"Therefore, they often collaborate with major local merchants, powerful guilds, and even reputable noble clans."
"These partners provide channels, talent, technology, and sometimes even advance funds, taking a cut of the profits in return."
She looked at Gu Chengyin, her gaze growing more inquisitive:
"Those newly risen noble clans in the Luo capital have cooperative dealings with multiple Imperial Merchants."
"After all, when it comes to the specific business of making a profit, they are indeed more professional and flexible."
Having explained this, Luo Zhao asked directly, "Are you asking this all of a sudden because you've discovered something?"
Gu Chengyin shook his head, a thoughtful expression on his face:
"Not exactly a discovery. I just feel that His Majesty..."
Halfway through, Gu Chengyin changed the subject and asked:
"Your Highness, the Hall of Letters and Logic hasn't yet investigated the Imperial Merchants associated with the Xiao clan, have they?"
Luo Zhao confirmed, "No. Currently, based on the clues and evidence provided by Shangguan Yuan, the focus is on auditing the accounts of the main Xiao family and their directly affiliated merchant houses, tracing the flow of illicit funds and the chain of interests."
"Although they do have business dealings with some Imperial Merchants, which is reflected in their accounts, that is not the core of the investigation."
The accounts of Imperial Merchants involved the inner treasury and the royal family, making them inherently more sensitive and complicated to investigate. Without a clear direction, they wouldn't be touched lightly.
"Do we need to investigate them?" Luo Zhao pressed.
Gu Chengyin pondered for a moment and nodded. "Look into them, especially the Imperial Merchants in Lanling Commandery."
"Lanling Commandery?"
A sharp light flashed in Luo Zhao's eyes. Lanling Commandery was the ancestral home of the Xiao clan and the seat of their greatest power.
Gu Chengyin paused, then added, "It's just a direction. Investigate it first; there might be unexpected gains."
Luo Zhao committed Gu Chengyin's words to memory and nodded solemnly:
"Alright. Once we return, I will arrange for personnel to focus on auditing the Lanling Commandery Imperial Merchants who have close ties with the Xiao clan."
"By the way," Gu Chengyin remembered something else and asked casually, "Has Shangguan Yuan sent over any new evidence?"
Luo Zhao nodded. "He's already sent two rounds, all brought back by Yun Ying."
"That's good."
Having finished discussing business, Gu Chengyin leaned back again and closed his eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, Luo Zhao's gaze fell upon him once more.
"Junior Preceptor Gu..."
When she had uttered this title on the palace path, she had felt it was a tremendous humiliation.
But now, silently reciting it in her heart, it became a strange kind of motivation.
Previously, Gu Chengyin was a subordinate, and Luo Zhao was the Heir Apparent.
If there were things he didn't say, she couldn't just ask about everything.
But now, Gu Chengyin was the Junior Preceptor to the Heir; teaching was his duty.
While this certainly annoyed her, looking at it from another angle, wasn't this a perfect learning opportunity?
To learn his schemes, his foresight, and how he manipulated situations.
Once she had mastered all his skills, no longer needed to rely on him, and became even stronger than him...
At this thought.
The corners of Luo Zhao's mouth curled up involuntarily.
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
agon king storylines. At the start, I obtained the "Ultimate Lackey System" - the more I act as a lackey, the stronger I become. What else could I do? I chose to become the personal henchman of the ultimate villain, Su Muwan. I provoke all sorts of chosen ones, snatch away their opportunities, and commit every evil deed imaginable. You ask who's behind me? Hmph! You're not worthy of knowing my lady's name! ...... ....... I am Su Muwan, the eldest daughter of the Su family. Since childhood, I've possessed extraordinary talent in martial arts, which led to my arrogant and domineering personality in my past life. I was even foolish enough to repeatedly challenge those favored by heaven, ultimately resulting in a tragic death. In this life, I must behave and absolutely cannot walk the same path again!! However... SLAP!! "So you're the Dragon King, huh?!" When I saw my little lackey swagger over and viciously slap the Dragon King who was hiding his identity, I felt my heart sink. Su Muwan's suspended heart finally died as she watched Qin Luo, her utterly loyal lackey, standing before her. She fainted on the spot from shock. Heaven is determined to destroy me!! (Pure love 1v1, light-hearted, no angst, single female lead, villain, reincarnation, lackey)
