Fatherly Love, Filial Piety

At this very moment, Xiao Fan had already braced himself for being instantly killed by a first-rank Martial God.

There was no helping it—under these circumstances, no cheat ability would do any good...

Emperor Hongwu's expression remained as placid as ever, without the slightest ripple in his features. He said mildly, "Xiao Fan? I remember you. In the Golden Glow Mountain ambush, you were the one who saved Xuanyuan and escorted him safely back to the capital, correct? That was a great service in protecting your master; your loyalty and courage are commendable. What reward do you wish for?"

Holy shit?! The dragon aura inside me wasn't discovered? Xiao Fan was utterly stunned. A first-rank Martial God of Great Liang standing barely thirty zhang away had failed to notice the anomaly within his body?

He did his best to calm down. Don't scare yourself for nothing!

Xiao Fan swiftly composed himself and kowtowed as he declared loudly, "In reply to Your Majesty, His Fifth Highness's safe return to the capital was entirely due to Your Majesty's boundless heavenly might and Heaven's blessing upon Great Liang. This commoner merely fulfilled his duty of protecting his master and has not a shred of merit to claim. I absolutely dare not accept Your Majesty's reward!"

The moment those words fell, the Crown Prince, the Fourth Prince, and all the ministers in the hall turned to look at him, their expressions rather complicated, as though saying, "What a perfect answer!"

The corner of Emperor Hongwu's mouth curled up ever so imperceptibly. Every day, he had to face performances of every shape and kind; when he encountered someone with superb acting skills, he could not help but smile.

"How about this? Since you are a contestant recommended by Xuanyuan, I hope you can bring glory to our nation in this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament and achieve worthy results. When the time comes, your two merits shall be counted together, and I will reward you accordingly."

Got it... If I do well, double rewards. If I screw it up, merits and faults cancel out, and I get nothing... Xiao Fan had understood the unspoken meaning.

"Thank you for Your Majesty's great grace!" Xiao Fan hurriedly expressed his gratitude. He had to show the right attitude first; whether he could pull it off was another matter!

Emperor Hongwu gave a slight nod, then shifted his gaze to the Crown Prince. "Crown Prince, have you no one to recommend?"

"In reply to Father Emperor, your son—"

Before the Crown Prince could finish, Emperor Hongwu cut him off in a grave voice. "You are the Crown Prince, the heir apparent, and the eldest imperial son. You ought to set an example for your younger brothers. Next time, arrive earlier, lest your brothers dare not enter for fear of overstepping their station!"

At those words, the Crown Prince immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed. "Your son and Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother are brothers born of the same blood. There is neither distinction of rank nor any question of overstepping! I beg Father Emperor to see clearly!"

Beside him, the Fourth Prince pinched his fingers hard as he fought to keep from laughing. That snide line he had Eunuch Liu pass along earlier had indeed worked!

But just as he was secretly gloating, Emperor Hongwu's tone abruptly changed. "I find the Crown Prince's words incorrect. Sovereign and subject are sovereign and subject; brothers are brothers. How can the two be muddled together? Remember this from now on: the Crown Prince is the heir apparent, while you are subjects. All of you, mind your tongues!"

As Emperor Hongwu spoke those last few words, he heavily stressed them, his gaze swiftly locking onto the Fourth Prince. The implication could not have been clearer!

"Father Emperor, quell your anger! Your son knows his fault! Your son respects the Crown Prince so deeply that he lost all sense of propriety and spoke too much. My crime is beyond redemption; I beg Father Emperor to punish me!"

The wheel of fortune turned; now it was the Fourth Prince's turn to kneel and kowtow...

In just those few brief sentences, the two most powerful princes had been suppressed until they could not raise their heads, repeatedly kowtowing and begging forgiveness. The sight sent chills down everyone's backs, and none dared make a sound...

Ji Xuanyuan, already timid by nature, was trembling even more violently. If asked whom he feared most in all the world, the answer was undoubtedly the man seated upon the dragon throne before him.

Don't look at me... Don't look at me... Don't look at me...

