The princes entered the Palace with the officials of the six ministries but the ones who were able to leave were only the latter.

Their expressions were grave as they passed the outer hall through the Yingtian Gate. When they were about to step outside the Zhuque Gate, the Minister of Justice couldn’t stop himself from talking any longer: “Everyone, what do you think about His Majesty’s…”

“There must be some reason behind His Majesty’s actions.” Li En cupped his hands and bowed: “His Majesty is an affectionate father. How could he be at ease and let the princes and princesses live outside the Palace after hearing the assassination attack on Qi Wang?”

“Lord Li is right.” The Minister of Revenue sighed: “Although adult princes and princesses living inside the Palace is not in conformity with the ancestral rules, His Majesty’s affection for his children is admirable.”

The officials lauded the Emperor’s care and concern. After stepping outside the Zhuque Gate, they got on their ministry’s carriages and parted ways.

Li En, Ming Jingzhou, and Zhou Rui got on the carriage of the Ministry of Rites. As soon as the three were inside, they looked at each other and the smiles on their faces instantly collapsed.

“Things have taken a turn for worse this time. His Majesty must have been angered to the extreme to command the princes and princesses to live in the Palace.” Li En sighed: “Although the six ministries often wrangle noisily due to the contradiction in political views, if one is truly involved in shedding imperial blood, this will certainly become troublesome.”

“One reaps what one sows.” Ming Jingzhou leaned on the carriage wall calmly: “Lord doesn’t need to think too much.”

“Ai.” Li En sighed. He had been working as an official of the imperial court for many years. If one looked at the small wildflowers on the roadside continuously for more than ten years, they would surely feel a little something, let alone for a big living person.

“Stop the carriage.” Zhou Rui saw the colored thread being sold in a nearby shop and smiled in embarrassment: “Please wait a moment for me, my lords. I am going to that shop to buy some colored threads for my wife.”

“Please do, Brother Zhou.” Ming Jingzhou helped Zhou Rui lift the curtain. After Zhou Rui got out, he looked at Li En: “Why did My Lord help Chen Wang?”

Li En smiled: “Do you know what I saw in His Highness Chen Wang?”

Ming Jingzhou remained silent.

Li En didn’t mind Ming Jingzhou’s silence. He gently stroked his beard: “When I went to inspect Hongwen Academy with Chen Wang that day, I saw His Highness’ sincere heart.”

Ming Jingzhou’s hand brushed the book in his sleeve. It was the book he was going to hand over to Chen Wang but didn’t have time to do so.

“A monarch should be sincere. To become a good monarch, one needs to cherish everything in the world first.” Li En did not mince his words: “Twenty-five years ago, I saw this virtue in His Majesty. Unexpectedly, I saw this kind of honor in the most infamous Chen Wang so many years later.”

“My Lord.” Ming Jingzhou was silent for a moment: “It is His Majesty that we must be loyal to.”

“Of course, we are loyal to His Majesty and the people.” Li En lowered his eyes and declared flatly: “Assisting Chen Wang and nurturing his political capacity is what His Majesty wishes our Ministry of Rites to do. We all are just acting on his orders.”

“I thought My Lord would appreciate His Highness Qi Wang more.” Ming Jingzhou raised the curtains and listened to the various noises on the street, feeling satisfied.

“No one knows what people, who use etiquette and rules to restrain themselves, will turn into, once the constraints disappear.”

There was no lack of perfect young tyrants in history. These people were usually praised by thousands of people before their true nature, that of a muddle-headed despot, showed itself after ascending the throne.

“Those who have experienced arrogance and yet retain their goodness and benevolence are the Heaven’s gift to the multitude.”

Ming Jingzhou cupped his hands: “Just hope that Da Cheng continues to gain wise rulers who protect the common people and let them live in peace and work happily.”

“My Lords.” Zhou Rui raised the curtain and climbed into the carriage: “You must have waited a long time.”

“Not long, it’s alright.” Li En reached out to help him.

