"The fourth prince is here," the imperial consort's attendant announced as the fourth prince entered the room, she and Changlin quickly stood up but the prince couldn't wait, he ran up to his brother and threw his arms around him in a tight hug.

"Brother, you are finally back," the resentment he felt towards him a while ago disappeared like smoke.

​​

"You are going to suffocate me to death," the fourth prince complained with a broad smile on his face, Changlin quickly unwrapped his hands around his neck.

"You should have told me you were going to return to the palace and mind you, I still hold a grudge against you for sending me back to the palace," he huffed then returned to his mother's side, the fourth prince bowed before the imperial consort with his hands cupped.

"How have you been, mother?" he asked with an emotional tone in his voice, if there is anyone he missed the most in the palace then it is the imperial consort who has always taken care of him since he was young.

She held his hands with teary eyes, the young boy she used to tend to has now grown into a fine young man, he has always been like her first son and with him away from her side all these years, it always felt like there is a part of her missing.

"As long as you are back safe and sound it is fine, have you been doing well, eating well, how is the weather in Shannanxi, are you feeling sick....?" she kept going on and on, asking questions that she couldn't ask all these years.

He held her hand then patted it gently.

"I am fine," he assured her as he brought her to her seat, her attendant returned with maids who served them snacks and tea, the attendant dismissed the maids but remained to pour them tea which Ruansong tasted first, he hummed in appreciation.

"Changlin told me you have taken a liking to tea," she remarked as she took a sip from her cup while Changlin went straight for the snacks.

"The blossom valley is blessed with grounds for growing tea leaves and the flowers appear to be even more intriguing when it comes to making tea so it can't be helped that I have gotten used to it," he responded, taking another sip from the cup.

"You have grown into a handsome young man, it is a shame that you left the palace or you would already be married like your first and second brother," the imperial consort remarked again gauging his expression to see how he embraces the idea but his face remained blank.

"Mother, first and second brother only have concubines at the moment, do you perhaps want the fourth brother to take concubines?" Changlin who was still munching the snacks chimed in earning a glare from his mother.

"Let's not discuss marriage now, there is still plenty of time for that, why don't you tell me how your stay in Shannanxi has been?" she continued, not willing to go without listening to his story.

She might know about Xiaodi being a spirit beast and the ring but she definitely doesn't know his identity as the saint of the ice clan and the purpose of the ring which she just assumed to be an ordinary spatial ring which is rare to acquire, when his mother handed the ring to her, she made sure to place a barrier that only he can open and decipher.

"It has bee...."

They kept talking for a while, leaving the others worried about what the inner palace is going to be like from now on, if the fourth prince mother was still alive then she would have been the one to fawn upon but everyone knows the imperial consort is just like his mother but she lacks the support of the court so they are all torn in between.

By the next day, everyone in the country and beyond already knows of the return to the rumored fourth prince whom they thought to be just some palace stories but now he has turned real, the ministers started trooping into the court while discussing in groups, they could have had their way easily if the fourth prince didn't show up but now it is them against the king and the regional commander.

"His majesty is here!" the head eunuch announced as the emperor entered the hall to take his seat with both hands on his lap, now that his son has returned, he can only place high hopes on him, he has roamed the world so he must have learned some skills, unlike before.

"Your majesty!" they chorused in unison with a bow after which the emperor eased them.

"Congratulations on the fourth prince's return!" they all chorused again, he scoffed internally knowing just how aggrieved they are by his return.

"I am glad to know my subjects share my joy, I was worried that his return might cause discontent but it seemed like even my subjects are happy," the emperor responded with a broad smile on his face, the ministers know better than to drag the issue so the prime minister decided to delve right into the crowning of the crown prince.

"Your majesty, though we couldn't finish the topic concerning the crowning of the crown prince, I hope you make your decision today," the prime minister said with his head slightly bowed yet holding a smirk on his lips.

"Your majesty, please make your decision!" they chorused in unison except for the regional commander.

"Your majesty, Li Changying is the first prince and the son of the empress so it is only right that he is crowned as the crown prince," one of the ministers started while the others followed with each candidate in mind, if he wasn't overjoyed by the return of the fourth prince, he would have exploded in anger.

"Seeing as all my ministers are urging me to select a crown prince, one might think the emperor is no longer in good health and might pass away anytime soon," he remarked in a bellowed tone, the ministers quickly fell to their knees.

"We dare not!" they chorused.

"Your majesty, we are only thinking for the country, the future of our country will be ensured and the country will be further established if we crown a prince, the other countries are started to look down on us because we do not have a crown prince, please consider this," the prime minister reasoned to which he regional commander agreed to for the first time.

Although he understands the emperor's intentions, not having a crown prince will destabilize the country as time goes on.

"No need to say any further, I have made my decision," the emperor announced earning their shocked gazes as they couldn't believe he easily gave in like that, their heart started thudding as to who he is going to crown as the crown prince.

"The fourth prince will be crowned as the crowned prince,!" he announced, earning their gasps and a look of shock from the ministers who quickly bowed their heads to the ground.

"Your majesty, you must not!" the minister yelled their lungs out.

The regional commander couldn't understand what game the emperor is playing, crowning the fourth prince just like that will do him no good but bad.

"Why can't I crown the fourth prince, he has experienced the world outside the palace so he should know the people's pain more than the princes who have lived all their lives sheltered in the palace," he debated.

"You majesty, the fourth prince has been known to be weak in health and he has never excelled in literary abilities, we don't know what life he has lived outside the palace or what he has done so it is wrong to crown him based on just that,"

The prime minister clenched his jaw at the look the emperor has on his face now, the look of victory when he hasn't even won over them...just yet.

"The first prince has always excelled both in martial art and literature, the princess teachers have affirmed that he is unrivaled in military strategies," another remarked, the emperor might have tried to suppress them but there are still competitions and opportunities to show their talent to the ministers.

"The princes would have had the chance to show their abilities and know more about the people if you didn't suppress them so I beseech you to take back your decision," the prime minister added, earning a deep frown from the emperor.

"Are you saying I have been suppressing my own sons so they don't outshine me, prime minister, you are so bold that you have gone as far as painting me a petty father and emperor in front of my subject," the emperor accused with his voice raised, the prime minister bowed his head deeply.

"I dare not, I am only saying that the princes have not had the opportunity to show their true abilities," he quickly refuted, he has just gotten out of one problem with the emperor and it won't be good if he has another hold over him but unknown to him, he has fallen into the emperor's trap.

"That is indeed true, I am indeed guilty of failing to see their true abilities and since you all argue that I have not allowed them to show themselves then I will elect the crown prince through a competition," he declared, the hall immediately became filled with murmurs.

But the prime minister furrowed his brows, the emperor would never accept his fault so easily unless...he tricked and used him. If the emperor brought up the idea of selecting the crown prince through a competition at the beginning then they would have argued the same but it is a different matter if the prime minister insinuates it.

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