Chapter 57

The guessing game quickly came to an end. After each of the nine princes answered one question correctly, they all stopped answering, giving the opportunity to the princesses.

After all, most of these riddles were too simple. Answering too many would make them look greedy and invite criticism from others.

Rather than doing so, it would be more generous to let the princesses have their turn, showing their broad-mindedness.

Thinking about it, even the prodigy Zhao Hongzhao had voluntarily withdrawn. How could the other princes have the face to keep answering the riddles? Did they claim to be more talented than Zhao Hongzhao? Not only would others not believe it, but they themselves wouldn't believe it either.

With the princes giving way, the princesses could be said to have returned with a full load, having won many jade bracelets, hairpins, and other ornaments.

Only one princess, like the princes, answered just one question and then stopped.

'It's her...'

Zhao Hongrun glanced sideways at the princess, his expression slightly odd.

Perhaps noticing Zhao Hongrun's gaze, the princess also turned her head in confusion.

Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun hurriedly lowered his head and pretended to drink.

At this moment, the sixth prince, Zhao Hongzhao, sitting on the left, coughed softly and frequently signaled to Zhao Hongrun with his eyes.

'What is it?'

Zhao Hongrun looked at the sixth prince with confusion, but saw that the sixth prince was gesturing for him to look at the center.

Zhao Hongrun turned his head to the center and frowned, noticing that the Crown Prince Hongli was complaining to the emperor about him.

"...Therefore, I feel that I should take on the responsibility of teaching my younger brother. I hope Father can send the eighth brother to my Eastern Palace for study. The lecturers in my Eastern Palace are all learned scholars, and I believe the eighth brother will improve under their guidance."

Zhao Hongrun, who had been secretly paying attention to the princess, did not hear the entire speech of the Crown Prince Hongli, but even just the latter part was enough to make him frown.

He didn't hear the whole thing, but the emperor did.

The emperor slightly frowned and, seeing Zhao Hongrun turn his head to look at the Crown Prince, asked, "Hongrun, your eldest brother says you have become more mischievous recently and have been punished by the ancestral temple. He wants you to study in his Eastern Palace, where the lecturers will teach you. What do you think?"

"..." Zhao Hongrun couldn't help but frown.

'What the hell, is he trying to make me look bad?'

Zhao Hongrun looked at the Crown Prince Hongli with a blank expression. He didn't need the sixth prince Zhao Hongzhao to shake his head to hint; he already knew that refusing outright would be disadvantageous.

After all, the Crown Prince Hongli had spoken beautifully, using the rhetoric of "not fulfilling the duty of the eldest son" and "feeling guilty" to silence him. If he still insisted on refusing the Crown Prince's "good intentions," he would be seen as "uneducated and unruly."

But if he agreed, it would mean that he would have little chance to leave the palace for fun in the future. Regardless of the Crown Prince's motives, he wouldn't be as free as he was now.

"Then it's decided."

Seeing Zhao Hongrun's cold face, the emperor made the decision for him.

"Thank you, Father. I will certainly teach Hongrun well."

The Crown Prince Hongli sat down, satisfied.

On his right, Prince Yong, Hongyu, glanced at the Crown Prince Hongli, his expression slightly serious.

There was no doubt that the Crown Prince's intention was to warn and intimidate: "You want to pull the eighth brother to your side, so I'll directly bring him to my Eastern Palace school. This way, I can both warn and try to win him over. No matter what, I won't let you have your way."

This was the meaning in the Crown Prince's eyes as he looked at Prince Yong.

And Prince Yong had no way to counter this. After all, the Crown Prince's rhetoric was impeccable, and he couldn't find any holes to pick.

Only Zhao Hongrun suffered, becoming a pawn in the struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Yong.

Indeed, Zhao Hongrun's face had become extremely unpleasant.

If before he was slightly leaning towards Prince Yong, now he was filled with hostility towards the Crown Prince Hongli, who had obstructed him.

After all, to gain the freedom to leave the palace, Zhao Hongrun even had the courage to oppose his father. Now, the Crown Prince Hongli, using his rhetoric, had blocked his path to freedom. In Zhao Hongrun's eyes, the Crown Prince was an enemy.

As the eighth son drank fruit wine with a cold expression, the emperor shook his head imperceptibly, his eyes scanning the faces of the Crown Prince Hongli and Prince Yong.

'The Crown Prince... has miscalculated.'

The emperor sighed inwardly.

In the emperor's view, although Zhao Hongrun showed no reaction, this did not mean he was backing down. Based on the emperor's understanding of this son, Zhao Hongrun was now like the calm before the storm, likely considering countermeasures, just as he did when he opposed his father.

However, the emperor still acknowledged the Crown Prince's method, as it was within the rules and was indeed clever. The question was whether the Crown Prince had the ability to suppress the eighth prince, Zhao Hongrun, both in terms of intellect and strategy.

If it were another prince, the emperor couldn't evaluate, but for the eighth prince Zhao Hongrun, he didn't have high hopes for the Crown Prince's method. He was even prepared for the day when the always mischievous eighth son would stir up the entire Eastern Palace.

However, subsequent events proved that even so, the emperor still underestimated his eighth son.

The family banquet continued as if nothing had happened when the Crown Prince challenged the eighth prince, Zhao Hongrun.

After the third round of drinks, it was time for the princes to showcase their recent achievements.

First, the most anticipated sixth prince, Zhao Hongzhao, recited a poem he had prepared in advance for the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, "The Banquet Ode." The elegant language once again caught the attention of everyone in the hall, and even the emperor praised him frequently.

