162. Did something bad
Qu Zijin looked at the three children's earnest expressions with a mixture of relief and heartache.
They are still children, who should be enjoying a carefree childhood and should not be involved in power struggles.
But they were born into royalty, into nobility.
Especially the youngest prince.
Countless eyes were watching him from the shadows.
Even if the crown prince doesn't enter the capital, his path to adulthood will not be smooth.
This banquet was the first time the young prince learned to protect himself and observe others in a complex environment.
This is something one must learn to become the crown prince; there's no escaping it.
Fortunately, this banquet only included children around his age, making it a suitable trial for the children to take their first steps.
Therefore, Qu Zijin took the initiative to agree.
Wei Xiuming's agreement to the banquet must have included this consideration.
Here, the young prince clenched his fist and made his statement.
Meanwhile, the second brother breathed a sigh of relief as the tutor was delayed in class and checking homework because of these matters. He had finally finished copying the homework.
My second brother, who had been silently listening and anxiously scratching his head but couldn't stop writing, can finally participate now.
He skipped over, patted the young prince on the shoulder, and said enthusiastically, "Your Highness, don't worry! I'll go with you! If those princes dare to play tricks, I promise I'll teach them a lesson about the rules of the martial world!"
The little boy's eyes lit up, and he tugged at his second brother's sleeve, saying, "Second brother, are you going to be like the heroes in those stories? Defend the weak against the strong, and quickly uphold justice?"
“It’s about helping the weak and upholding justice,” the second brother immediately straightened his back and struck what he thought was a very cool pose. “Of course! I practice swordsmanship in the manor every day, and three or five ordinary people can’t get close to me!”
The young prince glanced at him, and although he thought his second brother looked a bit silly, he still nodded: "It's good to have you here. More people means more strength."
The little dumpling seemed to remember something, looked up at Qu Zijin, her little face full of anticipation: "Grand Tutor, Grand Tutor, are you going to the banquet tomorrow?"
The remaining three little ones immediately looked at Qu Zijin, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Now, in their hearts, the Grand Tutor is like the most reliable elder.
As long as the Grand Tutor is here, there is nothing to fear.
Qu Zijin looked at the expectant eyes of the children and gently shook his head: "I can't go."
"Ah..." the little dumpling said dejectedly, "Why the duck?"
Qu Zijin patiently explained, "This banquet is a gathering for children. It would be inappropriate for an adult like me to be present. The princes are already coming with their own agendas. If I go, they will feel that we are guarding against them, which will only lead to more misunderstandings."
He paused, then looked at the young prince, his tone becoming more serious: "Your Highness is the future crown prince, and you must learn to face these things on your own. I cannot protect you forever. You must learn how to get along with the royal family and balance their relationships. This is His Majesty's true intention in having you attend the banquet."
The young prince wasn't too afraid: "Grand Tutor, I understand. I will be careful."
The second brother immediately patted his chest and chimed in, "Don't worry, Grand Tutor! With me here, no one will dare to bully them!"
The little princess nodded in agreement: "I'll keep an eye on things too! If anyone dares to do anything wrong, I'll tell Father and he'll punish them!"
Seeing the three children's confident and united demeanor, Qu Zijin finally felt a little relieved: "Good, with you all here, I'm at ease. However, Jin Er, you mustn't act impulsively and hurt them. Let's try diplomacy first, and if they really go too far, just come back and tell the officials in the palace."
The second brother scratched his head: "I know, Grand Tutor. I was just saying. I won't really hurt anyone."
Looking at everyone, the little girl felt much more at ease. She took the hands of the little prince and the little princess and whispered, "Let's go together tomorrow. If we see anything fun, we'll play together. If we see any bad people, we'll hide from them together, okay?"
"good!"
Qu Zijin stood up, glanced at the sky outside the window, and said with a smile, "Alright, we should continue our class. We can't let the banquet interfere with our studies."
"ah--"
-
When school ended in the evening, Xiao Tuanzi saw Xie Wenling waiting for her from afar.
