Priceless: A widow with a baby asks the prince to marry again

A newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger. Although his adoptive father's eyes became colder, little Qin Hao was not afraid. He just looked at the master with innocent eyes and said weakly: "Then...what if my adoptive father doesn't listen to my advice?"

"No matter how much your parents give you advice, you will not obey your will, but you will respect it without disobeying it, and you will work hard without complaining."

But it was Chu Shiyu who answered. He sneered and said, "This is what I first taught you to write, Qin Hao, have you forgotten?"

The tone seemed to have a deep meaning, and Xiao Qinhao was immediately suspicious! Was he discovered? But he had to act completely, just in case he wasn't discovered, he couldn't be tricked! His little brain was spinning rapidly!

In a flash, with almost no noticeable pause, he raised his head and answered loudly as if to prove himself, "I haven't forgotten! I still remember the first and second sentences! The first sentence is 'When you see a virtuous person, you should strive to emulate him...', and the second sentence is 'When your parents are still alive, you should not travel far away, and when you travel, you must have a plan'!"

After proving himself, Qin Hao pouted again and muttered, "It's just... I didn't intend to disobey my adoptive father, and I don't blame him. I just hope that my adoptive father and everyone else will be happy..."

This was said in a flattering way, showing a submissive attitude towards both sides. Even Chu Shiyu could not find any fault with his words for a moment. He evaluated in his heart that perhaps it had nothing to do with Qin Hao. No matter how smart he was, he was only five years old.

"Your Highness Prince Duan has always been domineering, but he is so cold and hard to a little kid. It seems like he is bullying the weak." The tall and burly middle-aged general drank his wine and his tone seemed to be teasing.

Chu Shiyu also shifted his attention and looked at Qin Shuangyu, who was sitting next to the princes, princes and ministers, and said calmly: "Since I am the foster father of this kid, I have to take on the responsibility of being a father. It is inevitable that I will be strict when teaching him a lesson."

"How does your adoptive father treat you on weekdays?" Chu Shiyu turned to ask little Qin Hao.

"It is because my adoptive father is so nice, never getting tired of teaching, and doing his best to answer my questions that I want to follow him to the capital! On the way here, my adoptive father even gave me a pony and taught me how to ride a horse!" Little Qin Hao smiled naively, not at all bothered by Chu Shiyu's cold look just now.

As if feeling bored, the burly general smiled and shook his head, then continued drinking.

Back to the civil servants' home turf, the Grand Tutor was much calmer and praised the child: "The boy has a good character, he is proud but not impatient. If his character does not change, he will be a talented person in the future, but..."

"The way to educate people is to teach them to distinguish right from wrong, to know what is right and what is wrong, rather than imparting knowledge. Otherwise, you will end up with a well-educated but unkind and unjust scoundrel in disguise!"

The Grand Tutor spoke in a rhythmic manner and then turned to sigh: "I am now also hesitant. I have devoted myself to the ranks of cultivators for decades. Is there anything I have missed..."

This satire of Prince Duan being a beast in human clothing was almost blatant! But the Grand Tutor could say this, but the Imperial Censor and the previous civil officials did not dare to respond, because the emperor was still in power! Calling his son a beast in human clothing could easily be interpreted as deceiving the emperor!

But if these people don't respond, there will be other people who are capable of following the dragon and dare to respond!

"Taifu, you are very modest, but you don't need to blame yourself." The old prime minister, who has been keeping a low profile recently, suddenly spoke to comfort him: "The nine sons of the dragon are all different. Although there is no distinction between people in education, there are always people whose nature is hard to change."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became full of opportunities!

Although he argued fiercely just now and the censor claimed guilt, all the ministers knew very well that it was impossible for Prince Duan to be convicted for forcibly marrying a widow. At most, he would be criticized by the emperor and banned from getting close to the widow again.

But the old prime minister's words of "a dragon gives birth to nine sons" not only honored the emperor, but also provided a reference for comparison! The implication was that Prince Duan was not of good character, but the other princes were different!

Civil officials are often pedantic, but rarely stupid. The Grand Tutor can naturally detect the intention! Knowing that the emperor's intention to let the princes fight for power cannot be shaken, the Grand Tutor also follows the way of filial piety. Although he is not as stubborn as Yue Qianzhang who resigned in the past, he will never help!

"The deeper the love, the more severe the criticism. I have been a teacher for decades. When it comes to students, I will point out and criticize even the smallest mistakes. In order to prevent students from going astray, my words are inevitably harsh..."

The Grand Tutor spoke to the old Prime Minister in a kind tone, but his implication was, as a teacher educating students, I am deliberately scolding you in a harsh way, so as an outsider, you shouldn't follow suit!

Without waiting for the old prime minister to respond, the Grand Tutor returned to the topic and advised Prince Duan: "It is a great honor to know one's mistakes and correct them. Isn't it a pity to have flaws in a flawless jade?"

But Chu Shiyu really didn't want to accept the advice of the Grand Tutor. Instead, he greeted the old Prime Minister with a sneer, "It is true that the nine sons of a dragon are all different. Now it seems that all the brothers are talented in literature. However, I heard that the eighth brother did not know the Five Classics when he set out. I wonder if he has the conditions to study at the southwest border?"