Hearing that the princes and princesses had been commanded to live inside the Palace, Shen-shi called Jiuzhu and told her everything that had happened.

“Imperial power can change people’s hearts.” She patted the back of Jiuzhu’s hand: “Jiuzhu, you must be more careful in the future.”

“All His Majesty did, keeping the princes and princesses in the Palace and switching the attendants, was for their safety.” Jiuzhu drank the nourishing tonic that Shen-shi had stewed for her: “Although this action cut off their plans abruptly, none of them know what the others’ plans are. In this way, they are all safe.”

“Maybe His Majesty’s only intention was to protect them.” Jiuzhu put the empty bowl on the table and said earnestly: “How great it is to live a carefree life in the Palace without having to worry about food, drinks and schemes ah.”

“Oh.” Jiuzhu added: “If all the expenses of the prince and princess are from His Majesty’s private treasury, they can also save up a lot of money.”

Shen-shi suddenly spoke: “You are right. Perhaps His Majesty just wanted to save their lives.”

Although he was an emperor, he was still a father.

In the last few days, as soon as Ming Jingzhou returned home, he realized that his daughter had become especially attentive to him, and asked him when he would enter the Palace from time to time.

“Jiuzhu.” Ming Jingzhou put down the teacup. It was already the third cup of tea that his daughter had served him. Although he couldn’t bear to disappoint her, he really couldn’t drink tea anymore: “Is there something you need me to help you do?”

Jiuzhu was a little embarrassed: “There is indeed a small matter. If Father needs to enter the Palace, please deliver a thing on behalf of Daughter.”

“For Chen Wang?” Ming Jingzhou suspected that the tea at home had gone bad, it left such a sour aftertaste.

“En, it’s a painting.” Jiuzhu twisted the corners of her clothes: “Daughter has already promised His Highness. She cannot let him down now.”

“Painting?” Ming Jingzhou was silent for a moment. Seeing his daughter’s expression getting more and more restless, he asked in an odd tone: “You painted it?”

“En.” Jiuzhu walked to the door, took the picture scroll from Chunfen, and walked back to Ming Jingzhou: “Mother said that Daughter’s painting style is very similar to Father’s.”

Very similar… to his? 

Ming Jingzhou held up the teacup without any word, perfectly concealing his embarrassment: “Your Mother really said that?”

“En.” Jiuzhu nodded. She unrolled the painting and looked at Ming Jingzhou expectantly: “Father, look at it. Is it really so?”

Ming Jingzhou looked at this painting called «Red Plums in the Snow» and noticed the brushwork that looked like withered branches in a desert. He unconsciously poured the cup of tea into his mouth: “Daughter ah, did His Highness see this painting yet?”

“This is a surprise for His Highness so I naturally won’t show it to him in advance.” Jiuzhu looked at the painting and then at Ming Jingzhou: “Father, is Daughter’s painting style like yours?”

“Yes… quiet alike.” Recalling his blind self-confidence and youthful ignorance, a bizarre sense of shame rose in his heart toward his daughter.

His daughter took after her father’s painting style… It was all his fault.

“Cough.” With a dry cough, Ming Jingzhou smiled lovingly: “Daughter ah, do you think Chen Wang will like your painting?”

“Of course he will like it.” Jiuzhu put away the painting confidently: “His Highness really treasures the painting that Daughter gave him last time.”

“I understand.” Ming Jingzhou smiled and nodded: “When Father enters the Palace tomorrow afternoon, he will take your painting too.”

“Thank you, Father!” Jiuzhu hurriedly put the painting tube into Ming Jingzhou’s hands: “You are the best dad in the world.”

Ming Jingzhou sighed; his Daughter’s sweet-talking skills were not at all like his but her Mother’s.

She praised him to the moon and back for the paintings he made back then. It wasn’t until their whole family was exiled to the borderlands and he decided to sell his paintings that he figured out his own painting aptitude. At that time, no one purchased his paintings. 