The other princes, though not as talented as the prodigy, also recited a few poems to liven up the atmosphere. Zhao Hongrun's youngest brother, Hongxuan, recited an ancient ode with great emotion, and the emperor also praised him.

Throughout this time, Zhao Hongrun remained expressionless, and everyone could see that the eighth prince was in a bad mood.

This time, even the emperor did not ask him, knowing that his son was on the verge of an outburst due to the Crown Prince's challenge.

Finally, it was the Crown Prince's turn to close the show.

The Crown Prince Hongli stood up and said, "Father, in recent days, I, along with the lecturers in the Eastern Palace, have compiled a new book based on the sayings of ancient sages. Please review it, Father."

This statement caused a stir in the hall.

Compiling a new book? This was about making a statement?

After all, Confucianism has the "Three Establishments," or "Three Immortal Achievements," which are "Establishing Virtue," "Establishing Merit," and "Establishing Words." In other words, being a good person, doing good deeds, and making good statements. Among these, "Establishing Words" had the greatest contemporary impact. Even if the Crown Prince Hongli had taken advantage of the wisdom of the lecturers in the Eastern Palace to compile this book, once it was released, his reputation would immediately reach its peak.

After all, not everyone's writings qualify as "books."

Indeed, all the princes with aspirations for the throne, especially Prince Yong, Hongyu, had extremely unpleasant expressions.

'He actually... compiled a book?'

Prince Yong, Hongyu, subconsciously clenched his fists. If the emperor recognized the book compiled by the Crown Prince and showed it off to the ministers, it would immediately become a prevailing trend in the current Great Wei dynasty. At that time, the Crown Prince Hongli's reputation would reach its peak, and they would no longer be able to shake it.

The princes looked at the Eastern Palace's chief lecturer, who respectfully presented the new book to the emperor, with uncertain expressions.

'This time, Hongli is ahead of the other brothers...'

The emperor sighed inwardly.

To be fair, the emperor did not think the Crown Prince Hongli's intelligence was the best among his sons, but he could not deny that the Eastern Palace had wise ministers serving as the Crown Prince's advisors.

Indeed, with the compilation of this new book, the Crown Prince's position would be unshakable.

"Read it," the emperor signaled to the chief eunuch, Tong Xian.

Immediately, the hall fell silent, and only the high-pitched voice of Tong Xian reading the new book compiled by the Crown Prince Hongli could be heard.

Compared to the low whispers of praise from the concubines and officials, Prince Yong, Hongyu, and others listened carefully, hoping to find some flaw in the book, as this would be their only chance to counterattack.

But unfortunately, since the Crown Prince had the confidence to present this new book, he also had the confidence that his brothers would not find any flaws.

'Finished...'

Prince Yong, Hongyu, and Prince Xiang, Hongjing, were utterly disheartened, as they were so flustered that they could not find any flaws in the book.

At this moment, a different voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

"Wait!"

"..." Tong Xian's voice stopped abruptly, looking at the source of the voice in confusion.

The seat of the eighth prince, Zhao Hongrun.

"Why did you interrupt, Hongrun?" the emperor frowned, as he had also been listening carefully.

After all, regardless of the princes' struggles, the fact that his son had compiled a new book was a source of pride for the emperor.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the eighth prince, Zhao Hongrun, stood up and slowly walked to Tong Xian. He took the book from Tong Xian's hands and began to flip through it page by page, from beginning to end, in front of everyone's puzzled gazes.

He flipped through it quickly, reading ten lines at a glance, one page at a time.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he casually threw the book back to Tong Xian and sneered, "I thought it sounded so familiar. It turns out the Crown Prince found a book somewhere and claimed it as a new work... Is this how you fool people?"

"Hongrun, don't speak recklessly!" the Crown Prince Hongli was furious, as they had worked hard to compile the sayings of ancient sages into a new book.

The emperor raised his hand to stop the Crown Prince and asked Zhao Hongrun with a frown, "You say this book is not a new work by the Crown Prince?"

"Yes, this book is by an anonymous author. Although I am mischievous, I happened to have seen it before."

"..." The emperor looked deeply at Zhao Hongrun and said calmly, "What evidence do you have?"

Zhao Hongrun maliciously glanced at the furious Crown Prince and sneered, "Please give me paper and pen, Father. I will write it out from memory."

The emperor's eyebrows raised, "Bring paper and pen."

Tong Xian immediately ordered a new desk to be set up in front of the emperor's table, with writing materials.

Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun didn't waste any time. He knelt and took the pen, writing the ancient book he claimed was by an anonymous author.

As he wrote, Tong Xian compared it to the new book compiled by the Crown Prince. As he read, his face showed increasing shock.

"What is it?" the emperor asked in a low voice.

Tong Xian looked at the still writing Zhao Hongrun, swallowed hard, and said with difficulty, "So far... not a single word is different!"

"What?!" The emperor was moved, stood up, and walked behind Zhao Hongrun, watching him write the entire book.

After about half an hour, Zhao Hongrun finished the last word, stood up, and casually threw the brush away.

At this moment, even the emperor was stunned.

Because the entire book written by Zhao Hongrun was identical to the new book compiled by the Crown Prince Hongli, word for word!

At this moment, Zhao Hongrun stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the shocked Crown Prince with a cold smile.

"Stealing the words of the ancients is truly shameful! ... It seems the lecturers in the Eastern Palace are not fit to be my teachers!"

The vast Wende Hall fell silent.

Page break for ads starts

Page break for ads ends