Prince Rui's Mansion, study.

"Master Cen truly deserves to be the emperor's favorite imperial chef. His cooking skills are truly beyond reproach."

Prince Rui lay on the couch with his legs crossed, tilting his head to watch Qingtian playing with a jigsaw puzzle beside him. He squinted his eyes, as if he was still savoring the sumptuous dinner.

The chief secretary beside him said helplessly: "Your Highness, there are already many negative voices in the court and the capital.

"If the Grand Princess is determined to frame you, we won't be able to explain ourselves!

"It's such a big deal, you should at least pay attention to it!"

Hearing this, Qingtian stopped what he was doing and looked at them.

It's not that the Chief Secretary insisted on talking about these things in front of the children. It's mainly because Prince Rui has been avoiding this matter since he returned home in the afternoon, and he carries Qingtian with him wherever he goes.

The ministers in the Prince's Mansion were extremely anxious, and finally recommended him to find Prince Rui, insisting that this matter must be made clear today.

Prince Rui reached out and touched Qingtian's little head, picked up a jigsaw puzzle and helped her put it together, saying softly, "It's okay, just play your own game."

After comforting Qingtian, he turned to the Chief Secretary and said, "Why are you so anxious? There are witnesses and evidence in this matter, and you can't frame me based on her one-sided statement alone.

"What's more, my royal brother has entrusted me with this matter today. Isn't that enough to show his trust in me?"

The Chief Secretary did not feel comforted at all after hearing this, but instead said earnestly: "Your Highness, the matter of the Grand Princess naturally has nothing to do with you, but what I am most afraid of is that it will sow some grudge in the Emperor's heart.

"For so many years, the Emperor has not allowed you to go to your fiefdom. It is obvious that he is wary of you and wants to keep you under his watchful eye.

"Now that the Grand Princess has suddenly usurped the throne, it shows that even under our noses, it's not safe.

"The Emperor may still trust you now, but the most unbearable thing about things like this is pondering them. The more you ponder them, the more you take them to heart. Who can guarantee that the Emperor will continue to trust you in the future?"

"So what do you mean? You want me to ask my brother the Emperor for a fief? And take you to the fief to live a carefree life?"

When the Chief Secretary heard this, his eyes became dazed for a moment.

If such a good thing really happens, who wouldn’t be happy!

But he quickly came to his senses and realized that this was unrealistic.

If the emperor really wanted to let Prince Rui go to his fiefdom, he would have arranged it eight hundred years ago, and he wouldn't have kept him in the capital all the time.

But even if I can't go to the fiefdom, I can't just sit there and wait for death. I have to think of some countermeasures!

But before he could say anything else, Prince Rui became impatient.

He waved his hand and said, "Okay, I know what's going on. Don't worry about it."

Prince Rui sent the chief secretary away, then sat up and started playing jigsaw puzzle with Qingtian.

Qingtian looked up at him several times but said nothing.

Finally, it was Prince Rui who put aside the jigsaw puzzle, reached out and hugged Qingtian into his arms and said, "Is there anything you want to ask?"

Qingtian shook his head and fiddled with the tangram in his hand. After a while, he said, "I think Uncle Huang is a very nice person."

Prince Rui was stunned when he heard this, and then he smiled knowingly.

"Yes, my brother is really a very good person and a very good brother.

“Ever since I can remember, I knew that my brother loved me very much.

"At that time, he had already started studying, and I was still playing mischief all over the palace.

“Every time my father gave him something delicious, he would leave half for me to bring back.

"I still remember that time, every time the study was over, the other princes would go back to the palace, but my brother would search all over the palace for me.

“After finding me, he would take my hand, take me to a place to sit, and give me some delicious food from his pocket.

“Later, as I got older, I had to go to the study to study.

"When I was in the study, every time I drank water or ate something, my brother would taste it himself first, making sure it was all right, before giving it to me.

"One time, someone drugged the snacks we were eating, and my brother could tell the taste was off the first time he took a bite.

"As a result, because of this snack, my brother suffered from vomiting and diarrhea for several days. It took him more than half a month to recover. He lost a lot of weight.

"I was young at the time and had just recovered from a serious illness. If my brother hadn't noticed the problem and poisoned the cake, I would have died right then and there.

"Everyone thinks I've been hiding my abilities since I was little, because I'm afraid that if I become too good, I'll threaten my brother's position, making him wary of me and eventually having to take action against me.

"Don't even mention them, I guess even your mother thinks so.

“In fact, they don’t know that my brother once wanted my father to make me the crown prince, saying that I was smarter than him and more suitable for the position.

“But being an emperor requires more than just being smart.

"My brother doesn't know it himself. Although our father appears strict, he is actually very satisfied with him."

Prince Rui smiled when he said this, pinched Qingtian's nose and said, "The old man knows very well that I am not that kind of material at all.

"If such a big country were really handed over to me, who knows what kind of chaos would happen!

"That's my Royal Brother. He always thinks I'm good in every way."

When talking about this, Prince Rui softened up.

Maybe he himself didn't even know that there was a faint smile in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows at this moment.

“In fact, the old man had already arranged a fiefdom for me, but I refused it.

"I don't want to go so far, I have to stay in the capital to look after my brother.

"Look, just like today, if I had gone to the fiefdom instead of staying in the capital, how dangerous it would have been!

"Before she died, the Queen Mother held my brother's and my hands, saying that we were brothers and that we must help each other.

“We have always done this and nothing will change.

"So remember this: if you ever encounter any danger one day, and your parents aren't by your side, go find your uncle. He's someone you can trust completely, just like your father. Remember?"

After Prince Rui finished speaking, he looked at Qingtian and nodded vigorously, then smiled again.

"Okay, it's getting late. Daddy will take you back to bed."

As soon as Prince Rui stood up, a servant came running to report: "Your Highness, the imperial edict has arrived. Eunuch Wang asked you, the princess, and Young Master Qingtian to receive it together."

"So late?"

Prince Rui thought to himself, what is my royal brother doing again?

Is it really because of what happened today?

Even Prince Rui felt a little nervous, not to mention Princess Rui, whose eyes were filled with panic when she came out to receive the decree.

Prince Rui held her cold hand and stroked it soothingly.

When Wang Wei saw that everyone was present, he unfolded the imperial edict and began to read it.