Inside the Imperial Academy, other imperial descendants were playing outside in the courtyard while Xie Shizi sat silently in the corridor with a lifeless expression.
"Xie Shizi," A distant relative from the imperial family approached him, "In the afternoon, we're going to the martial arts field for horseback archery practice. I heard General Wei will come to teach us. Are you going?"
Xie Shizi was not good at horseback archery and did not enjoy learning it. However, after entering the Imperial Academy, he discovered that the imperial relatives in the capital all had some martial arts skills. Some even took pride in excelling in both literature and martial arts. Among them, a young Shizi had learned a great sword technique, making him popular in the academy.
"I'll go." Xie Shizi knew he couldn't be willful. Besides trying to appear sociable, he didn't know what else he could do.
Although the others in the academy treated him politely on the surface, he could tell that most of them didn't dare to have close contact with him. This was his first experience of the fickleness of human relationships and the hypocrisy of the imperial relatives.
During lunchtime, everyone gathered in small groups, holding their food boxes and chatting happily. Xie Shizi sat in the corner, unable to taste the food, worrying about his parents who were under house arrest, and his second sister who was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice.
"Have you heard? This afternoon, not only will General Wei come to teach us in the martial arts field, but the Crown Prince and several princes will also be here," a young nobleman said, "I heard the Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince are going to be enfeoffed and establish their own estates. They need some peers to serve as subordinates, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will come to choose subordinates for the two princes."
Although some of them had distant connections to the imperial family, they were not from prominent families. Being able to serve in the estates of the titled princes was considered a decent career path.
The fact that the Crown Prince would personally select the deputies for the two princes showed Emperor Changlong's trust and value placed in the Crown Prince.
Xie Shizi felt more fear than respect for the Crown Prince. Due to his guilty conscience and fear, he couldn't lift his head in front of the Crown Prince, especially when he thought about how close the Crown Prince had come to being harmed by his second sister.
He suddenly regretted it. If he had known that the Crown Prince would come, he wouldn't have agreed to go to the martial arts field in the afternoon. Unfortunately, given his current situation, if he really didn't go, it would be seen as having ulterior motives by others.
No wonder someone had invited him to the martial arts field. They knew the Crown Prince would come and had called him there just to watch the joke.
Xie Shizi wished the lunch break would be longer, but no matter how unwilling he was, he ended up standing on the martial arts field.
He couldn't pull the bow.
He couldn't wield the sword.
He couldn't even perform the basic strengthening martial arts.
He knew that the people around him were secretly laughing at him, but he no longer cared about these flaws. He could only secretly pray in his heart, hoping that the Crown Prince wouldn't come.
Sitting on the horse, his mind was restless, and he didn't even hold the reins tightly. With a scream, he realized that the horse he was riding seemed to have gone crazy.
How could these docile horses suddenly go mad?
Was someone trying to kill him?
Who?!
The Crown Prince or the Hua family?!
The horse tossed him around, making Xie Shizi nauseous. Just when he couldn't hold onto the reins any longer and was about to fall off the horse, someone rushed over on a horse and lifted him up from mid-air.
"Xie Shizi, are you okay?"
The person helped him down from the horse. In his dizziness, he saw the appearance of the person who had come to his rescue.
It was General Wei Mingyue, whom his mother disliked very much.
Did she save him?
Thinking that he had just been suspecting the Hua family, Xie Shizi felt extremely embarrassed, his face turning red, "Thank you, General Wei, for saving my life."
"This horse has heatstroke," Wei Mingyue frowned, "Who is responsible for these horses? How come they didn't detect the illness?!"
The stablehands' faces turned pale. These horses were exclusively provided for the use of the imperial relatives. If anything happened to them, no one would be able to bear the responsibility. They carefully selected these horses every day, so how did a sick horse manage to get mixed in today?
"Bring everyone here," Wei Mingyue flicked the horsewhip in her hand and sneered, "You dare not take the safety of the imperial relatives to heart, is there anything you're not afraid to do?!"
The attendants responsible for the martial arts field saw Wei Mingyue's anger and quickly knelt down, begging for mercy.
The young nobles among them looked at Wei Mingyue with admiration in their eyes. General Wei was truly awe-inspiring.
"Mother, what happened?" Hua Liuli walked into the martial arts field and saw her own mother's unpleasant expression. Beside her was a young eunuch supporting the unsteady Xie Shizi while the attendants in the martial arts field were all kneeling. Seeing this, she realized that something might have gone wrong.
