"You little cur, slow down! You're really asking for a beating!"
Luo Jing had just entered the palace gate and rounded a corner when he heard this voice. Then he saw a man chasing someone and beating him savagely. Luo Jing frowned slightly at the sight, but still saluted. "Crown Prince."
This man was Liu Qi, the reigning Crown Prince and the Empress's eldest legitimate son. Although Great Han's laws of imperial succession contained no explicit stipulation, they were deeply influenced by the Zhou Dynasty's system of eldest-legitimate-son succession. With two consecutive emperors having been eldest legitimate sons, this had become a tradition. Liu Heng was an emperor who did not break political rules unless necessary, so he had appointed his eldest legitimate son, Liu Qi, Crown Prince very early on.
"Marquis of Dong'e."
Seeing Luo Jing, Crown Prince Qi stopped his pursuit and beating. The two left the place without exchanging many words.
Liu Qi did not particularly like Luo Jing, because Liu Heng liked Luo Jing more than him and often compared the two, rebuking him for his rashness and incompetence.
Especially as the Empress grew older, Liu Heng's affection for her diminished. In this respect, Liu Heng was absolutely Liu Bang's own grandson, nothing like Liu Ying.
However, Liu Heng would never rashly disturb the foundations of the state over personal preferences. He had never considered shaking the Empress's political position. Although he was not very satisfied with the Crown Prince's violent temper and considered him too rash, he had no major objections overall. Thus, Liu Qi's position as Crown Prince remained as secure as Mount Tai.
Luo Jing thought little of it. A somewhat violent temper was no great problem in a Crown Prince. Not every ruler could be as benevolent and kind as Emperor Xiaohui.