After hearing Xiao Shan's words, Xie Zhui fell silent.

 

He had considered many possibilities regarding Xiao Shan's title, but he had never thought that Xiao Shan had brought it upon himself.

 

But thinking about it, this was indeed something Xiao Shan would do. The strange thing was, although he hadn't considered this possibility, hearing it from Xiao Shan made him feel not at all surprised.

 

It was as if no matter what surprising thing Xiao Shan did, it would seem normal.

 

No, there was still one thing Xiao Shan could do that would seem abnormal, and that was if he had ambitions for the throne.

 

It was a strange yet interesting situation: things that were normal seemed abnormal when it came to Xiao Shan, and things that were abnormal seemed perfectly normal for him.

 

Something about this struck a chord with Xie Zhui, and he suddenly laughed. His eyes curved, and his usual stern face softened with a smile, making those who saw it feel as if starlight had fallen into his expression.

 

Seeing him, Xiao Shan also started laughing along.

 

***

 

Xiao Yi faced two major events upon coming of age: leaving the palace to establish his own residence and choosing a consort.

 

These were two of the greatest joys of his life, and Consort Shu had been busy selecting candidates, wanting to find the most suitable person for Xiao Yi.

 

Although marriage traditionally followed the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, Consort Shu, being relatively open-minded, still asked Xiao Yi for his opinion on what kind of person he wanted as a consort.

 

Xiao Yi did not hide his thoughts from his mother and simply said he wanted someone with whom he shared common interests and mutual affection.

 

Xiao Yi enjoyed composing poetry and painting. His poems and paintings were highly admired, and he naturally hoped that his future consort would share his interests, making it easier for them to get along.

 

This request seemed simple, but it troubled Consort Shu greatly.

 

The number of women in the world who could match Xiao Yi's level in poetry and painting was, in a word, few.

 

Xiao Yi's requirement eliminated many potential candidates.

 

Consort Shu was very anxious, fearing that with Xiao Yi's conditions, he might end up a bachelor.

 

While Consort Shu was worried, Xiao Yi's words quickly reached the Emperor's ears.

 

The Emperor visited Consort Shu's palace and, with a smile, said to her, "In life, nothing is ever perfect. Xiao Yi has talent and creativity, which are his strengths. But choosing a wife based on these strengths alone would be too arrogant. The primary qualities in a wife should be kindness and consideration. As for shared interests and mutual affection, those develop over time. Comfort Xiao Yi and tell him not to set his heart too high."

 

Consort Shu naturally agreed repeatedly.

 

After this message was conveyed, Xiao Yi never again expressed any opinions about his marriage.

 

Seeing Xiao Yi's attitude, Consort Shu calmed her thoughts and slowly began selecting potential consorts for him. Her idea was that although the chosen person might not fully meet Xiao Yi's requirements, at the very least, she should be someone he would be satisfied with.

 

When Xiao Rong heard about this, he sneered in the Ministry of Justice. He had many things he wanted to say but couldn't find anyone to say them to. The officials in the Ministry of Justice avoided him and Xiao Shan like the plague. If they weren't his confidants, he couldn't speak to them, and even if he did, no one would dare listen.

 

Talking to his father-in-law, Gu Guang, would only result in being told to endure, endure, endure, which only fueled his frustration. He couldn't very well bring up other men when he returned to the prince's residence and spoke with his wife.

 

Xiao Rong couldn't hold it in any longer. Finally, he couldn't resist poking Xiao Shan, who was napping on the table. He then whispered, "Third Brother, don't you think Fourth Brother's expectations are a bit too high? There are only a few well-known talented women in the capital. Do you think Fourth Brother already has someone in mind?"

 

The well-known talented women also came from prominent families. Marrying Xiao Yi, regardless of the purpose, would be a significant boost.

 

Xiao Shan opened his eyes and glanced at him slowly, "Eldest Brother, I don't know if Fourth Brother has someone in mind, but as a prince, it's unethical to casually discuss other women."

 

If word got out, it would harm those women's reputations.

 

Xiao Rong rolled his eyes at him, "There's no one else here. I'm just talking to you. You're completely misunderstanding my intentions."

 

Setting aside other matters, he would never ruin someone's reputation. He had that much integrity.

 

If he truly fancied someone and wanted to bring her into his residence, he would do so openly and honorably.

 

Xiao Shan had different views and didn't want to discuss this matter further with him, so he lazily said, "Fourth Brother's affairs are for Father Emperor and Consort Shu to worry about. As brothers, we just need to wait and enjoy the wedding banquet."

 

Xiao Rong scoffed, thinking to himself, Enjoy the wedding banquet? With another competitor, who would have the heart to enjoy it?

