"Are you so confident that he will definitely die according to the law for the crime he committed?" the emperor asked with some curiosity.

"It's clearly Consort De who's confident, what does it have to do with me!" Ye Jingchen pouted.

emperor:……

If Consort De were still here, she would be furious.

"Father, I have already boasted to the people present that I would ask you to issue an edict to be posted in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture, so that all the victims who have been persecuted by Consort De's nephew can go to the prefecture to file a complaint. Father, you should not bear to see me break my promise in front of the people of the capital, right?"

emperor:……

It goes without saying which is more important: the crown prince's prestige or the concubines' lamentations.

But the emperor felt inexplicably displeased.

Why would an emperor be so clearly controlled by an eight-year-old child?

"Leaving aside Consort De, are you so certain that the crime committed by Consort De's nephew will definitely be punishable by death?"

"Father, you have no idea how skilled his servants were at forcing people to sign indenture contracts. Everyone in the teahouse, from the manager to the victims to the customers, knew his true identity. If he hadn't committed so many evil deeds, how could he have such a reputation?"

emperor:……

"You've observed quite carefully!" After a moment of silence, the emperor praised sincerely.

When the secret guards he sent to follow him reported back, they said that His Highness the Crown Prince was very impressive at the time, and the scene made everyone's blood boil.

The emperor also shared in the glory.

This is his son!

However, when the guards told him that His Highness the Crown Prince had taken Physician Zhang to the Censorate, he became quite unhappy.

"Why did you bring the imperial physician to save that old scoundrel's son? He doesn't even care whether his son lives or dies, so why should you worry about it?" the emperor questioned sternly.

"Didn't Father Emperor order me to take Imperial Physician Zhang to the Censorate to save their young master?" Ye Jingchen blinked and asked.

"When did I ever issue such an order?" The emperor was speechless.

"It was right after I overheard people at Zuixianlou saying that you, Father Emperor, 'used your official position to force the Imperial Censor to give up the life of his only child'!"

"Nonsense! When did I ever force that old scoundrel? Wasn't this all his own choice?!" the emperor said unhappily.

"No—you said you heard someone else say that? That old scoundrel! How dare he slander me?!" The emperor gritted his teeth and said, "I will kill him!"

"Father, calm down. He is an official who speaks out against injustice. Killing him will only cause controversy. It's not worth it!" Ye Jingchen moved closer to the emperor, patting his chest with his small hand in a serious manner, trying to help him catch his breath while advising him.

"So what if he's a censor? Does that mean he can slander me?" The emperor grew angrier the more he thought about it. "Zhang Shunde—"

"Father, the censors are like rocks in a latrine, stinking and stubborn. If you don't touch them, you'll just feel annoyed, but if you forcefully touch them, you'll only get yourself into trouble. Why bother?" Ye Jingchen earnestly advised.

"You're quite calm! I just hope that when you become emperor, you can remain calm when you encounter those censors!" The emperor, as if venting his anger, reached out and pinched Ye Jingchen's cheek.

It feels great as always.

So I couldn't resist pinching it again.

My anger subsided considerably, and I was able to calm down.

"Father is in the prime of his life. As long as you live long enough, how could I possibly have a chance to deal with those old fogies!" Ye Jingchen said with a fake smile as he pushed away the emperor's hand that was playing tricks on his face.

"Just because of what you said, once you come of age and are eligible to participate in politics, I will put you in charge of dealing with those stubborn old men!"

The emperor imagined the scene and laughed out loud with delight.

Ye Jingchen's face immediately fell. How could the emperor repay kindness with enmity?!

"Father, I saved the hearts of the people of the capital today. Instead of praising me, why are you trying to harm me?" Ye Jingchen asked angrily.

"What's the point of caring about a few slanderous words from a commoner? When you become emperor, there will be plenty of people who will slander you. Are you going to bother with every single one of them?" the emperor said disdainfully.

"But Father, my teacher said that the people's hearts are like water; water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it!"

"A few defamatory words are nothing, but if you say a few, I say a few, and he says a few, and they all come together like rivers and seas, then the people's hearts will be scattered, and if the people's hearts are scattered, the country will inevitably be in turmoil!"

"Therefore, Father, you must not underestimate these few slanderous words!" Ye Jingchen advised.

The emperor looked at the serious-looking little boy giving a lecture with astonishment, and for a moment, he felt that the person standing in front of him was not his son, but his old tutor.

Thinking of the old tutor, the emperor subconsciously shuddered, and then reached out to pinch Ye Jingchen's little face in revenge. "Heh—you've only studied for a few days and dare to lecture me?"

"Father! You've pinched my face so hard it's red!" Ye Jingchen quickly covered his face and took a few steps back, looking at the emperor with accusing eyes.

"Alright, I won't pinch you anymore. Come and have dinner with your father." The emperor glanced at Ye Jingchen's face, which was indeed red, and smiled awkwardly before beckoning him over.

Looking at the table full of delicious food, Ye Jingchen was tempted, but when he thought of Ye Jinghe waiting for him to return to the East Palace for a meal, he firmly shook his head.

"No, Jing and my little brother are waiting for me to come back for dinner!" he said.

The emperor was so angry he wanted to throw his chopsticks down. "It's Ye Jinghe again! I haven't even investigated your crime of taking him out of the palace without permission today! What? Now that you have a younger brother, you've forgotten your father? You think your old father like me is unimportant? You won't even have a meal with me, what hope do I have for you?!"

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