"Why are you here?" Wei Mingyue saw that the Crown Prince had brought Hua Liuli over, feeling helpless and amused at the same time. The Crown Prince had come today to select subordinates for the two princes. Bringing along Hua Liuli to join them, was it to let the princes get used to having Hua Liuli as their sister-in-law in advance?
Hua Liuli gave a flattering smile, "I accompanied His Royal Highness to have a look."
She didn't like to meddle in the affairs of younger generations, so she wouldn't interfere in her daughter's interactions with the Crown Prince. She bowed to the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, the sick horse in the martial arts field nearly injured Xie Shizi."
How could a mad horse appear in the imperial martial arts field?
The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli exchanged a glance, understanding that there must be a conspiracy behind this.
If Xie Shizi had been seriously injured, considering the nature of those noble families in the capital who liked to speculate on matters for no reason, the blame would likely fall on the Crown Prince or the Hua family.
Why did Xie Shizi fall just when they arrived here?
It was definitely intentional bullying.
Some people just liked to sympathize with the weak unconditionally, without reason or principles, in order to demonstrate their misplaced kindness.
Fortunately, her mother arrived in time and saved Xie Shizi.
Now it turned into General Wei putting aside the grievances of the older generation and courageously rescuing the enemy's son during a crisis. The daughter of Xie had hired an assassin to kill her, but her mother repaid enmity with virtue and saved Xie Shizi. What a noble sentiment and moral character!
It was worthy of praise and admiration from everyone!
Whoever planned this behind the scenes, shouldn't they have been driven to madness with how it all played out in the end?
Of course, it would be even better if they were driven to death.
Without hesitation, the Crown Prince called the Golden Armor Guards to take away all the attendants and hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation.
"The purpose of Gu's visit today is probably clear to everyone present," the Crown Prince sat down on the intricately carved chair and looked at the imperial relatives, "Any skills or strengths you may have, you can speak up."
The Crown Prince then turned his head towards his two younger brothers, "Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, you can choose for yourselves."
Imperial relatives: "..."
Why did they feel like they were radishes waiting for a rabbit to pick them?
The Fourth Prince raised his eyelids slightly and quickly lowered them again, "It's up to the Crown Prince to decide."
"Since the Fourth Brother has no preferences, then Gu can choose for you," the Crown Prince scanned the faces of the others and pointed to a few outstanding young men, "Among you, who is good at communication?"
The imperial relatives were a bit confused. What were the standards for being good at communication?
"Gu's Fourth Brother here, he usually doesn't like to socialize or talk to people. Gu wants to choose two lively and eloquent individuals for him," the Crown Prince pointed at one of them, "You seem clever, go stand behind the Fourth Prince."
"Thank you, Crown Prince," the person chosen by the Crown Prince expressed joy on his face and paid his respects to the Fourth Prince, "Greetings to the Fourth Prince."
"Hmm," the Fourth Prince refused to speak.
He had an impression of this imperial relative that was chosen as one of his subordinates. He came from an upright family background and had no involvement with other factions, but... he was talkative.
As someone who didn't like to speak, he really didn't want to have two subordinates who talked too much.
But would the Crown Prince accommodate his wishes?
Of course, he wouldn't.
Not only did the Crown Prince choose two more subordinates for the Fourth Prince, but each of them was talkative by nature.
The Fourth Prince couldn't help but suspect that the Crown Prince was retaliating for his past indifference.
When they were young, the Crown Prince, just a few years old, took the initiative to talk to him, but he couldn't be bothered to respond. Since then, the Crown Prince had never approached him for a conversation. Over the years, they had been peaceful with each other, and he thought that the Crown Prince had long forgotten about their childhood encounter.
But it turned out he was waiting for this opportunity.
"Third Brother," ever since the Hundred Nations Banquet, the Fifth Prince had become closer to the Crown Prince. Seeing that the Crown Prince had finished selecting deputies for the Fourth Prince, he quickly raised his request for deputies, "This younger brother wants a few people who are skilled in painting and knowledgeable about art."
The Crown Prince turned his head and gave him a suspicious look before falling into silence for a moment, "Alright."
However, the imperial relatives noticed that out of the four subordinates chosen by the Crown Prince for the Fifth Prince, only two were skilled in painting. The other two had a major talent... that was, sweet-talking and charming people to make them smile from ear to ear.
