The beauty of involving the princess lay in the fact that the imperial family didn’t have to go through the long, bureaucratic processes typically required for acquiring new domains. Their influence and status allowed them to expedite such transactions, making the entire process move much faster. On the other hand, if Princess Huangshu was not cooperative, Junior Edina would have to apply like any other noble clan member, facing potential delays and complications.

The carriage rolled along the road, the morning sun casting a golden glow over the landscape. Junior Edina glanced at Princess Huangshu, who was still looking out the window, her eyes filled with excitement. The lake, with its serene waters reflecting the sky, seemed to enchant her. This was a good sign. If the princess’s interest could be sustained, the plan would proceed smoothly.

Junior Edina cleared her throat, feeling a mixture of anxiety and determination. “Huangshu,” she began cautiously.

“Yeah?” Princess Huangshu replied, turning her sparkling eyes towards Edina.

“So, like I said,” Junior Edina continued, choosing her words carefully, “if the view is as good as we think, I was hoping you’d consider buying the village with me. I mean, I’m fine either way, but since you showed interest, we could have vacation houses here together. Both of us, like princesses should.” Though Edina didn’t like what she was doing, she knew it was necessary to counter Aunt Li Mei’s plans.

Princess Huangshu’s eyes lit up with even more excitement. “Yes! Yes! Why not? Let’s go meet with the sect leader of the governing sect right away!”

Junior Edina smiled, relieved at the princess's enthusiasm. “That sounds like a great idea. Let’s make sure we secure this place.”

As the carriage approached Dongu Village, the scenery became even more picturesque. The village was nestled along the shoreline of Hin Lake, with quaint houses and bustling small markets giving it a lively yet serene atmosphere.

Princess Huangshu, with a slightly awkward expression, said, “I think I should be honest, Edina...” Junior Edina looked at her, confused as to why she seemed so troubled when she herself was the one with a hidden agenda.

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“I always wanted to meet another princess. That’s really the reason I rushed to the Shining Blade Sect, but...” She smiled awkwardly. “I actually wanted to request something like this... because I need the Leon Empire’s support to build my own faction.”

Jinhai, shocked that she was revelating this, interjected, “Your Highness?..”

Junior Edina was equally perplexed. “Your own faction? I thought you didn’t like politics, which is why you stayed out of it. And you’re not even of age yet.”

“I will be next year, and the race for the throne will officially begin then. I want to form a faction to help mediate my brothers.” She paused. “They act friendly towards each other, but they’re at each other’s throats behind the scenes, and the race for succession hasn’t even started yet.”

Junior Edina began to understand where Princess Huangshu was coming from. “So you thought of meeting me and convincing me to join your faction?”

Princess Huangshu nodded. “Right now, my oldest brother has three of the nine great sects in his faction, and my second brother has the Leon Empire and the Left Minister. They have enough funds for operations and campaigns to enlist more, but I don’t.”

Junior Edina continued, “So you thought you could enlist me, and once I joined, the Leon Empire would support you, giving you enough funds and influence as well. Is that it?”

Princess Huangshu nodded again, looking both hopeful and anxious. “So when you talked about buying a remote village to build a vacation mansion, I thought i can do it with you and make this place as my faction’s center of operations.. this would allow us to be far from the imperial palace and have perfect disguise..” she told.

“I... I...” Junior Edina could not believe that Huangshu had a secret agenda in accepting her request to come to Dongu Village, but it made sense now. She was trying to gain her trust first but had finally decided to come clean.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Junior Edina said with a smile. “Also, I have something to tell you.”

At the same time in the Blazing Days Sect, the governing sect of the Dongu Region in Gunghua Province, an affiliate of the larger Blazing Dawn Sect,

an old man in his seventies sat in his office, surrounded by account books and slips demanding repayment of debts his sect had accumulated over the years. This was Khang Choi, the sect leader of the Blazing Days Sect.

The Dongu Region, under the sect's control, was not always so economically unstable. It used to be a peaceful fishing village, but slowly it began to decline as more and more people moved away from fishing and started working in the iron forges built by the Tianlong Merchant Family. Initially, Sect Leader Khang Choi didn’t think much of this shift and chose to ignore the problem, which only worsened over time.

Currently, business is booming thanks to the market center established by the Tianlong Merchant Family, but what the common people don’t know is that the Tianlong Merchant Family takes a substantial fee from the sect to keep the market running. Because of this, the sect has fallen into debt, and when the Imperial Financial Ministry conducted their routine inspection, they officially categorized the region as economically unstable. Khang Choi had tried everything in his power to regain their wealth and improve the living conditions for the common people, but the Blazing Dawn Sect couldn’t continue supporting them without any returns. Consequently, they were forced to open the region for external investment.

As these thoughts weighed on his mind, Sect Leader Khang continued his writing when a servant rushed in and opened the door. “Sect Leader! Sect Leader! This! This—”

Startled, Khang said, “Which debtor is causing a nuisance now? Tell them we have no money and will pay them next month.”

The servant vigorously shook his head and said, “No, no, Sect Leader! It’s not a debtor, it’s an imperial carriage!”