Though Yanfang didn’t often come see her, when she sent people over, there was always a reply.
The palace maid said: “It’s so late—Master Three must have kept them for the night. They’ll come together in the morning.”
That was fine too. In any case, she had given Xie Yanfang his instructions, so she needn’t worry. The Crown Princess smiled, her spirits lifted. Whether the Crown Prince kept her company or not didn’t matter, but when Yanfang came, the Crown Prince definitely wouldn’t ignore him.
That was enough.
The Crown Princess didn’t glance once more toward the Crown Prince’s side and entered her tent with a smile.
Though Xie Yanfang wasn’t present at this moment, the Crown Prince was speaking of him.
The Crown Prince was telling those around him about past events.
“At the time, Xie Yanfang was still a child in my eyes, but when that arrow flew, it really had considerable force,” he said with a smile.
The strongmen around him all shouted: “The Crown Prince truly cherishes talent!” “The Crown Prince is magnanimous and can accommodate all under heaven!” “As long as you have real ability, the Crown Prince will treat you well!” “With such a Crown Prince, Da Xia has nothing to worry about!”
The Crown Prince waved his hand. He had heard too much of such flattery. Surely everyone thought this way. His gaze swept over the assembled people. There was drunkenness in his eyes, but more clarity.
“Actually, when I was young, no one praised my strength,” he said with a smile. “Especially Father Emperor. Whenever anyone said I was strong, he would say, ‘Ha! I’ve raised a wastrel prince!'”
Most of the strongmen were uncultured brutes. Someone curiously asked, “What’s a wastrel prince?”
Someone beside him quickly signaled him to be quiet and explained in a low voice what “wastrel prince” meant.
The Crown Prince continued laughing heartily.
“Father Emperor waited every day to see me crushed to death,” he said, then stood up. “Today, Third Brother holds a literary gathering to show Father Emperor his scholarship. I hold a hunting event to show Father Emperor that I won’t be crushed to death.”
He raised his hand and called out.
“Someone, bring it up.”
Everyone quickly stood as well, watching four strongmen carry a bronze cauldron into the center.
This—he was going to—
The venue instantly erupted in clamor.
Eunuch Qi lifted his foot to rush before the Crown Prince. As the Emperor’s attendant, he had the most authority here to stop this.
“Crown Prince, you must not—”
But Eunuch Zhu blocked him, saying with a smile: “Don’t worry, His Highness knows his limits.” He lowered his voice. “His Highness has been practicing for over a year. The cauldron was selected as the most suitable—he can definitely lift it, and it’s the safest—”
But that was a cauldron being carried by four men! Eunuch Qi frowned: “This is reckless!”
Eunuch Zhu held him fast, saying in a low voice: “Don’t you understand? More carriers shows it’s heavy. Actually, only two people are needed to lift it.”
But— Eunuch Qi’s face remained full of worry. Cheers already rang out all around.
“Crown Prince is mighty!” Everyone was cheering. “Crown Prince is mighty!”
Eunuch Zhu chuckled quietly: “Everyone knows—they’ve all rehearsed before.”
So this was all staged for him to see? Eunuch Qi seemed to understand.
The Crown Prince also looked at Eunuch Qi at this moment and called out loudly: “Eunuch Qi, watch! Go back and tell Father Emperor—I’m not a wastrel prince, and Da Xia won’t have another King Wu of Qin!”
Ai, this child. Eunuch Qi felt helpless. Already this old, still holding onto that grudge.
The Crown Prince had already stepped before the cauldron. He removed his upper garment, exposing his robust bare torso, bent his knees, reached out to grasp the cauldron. The surroundings instantly fell silent. The next moment came an angry roar—the Crown Prince lifted the cauldron.
The Crown Prince held the cauldron aloft with both hands, standing steady as a mountain on the ground.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, then erupted like crashing waves.
“Crown Prince is mighty!” “Crown Prince is mighty!”
Eunuch Qi smiled helplessly, then quickly raised his hands and shouted: “This old servant saw it! Saw it! Your Highness, quickly put it down!”
His voice was insignificant amid the crashing waves of sound.
The Crown Prince held the cauldron aloft but didn’t keep it raised. He tensed his strength with a shout, then turned his feet, preparing to lower it.
But at this moment, among the cheering crowd, a strongman crouched down. His finger flicked, sending a small stone skimming along the ground toward where the Crown Prince stood.
The Crown Prince slightly lifted his foot to turn. It seemed soundless, yet also seemed to make a thud—the stone struck the arch of the Crown Prince’s foot.
The Crown Prince felt as if his heart had been stabbed. His foot instinctively twisted. In an instant, it was as if lightning had struck him. His entire body split apart.
No good—his foot had twisted!
No, this wasn’t just bad. What was worse—
The Crown Prince raised his head to look above. Above him, it was as if the heavens were collapsing down on him.
It was over!
……
……
Eunuch Qi stood in place, witnessing this scene with his own eyes—like mountains crumbling and earth splitting. In that instant, he could hear nothing.
In his heart was only one thought:
Who was truly to blame—the Emperor for his poisonous words provoking the Crown Prince to show off, or the Crown Prince for his narrow-minded arrogance?