Ye Jingchen sensed the emperor's displeasure.

The emperor was a loving father, but he was also a ruler, a king who ruled the world and was the only one who mattered.

Ye Jingchen is his child, but also his subject. A child may disobey his father, but a subject must never disobey the emperor.

If it were any other prince, the emperor might not have consulted with them at all, but would have simply issued an imperial edict based on his own ideas.

This is where Ye Jingchen's luck lies.

He was a subject, but also the most favored child.

In front of their fathers, the favored children always have many privileges.

"Father, actually, I don't just want my younger brother Jinghe to go to school with me. I want all my younger brothers to go to school with me. Of course, my older sisters can go too if they want." Ye Jingchen said with a smile, dropping another bombshell.

emperor:……

The emperor was no longer agitated; instead, he began to have a headache.

He realized he had underestimated his crown prince; Ye Jingchen not only had his own ideas, but he was also very resourceful!

The emperor finally understood that his son not only disregarded ancestral rules but also looked down on worldly opinions.

"What exactly do you want to do?" the emperor asked, rubbing his forehead.

"Doesn't Father want to see his brothers and sisters living in harmony and happiness?" Ye Jingchen asked rhetorically.

The emperor stared at Ye Jingchen with an incredulous look for a long time, then reached out and touched his forehead, muttering to himself, "He doesn't have a fever, so why is he suddenly talking nonsense?"

"Many people have told me that there are no fathers and sons in the imperial family, let alone brothers. My brothers have been my rivals since the moment they were born, my mortal enemies. I believed that before, which is why I hated my brothers. But—"

Ye Jingchen paused for a moment before saying, "After I drowned, I was on the verge of death. I've come to understand many things and come to terms with many things. Do princes have to fight to the death for the throne? Can't we be like ordinary families, supporting each other and being a loving family?"

Ye Jingchen opened his big, dark eyes, looked up at the emperor, and asked earnestly.

The emperor looked down at Ye Jingchen, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.

He really didn't want to hurt Ye Jingchen, after all, he was still young, still innocent and dreamy. But as someone who had been through it all, someone who had experienced fathers and sons killing each other, brothers turning against each other, and ascending the throne with blood on their hands, he couldn't bear to deceive his child.

"I know what Father Emperor wants to say, and I know that my thoughts may seem naive to Father Emperor. However, Father Emperor is currently in the prime of his life, in the best of his ability, and has absolute control over this country and the court. Father Emperor is still young and can maintain this state for decades to come. Your son has a lot of time to slowly learn how to govern the country and be a qualified crown prince. We still have the opportunity to try and make mistakes, don't we?" Ye Jingchen looked at the emperor and asked.

"Trial and error—knowing it might be wrong, would you still want to try?" The emperor looked away and asked.

Perhaps because he was still young and had been too well protected, he had never seen the treacherous nature of people's hearts and did not know that human desires were insatiable, which is why he said such innocent yet touching words.

At that moment, he was somewhat reluctant to face such a pure and innocent heart.

"I want to give it a try!" Ye Jingchen said without hesitation.

The emperor turned his back to Ye Jingchen and said, "Then go and give it a try."

"Thank you, Father!" Ye Jingchen said happily.

"I hope you will not regret the decision you made today in the future," the emperor said in a deep voice.

"Once a move is made, there's no going back!" Ye Jingchen answered firmly.

"No regrets?" the emperor murmured, repeating the two words.

"I can agree to let Jinghe study with you, but as for the other princes, I cannot order them to study at the Eastern Palace. You will have to find a way yourself," the emperor said.

"Father, rest assured, I will make them come to the Eastern Palace on their own!" Ye Jingchen said confidently.

"You have indeed changed a lot compared to before," the emperor exclaimed sincerely.

"When I was drowning, water filled my brain. This is probably what Buddhists call enlightenment!" Ye Jingchen joked without changing his expression.

The emperor chuckled softly, "A truly enlightening revelation. Well done! With these changes, your ordeal wasn't in vain."

"When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a person, it first tests their will, strains their muscles and bones, starves their body, empties their resources, and frustrates their endeavors, so as to strengthen their resolve and increase their abilities." Ye Jingchen borrowed the words of a sage.

"You've done well in your studies. Keep it up and set a good example for your younger brothers," the emperor said with a smile.

"I will definitely not disappoint Father!" Ye Jingchen said confidently.

How could a 30-year-old adult be less literate than a little kid?

Impossible!

"Zhang Shunde, give the Crown Prince the information on the candidates for his study companion!" the Emperor ordered Zhang Shunde.

Zhang Shunde hurriedly handed the pile of scrolls he had been holding for a long time to Ye Jingchen.

"As you requested, the information is comprehensive, with pictures," the emperor joked.

"Your subject thanks Your Majesty!" Ye Jingchen said excitedly to the emperor, and then eagerly opened the scroll to read it.

He flipped through the scrolls extremely quickly, finishing them in less than a quarter of an hour, and had already selected a few candidates in mind.

To his surprise, Xie Chang'an was not in the scroll.

"Father, why isn't anyone from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion among these candidates?" Ye Jingchen asked curiously.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!