Xiaoying’s heart skipped a beat as she whirled around to find the perpetually drunken Imperial Tutor standing behind her.

Today, whatever counterfeit wine he had consumed, the old man had slept only briefly before awakening with clear eyes, showing no trace of the intoxication he had displayed when entering the study.

Xiaoying realized her carelessness and smiled while returning the book to the shelf: “The Imperial Tutor is awake. Did I make too much noise and disturb you?”

During these days of feigned drunkenness, Ge Danian had thoroughly assessed the temperaments of the princes.

The Second Prince, currently enjoying high prestige at court, appeared to stand above the other princes, but his character lacked stability, somewhat eager for quick success. The Third Prince was consistently rough inside and out, quite straightforward.

As for the Sixth Prince, though still young, he understood the ways of palace survival. His birth mother was of humble origins, and now, under the Empress’s wing, he greatly valued his path to advancement.

And then there was the seemingly simplest, the “good-for-nothing” Crown Prince, who initially showed no particular promise, matching the Emperor’s description—a lazy youth with no ambition.

But recently, this “good-for-nothing” Crown Prince had gradually become interesting.

As the Crown Prince attempted to change the subject, Old Master Ge pointed to the bookshelf: “These past few days, Your Highness has read through all the military tactics and battle formations here. How so? Does Your Highness, like the Third Prince, enjoy commanding troops?”

Xiaoying smiled: “It’s merely out of boredom, reading for amusement. I’ve been lazy and haven’t completed the assignments you gave me, teacher.”

The books the Crown Prince had been reading were hardly the type that would relieve boredom or pass the time. The study’s collection largely consisted of rare treasures preserved through dynasties, many being unique copies seldom seen outside.

And observing through his drunken eyes, the Crown Prince showed discerning taste. The books he read most frequently were particularly profound, not something ordinary people could patiently read through.

With no one in the study besides the drunken old man, the Crown Prince did not need to feign diligence. His concentrated reading manner clearly showed genuine interest and seriousness.

Seeing Ge Danian probe further, Xiaoying realized her momentary negligence had exposed something. She could only smile candidly, waiting to hear what the old teacher would say.

The old teacher sat down on the mat and pointed to a nearby chessboard: “Since you enjoy tactical deployment, Your Highness’s chess skills must also be quite good. Come, play a few games with this old man.”

Xiaoying declined, claiming her chess skills were poor and no match for the teacher.

The old teacher arranged the chess pieces, “advising”: “The Crown Prince’s desire to conceal his talents is commendable. But in this palace, merely concealing talents without occasionally revealing brilliance is not the way to establish oneself.”

Hearing this, Xiaoying lifted her robe hem and sat down respectfully, choosing the white pieces before asking with a smile: “When playing chess with the teacher, might we add some stakes for entertainment?”

The old teacher laughed heartily: “Since we’re competing, we naturally should add some stakes. If this old man loses, I’ll drink another pot of aged wine and conveniently forget our conversation today. How does that sound?”

Xiaoying couldn’t help but laugh: “I’ve merely read a few books. If I tell the Emperor, what would happen?”

Ge Danian raised his eyes to look at the seemingly innocent youth: “Why is it that the Crown Prince of our dynasty can participate in governance but must never balance two roles by taking military command?”

Seeing the Crown Prince unable to answer, the old man placed a piece and leisurely explained: “At the dynasty’s founding, the Dafeng Emperor’s Crown Prince, facing the possibility of being deposed, raised an army in rebellion. Because of his military background and numerous trusted followers, he nearly succeeded. Since then, while Crown Princes may enter civil and financial administration, they must stay far from military affairs. Other princes may train in the Ministry of War, but cannot enter the commander’s camp or hold the commander’s seal. Other princes may read military books, but as Crown Prince, you must understand the importance of avoiding any connection to military symbols.”

Hearing this, Xiaoying understood. The Crown Prince’s fascination with military texts wasn’t inherently problematic, but with Feng Qiyuan already at risk of being deposed, if ill-intentioned people spread rumors to Emperor Chunde, it could become a source of imperial suspicion.

Ge Danian’s meaning was clear: if she won, he would help conceal the Crown Prince’s interests, sparing him from imperial suspicion.

Between intelligent people, words need not be overly explicit.

Xiaoying couldn’t fathom Ge Danian’s intentions or whether he was a man of his word.

But at this point, she could only respond to each move as it came, replying respectfully: “The Imperial Tutor truly cares for his student. I shall do my best!”

Thus, teacher and student began their chess match, each responding to the other’s moves.

In this match, Ge Danian immediately noticed that the young Crown Prince surprised him yet again.

He excelled at speed chess, and few could keep up with his pace, yet this widely acknowledged good-for-nothing young Crown Prince easily matched his rhythm. When placing pieces, he seemed to act without deliberation, yet each move was treacherously calculated, skilled at laying traps.

After losing several pieces to the youth’s ambushes, Ge Danian couldn’t help but slow his pace, becoming increasingly cautious with each move.

The young Crown Prince, seemingly noticing the old teacher struggling to keep pace, also slowed down, considerately avoiding embarrassing the old teacher.

Even so, after three incense sticks had burned, the old teacher still lost by a single piece.

Although Ge Danian had lost, the match had been exhilarating and satisfying, giving him the joy of meeting a worthy opponent.

He raised his eyes to carefully examine the Crown Prince, feeling that the fierce and cunning chess style didn’t match the frail youth before him, who resembled a young girl.

“The Crown Prince’s chess skills are sophisticated and tricky, surpassing many masters. May I ask from whom Your Highness learned such exquisite chess skills?”

