The Regent wanted to take a bath. Although Eunuch Liang Hong had not slept all night, he still hurried to arrange it. No one in the palace slept that night. There was complete silence and a dead stillness.

Seeing Yuwenduo's ostentatious white marble bathing pool that could accommodate dozens of people, Xiao Fu shook his head: "I only need a bathtub. This big pool should be given to the new king."

He did not have the bad habit of being extravagant, and he felt that the pool was not clean because it had been used by Yuwen Duo, so he asked for a bathtub, dismissed the palace maids, and washed his body inside and out, leaving no trace of blood.

He hadn't slept the whole night, and now that he was soaking in the warm water, he let down his guard and almost fell asleep.

However, he still couldn't sleep. He closed his eyes for only half a minute before taking a bath, burning incense and getting up. Xiao Fu was still worried, so he asked Eunuch Liang to smell it: "Does the king smell good?"

"...Ah?" Eunuch Liang was stunned. He was so happy when he remembered that the Fourth Prince praised the Regent for being beautiful. He nodded quickly and said, "Smells so good, so good!"

Xiao Fu frowned and sniffed his clothes, but could not smell anything: "How can it smell so good? Is there still the smell of blood?"

Eunuch Liang said, "No, it smells like sandalwood."

Xiao Fu actually didn't know what sandalwood smelled like, but if he put a stick of incense to the tip of his nose, he might be able to smell a little bit of it.

"Where are the princes?"

Eunuch Liang: "They are all waiting outside, Father. This is a private visit out of the palace, so I specially changed the princes into simple clothes."

Xiao Fu walked out of the palace. There were four little princes standing on the corridor. When they saw him, they all saluted respectfully. The Fourth Prince also followed suit.

Probably several princes all know that the regent is the one who controls their life, death and future, and they can only please him and be filial to him in order to have a chance of survival and a way out.

Eunuch Liang Hong was not trustworthy. After the carriage left the palace, Xiao Fu asked the coachman to go straight to the Dingbei Marquis' Mansion. He let the princes get off the carriage, changed their clothes, and changed to a simpler carriage. He asked Yuan Wu to distract the Jinyiwei who were following them, and Xiao Fu led the princes out through the side door of the mansion.

It was almost the first time for the princes to leave the palace, and they all felt fresh, but because they had to abide by the rules, they did not dare to lift the curtain to look outside.

Seeing this, Xiao Fu stretched out his slender fingers and lifted the curtain: "You have never left the palace?"

His Highness nodded and looked. It was just past noon and vendors began to appear on the street one after another. His Highness: "In reply to your father's words, I have only been out once when I accompanied you to worship your ancestors."

"What about you?"

The Second and Third Princes all shook their heads. The Fourth Prince bit his finger and said, "Mother said there are delicious foods outside the palace."

"Xun'er," Xiao Fu saw that he was always sucking his fingers, and couldn't help but take his hands off, "I remember that your mother was a commoner before she entered the palace. She told you a lot of interesting stories about the commoner, right?"

"As my mother said, tell Xun'er that every grain of rice is hard-earned and not to waste food." It is very smart for a child who is only two years old to know how to say so many complete sentences.

Perhaps sensing Xiao Fu's intention to test him, the eldest prince immediately said, "Father, although I have never left the palace, and my mother is not from the common people, the maids and eunuchs around me are mostly common people. They often talk about things outside the palace, and I often listen to them."

"What did you say?" Xiao Fu looked at him. The prince's eyes were nervous and awkward, but very clear. After all, he was a child.

"I remember that once, the state of the palace maids... had no harvest for three years. I took the initiative to collect one thousand taels of silver from my own private treasury and my mother's private treasury and asked my father to allocate it to the disaster relief."

Xiao Fu thought that he might have a heart that loved the people, and he knew how to say it out loud. At least his brain was different from his pig-brained father's, and he didn't have any major flaws.

Xiao Fu: "Your Highness, do you know how this disaster relief money was allocated to the people?"

His Highness was stunned for a moment, thinking that his father called Little Fourth Sister Yu'er but not himself Yu'er, so he thought that he didn't like him that much... He hesitated and said, "My father appointed the governor of Shanxi, and the relief money was allocated by the governor... to the states and counties below, and then distributed to the people."

Xiao Fu didn't say anything.

The Second Prince suddenly spoke up: "In reply to your father, I think that the disaster in Shanxi was caused by floods. The river overflowed and the people were left homeless. This disaster silver is for the people to build shelters and water conservancy facilities. The court should open the warehouses to release grain to solve the famine. Food is the foundation of the people."

Xiao Fu was a little surprised that this Second Prince, who always kept his head buried, knew the essence of governing a country at the age of seven.

"Who taught you this? Hanlin scholar?"

"In reply to the Emperor's question, yes..."

The Second Prince was obviously nervous. Under Xiao Fu's gaze, sweat almost fell from his forehead. He did not dare to lie, "It was my son's grandfather who taught me."