 

Xiao Shan could guess most of what Xiao Rong was thinking. He found Xiao Rong's mindset to be quite outdated. They were princes, destined to be competitors from birth.

 

However, some people came to terms with this early and understood their own capabilities, so they didn't have such ambitions. Others couldn't let go and were determined to fight for that position.

 

Xiao Rong returned to his seat, looking sullen. He stared at the documents on the table, his face full of impatience.

 

In the first couple of days after joining the Ministry of Justice, he forced himself to seriously read through a couple of case files despite his discomfort. To be honest, some of the files were quite nauseating. It wasn’t just the crime-solving aspects, but the gruesome methods of murder and the coroner's notes that made him lose his appetite for days.

 

He initially thought he could use this to disgust Xiao Shan, but every day, Xie Zhui brought lunch to Xiao Shan. After eating, Xiao Shan was full of energy, diligently studying the case files for half a day and even occasionally asking him questions.

 

Xiao Shan's behavior, instead, disgusted him.

 

Gradually, Xiao Rong gave up on this mutually destructive method. He didn't have the energy for it, and it was too exhausting. So, he and Xiao Shan either casually flipped through case files or sat in silent daze at the Ministry of Justice, making the days quite torturous.

 

Sometimes, out of sheer boredom, Xiao Rong would approach the Minister of Justice or other officials, asking if there was anything he could help with.

 

The Minister of Justice, with a smiling face, told him to first finish reading the case files and understand the details before helping, saying that this was the procedure.

 

Xiao Rong felt like he wasn't just on duty at the Ministry of Justice but living in its prison.

 

Had he known it would be like this, he would have preferred not to take on this role.

 

Seeing Xiao Rong's gloomy expression, Xiao Shan also felt uncomfortable. Lying on the desk at the Ministry of Justice, he would sleep until his hands, feet, and entire body went numb, wondering when this mutual torment would end.

 

Things soon took a turn.

 

That afternoon, after Xiao Shan finished the lunch Xie Zhui brought, the Emperor sent Chang Ning to summon both him and Xiao Rong to the palace.

 

The two exchanged a glance, both feeling that the situation might not bode well.

 

As they slowly walked out after receiving the imperial summons, Xiao Shan nudged Xiao Rong with his elbow and whispered so softly that his lips barely moved, "Eldest Brother, do you think Father Emperor is summoning us to test what we've learned at the Ministry of Justice? If that's the case, we'll be exposed."

 

"Don't jinx it," Xiao Rong said, his face looking grim. "Maybe Father Emperor just misses us since he hasn't seen us for a while."

 

Xiao Shan felt a twinge of bitterness and glanced sideways at Xiao Rong, "Do you believe that?"

 

Xiao Rong: "..." Of course, he didn't believe it, but what could he do? Couldn't he at least try to comfort himself?

 

If the Emperor was indeed going to test them, it was clear they were in for a scolding.

 

Thinking about the consequences of angering the Emperor made Xiao Rong's heart, liver, stomach, and lungs ache.

 

"Eldest Brother, do you think the officials at the Ministry of Justice have reported us?" Xiao Shan whispered again after taking a few steps.

 

Xiao Rong, being stubborn and self-opinionated, was already inclined to believe what he wanted and rarely listened to others' advice. Hearing Xiao Shan's words, he immediately felt that the smiling faces of the Ministry of Justice officials were all wearing masks.

 

He was filled with resentment, convinced that these people disliked them and had spoken ill of them to the Emperor.

 

It was simply outrageous and infuriating.

 

"How about… when we see Father Emperor, we strike first?" Xiao Shan suggested another cunning idea.

 

He had thick skin, but he didn't want to be scolded by the Emperor every day. After all, as princes, constantly being reprimanded would erode their dignity.

 

"How do we strike first? What have they done to wrong us?" Xiao Rong shot him a skeptical glance.

 

He felt that Xiao Shan never had good ideas, but at this moment, he was willing to take a chance.

 

Xiao Shan, full of confidence, said, "Eldest Brother, their neglect of us is already a wrong. When we see Father Emperor, just don't contradict me, and leave the rest to me."

 

Xiao Rong snorted, thinking that while he could watch Xiao Shan's performance, he couldn't promise not to contradict him. Unlike Xiao Shan, he still wanted to maintain his dignity in front of the Emperor.

 

With these conflicting thoughts, the two of them entered the palace to see the Emperor.

 

Upon entering the Ganming Hall, they paid their respects and performed the formalities. Emperor Xiao Sheng allowed them to rise and asked his first question, "You two have been at the Ministry of Justice for some time now. How do you feel about it?"

