Chapter 535: The Thousand-Year-Old (56)

When Wen Wan heard what the guard said, she suddenly felt her blood pressure rise. Was this the legendary brat? Even more bratty than Qi Mingzhu back then. Wen Wan sneered and then began to educate the brat. She didn't hit or scold him, but instead had her guards shout through a megaphone as the two left: "These two are not good kids. They like to bully people. Don't play with them."

Goodness, passersby kept a great distance, and some even watched with amusement.

The two young princes' faces darkened.

Not only that, Wen Wan also cut off the two princes' money, giving them only fifteen coins a day.

They have a saying: "Only by enduring the bitterest of hardships can one rise above others."

They were also made to compete with children of the same age, but of course, not in music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, as farm children had never learned those things.

It's different from other activities like spinning tops, climbing trees, or catching fish in rivers.

They tortured the two children to the point of questioning their existence.

And they didn't even give them food. Fifteen coins was enough for an ordinary person's daily life. But a few days ago, these two little princes spent all their money on toys and left nothing behind. Then they went hungry. Even when they cried from hunger, Wen Wan didn't feel sorry for them.

The next day, we went to a restaurant, but we couldn't afford to order any dishes and could only buy a few steamed buns.

"Second brother, I want to tell Father that you are mistreating us."

Wen Wan smiled and said, "Ask your sisters if they did it this way. And how old is Xiao Jiu'er? Everyone knows that you shouldn't get something for nothing. You are not even as good as Xiao Jiu'er. It's too shameful."

Children of this age have an exceptionally strong sense of self-esteem. Knowing that the other little princesses, and even the little princes, can do it, how could they possibly back down?

So he went to the countryside with them.

Digging soil to plant vegetables, raising chickens, ducks and rabbits, climbing trees or going into the water to catch fish, she quickly developed a relationship with the local children. They had never seen anything like this before. They thought it was amazing and gradually put aside their prejudices against ordinary children, and they became one of them. However, they got covered in mud every day, so Wen Wan made them wash themselves.

More than half a month has passed, and the princes and princesses who were once pampered and privileged in the palace are nowhere to be seen.

Even Qi Mingzhu learned a lot of skills from the village women.

It wasn't just these happy things; they also experienced a lot of bad things, a true reflection of human nature and life in all its forms.

The children have never even faced stark poverty, the harsh realities of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

When she first met the old man who had made her delicious sugar figurines the day before, she was found dead at home the next day.

The old man had no children, so Wen Wan helped him collect his body, then held a funeral and erected a tombstone. Wen Wan didn't even know his name, so in the end she could only write "Grandpa Chen".

Little Jiu'er cried because he wanted to eat a candy figurine. He didn't understand what death was. Wen Wan even lied to him, saying that Grandpa had just gone to heaven and would come back sometime. But the other children who were a little older understood.

Once someone is dead, they are dead.

They will become stars in the sky, but they will never come back.

This time, Wen Wan taught them about death and separation. She had become accustomed to poverty, and also to the optimistic lives of these people despite their poverty. She had become accustomed to the arrogance of the rich, and also to the fact that not all rich people are bad.

It can be said that Wen Wan did not stay in one place for a long time, but stayed in each place for a few days.

The little princes and princesses also learned that Wen Wan wasn't just playing around.

It will also punish corrupt officials, seek justice for the people, and help the weak and punish the strong.

Wen Wan looked at the young princes and princesses, making them realize that the world is beautiful, but not so beautiful. She couldn't say that she wanted to transform it into a modern society where everyone is equal, but at least she hoped that these future potential rulers, those at the top of the power structure, could have a kind heart towards their subordinates.

That's good.

The emperor originally thought that these young princes and princesses couldn't endure hardship and would eventually want to return to the palace.

However, he did not expect that they would not only persevere, but also grow.

He even shared his observations with the emperor, saying that he would make sure all people had enough to eat and that there would be no more beggars in the world.

The emperor was speechless for a moment.

It would be a lie to say that the emperor was not moved by these innocent yet sincere words spoken by a child.

The emperor finally realized that placing these princes and princesses in the palace and hiring famous scholars to teach them might not actually help them become successful.

Won't.

The people are the source of imperial power. If even the people are not close to their lives and do not understand their needs, how can they become successful?

The emperor summoned the Grand Tutor the next day. The Grand Tutor now had mixed feelings of love and hate towards the Second Prince. He loved what she had done: she could resolve the affairs of the Whip Tower Kingdom and promote diplomatic relations between the two countries; she could also work for the well-being of the people, punish corrupt officials, and help the weak and oppressed. She was a great benefactor.

What's infuriating is that... he's ignorant and incompetent, and to this day he can't even produce a complete policy essay.

