The Fourth Prince first taught Zhao Yao the Li Family script for two hours, then helped him review the content learned this morning in Wende Hall.
When Zhao Yao left Xingde Palace, it was already the fourth quarter of the hour of the dog.
"Your Highness, studying so late every day, you might as well just stay in the Fourth Highness’s room." Tong Xi, carrying a lantern, walked ahead of Zhao Yao, "I still feel that it’s unsafe to walk at night."
"I think it’s you who’s afraid." Zhao Yao bluntly exposed Tong Xi’s little thoughts, "You’re afraid of ghosts!"
As soon as he heard the word "ghost," Tong Xi felt a chill run down his spine, as if the wind blowing carried an ominous chill.
"Your Highness, please don’t say that..." He was truly afraid of ghosts.
Zhao Yao looked disdainfully at the frightened Tong Xi, mocking him: "I’ve told you, there are no ghosts in this world."
"Your Highness, this servant believes there are ghosts in the world." Tong Xi looked around nervously, his beardless pale face full of terror. He always felt a coldness behind him, as if a ghost stood there. Besides, too many wronged souls had died in the palace, and they would surely become ghosts after death.
"Even if there are ghosts, they are not as scary as humans." Zhao Yao kicked Tong Xi’s butt, "Look at your cowardly and scared appearance."
"Your Highness, this servant would rather face humans than ghosts." People, no matter how scary, are real. But ghosts are different. No, he had to stop thinking about ghosts and talk about something else. "Your Highness, do you think Fourth Highness and Eighth Highness are secretly trying to win over Zheng Zhengshi?"
"No." Zhao Yao said with great certainty, "Fourth Brother and Eighth Brother don’t want to expose themselves for now."
"It’s normal for Eighth Highness not to expose himself, but hasn’t Fourth Highness already been exposed? Many ministers in the court support Fourth Highness." The Eighth Prince had always hidden behind the Crown Prince, and no one noticed his ambition, only thinking he was a pitiful dependent of the Crown Prince. He used to think so too.
If it weren’t for His Highness saying the Eighth Highness had ambitions for the throne, he would never have noticed. In this world, perhaps only His Highness saw through the true nature of Eighth Highness.
"But Fourth Brother hasn’t cared about that, has he?" Zhao Yao continued kicking rocks as he walked, "Fourth Brother only gets close to his two maternal cousins, and doesn’t interact with other ministers."
"Even if Fourth Prince doesn’t approach those ministers, they still continue to support him." Fourth Prince’s reputation in the court is quite good, and ministers always praise him.
"Fourth Brother does have ambitions for that position, but he won’t expose it now." Zhao Yao lifted a stone with his boot toe, catching it deftly with the back of his boot, then flicked it into the air with a tiptoe before catching it again. "Before the timing is right, Fourth Brother will remain low-key, not associating with ministers outside of the Li Family."
"Even if Fourth Highness doesn’t associate with ministers outside the Li Family, everyone knows he wants that throne." Tong Xi muttered inwardly, wondering if Fourth Highness is just deceiving himself or ignoring the obvious.
"Fourth Brother does want that throne, but the time isn’t yet right, unless the Crown Prince loses to Prince Dai." Zhao Yao alternated feet to catch the stones, "If Crown Prince doesn’t lose to Prince Dai, Fourth Brother won’t make any moves. This is the hint Fourth Brother gives to everyone."
"Would Fourth Highness really do so?" As long as there is the Crown Prince, would Fourth Highness truly do nothing?
Zhao Yao nodded slightly, "Yes, as long as Crown Prince is still there, Fourth Brother will surely do nothing, because that’s the duty of a minister and a younger brother."
"Your Highness, if Crown Prince defeats Prince Dai and secures the position, will Fourth Highness truly do nothing in the future?"
Zhao Yao suddenly lifted his foot, kicking the stone into a nearby pond. With a plop, it sank completely into the water.
"If Crown Prince ultimately wins against Prince Dai, then Fourth Brother will obediently become a Vassal King."
"Why is that?" Tong Xi couldn’t quite believe Zhao Yao’s words, "Doesn’t Fourth Brother also want the throne?"
"When have you seen Fourth Brother trying to seize that position?" Zhao Yao glanced at Tong Xi sideways, "Which eye of yours saw that?"
Tong Xi was stumped by Zhao Yao’s two questions and didn’t know how to answer them for a moment. After a while, he finally said, "Your Highness, didn’t you say that both Fourth Highness and Eighth Highness are secretly cultivating their own forces?"
"I did say so, but it doesn’t mean Fourth Brother is doing it to seize the throne." Zhao Yao crossed his arms and said, "Fourth Brother is cultivating his forces for when he goes to his fiefdom in two years, isn’t that allowed?"