Regardless of the special talents possessed by these eight individuals selected by the Crown Prince, they all had one thing in common: their families had a clean background, with no outspoken or staunch elders.
Not a single member among these imperial relatives showed any inclination toward supporting the Crown Prince.
Wei Mingyue looked at the Crown Prince with appreciation. No wonder the Emperor never wavered in his choice for the heir to the throne. Governing a nation required someone with a broad mind.
No one is perfect, and there can never be a perfect emperor, but the Crown Prince possessed the qualities of a good emperor.
After selecting subordinates for the two princes, the Crown Prince didn't leave immediately. Instead, he showcased his impressive archery and swordsmanship skills to the imperial relatives, leaving a lasting impression on his future mother-in-law. Only then did he politely bid farewell.
Wei Mingyue spoke with a gentle expression, "Take care, Your Royal Highness."
Hua Liuli looked at the Crown Prince, then at Wei Mingyue, and smiled obediently, "Mother, I'll stay here to keep you company."
"The arena is dusty, and you're not in good health. Staying here for too long will make you cough," Wei Mingyue didn't want to disturb her precious little flower pig's plans. She smiled at the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, please take good care of this subordinate's daughter."
"Gu is delighted to do so," the Crown Prince observed the gaze of his future mother-in-law and felt assured that she was satisfied with him.
Hua Liuli happily took the Crown Prince's hand and left the training ground. Curiously, she asked, "Your Royal Highness, why did you choose talkative subordinates for the Fourth Prince."
"I was worried that the Fourth Brother would stay silent all day, which would be bad for his health," the Crown Prince had a gentle smile, "Having a few subordinates who enjoy talking and joking is good for him."
"I see," Hua Liuli sighed emotionally, "Your Royal Highness, you are truly kind to your imperial brothers."
The Crown Prince was so kind, yet there were still some court officials who would often point out his shortcomings. They were really nitpicking.
Her pitiful Crown Prince had endured countless grievances since childhood.
Thinking of this, Hua Liuli held the Crown Prince's hand tenderly, "Don't be so kind in the future."
The Crown Prince showed a tolerant smile, "In the future, they will understand my intentions."
Back then, the Fourth Brother ignored him, and now the Crown Prince wanted the Fourth Brother to be bothered to the point of tears.
"If they misbehave in the future, I will help you teach them a lesson," Hua Liuli said, "You are the Crown Prince. If the other princes do something wrong, you should discipline them instead of always indulging them."
"Junzhu," a eunuch attendant from the Eastern Palace interjected, "Please forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn, but the Crown Prince has endured many grievances over the years."
"Don't talk nonsense," the Crown Prince interrupted the eunuch attendant, "What do you servants know?"
"Although this old servant may not understand, I have eyes," the eunuch attendant said, "This old servant can see the grievances Your Royal Highness has endured, which makes this old servant's heart ache, not to mention Junzhu..."
"Since you know that it would upset Junzhu, then don't bring it up," the Crown Prince said coldly, "Go down and receive ten lashes. If you dare to speak out of turn again, don't stay in the Eastern Palace to serve."
Although the eunuch attendant didn't mention the grievances the Crown Prince had endured in the past, it was enough to make Hua Liuli feel distressed. She tightly held the Crown Prince's hand, vowing to be even better to him in the future.
She wouldn't let him suffer any grievances from here on.
Hearing that the Crown Prince had chosen a few subordinates for her son, Consort Lin summoned the Fourth Prince to ask him about the people the Crown Prince had selected.
The Fourth Prince raised his chin, signaling his personal eunuch to speak on his behalf.
After the eunuch by the Fourth Prince's side finished mentioning the names of the chosen individuals, Consort Lin nodded slowly. "Although these individuals don't have the identities I anticipated, at least they are not affiliated with the Crown Prince. I knew that even if the Crown Prince is audacious, he wouldn't dare to place spies around you under the eyes of your father, the Emperor."
Unfortunately, the Emperor didn't allow her to intervene in this matter. Otherwise, the people she chose would undoubtedly be better than those chosen by the Crown Prince.
The Fourth Prince glanced at Consort Lin and suddenly waved his hand, signaling all the palace maids in the room to withdraw, "Mother, I have something to say."
Rarely did she ever see her son take the initiative to speak to her, so Consort Lin didn't hesitate to have the others leave.
