Xiao Shan was taken aback by Xiao Jin's question and responded with a look of innocent surprise, "Second Brother, I'm wronged; I haven't done anything. What kind of officials have the Six Ministries chosen? How can they do this? Isn't this ostracism?"

 

"Really haven't done anything?" Xiao Jin looked at him skeptically, his eyes full of doubt.

 

It wasn't that he didn't believe Xiao Shan, but the fact that so many officials from the Six Ministries were muttering and guarding against them in private made Xiao Jin disbelieve that nothing had happened.

 

The key issue was that the information he had received was not very clear, and he didn't know the exact reason, which is why he wanted to get to the bottom of it with Xiao Shan. Xiao Jin thought that if Xiao Shan had really done something to offend the entire court, he wanted to be prepared. That way, if he needed to help, he would know where to start.

 

Seeing Xiao Jin's skeptical expression, Xiao Shan thought for a moment and said, "If there's anything to mention, it would be that yesterday Eldest Brother and I went to the palace to see Father Emperor..."

 

As he explained, Xiao Jin's usually composed expression began to falter. By the time Xiao Shan finished, Xiao Jin looked up at the sky, thinking, "The officials at the Ministry of Justice were giving you face and didn't intend to offend you, but you went ahead and reported them to the Emperor."

 

No wonder the Six Ministries were so disdainful of the two of them. Who wouldn't be afraid of being stabbed in the back?

 

Xiao Jin was at a loss for words and felt particularly uneasy. He understood Xiao Rong—ambitious but lacking courage. When faced with certain situations, he would panic, and this time he had likely fallen into a trap.

 

Now, in the eyes of the officials, the two of them were equivalent to petty tattletales.

 

To be honest, Xiao Jin didn't care much about Xiao Rong's situation, but he was a bit angry that Xiao Shan tarnished his own reputation like this.

 

He was angry at Xiao Shan and also at himself.

 

Xiao Jin was well aware that Xiao Shan had made many concessions for his sake.

 

Seeing the various emotions flicker across Xiao Jin's furrowed brow, Xiao Shan felt a sense of foreboding. Judging by Xiao Jin's expression, he could tell what Xiao Jin was imagining, even with his eyes closed.

 

To be honest, his heart was with Xiao Jin, but many of the actions he took were simply part of his nature, done spontaneously, not deliberately to help Xiao Jin in any specific way.

 

This was why he was reluctant to tell Xiao Jin too much about what he had done. The key issue was that if he didn't speak up, Xiao Jin, as the Crown Prince, would investigate on his own. If Xiao Jin found out the truth, he might conclude that Xiao Shan was withholding information to prevent him from overthinking, which could lead him to feel even more aggrieved and misunderstood.

 

Both scenarios were headache-inducing to think about.

 

Xiao Shan, who dreaded others overthinking his actions, looked at Xiao Jin with a pained expression and said, "Second Brother, I really don't think my reputation is bad, and I'm very satisfied with my current situation. Please don't overthink it; otherwise, I'll feel uneasy and might even lose sleep over it."

 

Xiao Jin: "…"

 

It was the first time in his life that Xiao Jin had heard such an explanation, and it was both laughable and exasperating.

 

However, seeing the genuinely troubled look on Xiao Shan's face, Xiao Jin put aside his various thoughts and said, "Alright, alright, I understand."

 

Xiao Shan breathed a sigh of relief. Although Xiao Jin's expression was somewhat strained, it was clear from his demeanor that he wouldn't overthink it.

 

Seeing Xiao Shan's attitude, Xiao Jin felt both amused and annoyed. With a stern face, he said, "But you are right; the officials of the Six Ministries have gone too far. You and Elder Brother are princes, personally conferred titles by Father Emperor. How dare they ostracize you?"

 

Xiao Shan said, "Second Brother, they haven't done anything openly. Even you only heard about it. Are you really going to seek justice for me based on hearsay? It's completely unnecessary. Besides, they're just talking; they don't dare to actually do anything to us. If they go too far, I won't hesitate to speak up in front of Father Emperor."

 

"Even if we don't seek justice, those who need to be reprimanded should still be reprimanded. Otherwise, some people will forget their duties as ministers," Xiao Jin said calmly.

