Chapter 7: Scaring Children

On the first day of resuming classes, Prince Chu was asked to leave the classroom.

Along with him came the model student, Prince Qi.

Unlike Zhu Zhen, who was indifferent, this was the first time in the main hall that the Seventh Prince had been expelled by the teacher, and he naturally felt ashamed.

He was also afraid of being beaten by his mother if she found out, so he kept his head down and sobbed.

Zhu Zhen glanced at him for a while, and seeing that he was still crying, he had to cough loudly.

"Ah..." The Seventh Prince only then remembered that the Sixth Prince was beside him, and he asked in a trembling voice, "Are you a human or a ghost?"

"I was just fooling you, I'm human, not a ghost," the Sixth Prince said.

"Really?"

"Have you gone dumb from reading? Can't you see I have a shadow?" Zhu Zhen kicked him in the buttocks.

The Seventh Prince covered his bottom and looked, indeed. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Zhu Zhen say coldly,

"Thanks to Fourth Brother for saving me, otherwise, you would have killed me!"

"It wasn't me, I didn't!" The Seventh Prince hurriedly denied it.

"Hmph, your denial is useless because someone saw you push me into the water!" Zhu Zhen insisted.

"Who? Who saw it?!" Prince Qi, who was only ten years old, couldn't withstand Zhu Zhen's intimidation and easily revealed himself.

"Mr. Liu Bowen." Zhu Zhen pointed to the classroom, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Ah..." The Seventh Prince was struck as if by lightning, his face turning pale. "No, it can't be..."

"Mr. Liu is right there, how could I lie to you?" Zhu Zhen sneered. "After class, you can confront him face-to-face!"

"No, I won't..." Prince Qi's lips trembled, his face turning green.

"If you don't dare, it means you admit it! I'll take you to see Father Emperor and tell him you're the murderer of your own brother!" Zhu Zhen said sternly. "I don't believe Father Emperor will let you live to see the New Year!"

From a distance, it looked like two ten-year-old children were bickering. No one could have imagined how dangerous their conversation was!

Well, it was one-sided intimidation...

"Father Emperor won't kill me..." Prince Qi's legs trembled, his eyes losing focus.

"Even if Father Emperor doesn't kill you, he'll at least break both your legs and confine you until you have a long beard!" Zhu Zhen continued to intimidate him.

"You won't be your mother's pride anymore, and the stain of murdering your own brother will never be washed away!"

"Ah..." The Seventh Prince covered his ears with both hands and fell to the ground.

~~

Inside the classroom, Liu Bowen was teaching the Eighth Prince when he heard that strange cry, and he was thoroughly enraged.

This was why he was unwilling to teach these brats; they were simply too disrespectful! Was there no respect for teachers anymore?

"What a disgrace!" He slammed the table, scaring the six-year-old Eighth Prince into crying.

Liu Bowen had to suppress his anger, bow to Prince Tan, and then use all his skills to calm the Eighth Prince with the help of Prince Yan and Prince Wu...

The embarrassed Mr. Liu couldn't help but sigh to the heavens, lamenting his bad luck.

If it weren't for his life, why would he endure such humiliation?

~~

"Let's go see Father Emperor!" Outside the classroom, Zhu Zhen also looked terrifying, making a gesture as if to drag him.

"No, I don't want to!" The Seventh Prince cried out, using his hands and buttocks to back away, then got up and ran away clumsily.

He left a long trail of water on the ground.

Zhu Zhen watched him run.

If he went to the small garden, he would have to follow to prevent the kid from jumping into the lotus pond and committing suicide.

Clearly, the Seventh Prince didn't have that much courage; he ran straight to the Wenhua Gate. He wouldn't be able to die even if he wanted to...

Zhu Zhen turned his gaze and almost bumped into Liu Bowen.

Liu Ji looked at the trail of water on the ground and said, "Still practicing calligraphy?"

"The Seventh Prince wrote a 'one'." Zhu Zhen replied innocently, "Is class over, Sir?"

"Um." Liu Ji clenched the ruler in his hand, a gift from Emperor Zhu, which allowed him to punish the princes without sin.

"Please follow this old minister upstairs, Your Highness." He politely invited him to follow.

Although one had run away, it didn't matter; this grudge had to be settled.

If a tiger doesn't show its might, they'll think I'm a sick cat.

Cough, cough, cough...

~~

Let's split the story here.

Prince Qi, Zhu Fu, ran out of the Wenhua Gate in a daze.

His eunuch couldn't call him back and had to run after him, panting as they returned to the Changyang Palace.

In the Changyang Palace, Consort Dadingshi was admiring herself in the mirror.

Of course, she had the capital to do so. She had skin like congealed fat, a graceful figure, and a beautiful face, combining the best of Han and Central Asian features, with no part that didn't make people adore her, no part that didn't make people swoon.

"Who is the most beautiful in this palace now?" She gently caressed her baby-like skin, murmuring to herself.

"Of course, it's Your Highness." A palace maid hurried to flatter her.

"You just want to make me happy." Consort Dadingshi cooed.

"It's true. Empress Sun could have competed with Your Highness, but she's now just a bag of bones."

"That's right. She can't even compete with Your Highness for the title of the most beautiful." Another palace maid joined in, "When she vacates the position of Empress, it will surely belong to Your Highness."

"Don't talk nonsense, or people will tear your mouths apart. Haha..." Consort Dadingshi covered her mouth and laughed coquettishly.

"Who could enter our palace..." The palace maid hurried to smile and say.

Before she could finish, a black shadow flashed past and darted into the west wing where Prince Qi lived.

Everyone was shocked.

"Did you see what it was?" After a while, Consort Dadingshi asked in a trembling voice.

"It looked like a dog..." The palace maid whispered.

"Slap your face!" The eunuch ran in, panting, and scolded, "What kind of eyes do you have? That was Prince Qi!"

"Ah..." The palace maid quickly knelt and slapped herself. "I deserve to die, I know my sin!"

"What, Fu'er?" Consort Dadingshi, ignoring her, stood up in surprise. "Why did he come back?"

She looked at the sky; it wasn't even noon, and it was still early for the main hall to dismiss.

"I don't know either." The old eunuch dismissed the palace maids and reported in a low voice, "I saw His Highness run out of the Wenhua Gate, and he didn't respond when I called him. I couldn't catch up. I've never seen His Highness run so fast."

"Oh?" Consort Dadingshi hurried to the west wing. She lifted the curtain and saw her son, still in his boots, lying on the bed, his head buried in the bedding, shivering uncontrollably, and mumbling something.

"Fu'er, what's wrong with you?" Consort Dadingshi approached, trying to pull her son out of the bedding.

Prince Qi struggled violently, kicking his mother in the stomach, causing her to fall back with a blooming bottom.

"No, no! I didn't mean to, don't catch me, no!" This time, she could clearly hear what he was saying.

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