Don't ask why. If you do, it's because I brought enough money today!

Li Chen was stretching when a long, fair leg stepped into the Imperial Study.

As he looked toward the figure, his gaze met the young woman's clear, bright eyes.

Li Chen thought nothing of it, but she pressed her lips together and lowered her head slightly, looking rather reserved and shy.

"This humble commoner greets Your Majesty."

Chu Ruoyan knelt before Li Chen. Clearly, she had come prepared this time, unlike yesterday, when she had simply stood there in a daze.

Today, she wore a pale-purple silk robe embroidered with floral garlands along the lapels, giving her the air of a young maiden in radiant bloom.

From the front, her full bosom rose above her slender waist.

From behind, her tall figure showed off her graceful curves.

"Rise."

Only after hearing Li Chen's words did Chu Ruoyan slowly get to her feet.

She was still a little nervous, but Li Chen soon struck up a conversation with her.

Li Chen said he planned to inspect the eastern part of the city today and asked whether Chu Ruoyan knew the area well.

Now that was something Chu Ruoyan could answer. She immediately patted her full chest and declared that she had grown up in the east of the city.

As far as she could tell, His Majesty intended to make an incognito visit.

For this outing, Li Chen had deliberately changed into clothes that did not reveal his imperial identity.

And, having learned his lesson last time, he had also brought plenty of money.

The east of the city was home to many merchants, and the merchant associations had developed all manner of shopping streets. Naturally, the shops lining them were grand and upscale.

Ordinary people could not afford to shop on the street Li Chen visited this time. Those who bought things here were all dignitaries of the Imperial Capital or the newly rich.

Compared with the capital's dignitaries, the newly rich were even keener to buy such things to prove their wealth.

Li Chen and Chu Ruoyan first arrived at a clothing shop called the Rainbow Garments Pavilion.

Renowned throughout the Imperial Capital for its distinctive designs and precious materials, the shop was a favorite destination of countless nobles and cultivators.

As they stepped inside, a delicate fragrance greeted them. It came from the shop's specially prepared incense, which soothed the mind and made one feel as though one had entered an immortal paradise.

The interior was traditional yet elegant, with illustrations of all kinds of garments hanging on the walls. Each revealed its designer's unique ingenuity.

On one side of the shop lay a variety of silks and brocades, all personally woven by renowned weavers of the dynasty. Every bolt contained a different kind of spiritual energy that could nourish the wearer's body and mind.

Customers who wanted custom-made garments could select their preferred silk or brocade.

On the other side of the shop, all manner of finished garments were on display.

There were exquisite embroidered robes adorned with intricate totems and runes, every stitch revealing the artisans' superb skill, as well as flowing dresses whose hems swayed in the breeze like immortal maidens descending to the mortal world.

Li Chen pointed casually at a garment and asked Chu Ruoyan, "Do you like this one?"

Looking at the outrageously expensive brocade robe before her, Chu Ruoyan felt a flicker of delight. What woman could possibly dislike something like that?

But, held back by modesty, she said she did not like it that much.

Li Chen could not be bothered to waste words. He told the shopkeeper beside him directly, "Did you hear that? My friend doesn't like this one. Pack up everything else."

Those words stunned both the shopkeeper and Chu Ruoyan senseless.

The clothes here were expensive. They had seen people buy several garments at once, but buying like this was utterly unheard of.

Li Chen did not care whether Chu Ruoyan agreed.

Don't ask why. If you do, it's because I brought enough money today!

When you've got money, splurge!

Naturally, the shop also offered professional delivery services. As long as the customer paid, they would even send powerful experts to guard the shipment.

The shopkeeper's hands trembled as he looked at the banknotes he held.

His sales had gone through the roof today. Bowing and scraping beside Li Chen, he humbled himself completely, already treating Li Chen like his own ancestor.

Had he known Li Chen's identity, even treating him as an ancestor would have been reaching above his station.

Before Chu Ruoyan had recovered from that shock, the two arrived at a major brand's shop selling women's products, called the Silk and Perfume Pavilion.