 

Xiao Shan nodded, "Alright, then I'll leave this matter to you, Second Brother. It's getting late; I need to head to the Ministry of Justice."

 

With that, he lifted his leg to leave.

 

"Wait a moment." Unfortunately, he didn't get far before Xiao Jin stopped him again. "You usually hate dealing with these officials. Why are you in such a hurry today? Is it because you don't want to talk to me?"

 

Xiao Jin furrowed his brows this time, clearly displeased.

 

Xiao Shan said, "It's not that. It's just that the time is getting late, and if I go too late, I won't be able to explain it to Father Emperor."

 

"You've never been this concerned about giving Father Emperor an explanation before," Xiao Jin retorted bluntly.

 

Xiao Shan pretended not to hear and continued, "Of course, the most important thing is that Xie Zhui will be bringing me lunch at the Ministry of Justice. If I go too late, he'll have to wait there."

 

Although the officials at the Ministry of Justice had grown accustomed to Xie Zhui's visits, there were always some who would sneak glances.

 

Xie Zhui had grown accustomed to these glances and completely ignored them, not taking them to heart. However, Xiao Shan didn't want him to bear this alone.

 

With him around, Xie Zhui didn't need to endure such things.

 

Hearing this, the displeasure in Xiao Jin's eyes finally dissipated. He said, "Alright then. But there's something I need to tell you. First, about the autumn hunt—Father Emperor has scheduled it for early next month at the Rining Hunting Grounds. You should prepare well this time; you can't come back empty-handed again."

 

Xiao Shan calculated the time and said, "There's still plenty of time. We can discuss this in a few days."

 

Xiao Jin let out a cold laugh, "I may have time, but don't you claim to be busy?" He noted that it had been quite a while since Xiao Shan had voluntarily visited the Eastern Palace. Before the incident with Liu Jingxuan, Xiao Shan would always take a stroll around the Eastern Palace whenever he came to the palace to pay his respects.

 

Now, the brotherly affection between the two had not changed, but there were subtle changes in the nuances of their relationship.

 

Thinking of this, Xiao Jin felt a tinge of melancholy.

 

Xiao Shan said, "I'm now stationed at the Ministry of Justice, aren't I? I'm so busy every day that I'm dizzy; there's no time to visit the palace. Alright, Second Brother, it's about time for me to go. I won't keep you any longer. In a few days, our Fourth Brother is hosting a banquet at Prince Xian's residence. We can drink and chat then."

 

Xiao Jin knew the first part of his statement was an excuse, but considering the sincerity of the latter part, he let him go.

 

Watching Xiao Shan's departing figure, who seemed quite cheerful, Xiao Jin shook his head and sighed. He knew Xiao Shan's thoughts all too well. Between brothers, there was no need to be too frank about everything.

 

When Xiao Shan returned to the Ministry of Justice, Xiao Rong had already moved to a separate office.

 

Seeing himself alone in a room, Xiao Shan felt quite melancholic and lonely. So, he stuck his head out the door and called out loudly, "Eldest Brother, we're not far from each other. If I don't understand something, I'll come to you for guidance."

 

A loud crash came from the farthest part of the building, indicating something had been thrown against a door.

 

Several officials around them were subtly observing the situation.

 

Xiao Shan's expression remained unchanged as he said softly, "Eldest Brother must have accidentally knocked something over. It couldn't be that he's angry. Otherwise, if Father Emperor found out he was losing his temper at the Ministry of Justice, he certainly wouldn't be pleased."

 

Eavesdroppers and onlookers: "......"

 

The Emperor is your father, so what you say goes.

 

***

 

Xiao Yi hosted the banquet the day after moving into Prince Xian's residence.

 

The gift for Xiao Yi was selected by Xie Zhui, who had asked Xiao Shan for his opinion. Xiao Shan told him to make the decision on his own.

 

Thus, Xie Zhui chose a high-quality inkstone from the storeroom. The gift was modest yet not overly conspicuous, fitting Xiao Yi's reputation well.

 

This inkstone had gathered dust in the storeroom of Prince Li's residence, untouched by anyone. But in the storeroom of Prince Xian's residence, it gained value.

