There was a stake in the kitchen, and someone was always watching it, so he couldn't do anything. Now that he had the chance, he might as well take it out.

This will save me from worrying about what he might do in the kitchen later.

The imperial decree granting the titles of prince to the three princes arrived on the third day.

The second prince was enfeoffed as Prince Qian, the third prince as Prince Ping, and the seventh prince as Prince Shun.

The three princes naturally went to the palace to express their gratitude, and their wives were also granted titles.

After being granted the title of king, the inner court also changed. He could have four wives and six concubines, while the maids remained unchanged.

Upon hearing this, Yan Nangui burst out laughing, spitting out a mouthful of tea all over the floor.

Shu Chengfeng paused, "What are you laughing at?"

Yan Nangui coughed a few times before calming down a bit: "Oh dear, I really want to laugh."

She casually lay on the kang table and looked at Shu Chengfeng: "Isn't it funny?"

The maids below were wiping the floor when Yan Nangui simply blinked.

Luo Kui, being perceptive, quickly instructed the maids to finish wiping the clothes before they all left.

Yan Nangui then laughed and said, "Since ancient times, when emperors bestowed titles of kings upon their sons, they always used words that sounded pleasant and meaningful, or words that sounded majestic. But look at our Emperor's title! What are these? Prince Qian? Prince Ping? Prince Shun? Hahaha..."

"What 'humble'? I don't believe he was praising the Second Prince as a humble gentleman. He's probably advising him to be more modest, isn't he? As for the Third Prince, this Prince Ping, oh my, it's no wonder the Third Prince has such a good princess now, with a connection to that Prince of Nan'an. What does Prince Ping mean by this? Does he hope he'll become an ordinary person?"

"As for Prince Shun, tsk tsk. I'm reminded of Consort Zhou. How obedient she was to everyone when she was alive? Yet she still died a horrible death. And now she's even giving that person's son the word 'Shun'... tsk tsk, is it only by obeying His Majesty's heart that one can live?"

Shu Chengfeng hadn't thought that far ahead; he just felt that his father didn't care much about these princes.

Now that I've heard her say it, it really is true...

Well, he originally thought that these words were given by the Imperial Household Department, but now he feels that His Majesty himself came up with them.

This idea...

"You really are something... everything you say sounds different when it comes out of your mouth." Shu Chengfeng chuckled.

"Am I wrong? It's a good thing the Crown Prince doesn't need to be given a title, otherwise you'd probably get an even more humble and subservient one!" Yan Nangui laughed.

"Your brain is malfunctioning." Shu Chengfeng shook his head.

"Sigh, you know, if a person lacks confidence, tsk. I've figured it out. His Majesty is ruthless, but he's not ruthless enough. Your Highness, tell me, what kind of person was that former Crown Prince?" Yan Nangui asked.

Shu Chengfeng shook his head: "I've never seen it either."

"Tsk, you have such a big mouth, you say everything!" He was only realizing it belatedly.

Yan Nangui stood up with a smile and leaned against him: "There's no one else here, and I only have one mouth. Your Highness, please tell me."

Shu Chengfeng looked at her for a long time, sighed, and put his arm around her waist: "I haven't met him, but... the late Crown Prince Shu Zhongyi died at the young age of twenty-six. He was a man of great literary talent and had co-authored books with many great scholars. He was also skilled in martial arts, having learned military strategy from your maternal grandfather since childhood, and was once his favorite student. Because Empress Dowager Jiang's other children were still young at that time, he was the only legitimate son, and also the late emperor's most beloved legitimate son. Therefore, he was made crown prince at the age of three. The late emperor often praised him, and all the civil and military officials knew this."

"When he was around ten years old, he could ride horses and hunt, and he was also very filial. At that time, Emperor Jingming's empress was still alive, known as Empress Dowager Zhou. She also doted on the crown prince and often summoned him to talk. Everyone in the court and outside the court respected the crown prince."

"Because the Tuotuo people invaded our Dayan, there were constant battles for several years. It was during that time that your maternal grandfather, the Ning family, the Ye family, and several other families rose to prominence. Your Yan family came a little later, only catching up with the last two years of that chaotic war."

This is why the Yan family only received the title of Marquis.

"The late Crown Prince was skilled in both literature and martial arts, so it was quite normal for him to go to the battlefield. Almost no one objected. It's just a pity that he was seriously wounded in the Battle of Daiyang Pass. He wouldn't have died otherwise. But then the Tuotuo people launched a night attack... and he died in battle."

"A man of both literary and military talent, exceptionally brave and valiant." Yan Nangui shook his head with a smile and sighed, "It seems that such a person can only die on the battlefield."

Shu Chengfeng leaned back and put his arm around her: "The death of the late Crown Prince was a great blow to the late Emperor, who immediately fell ill. Fortunately, the war was nearing its end. With the generals on the front lines, there was no trouble. The war will be quelled in a year or two."

"Later, my maternal grandfather gradually withdrew from the court. The Ye family was originally the in-laws of the current emperor, so they supported him and went with the flow. Then, the emperor became the crown prince? A few years later, the late emperor passed away, and the emperor became the emperor, right?" Yan Nangui asked.

“Your maternal grandfather was truly a man who deserves to be remembered in history. It’s a pity.” Shu Chengfeng shook his head: “Back then, he defended Daiyang Pass to the death and fought several battles, making outstanding military achievements. He was full of ingenious strategies, and there are still many people in the army who are his supporters. It’s a pity that he had no sons.”

"It's a pity you had no son, and it's also a pity that the student you had your eye on died so young, right? I remember my grandfather had another student who also died in battle," Yan Nangui said.

"Yes, General Cheng was only in his early twenties when he died in battle. He died that same year. Your grandfather was heartbroken from then on. I heard that General Cheng was originally the person your grandfather had chosen for your mother. Later..."

"On the contrary, your father, although he was also guided by your maternal grandfather, was not your maternal grandfather's student," Shu Chengfeng said.

These were things he had never experienced before.

However, as a member of the royal family and the crown prince, he naturally knew these things.

These blood, glories, life and death, all seem to shine, stirring the blood of future generations.

"If your maternal grandfather were still alive today..." Shu Chengfeng paused here.

I don't want to say anything more.

Yan Nangui realized that if Duke Lan were still alive, Duke Ye and Duke Ning would be nothing.

Even the Yan family cannot stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

“Those were glorious years,” Yan Nangui said with a smile.

“My maternal grandfather goes without saying. The Duke of Ning, the Duke of Ye, and even the Duke of Jiang were all meritorious generals. They were all distinguished figures. As for His Majesty’s maternal family…” Yan Nangui gently shook his head.

"Although Consort Wei holds a high position, it's a pity she doesn't have a powerful maternal family. I heard that the Wei family originally came from a blacksmithing background? It's clear that His Majesty doesn't particularly like this family; they're only a marquis to this day, right?" And that's a second-tier position, practically invisible.

"Given such an environment and such an outstanding older brother, it's clear that His Majesty lacks confidence."

For generations, there was a rule that the Crown Prince studied different things than the other princes.

When it came to Shu Chengfeng, he was also a prince, and he learned those things at a very young age.

It was much earlier than his father's.