Cui Xiaoqiu was already used to this "father-supporting demon".
There's no way around it; he'll have to help out from now on.
"Someone must have tampered with it," Cui Xiaoqiu said.
"I think so too. With Prince of Rong's cowardly appearance, he really wouldn't dare."
Prince of Rong was a pedantic, cowardly, and extremely timid man.
He's actually a very kind person; otherwise, he wouldn't have opened a school at home and taken on other students.
However, his children and grandchildren are all rather useless.
Of course, if it weren't for this personality trait, he wouldn't be alive today.
Back when he had a legitimate chance to vie for the throne, he cowered like a quail; how could he possibly stand out now?
Cui Xiaoqiu said, "I'll find out if I look it up."
How do I check?
"Of course, we need to find out who profited from it."
"I..."
Cui Xiaoqiu laughed and said, "You're just a small fry at best. Isn't there a big fish waiting for you?"
Yanran's expression turned somewhat awkward, and she said sheepishly, "You mean Cui Xiaoqiu, could it be... could it be that my father did it?"
After all, her father had a history of cheating on the sports field and in dragon boat races, and he also had the ability to do so.
After pondering for a moment, Cui Xiaoqiu said, "Maybe, but not necessarily."
He always felt that the Prince of Jin wouldn't risk his life for a few hundred thousand taels of silver.
What if someone finds out?
"My father is short of money," Yanran said. "There are several wars going on now, and we don't know how long they will last. Even my father has to bow down for a meager living."
If only this silver had actually ended up in my father's pocket.
"You go investigate yours, I'll go ask Father."
"Good."
Late at night, Yanran sneaked out of the Prince's mansion, accompanied by several guards, and stealthily made her way to the Prince of Prince of Jin's residence.
The birdsong outside was so sweet it made one's bones melt.
Inside the room Yanran stared in disbelief at the somewhat familiar young man.
As soon as she entered the room, she spotted the young man beating the drum on the dragon boat.
It's confirmed; her father was the one who fabricated the story.
"I knew it!" Yanran said with a smile, briefly surprised before leaning closer to Prince of Jin. "This young man is actually one of Father's men."
The boy lowered his head, looking somewhat uneasy, his earlobes bright red.
The Prince of Jin said, "Zhao Kuo, this is the eldest daughter."
The young man knelt down and bowed, saying, "Zhao Kuo greets the young lady."
"Tsk tsk, Father, I'm a grown woman now. Are you starting to have your eyes on the Second Miss?"
The Prince of Jin laughed and said, "Naughty."
He told Zhao Kuo to leave, and the latter bowed his head and went out, closing the door behind him as he reached it.
The door panels gradually closed, and the gap between them narrowed.
When the crack in the door narrowed to only two fingers' width, Zhao Kuo finally couldn't resist looking up and peering at Yanran through the narrow gap.
Yanran was excitedly talking about how she and her father had won money, a story told with great enthusiasm.
She made no mention of her stunning performance during the day, as if it were just an ordinary thing.
Yanran laughed radiantly, leaning against Prince of Jin's shoulder, her eyes sparkling like stars...
The door was completely closed. Zhao Kuo lowered his head, paused at the doorway, smiled at the guards, and hurriedly withdrew.
"Father, is Zhao Kuo someone you recently took in? Is he reliable?" Yanran asked after Zhao Kuo.
Being able to serve closely by the Prince of Jin's side, and with the Prince of Jin even specially arranging for Zhao Kuo to pay his respects, it was clear that they would be seeing each other frequently in the future.
"Um."
It turns out that Zhao Kuo's father was Chang Zhi's sworn brother, and through Chang Zhi's connections, he was sent to the Prince of Jin's side.
After observing Zhao Kuo, the Prince of Jin found him to be quiet and composed, skilled in martial arts, and quick-witted, so he kept him by his side.
His first task for Zhao Kuo was to gain the trust of Prince of Rong and infiltrate the dragon boat team.
Yanran suddenly realized. "No wonder he was so nervous, he must have been thinking that if he didn't do well on the first task, he wouldn't be able to stay."
The Prince of Jin did not mention Zhao Kuo again, only saying that he would keep Zhao Kuo by his side to run errands in the future, and that he would observe him over time.
"I think he'll definitely be fine," Yanran said with a grin. "Once we get to know each other better, I'll have a little sparring session with him."
"You did very well today," the Prince of Jin said with a smile. "I've been watching and I'm very proud of you. But next time, you must be careful and not overexert yourself."
"I'll remember that," Yanran said. "I was also thinking of showing off today, hehe."
The Prince of Jin smiled and patted her head, but his gaze seemed to pass through her as he looked at someone else. "Yanran has grown up."
"Of course," Yanran said without any modesty. "Things will definitely get better and better in the future. Maybe I can even help my elder brother lead troops someday!"
"Help my elder brother lead the troops?" Prince of Jin asked, puzzled.
"That's right," Yanran said confidently, "Doesn't Father intend to hand over all matters to Eldest Brother in the future, so you can take Mother and live a carefree life?"
The Prince of Jin blushed and instinctively wanted to say something in his defense, but ultimately didn't utter a word.
Okay, that's exactly what he planned to do.
The child needs opportunities to practice; he's too old and shouldn't be in the way.
Yanran said, "Father, I've seen them. Neither Wuji nor Wuxian are cut out for war. Brothers fight tigers together, fathers and sons go to war together. If there are no brothers, sisters will make up for it. I'll help my eldest brother from now on."
The Prince of Jin couldn't help but chuckle, "What's wrong with Wuji and Wuxian? They're not cut out for war?"
"Look at Wuji, he'd rather lie down than sit, and rather sit than stand. When he sees something delicious or fun, he runs faster than anyone else... Do you think he's capable?"
"Wuxian, you little idiot, you'll just be a bookworm from now on."
The Prince of Jin actually thought so too, but a child's character is formed by age three, and this child is not even three years old yet.
There might be a chance to save it.
However, this was clearly a somber topic, so the Prince of Jin changed the subject, saying, "You've really stolen the limelight this time; I'm afraid some people will target you."
"Prince of Ding?"
"Yes. And it might not just be him."
Prince of Ding would consider Yanran a major threat, while the other forces secretly observing would remain unsure how to react.
"... I'm also worried about the malice coming from women," the Prince of Jin said gently. "Yanran, don't get bogged down in domestic squabbles."
"I know." Yanran grinned and shook her fist. "Anyone who disagrees, I have this."
Women who like to nag and make things difficult for others often become timid in front of men.
Why? Simply because men have strong fists and are not to be trifled with.
Therefore, she decided to become someone they couldn't afford to offend.
The Prince of Jin looked pleased.
"Father, are you short of money?" Yanran placed five thousand taels of silver notes on the table.
The Prince of Jin did not refuse.
It's not that we're so short of money, but rather that this is a token of Yanran's affection.
"Shang Ke; it's not unsustainable yet."
"Can it last until winter?"
Winter is the hardest.
The Prince of Jin spoke frankly, "It would be best if things settled down before the end of this year."
"Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to beg for alms everywhere?"
Her words were playful, Prince of Jin couldn't help but smile, "Little child, don't overthink it. I can't sell you."