 

On that day, Xiao Shan presented the gift, and Xiao Yi received it, first examining it, then touching it, and finally tapping it. A look of delight appeared on his face, and he praised the material, smoothness, and sound, using extremely flattering language.

 

Xiao Shan listened with a fake smile, feeling that Xiao Yi's lack of cultural refinement was too much.

 

He remembered when Xie Zhui had selected the gift, holding it in his hand and saying, "It looks bright and feels solid, I think it's a good thing."

 

After saying that, he returned the gift to Xie Zhui.

 

Xie Zhui weighed it in his hand a few times and nodded in agreement, "It is quite heavy."

 

Having two people who lacked the cells for eloquent praise to comment on scholars' writing materials like brush, ink, paper, and inkstone was a challenge; they truly couldn't find the right words.

 

Unlike Xiao Yi, a talented scholar whose words flowed in elaborate and unique sequences, never repeating.

 

Fortunately, Xiao Jin's arrival saved Xiao Shan from further struggle.

 

Xiao Rong, on the other hand, did not attend. It wasn't that he didn't want to come or that he looked down on Xiao Yi, but rather he was ill. Xiao Rong had been complaining of chest pain for several days, pain so severe that it left his complexion awful and caused him to break out in cold sweats.

 

The imperial physician had examined him and, failing to find the exact cause of the illness, could only prescribe some sedatives and advised him to rest well.

 

Although Xiao Rong himself did not attend, he sent a gift—a famous painting from the previous dynasty. The gift delighted Xiao Yi immensely.

 

Xiao Yi's move to Prince Xian's residence was a private affair, attended only by a few royal brothers and some relatives from his maternal family. He had not yet taken up his official duties and was not familiar with the officials, so no officials were present today.

 

None of this affected the atmosphere of the day.

 

Xiao Shan, Xiao Jin, and Xiao Xian sat together.

 

Yes, even Xiao Xian, the young one, was there.

 

Xiao Xian was the least happy. He had a good relationship with Xiao Yi, and Xiao Yi used to keep him company in the palace. Now, with Xiao Yi gone, he was left alone in the palace.

 

He looked at Xiao Yi with wide, envious eyes, wishing he could grow up quickly and move out of the palace too.

 

Xiao Shan glanced at Xiao Xian, who was staring longingly at Xiao Yi, and said, "Fifth Brother, have you lost weight recently? At your age, you should be eating more to grow."

 

Hearing this, Xiao Xian turned and glared fiercely at Xiao Shan. He and Xiao Shan did not get along.

 

Consort Xian was eager for Xiao Xian to stand out in front of the Emperor, but he was still young. No matter how well he studied, he couldn't compare to Xiao Yi, and no matter how steady he was in handling matters, he couldn't match Xiao Jin, the Crown Prince.

 

The only thing he had going for him was that the Emperor liked him, but even that affection was completely overshadowed by Xiao Shan.

 

Xiao Shan could say things in front of the Emperor that Xiao Xian couldn't.

 

Xiao Shan could make foolish mistakes that Xiao Xian couldn't.

 

Consort Xian wouldn't allow him to either.

 

The more he fell short, the stricter Consort Xian became with Xiao Xian, to the point where he was now particularly afraid of her. Whenever he heard that his mother was summoning him, he felt a deep-seated fear and anxiety.

 

Consort Xian wanted him to excel in everything, yet she confined him within strict boundaries, not allowing him to step outside them.

 

Xiao Xian's feelings towards Xiao Shan were very complex; he both resented and envied him.

 

Xiao Shan felt quite aggrieved by the glare; his concern was genuine. Xiao Xian had indeed lost weight, and if he got any thinner, his face would be nothing but skin and bones. Xiao Xian's lack of appreciation was one thing, but glaring at him was another.

 

So, he glared back at Xiao Xian fiercely.

 

In Xiao Shan's eyes, there was no distinction between older and younger, only right and wrong. He would confront anyone who was unreasonable, and of course, there were very few in the entire Da Zhou who were more reasonable than him.

 

Xiao Xian, infuriated by Xiao Shan, felt his eyes redden and his hair seemed to bristle with anger.

He thought to himself, Xiao Shan is so much older, yet he refuses to concede even a little. What kind of brother is that?