Ai, he wondered how many unique words his wife had contemplated over those years so that she could compliment those paintings of his.

Looking down at the painting tube in his hand, Ming Jingzhou smiled: “The paintings of our family’s Jiuzhu are rare ones. His Highness would like it very much.”

“Ss.” Chen Wang climbed out of the quilt wrapped around his body like a tube and let the eunuch change his clothes and freshen him up: “It seems to be exceptionally cold today.”

“Your Highness, this new white fur coat was sent earlier. Would you like to try it?”

Chen Wang put on his clothes and leaned lazily on the chaise longue1T/N: The word in the raw is 贵妃榻 (guìfēi tà) which is “Noble Consort’s Couch” when translated literally xD It looks like this: . In just the time of two sticks of incense, he had changed his posture several times.

Before today, he had to go to the Ministry of Rites every morning to attend the roll call, walk around here and do many things which annoyed him to no end. But now that he didn’t have to worry about anything and just stay put here, why was he feeling bored?

He had the little eunuch bring a few articles for himself. After flipping through two pages, Chen Wang unconsciously began to wonder if he would have begun transcribing books by now if he were in the Ministry of Rites at this moment.

If it wasn’t for entering the Palace, Lord Ming should have prepared something new for him to copy.

“Your Highness?” Seeing that he stopped moving after turning two pages, the little eunuch asked anxiously, “How about this slave switch it with another one?”

“No need.” Chen Wang tossed it aside: “Ben Wang has no interest in these books.”

After speaking, he got up and went out to the courtyard. Walking across the courtyard gate to the large garden outside Zhangliu Palace, he saw An Wang and Jing Wang propping up a large wicker basket with the support of a small stick and sprinkling some millet underneath.

“It’s winter, what are the two elder brothers doing?” While going past the basket, Chen Wang ‘accidentally’ bumped into it: “Aiyo, I didn’t mean it. Brothers don’t blame me, do you?”

He looked up at the chirping birds on the treetops. Ben Wang saved your little lives. Why don’t you hurry and fly away?

The two princes looked at the stick that was kicked far away by Chen Wang and threw the rope attached to the stick: “Don’t make us laugh, fifth younger brother. How can we dare to blame you?”

“En.” Chen Wang nodded his head in satisfaction, it was correct that they did not dare.

An Wang clenched his fists tightly, he turned his head and looked at Jing Wang, who was looking at a flying sparrow with regret.

“How is fourth brother’s injury?” Chen Wang put his hands behind his back, and turned around to look at his two elder brothers: “Second brother, third brother, did you visit him?”

“It’s still early, so we don’t dare to disturb fourth younger brother.” An Wang thought for a while, “Should we go and have a look together?”

“Alright ah.” Chen Wang looked around and easily snapped a branch with two semi-yellow leaves on it. These two not-green leaves were still tenaciously clinging to the branch.

“We brothers are all family. There is no need to pay attention to rigid etiquette.” Chen Wang shook the branch, trying to shake off the dust but unexpectedly making a leaf fall off: “It’s not the gift that counts, but the thought behind it. This will surely feel a distinctive style when put in a flower vase.”

An Wang and Jing Wang did not utter a word.

They had a feeling that Yun Duqing was not visiting Yun Yanze but seeing him off2T/N: Let me complete the thought: seeing him off to death. Chen Wang is so creative, or rather, these two have such a hyperactive imagination lolol..

It was a pity that Chen Wang didn’t realize their thoughts, and really took the branch with just one yellow leaf to visit Yun Yanze.

“Your Highness, Wangfei. His Highness An Wang, His Highness Jing Wang and His Highness Chen Wang are here.”

Sun Caiyao put down the medicine bowl, wiped the corners of Qi Wang’s mouth, and looked at him. Qi Wang said softly: “Quickly let them in.”

“Your Highness, your wound hasn’t healed yet. You should lie down.” Sun Caiyao stood up, “I will welcome the princes.”

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