"Father, now that I've grown up, will you no longer love me as much as you did when I was a child? Or will you even feel disgusted by me?" the Crown Prince asked.

Emperor Kangxi was startled by the Crown Prince's words. "Could it be that my recent suspicions have made the Crown Prince uneasy? Has he started to overthink things?"

"Baocheng, you were raised by Father Emperor himself, and you will always be Father Emperor's most beloved son! How could Father Emperor possibly dislike you!"

"Father, do you feel that my existence threatens your power?"

Kangxi paused. Had he actually thought about this question? Probably not. Perhaps he had, but it was just a fleeting thought that he had overlooked.

But since the Crown Prince brought it up today, he has to face this issue squarely.

“Baocheng, how could you have such thoughts! You are the crown prince of the Qing Dynasty, and you will be in charge of the Qing Dynasty in the future. Your father knows your character very well.”

"Once Father Emperor has resolved those problems in the court for your sake, I will abdicate!"

Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince immediately said, "Father, you are in your prime. I cannot handle matters of the court. Please bear with the burden!"

Whether Kangxi was sincere or testing him, it was better for him to refuse first.

"Your son just doesn't want these things to create a rift between us!"

Father Emperor, instead of hiding things from each other, let's be honest with each other from now on!

He Xue once said, "Don't expect others to guess what we're thinking. After all, no one can read our minds! And..." The Crown Prince suddenly stopped speaking.

"And what?" Kangxi wanted to know what the next part was.

"Father, please don't blame me for what I've said!" The Crown Prince's eyes held a mischievous glint.

"Speak, and I will not blame you!" Kangxi became even more curious.

"He Xue said that roundworms are in the stomach, so how could they know what the brain is thinking! And if roundworms were in the brain..." The Crown Prince did not continue, leaving Kangxi to figure it out himself.

Kangxi felt a chill run down his spine. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and tried to hide his embarrassment. "Baocheng, I'm sorry to have troubled you!"

Emperor Kangxi felt some sympathy for the Crown Prince, and Xue's ideas were always rather unconventional, making them difficult for others to accept.

"Father, I think He Xue's idea is just a bit far-fetched!" The Crown Prince said this with his eyes full of affection!

Emperor Kangxi naturally noticed that the Crown Prince only had He Xue by his side, and the Crown Prince indulged her in every way, which was not a good thing.

Emperor Kangxi glanced at the Crown Prince thoughtfully, wondering to himself whether the Crown Prince's doting on Hexue would affect his judgment and decision-making ability.

"Baocheng, you're right. From now on, my son and I must be honest with each other and speak our minds directly!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey!" the Crown Prince replied.

The Crown Prince felt that he had already told Kangxi his thoughts, but whether Kangxi would believe him was beyond his control. He couldn't very well lay his heart bare for Kangxi to see!

Kangxi spoke with the Crown Prince about other matters before allowing him to return to Yuqing Palace, and the Crown Prince's confinement was also lifted.

"Liang Jiugong, don't forget to read this imperial edict to the Eighth Prince's residence!" Kangxi handed the imperial edict he had written earlier to Liang Jiugong. The Eighth Prince's performance today really disappointed him. The little bit of fatherly affection he had been able to maintain had been completely exhausted by the Eighth Prince.