Chu Shiyu did not wait for the old prime minister to fight back, and said respectfully to the emperor who was watching the show in the center: "Father, can you give my eighth brother a favor and allow him to spare some time every day to study? Although it is a test, he should not fall behind in his studies."

When the topic turned to the emperor, the Grand Tutor naturally would not overstep his authority to interrupt.

Although Prince Duan ridiculed the Eighth Prince for being ignorant, the old prime minister did not refute him and even hoped that the emperor would adopt Prince Duan's advice!

Now the Eighth Prince has been in the Southwestern Border Army for two months. Even though the Emperor has ordered that he should not be humiliated or harmed, there are many ways to torture people in the name of training!

Prince Duan has a high prestige in the southwest border army, and almost all the generals and soldiers follow Prince Duan's lead! When the news that the Eighth Prince had attacked Prince Duan spread to the army, they spontaneously made things difficult for the Eighth Prince without Prince Duan's instructions!

The chores such as fetching water and chopping wood were assigned twice as much as the ordinary soldiers! When it came to food, robbing was almost the norm. The Eighth Prince often went hungry. If you asked, it was the same in the army! Of course, if you didn't eat enough, you wouldn't have the energy, but the training volume didn't decrease at all! Moreover, other soldiers ran ten miles on the mountain road a day, but the Eighth Prince was often scolded for running slowly and had to train twenty more miles!

The eighth prince wrote to the emperor almost every day to complain. The old prime minister felt very distressed and pleaded with him many times in the imperial study and the court, but the emperor basically only had one sentence to say: "A good sword is forged through repeated grinding."

The logic is correct, but the age of enlistment in Daxia is seventeen, and the Eighth Prince is not even fifteen yet! The old prime minister and the virtuous concubine both felt that the Eighth Prince was too young and had been "trained" too much, and they were afraid that the Eighth Prince could not hold on, but it was difficult for them to reach out to the army! After much difficulty, they managed to arrange a cook to leave food for the Eighth Prince, but he was caught in less than three days and was punished according to military law for accepting bribes!

"Yu'er respects the elders and loves the young, which makes me very happy." The emperor paused after praising him, and the two pairs of phoenix eyes looked at each other with unclear expressions.

The emperor was somewhat puzzled by Chu Shiyu's intention. Even if Chu Shiyu and Chu Shiqi were not mortal enemies, it would be extremely difficult for them to reconcile. However, this proposal was beneficial to Chu Shiqi no matter how you looked at it.

"But as the saying goes, people need to be taught in accordance with their aptitude. Qi'er is impatient and impatient. If she doesn't get rid of her stubbornness, she probably won't be able to concentrate on her studies. If you want to do your work well, you must first sharpen your tools. If you stop studying for a year, maybe you can get twice the result with half the effort."

Chu Shiyu said calmly: "The balance between movement and stillness, take a moment to calm down and read some books by sages, and perhaps you will better understand what filial piety, brotherhood, loyalty and trustworthiness are."

Regardless of whether he was sincere or not, the Taifu couldn't help but feel relieved when he heard this. Although Prince Duan showed shortcomings in terms of propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame, the Eight Virtues have a priority. It would be a blessing for Prince Duan to make progress in filial piety and brotherly love, and for Daxia to live in peace and stability!

"Your Majesty! When God wants to give a man a great responsibility, he must first make his mind suffer, his muscles and bones tired, and his body hungry... But the subsequent 'troubled mind and weighed thoughts' require time to think. Being able to concentrate on learning will help the Eighth Prince to gain enlightenment!"

The Grand Tutor bowed and said that Prince Duan was his student, as was the Eighth Prince. Although their knowledge was far inferior to that of Prince Duan back then, the Grand Tutor was still teaching the Eighth Prince before he was sent to the border, so their mentality was the same.

The emperor looked hesitant. In fact, he didn't care whether to grant the favor or not. He just couldn't guess what Chu Shiyu was thinking, so the emperor didn't want to make a decision easily.

The old prime minister saw the emperor's eyes flickering, and couldn't help but feel anxious. As the culprit, Prince Duan came to speak for the Eighth Prince, which was already the best opportunity. If he still couldn't change the emperor's mind, the Eighth Prince would have to endure for another ten months! The difficulties in the Southwest Army were not always maintained at the same level, but were increasing day by day!

"Your Majesty, I think what Prince Duan said is true! The Eighth Prince is still young. If he only exercises his muscles and bones without cultivating his spirit, he may be ignorant... He has the wrong idea!" The old prime minister had no choice but to flatter Prince Duan and follow his lead.

The emperor felt more and more strange. He had seen that the relationship between Shi Yu and Shi Kun was a little bit subtle these days, and now the prime minister was forced to speak with Chu Shi Yu temporarily. It was him, the emperor, who seemed to be alone in the hall at this moment...

But the emperor was certain that none of his sons would be inferior to others. If Chu Shiyu could make several ambitious brothers submit to him, then he would be able to sit on the throne!

