Just when Meng Zhao thought he was about to die on the spot, a sharp shout suddenly rang out: "Stop!"

Shen Qinghe rushed over from outside the courtyard. As soon as he stepped into the front hall, he saw a long sword with a cold, sharp light pressed against Meng Zhao's neck. His eyes widened in fury, and he rushed forward to push the swordsman's arm away.

Meng Zhao felt the chill on her neck vanish instantly, as if she had been granted a pardon. She instinctively reached for Shen Qinghe's arm, only to hear Shen Qinghe say in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what do you mean by this?"

Upon hearing the title he uttered, Meng Zhao's legs went weak and she slid down like noodles. Shen Qinghe quickly caught her waist, preventing her from collapsing to the ground. Even so, her face was still deathly pale, and she was sweating profusely. The image of her pinching the Crown Prince's cheek kept replaying in her mind. That was the Crown Prince, the one who held the power of life and death!

Heavens above, what sins has she committed to deserve this? Why did she have to come to the Shen family today? Wouldn't it be better to just go home for dinner?

When A-Jin saw Shen Qing and Meng Zhao, who was unsteady on her feet, sit down in a chair, and Meng Zhao was still clutching her chest and looking pale, she panicked and whispered, "I... I didn't expect you to be so timid."

Meng Zhao dared not reply at this moment, and could only lower his head, not daring to even breathe. Shen Qinghe, on the other hand, frowned and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, swords have no eyes, and can easily kill people if one is not careful. How can they be used casually? Moreover, have you forgotten what you promised me before leaving the palace?"

Ajin immediately shook her head. "Lord Shen said that after leaving the palace, we must be careful with our words and actions, not reveal our identities, not act recklessly, and even more so, not bully others by abusing our power."

Shen Qinghe continued with a solemn expression, "Then, Your Highness, did you accomplish that today?"

Seeing the young prince bowing his head and being scolded, Meng Zhao was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat. Shen Qinghe was now considered the prince's teacher, so it was acceptable for him to reprimand him a few times. But what if the prince held a grudge and sought revenge after ascending the throne?

Thinking of this, she quickly tugged at Shen Qinghe's sleeve, tiptoed to his ear and whispered, "Stop talking! It was my fault just now. I pinched his face, and I pinched it really hard!" As she spoke, her warm breath brushed against Shen Qinghe's ear.

Ever since she saved Meng Zhao from the sword, she had been clinging tightly to Shen Qinghe's side. This intimate posture was unprecedented for Shen Qinghe. Just as Shen Qinghe was secretly enjoying this rare moment of tenderness, she heard Meng Zhao suddenly reveal her shortcomings. Shen Qinghe's lips twitched, and she looked at her with a helpless expression.

Meng Zhao was trembling with fear when facing the Crown Prince, but he wasn't so patient with Shen Qinghe. Seeing his expression, he immediately glared at him secretly, his eyes clearly saying, "It's all your fault for not telling me his identity beforehand!"

Shen Qinghe sighed softly, knelt on one knee to meet the Crown Prince's gaze, and said gently, "Your Highness, neither you nor Meng Zhao are at fault for what happened today. It was my oversight that I failed to explain your identity beforehand, which is why she acted so presumptuously. Can Your Highness forgive her this time?"

The young prince pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved. Shen Qinghe continued to explain softly, "She didn't mean to bully Your Highness. She only did it because she likes Your Highness. She has always had this habit of pinching the cheeks of any child she likes. My sister-in-law has been pinched by her many times since she was little."

Upon hearing this, A-Jin looked up, tilting her head curiously, and asked, "Then...did she also pinch Lord Shen's cheek?"

Shen Qing was slightly taken aback, many images flashing through his mind. He seemed to have never pinched her, but he had certainly been slapped by her. He coughed lightly and nodded somewhat awkwardly: "Of course I have."

The young prince's eyes lit up, and he immediately felt much better. It turned out that even the dignified and composed Lord Shen had been pinched on the cheek when he was young. So, his own experience today wasn't too embarrassing. He nodded like a little adult and said generously, "In that case, I forgive her."

Upon hearing His Highness the Crown Prince's words, the black-clad man behind him, who held the sword, swiftly sheathed it. Meng Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly curtsied, saying, "This humble woman thanks Your Highness for your magnanimity."

The young prince narrowed his eyes. "You haven't explained what a chain store means yet. Don't try to brush me off just because I'm a child. Explain it to me in detail, and I'll understand."

Meng Zhao hesitated and looked at Shen Qinghe, who nodded slightly: "Your Highness is intelligent and quick-witted, please speak freely. If there is anything you do not understand, Your Highness will ask."

Meng Zhao thought to herself that this little prince was really curious. Worried that he wouldn't understand, she carefully chose her words and explained the business model of the braised pork shop to him in detail. As she spoke, she found that the little prince could actually understand and even asked a few insightful questions from time to time.

"If management is poor and franchisees sell inferior goods, wouldn't that damage the reputation of the head office?"

"People in different places have different taste preferences; wouldn't it be inappropriate to simply unify them?"

Meng Zhao then stopped using the tone of coaxing a child and began to discuss things seriously with him. After she finished speaking, the young prince nodded thoughtfully: "What you said is somewhat similar to the imperial court's post station system. It requires both unified regulations and adaptation to local conditions."

Shen Qinghe, who was listening nearby, smiled and said, "Your Highness has keen insight. A ruler is like a scale, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of the world; a merchant is like a tally maker, calculating the gains and losses of all things. The essence of both governing a country and doing business lies in the word 'balance.' Your Highness's ability to draw inferences from one instance to another truly shows your extraordinary talent."

The little prince blushed slightly at the praise and changed the subject, saying, "After saying so much, I also want to try the braised meat recipe you mentioned earlier, which you tried hundreds of times before finalizing it."

This was the Crown Prince speaking, and she was willing to cook it all night long. Meng Zhao opened her mouth to agree, but Shen Qinghe interrupted her in time: "Your Highness, it's getting late, you should return to the palace. If His Majesty finds out that you have been away for too long, he will probably blame you."

Upon hearing this, A-Jin's face immediately fell. But if she returned late and angered her father, she might not be able to leave the palace freely anymore. While she was agonizing over this, Meng Zhao softly suggested, "Good things come to those who wait. If Your Highness likes it, why don't you return to the palace first? Next time you leave, I'll have Lord Shen give you a heads-up, and I'll prepare several of my best dishes so Your Highness can enjoy them to your heart's content."

The young prince's eyes lit up, and he finally nodded in agreement. Then, feigning maturity, he put his hands behind his back and said, "Alright then, I'll return to the palace today. I'll visit Minister Shen's residence another day."

As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Zhao saw more than a dozen guards dressed in plain clothes suddenly appear out of nowhere in the originally quiet courtyard of the Shen Mansion. These men were all very strong, but they moved silently. They quickly lined up to protect the young prince. Recalling the situation where a sword was pointed at his throat just now, Meng Zhao couldn't help but move closer to Shen Qinghe.

Shen Qinghe noticed her movement and chuckled softly, "Just now you dared to invite His Highness the Crown Prince to come another day, why are you so afraid now?"