Has the Crown Prince Been Deposed Today? - Chapter 16

Chapter 16. Idol

The sun hung high in the sky, and it was now noon, the most difficult time of day for the princes who were being punished with kneeling before the hall.

The Second Prince, Mu Xiao, had gotten his wish and was now furnished with cotton pads and knee pads, leaving him quite satisfied.

However, when he turned his head and saw Gao Jili serving Mu Yun with iced rock sugar and white fungus soup, which looked sweet, refreshing, and very thirst-quenching, Mu Xiao’s satisfaction immediately vanished. His face darkened, and he glared unhappily at the person beside him.

How come, when they were both stewards, the other steward could serve his master so comfortably, while his own only knew how to doze off!

How come, when they were both being punished with kneeling, the other could drink iced rock sugar and white fungus soup when he was thirsty, while he could only swallow his saliva here?

Did he want to be irritable? Did he want to curse? He was clearly being forced to by certain people!

“T-This… it’s all this servant’s negligence. Your Highness, wait a moment. This servant will go and prepare it right away.”

This time, Steward Zhang instantly received the raging fire from the Second Prince. He scurried off towards the imperial kitchen.

Iced rock sugar and white fungus soup took a long time to make, at least half an hour. And that little Crown Prince, what was he doing drinking that stuff? Wouldn’t it be fine to just drink some water?

However, His Highness, the Crown Prince, obviously didn’t think so.

After the third sip, the little Highness frowned unhappily.

What was so good about a bowl of boiled water? He wanted fermented milk! He wanted freshly squeezed juice!

Gao Jili coaxed him with heartache, “Your Highness, please bear with it for now. After all, this is a punishment. We can’t blatantly squeeze juice in front of the hall. When we return to the residence, this old servant will squeeze three big bowls for you, alright?”

No!

Not alright at all!

His Highness, the Crown Prince’s, face was very, very sullen.

Half an hour later, Steward Zhang finally came running back with freshly made iced rock sugar and white fungus soup for the Second Prince.

It was still a little hot, so he had been blowing on it all the way.

Mu Xiao licked his chapped lips and gave him a twisted look.

What the hell, were you giving birth or something?

Mu Yun was already eating cookies, and you just brought me this? Couldn’t you have brought a plate of pastries while you were at it?

“Your Highness, we brought a lot of dry rations. Please eat something.”

Seeing that the other princes had already started their lunch, the steward of the First Prince’s residence looked at the First Prince, who was still kneeling as straight as a bamboo, and couldn’t help but ask in a low voice.

If you don’t eat, we can’t eat either.

This is only the first day, how are we going to endure the remaining two days?

Looking at the Crown Prince’s side, where the master and servant were already feeding each other cookies, the steward felt for the first time what it meant to be filled with envy.

“What time is it?” Mu Jue asked hoarsely.

The steward hurriedly replied, “It’s quarter past noon, almost half past.”

Mu Jue disdainfully glanced at the unruly and disrespectful brothers around him, and especially at the particularly unruly former Crown Prince in front, and said righteously, “Bring me some water first. Imperial Father hasn’t eaten yet. As his son, how can I eat before him? We’ll wait until Imperial Father has his meal.”

He was a courteous and virtuous eldest prince.

He was different from them.

“Your Highness, shall we not eat either?”

The Third Prince’s old steward sighed and put the dry rations back.

Mu Han shook his head. “No, we will follow the First Prince’s lead.”

His mother was Empress Ji’s dowry maid and was absolutely loyal to the Empress. Therefore, he… must also be absolutely loyal to the First Prince, at all times. He must never try to upstage the First Prince or make him uncomfortable. Only in this way could he and his mother survive more easily in this deep palace.

***

By the hour of Shen (3-5 pm), the weather had finally cooled down a bit.

In the distance, on the palace road, a group of officials surrounded a figure, slowly walking towards Chengqing Hall.

The person in the lead wore a silver-white robe embroidered with a kirin, his sword-like eyebrows slanting upwards, his phoenix eyes long and deep, bright as jade, and full of heroic spirit. He was smiling and listening to a red-robed official beside him.

Since the Marquis of Dingbei, Wei Zhao, had returned to the capital to oversee military and political affairs, the palace staff had become accustomed to such scenes. They quietly bowed and then silently moved aside. Only the bolder young palace maids would intentionally or unintentionally send flirtatious glances, secretly admiring Marquis Wei’s elegant demeanor.

The handsome and imposing God of War was much more charming than the ones depicted in storybooks.

The Fourth and Fifth Princes, who had been kneeling until they were numb and nauseous, saw that moving scenery from afar and almost simultaneously… trembled.