 

Was this an inquiry into their conduct?

 

Xiao Rong and Xiao Shan exchanged a subtle glance. Xiao Rong nudged his lips, signaling that it was time for Xiao Shan to take the lead.

 

Xiao Shan cleared his throat and, with an earnest expression, said, "Father Emperor, it doesn't feel very good."

 

Emperor Xiao Sheng's face, which had been relatively calm, twitched at his words.

 

Narrowing his eyes, Emperor Xiao Sheng asked, "What do you mean?"

 

Xiao Shan replied, "Father Emperor, when my eldest brother and I went to the Ministry of Justice, they gave us old case files and nothing else. They just said that once we understood those, we would know the procedures for handling cases. Father Emperor, you know that neither my eldest brother nor I are the type to sit still, but we have diligently studied the files these past few days. We have thoroughly understood the case of Liu Xue, who killed his wife for power twenty years ago, and the case of Zhang Yun, who caused a plague by throwing a rat into his neighbor's house fifteen years ago. We know the details of the cases, the methods used, and how they were discovered. As for the rest, we haven't fully grasped them yet."

 

Emperor Xiao Sheng frowned and looked at Xiao Rong, "Is that so?"

 

Xiao Rong pressed his lips together. The same result, but when spoken by Xiao Shan, it made their days of studying two case files sound particularly impressive.

 

If Xiao Shan could answer his doubts now, he would probably say something like, "It's just like the saying 'fail and try again' versus 'try and fail again'."

 

Xiao Rong, looking ashamed, said, "Father Emperor, what Third Brother said is true. It's my fault for being too slow in understanding the case files."

 

Emperor Xiao Sheng was somewhat skeptical that the two had genuinely studied the files, so he sternly asked them about the details of the two cases.

 

This was right up Xiao Rong and Xiao Shan's alley, and they answered fluently.

 

Seeing this, Emperor Xiao Sheng thought that the two had indeed put in the effort, but the officials at the Ministry of Justice had not. His expression darkened, and he said, "Chang An, immediately summon the Minister of Justice to see me."

 

He needed to ask the Minister of Justice what was going on.

 

Xiao Shan noticed that something seemed off. It appeared that the Emperor wasn't intending to test them.

 

The next moment, Emperor Xiao Sheng confirmed Xiao Shan's suspicion.

 

Emperor Xiao Sheng said, "Zhen originally wanted to talk to you about the autumn hunt, but now my good mood is ruined."

 

"Autumn hunt?" Xiao Shan and Xiao Rong said in unison, their tones filled with surprise and doubt. Had they acted too soon? The officials at the Ministry of Justice hadn't reported them, but they had ended up reporting the officials. It seemed they wouldn't be able to get along at the Ministry of Justice in the future.

 

Seeing their expressions, Emperor Xiao Sheng was quite puzzled, "What, you don't want to go?"

 

"No," they both replied simultaneously. Then Xiao Shan, looking quite distressed, said, "We thought Father Emperor wanted to test what we had learned at the Ministry of Justice these past days. We were very worried, not expecting it to be about the autumn hunt."

 

"What are you afraid of? Learning less isn't your fault. Zhen will have a word with the officials at the Ministry of Justice," Emperor Xiao Sheng said.

 

Xiao Shan dryly agreed, thinking that this wasn't the main issue at all.

 

However, as he thought about it, he quickly regained his confidence.

 

What he had said wasn't wrong; it was the truth. The officials at the Ministry of Justice had indeed adopted a "less trouble is better" attitude and had essentially left him and Xiao Rong to their own devices.

 

They were told to read the case files and that they would understand the procedures once they finished.

 

He hadn't exaggerated anything. The only thing he hadn't mentioned—well, it wasn't really a concealment—was that he hadn't brought up the fact that they had spent the rest of their days at the Ministry of Justice in a daze.

 

Xiao Rong, standing beside him, looked both pale and flushed, feeling that he had been wronged by Xiao Shan.

 

In a while, when the Minister of Justice arrived to answer the Emperor's questions, he would surely know that they had reported him. Even if the officials didn't expose them in front of the Emperor, the consequences of the officials knowing about this would be severe. Xiao Rong felt an intense urge to bite Xiao Shan out of frustration.

 

Among the civil and military officials, there were both opposing factions and alliances. What they had done today would surely spread throughout the Six Ministries. When the time came for him to rotate to another ministry, those officials would disdain to confide in him, let alone be of use to him.

 

Who would want to stay by the side of a prince who would report them?

 

Xiao Shan had played his cards well, blocking Xiao Rong's path in the Six Ministries with just one sentence.

 

And here he was, foolishly backing up Xiao Shan's story.