The Crown Prince touched his nose and followed behind Qiuqiu and Fu Ning. He didn't know why, even though he was going to Zhengyang Palace to discuss state affairs with his father, the Emperor, their disdainful little expressions...

The crown prince grew angrier the more he thought about it, and he directly blocked their way.

The little dumplings whose path was blocked: "Huh?"

What's he up to? Does he know I have some money on me?

Chiu Chiu suspected he was trying to rob her and cautiously clutched her pockets. Just as a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate can become a true dragon, she, a poor girl with no background or family wealth, was preparing for her future. This despicable human glared at her, wondering what he wanted; she could get angry at any moment!

The Crown Prince poked the chubby little baby's cheeks with a fierce look, "I am the Crown Prince of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and I can take whichever path I want!"

Chiu Chiu: [Since I couldn't turn the tide, someone else will be the crown prince tomorrow!]

The prince lightly flicked Qiuqiu's forehead. "What, you're not happy?"

Chiu Chiu stepped back to avoid the devil's clutches, then poked the prince's chest with her chubby little hand: "Pfft!"

Prince: “?”

Are you trying to spit on me?

Chiu Chiu shook her head. Of course not, she's very polite; she just wants to keep her distance!

Ha, men, keep your distance from me~

Fu Ning stared longingly at his elder brother: "Idiot!"

Chuchu already said to keep my distance from her, yet he still got so close. He has no sense of boundaries!

Chuchu's chubby little hand, still covered in rotten egg residue, pressed against the prince's chest and gave him a hard push. She really could move him!

The Crown Prince stumbled, staring at Fu Ning in disbelief: "You hit me for an outsider?"

Fu Ning blinked, then reached out and hugged Qiu Qiu, showing him through his actions who the outsider really was!

"Fine, fine, so this is how you treat me! Then give me back the Linglong Pagoda!"

Fu Ning pretended not to hear, covered her ears, and walked around her troublesome elder brother. After taking two steps, she realized something was wrong, so she turned back, took Qiu Qiu's hand, and left indifferently.

That was a birthday gift for Qiuqiu, and it absolutely cannot be returned to him!

The prince watched the two little bundles of joy leave hand in hand, so loving and affectionate... what a load of rubbish!

"You two just wait!"

The crown prince was so angry that his chest ached, and a familiar feeling of suffocation washed over him, as if he had returned to the days when he was a child and tutored his third brother with his homework.

My younger siblings are all troublemakers!

"Royal brother! Royal brother!"

The Crown Prince shook his head helplessly. Today was not a good day to go out. He was so angry with Fu Ning and Qiu Qiu that he was hallucinating. He even heard his third brother calling him.

"Brother!"

The boy's distinctive hoarse voice, typical of puberty, rang in his ears again. He turned around abruptly and saw a boy wrapped in a white fox fur coat not far away. The boy waved ingratiatingly when he saw him looking over.

The next second, the crown prince fled in panic.

Oh no, it's not a hallucination! The debt collector really is back!

The crown prince ran incredibly fast, leaving the boy behind him looking injured. "Second brother, why is the crown prince running so fast?"

Having just learned of his uncle's arrest, the Zhao family's second prince, whose life was already in jeopardy, nodded absentmindedly.

Why are you nodding?

"Huh?" The second prince looked apologetic. "What did you just say?"

"Second brother, you've also ignored me!"

"Didn't you say you'd accompany me to see Father? My brother must be going to see Father too, let's go."

Although the Second Prince and the Third Prince weren't close, he still remembered those chaotic days from their childhood. He was indeed quite annoying!

To escape the troublesome Third Prince, the Crown Prince ran as fast as he could, and when he arrived at Zhengyang Palace, his heart finally died of anxiety!

Not only did he not have time to change out of his clothes, which had been soiled by the little ones, but he was also overtaken by the Third Prince.

The boy, wrapped in a fox fur coat, smiled gently and quietly, but it sent a chill down the prince's spine. What was this living father doing here!

"Why are you so slow, Your Majesty? Your Second Brother has already gone in."

