After the grand court assembly ended, the Marquis of Yongning returned home and invited his three sons and two nephews to his study in the front courtyard.

The heir apparent smiled and said to the Marquis, "Father, I heard that the Crown Prince attended the Grand Court Assembly today."

The Marquis nodded, and before the heir could speak, he said directly, "The reason I called you brothers here today is because the Crown Prince is attending the Grand Court Assembly. Our family has helped His Majesty raise the Crown Prince. In the eyes of many families, we are enjoying unparalleled glory. When you go out, I'm sure people have already congratulated you, right?"

Apart from Xu Rao, the others shifted their bodies somewhat awkwardly. The Marquis smiled coldly and said, "When water is full, it overflows; when the moon is full, it wanes. What our family must not have now is that so-called glory. Not only now, but also in the future, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne, we must be careful in our actions."

Xu Quan, however, was somewhat unconvinced and said, "Father, this is all thanks to the Emperor's grace. Wouldn't it be ungrateful of us to do this?"

Marquis Yongning sneered twice and said, "You are truly confused. It has always been difficult to offer help in times of need, but easy to add flowers to brocade. Throughout history, how many families who are favored by the emperor have lowered their guard because of their glory, handing over their weaknesses to their opponents? Our Marquis's mansion has stood in the capital for over a hundred years because of our loyalty to the emperor and to this country, not because of the flattery of those people. You all need to listen carefully."

The Crown Prince quickly stood up, and the Marquis of Yongning said in a deep voice: "From today onwards, restrain the sons and servants of your household, send a message to the clan, and tell the clan members not to easily get into disputes with others when they are out, and not to act recklessly because of the Emperor's favor or your relationship with the Crown Prince."

There are so many纨绔 (playboys) in the capital, all relying on the power and influence of their families. Power and influence can be blinding. What if someone deliberately tempts their children to make mistakes?

Marquis Yongning had to consider this: in the long run, he still had to restrain himself. After all, one must be strong to forge iron.

After the Marquis finished explaining, the brothers returned to the backyard together. Xu Quan was still somewhat resentful and tugged at Xu Rao's sleeve, saying, "Third brother, why is Father like this?"

Xu Rao said calmly, "Father did this so that our whole family could live a peaceful and stable life in the capital. Although the situation seems quite stable now, none of us can be sure what kind of accidents might happen behind this stability. Only if we restrain our behavior and do not do anything out of line can we avoid causing trouble for the Crown Prince and for our own family."

The young master patted Xu Quan on the shoulder and said, "Fourth brother, it's better not to try to understand everything clearly. Since Father has given such instructions, let's just do as he says. In any case, Father is doing this for the safety of the family, so he won't harm us. I won't go out to visit friends for the next few days. My son Hua'er still needs someone to supervise his studies. I'll take this opportunity to check Hua'er's homework."

Xu Puying and the Crown Prince walked arm in arm toward the Crown Prince's study. Xu Qu smiled and said to Xu Rao, "Third Brother, Fourth Brother, my child's mother just asked me to go back. She said someone is arranging a marriage for our Xu Ge. He is my eldest son, so I need to think it over carefully. I'll be going now."

After his other brothers left, Xu Rao said to Xu Quan, "Fourth brother, I know you still have doubts about Father's words. But some things are not clear to outsiders, not those directly involved. Those not directly involved simply don't know the dangers involved. There are only so many noble families in the capital, and the pie is only so big. If one family is gone, the others will get a bigger slice. Tell me, under such circumstances, can those families, whether they are good or bad to us, still sincerely hope for our good fortune? To put it bluntly, they all hope for our family's downfall. If our family falls, too many families will benefit from it. Especially now, because of our relationship with the Crown Prince, as long as our family is peaceful and stable in the future, even if we don't become incredibly wealthy, we can still be guaranteed a comfortable life. If our family encounters difficulties, wouldn't the Crown Prince help us out of our past relationship?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Quan finally showed some surprise on his face. He really didn't expect Xu Rao to say these things to him.

Xu Rao smiled slightly and said, "Fourth brother, if there's anything you don't understand, find a day to accompany your wife back to her parents' home and have a good talk with your father-in-law. He's a very perceptive and insightful man."