"Your Highness's concern should be reserved for your beloved younger brother. I am not worthy of it!" Xie Chang'an walked past Ye Jingchen without pausing for a moment.
"I care about Jinghe, but I care about you too!" Ye Jingchen grabbed Xie Chang'an's hand and pulled him down to sit under the peach tree.
"I admit it was wrong of me to point a hidden weapon at you, and I apologize. But you also need to tell me why you are hostile towards Jinghe? He shouldn't have provoked you, right?" Ye Jingchen pressed Xie Chang'an down on the stool and asked.
"He keeps provoking me, doesn't that count as provoking me?" Xie Chang'an asked with a sneer.
"Those provocations... you don't seem like such a petty person, do you? What was it all about?" Ye Jingchen pressed.
"His Highness the Crown Prince isn't a mind reader, so how do you know I won't turn against him because of these provocations?" Xie Chang'an retorted.
His expression was cold, but his eyes looked a little red, whether from drinking or some other reason was unclear.
If you disregard the mature soul within this body, Xie Chang'an looks quite endearing in his current state.
If it were Ye Jinghe like this, Ye Jingchen would have already patted his head and comforted him. As for Xie Chang'an, he probably doesn't need comfort, right?
After all, he's not really a child.
"Isn't Zemin about to take the imperial examination? After the imperial examination, there will be the palace examination. After the palace examination, he will be granted an official position. There are quite a few vacancies in the northern frontier now, so why not let him take the improved rice seeds and a few experienced farmers to the northern frontier to reclaim wasteland?"
The northern frontier is vast and sparsely populated. If more and better crops can be grown, not only will the people of the northern frontier no longer have to go hungry, but the soldiers' pay will also be guaranteed, and Wu Zemin can also earn a good political achievement.
Xie Chang'an was somewhat tempted by this, but it was Ye Jingchen's idea, not Wu Zemin's.
"What makes you think he would forgo the prestigious and comfortable Hanlin Academy and choose to go to that harsh and cold place in the northern frontier?"
As the eldest son of the Minister of Rites, Wu Zemin's greatest hardship since birth was probably being led by Ye Jingchen to cultivate the three-tenths of an acre of rice paddy in the palace.
He had never been to a place farther than the Western Hills Palace in his life, let alone the Northern Frontier, which was thousands of miles away from the capital.
Moreover, he is only sixteen years old this year. Can this pampered young master really withstand the harshness of the northern frontier?
"He came from the Wenhua Hall, after all. He shouldn't be satisfied with just accumulating experience in the Hanlin Academy, right?" Ye Jingchen said with a smile.
If Wu Zemin wanted to be a role model for all scholars and surpass Gu Beichen, he would never be able to enter the Hanlin Academy!
The Hanlin Academy is indeed prestigious and a path to advancement, but it's too slow to accumulate seniority there!
What Wu Zemin lacks most is time.
Therefore, Ye Jingchen was quite confident that he could persuade Wu Zemin to go to the northern frontier.
Wu Zemin's identity is very special. He represents both the Ministry of Rites and the Crown Prince's Palace. He is also considered Yan Xu's student. In addition, with Xie Chang'an's management in the Northern Frontier, everything he does there will go smoothly.
With his help, the northern frontier can be transformed.
Xie Chang'an snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "Generous with other people's money!"
"You—" Ye Jingchen pointed at Xie Chang'an, not knowing what to say.
"You're lucky to have met someone as good-tempered as me who won't bother arguing with you!" In the end, he just laughed and cursed.
Sending Wu Zemin to the northern frontier would certainly benefit Xie's army, but the biggest beneficiary would naturally be the emperor.
The way out has already been offered; logically, Xie Chang'an should know when to stop.
Regardless of Ye Jingchen's past identity, he is now the Crown Prince of Dayuan, the sovereign, while Ye Jingchen is the subject.
"Not as lucky as that little madman!" Xie Chang'an heard himself retort.
He shouldn't drink. His body is still too young, and he can't hold his liquor. Drinking will only lead to trouble.
"Are you going to make things difficult for Jinghe today?" Ye Jingchen slammed his hand on the table and stood up.
Is this ever going to end?
"I'm drunk and dizzy, I need to rest," Xie Chang'an said to himself, getting up and rushing into the house in a few steps.
Judging from his speed, Ye Jingchen didn't think he was drunk; instead, it seemed like he was fleeing in panic.
But Xie Chang'an said he was drunk, so Ye Jingchen couldn't just chase after him and argue with a drunkard, could he?
"Your young master is out drinking heavily and is drunk now. Send someone to take care of him and make him a bowl of hangover soup," Ye Jingchen said to the guard at the gate as he left Chang'an Residence.
To avoid a headache after sobering up.
After he left, the guard immediately told Xie Shaoling about Xie Chang'an's drinking problem.
Xie Shaoling didn't react at the time, but asked people to take good care of him. However, when he got up for training the next morning, he pulled Xie Chang'an aside for a good training session.
So when Xie Chang'an arrived at the East Palace, he looked as if something had drained his energy and spirit!
During their morning run, Ye Jingchen walked alongside him.
"Are the aftereffects of your alcoholism really that severe?" he asked with some curiosity.
It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned alcoholism, but the moment he did, Xie Chang'an felt pain all over his body.
When he was young, his father was strict with him during training, but he still had some concerns, fearing that he might ruin him.
Now look what's happened, they're really training like crazy, they'll train until they die!
He always felt that his father was venting all his pent-up anger on him!
"Did you deliberately tell the guards outside my courtyard yesterday that I was a drunkard?" Xie Chang'an asked fiercely.
Even if Ye Jingchen did it on purpose, he would never admit it!
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