[Various] The Deposed Crown Prince's Survival Story

"Father, are you really not going to eat?"

"I'm so angry I'm full, what's the point of eating?"

"Alright, then Su'er won't save any food for you. I've already eaten the chicken leg."

"If you don't shut up, I'll eat you alive right now!"

Looking at Fusu with displeasure, who was holding a large chicken leg in his left hand and a large pork knuckle in his right, his little face shiny with oil and his little mouth happily eating, Ying Zheng felt extremely annoyed.

Logically, he should have thrown something at the child to express his anger. However, Ying Zheng glanced around the room and realized that everything was too heavy; hitting someone would hurt. Hitting the flowers and plants wouldn't be a problem, but Fusu was still so young. What if he accidentally hit the little brat?

He finally raised this brat with so much effort, and if he kills him, he's gone. Even if he doesn't die, he'll still have to pay for the brat's medical expenses.

But what exactly went wrong? How could such a wise and mighty king like myself have raised such a naughty and unruly child?

Ying Zheng decided to ask a few people.

When Li Si, Wang Jian, and Meng Wu received the urgent edict from the King of Qin, they thought something major had happened in the country. They immediately put down their work and rushed to Ying Zheng's study. However, when they arrived at the meeting place, they found that Ying Zheng just wanted to discuss his parenting experience with them.

"All three of you are accomplished in raising children. I wonder... if you have any insights into this matter?"

Li Si's son Li You, Wang Jian's son Wang Ben, and Meng Wu's sons Meng Tian and Meng Yi were all outstanding talents among the younger generation, and they were all quite favored by Ying Zheng. Ying Zheng even married one of his half-sisters to Li You as his principal wife. No wonder Ying Zheng instinctively thought of these people's fathers when he thought about parenting.

"Uh..." The group exchanged glances and looked at the majestic but extremely young King Qin sitting in front of them.

Hey! Have you heard? The eldest son is a brat.

I've heard about it, I've heard about it. The eldest son is really ruthless.

Hmph! What's so great about hearing that? My son was there in person, I heard the gossip firsthand, unlike you guys who hear it from multiple sources.

"Your Majesty, I am ashamed to say that when my son was young, I left home to study under Xunzi, and later came to the State of Qin. My son was raised by my wife. I am truly ashamed and dare not speak of it," Li Si said first.

After Li Si said this, Wang Jian and Meng Wu followed suit, saying that they were too busy with official duties to take care of their children. They added that the children were still very young when they left, but they would be old enough to run errands when they returned.

"My dear ministers, please don't be modest." Ying Zheng sighed, waved his sleeve, and said with a helpless expression, "You should all know about Fusu's matter, right?"

That day, after Fusu finished eating, Ying Zheng originally wanted to give him a beating. "Just then," Empress Dowager Huayang arrived. The brat immediately shrank behind Empress Dowager Huayang when he saw his savior. Empress Dowager Huayang also protected Fusu, showing a "If Your Majesty wants to beat Su'er, I will beat you too" attitude. "Helpless," Ying Zheng could only put Fusu in confinement for half a month.

"I have also heard about the eldest son's affairs. Your Majesty need not worry too much. The eldest son is decisive, courageous and resourceful. He has already achieved unexpected victories at such a young age. How can he not accomplish great things in the future? What is there for Your Majesty to worry about if you have a son?"

As the son of an emperor, and perhaps even the future King of Qin, the expectations people have of him are naturally different from those of ordinary people.

At such a young age, he abducted his younger siblings and even threatened the city gate guards with a knife. If this had happened to an ordinary child or a young master, he would have been nothing short of a "brat," a term everyone would only use once.

If you encounter someone who overthinks things, they might even conjure up a convoluted palace intrigue story in their mind.

But let's not talk about the eldest son. He is so decisive and resourceful at such a young age, which shows that he is exceptionally intelligent. If he is properly raised, he will surely become a great man in the future.

"Confucius said: 'At birth, human nature is inherently good.' Xunzi said: 'At birth, human nature is inherently evil.' If you want me to say it, people at birth do not know good and evil. Fusu's actions today are nothing more than because Lao Ai once... I won't go into that." Where did Fusu learn this trick of threatening Meng Yi with the lives of Prince Gao and others? After thinking it over, Ying Zheng could only silently pass the blame to the dead Lao Ai.

That bastard Lao Ai has corrupted my adorable son.

My adorable son is amazing! After experiencing such a dangerous situation, he was still able to apply what he learned to deal with others. He's so clever and cute.

It would be even better if next time it wasn't his own younger brother or sister who was kidnapped, and it wasn't his own father who was targeted.

"Although Fusu is intelligent, he is still young and does not understand people's hearts or good and evil. I am worried that he will go astray." Ying Zheng sighed. It is true that raising a child for a hundred years means worrying until ninety-nine.