"Mother, do you know about the incident in the side hall involving the Crown Prince on the night of the Hundred Nations Banquet?" The Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin, observing her reaction.
Consort Lin remained calm, "What are you talking about?"
"I just wanted to advise you to be cautious. The Crown Prince... holds grudges. Don't do something that Mother would regret in the future," the Fourth Prince furrowed his brow.
"I am well aware," Concubine Lin said with a stern expression, "You just need to please your father and not concern yourself with anything else."
The Fourth Prince furrowed his brow, "Mother, Father Emperor is a wise monarch. He treats me well."
He was not talkative, and his father never pressured him. Whenever his father bestowed gifts upon his other brothers, he would never forget to send him something as well.
Despite his gloomy personality, his father never showed even a hint of disdain toward him
"Treats you well?" Consort Lin's tone suddenly became sharp, "Has your father ever treated you the same way the Crown Prince had been treated?!"
She and Consort Hui entered the palace in the same year. The Emperor treated Consort Hui just like anyone else. When the Crown Prince was born, his health was not the best, so she never could understand why the Emperor favored this sickly child so much.
In terms of appearance, Consort Hui couldn't compare to her. In terms of talent, Consort Hui was inferior to her. So why did the Emperor choose to dote on the child born to Consort Hui?
"Mother," the Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin with a pair of gloomy eyes, "The Crown Prince is better-looking than me."
Consort Lin: "..."
The Fourth Prince continued, "Since childhood, the Crown Prince has always been favored by Father Emperor."
Consort Lin: "..."
The Fourth Prince spoke seriously, "Father treats all of his sons well, but he treats the Crown Prince even better. Isn't that normal?"
Consort Lin took a deep breath, reminding herself not to get angry.
Anger accelerates aging.
"Why did I give birth to a son like you?!"
"You asked this question fourteen years ago," the Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin with his dark eyes, "Even I don't know."
Consort Lin was startled. He was only three years old at that time. How could he remember the words she complained to herself?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Fourth Prince: This is revenge, the most malicious revenge.
Eunuchs of the Eastern Palace: Acting is a necessary skill for us servants in the Eastern Palace.
Inside the Imperial Academy, other imperial descendants were playing outside in the courtyard while Xie Shizi sat silently in the corridor with a lifeless expression.
"Xie Shizi," A distant relative from the imperial family approached him, "In the afternoon, we're going to the martial arts field for horseback archery practice. I heard General Wei will come to teach us. Are you going?"
Xie Shizi was not good at horseback archery and did not enjoy learning it. However, after entering the Imperial Academy, he discovered that the imperial relatives in the capital all had some martial arts skills. Some even took pride in excelling in both literature and martial arts. Among them, a young Shizi had learned a great sword technique, making him popular in the academy.
"I'll go." Xie Shizi knew he couldn't be willful. Besides trying to appear sociable, he didn't know what else he could do.
Although the others in the academy treated him politely on the surface, he could tell that most of them didn't dare to have close contact with him. This was his first experience of the fickleness of human relationships and the hypocrisy of the imperial relatives.
During lunchtime, everyone gathered in small groups, holding their food boxes and chatting happily. Xie Shizi sat in the corner, unable to taste the food, worrying about his parents who were under house arrest, and his second sister who was imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice.
"Have you heard? This afternoon, not only will General Wei come to teach us in the martial arts field, but the Crown Prince and several princes will also be here," a young nobleman said, "I heard the Fourth Prince and Fifth Prince are going to be enfeoffed and establish their own estates. They need some peers to serve as subordinates, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will come to choose subordinates for the two princes."
Although some of them had distant connections to the imperial family, they were not from prominent families. Being able to serve in the estates of the titled princes was considered a decent career path.
The fact that the Crown Prince would personally select the deputies for the two princes showed Emperor Changlong's trust and value placed in the Crown Prince.
Xie Shizi felt more fear than respect for the Crown Prince. Due to his guilty conscience and fear, he couldn't lift his head in front of the Crown Prince, especially when he thought about how close the Crown Prince had come to being harmed by his second sister.
He suddenly regretted it. If he had known that the Crown Prince would come, he wouldn't have agreed to go to the martial arts field in the afternoon. Unfortunately, given his current situation, if he really didn't go, it would be seen as having ulterior motives by others.
No wonder someone had invited him to the martial arts field. They knew the Crown Prince would come and had called him there just to watch the joke.
