"Third Brother, are you trying to become the Emperor…"
Before transmigrating, Xie Zhao was in his twenties, but after transmigrating, he had become much younger.
This Eleventh Prince had just turned fifteen this year.
Just like his age, his height had also shrunk considerably—probably only around 1.7 meters in modern measurements.
The Tenth Prince was two years older than Xie Zhao and had the advantage in height. In this position, Xie Zhao looked weak, pitiful, and helpless.
Xie Zhao said innocently, "Is offering a salute to Tenth Brother considered learning bad behavior?"
The Tenth Prince gritted his teeth. "What do you think?"
The original owner had lost his mother at the age of three. Being too young to go without care, the Emperor had stuffed him into the care of Concubine Kang, the Tenth Prince's birth mother.
The Emperor hadn't considered anything else—mainly because Concubine Kang lived close to Beauty Lin, so he had simply pointed at random.
But to be fair, the original owner's luck wasn't too bad.
Although Concubine Kang was beautiful, she was thoroughly laid-back by nature, with no desire whatsoever to compete for favor. Naturally, she had no conflicts with Beauty Lin, who had once been favored.
When the Emperor asked her to raise the Eleventh Prince, she genuinely took care of the original owner for several years, until he moved to Qingning Hall at the age of ten, ending their brief mother-son bond.
In other words, the original owner and the Tenth Prince had actually grown up together.
It was just that the original owner, having lost his birth mother early and lacking maternal relatives, had been forced to develop a dull, taciturn personality in this palace that favored the influential and trampled the weak. He hadn't even shown much closeness toward Concubine Kang or the Tenth Prince.
The Tenth Prince had long sensed this, but he didn't mind at all.
With a mother as laid-back as Concubine Kang, the Tenth Prince's personality was relatively tolerant. He understood that Xie Zhao, having lost his mother at such a young age and suffered no small amount of bullying, would naturally be guarded around people.
But! The Tenth Prince could only accept that kind of hidden distance.
What was this business of bowing like a stranger? Were you really not treating me as your brother anymore?
From this, one could see the difference in how the Tenth Prince treated Xie Zhao versus the Twelfth Prince.
When the Twelfth Prince bowed to him, although he felt it was too distant and formal, he wouldn't say anything.
But when it came to Xie Zhao… Xie Zhao felt his neck was about to break.
"Hey, Tenth Brother, Tenth Brother, I know I was wrong. Let go quickly!"
The Tenth Prince: "You really know you were wrong?"
Xie Zhao nodded vigorously like a pestle pounding garlic. "I know, I know."
Only then did the Tenth Prince release him.
"That's more like it."
Once the Tenth Prince let go, Xie Zhao rubbed his neck and said, "Isn't this the Mid-Autumn banquet today? With so many people coming soon, I can't afford to seem rude."
That's supposed to be my line.
The Twelfth Prince glanced at Xie Zhao but said nothing.
The Tenth Prince, however, waved his hand and said, "Pfft, why do you care about that? With First Brother and Second Brother around, who's going to pay attention to us?"
Xie Zhao ranked eleventh and was already fifteen—let alone the older brothers ahead of him, who had naturally all reached adulthood long ago.
In ordinary families, when sons grew up, it meant they could establish their own households. For the Emperor's sons, growing up meant they could begin the struggle for the succession.
Xie Zhao's older brothers were all ambitious and highly conspicuous in the eyes of the court officials.
The First and Second Princes were even older, already at the age of thirty. The First Prince's eldest son was even the same age as the Fifteenth Prince.
Truly terrifying.
Once there were this many adult princes, things were bound to get lively.
Especially in the absence of a legitimate son, everyone was ready to fight tooth and nail.
Among them, the First and Second Princes fought the fiercest.
The First Prince believed that since there was no legitimate son and he was the eldest, according to ritual law, he should be appointed Crown Prince.
The Second Prince, meanwhile, believed that since his mother was the Noble Consort, and a son's status derived from his mother, the Crown Prince position should be his.
The two fought fiercely, and the ministers below took sides accordingly. In recent years, the matter of appointing the crown prince had caused considerable turmoil in the court.
Today's palace banquet had an especially full attendance. Without even thinking, one knew it would be another debate centered on the appointment of the crown prince.
It was still the First and Second Princes' arena, occasionally joined by other equally grown princes looking to join the fray.
