The Crazy Emperor's Pampered Cousin

"Given the urgency of the situation, we need someone who is both knowledgeable in water management and of high standing to go to the governor-general."

He paused slightly, his gaze sweeping slowly across the area like that of a hawk surveying its territory. "King Cheng."

The man whose name was called trembled slightly.

"I remember that two years ago you submitted three proposals on flood control, which were highly praised by the Grand Tutor and the senior officials of the Ministry of Works. With such talent, it is a waste to have been relegated to a sinecure in the Ministry of Rites for so long."

"This time, you will be entrusted with the imperial insignia to oversee all flood prevention and disaster relief matters in Yuzhou. I hope you will live up to your learning and relieve the people from their dire straits."

As soon as he finished speaking, the senior ministers exchanged quick glances, realizing that the Crown Prince's move was full of hidden meaning.

"On Water Management" is ultimately just a book on paper.

The real catastrophic floods, the danger of dike breaches, the unrest among disaster victims, the allocation of funds and grain, and the insincere compliance of local officials.

Which one isn't a man-eating tiger?

Is pushing Cheng Wang, who has never had any practical experience, to the throne a test of his abilities, or... a disastrous end?

King Cheng, Xie Xuancheng, has steadily emerged from the procession.

He stood tall and straight, dressed in princely attire, his gentle smile as flawless as a meticulously crafted mask.

He lifted his robe, bowed, and saluted: "Your subject obeys."

The moment he raised his head, his gaze suddenly met Xie Yanzhao's on the throne.

In mid-air, invisible gazes clashed like metal.

Xie Yanzhao's eyes were as deep as an ancient well, cold and still. His downward gaze was not that of looking at a brother, but rather that he was examining a chess piece, or an ant that could be crushed at any moment.

Beneath the calm lies absolute control and a faint, almost cruel expectation.

But in Xie Xuancheng's eyes, that gentle, jade-like disguise remained firmly in place.

However, if someone were to look closely, they might be able to detect a fleeting glimmer of light deep within it, like an undercurrent suddenly surging beneath the frozen surface of a lake.

The curve of his lips remained unchanged, but his hand, hidden in his wide sleeve, had quietly clenched, his nails digging deep into his palm.

Xie Yanzhao watched him leave quietly.

Xie Xuancheng, if you go to Yuzhou, either be buried under the floodwaters and mud, or never return to the capital and become an eyesore to me.

Either I'll tear off your sheepskin of humility and gentleness, and let me see just how much ability you've been hiding all these years.

In the inner palace, when Consort Ming heard this news, the porcelain bowl in her hand fell to the ground.

"Clang—!"

Brownish medicine splattered onto her skirt, leaving a hideous stain.

She was completely unaware of it, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"Yuzhou? Say it again... Are you sure, are you sure it was Cheng'er who was sent to Yuzhou? Did the Crown Prince say it himself?"

"It's absolutely true, Your Majesty!" The eunuch was sweating profusely with anxiety.

"It was decided at the court meeting. His Highness also said that the disaster was as severe as fire, and ordered Prince Cheng to leave the capital today."

"I'm leaving today..." Consort Ming felt as if all her strength had been drained away, her legs went weak, and she was about to collapse to the ground.

The palace maids standing nearby rushed forward in alarm, desperately supporting her from both sides, barely managing to keep her limp body upright.

She leaned against a palace maid, her chest heaving violently, and her vision blurred.

"Yuzhou...that's a place that can swallow people whole...My Cheng'er went there, will he even come back alive?"

She murmured, tears streaming down her face without warning.

"The Crown Prince... the Crown Prince is not letting us mother and son live. He wants to get rid of Cheng'er. He can't tolerate us."

Just then, an announcement came from outside the palace gate: "His Highness Prince Cheng has arrived—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xie Xuancheng had already walked in hurriedly.

He had clearly received the order and changed into a dark-colored casual outfit suitable for long journeys.

Upon entering the inner palace, he saw his mother looking pale and swaying precariously. His heart tightened, and he quickly stepped forward to support her other arm.