Xie Shizi wished the lunch break would be longer, but no matter how unwilling he was, he ended up standing on the martial arts field.
He couldn't pull the bow.
He couldn't wield the sword.
He couldn't even perform the basic strengthening martial arts.
He knew that the people around him were secretly laughing at him, but he no longer cared about these flaws. He could only secretly pray in his heart, hoping that the Crown Prince wouldn't come.
Sitting on the horse, his mind was restless, and he didn't even hold the reins tightly. With a scream, he realized that the horse he was riding seemed to have gone crazy.
How could these docile horses suddenly go mad?
Was someone trying to kill him?
Who?!
The Crown Prince or the Hua family?!
The horse tossed him around, making Xie Shizi nauseous. Just when he couldn't hold onto the reins any longer and was about to fall off the horse, someone rushed over on a horse and lifted him up from mid-air.
"Xie Shizi, are you okay?"
The person helped him down from the horse. In his dizziness, he saw the appearance of the person who had come to his rescue.
It was General Wei Mingyue, whom his mother disliked very much.
Did she save him?
Thinking that he had just been suspecting the Hua family, Xie Shizi felt extremely embarrassed, his face turning red, "Thank you, General Wei, for saving my life."
"This horse has heatstroke," Wei Mingyue frowned, "Who is responsible for these horses? How come they didn't detect the illness?!"
The stablehands' faces turned pale. These horses were exclusively provided for the use of the imperial relatives. If anything happened to them, no one would be able to bear the responsibility. They carefully selected these horses every day, so how did a sick horse manage to get mixed in today?
"Bring everyone here," Wei Mingyue flicked the horsewhip in her hand and sneered, "You dare not take the safety of the imperial relatives to heart, is there anything you're not afraid to do?!"
The attendants responsible for the martial arts field saw Wei Mingyue's anger and quickly knelt down, begging for mercy.
The young nobles among them looked at Wei Mingyue with admiration in their eyes. General Wei was truly awe-inspiring.
"Mother, what happened?" Hua Liuli walked into the martial arts field and saw her own mother's unpleasant expression. Beside her was a young eunuch supporting the unsteady Xie Shizi while the attendants in the martial arts field were all kneeling. Seeing this, she realized that something might have gone wrong.
"Why are you here?" Wei Mingyue saw that the Crown Prince had brought Hua Liuli over, feeling helpless and amused at the same time. The Crown Prince had come today to select subordinates for the two princes. Bringing along Hua Liuli to join them, was it to let the princes get used to having Hua Liuli as their sister-in-law in advance?
Hua Liuli gave a flattering smile, "I accompanied His Royal Highness to have a look."
She didn't like to meddle in the affairs of younger generations, so she wouldn't interfere in her daughter's interactions with the Crown Prince. She bowed to the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, the sick horse in the martial arts field nearly injured Xie Shizi."
How could a mad horse appear in the imperial martial arts field?
The Crown Prince and Hua Liuli exchanged a glance, understanding that there must be a conspiracy behind this.
If Xie Shizi had been seriously injured, considering the nature of those noble families in the capital who liked to speculate on matters for no reason, the blame would likely fall on the Crown Prince or the Hua family.
Why did Xie Shizi fall just when they arrived here?
It was definitely intentional bullying.
Some people just liked to sympathize with the weak unconditionally, without reason or principles, in order to demonstrate their misplaced kindness.
Fortunately, her mother arrived in time and saved Xie Shizi.
Now it turned into General Wei putting aside the grievances of the older generation and courageously rescuing the enemy's son during a crisis. The daughter of Xie had hired an assassin to kill her, but her mother repaid enmity with virtue and saved Xie Shizi. What a noble sentiment and moral character!
It was worthy of praise and admiration from everyone!
Whoever planned this behind the scenes, shouldn't they have been driven to madness with how it all played out in the end?
Of course, it would be even better if they were driven to death.
Without hesitation, the Crown Prince called the Golden Armor Guards to take away all the attendants and hand them over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation.
"The purpose of Gu's visit today is probably clear to everyone present," the Crown Prince sat down on the intricately carved chair and looked at the imperial relatives, "Any skills or strengths you may have, you can speak up."
The Crown Prince then turned his head towards his two younger brothers, "Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, you can choose for yourselves."
Imperial relatives: "..."
Why did they feel like they were radishes waiting for a rabbit to pick them?
