Because Xiao Yuming and Shao Xi only met in private this time and were not formally summoned, Xiao Yuzhan took Shao Xi all the way to the prince's study.
According to Xiao Yuzhan, his eldest brother spends at least half of the year here. Every time he comes to see the emperor, he comes directly here. He doesn't know how long the prince stays in the study all year round. Where do you get so many unfinished books?
Xiao Yuzhan had never seen the prince leave the palace since he was a child, but whenever he talked about world affairs, Xiao Yuming would talk about it and talk about it in a clear and logical manner, as if he had actually gone to the people to investigate.
Later, I learned that although the prince did not leave the palace, he had arranged carrier pigeons in various places in Jingyuan, and news from various places would be delivered to the prince in a timely manner through carrier pigeons every day.
It is precisely because he consults a large number of various documents and news reported from various places on weekdays that the prince is now able to know the world's affairs just by sitting in his room!
I have to admire that the prince did his job conscientiously and never slacked off. It's just that Xiao Yuming never met with officials in the court on weekdays. No matter who had something to do, if they came to see the prince, the eunuch would definitely tell them that the prince's opinion was to ask them to ask the current emperor.
It was actually very wise for Xiao Yuming to do this. As a prince, he really shouldn't have close contacts with the civil and military officials of the DPRK and China to avoid being suspected of forming a clique. Leaving everything to his own emperor, it seems that he has no regard for his identity. The perception is very clear.
This made Xiao Changyi feel relieved a lot. But this also has its drawbacks. As a prince, he does not interact with officials in the DPRK, which will inevitably arouse a lot of suspicion and criticism.
Many people will think that the prince's ability to handle government affairs is insufficient. He leaves everything to the current emperor and fails to shoulder the responsibilities of the prince. It is true that his ability is limited and he is not qualified for the position of prince.
Some people think that the prince is modest, steady, measured, and attentive to learning, so he is the best candidate to succeed the future monarch.
As time went by, the two factions gradually formed a situation of opposition. Some people felt that the prince was not good enough, but the second prince Xiao Yuzhi showed more sharpness, decisiveness and imperial style.
Another group of people believed that the prince was mature, calm and prudent, and that he was the perfect candidate to take charge of the world.
As the crown prince and the second prince grew older, the two groups of people who had been at odds with each other for many years became more and more distinct, and there was a faint tendency to confront and compete with each other in the court.
These people are called princelings and princelings in the court. Xiao Yuzhi and the princelings are naturally close to each other on weekdays, but the princelings seem to have formed spontaneously, because these people do not have any contact with the prince on weekdays.
Although the two people were noisy, intrigues, and plotting against each other every day, Xiao Yuming, as the prince, seemed not to care about these. When others made trouble, he was his own prince.
He still tried his best to handle the government affairs assigned to him by his father every day. In his free time, he hid in his study and read his own books, which gave people the impression of being aloof from the world.
Xiao Yuzhi has always felt that he is the best candidate to be crowned prince based on his ability. It is precisely because of this idea that he competes with Xiao Yuming overtly and covertly on weekdays, trying to overpower Xiao Yuming no matter what.
Xiao Yuming, as the prince, obviously has a huge advantage over Xiao Yuzhi, but he has never targeted Xiao Yuzhi. Instead, he always acts like an elder brother and never competes with his second brother in everything.
In this way, it is no wonder that Xiao Yuzhi became ambitious and wanted to conspire to usurp Xiao Yuming's position as prince. However, because Xiao Yuming usually behaves low-key and cautiously, Xiao Yuzhi has never been able to catch anything about Xiao Yuming. Without a handle, there is no way to start. , cannot afford impeachment.
Although Xiao Yuzhi tried his best to behave in front of Xiao Changyi, he never saw Xiao Changyi's intention to depose the crown prince again. As time went by, Xiao Yuzhi became dissatisfied, and naturally he had the idea and action of raising a private army to conspire to seize power.
Therefore, there is no family affection at all in this royal power struggle. For the sake of power, brothers, father and son will be at odds with each other and fight to the death.
But even if Xiao Yuzhi struggled like this, Xiao Yuming still sat firmly in the position of prince in the end. However, the youngest third prince, Xiao Yuzhan, often walked around with his brother, the prince, quite frequently. He often stayed with the prince, whether it was studying literature or martial arts, and always liked to have Xiao Yuming give him advice.
And Xiao Yuming is also very brotherly, always patiently answering questions, and has never been impatient.
Therefore, among Xiao Changyi's three sons, Prince Cheng and the Crown Prince were the closest. Although Xiao Yuzhi, the second prince's mausoleum king, often visited Xiao Yuzhan, he rarely had any contact with the Crown Prince Xiao Yuming.
Although not many people in the court knew about Xiao Yuzhi's plot to seize power, the relationship between the three brothers was well known to all the ministers in the court, and Shao Xi naturally knew about it.
Although the three brothers seemed to be harmonious on the surface when they first met, Shao Xi had already noticed that there seemed to be discord between the prince and Prince Ling.
It's just that Xiao Yuzhi acted more obviously, while Xiao Yuming seemed much calmer, and didn't seem to want to argue with his second brother.
