Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 1216: Chapter 186: He Lianfang Is Dead (Part 2)

“Fourth Brother, have you found what you want to do?” Although Prince Chu still retains the title of a prince, it’s only in name and holds no real power, nor does he have any fiefdom. You could say he is a prince in name only. Zhao Yao thought that if Prince Chu didn’t find something to do, he would overthink things, and the more he thought, the more he wouldn’t be able to see the bright side. Moreover, Prince Chu is talented, and not putting his skills to use would be a great waste of his abilities.

“I plan to teach.” Prince Chu’s health was still very frail, so he couldn’t take on anything too exhausting. Besides, he couldn’t do business either. After much thought, he felt he was suited to being a teacher.

“Are you going to teach at the Imperial College?” Swamp Prefecture also had an Imperial College, the highest academic institution in Lingnan.

“I plan to teach at a free school.” The students at the Imperial College didn’t need his teaching, but the students at the free school did.

“Teaching at a free school is good too,” Zhao Yao said with a smile, “With your knowledge, Fourth Brother, you will surely guide the students of the free school to success, and then they will all be able to enter the Imperial College.”

“I’ve never taught students, so I might not be good at it.”

Zhao Yao pointed at himself, “Fourth Brother, you forgot you taught me. When I was a child, I didn’t like to study and wasn’t good at it either. You often helped me. If you could teach me well, you can certainly teach the students at the free school well too.”

Hearing Zhao Yao say this, Prince Chu couldn’t help but remember the times he taught Zhao Yao when they were young.

“That’s right, I was able to teach you well.”

“Fourth Brother, you have patience, so you’ll definitely be able to teach students well,” Zhao Yao said with a smile. “The students at the free school are really fortunate to receive your guidance.”

“It’s my fortune.”

Zhao Yao talked to Prince Chu about the students at the free school. After listening, Prince Chu felt that going to teach was the right choice.

“Fourth Brother, I remember you used to write and compile books. I think you could try it again.”

“Write? Compile books?” Since being titled as a prince after reaching adulthood, Prince Chu had not written or compiled books again.

“I have the people from the Hanlin Academy compile books on various aspects of Lingnan, such as the Lingnan dialect, Lingnan poetry, Lingnan folk songs, and Lingnan drama,” Zhao Yao suggested to Prince Chu. “Fourth Brother, you can take a look, and if you find it interesting, you might want to give it a try.”

“I will take a look.” Prince Chu looked at Zhao Yao with a gaze full of pride and comfort. “Protecting and preserving Lingnan’s culture, you are doing a great job, Tenth Brother.”

“I believe that every place’s culture should be well protected and passed down so that future generations will know the culture of their hometown,” Zhao Yao continued, “Fourth Brother, if you’re interested in foreign cultures, you can also go to Sifang Pavilion to learn foreign languages.”

Hearing this, Prince Chu became interested.

“When I have time, I will go take a look.”

Zhao Yao continued to chat with Prince Chu about the interesting aspects of foreign countries like Johor and Siam, making Prince Chu more and more intrigued.

The two brothers talked until it was late before they went to their respective rooms to rest.

Zhao Yao did not go back to his bedroom to rest but instead went to the study.

Tong Xi saw Zhao Yao with his elbows on the desk, his hands holding his head silently, and was very worried.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

“Fourth Brother knows that Fourth Sister-in-law and the others had an accident.”

Tong Xi was shocked, “What, how did Prince Chu know?”

Zhao Yao shook his head and said, “I don’t know. Fourth Brother didn’t ask where Fourth Sister-in-law and the others were buried, and I didn’t tell him either, afraid of making him sad.” After discovering the incident with Princess Consort Chu and the others, Zhao Yao sent people to find their bodies and later buried them in Liangzhou.

“This…”

“I’m now worried about one thing.”

“What thing?”

“Eighth Brother still won’t spare the Li Family.” Zhao Yao remembered that Prince Chu had told him that Emperor Yongan wouldn’t spare his family, which made him think of the Li Family. Even though the Li Family had been rescued and had retreated to live in seclusion, it didn’t mean Eighth Brother wouldn’t kill them again.

“Didn’t the Emperor promise you to release the Li Family?” Tong Xi thought Zhao Yao was overthinking. “The Emperor’s words are as good as gold, so how could he still harm the Li Family? Your Highness, you should stop worrying.”

“As good as gold… I hope I’m overthinking this.” Zhao Yao said this but still couldn’t shake off an ominous feeling. He summoned Hidden Guard A to keep an eye on the Li Family. If anything happened to them, they would be able to rescue them in time. “Don’t tell Fourth Brother what I just said, so as not to worry him.”

“Rest assured, Your Highness, I won’t say a word to Prince Chu.”

Zhao Yao waved to Tong Xi, signaling for him to leave.

“Your Highness, you should rest.” Since the death of the Second Lord, His Highness had not had a good rest.

“I’m fine.”

Tong Xi dared not say more and respectfully retreated.

After Tong Xi left, Zhao Yao stood up, walked to the window, looked towards the eastern night sky, and murmured: “Eighth Brother, did you instigate Second Uncle’s suicide?”

And Eighth Brother, what kind of deals did you make with Second Uncle?

Eighth Brother, did you read the secret edict, did you know that my name was written on it?

Father’s deal with Second Uncle, Eighth Brother, did you know about it already and chose to cooperate with Second Uncle?

Father and Second Uncle were obsessed with making me the emperor. Eighth Brother, did you know but not stop it because you believed I wouldn’t compete with you for the throne, or was it for another reason…

Father found out that Eighth Brother poisoned him, so he played along with the poisoning just to drive a wedge between me and Eighth Brother, hoping I would eliminate Eighth Brother and ascend the throne?

The old man knew that Eighth Brother wouldn’t poison him to death but feared that Eighth Brother would keep him in a coma?

With the old man’s cunning nature, he wouldn’t do anything he wasn’t confident about, but where did he get the confidence to believe I could save him… wait, what if the old man wasn’t waiting for me to save him, but for Eighth Brother?

Right, there was a deal between the old man and Eighth Brother. Did the deal include making Eighth Brother emperor?

No, if the deal was for Eighth Brother to become emperor, why would Eighth Brother poison the old man? Why would the old man play along?

The old man, Eighth Brother, Second Uncle… what on earth are the three of them plotting?