Ying Zheng worried that the less intelligent one would be harmed or deceived; but he also worried that the intelligent one would be too clever for his own good.

One word: sorrow.

If the current situation weren't so inappropriate, Ying Zheng would have liked to rest his chin on his hand and ponder deeply.

"What does it matter if he doesn't understand people's hearts? Just teach him." Li Si smiled slightly and said, "Although the eldest son is young, he is exceptionally intelligent. I think it's not too early for him to start his studies now."

Ying Zheng pondered for a moment, then slammed his hand on the long table in front of him, and said with a joyful expression, "Minister Li is right, let him study... Although he is still young, it's good to know some things... If he's busy studying, he won't have time to play... How could I not have thought of that?"

"Your Majesty is the eldest son's biological father, and his love for his son is deep. He becomes confused when it concerns him personally. But as for me, this matter does not concern me personally, so I naturally have a clearer perspective as an outsider." Li Si did not ask Ying Zheng who he would appoint as Fusu's teacher. A child of Fusu's status would naturally have many teachers, and he would learn from many sources, without having a single specific teacher.

"Haha! Minister Li is too modest." With the problem solved, Ying Zheng was in a great mood and continued to discuss child-rearing issues with Li Si and others.

The news that the king was very concerned about the education of the next generation spread, and for a time, a trend of men raising children swept through the Qin court—but that's another story.

In any case, whether they usually disciplined their sons or not, after hearing that the king attached great importance to the education of his children, they all went home and began to discipline their sons.

Those who were usually well-behaved, obedient, intelligent, and sensible all thanked the eldest son and the king for giving them a chance to show off their talents in front of their father; but those who... well, it's hard to explain, and can only chuckle, were in big trouble.

As for Ying Zheng himself, who started this topic, he had no time to pay attention to it. Instead, he was busy preparing teaching materials to start his adorable son's education.

Ying Zheng was usually busy with official duties, so he was willing but unable to be a teacher. However, he could still spare the time to give his eldest son an introduction to the world.

He had even planned that not only would he personally teach Fusu his first lessons in reading, but he would also personally teach him all the arts Fusu would learn, such as playing the zither, chess, calligraphy, archery, and horsemanship. He wanted the brat to know how talented and versatile he was, a true "all-rounder" and "little expert," and to make the brat kneel before him in his imperial robes.

With this ulterior motive in mind, Ying Zheng meticulously prepared an essential textbook for beginners, and mentally rehearsed countless times, striving to deliver a resounding and astonishing lecture.

"Su'er greets Father King." Fusu knelt on the ground, respectfully bowed to Ying Zheng, and spoke.

"Hmm..." Ying Zheng nodded coldly, quickly looking Fusu up and down.

The child was in the process of growing up. In just half a month, Fusu not only grew taller, but his belly also grew bigger, making him look chubby and feel incredibly nice to the touch.

"Come here, sit here." Ying Zheng beckoned to Fusu, gesturing for him to sit next to him.

"Father, it's been half a month since I last saw you, and I've missed you so much!" Fusu immediately got up from the ground with a grin, ran to Ying Zheng's side, sat down, hugged his arm, and complained with a grin, "Father, do you miss me? Father, how could you be so heartless? You've kept me locked up for so long, and you haven't even come to see me."

"Hmph!" Who said I didn't go to see you? I just specifically told people not to tell you, so that every time I went to see you I would find you eating.

I've confined you to your quarters so you can reflect on your actions, not so you can have a quiet time and a big meal in a secluded place.

"Do you know why I summoned you here today?"

"What is it? Isn't it because you missed Su'er after not seeing her for half a month, so you called Su'er to come and see her? Father, you must visit Su'er more often in the future, because not only do you miss Su'er, but Su'er misses you too. Father, look, Su'er has lost weight from missing you so much, her triple chin has turned into a double chin."

Ying Zheng glanced at Fusu silently. Fat people do have big faces, and thick skin comes from lots of flesh. Shameless little thing.

Ignoring the child's unruly ramblings, Ying Zheng took out a pre-prepared textbook—a volume of the Book of Poetry—and placed it in front of the two of them, saying, "I have summoned you here today to begin your education in reading."

"Learn to read? Learn to read?" Fusu scratched his head, tilted his little head, and looked at Ying Zheng with a blank expression, asking, "Do I still need to learn to read?"

Ying Zheng let out a long breath, and was about to tell Fusu the importance of literacy when he heard Fusu speak again: "What kind of stupid person would want to learn to read?"

Ying Zheng was deeply hurt by the critical blow, and only then did he realize that Fu Su's question, "Does knowing how to read still require learning?" did not mean that he did not want to learn to read, but rather that he felt it was unnecessary.

What a foolish person... Ying Zheng, who had been spanked by his parents many times since childhood for misreading words, felt it was absolutely necessary to pity himself for a stick of incense.