The narrow carriage fell into silence.

The Second Prince’s grandfather was the sinner Xu Hui who died under Xiao Fu’s knife last night.

However, the Second Prince actually told the truth even though he knew that this would anger Xiao Fu.

One possibility is that he is afraid and dares not lie, and the other possibility is that he is just straightforward and just cannot lie.

"I know my crime!" The Second Prince was frightened and wanted to kneel down, but Xiao Fu stopped him with one hand and said calmly, "Forget it."

Xiao Fu turned to the third brother and asked, "What do you think, Third Prince?"

The Third Prince, who was picking at his belt, had a look of bewilderment on his face: "I thought that Second Brother...my grandfather was a criminal and should be executed along with his entire clan. But Second Brother is a descendant of the royal family after all, so this matter has nothing to do with him..."

The Second Prince lowered his head and said nothing.

Xiao Fu's expression was indifferent: "I didn't ask you about this. I asked you about the flood in Fenzhou."

"Oh, oh, oh." The Third Prince finally breathed a sigh of relief. He summarized what the two princes had said before, and then recited the poem that the Fourth Prince had read in its entirety: "Who knows that every grain of rice on the plate is the result of hard work? Father, only when the suffering of the people is resolved, will the people work hard to farm, be self-sufficient, and have no worries about food and clothing."

The Third Prince is not stupid. He knows how to steal other people's answers and make up an acceptable-sounding answer in his own words. He knows how to take advantage of opportunities.

Xiao Fu made a judgment in his heart, and his expression suddenly became serious. He said to them: "There are three rules outside the palace. First, forget your identity and do not call yourself 'this palace'. You are just ordinary children. Remember, if anyone makes a mistake, be careful that I will turn hostile and ruthless. Second, do not call me the emperor's father or the regent. Call me... just the elder."

The eldest prince hesitated and said, "Uncle...why do you call me brother?"

Xiao Fu smiled and said, "Look at my face. Does it look like your great uncle?"

His Highness shook his head.

He should have called him uncle, because he was Yuwen Duo's uncle and his children's uncle, but calling him that always made Xiao Fu feel that he was old enough.

"Third," Xiao Fu looked from the four princes, "I will take you to a place today to meet a teacher. You must be respectful and polite, treat him as an elder, and call him teacher. You must answer all the questions he asks you."

There are still King Zhao's men outside the city of Jinling. Xiao Fu will not take them out of the city at this time, let alone take the Jinyiwei to Xingzhiguan, so as to disturb Ze Wudao who is enjoying his old age in Chang'an and farming.

After arriving at the Qinhuai River, Xiao Fu took the four children on board. The fourth prince had short legs and there was a hole where the boat connected to the dock. He hesitated and did not dare to step over it. Xiao Fu scooped him up with one hand and carried him over.

"Thank you, Father." The Fourth Prince said in a soft voice.

Xiao Fu put him on the ground with a serious face: "What's your name? Did you forget it again?"

"Call me...brother," the Fourth Prince remembered, "brother."

Xiao Fu nodded: "Yes, by the way, don't forget it, otherwise my brother will beat you up."

For the sake of convenience, he changed the way he addressed the little princes to: "The eldest, the second, the third, the fourth."

The reason for this is that Xiao Fu has not yet remembered the names of the four princes.

What about Xuan, Huan, and Yu? He couldn't match them up at all and was too lazy to tell them apart. After all this time, I only know that the Fourth Prince is called Yuwen Xun.

The boat was a little shaky as they walked. The three princes all thought in their hearts that the person the Regent brought them to see must be a very important person. They heard that the emperor was still alive, could it be the emperor?

When the eldest prince was one or two years old, he met the emperor.

I can't remember it clearly now.

Mr. Xie left the palace last night. When he saw Xiao Fu coming, Xiao Fu asked Lin Zikui first.

Third Master Xie shook his head at him: "Jinzun wanted to play chess with him last night, so he went to bed very late. In the middle of the night, he had an itch all over his body and was scratching it very hard. I heard it and changed the medicine for him. He is still sleeping now."

As he was talking, Xie Lao San saw the four children and was extremely surprised: "Xiao Zhaoling, why did you bring these ancestors here?"

Xiao Fu: "I misjudged Yuwen Duo last time. This time I won't look at it myself, so I can't be wrong, right?"

Xie Laosan: "Then you brought it here... for Xiaolin to see?" He shook his head, "You are crazy, Lin Zikui can't see."

"His eyesight may not be very good, but his heart is not blind." Besides, he was just listening to Lin Zikui's judgment. The matter of establishing a crown prince concerns the people of the world and cannot be rushed. Xiao Fu also had to make his own decision, and he had to ask Empress Dowager Xiao and the old Taoist priest for their opinions.

Moreover, there are still opportunities for trial and error. If the eldest child is useless, there is still the second child. If the second child is no good, there is still the third child. If the third child doesn't work, there is still the fourth child who knows nothing and can be taught slowly.

