Chapter 148: There are always those who like to stand out, but those who keep a low profile are more powerful...

As the days passed, the princes in the harem appeared harmonious on the surface, diligently fulfilling their duties and responsibilities. But beneath the surface, undercurrents were stirring. After all, with the throne vacant, those who boasted of their talent and ability to shoulder the responsibility would become increasingly eager, constantly striving for the position. The most prominent among them was undoubtedly the Eighth Prince, Yinsi.

Of course, compared to the Fourth and Fifth Princes, the Eighth Prince's background wasn't truly that privileged. The birthright of a prince is determined by his mother and the family behind her. The Eighth Prince admitted that he was at a significant disadvantage in this regard. After all, his mother came from the Xinzheku, making her no match for the Noble Consort Yi of the Yikun Palace, let alone the Imperial Noble Consort. Yet, the Eighth Prince also felt that he possessed considerable talent. Back when the Crown Prince was still around, he couldn't compete or seize power. After all, everyone knew at the time that the Crown Prince was meticulously nurtured by the Emperor. As long as he lived in the Eastern Palace, the throne in the Qianqing Palace would eventually be his.

But the Crown Prince was gone. Without him, the remaining princes were essentially the same; the competition came down to individual strength. The Eighth Prince felt he possessed the ability. How could he demonstrate his strength? Doing his best and doing it well was one thing, but getting his father to acknowledge his excellence was even more important.

"It's not just about having ability; it's about letting the superior discover their own ability." Xiu Yu chatted casually with Xiao Tao while playing chess. "If the Eighth Prince is destined to lose in the future, it will be because he's too ostentatious."

Xiao Tao agreed with Xiu Yu's statement: "Compared to the Eighth Prince, the Fourth Prince is much more low-key. But like our Ninth Prince said, the Fourth Prince's face is as frozen as ice all day long, and he rarely smiles."

Xiu Yu thought of Yinzhen's imitation of him and couldn't help but smile: "Did you see that? In fact, Yinzhen doesn't hate the Fourth Prince as much as he lets on, and he doesn't like the Eighth Prince that much either."

Xiao Tao nodded in agreement. "Our Ninth Prince has perfectly inherited your intelligence and, of course, your looks. There's really no reason for him to side with the Eighth Prince. The Eighth Prince's mother is ultimately of little use to him. He wants to win over our Ninth Prince, most likely because he sees our Ninth Prince as a potential treasure trove."

"Let Yinzhen have his own little plans. I won't interfere in his affairs from now on." Xiu Yu was truly relieved about Yinzhen. "In fact, as long as the emperor doesn't have any intentions towards Xiaojiu, given his personality, he would probably prefer to live a leisurely life outside the palace."

"Mother, you know me too well." Speak of the devil, and I'll find him. As soon as Xiuyu finished speaking, Yinzhen appeared in the Yikun Palace. After paying his respects to Xiuyu, he said, "Mother, I did another good deed today. I beat up a scoundrel who had kidnapped a commoner woman. That guy is still in the banner, and he's really bringing shame to the people of the banner." As Yinzhen spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and showed Xiuyu the wound he had inflicted on me. "That guy is quite capable. He almost broke my arm."

It was indeed bruised. Xiu Yu asked Xiao Tao to get some blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing ointment, then asked Yin'er to lower his left leg. She said distressedly, "Doing good deeds every day is good, but you should always take care of yourself, right? Are you sacrificing yourself for the sake of doing good?" She scolded Yin'er while applying ointment on him, "Tell me, how many times has this happened?"

Yinzhen felt that it was wrong to make his mother anxious, but he also felt that he had done nothing wrong, so he felt a little torn. "But I can't just stand by and watch. Next time I see it, my son will still take action."

"I didn't say you did anything wrong." Xiu Yu rolled his eyes at Yinzhen and said, "Practice your kung fu more. I don't think those idle guys are very capable. You got hurt after fighting with them. It shows that your kung fu is still not good enough."

Yinzhen laughed and said, "Didn't Mother say that being good at one thing was enough? My son is really good at math. The shopkeepers in your shops all praise him highly."

Xiu Yu snorted with a smile. Yin'er's words were actually true. He was indeed naturally sensitive to numbers, and the shopkeepers did praise him highly, and that praise was quite sincere. After applying the ointment to Yin'er, Xiu Yu seemed unconcerned and asked, "Has the Eighth Prince come to see you recently?"

"Mother, are you afraid that Eighth Brother will cling to you and steal your little treasury?" Yinzhen said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'm not stupid. I can't chase Eighth Brother away if he comes to visit. However, although I haven't been asking much about the affairs of the previous dynasty lately, I have heard a lot about Eighth Brother. It seems he is a bit flamboyant."

Xiu Yu found it funny: "Why? You said the Eighth Prince was flamboyant, but you are not flamboyant yourself?"

"Me?" Yinzhen shook his head like a rattle. "My son only brags about trivial matters, but not at all about important matters. Like my brother, who was praised by all the ministers in the court, my son will never be able to do that in his next life."

"Alright." Xiu Yu was too lazy to listen to Yin'er's nonsense any more: "Now that you're back, what do you want to eat? Mother will make it for you."

"Mother's cooking skills make everything delicious!" Yinzhen praised her eagerly, "Besides, you know what your son likes to eat."

Xiu Yu of course knew that Yinlang was a meat lover, so she glared at him with a smile and went to the small kitchen to busy herself.