Old Li paused, finally understanding the purpose of Mr. Zhou's banquet today.

Luo'an Academy has a renowned reputation and countless students; in all reason, Dean Zhou shouldn't have such thoughts anymore...

"Yes, Dean Zhou, I've heard about it too. Many great scholars are interested, but the Emperor hasn't made a choice yet," Li Lao Er added calmly.

Mr. Peng, who teaches at the academy, knows a bit about the dean's thoughts, and he helped to set up a ladder for him.

"Presumably, His Majesty wants to find a teacher for the Second Prince who is both talented and virtuous, and not just someone who teaches academic subjects, right? That's why he hasn't made a decision yet."

“In my opinion, the Dean could give it a try. Over the years, how many officials and high school students has our Luoan Academy produced for the court? In terms of qualifications, no one else can match the Dean.”

As expected, Dean Zhou saw the smiling face, waved his hand and shook his head, and said modestly, "Mr. Peng flatters me. I have been cooped up in Luo'an for many years and have not traveled outside. I am afraid my ideas are outdated and I am unable to teach the prince."

"Moreover, this prince may inherit Tianwu's throne. If anything goes wrong, I will be a sinner against Tianwu."

After saying that, he looked at Li Lao Er.

I originally thought that Li Lao Er would just say a few flattering words and then help me test the Emperor's opinion.

As a result, Li Lao Er simply picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and didn't utter a sound.

Then look at Li Laosan, whose mouth is as tight as a clam shell. He picked up a piece of steamed fish with his chopsticks and slowly picked out the bones, as if he hadn't heard what they were saying.

Dean Zhou frowned, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Mr. Peng was secretly anxious, gave a dry laugh, and quickly tried to help smooth things over.

"My lord, does the princess still live in the palace? I heard that the emperor treats her like his own daughter and loves her very much."

Li Lao Er smiled faintly and nodded in response, "Yes, the princess is intelligent and clever, and the emperor is very fond of her. The third princess also treats her like a sister."

Mr. Peng moved his lips, but didn't know how to continue speaking.

Dean Zhou was a little embarrassed. After thinking for a moment, he put down his wine glass and said, "Uncle Li, our academy has a deep connection with your family, and we have gotten along well for many years."

"To be honest, this whole thing is my fault. I wanted to be the Second Prince's tutor and asked Lord Li to sound him out. But I was afraid he wouldn't agree, and I'd lose face, so that's why I did this..."

"If Your Excellency feels that I am not worthy to be the prince's tutor, then there is no need to trouble Your Excellency. Let's just have a casual chat today, shall we?"

Hearing his frankness and that he didn't seem angry or embarrassed, Li Lao Er said, "Please dismiss everyone else, Dean Zhou."

Dean Zhou was stunned for a moment, and a weight lifted from his heart.

He waved away the pageboy and servant, and ordered the old servant to stand guard at the door from a distance.

Li Lao Er then said, "Dean Zhou is highly respected and naturally qualified to be the tutor of the prince. However, Dean Zhou spends most of his time at the academy, where he converses with learned scholars and associates with no commoners. Since all his acquaintances are literary figures, his thoughts and ideas are inevitably too simple and sincere."

"Who would have thought that affairs in the court could change so rapidly, like the shifting winds and clouds, that everything could turn upside down in an instant? Today everyone is vying to be the tutor of the prince, but tomorrow everyone might discard him like trash!"

"If Mr. Zhou trusts me, why not wait and see? Let things settle down and the Emperor's will become clear before making any plans, shall we?"

Dean Zhou and Mr. Peng were stunned for a long time. Finally, they looked at each other, their hearts filled with turbulent emotions.

Li Lao Er's words were cryptic; upon closer examination, they didn't actually say anything at all.

But they weren't fools; they were observant and could easily understand the deeper meaning behind their words.

Could it be that something unexpected is about to happen if the Second Prince inherits Tianwu?