The Fourth Prince raised his eyelids slightly and quickly lowered them again, "It's up to the Crown Prince to decide."
"Since the Fourth Brother has no preferences, then Gu can choose for you," the Crown Prince scanned the faces of the others and pointed to a few outstanding young men, "Among you, who is good at communication?"
The imperial relatives were a bit confused. What were the standards for being good at communication?
"Gu's Fourth Brother here, he usually doesn't like to socialize or talk to people. Gu wants to choose two lively and eloquent individuals for him," the Crown Prince pointed at one of them, "You seem clever, go stand behind the Fourth Prince."
"Thank you, Crown Prince," the person chosen by the Crown Prince expressed joy on his face and paid his respects to the Fourth Prince, "Greetings to the Fourth Prince."
"Hmm," the Fourth Prince refused to speak.
He had an impression of this imperial relative that was chosen as one of his subordinates. He came from an upright family background and had no involvement with other factions, but... he was talkative.
As someone who didn't like to speak, he really didn't want to have two subordinates who talked too much.
But would the Crown Prince accommodate his wishes?
Of course, he wouldn't.
Not only did the Crown Prince choose two more subordinates for the Fourth Prince, but each of them was talkative by nature.
The Fourth Prince couldn't help but suspect that the Crown Prince was retaliating for his past indifference.
When they were young, the Crown Prince, just a few years old, took the initiative to talk to him, but he couldn't be bothered to respond. Since then, the Crown Prince had never approached him for a conversation. Over the years, they had been peaceful with each other, and he thought that the Crown Prince had long forgotten about their childhood encounter.
But it turned out he was waiting for this opportunity.
"Third Brother," ever since the Hundred Nations Banquet, the Fifth Prince had become closer to the Crown Prince. Seeing that the Crown Prince had finished selecting deputies for the Fourth Prince, he quickly raised his request for deputies, "This younger brother wants a few people who are skilled in painting and knowledgeable about art."
The Crown Prince turned his head and gave him a suspicious look before falling into silence for a moment, "Alright."
However, the imperial relatives noticed that out of the four subordinates chosen by the Crown Prince for the Fifth Prince, only two were skilled in painting. The other two had a major talent... that was, sweet-talking and charming people to make them smile from ear to ear.
Regardless of the special talents possessed by these eight individuals selected by the Crown Prince, they all had one thing in common: their families had a clean background, with no outspoken or staunch elders.
Not a single member among these imperial relatives showed any inclination toward supporting the Crown Prince.
Wei Mingyue looked at the Crown Prince with appreciation. No wonder the Emperor never wavered in his choice for the heir to the throne. Governing a nation required someone with a broad mind.
No one is perfect, and there can never be a perfect emperor, but the Crown Prince possessed the qualities of a good emperor.
After selecting subordinates for the two princes, the Crown Prince didn't leave immediately. Instead, he showcased his impressive archery and swordsmanship skills to the imperial relatives, leaving a lasting impression on his future mother-in-law. Only then did he politely bid farewell.
Wei Mingyue spoke with a gentle expression, "Take care, Your Royal Highness."
Hua Liuli looked at the Crown Prince, then at Wei Mingyue, and smiled obediently, "Mother, I'll stay here to keep you company."
"The arena is dusty, and you're not in good health. Staying here for too long will make you cough," Wei Mingyue didn't want to disturb her precious little flower pig's plans. She smiled at the Crown Prince, "Your Royal Highness, please take good care of this subordinate's daughter."
"Gu is delighted to do so," the Crown Prince observed the gaze of his future mother-in-law and felt assured that she was satisfied with him.
Hua Liuli happily took the Crown Prince's hand and left the training ground. Curiously, she asked, "Your Royal Highness, why did you choose talkative subordinates for the Fourth Prince."
"I was worried that the Fourth Brother would stay silent all day, which would be bad for his health," the Crown Prince had a gentle smile, "Having a few subordinates who enjoy talking and joking is good for him."
"I see," Hua Liuli sighed emotionally, "Your Royal Highness, you are truly kind to your imperial brothers."
The Crown Prince was so kind, yet there were still some court officials who would often point out his shortcomings. They were really nitpicking.
Her pitiful Crown Prince had endured countless grievances since childhood.
Thinking of this, Hua Liuli held the Crown Prince's hand tenderly, "Don't be so kind in the future."
The Crown Prince showed a tolerant smile, "In the future, they will understand my intentions."
