After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!

Upon hearing this, the Hongzhi Emperor couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.

The anger on his face had vanished, replaced by a hint of pride.

At the same time, his gaze towards Zhu Houzhao became extremely complex, finally turning into a long sigh: "The Crown Prince's actions this time are so far-sighted? Cutting off their supplies, severing their hopes, intimidating their internal collaborators... Hmm, indeed, he has relieved my worries for the time being!"

Everyone present was moved, especially Liu Jian and Ma Wensheng, who were completely dumbfounded.

They initially thought the Crown Prince was just fooling around, but they never expected that it contained such a strategic intention. Although Yang Shen's words were somewhat exaggerated, the Crown Prince's ability to adopt them and act decisively was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Seeing the reactions of the Hongzhi Emperor and his ministers, Zhu Houzhao unconsciously puffed out his chest and said smugly, "Father, I was thinking that we can't let them sneak around and take advantage of us! Things from our Great Ming must be done according to our Great Ming rules!"

The Hongzhi Emperor finally smiled, patted Zhu Houzhao on the shoulder, and his eyes were full of approval.

"Well done! I am very pleased that the Crown Prince had this intention and was able to achieve this! Although his actions were still reckless and dangerous, and this mistake cannot be forgiven, I will remember this merit!"

Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed and quickly knelt down, saying, "Your subject thanks Your Majesty for your praise!"

Empress Zhang had been listening silently, and finally, she broke into a smile through her tears. She pulled Zhu Houzhao into her arms and said with heartache, "It's rare to see such filial piety in you. However, you should always tell your father before you do anything. Your mother is so worried!"

Zhu Houzhao nodded: "Your subject knows his mistake, and will not dare to do it again next time!"

The Hongzhi Emperor turned to Yang Shen, then looked at Li Chun, his eyes filled with satisfaction, and said, "Minister Yang's analysis is profound, and he has promoted those far from his position. Minister Li's assistance has been invaluable. With you all assisting the Crown Prince, I can rest assured. As for the follow-up to this case, I order the Embroidered Uniform Guard to work with the relevant authorities to investigate thoroughly and uncover the truth to ensure a complete success!"

"Your Majesty, we obey! Thank you!"

Yang Shen and Li Chun bowed respectfully, finally relieved.

The matter finally came to an end. After Emperor Hongzhi and Liu Jian left, the Eastern Palace temporarily returned to peace.

Everyone looked at each other, shivering with fear, feeling as if they had just escaped a disaster.

Zhu Houzhao looked at Yang Shen with more admiration and said, "Yang Shen, you're really amazing! I didn't get beaten up!"

Yang Shen was also filled with lingering fear. Fortunately, he discovered it in time; otherwise, if this kid had been encountered by the Tatars, the sky of the Ming Dynasty would have collapsed!

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, forced a smile, and said, "Your Highness is intelligent and decisive, which is a good thing, but... in the future, could you please consult with us before acting?"

Zhu Houzhao said somewhat embarrassedly, "Isn't this what you taught me? Weapons of mass destruction..."

"Your Highness, please be careful with your words!"

Yang Shen's heart tightened suddenly, and he quickly interrupted.

There are too many people and too many eyes here. If my instigation of Zhu Houzhao is exposed, I'm finished!

"Your Highness currently only knows what happens, but not why. To truly transform knowledge into a weapon, you must understand the underlying principles—that is the true path!"

Zhu Houzhao murmured, "The true Dao?"

"right!"

Yang Shen nodded and continued, "For example, why can the gas in a latrine be ignited? And why does the fuse of gunpowder burn slowly instead of exploding? Why does the gunpowder explode when a musket is fired instead of burning slowly? Behind these appearances lies the true Dao. If Your Highness wishes to learn, you must be patient and learn step by step. You cannot achieve it all at once."

Zhu Houzhao nodded as if he understood, and then said, "Yang, you will teach me the true way."

Yang Shen glanced at the sky and said, "The palace gates are about to close, and I need to go home. Let's talk about it tomorrow!"

Zhu Houzhao, however, looked as if he hadn't had enough, because he usually studied the Four Books and Five Classics, loyalty, filial piety, and etiquette, and he was very interested in Yang Shen's novel remarks.

Yang Shen was somewhat worried and instructed, "Your Highness, please do not disclose what I have said to anyone for the time being."

Zhu Houzhao frowned and asked, "Why?"

Yang Shen said, "Regarding today's matter, if Your Highness had consulted His Majesty beforehand, would His Majesty have allowed it? As the saying goes, a wise man acts first, and his words are followed by others. If Your Highness believes something is right, there's no need to say too much to others; just do it first, and then explain. Of course, I can explain it myself."

Zhu Houzhao finally understood. The reason he hadn't been beaten today was entirely due to Yang Shen's explanation.

