157. This boy's courage is commendable.

Xie Wenling stopped looking at him and turned to Bai Qingzhong, who was still sobbing, and said in an unquestionable tone: "Young Master Bai, I will inform His Majesty of your situation as appropriate. But until then, it is best to behave yourself and be cautious in your words and deeds."

Bai Qingzhong's crying gradually subsided. He raised his head and looked at the heartless Xie Wenling. The faint hope that had just risen in his eyes was completely extinguished, leaving only deeper despair and resignation.

He bowed silently, turned and staggered back to his lonely seat, his back view thin and desolate.

Qu Zijin stood there holding the little dumpling, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

There was both lingering fear and guilt for not being able to help Bai Qingzhong.

The little dumpling seemed to sense the Grand Tutor's low spirits, reached out her little hand to touch his face, and whispered, "Grand Tutor, don't be afraid, Yue'er is here."

[Task Completed]

[You and Xie Wenling successfully teamed up to drive Bai Qingzhong away.]

Watching his dejected figure depart, and then glancing at the somewhat melancholic Qu Zijin, you and Xie Wenling exchanged a glance, tacitly realizing the same thing—

I need to find a chance to kill him.

[Reward Received: Basic Healing Talisman]

The banquet did not give Qu Zijin much time to calm down.

The announcement of Wei Xiuming's imminent arrival drifted from afar, and the previously noisy banquet instantly fell silent. All the guests quickly and orderly returned to their seats, straightened their clothes, and held their breath in concentration.

The little dumpling was promptly returned to her seat in the Marquis of Beiding's residence, where Jiang Xiyue pressed her down to sit beside her.

After all that commotion, she finally calmed down and sat down obediently.

As the music of string and wind instruments began, and the ceremonial guards were imposing, Wei Xiuming, dressed in a dragon robe, walked slowly into the banquet hall surrounded by palace attendants and ascended the throne.

The crowd shouted "Long live the Emperor!" their voices shaking the rooftops.

"Rise, gentlemen. Today is a Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, there is no need to be too formal." Wei Xiuming was still smiling, exceptionally peaceful.

The banquet officially began.

After three rounds of imperial wine, the atmosphere became slightly more lively.

Wei Xiuming's gaze swept over the seats of the princes' heirs, first looking at the older princes.

He first addressed the heir apparent of the Prince of Ping, whose fiefdom was on the edge of the dynasty, in a gentle tone: "Heir apparent of the Prince of Ping, is the territory still peaceful lately? I heard that your father has quelled another small band of bandits?"

The heir of Prince Ping stood up, his back straight: "Thanks to Your Majesty's great fortune, there is no major danger in the territory for the time being. My father always said that it is our duty to defend the land and protect the people. Even if we kill the bandit leader, we dare not ask Your Majesty for credit."

“Your father is very thoughtful. However, the territory is mostly mountainous, so we must pay close attention to the movements of the tribes and not let small matters turn into disasters.”

"Your Majesty's teachings have been carefully remembered. I have accompanied my father on three border inspections. From now on, I will certainly help my father guard the gates of the court." The Prince of Ping's tone was full of ambition and determination.

Wei Xiuming seemed to admire him, smiling and nodding at him. The Prince of Ping sat down with a smug look on his face.

Then, he turned to the heir apparent of the Prince of Jinghai: "Have the Japanese pirates made any unusual moves lately? I have always been concerned about your father's guarding of the sea frontier over the years."

The Prince of Jinghai bowed deeply, his posture much more respectful than that of the Prince of Ping: "Your Majesty, the Japanese pirates have been driven back twice by my father, and recently they only dare to linger in the distant seas. My father said that as long as Your Majesty needs him, he can lead the navy out to sea at any time to wipe out all the pirates!"

"With your father's words, I am relieved." Wei Xiuming nodded to him, looking equally satisfied.

The Prince of Jinghai breathed a sigh of relief and sat down.

He then looked at the Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom: "Do any of the northern grassland tribes have expressed a desire for peace or trade this year?"

The Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom frowned slightly, his tone becoming more somber: "Your Majesty, last month the grassland tribes detained two of our merchant caravans, demanding ten cartloads of silk from my father before they would release them. I believe they are deliberately provoking us, and we should send cavalry to intimidate them!"

This crown prince seems to be quite special.

After all, most people try to highlight their strengths and cover up their weaknesses; they don't immediately expose their own shortcomings.

I don't know if he's not thinking straight or if he's just pretending to be weak while actually being strong.

Wei Xiuming thought it was the latter.

