"Are you really going to the battlefield?" For the first time, Fourth Master saw a kind of enthusiasm in Fourteenth Prince's eyes, and he understood this enthusiasm.

"Of course it's true. Don't always think of me as a child. I can shoot an arrow three hundred paces away, and I'm no slouch in combat either. If Fourth Brother doesn't believe me, why don't we go to the martial arts arena and have a match!" Fourteenth Brother was afraid that Fourth Master would look down on him.

"Warfare isn't just about brute force; it also requires strategy. Often, it also depends on determination, and even a bit of luck," the Fourth Prince said solemnly. He hesitated for a moment. If he really agreed to the Fourteenth Prince's request, would the Consort De blame him? Or what if something happened to the Fourteenth Prince after he went? In that case, would agreeing to his request be the right or wrong thing to do?

Fourteen looked at Fourth Prince, and surprisingly did not object. Instead, he nodded and solemnly said, "If Fourth Brother doesn't agree, I will go by myself. At worst, I'll go to Father Emperor alone." Fourteen said firmly.

"Nonsense! The battle lines have already been drawn over there. If you go by yourself, who knows what you might encounter? Do you want your mother to worry herself to death?" Fourth Prince roared angrily. Just now, he had been somewhat dazed, thinking that his younger brother had truly grown up.

"Then let me go with the grain transport team, Fourth Brother," Fourteenth Brother cleverly agreed.

Fourth Master frowned and said, "I understand. You can go back now. I'll let you know when I've made the arrangements."

Seeing that Fourth Master had finally relented, Fourteenth Master happily turned and left.

Looking at that young figure, the Fourth Prince felt a mix of emotions. What he himself craved but could not have, the young man was born with. Now, he had to help him fulfill his wish. If he didn't intervene, the Fourteenth Prince might truly go off alone, unafraid of his father's punishment or his mother's worry. But he himself feared his father's punishment and his mother's worry.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince and his father-in-law, Shi Wenbing, entered Yuqing Palace one after the other.

"Father-in-law, please have a seat." Since the elimination of the Suo'etu clan, the Crown Prince had gradually become reliant on his father-in-law, Shi Wenbing.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Your Highness, is the Fourth Prince loyal to Your Highness?" Shi Wenbing asked.

“The fourth prince has always been respectful, and I have always trusted him. He is capable and efficient, unlike the eldest prince who is arrogant, or the third prince who is overly bookish. He is a man of few words but capable, and a very good helper,” the crown prince said.

Shi Wenbing stroked his beard and said, "Your Highness, he is still a prince after all. With Your Highness trusting him so much, could he become another Prince Zhi?"

The Crown Prince was startled and shook his head, saying, "Fourth Prince has always been strict and courteous, and very measured. Father-in-law is probably overthinking it."

Shi Wenbing sighed and said, "That old scoundrel Mingzhu is probably up to something again. The Crown Prince should be careful lately, lest he find any fault with you. Now that the Emperor is not in the capital, the Crown Prince is in charge of important matters, and any mistake he makes will be magnified and presented to the Emperor."

The Crown Prince nodded, somewhat impatient with Shi Wenbing's rambling, and said, "Father-in-law, go see the Crown Princess. I won't accompany you."

After Shi Wenbing left, the Crown Prince suddenly felt inexplicably irritable. He hadn't visited Zheng Chunhua for several days and was missing her terribly. However, Kangxi would send urgent letters almost every day, leaving him no free time to go to the inner palace.

It is also known that Mingzhu did not leave the palace, but instead went to Yanxi Palace.

In the palace of Consort Hui, the birth mother of the eldest prince.

Consort Hui, though past her prime, still refused to admit her age and sat in the main seat of Yanxi Palace, while Mingzhu sat in the guest seat drinking tea.

“Cousin, just say what you have to say. I have already sent everyone away.” Consort Hui sat in the main seat, looking at Mingzhu with her long, narrow phoenix eyes.

“Sister, the Emperor is now over fifty, and the eldest prince is over thirty. What are your plans, mother and son?” Mingzhu picked up the tea lid and smoothed the floating green tea leaves. The aroma alone indicated that it was of excellent quality, showing that Consort Hui was living a comfortable life.

“Cousin, my son and I can only rely on you in this court. Now that the eldest prince is going to war with the emperor, I am very worried,” Consort Hui said.

Mingzhu glanced at her cousin and sighed inwardly: No wonder Consort De and Consort Yi were not favored by the Emperor. They were the most senior, but they were not very bright.

“I am currently gathering evidence of the Crown Prince’s filial impiety and disloyalty. As the mother of Prince Zhi, you should also keep a close eye on his actions in the palace,” Mingzhu said bluntly.

Consort Hui was indeed surprised upon hearing this, and looked at Mingzhu, saying, "Cousin, are you trying to pull the Crown Prince down from his position as the Eastern Palace Prince?"

Mingzhu glanced at the jade gourd hanging on the wall behind Consort Hui and murmured, "Now that the Emperor is personally leading an expedition and the Crown Prince is overseeing the country, it is the perfect opportunity for us to seize upon the Crown Prince's mistakes. In addition, Prince Zhi is currently accompanying the Emperor on the expedition. As long as he makes meritorious contributions, then that position is not impossible for Prince Zhi."

Consort Hui then understood Mingzhu's meaning and was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a moment. She had never intended for Prince Zhi to compete for that position.

“Your Majesty, you don’t need to do anything. Just send someone to keep an eye on Yuqing Palace. If they find any evidence that the Crown Prince has done anything improper, that will be an opportunity for our eldest prince,” Mingzhu said.

Consort Hui was then fully awakened. She felt a little scared because she didn't know if she could win the competition with the Crown Prince, and the consequences of losing would be dire. She just wanted to be a peaceful consort, and in her old age, she could live with Prince Zhi, which would be quite nice.

“Cousin, it would be good for Prince Zhi to become a wealthy and noble prince in the future. With your and Prince Zhi’s protection, the Nalan family can still do well. That position is certainly good, but the Crown Prince has been the Crown Prince since birth. How can we easily bring him down?” Consort Hui said fearfully.

“It’s not me forcing you and your son to fight now, it’s Prince Zhi who wants to fight. So, you should be advising your son, not me!” Mingzhu said.

Consort Hui's expression showed even greater surprise; she had never heard such a desire from Prince Zhi before.

“Cousin, Prince Zhi is still young, and you are his uncle. Please don’t let him go down a path of no return. The Crown Prince was personally appointed by the Emperor, and he is now over thirty years old. How can he be deposed so easily?” Consort Hui was still afraid.

"Enough. Even the mother of the Prince of Zhi won't help her. What use am I as his uncle? I take my leave!" Mingzhu stood up and was about to leave.

"Wait a moment, cousin, please don't be angry. Your sister is just afraid, afraid of losing our peaceful life. Cousin, you bear the safety of the Nalan family on your shoulders, so you must not act rashly. As for the Crown Prince, I will send people to keep an eye on him. But the burden on your shoulders is very heavy. If one suffers, we all suffer; if one prospers, we all prosper." Consort Hui stood up and said.