But you have to look at both sides of everything. As a prince, Xiao Yuming was crazily targeted by his younger brother, but he was able to remain in the position of prince and remain unchanged. Is it true that he did nothing as other people saw?
Maybe everyone thought he didn't do anything, but in fact he did everything. It's just that the way he did things was different from Xiao Yuzhi. He was not as flamboyant and obvious as Xiao Yuzhi, but Shao Xi believed that he definitely did something.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to remain calm and composed while sitting in this position of prince, which is like a fire. Perhaps this is his brilliance.
When the three of them came to the prince's study, Xiao Yuzhan took Shao Xi directly into the study without being informed by the eunuch. As for Fu Biao, he was still waiting a hundred steps away, which made Fu Biao feel depressed.
After finally entering the palace with my young master, it was okay that the Holy Emperor didn't see him, but now he didn't even see the prince, but at least he met King Cheng, and he finally gained some knowledge, so the trip was not in vain.
Seeing that his master was so popular in the palace, Fu Biao felt honored after the emperor met with the prince, and he was secretly happy for his young master.
But how did he know? This palace is the real dragon's pond and tiger's den. Their young master is also stirring up trouble here on his own. If he is not careful, he may be shattered to pieces.
Shao Xi followed Xiao Yuzhan to the study room and saw the prince Xiao Yuming sitting behind the desk, holding a book in his hand and reading carefully.
Hearing someone come in, Xiao Yuming slightly raised his eyelids and glanced at the door. Seeing that it was Cheng Wang Xiao Yuzhan who came in, he lowered his eyelids and continued reading the book in his hand.
He asked casually: "I asked you to invite Mr. Shao Xi, and you came back so soon? Is Mr. Shao still in my father's imperial study, or did you go too late, and Mr. Shao has already left the palace and gone back?" Followed Shao Xi, who entered the study behind Xiao Yuzhan, happened to hear Xiao Yuming's question. He quickly knelt down on his knees and bowed, saying
"Wei Chen Shao Xi came to see His Highness the Crown Prince. His Highness Prince Cheng went down just in time. Wei Chen and His Majesty had just finished talking about things and met His Highness King Cheng when they came out. Hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince had summoned him, Wei Chen came here to pay his respects to His Highness the Crown Prince!" Xiao Yuming said clearly. Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuzhan followed Shao Xi behind him. When he saw Shao Xi saluting him, he quickly put down the book in his hand, walked around the book case and came to Shao Xi, and helped Shao Xi up with both hands.
"Master Shao doesn't need to be so polite. This is not a formal occasion. I'm just a prince. Why do you need me to be so polite? Master Shao, please get up quickly!" Shao Xi stood up and said: "Your Highness the Crown Prince He is the Dragon of the Jade Hall, and a humble minister is just a minister. How dare you neglect His Highness the Crown Prince? You still have to have the proper etiquette, but His Highness the Crown Prince is kind and approachable. Coming to see His Highness the Crown Prince is not as scary as meeting the Holy Master. ." This sentence not only flattered the prince, but also indirectly praised the majesty of the emperor today. It also appeared that he was humble and polite. Shao Xi's actions were very suitable for this occasion.
No matter who listens to Shao Xi's words, they can't find any fault. Instead, they will feel that Shao Xi is not only humble but also good at talking.
No matter when it comes, such nice words will never offend anyone, not to mention that Xiao Yuming, the prince, Shao Xi, was not familiar with him originally, and now it is only the second time they meet, so he must be more cautious in his speech.
Xiao Yuming was obviously very impressed by Shao Xi's words, so he said with a smile: "Master Shao deserves to be Mr. Bai's inner disciple. He is indeed knowledgeable about books and etiquette, and he is quite a gentleman. However, I am not as good as my father." Far away! Master Shao, you don’t need to be too formal when talking to me, just be more casual."
"I have long heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is steady, gentle, wise and diligent. Last time I only had a quick glance and did not have the opportunity to have a deep conversation with His Highness. I did not expect to have the opportunity to see His Highness again. It is really a small fortune for me! When I just entered the door, I saw His Highness holding a book. I read carefully, but I don’t know which classic and history book His Highness is reading?” When Shao Xi asked, Xiao Yuming turned around, picked up the book he had just read from the desk, handed it to Shao Xi, and asked with a smile on his face: “ I am studying "The Theory of World Governance" co-authored by Mr. Bai and Mr. Liu, which was just published not long ago.
"I sent people to Egret Academy to get the first copy and came back. I really benefited a lot from the study. What? Didn't Mr. Shao go to Egret Academy to visit the two old gentlemen after he came back? He didn't even pay attention to such an important matter. I know, as a disciple, you can't respect your master!" Shao Xi didn't expect that these two old gentlemen, Bai Dinggong and Liu Xingzhai, would co-author "The Theory of World Governance" so quickly, and he was actually a little surprised.
"Wei Chen just returned to Kyoto yesterday and went into the palace to meet the Holy One early this morning. After leaving the palace, he planned to go to Bailu Academy to pay his respects to his mentor. Didn't he get called here by His Highness the Crown Prince? Speaking of which, Your Highness also has a responsibility. Here!" Xiao Yuming was stunned by Shao Xi's unreasonableness, and then burst into laughter.
"Master Shao is right, this is my fault, it's my fault! Hahaha!"
