Emperor Kangxi knew that the Third Prince was obsessed with literature, so he had a good reputation among civil officials. With so many supporters, it was inevitable that some of them would have different thoughts.

When the eldest prince saw that Kangxi had summoned the third prince, he knew that Kangxi was going to use the same tactics on the third prince as he had used on him. He just couldn't understand what Kangxi was up to.

The eldest prince approached the crown prince and asked, "Second prince, when you saw the third prince being summoned by Father Emperor, didn't you have any thoughts?"

"What thoughts could I possibly have? It's our duty as brothers to share the Emperor's burdens. It's also a good opportunity for me to spend more time with Hexue!" The Crown Prince truly didn't take the matter to heart.

The eldest prince patted the crown prince on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we won't let you down!"

The crown prince smiled. "I have never doubted it!"

The eldest prince and the crown prince exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

The Third Prince approached Emperor Kangxi, bowed respectfully, and then stood aside with his head bowed, quietly awaiting Kangxi's questions.

Kangxi sized him up and slowly said, "Third son, I've heard you've made some progress in your studies recently. Why don't we father and son exchange ideas? What have you been reading lately?"

The Third Prince quickly replied, "Your Majesty, I have recently been reading the Analects of Confucius and I am deeply impressed by its boundless wisdom. In particular, the saying 'A gentleman seeks harmony but not uniformity' has benefited me greatly."

Emperor Kangxi nodded slightly in agreement, then asked, "Do you know what the way of the gentleman is?"

After a moment's thought, the Third Prince replied, "I believe that the way of a gentleman lies in cultivating oneself, managing one's family, governing the state, and bringing peace to the world."

Emperor Kangxi smiled, a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes, but he didn't reveal it, simply saying, "Hmm, not bad. However, this is only one aspect. The way of a gentleman lies more in having the world in one's heart and putting the people first. This is also the way of a ruler."

"If the ruler desires goodness, the people will be good. The virtue of a virtuous person is like the wind; the virtue of a petty person is like grass." What are your thoughts on this saying?

After hearing this, the Third Prince seemed to be deep in thought. "What's wrong with Father Emperor today?"

"Father, this means that if the rulers are sincere in doing good, the people will follow suit. The words and actions of the rulers are like the wind, while the words and actions of ordinary people are like grass."

After listening, Kangxi nodded in satisfaction. "Yinzhi, what do you want to do in the future? Think it over before you answer. Your grandfather asked me the same question before!"

"Your subject enjoys compiling books and wants to compile a comprehensive book that integrates the past and present!" The Third Prince didn't think much of Kangxi's words and instead expressed his own idea.

He hoped that Emperor Kangxi would support his idea, because compiling books was quite expensive, so he wanted Emperor Kangxi to allocate funds for him.

"His writings will be passed down through generations, a great achievement for all time!" Emperor Kangxi praised.

"Father, a great undertaking requires financial support. Could you grant me funds for compiling this book?"

Kangxi felt a tightness in his chest, unable to extricate himself from his predicament; he had not only failed to achieve his goal but also suffered a financial loss.

Emperor Kangxi, no longer wanting to beat around the bush with the Third Prince, asked directly, "Third Prince, do you want to be the Crown Prince?"

Upon hearing this, the Third Prince knelt down with a thud. "Father, what have I done to cause you to misunderstand? How could I have such a rebellious thought?"

Even if you don't want to give me money to write books, you don't have to find such a crime for me, do you?

"I don't want the silver, is that alright?"