As for the other younger princes ranked further down? They hadn't even reached the stage to enter the game, so naturally no one paid them any attention.
The Tenth Prince was quite philosophical about this.
He had probably inherited Concubine Kang's laid-back nature. Concubine Kang didn't like competing for favor, and the Tenth Prince had no interest in the struggle for the succession either.
He draped his arm around Xie Zhao again and said, "With them around, just treat this as us coming for a casual meal. Relax."
"In a bit, you just—"
"Tenth Brother!"
Just as the Tenth Prince was about to offer Xie Zhao more advice to not be nervous, he heard a piercing shout from behind that startled him.
Turning around, he found the stern face of the Third Prince, who had already been enfeoffed as Prince Wei.
"Ah, it's Third Brother. You suddenly shouted like that—you scared me."
The Third Prince wore a red Dragon Robe and a Yishan crown on his head.
The same princely attire as everyone else, but for some reason, when worn by the Third Prince, it carried an extra air of stuffiness.
Third Prince studied Tenth Prince and Xie Zhao with a scrutinizing gaze.
"I just overheard you two talking about First Brother and Second Brother?"
"Speaking ill of others behind their backs—how is that the conduct of a gentleman? And discussing one's own elder brothers, no less! I think the two of you truly ought to return to the Imperial Study Hall for further instruction."
Tenth Prince was seventeen, Xie Zhao fifteen—both were already of an age to attend court and participate in governance. For them to be sent back to the Imperial Study Hall at this point was essentially saying their conduct and scholarship were subpar and required re-education.
Not a single vulgar word was uttered, yet the insult cut deep.
It seemed this Third Prince didn't have particularly warm relations with his brothers either, Xie Zhao thought to himself.
Tenth Prince pulled a long face and said, "Aiyo, Third Brother, surely it's not that serious? I was just trying to comfort Eleventh, that's all."
"Eleventh said there were too many people at today's palace banquet and he was a bit nervous. I told him, what are you nervous about? No matter how many people there are, the attention's all on First Brother and Second Brother anyway. As for us brothers—we're just window dressing. I mean, you're ranked eleventh, who's even looking at you?"
As he spoke, Tenth Prince jabbed a finger toward Xie Zhao, his brows knitted together, heaving a sigh as if exasperated by his younger brother's naivety.
"Never mind you—even me, ranked tenth, or Third Brother here, ranked third, none of us get any attention either. Am I right, Third Brother?"
Third Prince's gaze instantly sharpened into daggers aimed at Tenth Prince, but Tenth Prince just laughed it off with a cheeky grin, showing not a shred of fear—his expression bordering on outright provocation.
Third Prince's birth mother, Noble Consort Zhao, came from the Duke of Yue's household. She was the legitimate daughter of Duke of Yue Zhao Leyang and the biological younger sister of the Duke of Yue's heir. Her pedigree was exceedingly distinguished.
And this Duke of Yue was no ordinary figure.
He had earned his noble title through military merit, yet he was not a warrior—rather, a figure akin to a military strategist.
When the Emperor campaigned across the realm, it was largely this man who devised the strategies that led to victory after victory, which was why the Emperor held him in such high regard.
For instance, on one occasion, the Emperor fell for an enemy's decoy tactic, and the enemy seized the opportunity to launch a surprise siege, throwing the army's morale into disarray.
It was the Duke of Yue who stepped forward to steady the troops, holding the city for over twenty days against a ferocious enemy assault, stubbornly stalling until the Emperor could return with reinforcements and annihilate the enemy forces.
After that battle, Zhao Leyang's reputation soared. No military commander in the army refused to respect him, and no one dared question the strategies he devised. Civil and military alike were united in purpose.
This was also a key reason the Emperor had been able to seize the realm.
Thus, whether it was the Emperor himself or the meritorious officials at court, all held the Duke of Yue in the highest esteem.
Even now, seventeen years after the founding of the nation, the Emperor still extended to the Duke of Yue a unique measure of trust and favor—which was truly remarkable.
With such a maternal grandfather behind him, even though Third Prince was not the eldest legitimate son, it was inevitable that certain ambitions he ought not to harbor would take root.
He was equally determined to claim the position of Crown Prince.
Yet Tenth Prince's words had directly dismissed all princes other than First and Second Prince as mere window dressing.