The three elder ones were watching their noses and their hearts, but the fourth prince was the only one who was still looking around with the innocence of a child.

When Xiao Fu heard that Lin Zikui was still sleeping, he felt distressed when he thought about how he had an attack of the insect poison last night and was so itchy that he couldn't bear it and had been scratching desperately.

Xu Zhuojun, it would not be a pity if you died a thousand times.

Xiao Fu stood by the door and quietly peeked in. He could only vaguely see that he was sleeping soundly, but could not see his face clearly.

Then Xiao Fu turned around and took the golden cup away, pointing at his nose and scolding him: "Why are you pestering someone to play chess with you so late at night? You're not letting him sleep."

Jin Zun felt guilty about what he said: "My Lord, playing chess with Master Lin is fun."

"You have no self-control when you are having fun. You are so old, but you are still like a child." Xiao Fu poked his forehead with his finger. "Next time you dare to play chess with him at night, I will punish you!"

Jinzun buried his head: "Oh."

Xiao Fu knew that he didn't listen, and he would dare to do it again next time: "Stubborn donkey."

Jinzun: “Oh.”

"Oh again?"

"oh……"

"..." Xiao Fu refused to pay attention to him and asked someone to take the four princes aside to have breakfast. He couldn't help himself and pushed open Lin Zikui's door.

Originally, I just wanted to go and see how he was sleeping, to see if he was dreaming or talking in his sleep.

Unexpectedly, when Xiao Fu walked in and took a look at him, he couldn't leave. He couldn't take his eyes away. The feeling of his heart becoming soft was particularly clear in his chest.

Lin Zikui is really something. He was obviously feeling sleepy, but he still played chess with Jinzun.

Xiao Fu opened the curtain and sat beside the bed. Lin Zikui was sleeping on his side with his eyes covered with a layer of white cloth. As soon as Xiao Fu sat on him, he woke up, turned his face away, and shouted in a hoarse voice after just getting up: "Mo Liu, what time is it..."

"It's not even the morning hour yet," Xiao Fu said in a very soft voice, "Lin Lang, continue to sleep."

"Yinshi..." Lin Zikui couldn't see anything and had no idea that it was already dawn. If he continued to sleep, it would be noon.

His voice was fuzzy, and then he responded: "Zhao Ling? You're back?"

"Well, I came back not long after you went to bed last night."

Lin Zikui propped himself up with his arms and tried to sit up, but he was cold, so he huddled back down like a hibernating animal, with the lower half of his face flushed pink as if he had just woken up.

He stretched his hand out of the quilt, looking for Xiao Fu's voice: "I waited for you for a long time last night, and I couldn't even hold my breath. He didn't know when you would come back."

Xiao Fu was startled, and reached out to hook his hand and hold it. Lin Zikui's hand was very soft, and with the warmth of the quilt, Xiao Fu wrapped his whole palm around it, his ten fingers and heart were all soft, and he said, "So it wasn't him who pestered you to play chess?"

"Well, no, I want to wait for you to come back, so I have to wait." He couldn't sleep, worried that Xiao Fu had gone out and was retaliated by Minister Pang's son. He wanted to go out to look for him, but was stopped by Jinzun, who said that Xiao Zhaoling just had a family dinner.

Lin Zikui was lying on the bed, thinking about when Xiao Zhaoling would take him to a family dinner? It was a family dinner. Was it a relative of his who was an official in Jinling? It would be better for him not to go. He would go after he had achieved fame. Thinking of fame, he was reciting with his eyes closed.

I woke up at this moment and thought of one thing: "I have to report to the Imperial Examination Hall before the twelfth hour today. The exam is coming soon."

He had just gotten up halfway when Xiao Fu reached out and pushed him back down: "Sleep until noon, I'll go with you in the afternoon. I didn't sleep well last night, so I need to sleep for a while."

Lin Zikui: "Why didn't you sleep well? Did you drink?"

"You must have had one or two drinks. I didn't sleep well because I missed Lin Lang. I recognize my bed and you, so I came back soon." Xiao Fu fell down and stretched out his arms to embrace him. He breathed in his scent. Although he could hardly smell it, he could feel it. He lowered his head and said, "Lin Lang, don't you miss me as much as I miss you?"

Lin Zikui was held by him. He struggled a few times and then stopped moving.

He knew that he was not as strong as Xiao Fu.

"Why don't you speak?" Xiao Fu's chin rubbed against his cheek like a clingy cat, causing some itching.

He showered but forgot to shave, and from the night's overwork he had a stubbled beard.

Lin Zikui was keenly aware of this irritation, and suddenly had some bad guesses in his mind. He pursed his lips slightly, but could not ask a single word.

Xiao Fu's nose was pressed against his, with love in his eyes: "Lin Lang is silent, it means he is sleepy. Then I won't say anything, go to sleep."