The main reason is that his personality is too similar to the emperor's. He is a little younger than Gu Xin and Gu En, but a little older than Gu Si. He doesn't cause as much trouble. He is cheerful, lively, and loves to play. He also has a sweet tongue. Who wouldn't like someone like that?

After he said that, the Gu family no longer wanted to offer any opinions or comfort him.

Meanwhile, Princess Nanlin mocked Prince Tiantian for quite a while.

Then the two started talking about the civil and military competition.

Princess Nanlin then recounted the information she had gathered.

Although she was thoroughly humiliated by Gu Si at the banquet on her first day, she was thick-skinned and willing to go all out, associating with princesses from the Western Lands and the Great Zhou. These past few days, she has spent most of her time outside, except when she comes home to sleep at night.

She's also a great conversationalist, adept at subtly getting people to share little-known facts with her.

“Your Highness, we can ask General Shi to help us set this problem. We have many difficult problems in Nanlin that no one has solved yet. Let the three of us discuss it together and select the nine most difficult ones. We can each contribute three problems, no matter whose they are. What do you think?” Princess Nanlin suggested.

"I'll listen to you on that. But Princess, do you think General Shi has the ability to defeat the princes of Great Zhou and the Western Lands? Great Zhou has nine princes, so we can rule him out directly. The princes from the Western Lands all look quite robust to me, especially the prince from the Flowing Sand Kingdom. His temperament is comparable to General Shi's. Who do you think would win if they faced off?" Prince Tian Tian didn't care about the literary competition, but he paid special attention to the martial arts competition.

"Your Highness, you're not going to get first place anyway, so why are you concerned about this?" Princess Nanlin asked curiously.

"Maybe! Doesn't the rule include byes? What if I draw a bye and it goes on forever, and General Shi faces off against Prince Liusha? If General Shi wins, I'm thinking of discussing with him about letting me win, or if he wins, he can make a request for me. Besides valuable items, doesn't the Emperor also offer something that we can bring back?" Prince Tian Tian shared his thoughts.

"You want to win the martial arts competition and then demand that Princess Xinxin be taken back?" Princess Nanlin looked at Prince Tiantian as if he were an idiot.

"Isn't it possible? As long as General Shi can defeat Prince Liusha, then this matter will be settled," said Prince Tiantian dismissively.

"Ha! What makes you think Shi Mu will help you?" Princess Nanlin found it amusing. "Besides, I bet someone like Princess Xin Xin is Shi Mu's type. He can take her back himself; why should he help you?"

"No. Shi Mu has no interest in Princess Xin Xin. Anyway, I have plenty of ways to make Shi Mu agree to me. You just need to tell me, after these few days of contact with them, what do you think of Prince Liu Sha? Compared to Shi Mu, will he lose?" Prince Tian Tian was very certain that Shi Mu would not be interested in Gu Xin, and he was also very certain that Shi Mu would help him. He was just a little unsure whether Cheng Huaijin or Shi Mu was more capable.

After all, the most powerful country in the West right now is the Flowing Sand Kingdom. Cheng Huaijin earned his position through hard work, but Shi Mu's side is the same. In Prince Tian Tian's opinion, the two are evenly matched.

"I can't say for sure. Prince Ahai does resemble General Shi somewhat; he's very cold, and few princes and princesses in the West know much about him," Princess Nanlin shook her head and said truthfully.