"Mother! What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

Seeing her son approaching, Consort Ming grasped at a straw and tightly squeezed Xie Xuancheng's wrist.

"Cheng'er! You can't go! You can't go to Yuzhou! If you go, how will your mother survive alone in this deep palace? That's a place where you'll die!"

"Mother, please don't be anxious, take a breath first."

Xie Xuancheng gently comforted her, gesturing for a palace maid to help Consort Ming to sit down by the bed. "The imperial decree has been issued, and the emperor's command is difficult to disobey. Your son has come to bid you farewell; I will depart tonight."

"Say goodbye? No!" Consort Ming's emotions suddenly surged. She gripped her son's hand tightly, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

"Cheng'er, listen to your mother, we won't go! It's all that Shen Yunlan's fault. I told you not to choose, but you insisted. The Crown Prince must have found out, that's why he's retaliating like this. Come on, let's go to the East Palace now, to apologize to the Crown Prince. We don't want anything anymore, we'll go to your fiefdom and never come back to the capital, okay?"

The Mingfei who once had a clever mind and tried to compete has long since died.

The only survivor was a woman whose sharp edges had been worn down by the years spent in the deep palace, who only hoped to survive with her son and end her remaining days.

She couldn't afford to offend Crown Prince Xie Yanzhao, nor did she dare to. Her only weakness and hope lay in the son before her.

"Mother!" Xie Xuancheng called out in a low voice, unusually interrupting his mother.

The gentle smile that had always graced his face like a mask vanished without a trace, replaced by an almost cold and resolute determination.

"Now that he has issued the decree, there is absolutely no room for negotiation. All you have to do now is wait patiently in the palace."

"Rest assured, your son assures you that he will return safely. Yuzhou is not a den of dragons or tigers, and your son is not unprepared."

The thought of sending him to the Eastern Palace to fawn over Xie Yanzhao was more unbearable than the thought of him dying immediately.

Xie Xuancheng harbored a cold flame within his heart, a mixture of resentment and arrogance accumulated over many years of forbearance.

After sitting with Xie Xuancheng for a while longer in Yongquan Palace and saying some comforting words, Xie Xuancheng got up and left.

He did not leave the palace directly. Instead, he went to the Imperial Garden.

He thought that perhaps he could see her one more time.

Aside from the East Palace, Shen Tinghe's most frequent destination was the Imperial Garden.

Luck seems to be on his side today.

As soon as I stepped into the garden, I could see her slender figure in the Water Pavilion in the distance.

She was standing by the railing, facing away from him, seemingly listening to her personal maid telling some amusing stories. Suddenly, she covered her mouth and laughed.

Her eyebrows curved, and her smile was clean and bright, as if it could dispel all the gloom in the palace.

Xie Xuancheng stopped and stared at the scene with almost greedy eyes.

As she grew up, Xie Yanzhao became too protective of her, and he rarely saw her anymore.

Xie Xuancheng cherished this fleeting glimpse of her carefree joy, even though it had nothing to do with him.

After his smile faded slightly, he straightened his clothes and slowly walked towards the pavilion.

He stopped at the bottom of the steps, bowed respectfully, and spoke in his usual gentle and clear voice.

"Your subject greets Your Majesty, sister-in-law."

Shen Tinghe turned around upon hearing the voice. When she saw it was him, the remaining smile on her face faded, replaced by a dignified and proper demeanor.

She nodded slightly: "Your Highness Prince Cheng."

"I am about to leave the capital. I just went to the palace to say goodbye to my mother. On my way, I unexpectedly ran into my sister-in-law in the Imperial Garden."

He spoke of the word "chance encounter" so naturally, as if it were truly a gift from fate.

"Leaving the capital?" Shen Tinghe was indeed aroused, and a hint of surprise and curiosity flashed in her clear eyes.

"Where is Your Highness headed?"

Xie Xuancheng's secret hope quietly came to fruition. He looked at her, a genuine smile rising deep in his eyes.