"Your Majesty, the young master of the He family is merely the son of a wealthy merchant family." Before the emperor, the emperor's authority was evident, and Hongzhou dared not conceal the truth, answering truthfully.
His answer clearly did not satisfy the Fourth Prince, who then asked, "So you have no relationship with him? Then why did you plead for him?"
Hongzhou opened his mouth, but no words came out. If you asked him what his true intentions were, he had come for Qingluo's sake, but if his father, the Emperor, heard such words, he would probably be so angry that his father would send him back to his residence to reflect on his actions.
After much deliberation, Hongzhou carefully chose his words and replied, "I have met the young master of the He family before. He has the appearance of a gentleman, looks frail and weak, and does not seem like the kind of person who would dare to oppose the imperial court."
Lying is an art, and the concubines in the harem always managed to play this art perfectly in order to win the favor of the Fourth Prince. As for Hongzhou, if we only consider his ability to lie, he doesn't seem like someone who has spent many years in the palace, because he was born unable to lie. For example, right now, he has to stammer out a short sentence, and although the temperature in the room is quite high, his ears are red.
After he finished speaking, Hongzhou blushed from his ears to his face. He didn't even dare to raise his head, for fear that the Fourth Master would find out that he was lying.
Fourth Master squinted and took a sip of tea, then gestured for Hongzhou to sit down.
He said, “You have never been able to lie. When Father Emperor visited you, you praised me against your will because of your wet nurse’s instructions. After I left, you cried your eyes out.”
The Fourth Prince waved for him to sit down and continued, "Hongzhou, I want to hear the truth from you. You have no connection with that young master of the He family. Why are you lying to me for someone who is unrelated to you?"
Hongzhou felt the Fourth Prince's gaze upon him, a gaze that felt like a blade against his neck, making him uneasy and panicked. In his desperation, he blurted out the whole story.
“Actually, the reason I came to ask Father Emperor for help this time is to repay a favor,” Hongzhou sighed. “In addition, the master and mistress of the He family personally came to plead for my life, willing to give up all of the He family’s assets to save my life. I took pity on their parental love and agreed to be their guest.”
Not good at lying, but sincere and soft-hearted.
This was the Fifth Prince Hongzhou.
The Fourth Prince nodded. He was good at judging people, and he knew Hongzhou's character very well. Compared to the previous evasive excuse, the Fourth Prince felt that this was the real reason why Hongzhou had come as a guest.
"Hongzhou, I know you are too soft-hearted, but I must remind you that when doing great things, you must never be too soft-hearted," the Fourth Prince said to Hongzhou, who was sweating profusely, after a moment's thought.
Hongzhou's heart sank.
Then he heard the Fourth Prince speak again: "Whether the young master of the He family has committed a serious crime still needs further investigation. If he really did not do it intentionally, I can give him a break."
Hongzhou felt as if he had been thrown into a deep pool and then pulled out. He was overjoyed, but it also felt unreal. He thanked the Fourth Prince and wanted to leave, but the Fourth Prince kept him there.
"As a prince, you must always be mindful of your image and dignity," the Fourth Prince said cryptically, then waved his hand, ordering someone to take Hongzhou to a side hall to change his clothes.
As Hongzhou left the palace in his new clothes, he immediately felt as if every step he took was firmly planted on solid ground. A sense of security flowed from the clothes throughout his body, filling him with immense peace of mind.
For a child, nothing is more reassuring than the care from their father.
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