"You noticed that!" the eldest prince said, feigning surprise.

"Big brother, I'm talking to you about something serious!" He Xue could tell from the eldest prince's expression that he saw her as a child.

"Alright, alright! Let's get down to business!" The eldest prince immediately sat up straight.

"Brother, are you unhappy because Consort Hui's ideas differ from yours?"

"Yes!" The eldest prince looked up into the distance and sighed, "I like to practice martial arts, but my mother makes me study."

I'm simply not cut out for studying. My memorization time is slower than the third and fourth oldest students, and even slower than the fifth oldest student.

I've tried so hard to memorize it, but I just can't remember it. The more anxious I get, the less I can remember. And in front of Father Emperor, I can't even recite the ones I knew before.

My father always says I'm like a brute. Does not being able to recite books make someone a brute?

I enjoy leading troops into battle. My father has so many sons, why does he insist on making me recite books? There is a crown prince for governing the country, and the third, fourth, and fifth sons can recite books.

The dragon has nine sons, each different! Do I really have to study?

"My mother always compares me to the Crown Prince. He is the Crown Prince, and Father Emperor has high hopes for him. Father Emperor has spent more time nurturing him. How can I compare to him!" The eldest prince expressed all his dissatisfaction.

He Xue also understood from the eldest prince's words that he was actually somewhat jealous of the crown prince, feeling that Kangxi favored the crown prince. Perhaps this was the fuse that would later ignite the conflict between the eldest prince and the crown prince.

If Emperor Kangxi had treated all his sons equally, or at least not shown such obvious favoritism, could the struggle for the throne among the nine princes have been avoided?

"Brother, Uncle Emperor cares about each of you very much."

It's just that he might have given more attention to his elder brother, the Crown Prince.

Because the Crown Prince was born without a mother, his maternal uncle, the Emperor, took him in and raised him.

Brother, no matter how good the Emperor is to the Crown Prince, and even if everyone else is good to him, it can't make up for the fact that he doesn't have a mother. No one can replace a mother.

There's only one mother in the world who's good; a child with a mother is like a treasure, a child without a mother is like a blade of grass! Therefore, in that sense, the Crown Prince is more pitiful than you, my elder brother!

At this moment, He Xue also felt very sorry for the Crown Prince. Every prince in the palace had a biological mother, but the Crown Prince did not.

The eldest prince felt guilty after hearing He Xue's words. The second prince was really pitiful. He heard that the second prince had never celebrated his birthday since he was born because he was born on the day Empress Xiaochengren passed away.

His birthday is the anniversary of his birth mother's death, how could he be in the mood to celebrate his birthday!

Although his mother always nags him, she really cares about him. I guess the second son also wants someone to nag him!

He Xue could tell from the eldest prince's expression that he felt more pity for the crown prince than anything else.

"Brother, although our Emperor Uncle has devoted more energy and attention to you, the Crown Prince, he hasn't forgotten you. Doesn't he occasionally check your recitation?"

Upon hearing this, the eldest prince immediately said with a bitter face, "If this is how Father Emperor cares about me, then I don't want this concern!"

"Your uncle, the Emperor, will definitely be furious with you after hearing this!" He Xue said with a smile.

"Father Emperor only talks the talk; he's never actually laid a hand on me!" The eldest prince tried hard to recall.

"Does my elder brother want my uncle, the emperor, to take action against you?" He Xue asked.

"No, I meant that Father Emperor is all bark and no bite; he has more than just the second son in his heart!"

"Big brother, I have a secret to tell you!" He Xue whispered to the eldest prince.

"What secret?" the eldest prince asked as he approached Xue.

Do you know why Consort Hui was assigned the most demanding palace duties?

"Why?" The eldest prince remembered that although Consort Hui was assigned more palace duties than Consort Rong and Consort Yi, she was very happy and said that it was because her father, the Emperor, valued her performance.

"It's because my uncle and aunt, the Emperor, said, 'Give Consort Hui more palace duties so she won't bother Baoqing all the time!'" He Xue said, mimicking Emperor Kangxi.

The eldest prince was first amused by He Xue's appearance and laughed heartily. As he laughed, tears welled up in his eyes. His father, the Emperor, cared about him.

"Big brother, have you ever thought about competing with the Crown Prince for that position?" He Xue asked the most crucial question.