He looked up at the Crown Prince of the North: "What the North needs is stability, not war. What did your father say?"

The Crown Prince of the Northern Kingdom pursed his lips and softened his tone: "Father has already sent envoys to negotiate, and he is certain that the tribes will not be allowed to take advantage of this to make exorbitant demands."

“Your father is composed and steady; you should learn a lot from him,” Wei Xiuming said, ending the conversation there.

He then turned to the Crown Prince of Lingnan: "Lingnan has experienced a lot of rainfall this year. Have the farmlands been damaged?"

The Prince of Lingnan smiled broadly and spoke with exceptional deference: "Thanks to Your Majesty, my father had irrigation canals built long ago, diverting all the rainwater to the rice paddies. This year's harvest is actually better than last year's! I also brought some dried lychees from Lingnan with me on this trip to the capital, which I would like to present to Your Majesty to try."

"Thank you for your thoughtfulness." Wei Xiuming nodded at him with a satisfied smile.

Then he looked at the younger princes.

His gaze first fell on the Prince of Jiaodong: "You've just turned five. This is your first time traveling so far. Are you settling in well?"

The Crown Prince of Jiaodong's voice was a little tight: "Your Majesty, I'm used to it. It's just... I'm afraid I won't do well and embarrass my father, and disappoint Your Majesty as well."

Wei Xiuming said gently, "Don't be nervous. You are still young. Study in the capital first and learn more about the principles of governing the country. When you return to help your father, that will be the best way to repay me."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I will study hard! I will never let Your Majesty and my father down!" The Crown Prince of Jiaodong hurriedly agreed, with beads of sweat already appearing on his forehead.

Wei Xiuming then looked at the Crown Prince of Chu beside him: "How long have you been on the road? Are you tired?"

The Crown Prince of Chu replied in a low voice, "Your Majesty, we have been traveling for twenty days. We have stopped at post stations along the way to rest, so we are not tired. It's just that... the roads in the capital are slippery. I even slipped and fell yesterday."

Wei Xiuming couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "The roads are slippery from the rain, so in the future, have your servants help you more when you go out. Is there enough stuff in the mansion? If not, send someone to the Imperial Household Department to ask."

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty! It's enough. My father even had me bring quite a few things over." The Crown Prince of Chu's tone softened.

Wei Xiuming nodded, then looked at the heir of the Shu King beside him: "Your father wrote to say that you love reading military books and can already recite 'The Art of War'?"

The Crown Prince of Shu straightened his back, his tone tinged with pride: "Your Majesty, I can recite the first three chapters! My father said that Shu is a mountainous region, and if I study military strategy well, I can help him guard the passes of Shu in the future."

“You should have ambition, but don’t just focus on reading military books. You should also study the classics and history,” Wei Xiuming said gently.

"Thank you, Your Majesty! I will certainly study hard and live up to Your Majesty's and my father's expectations!"

After chatting with the young princes, Wei Xiuming's gaze fell on Bai Qingzhong.

He looked at the child's red eyes, his body was clearly tense, but he insisted on straightening his back and pretending to be calm. His gaze paused almost imperceptibly.

Bai Qingzhong felt as if the air around him had gone still for a moment, his heart was in his throat, and he was afraid that the emperor would ask about the conflict just now. His lips were pursed until they turned white, and he even breathed softly.

Wei Xiuming didn't say a word in the end, but spoke gently, his tone no different from that of the other young princes: "Young prince of Xixiang, it was not easy for you to leave home and come to the capital at such a young age. You should study hard in the capital and learn more skills."

Bai Qingzhong looked up abruptly, meeting the emperor's gentle yet unfathomable gaze. He was so nervous his tongue was tied, and he could only nod vigorously, saying, "Your Majesty, I will... I will obey Your Majesty's teachings and study diligently to live up to Your Majesty's expectations..."

Wei Xiuming smiled, shifted his gaze from Bai Qingzhong, and then looked at Dou Shichen beside him.

The child was dressed in extremely fine clothes, but at this moment his hair was a little disheveled, his eyes were red, and he looked somewhat embarrassed.

Wei Xiuming pretended not to see anything and asked, "Prince Zhennan, do you like today's pastries?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Dou Shichen seemed unable to hold back any longer. He pouted and, without waiting for the eunuch to remind him, leaned forward and said in a tearful voice, "Your Majesty, it's not tasty! The beds in the capital are hard too, and I keep waking up at night! I want to go home, I want to find my father and mother, please let me go back to my fiefdom!"

Upon hearing this, the room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at him, marveling at his courage.

It's just that my brain doesn't work very well.