The Crown Prince listened and only then reacted, promptly nodding, "You’re right." After speaking, he thought of the thod the Eighth Prince had proposed earlier and felt it was sowhat inappropriate, frowning slightly, "However, waiting until Father releases the Kong family and then having Miss Kong commit suicide, wouldn’t it be too late?"
"Too late?"
"Prince Dai has already pleaded for Miss Kong, and an incident with her would be aningless. Moreover, everyone would think I did it." In his earlier anger, the Crown Prince had lost his reasoning, but now regaining so clarity, he found the Eighth Prince’s suggestion unwise. "Between Prince Dai and , we’re like fire and water. No matter whether sothing happens to or him, everyone will think it was either or him who did it."
The Eighth Prince didn’t expect the Crown Prince to co around so quickly. He said apologetically, "Big Brother is right, I didn’t think it through."
The Crown Prince did not bla the Eighth Prince; instead, he comforted him, "You were just trying to help ."
"Then Big Brother, what do you plan to do?"
The Crown Prince said, "With our uncle here, we don’t need to worry." He laughed, "Now that we’re both in Hulong Temple, there’s nothing we can do even if we want to. Let our uncle handle it."
"With Duke Zhen’s thods, he will surely deal Prince Dai a significant blow."
"Luckily, I have a good uncle." The Crown Prince had countless tis felt fortunate to have a good uncle; otherwise, he would have long been replaced by Prince Dai as the Crown Prince.
"Big Brother, in a few days, the prayers will be over. What do you plan to do next?"
The Crown Prince didn’t quite understand the Eighth Prince’s aning and asked with a puzzled expression, "What do you an?"
"Big Brother, you fasted for the late Empress and Great Zhou for forty-nine days and even copied Buddhist scriptures with your own blood. You should let all the people under heaven know about it." The Eighth Prince spoke with profound aning.
"How do we let the world know?" the Crown Prince asked.
"By falling ill," said the Eighth Prince. "Big Brother, if you fall ill from praying for the late Empress and Great Zhou, the people will think of you as a filial child and a good Crown Prince for the country and its people. By then, your reputation among the people will certainly surpass Prince Dai’s."
Upon hearing this, the Crown Prince said with so excitent, "This is a good idea. Why didn’t I think of it?"
"Big Brother, your body is already weak, so it’s not surprising to fall ill after forty-nine days of fasting. Father won’t suspect anything," the Eighth Prince said with a smile. "Father will even be compassionate towards you."
The more the Crown Prince listened, the more he found the idea appealing. He stood up and said, "Alright, let’s do it!"
"Big Brother, you’ve worked hard during this ti. Take this opportunity while you’re ill to rest well." The Eighth Prince said with eyes full of concern, "Big Brother, you’ve lost weight during your ti here at Hulong Temple."
Lv Cong beside them echoed, "The Eighth Prince is right, Your Highness, you’ve lost weight again. After the prayers are over and you return, you must replenish yourself well."
"Alright, as you both suggested, I will take good care of myself after returning." The Crown Prince gazed warmly at the Eighth Prince, "Eighth Brother, you’re so clever."
"Big Brother, it’s not that I’m clever; it’s just that you’re too earnest. You truly pray for the late Empress and Great Zhou selflessly, never thinking of leveraging this to your advantage."
The Crown Prince truly hadn’t thought of using the ti of fasting to secure a good reputation for himself because he genuinely wanted to pray for his mother. Also, he thought it was sothing he should do.
"Big Brother, you are a person of utmost sincerity and filial piety, so you never think of these things," the Eighth Prince said with a smile. "While I am different, I hope your filialness and sincerity can be seen by the world so the people know their Crown Prince is a good person."
The Crown Prince, initially stunned, soon had reddened eyes, his voice choked, "Eighth Brother, you..."
"Big Brother, before Prince Dai returns from Liangzhou, let Marquis Xuanping spread his formidable military achievents in the capital, making the people think he has done more for Great Zhou than you, the Crown Prince. But that’s not the case." The Eighth Prince said with seriousness, "Although you haven’t gone to the battlefield to quell chaos, you’ve done many things for the people of Great Zhou."
"It was you who suggested to Father that the court allocate funds annually to the Imperial College to help students from poor families. You even personally spent money buying many books, hiring people to copy them, and then donating them to the Imperial College for students to read."
"Big Brother, it was you who suggested to Father to provide seeds to poor farrs. And you also..."
The Eighth Prince recounted one by one the helpful policies the Crown Prince had proposed over the years, which moved the Crown Prince greatly.
Though the Crown Prince was gentle and soft-tempered, he had indeed done so good for the court and the people over the years. He was not just a bookish, scholarly Crown Prince who only did things with a pretty façade or engaged in unrealistic tasks.
He would not make suggestions to the emperor lightly. Only after investigation and study would he propose suggestions to the emperor.
He would not deliberately propose policies benefiting the court ministers or aristocrats to curry favor. His suggestions were for the court and the people, without any selfish motives.
"Big Brother, you’ve done a lot of good for the people, but they have forgotten." The Eighth Prince defended the Crown Prince, "Now, they only know that Prince Dai has quelled many rebellions for Great Zhou. This is unfair to you. Moreover, ministers focus only on your mistakes, forgetting your strengths."
"Father is the sa. Big Brother, when you do good deeds, Father rarely praises you, thinking it’s what you’re supposed to do as the Crown Prince. However, if you make mistakes, Father will bla you, thinking you’re not doing well enough."
These words stirred a sour feeling in the Crown Prince’s heart, his throat choked up, his nose stung, and his eyes reddened.
"Eighth Brother, you..." This had always been the grievance deep in the Crown Prince’s heart. He always knew the responsibility he bore as the Crown Prince, to think for the people and the court, to strive to make people’s lives better, and to make Great Zhou better, so he had always been working hard.
He also knew that the things he did were things he should do, but he also wanted to be acknowledged and praised by Father, ministers, and the people. However, they considered it as a matter of course, not worth praise. But when he made even the slightest mistake, ministers would not let go, and Father would bla him.
Sotis he wondered, just because he was the Crown Prince, is he not allowed to make any mistakes? But he was human, too. He wanted to be praised and shown leniency, but there was none.
He never told anyone about the grievances and bitterness in his heart. He was afraid to speak, fearing being laughed at and told he was unfit to be the Crown Prince.
Before, when Mother was around, he would tell her his grievances; Mother never rebuked him like Father would. Mother would comfort and encourage him.
Before passing away, Mother told him sothing. She said he is first a Crown Prince and then a son. And the Crown Prince is the heir of Great Zhou and Father’s subject.
Though he always rembered Mother’s words, sotis it was indeed difficult, especially when he saw Prince Dai easily receive Father’s praise.
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