Chapter 304: The Prince of Qing is Here
Chapter 304: The Prince of Qing is Here
Feng Xuanbin didn't know why he was tapped on the head. Pouting, he turned to Su Su with a hurt expression. "Sister, it hurts!"
Su Su had just taken a bite of the soft, silky boiled egg, and it was delicious!
She closed her eyes in satisfaction, and upon hearing Seven Brother's voice, she reached out and gently patted him. Her voice was gentle as she cooed, "Seven Brother, I'll blow on it for you, and it won't hurt anymore~"
The softness of a child's voice made Feng Xuanbin feel a little dazed.
He thought, "Having a sister feels so nice."
Feng Xuanbin mused that if he had said this to Six Brother or Five Brother, they would have probably told him to stop being so disgusting.
Feng Xuanbin's satisfied grin turned into a chuckle as the Prince of Qi could no longer bear to watch his silly son.
Already not the brightest, Seven Brother seemed even more foolish in contrast to Su Su.
After the meal, Shen Futzi and the others arrived.
Shen Huatong and Liu Hemeng were both coming today, so Su Su had to go to her little classroom as well.
The Prince of Qi was worried and insisted on bringing her there himself.
Shen Futzi was not surprised by this.
The Prince of Qi had come not only to send Su Su off but also to discuss something with Shen Futzi—he wanted to ask him to allow Ren Shuhan and the others to join the little classroom.
With more students, it was only right to inform the teacher, or rather, to seek his approval.
Shen Futzi listened quietly as the Prince of Qi mentioned these people. Relieved that the troublemaker from the Ren family was not among them, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
"As long as that little rascal isn't here, it's fine."
Shen Futzi wasn't afraid of a child, but he simply found them troublesome.
Seeing Shen Futzi nod in agreement, the Prince of Qi was so touched that he bowed his hands and prepared to express his gratitude. However, before he could speak, Shen Futzi interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "Spare me your embarrassing words."
The Prince of Qi: ?
"What's wrong?"
"No matter how embarrassing it is, you were still my student, so don't worry about it," Shen Futzi said with a laugh.
However, the Prince of Qi knew better than to pour oil on the fire at this moment. Instead, he wisely left.
After returning, he prepared to set off for the Prince of Qing's manor to ask for help in finding out how the investigation of the Che family was going.
The night before, as he had soaked in the medicinal bath, his mood had grown increasingly heavy.
Thinking about how he might not live long, he couldn't help but worry about what would become of the widows and orphans of his manor.
The more he thought about it, the sadder he felt, and the heavier his heart grew.
The Prince of Qi hated that he couldn't rush to the prison in the middle of the night and chop off the heads of those responsible.
If only he had paid more attention in his riding and archery lessons back then.
Feeling displeased, the Prince of Qi decided to find someone to inquire about the situation.
Although it would be most convenient to ask his royal brother in the palace, it would also be troublesome.
It was far more convenient to go to the Prince of Qing's manor, and it was closer as well.
After informing the Princess of Qi, the Prince of Qi prepared to leave the manor.
However, before he could even set foot out, news arrived that the Prince of Qing had come to visit.
Overjoyed, the Prince of Qi exclaimed, "Hey, the Prince of Qing and I must be kindred spirits! Just as I was about to go find him, he took the initiative to come to me. How wonderful!"
Thus, the Prince of Qi happily went to entertain his guest.
As the Princess of Qi listened to the housekeeper's report on various matters, she also asked Autumn Aunt to find out if there had been any unusual movements from the Huaiyang Marquis Manor the day before.
After all, they had saved the young master of that manor, and while they didn't expect any gifts in return, they had still acted out of the goodness of their hearts, especially seeing the pitiful state the child had been in.
However, if the other party wanted to create trouble because of this, the Princess of Qi thought...
The prince wasn't so ill that he couldn't lift a sword, and moreover, his hands were itching for a fight.
She hoped the Wei family wouldn't cause any trouble.
While Su Su was being well-behaved in class, the princes of Qing and Qi had already sat down to enjoy some tea.
The Prince of Qing simply inquired about the Prince of Qing's recent inspection tour and didn't delve further, fearing there might be some sensitive topics. He asked only about the journey, the food, and the Prince of Qing's well-being.
...
The Prince of Qing answered all that he could and remained silent on matters that were inappropriate to discuss.
The Prince of Qing wasn't surprised by this reaction.
Having gone to battle at a young age, the Prince of Qing wasn't adept at nor interested in the political struggles within the court.
Furthermore, since they were brothers, many things could be left unsaid without causing any awkwardness between them.
After the Prince of Qing finished his inquiries, the Prince of Celebration finally spoke up, his voice soft and concerned, "How is Suisui doing now? Has she adjusted well? Is she putting on weight? Has she fallen ill again?"
The Prince of Celebration's visit was, of course, motivated by his concern for the unfortunate child.
He had wanted to visit earlier, but he hadn't been able to find the time until now.
With the weather being pleasant, he finally had the opportunity to come and check on her.
Knowing his brother's concern for Suisui, the Prince of Qing felt a mix of sweetness and sorrow.
It was bitter because his precious darling was pitied by so many.
But it was also sweet because so many people cared for his beloved child, and that was a good thing.
With more people loving Suisui, she would be showered with affection and would surely thrive.
This thought brought the Prince of Qing some peace of mind.
He even indulged in pessimistic thoughts, thinking that if something were to happen to him one day, aside from the Emperor and Empress, at least he had his brother, the Prince of Celebration, who could help look after the vulnerable children of his manor.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, the Prince of Qing couldn't hold back his tears anymore.
His eyes reddened, which startled the Prince of Celebration.
He wondered if something terrible had happened to the child...
But upon further reflection, he dismissed that idea. Suisui had survived in such terrible conditions before; how could she not adapt to life in the capital? Could it be that a flower that once clung to a cliff couldn't withstand the warmth of the city?
The Prince of Celebration's panic showed in his uncertain question, "...Is it Suisui...?"
He didn't finish his sentence, but his worried expression spoke volumes.
Realizing that his brother had misunderstood, the Prince of Qing quickly waved his hand and reassured him, "No, Suisui is doing well. She's attending the little classroom, and Teacher Shen is personally teaching her. Once she learns to read and write and understands proper etiquette, she'll be a proper young lady of our manor, and no one will be able to find fault with her."
Hearing this, the Prince of Celebration felt significantly relieved.
However, he still didn't understand why the Prince of Qing's eyes had welled up with tears earlier.
Seeing the Prince of Qing quietly wiping away his tears, he asked softly, "Brother, what's wrong?"
The Prince of Celebration's question unintentionally stirred up the Prince of Qing's barely calmed emotions.
He covered his face and sobbed, "Wuwu, life has been bitter for your brother, Brother Celebration. You don't know, but your brother has had the misfortune of encountering some real scumbags and troublemakers..."
The Prince of Qing used his limited vocabulary of insults to curse the Cha family.
Although the Prince of Celebration hadn't been directly involved in this case, he was aware of its connection to the mountain bandits in Qingzhou, so he remained silent, unsure of how to comfort his brother.
The Prince of Celebration didn't know the full extent of the Prince of Qing's illness, as the case files had been carefully worded to obscure the truth.
However, the Prince of Celebration guessed that for the Prince of Qing to hold such resentment and anger, the Cha family must have done something truly despicable.
With a heavy heart, the Prince of Celebration asked, "...Brother, are you alright?"
(End of Chapter)
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