"Fourth Brother, why are you here?"
Xie Huizhou hurriedly climbed off Zhang Lanhe and went back to pretending to be a dignified young gentleman.
"What relationship I have with the Imperial Preceptor hardly seems to be yours to police, Fourth Brother."
Whenever Xie Huizhou saw the Fourth Prince, he remembered how this sinister man had deliberately said all sorts of provocative things in Suowu Palace to break down his mental defenses.
The whole point had been to watch him crack and fall apart, satisfying that strange hobby of his.
To Xie Huizhou, this gentle fourth brother was a loathsome pervert. The little trap he had set for him before was nowhere near enough.
"Ninth Son, the eldest brother stands in for the father. I am your eldest brother now, so it is perfectly reasonable for me to discipline you." There was a mocking edge to the Fourth Prince's gentle words. "You're a grown man, yet you still cling to the Imperial Preceptor like this. I'm only looking out for your reputation. Anyone who didn't know better would think you had some shameful relationship."
Xie Huizhou, you've always cared about your reputation. If people find out how close you are to a treacherous minister like the Imperial Preceptor, they're bound to gossip.
Xie Huizhou wondered why the Fourth Prince always spoke to him in that snide tone. He could be with whoever he wanted.
Besides, strictly speaking, Fang Yuanke was his eldest brother.
What was the point of saying the eldest brother stood in for the father in a struggle for imperial power? Hadn't the eldest prince been killed all the same?
Xie Huizhou could not be bothered to listen and interrupted him. "We are lovers, actually, so you needn't worry, Fourth Brother. Rather than concern yourself with me and the