"Your Majesty, may I ask how His Highness the Crown Prince has been doing in the Eastern Palace these days?" Xu Yuehuai was still thinking about A-Qi.

Having lived together for so long, she had long regarded Aqi as someone just like Jiang Shichen. Suddenly, without his constant chatter in her ear, she felt a little unaccustomed.

Moreover, she knew Ah Qi's temperament very well; he was like a mischievous monkey. But the Eastern Palace was different from other places, and it was impossible to let him be as wild as before.

When the Emperor heard her mention Ah Qi, he knew that she was thinking about Ah Qi, so he quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry, he's doing well in the palace. Today is his first day studying at the Imperial Academy. I've finished my business here, so why don't we go and see him together?"

He had always favored the Crown Prince, and now that he had regained what he had lost, he was overjoyed and had to call Ah Qi over to talk to him almost every day.

Xu Yuehua hesitated for a moment, then looked at Qi Guze beside her.

"Since you're concerned about the Crown Prince, then go and see him." Qi Guze naturally understood her thoughts and didn't want her to make a wasted trip.

In this way, the group proceeded to the Imperial College in a grand procession.

At that time, it was the end of the semester at the Imperial Academy.

The princes and princesses all gathered together, pointing and whispering about Ah Qi.

The Third Princess twisted her body and snorted coldly: "What kind of crown prince is he? I think he's just a country bumpkin. He actually dares to come to the Imperial Academy to study. He probably doesn't even know the classical Chinese."

"I heard that his adoptive parents are gone, and he's probably a jinx. We'd better stay away from him." The Sixth Princess said timidly, taking another step back as she spoke.

All of these words reached Ah Qi's ears.

His eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't open his mouth to refute, and even sat obediently in his chair.

With the arrival of the gentleman, everyone fell silent and returned to their seats.

Mr. Xu beckoned Ah Qi to come forward and said with a smile, "Your Highness has just returned to the palace and is probably not very familiar with these brothers and sisters yet. Why don't you introduce yourself so that everyone can get to know you as soon as possible?"

"I……"

Before Ah Qi could even speak, the Second Prince interrupted him.

Although those outside were unaware of the Crown Prince's disappearance, the princes and princesses inside the palace were well aware of it, and even if they didn't say it aloud, they were still puzzled.

As for the second prince, he had always been considered the best candidate for crown prince, but unexpectedly, Ah Qi appeared out of nowhere.

One can imagine how resentful he was: "No need for introductions, we already know each other. I just have a question, and I would like to ask you to answer it."

"Oh? The Second Prince is always eager to learn, yet there are things you don't understand. Tell me about them, and we can discuss them together." Mr. Xu was quite satisfied with his student, the Second Prince.

The Second Prince cupped his hands in greeting and immediately said, "Since today is the Crown Prince's first day of school, I should naturally reflect on this as well. What I don't understand today is the matter of the heir apparent."

"As we all know, the crown prince is the foundation of the country. Therefore, only a virtuous and capable person should be able to sit in this position. The crown prince has been wandering among the common people for many years and must have learned many bad habits of the streets. May I ask, how can he be called a virtuous and capable person?"

His bold remarks caused Mr. Xu's expression to change repeatedly.

Anyone could tell that the Second Prince was deliberately targeting Ah Qi.

However, the princes and princesses were all closer to the second prince, so they were naturally speaking up for him right now.

"So he's virtuous and capable? I don't think he can even understand the memorials. He's just a nobody who has the title of legitimate son. Does he really think he's the Son of Heaven?" The Fourth Prince was the younger brother of the Second Prince. He had originally hoped that his elder brother would become the crown prince and take care of him, but he never expected that everything would turn out to be a mirage.

Mr. Xu was at a loss for what to do.

Instead, Ah Qi looked everyone up and down, then cupped his hands in greeting and asked, "May I ask how the Second Prince deduce whether a person is truly virtuous or not?"

"Character? Scholarship? Martial arts skills? Status?"

“These things cannot be understood overnight. I have only met the Second Prince once, yet you have concluded that I am not a capable person and even believe that I cannot secure the position of Crown Prince.”

"May I ask you, are you mocking me, or are you criticizing Father Emperor's poor judgment?"

“I’m not a block of wood, nor am I one of those speechless domestic animals. So what I couldn’t do before, I can learn now. And if there’s anything I can’t think of in the future, Mr. Xu will still guide me. One day I will surpass all of you here. So what makes you think I can’t do it?”

His words left the second prince speechless.

For a moment, Mr. Xu looked at him with admiration.

Mr. Xu nodded and told him to return to his seat. Then he continued the discussion on the topic: "Since the Second Prince mentioned the word 'virtuous and capable,' I have to ask you, what is meant by 'virtuous and capable'?"

“Of course he is of good character and talented, and my second brother is such a person,” the sixth princess quickly said in her childish voice.

Mr. Xu quickly smiled and said, "I never expected that the Sixth Princess would be such a thoughtful person. But since we're talking about good character, it means not being harsh on others but being strict with oneself. However, the Second Prince immediately mocked the Crown Prince for not being a virtuous person, which is not a virtuous act in itself."

The second prince, who had been quite smug, blushed with shame upon hearing these words.

“The wise correct their mistakes and strive for good, while the foolish are ashamed of their mistakes and perpetuate them. Striving for good leads to daily improvement in virtue, while perpetuating wrongdoing leads to the accumulation of evil. The Crown Prince knows that he started late and cannot compare to the other princes and princesses, but he has a heart that is capable of progress. He is not ashamed of his shortcomings and is unwilling to correct his mistakes. This is what is meant by ‘virtue and ability’.”

Seeing that everyone in the room seemed to be deep in thought, Mr. Xu quickly continued with a smile: "I suppose you all have a lot to say about the things around you, so why don't you each write an article on this topic?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone picked up their pens and paper.

Just then, the emperor and his entourage entered from outside.

The Emperor still had a smile on his face: "Mr. Xu is truly the most learned person in the world. With just a few words, he was able to make these princes and princesses realize their mistakes and correct them. I think they will definitely move in a better direction in the future."

"Greetings, Father Emperor."

Everyone stood up and bowed with their hands clasped in greeting.

He nodded: "Since Mr. Xu has already assigned you the articles, then do your best to complete them. I will review each and every one of these articles."