As for the so-called favor, no matter what Chu Shiyu planned, he would remain unchanged in the face of all changes! The emperor said in a hesitant manner: "This is related to Qi'er's future plan. I will think about it again. Yu'er and all the ministers should share the Mid-Autumn Festival first!"

The old prime minister felt disappointed, but he still had some hope. After all, the emperor did not deny it outright this time.

"Your Majesty, the hour of Hai is approaching. The area outside the palace has been prepared. You may go and enjoy the moon." Xu Jin stepped forward and bowed to remind him at the right time. As the emperor's personal eunuch, he naturally understood the emperor's intentions.

The emperor smiled and said, "This year, there is a good harvest of crabs from Taihu Lake. I am holding this banquet to invite all of you to eat crabs and enjoy the moon together. Now that the live crabs that came with the canal have been cooked, shall we move to the outer field?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness!"

All the princes and ministers in the hall stood up and bowed to express their gratitude loudly. Regardless of whether Emperor Chu Tianming was truly kind-hearted in his heart, during the twenty years of his reign, many civil and military officials praised him.

At least the etiquette is highly praised! Although kneeling has been the standard etiquette for the emperor since several dynasties ago, no one likes to kneel all the time! Although no one will complain...

Compared to the previous emperor who would kneel at every turn, sometimes all the civil and military officials in the court would kneel before the court, and kneel for an hour or two! The current emperor is very relaxed in terms of etiquette. Except for situations where etiquette requires kneeling, such as meeting, leaving, and issuing edicts, you can choose not to kneel.

It was fine to kneel voluntarily, but there would be no punishment for not kneeling. The emperor only said this once after he ascended the throne, and nearly twenty years have proven that this is true! In addition, the emperor would grant many old and important officials the privilege of not kneeling even when meeting or receiving an imperial decree, except for major occasions such as sacrificial ceremonies!

Although many people secretly criticized that this was a false gift to replace the actual reward, it was a business with no investment and huge profits for the emperor! However, those who received the favor were still satisfied. After all, those who could receive the favor did not lack that little benefit, but not kneeling was respect and honor!

Oh, and there were also these delicious crabs. Although everyone who could come to the palace banquet had enough money to eat Taihu crabs, the fact that the emperor always thought of them when he had good things also made many officials sigh with relief:

"The Emperor's grace is mighty!"

But Chu Shiyu was not happy at all! He had already ordered a full-roe eight-liang crab, because he had to come to the palace banquet, so his plan to have a love affair with Liu Rusi under the moon on Mid-Autumn Night was ruined!

And now, the female guests who were seated behind the gauze barrier were taking their seats one after another, but she was still nowhere to be seen!

He had just been annoyed by the group of scholars for a long time. At this moment, he just wanted to see her and calm down his temper. If he hadn't told her not to do anything stupid, he would have taken her home right now...

Glancing at Zhu Qing, Chu Shiyu ordered, "Go see if Madam Liu is here?"

"Yes."

Zhu Qing agreed and walked nervously towards the Baohe Hall where the female guests were entertained before. She had only been to the palace twice in total, and she knew where the Baohe Hall was because before coming, Madam Liu brought a few girls to roughly understand the layout and basic rules of the palace...

There were also some noble ladies on the road, accompanied by their maids, walking in groups of three or five to the outer area to admire the moon.

Zhu Qing walked opposite them, and walked close to the side to avoid bumping into people, but he also wanted to see if Madam Liu was out on the road, so he looked at the people coming towards him from time to time...

When a large group of people came, all around were palace maids dressed up, but in the middle was a young woman with pearls and jade in her hair and a graceful demeanor. Zhu Qing remembered that this was Consort Xian! He immediately lowered his head and bowed at the palace wall...

Yet trouble still came.

The virtuous concubine just glanced at her, and a maid scolded her: "Whose maid is this? You don't know the rules at all. You have to kneel down to greet the concubine!"

Zhu Qing was suspicious. Didn't she just bow when they passed each other? But she immediately changed her actions to kneeling and shouting, "Your servant greets the Imperial Concubine!"

"Ask where you come from?" the nanny asked again.

"I am from Madam Liu Rusi's house..."

Zhu Qing suddenly became nervous. His own prince and Consort Xian didn't get along, and vice versa...

"Hmph, the shameless pheasant tried so hard to become a phoenix, and the servants he brought with him are also uneducated! I can't manage other things, but I can always discipline a maid! Slap her a hundred times!"

After uttering some angry words, Concubine Xian left with disdain. There were nannies and palace maids left to supervise, and punishing a maid was just a way to vent her anger!

Because of Liu's inexplicable intoxicating fragrance, most of Concubine Xian's plans failed, and because Fang Qiu followed her, there was no telling if the main purpose would lead to any complications... I just hope it won't turn out badly!

Concubine Xian's words startled Zhu Qing. Did something happen to Madam Liu? But before she could figure it out...

"Snapped!"

A cruel slap landed on her still tender face...

"Kneel down! It's your blessing to have the Imperial Concubine's discipline! Just bear it!" The nanny sneered and slapped the little face left and right, turning it red in a few slaps!