That was Wei Zhao, the Marquis of Dingbei, who held command over 300,000 troops and was known as the cold-faced God of Death. His aura extended for three hundred meters, and one look from him could instantly kill an enemy. If he looked at them, would they have nightmares? Would their lifespans be shortened?

But Mu Xiao was different from these two cowardly and useless brothers. At this moment, his mind was filled with only four words: My idol is here!

How to leave a good impression on his idol? How to make his idol notice him first among thousands of people? How to communicate with his idol up close? How to promptly discover his idol’s troubles and solve them for him in time? How… In just a short moment, Mu Xiao ransacked all the books he had read over the years, but unfortunately, not a single one could provide him with an answer.

In this urgent moment, the Second Prince could only force himself to kneel up straighter, to make himself look more mighty, more robust, and more unyielding.

As a prince who had practiced martial arts since childhood, his strong physique and well-developed muscles were his natural advantages over other princes. Marquis Wei, who valued martial prowess and military strength, would surely appreciate him!

Moreover, perhaps it was just his imagination.

The moment his idol appeared, the Second Prince keenly noticed that his Eldest Brother seemed to be kneeling even straighter, even more like a bamboo, than before.

Heh.

When it comes to strength, who was he afraid of?

Thinking this, Mu Xiao knelt even more rigidly and heroically, his bulging muscles almost bursting through his clothes, ready to show off.

“Your Highness, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

Seeing that his obedient little Highness suddenly moved uncomfortably, Gao Jili immediately asked nervously.

“Ugh… these knee pads are too hot, and this cushion is too thick. My legs are numb. Take them away.”

The obedient little Highness said with a sullen face, being particularly fickle.

“Alright, alright, Your Highness, don’t be anxious.”

Gao Jili didn’t suspect anything. He just thought that seeing the Marquis of Dingbei had made His Highness scared, so he was becoming irritable and finding fault, but he didn’t dare to say it.

Gao Jili quickly removed the knee pads and cushion from the little Highness and neatly placed them aside. Mu Yun glanced at them, looking dissatisfied. He pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked at Mu Qi in the back row. “Hey!”

Mu Qi, who was pinching his nose and drinking medicine: ??

He couldn’t have heard wrong, could he?

His Highness, the Crown Prince, seemed to be calling him.

“Here!”

A pair of knee pads and a soft cushion flew through the air and landed right in front of him.

Mu Qi’s mouth fell open.

Heavens, His Highness, the Crown Prince, had noticed that he was sick and didn’t have knee pads or a cushion, so he had given him his own?

Such a kind Highness!

Mu Qi was only thirteen years old, and the knee pads were a bit too big for him, but he still diligently tied them to his two short legs.

So soft, so comfortable.

The moment he knelt on the soft cushion, Mu Qi thought with some guilt, what should he do? It seemed that the person he admired most was about to change from his Second Brother to the Crown Prince.

Would his Second Brother be angry with him?

But soon, Mu Qi didn’t have time to think about this, because the fat steward from the Crown Prince’s residence had brought him a lot of snacks and food, as well as sweet iced rock sugar and white fungus soup.

***

“This lowly one greets Marquis Wei.”

Wei Zhao was looking down and talking to someone when he suddenly saw a steward-looking person come over with a panicked expression. He looked unfamiliar. He frowned and asked, “Who is making noise before the Emperor?”

Even a short sentence, spoken by him, was sharp and compelling, dignified without being angry.

The steward shrank back, looking frightened and helpless. “Replying to Marquis Wei, this lowly one is the steward of the First Prince’s residence. Our Prince is suffering from heatstroke. The Imperial Hospital is too far away, and we fear that distant water cannot quench a nearby fire. I wonder if the Marquis has any heatstroke medicine on him?”

Wei Zhao stared at him deeply, remained silent for a moment, then instructed his men to go ahead, saying, “Take me to see him.”

“Yes.”

The steward hurriedly led the way.

Mu Jue really did look like he was about to collapse. His face was pale, his lips bloodless. He was clearly unable to hold on any longer, but his fingers were tightly clutching the fabric of his robe on his knees, and he was kneeling in a perfectly upright posture.

“Ma… Marquis Wei…”

Mu Jue spoke weakly, trying to bow, but Wei Zhao stopped him.

“Has the First Prince not had any food or water?”

“No.” The steward knelt on the ground, wiping away his tears. “The First Prince said that His Majesty has been busy since the morning court and hasn’t ordered a meal. As his son, and while being punished, how could he have the face to eat first…”

“Foolish! The First Prince is strict with himself, but what are you doing? Couldn’t you have advised him? Although His Majesty hasn’t ordered a meal, there are fresh fruits and snacks in the hall for emergencies. It’s not the same thing—”

Wei Zhao was speaking when he suddenly stopped.

Because…

From the side came two faint, kitten-like coughs.

Soft and gentle, which was impossible to ignore.