The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 246

"Your subject Xu Tian greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. I pay my respects to Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Seeing him bow, Li Chengqian felt a pang of sympathy and immediately stepped forward to help him up.

"From now on, you don't need to bow when you see me. Besides my father and mother, only the Grand Tutor is the kindest to me."

Xu Tian was speechless. He recalled that when he went to the palace to report to the emperor, he happened to pass by the Imperial Garden. He didn't know how the little prince had ended up in the front court, looking like a wronged bun.

Xu Tian only wanted to cheer him up, so he casually tossed him a piece of candy. Little did he know that from then on, the prince would be like a leech, never disappearing from Xu Tian's sight again.

Xu Tian had no choice but to patiently explain: "The Crown Prince is the future heir to the throne. If he is too sentimental, it will not be convincing."

It means that I only gave you a piece of candy, so you don't have to stick to me every day. Besides, being too close to the Crown Prince would inevitably raise suspicions of forming a faction. If Li Er were to suspect him, he would truly be devastated.

Upon hearing Xu Tian's explanation, Crown Prince Li Chengqian nodded, thinking that Xu Tian was indeed worthy of the person he had chosen.

"The next day I asked my father to send you to the palace to be my tutor. That way you won't get entangled with these people!"

I know you run the academy not to make money, but because you love teaching and nurturing students, isn't that right, Master Xu?

Yang Hao smiled and nodded, "Your Highness is indeed exceptionally intelligent."

Then Ma Liu knelt down with a thud and said, "This humble subject greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. When I arrived, I heard people saying that someone had been poisoned after eating the food I sent!"

When Xu Tian felt somewhat helpless, he waved his hand, and the butler took Ma Liu away directly, while Dongfang Tingyun bowed to him.

"Your Highness, I take my leave."

After everyone had left, the Crown Prince finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Tian had no choice but to say from the side, "Your Highness, that person did eat the hawthorn that Your Highness sent, but hawthorn fish and white fish together can easily cause diarrhea and be mistaken for poisoning. Ignorance is no excuse, please forgive me, Your Highness."

Li Chengqian had seen many intrigues and schemes in the palace. Although he was the son of the Empress, there were also princesses from the previous dynasty and daughters of other important officials among the concubines in the palace!

Although the Empress Dowager holds absolute power, if he were without cunning and composure, he would probably have been dethroned as Crown Prince long ago and understand that someone was targeting Xu Tian today.

"Master Xu is being far too polite to me, making me feel a sense of distance."

Xu Tian then stood up and said, "Your Highness, there's no need for this. I am just an ordinary person. I cannot compare to Lord Changsun in literature, nor to General Chen in martial arts. Your Highness is too kind to me."

Li Chengqian was immediately pleased when he heard someone praising his uncle.

"Grand Tutor Xu knows my mother is Empress Zhangsun, and I am Master Xu. Whatever the matter, I, the Crown Prince, will decide for you. That man named Ma Liu just now..."

As Li Chengqian spoke, he remembered something.

"The Empress Dowager allowed me to leave the palace because I had acted like a good child for many days. If I were thrown into prison as soon as I left the palace, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager would never let me come to see you again, Master Xu."