Back then, the Fourth Brother ignored him, and now the Crown Prince wanted the Fourth Brother to be bothered to the point of tears.
"If they misbehave in the future, I will help you teach them a lesson," Hua Liuli said, "You are the Crown Prince. If the other princes do something wrong, you should discipline them instead of always indulging them."
"Junzhu," a eunuch attendant from the Eastern Palace interjected, "Please forgive this old servant for speaking out of turn, but the Crown Prince has endured many grievances over the years."
"Don't talk nonsense," the Crown Prince interrupted the eunuch attendant, "What do you servants know?"
"Although this old servant may not understand, I have eyes," the eunuch attendant said, "This old servant can see the grievances Your Royal Highness has endured, which makes this old servant's heart ache, not to mention Junzhu..."
"Since you know that it would upset Junzhu, then don't bring it up," the Crown Prince said coldly, "Go down and receive ten lashes. If you dare to speak out of turn again, don't stay in the Eastern Palace to serve."
Although the eunuch attendant didn't mention the grievances the Crown Prince had endured in the past, it was enough to make Hua Liuli feel distressed. She tightly held the Crown Prince's hand, vowing to be even better to him in the future.
She wouldn't let him suffer any grievances from here on.
Hearing that the Crown Prince had chosen a few subordinates for her son, Consort Lin summoned the Fourth Prince to ask him about the people the Crown Prince had selected.
The Fourth Prince raised his chin, signaling his personal eunuch to speak on his behalf.
After the eunuch by the Fourth Prince's side finished mentioning the names of the chosen individuals, Consort Lin nodded slowly. "Although these individuals don't have the identities I anticipated, at least they are not affiliated with the Crown Prince. I knew that even if the Crown Prince is audacious, he wouldn't dare to place spies around you under the eyes of your father, the Emperor."
Unfortunately, the Emperor didn't allow her to intervene in this matter. Otherwise, the people she chose would undoubtedly be better than those chosen by the Crown Prince.
The Fourth Prince glanced at Consort Lin and suddenly waved his hand, signaling all the palace maids in the room to withdraw, "Mother, I have something to say."
Rarely did she ever see her son take the initiative to speak to her, so Consort Lin didn't hesitate to have the others leave.
"Mother, do you know about the incident in the side hall involving the Crown Prince on the night of the Hundred Nations Banquet?" The Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin, observing her reaction.
Consort Lin remained calm, "What are you talking about?"
"I just wanted to advise you to be cautious. The Crown Prince... holds grudges. Don't do something that Mother would regret in the future," the Fourth Prince furrowed his brow.
"I am well aware," Concubine Lin said with a stern expression, "You just need to please your father and not concern yourself with anything else."
The Fourth Prince furrowed his brow, "Mother, Father Emperor is a wise monarch. He treats me well."
He was not talkative, and his father never pressured him. Whenever his father bestowed gifts upon his other brothers, he would never forget to send him something as well.
Despite his gloomy personality, his father never showed even a hint of disdain toward him
"Treats you well?" Consort Lin's tone suddenly became sharp, "Has your father ever treated you the same way the Crown Prince had been treated?!"
She and Consort Hui entered the palace in the same year. The Emperor treated Consort Hui just like anyone else. When the Crown Prince was born, his health was not the best, so she never could understand why the Emperor favored this sickly child so much.
In terms of appearance, Consort Hui couldn't compare to her. In terms of talent, Consort Hui was inferior to her. So why did the Emperor choose to dote on the child born to Consort Hui?
"Mother," the Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin with a pair of gloomy eyes, "The Crown Prince is better-looking than me."
Consort Lin: "..."
The Fourth Prince continued, "Since childhood, the Crown Prince has always been favored by Father Emperor."
Consort Lin: "..."
The Fourth Prince spoke seriously, "Father treats all of his sons well, but he treats the Crown Prince even better. Isn't that normal?"
Consort Lin took a deep breath, reminding herself not to get angry.
Anger accelerates aging.
"Why did I give birth to a son like you?!"
"You asked this question fourteen years ago," the Fourth Prince looked at Consort Lin with his dark eyes, "Even I don't know."
Consort Lin was startled. He was only three years old at that time. How could he remember the words she complained to herself?
Krish728
Author's Note:
Fourth Prince: This is revenge, the most malicious revenge.
Eunuchs of the Eastern Palace: Acting is a necessary skill for us servants in the Eastern Palace.