That's why they call him a child prodigy; even when he's clearly in the wrong, he's portrayed as having the world in his heart and sharing the burdens of his ruler and father.

"I'll do whatever Yang says; I'll see you off!"

Yang Shen quickly bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "Your Highness, please wait. I will take my leave!"

Zhu Houzhao looked at Li Chun: "Li Qianhu, you will see Yang, the companion scholar, off on my behalf!"

"yes!"

Li Chun agreed, then stepped aside: "Yang, please!"

Yang Shen turned around, clasped his hands in a gesture of greeting, and strode towards the palace gate.

Li Chun followed and walked out of the East Palace gate before saying, "Yang, if you need anything in the future, just let me know. I, Li Chun, am a rough man and not good at reading or writing, but if you don't like someone, I'll definitely beat him up for you."

Yang Shen glanced back and said, "Commander Li, you flatter me. I have no enemies. I don't need it, I don't need it..."

Li Chun then said, "So, whose house have you set your sights on? I'll help you snatch it!"

"This... is even less necessary! My father is the Junior Chamberlain of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and my second uncle is a newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) and a seventh-rank Imperial Censor. My family is not short of money, and we have no plans to buy a new house at the moment."

"How about I help you find a wife? Which girl have you taken a fancy to...?"

"Commander Li!"

Yang Shen quickly waved his hand to stop him, saying, "I don't have anyone I like at the moment. I appreciate your kindness."

Li Chun looked distressed and said, "What would you like to order? Otherwise, I'll feel bad about it."

Yang Shen smiled faintly and said, "We all work for the Crown Prince, and we'll inevitably have to rely on Commander Li in the future. Farewell!"

Li Chun clasped his hands and said, "If it weren't for Yang's intervention today, all of the dozen or so people in the Eastern Palace would have been implicated. You are our benefactor. From now on, whatever your orders or requests... as long as you don't rebel, I, Li Chun, will definitely do it for you!"

Yang Shen felt something was off. What did he mean by "did it for me"?

It's clear that Li Chun is a reckless and impulsive person, but also a man of genuine character.

I did help them out of that predicament today, but if he finds out I was the one who started it all, I wonder if he'll really get me into trouble...

By the time we exited the Meridian Gate, it was already dark.

When I got home, my dad and second uncle were having dinner.

Yang Tinghe looked up and asked, "You didn't come home last night. What were you doing?"

Knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, Yang Shen gave a general account of what had happened the previous night.

However, he omitted many things, such as instigating Zhu Houzhao to light latrines and Zhu Houzhao using excrement to ambush the Tatars. These things could not be said. He only said that Zhu Houzhao secretly ran out of the palace, and he followed him because he was worried. Then he successfully caught the smugglers, and so on.

After hearing this, Yang Tinghe didn't think too much about it, because Zhu Houzhao's unruly character didn't seem to be a lie.

"The Crown Prince is young and doesn't know any better. You will stay by his side and do your best to assist him."

"Your son will heed your teachings, Father!"

"Alright, let's eat!"

Yang Shen went to wash his hands and sat down at the table to eat.

At this moment, Yang Tingyi suddenly said, "Brother, something strange has happened here."

Yang Tinghe asked, "What is it?"

Yang Tingyi hesitated, "Never mind, let's talk about it after we finish eating."

Yang Tinghe said, "There's no need to be so cautious at home. Just say what you want to say, it's fine."

Yang Tingyi thought for a moment and said, "When I was patrolling the city today, I found that some things were missing from the South City Garrison."

"Oh? The Military Command can lose things? What did they lose?"

"They threw away so much... manure!"

"puff!"

Yang Shen spat out a mouthful of rice, his expression somewhat strange.

Seeing this, Yang Tingyi said embarrassedly, "It's my fault. I shouldn't have talked about these things during dinner."

Yang Tinghe frowned, puzzled, and asked, "This thing can be lost?"

Yang Tingyi sighed, "Who says otherwise! Originally, these large... these things were supposed to be collected by the Military Command and then sent to Daxing County for irrigation. Now the officials from Daxing County have come to receive them, and they simply don't believe they're missing. Who would steal these things? Besides, even if they used carts, it would take at least a dozen large carts. They insist that the Military Command of Nancheng gave the things to Wanping County because the deputy commander of the Military Command of Nancheng and the clerk of Wanping County are relatives. The two groups are arguing fiercely and are even trying to drag me into it, asking me to stand up for them. I don't know the whole story, how can I make a decision?"

Yang Tinghe waved his hand and said, "You are the Imperial Inspector in charge of the city, responsible for supervising the conduct and discipline of the officials of the Military Affairs Bureau. This kind of dispute is not under your jurisdiction."

Yang Tingyi nodded and said, "Oh, I understand!"