The crown prince frowned: "Why are you here?"

“The Zhao family has been convicted, and my second brother has come to plead guilty. I am accompanying him.”

"Then why not go in?" Is he going to be questioned alone? Then why call him here in the first place?

The third prince smiled, revealing his little tiger teeth: "Oh, Father told me to get out."

The prince: “…”

"Then you stay here." The crown prince, still uneasy, turned back and repeated, "Don't come in and cause trouble!"

The eunuchs on both sides bowed their heads and pushed open the door for the crown prince. Although the crown prince was acting strangely today, they, as servants, dared not casually criticize their master.

Once everyone was inside, they breathed a sigh of relief. "His Highness smells so good today..."

Shut up! Are you out of your mind?!

Emperor Jingming ordered He Zhaoping, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Gao Xun, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, to investigate the case together. The Crown Prince was his most trusted son, and the throne of the Great Zhou Dynasty would eventually be handed over to him. Taking over some things early was also a form of training for him.

only……

"Your Highness, today..." Emperor Jingming hesitated, unsure how to describe it. He then noticed a faint stench emanating from the air, and his face darkened further. "Your Highness is acting very strangely today."

The prince's jade-like face flushed red, and the tips of his ears turned almost bloody. "Father, please forgive me. I encountered a small mishap on the way. Please allow me to change into clean clothes before I return to report."

"Okay."

If they don't leave soon, his beloved ministers will be nauseated by the stench.

The crown prince sniffed the clothes with disdain, then walked out with his arms outstretched and feet shuffling. He didn't notice the smile on Emperor Jingming's face at all.

The Crown Prince was mature beyond his years. He grew up surrounded by praise and had hardly experienced any setbacks except for a mishap with the Imperial Advisor. It had been a long time since we had seen him with such a vivid expression.

"Su Qing, what do you think of the Crown Prince?"

Su Junyao was suddenly called out by name and did not understand His Majesty's meaning, but as a father, he would never like others to speak ill of his son. He blurted out almost without hesitation: "Your Highness the Crown Prince has the bearing of a dragon and phoenix. I believe this is a blessing for the Great Zhou."

Emperor Jingming waved his hand: "Not as good as your child."

Su Junyao felt a headache coming on when he thought of his own children. "Your Majesty is joking. If my sons were like His Highness the Crown Prince, I would be laughing in my dreams."

"good!"

Su Junyao was taken aback. What's so good about it?

Emperor Jingming: "Since Su Qing likes the Crown Prince so much, then let the Crown Prince and Su Qing's son handle the investigation into the person behind the Gongye family."

Su Junyao hesitated: "Your Majesty, I have four sons. My twins are not yet adults. Which one are you referring to, the eldest or the second eldest?"

Let's choose the second son. The eldest son is a troublemaker, and he'll definitely explode if he encounters the crown prince's temperament.

"Your Majesty, I believe my second son, Su Yunyi, is more suitable. What is your opinion?"

Emperor Jingming was not one to play by the rules. He chose Su Jinze, saying, "Then let's go with your eldest son."

Su Junyao: Okay, okay! So this is how everyone plays, right?

So what he gave was actually an exclusion option.

"I obey the decree."

One day His Majesty will regret the decision he made today!

The emperor and his ministers chatted and laughed, seemingly unaware of the second prince kneeling in the corner, and even less likely to notice the clenched fist hidden in his sleeve.

"Father, I beg for forgiveness!"

The second prince spoke up to remind him, then slammed his head against the floor of the hall with a muffled thud. Emperor Jingming's anger had mostly dissipated; he was only furious at the second prince's maternal family for being so utterly disappointing!

"Second Prince, rise. I know this matter has nothing to do with you. Marquis Wenyang speaks highly of you, and I have already made a decision regarding your establishment of your own residence and entry into the court."

"You will listen in and assist the Crown Prince on today's matter."

The second prince was terrified, never expecting that his father would not blame him, and repeatedly thanked the emperor for his grace.

The third prince is right, as long as he kneels down, there's nothing that can't be resolved!

But what he didn't know was that the Third Prince was just making things up...