"Thank you, Brother Xie!" The little dumpling immediately skipped over and hugged Xie Wenling's leg. "You've come to pick us up!"
Xie Wenling bent down and picked her up, his voice gentle: "I thought it was time for you to finish school, so I came to pick you up and take you back to the manor. Get in the car, there's some of your favorite steamed sweet cheese in there."
"Do I have one too?" the second brother asked, leaning closer.
"You have one too."
"Yay!" The second brother's eyes lit up, and he opened the car door and jumped in first.
The little dumpling was carried onto the carriage by Xie Wenling.
Inside the carriage, she ate small bites of suzi (a type of cheese), and thinking about the banquet, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother Xie, what's the banquet like for the princes? Are there lots of delicious food and fun activities?"
Xie Wenling paused for a moment, then asked instead of answering, "Are you going to a banquet?"
"Yes!" The little dumpling nodded vigorously and said excitedly, "Tomorrow there's a banquet hosted by the princes in the palace, and they've invited the little prince. The little prince is going to take Yue'er, second brother, and Xiao Yunduo with him!"
Xie Wenling couldn't laugh: "Princess, don't go. Those princes' motives for coming to the capital are unclear, and the affairs of the royal family are too complicated. You are young, so don't get involved. It's best to stay safe and sound. Besides, didn't your tutor stop you?"
The little dumpling was a bit surprised. She hadn't expected Brother Xie to object. She retorted softly, "But... the Grand Tutor said the little prince should go, and that the little prince might be in danger. Yue'er should protect him!"
“He should go, and it is necessary for him to go, but you didn’t. There are people in the palace to protect the young prince; you shouldn’t have taken that risk,” Xie Wenling tried to persuade her to change her mind. “Those princes are scheming; what if they do something to you or the young prince…”
Upon hearing this, the second brother, who was sitting to the side, immediately put down the cheese he was holding, straightened his back, and struck a pose like a chivalrous hero: "Thank you, brother, don't worry! I will protect my sister and the little prince and princess! I practice swordsmanship every day, I'm sure I can drive away the bad guys!"
The little dumpling nodded in agreement: "That's right! Second brother knows martial arts, so Yue'er must go. We can't let the little prince face those princes alone."
Looking at the little boy's determined eyes and then at his second brother's eager expression, Xie Wenling knew that they couldn't be persuaded.
He sighed helplessly, his tone softening: "Alright, you can go, but you must listen to Brother Xie and remember three things."
The little dumpling nodded earnestly: "Thank you, Brother Xie. Yue'er will remember everything you said!"
"First, once you arrive at the banquet, you must not wander off. You must stay by the side of the little prince or princess and are not allowed to leave alone."
"Second, no matter what those princes say or do, do not get into a conflict with them. If they bully you, ask the palace servants for help, and don't try to be brave on your own."
"Third, you should never accept snacks or toys from others, no matter how pretty or delicious they are, understand?"
The little dumpling nodded vigorously: "Yue'er knows! Yue'er won't run around, won't argue with people, and won't eat anything given to her by others!"
The little dumpling still had some doubts.
Why do adults always give similar advice?
The second brother also assured him, "Don't worry, Brother Xie, I will absolutely not let the bad guys take advantage of me!"
Xie Wenling was slightly relieved, but then remembered the question the little dumpling had asked him earlier, and added, "By the way, the princes attending the banquet tomorrow are all about the same age as you. Among them is Prince Dou, whom you know. He is spoiled and very arrogant. Stay away from him and don't get into any arguments with him."
“It’s the Shiny Bean Prince,” the little dumpling immediately recalled Dou Shichen’s glittering yet disheveled appearance. “Moon knows, the Shiny Bean Prince is a bad guy, Moon won’t talk to him.”
“Yes, there is another prince, whom you met yesterday, named Bai Qingzhong,” Xie Wenling paused and lowered his voice, “He comes from a poor background and is often ostracized among the princes. Things like yesterday probably happen quite often.”
As soon as Xie Wenling finished speaking, the little dumpling lowered its head and whispered, "...Actually, Yue'er did something bad yesterday."
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