It was still morning and Si Ning doesn't think it was a good idea so just show up to see Xiu Zhicheng because he hadn't prepared his heart yet and for some reason, he wanted to delay seeing the Queen Dowager. It was inevitable not to go but to stall he had to let Ah Dai serve him his juice with some cookies. The cookies had no taste to him but seeing Xiu Junjie munching it happily means it was probably tasty and only tasted bland to Si Ning because he was tired.

Si Ning found it funny that Xiu Junjie was lying down on the mat acting like the owner of the house because he even demanded one of his Servants to massage his feet. "Junjie-er are you escaping from practicing martial arts or classes?" Instead of wondering if Xiu Junjie was trying to hide out in his place, he decided to ask straightforwardly.

"Aish!" Xiu Junjie sat up making the Servant that was massaging his feet moved back to avoid a kick. "You Si Ning, how dare you call me by name and even say nonsense about me." He pointed at Si Ning as he shook his index finger as a sign of warning. "Do I look like I don't attend classes to you?"

"That is exactly how it looks like." Si Ning told him, he was so sure because Xiu Junjie wore a guilty expression that he was trying to hide but failed miserably.

"Just because you are my disciple that is why I am letting this slide Si Ning. It is my fault you misbehave like this because I didn't teach you well."

"Ah you! muph.." Si Ning wanted to tell Xiu Junjie he wasn't his disciple and scold him because of the owner's attitude he comfortably wore in someone else home that gave Si Ning the appearance of the visitor but if he ends up scolding Xiu Junjie he felt like his life span might decrease and he doesn't want some gossip to go around that he disrespected the Crown Prince. To avoid talking, he threw a strawberry in his mouth, enjoying the sour taste.

Si Ning couldn't count the number of strawberries he had eaten but from what he had seen he had eaten quite a few and he noticed that Xiu Junjie had been watching him. Since the servants had nothing to do, they all left leaving him alone with Xiu Junjie which made him aware that he was being stared at.

"Why have you been staring at me?" He asked when he couldn't take it anymore. He doesn't have any problem with Xiu Junjie not talking to him but what he had a problem with was being stared at like he was being studied.

Xiu Junjie propped up his elbow. "I was just wondering if perhaps you are a woman."

"Ugh?" Si Ning was a bit shock but managed to wore an impassive look, he knew Xiu Junjie do say a lot of things but nonsense wasn't one of them.

"Your face is pretty, your build is what they call average built and too slim and your hair is so pretty and long." Xiu Junjie stretched his hand and took a strand of Si Ning's hair that was spread on the table and twirled it between his fingers. "Then your hands are so smooth almost like you had never held a sword." He added.

"Ugh?" Si Ning had no idea when he came in contact with Xiu Junjie that he was able to feel that his hands were soft but he wasn't going to tell Xiu Junjie he had been taking care of his hands and because he hardly exercise so it was normal that he wasn't heavily built and for him, his built was already perfect and for his face being pretty was a bonus he was born with which was perfect for an Empress, overall he doesn't think he had the appearance of a woman.

"I know you are Si Ning so you weren't switched out with a twin who had soft hands which made me conclude that because you had to be the head of the Si family that was why your parent told the world you are a man so that you could perfectly lead the army."

If it was the modern era then Si Ning would guess Xiu Junjie had been watching a lot of movies to conjure up a conspiracy theory like that.

"A woman can also be a General which means if I am a woman then my father doesn't have to hide it." Si Ning pointed out. It wasn't only Xiu Junjie that had been studying, he had also been taking a random book to read whenever he had the time since Xiu Junjie beat him at the last game so he knew all he had to know about the army.

Xiu Junjie frowned as he took an apple and started to stab like he was trying to dissolve his frustration. "You are not the first Imperial consort because history registered that my great Imperial grandfather only had an Imperial Consort but why will Imperial father want to make a man his Empress?"

"And why can't he?"

"The glory of a being Imperial father's wife is having a child but as a man, you can't which means you are useless and to make it worst you will be useless as the Empress."

"How can you say that." Si Ning was a bit surprised that he wasn't annoyed and he was calm like he had been expecting it. It was just like Xiu Junjie to speak out his mind since he wasn't in the position of watching what he had to say in case he hurts someone. It doesn't apply to him as the Crown Prince.

"Imperial grandmother doesn't like my mother but because she had me that why she could tolerate it and even let Imperial father marry her but an Empress that cant give birth is useless."

"Where did you hear all this?" Si Ning couldn't believe someone like Xiu Junjie would take his time thinking about why his father wanted to marry him. It sounded like someone had been teaching the boy a male Empress was nothing but useless.

"It is common knowledge, people say it all the time." Xiu Junjie said and took another apple to stab.

Si Ning wasn't even annoyed, he knew people talking about him not being able to produce a child was common knowledge so he shouldn't become angry. "If I am a woman and become the Empress then have a child, don't you think your position will be threatened so you should be grateful that I am a man."

Xiu Junjie shrugged. "Whatever, now let me see the gifts."

"Why?"

"So that this Master won't lose face, I have to at least see what my disciple want to give Imperial grandmother and Imperial father so that I can check if it's right or wrong." Xiu Junjie rolled his eyes. "I will get older faster with the way I have to explain everything to you." He complained.

Si Ning's eye twitched as he clinched the hand fan he was holding before he mistakenly slightly hit it on Xiu Junjie's head even though he wasn't even offended at Xiu Junjie's last statement. He doesn't want to check the gifts but since Xiu Junjie would be watching and to save face he would be able to resist keeping the gifts for himself and it was nice of Xiu Junjie to want to help him so he didn't mind.