Above its entrance hung a plaque carved from thousand-year-old wood, bearing the name "Silk and Perfume Pavilion" in gold dust. The lettering was fluid and classical, unmistakably the work of a master calligrapher.

As they entered, a faint, delicate fragrance greeted them. It came from perfumes and rouges carefully blended from rare treasures, each bottle containing a different kind of spiritual energy that could nourish the skin and enhance cultivation.

All sorts of rouges and powders were displayed inside. Some had colors as brilliant as sunset clouds, while others were as fresh as morning dew. Every variety was so alluring that one could hardly bear to put it down.

Li Chen's shopping method grew more and more outrageous. Anything Chu Ruoyan so much as laid eyes on was packed up.

His extravagance was enough to make anyone's scalp tingle.

When the owner of the Silk and Perfume Pavilion heard that such a big spender had arrived, he even hurried over to attend to them personally.

With a tongue seemingly coated in honey, the owner lavished praise on Chu Ruoyan, comparing her to an immortal maiden in the heavens. It was an honor for these perfumes and rouges to be used by her.

He even promised that any new products would be offered to Chu Ruoyan first.

Such treatment was usually reserved for great nobles who had shopped here regularly for over ten years.

Chu Ruoyan was almost in a daze. She felt that the world had gone mad. No, Li Chen was the mad one!

Usually, when she visited these shops with her mother, even choosing midrange perfumes and rouges made their hearts ache at the expense.

Now, the finest, most expensive perfumes and rouges here were practically being bought wholesale.

What made Chu Ruoyan's heart flutter most was that Li Chen never even consulted her before buying her things. What woman could withstand this domineering tycoon's way of shopping?

Chu Ruoyan certainly could not withstand it anymore.

Especially when the women nearby cast envious glances her way, leaving her feeling as though she were floating on air.

This was the halo Li Chen had bestowed upon her, sending her affection for him soaring without limit.

But he was not finished. Li Chen had truly brought a great deal of money today, and he led the dazed Chu Ruoyan straight into a shop called the Gold and Jade Hall.

This shop was a jewelry and gold brand renowned not only throughout the Imperial Capital, but across the entire Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.

Its exterior walls were built from blocks of translucent jade. Beneath the sunlight, the jade gave off a soft, warm glow, looking tremendously valuable at a glance.

Inside, the shelves held all manner of jewelry. Some pieces were set with dazzling gemstones, while others were crafted from pure gold. Every design displayed craftsmanship that rivaled nature itself, inspiring wonder.

Most eye-catching of all was a rare piece of jewelry called the Tears of the Stars. Its gemstone had been formed by fusing fragments of fallen stars with deep-blue coral from the ocean depths. It was one of a kind!

The Gold and Jade Hall's greatest selling point was that it was qualified to supply gold, silver, and jewels to the imperial household.

Could anything favored by the imperial household possibly be poor?

That alone made it clear that the Gold and Jade Hall catered to the high end of the market. Almost everyone who came and went held some degree of wealth or power.

The newly rich were especially taken with it. If the imperial household bought these things, would buying them themselves not prove that their taste matched royalty's? They spared no expense shopping here, all for the prestige.

In the past, Chu Ruoyan had only ever walked past this place. She had never dared go inside.

A clan like the Chu Lineage focused primarily on cultivation, spending its money on cultivation resources, weapons, and equipment.

But what woman did not love these glittering things?

Chu Ruoyan had been considerate from childhood. Even if she liked them, she would never burden her family over them.

Today was different. Before she had even gotten a clear look at the Tears of the Stars, Li Chen had already ordered everything packed up for her.

The only people more dumbfounded than Chu Ruoyan were the members of the Chu Lineage, who watched all manner of priceless treasures being delivered to their home.

The shock on their faces seemed to say: Is Chu Ruoyan planning to move the entire shopping street into our home?

They saw the shop assistants even carrying in the shops' door panels and ornaments from the ceilings. This had already gone beyond anything the members of the Chu Lineage could comprehend.

Li Chen truly bought whatever he saw, without even caring whether the shop intended to sell it.

Some rejoiced while others grieved. Just as Chu Ruoyan was so delighted that she did not know what to do, two figures lurking in the shadows were gritting their teeth in fury.