The Crown Prince’s sword trembled slightly in his hand, and beads of cold sweat formed on his pale forehead. The weight of the blade grew heavier with each shake, to the point where his arm could barely lift it.
His lips turned blue, and his complexion grew even paler, yet he forced himself to speak sternly, “General Luo, are you trying to take advantage of this moment to claim my life?”
The young man standing before him was none other than Luo Jingfeng, the Great General of Pacifying the West and the highest-ranking military official in the court. His elder brother, Luo Jingyun, was the Prince of Southern Pacification, commanding a formidable army.
With such military power in their hands, even the Emperor had to tread carefully around them, let alone a sickly Crown Prince.
Luo Jingfeng sneered, “How could I dare? I merely wished to see if Your Highness, once hailed alongside Zong Zhao as the top martial artist in the Capital City, still possesses the courage to wield a sword after eight years of illness… and if you can still kill.”
After a mocking glance at the Crown Prince, he added, “It seems you cannot. Your hand has been trembling the entire time.”
The Crown Prince glared at him and warned, “Your actions are tantamount to rebellion. Even if I were to kill you today, it would be justified.”
“Then give it a try. I’m eager to see Your Highness make a fool of himself,” Luo Jingfeng retorted, utterly unconvinced that the Crown Prince still had the strength to strike.
After all, hadn’t all those medicines been fed to him for nothing?
“You!” The Crown Prince’s blood surged, his pale face flushing red with anger. He coughed violently, his grip on the sword loosening further.
Just as the sword tip wavered, a small arm reached out, pressing the Crown Prince’s hand forward. With a sharp *thud*, the blade pierced Luo Jingfeng’s chest.
Both men turned to see Zong Jincheng, who had pushed the sword, standing there innocently. “Did I help Your Highness?”
“…”
Luo Jingfeng spat out a mouthful of blood. The wound wasn’t deep; he was simply enraged.
This child… how dare he strike him?!
Even the Crown Prince, who had been in a daze, snapped back to reality. He withdrew the sword, letting Luo Jingfeng collapse to his knees, clutching his chest as blood dripped from the wound.
Zong Jincheng hadn’t fully understood their conversation. All he knew was that this General Luo was bullying the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince was a good person who couldn’t possibly be in the wrong.
So, whoever he was, Zong Jincheng decided to strike first and ask questions later.
Even if it meant nothing more than standing up for the Crown Prince, he would do it!
After all, he was the Crown Prince’s favorite child!
“Heh, heh,” Luo Jingfeng wiped the blood from his chest and glared at the Crown Prince. “Your Highness’s luck remains as impeccable as ever. In the Eastern Palace, you have the Crown Princess to protect you, and even here at the hunting grounds, a child shields you. Truly, you are blessed.”
Zong Jincheng boldly stepped in front of the Crown Prince and declared, “The Eastern Palace guards will be here soon. If you dare harm His Highness again, your head will roll!”
Luo Jingfeng scoffed, “You naive child. Ask the Crown Prince standing beside you—does he dare say such a thing? Even if the Emperor himself were here, would he dare lay a finger on me?”
Zong Jincheng’s mind was reeling.
Wasn’t the Emperor the highest authority, followed by the Crown Prince?
How could this man be so confident, as if he were above the Emperor?
His worldview was being shattered.
Zong Jincheng wanted to argue further, but the Crown Prince pulled him back and shook his head, silently confirming Luo Jingfeng’s words.
Luo Jingfeng picked up his bow and left. Not long after, the Eastern Palace guards arrived.
The Crown Prince turned to Zong Jincheng and said, “What happened today is our little secret. Don’t tell anyone. Go back, sleep well, and forget all about it, okay?”
Zong Jincheng nodded.
But in his heart, he thought, *Forgetting might be hard. The curse of having a good memory.*
However, after this incident, Zong Jincheng’s bond with the Crown Prince grew even stronger. The little troublemaker skipped out of the hunting grounds, carrying a red fox and admiring a beautiful jade pendant in his hand.
“Jincheng, what’s that?” Xu Wan asked.
The pendant looked incredibly valuable, easily worth thousands of taels of silver.
Zong Jincheng proudly boasted, “This is a gift from the Crown Prince!”
Then, with a sly grin, he added, “His Highness said that with this pendant, no one would dare harm me!” He emphasized the words *no one* with particular weight.
Xu Wan: “…”
Damn it, I quit!
This is practically a get-out-of-jail-free card!
She was beginning to suspect that if she ever tried to discipline Zong Jincheng again, the Crown Prince would send someone to confiscate her Marquis Manor!
Xu Wan’s frustration was palpable, as if she were on the verge of exploding. This was the biggest obstacle she had ever faced in her mission to tame the little troublemaker.
However, her worries didn’t last long. A maid from the Crown Princess approached and whispered something in her ear.
Zong Jincheng watched as Xu Wan’s expression changed as swiftly as the weather in June.
She immediately handed the red fox to his brother and dashed off without a second thought!
Zong Wenxiu: “?? What’s wrong with my brother?”
Xu Wan gritted her teeth and said, “He lied and got caught. He’s running away to avoid a beating!”
The Crown Princess had informed her that the pendant was only meant to protect Zong Jincheng from external threats and would not interfere with her disciplinary methods.
That little rascal!
He had the audacity to play word games with her!
It seemed that his education hadn’t just filled his once-illiterate brain—it had also given him a knack for mischief!
Xu Wan clutched her handkerchief, imagining it was Zong Jincheng, and squeezed it fiercely, back and forth, back and forth…
Zong Jincheng hadn’t run far when Zong Wenxiu caught up with him. The two brothers encountered Wei Xinglu, who was complaining to He Zheng about Zong Jincheng’s misdeeds.
The little troublemaker’s temper flared instantly. He shouted, “Wei Xinglu, are you trying to ruin my friendship with He Zheng?!”
The four troublemakers had grown up together, as close as brothers, and had never been at odds before.
Wei Xinglu, caught off guard, hesitated for a moment before retorting, “It’s your fault! You took back the blood-sweating horses you gave us, sided with your half-brother against me, and I let that slide. But Zhai Yao, who’s been with us for years—you sent him to the slums for a month of torment, and he’s still bedridden. And now the Crown Prince has ordered him to copy the Analects a hundred times! The Analects! That’s over ten thousand characters! He won’t finish until next year!”
Wei Xinglu grew more indignant as he spoke, feeling as though one of his closest friends had betrayed another, which left him deeply unsettled.
Zong Jincheng yelled, “Zhai Yao called someone a lowly commoner and kicked an innocent old man who was caring for him. Do you think he was in the right?”
Wei Xinglu replied matter-of-factly, “But he’s always been like that. You’re the one who’s changed.”
“…I#✘＃%…” Zong Jincheng was so furious he couldn’t even form coherent words.
He suddenly felt that Xu Wan was incredibly patient. Hearing his past arrogant remarks, she hadn’t lost her temper but had instead laughed while devising ways to teach him a lesson.
If it were up to him to discipline Zhai Yao and Wei Xinglu, he would have grabbed a frying pan and beaten them until they cried for mercy!