Including this Third Prince—who held a distinct advantage, harbored ambitions for the Crown Prince position, and longed for the attention of the imperial clan and meritorious officials.
In an instant, the atmosphere in this small space froze solid. Even Twelfth Prince held his breath, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
Under such tense circumstances, Xie Zhao—at an angle Third Prince couldn't see—gave Tenth Prince a thumbs up.
Brilliant, Tenth Brother. Going straight for the face with a full-power strike. You're my real brother!
Tenth Prince nodded smugly, gesturing to keep it low-key.
Third Prince was so enraged he laughed instead, sneering, "Tenth Brother, it's only been a few days, and your tongue has grown considerably sharper."
Tenth Prince pretended not to understand: "Whatever do you mean, Third Brother? Your little brother has always been dull-witted. Compared to my elder brothers—especially you, Third Brother—I'm still far behind. Perhaps I really do need to return to the Imperial Study Hall for more study."
Still going full force!
Tenth Brother was a true warrior.
Xie Zhao once again expressed his admiration.
Third Prince was so furious he pointed a trembling finger at Tenth Prince, at a loss for what reprimand to deliver.
Xie Zhao figured that since Third Prince had lumped the two of them together in his earlier criticism, there was no reason to let Tenth Prince fight alone. He ought to help.
So Xie Zhao stepped forward and pressed down on Third Prince's hand, cutting off his tirade.
Then he turned back with a look of profound distress and admonished Tenth Prince.
"Tenth Brother, stop provoking Third Brother."
Tenth Prince was dumbfounded: "?"
You little—you're stabbing me in the back?
Tenth Prince wanted to point at Xie Zhao and curse him out. Do you even know whose side you're on!
When Xie Zhao first pressed down on his hand, Third Prince's expression soured, but after hearing Xie Zhao's words, his brows relaxed.
It seemed Eleventh Brother was more sensible than Tenth Brother after all.
Third Prince's mood improved, which meant Tenth Prince's mood soured. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to smash Xie Zhao's head in.
Twelfth Prince took a tactical sip of water.
That doesn't seem right—is Eleventh Brother really this stupid?
Xie Zhao kept his hand on Third Prince's, his tone filled with anxious trepidation.
"What if you provoke Third Brother into a real rage, and he actually locks you back in Qingning Hall and makes you return to the Imperial Study Hall to study again?"
"And me! I'm already fifteen. If I can't leave the palace and establish my own manor, fine—but I absolutely do not want to go back to the Imperial Study Hall."
Then he turned back and faced the Third Prince, whose face was gradually turning livid, pleading for mercy.
"Third Brother, Tenth Brother and I are young and don't know any better. Please don't hold it against us. Otherwise, at our age, having to go back to studying would be so embarrassing—and it wouldn't look good for Father Emperor either."
Xie Zhao's tone was bitter and pitiful, like a small cabbage battered by wind and rain in the fields, so miserable that it stirred one's sympathy.
Only then did Xie Zhao's words come to an end, but the meaning behind them was a complete reversal, so much so that the Tenth Prince couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Yes, Third Brother, please be generous and spare the two of us. Otherwise, with a single order from you, we brothers would be utterly humiliated."
From the age of five, princes had to study at the Imperial Study, and only upon turning fifteen could they leave the palace to establish their own princely manors. At the same time, they no longer needed to attend the Imperial Study but instead attended court to listen to state affairs.
This rule was set by the Emperor. The Third Prince was merely a prince—how would he dare to alter the Emperor's decision? He didn't have that authority either.
But now Xie Zhao and the Tenth Prince kept saying, "Third Brother, please spare us," as if the Third Prince truly had the final say in this imperial palace.
If word of this reached the Emperor's ears, he might think the Third Prince's ambition had grown so great that he not only wanted to be Crown Prince but also wanted to become Emperor outright.
This was clearly putting him on a spit over the fire!
The Third Prince was so furious his face turned livid, yet he didn't dare say a single extra word, afraid the Emperor might overhear and truly believe his ambitions had swelled—then he wouldn't be able to clear his name no matter what he said.
He could only coldly flick his sleeve and take his seat.
Little Ten, Little Eleven, you two are something else.
Especially you, Xie Zhao—with those big eyes and thick brows, you look so honest, and yet you're playing dirty tricks on me?!
Author's Note:
None