However, the emperor talked with him all day.

Finally, the Grand Tutor left, and the other princes and ministers all came to ask him what the emperor had said. After all, the emperor had the idea of ​​establishing a crown prince, and the court naturally began to stir up a storm.

The biggest competitors are the factions of the First Prince and the Third Prince, with the Fourth Prince also among them, but his influence is relatively small.

As for the second prince, he was originally no threat.

But when he actually resolved the issue of Whip Tower Kingdom, things were different.

He made quite a splash, whether it was the affairs of the Whip Tower Kingdom or the Ghost God Temple, and he also removed many ministers who supported the Third Prince and the First Prince, even though they had indeed embezzled and committed crimes.

However, doing so also caused losses to both the eldest prince and the third prince.

Was this really not intentional?

Will the Emperor really not make him the Crown Prince? The reassignment of a Crown Prince is not an unprecedented occurrence in history.

This second prince is too much of a threat.

So, unbeknownst to Wen Wan, many people had already harbored murderous intent towards her. Wen Wan was still enjoying the happiness of raising her child and dating Gu Li.

Then he was assassinated.

And there were several waves of them.

Wen Yan: "..."

Wen Wan quickly protected the young princes and princesses, then openly complained to the emperor, requesting a large number of guards and an investigation into the assassination attempt on her.

In truth, Wen Wan knew with almost no doubt that it was those princes who were responsible. Wen Wan was speechless. Was she not Buddhist enough? She had no power in the court, and wasn't even in the palace, yet she still couldn't escape...

Anyway, he's the emperor's son, let him investigate himself.

Wen Wan never expected that the emperor would take her seriously. She thought he would just give her a warning and let her off easy. She actually sent people to investigate carefully and found that there were people from the eldest prince's faction, the third prince's faction, Consort Rong's faction, and other concubines' families.

Then they began to act without hesitation. The eldest prince and the third prince lost many of their right-hand men and power, and were even imprisoned for three months.

As for Consort Rong, she was also demoted by one rank, from Consort to Consort. This move shocked the entire court. This was not only because of the Second Prince, but it may have been premeditated. The assassination of the Second Prince was just a fuse, and it made everyone realize that the Emperor was really angry.

Whether or not the ministers have any intention of establishing a crown prince is unknown, but it is quite obvious that they want to eliminate the support of the eldest and third princes.

The court became much clearer in an instant. Many ministers who had lost their sense of place suddenly came to their senses. They were truly confused. The emperor was currently in good health. Why couldn't they understand why they wanted to assist the next generation? If the emperor found out, wouldn't they be courting death?

What every emperor fears most is someone coveting his throne and power.

So the ministers who had chosen sides quickly stopped their suicidal behavior, hurriedly pledged their loyalty to the emperor, and even worked much harder than before.

A new emperor brings a new court. The emperor is sitting in that position now, and they are his subjects. Therefore, they should not have too many inappropriate thoughts.

As for the other side, Wen Wan was indeed surprised when she heard the news, but upon reflection, it was understandable.

But at least I won't be in danger in the short term. Surely the First Prince and the Third Prince won't have time to cause me trouble at a time like this.

The emperor really treated her place like a nursery, and more and more people kept coming. In the end, Wen Wan strongly refused. She wanted to enjoy her time with Gu Li and didn't want to raise a brat every day.

So he simply wrote a childcare manual for the emperor.

This is clearly telling the emperor that he is their father, that he should raise his own children, and that she is no longer going to serve them.

The two princes were quickly taken back by their mother, Consort Wen. They were very reluctant to part with them, but Consort Wen was very willing to leave and couldn't wait to go. The little princesses were also taken away, leaving only Qi Mingzhu and Xiao Jiu'er. Xiao Jiu'er was still too young, and Consort Chen couldn't wait for Consort Wen to help her take care of the children.

As for Qi Mingzhu, she hasn't found the one she's looking for yet, so naturally she doesn't want to return to the palace. However, with two more people, Wen Wan can accept it for the time being, but she still has to spend half of her time alone with her husband every day. The others can only accept it.

Days passed by like this.

Then the emperor got restless again. The fourth prince's wife gave birth to another daughter, and there were already several grandsons. But the emperor set his sights on her and Gu Li.

But Gu Li is a man, so he can't give birth in her womb.

As for her, the system said that she does not belong to this world, so she cannot leave any offspring in this world, thus the emperor is destined to be disappointed.

Moreover, the emperor tried to arrange marriages for her, but Wen Wan chased them all away. In any case, she believed in the principle of one man for life, and it was impossible for Wen Wan to marry anyone else. Besides, her circumstances did not allow her to marry anyone else.