Or perhaps the emperor was not satisfied with the second prince inheriting Tianwu.

So, to whom does the Emperor intend to pass the Heavenly Martial Decree to? It can't be the Marquis of Xinting, who's out fighting on the front lines, can it?

I've heard of the throne being passed to a younger brother or nephew, but I've never heard of it being passed to a cousin!

Seeing their reaction, Li Lao Er changed the subject, "How about that camellia tree I sent to the dean last time? Should I take it back to the Hundred Flowers Garden to take care of it for a while?"

"Camellias are delicate. They can wither if there is even a slight difference in sunlight or water. So it's best to be careful and prudent when taking care of them."

Dean Zhou's pupils contracted slightly, and he slowly nodded, replying, "Yes, it's always better to be cautious. Then I'll trouble you, Lord, to take this with you when you go back and help me take good care of it."

Li Lao Er finally smiled, raised his glass, and said, "To this prosperous and peaceful era."

"To this prosperous and peaceful era." Dean Zhou and Mr. Peng also raised their glasses, as did the silent, grinning Li Laosan.

The group tacitly changed the subject, talking about the mischievous students at the academy, the latest happenings in Xindu, and the melon fields of Suijintan.

By the time the event ended, the sun was already setting.

Li Lao Er and Li Lao San said goodbye and left Dean Zhou's courtyard. Not far away, they happened to run into Mr. Tang, who was strolling along the road.

The old gentleman's hair had turned quite white after his illness, but perhaps because he had been well cared for, his complexion looked quite good.

Li Lao Er and Li Lao San stopped, smiled, bowed, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then left.

Mr. Tang stood there, watching the two brothers' backs as they walked away, a bitter taste in his mouth.

To say I have no regrets would be a lie.

Driven by greed, he wanted to control his grand-nephew and restore glory to his family.

Little did he expect that his grand-nephew would refuse to follow his arrangements, offend the Li family, and lose a good disciple...

Jiayin woke up early to the sound of cicadas chirping. She opened the window, looked at the withered trees in the distance, and couldn't help but sigh.

Hearing the commotion, Shui Ling and Shui Yun brought a basin of water into the room to help their master wash up.

While Shuiyun was combing her hair, Shuiling picked out a light blue dress and exclaimed, "Princess, wear this today, it looks so refreshing."

Jiayin nodded indifferently, and Shuiyun quickly found some mutton fat jade jewelry in her makeup box and braided two strings of pearls into her braid.

After being taken care of in this way, Jiayin became more gentle and graceful than usual.

Jiayin spun around in front of the mirror twice, quite satisfied, and then ran off to find the Third Princess for breakfast.

It's hot, and everyone loses their appetite because of the heat.

Shuiyun got up early to make thin spring pancakes, rolled them up with sweet and sour stir-fried potato shreds, a little bit of shredded pork with sweet bean sauce, and served with golden millet porridge. It was very delicious.

The Third Princess and Jiayin ate two or three meals before stopping. The Third Princess exclaimed contentedly, "Jiayin, when you leave the palace and go home, remember to leave Shuiyun for me. Waaah, if I can't eat her cooking anymore, I feel like life is meaningless."

Caiyun, who was serving nearby, was startled and subconsciously looked at Shuiyun, only to find that Shuiyun's expression hadn't changed at all, she was just smiling gently.

As expected, Jiayin immediately refused, saying, "Don't joke like that. Shuiyun and Shuiling are sisters who have grown up with me since childhood. I can't leave them to you!"

"Besides, even if I were out of my mind and agreed, my grandma and my mother would beat me half to death when they came back!"

The third princess wasn't angry at all. She raised her hand and rolled up another pancake. "Then I'll take advantage of this opportunity to eat a few more bites!"

Jiayin then smiled, "Don't worry, since we came here, Shuiyun has already taught several apprentices. Even if they can't reach her level of skill, they'll at least be somewhat similar. You won't starve."

The third princess gave a vague reply, "That's more like it."