Ji Xuanyuan prayed frantically in his heart, hoping his old father would not notice he even existed...

Yet...

"Xuanyuan," Emperor Hongwu said mildly.

Ji Xuanyuan froze for a moment, then nearly instinctively threw himself to the floor in a kneel, stammering, "Y-your... your son is here!"

"Come here. Come before me." Emperor Hongwu curled a hand, motioning for Ji Xuanyuan to approach.

This frightened the young master out of his wits. Running was out of the question—even with ten times the courage, he would not dare run. He could only grit his teeth and scramble his way before the emperor.

Emperor Hongwu extended a hand. To Ji Xuanyuan's eyes, it was as though a towering mountain had come crashing down before him!

It's over... He's going to hit me... Maybe he'll beat me to death outright... Ji Xuanyuan was so terrified that he dared not lift his head, and could only beg the people behind him for help with his eyes...

His expression was a tangled mess of terror, disbelief, and despair, all woven into a single plea: "Old Xiao! Crown Prince Brother! Fourth Brother! Whoever it is, save me!"

"Get up. Let me see whether yesterday's injury has improved."

Emperor Hongwu helped the panicked Ji Xuanyuan to his feet. Like a kind and benevolent old father, he examined the shoe-shaped bruise on his shoulder...

The young master was completely dumbfounded. "F-Father Emperor... Y-you... you're not going to hit me...?"

"Hmm? Are you saying that I am some tyrant who resorts to violence at every turn?" Emperor Hongwu asked calmly, his expression unmoved.

Ji Xuanyuan, who had only just caught his breath, was scared half to death again and hurriedly fell to his knees. "Your son misspoke! Your son would not dare!"

Emperor Hongwu helped his son up once more. "Enough. I know that you have always acted absurdly, and it is difficult not to feel frustration when iron fails to become steel. But this time, you changed your former idle ways and took the initiative to recommend worthy talent for the nation, sharing my burdens... It is rare for you to possess such a loyal and filial heart. I am deeply gratified.

"I hope you will treat this Nine Provinces Martial Tournament seriously, seeing it through from beginning to end. Do not let a momentary whim leave you abandoning it halfway. Whether you succeed or fail, I will surely reward you."

As soon as those words landed, the young master was dumbfounded again... It had been more than ten years since his father last praised him...

He was overwhelmed... Tears streamed down his face... He sobbed so hard that he could barely speak.

"Waaah... F-Father Emperor... your son... your son... will... will not... fail... fail your trust..."

Everyone in the hall was moved by this scene of a loving father and dutiful son, their eyes moist. Some even abandoned all decorum and burst into loud wails, not forgetting to chant as they cried:

"His Majesty and the Fifth Highness share such profound father-son affection. We subjects are so envious! If all fathers and sons under heaven could be like this, how wonderful that would be!"

"This is the path of benevolence and filial piety in our Great Liang! It shall surely be remembered for generations, becoming a fine tale sung through all ages!"

"Exactly, exactly! This very day, I shall arrange for someone to write a book about this matter and spread it throughout the four seas!"

What a cast of actors, take your places—fantasy edition...

Xiao Fan watched it all but did not join in the wild performance. Instead, he felt that the young master was genuinely pitiful. The ordinary fatherly love found in common households was something he could only beg for and never obtain... After finally being praised once, he had become this overwhelmed.

Looking again at the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince, who had remained kneeling on the ground, both wore dark expressions, clearly scheming over something in their minds. How could they possibly feel the slightest bit moved...?

"Enough. What kind of spectacle is this in broad daylight?" Emperor Hongwu raised his voice slightly.

The moment those words fell, the sobbing throughout the great hall ceased at once!

Then, facing the Crown Prince and Fourth Prince still kneeling on the ground, he continued, "You two, get up as well. Do your own duties properly and handle your assignments well. Stop playing those little tricks all day long. In this regard, you should learn from Xuanyuan."

"Your sons obey the decree!"

The two princes rose in alarm. They exchanged a glance, and a trace of icy menace flashed through their eyes...