Hearing Ge Danian’s question, Xiaoying smiled slightly: “During the four years of punishment by the Emperor, with nothing to do, I focused on studying chess manuals, playing against myself for entertainment. A wild approach that amuses the teacher.”

All those close to the Crown Prince in Yiyuan had been silenced by Empress Tang, so regardless of what the Crown Prince had done during those four years, Yan Xiaoying could invent any story.

This chess match confirmed Old Ge’s suspicion: this youth was truly one in ten thousand, both beautiful and wise!

In the past, when Emperor Chunde was still a prince, he excelled at concealing his talents. Who would have thought that the son least favored by Chunde would turn out to be an even more brilliant master of concealment than his father, nearly fooling Ge Danian!

Thinking of the common palace evaluations of the Crown Prince, Ge Danian examined the slender youth and asked: “When His Majesty hadn’t yet ascended the throne, he concealed his brilliance only because he hadn’t inherited the throne, his mother held a lowly position with little influence, and without backing, he needed to be cautious. But Your Highness’s birth mother is the current Empress, the Tang family has deep and abundant roots, and you’ve been named Crown Prince since childhood, enjoying supreme glory. Why do you need to keep such a low profile, allowing His Majesty to misunderstand that you’re neglecting proper studies and lacking ambition?”

The real Crown Prince Feng Qiyuan indeed neglected proper studies, or rather, he wished to advance but couldn’t.

Such truth couldn’t be honestly revealed!

Unable to invent a convincing lie, Xiaoying adhered to the principle of “when others trouble me, I trouble them,” looking at Old Ge with a distressed expression.

“Teacher, honored as the Imperial Tutor and favored by the Emperor, you still chose to live in seclusion in the mountains and wilds for decades, unwilling to take official positions, finding contentment in wine bottles. Such insight is beyond ordinary people! How could the teacher not guess my difficulties?”

With this counter-question, she returned the challenging topic to the old teacher.

Old Ge, seeing the youth’s sorrowful, tearful eyes, looking as pitiful as a young maiden in her teens, felt his heart soften and sighed in understanding.

Years ago, Emperor Chunde, as an overlooked prince, had seized succession largely because the Tang family, the family of his new wife after his previous wife’s death, had supported him.

Now the Tang family nobles wielded power throughout the court, spreading like a tree canopy during the family’s most prosperous time.

The Emperor was in his prime at forty, and it was already problematic that the Tang family dominated the court, but worse still, their numerous followers grew increasingly arrogant.

As His Majesty’s former strategist and mentor, Ge Danian could certainly guess the Emperor’s growing wariness and counterbalance against the Tang family; it wasn’t something new.

The Crown Prince, despite his young age, showed remarkable alertness during his mother’s family’s prosperity, understanding the need to conceal his brilliance.

Such clear-sightedness and farsightedness exceeded his years. Indeed, the ominous palace environment hastened maturity, allowing the young man to fully comprehend such complex relationships early on.

If only he had a mother who understood restraint and could timely check her family’s ambitions, even if this Crown Prince were somewhat slow-witted, he wouldn’t face deposition.

Realizing this, Old Ge couldn’t help but feel some pity for this intelligent youth.

Since the Crown Prince asked him to guess, Ge didn’t suspect otherwise, only speaking suggestively: “One should not seek shelter under a tall tree during a thunderstorm. A deeply rooted tree can still attract lightning. That Your Highness has such awareness at such a young age truly surprises this old man.”

Huh? Despite Xiaoying’s quick wit, she couldn’t understand Old Ge’s riddle and could only nod, continuing to probe: “Elder Ge understands me! Tell me, how can I avoid standing under that tree and getting struck?”

Looking at the youth’s hopeful expression, Old Ge said nothing more, merely smiling faintly as he collected the chess pieces, saying: “Your Highness worries too much. His Majesty cherishes his children, being both a benevolent ruler and father. Since the Crown Prince understands the need to conceal talents and avoid suspicion, naturally, you won’t attract lightning.”

Ge Danian had once contributed to the Emperor’s rise but never took office at court. This was because, though he enjoyed the brilliance of strategic games, he only loved the process, not wanting to be a piece in the game, withdrawing early to enjoy freedom.

Now with imperial family matters, as an elderly man in his twilight years, he wouldn’t interfere inappropriately. Having explored the youth’s depths, the old teacher’s curiosity was satisfied, and he probed no further.

Listening to the old teacher’s words, Xiaoying confirmed her thoughts—her brother’s position as Crown Prince was precarious. Though things seemed peaceful now, he was already standing under a lightning-attracting tree, and at any moment, disaster could strike, leaving him beyond salvation.

Before that happened, she had to find an opportunity to rescue her brother. Hopefully, Uncle Hai would soon discover the information…

After that day’s chess match, the teacher and student had clarified their life philosophies to each other, discovering they were kindred spirits, and their interactions became harmonious with mutual respect.

The old teacher no longer came to class drunk, grinding ink and writing poetry, finding his enjoyment. Xiaoying could also read her chosen books in front of him, with the teacher and student each pursuing their interests.

However, Old Ge would occasionally bring some books to place on the desk, coincidentally always ones that Xiaoying enjoyed.

During leisure time, the two would play chess. Xiaoying would casually inquire about the noble youths entering and leaving the palace, and Old Ge would amusingly comment and then chat about interesting people and events from previous dynasties.

As for current politics and situations, they never discussed them.

Later, when the Emperor found time to invite the teacher for tea, he asked about the Crown Prince’s studies.

The old teacher spoke carefully, only saying that the Crown Prince was intelligent, worthy of being His Majesty’s offspring, but having wasted several years, his foundation was somewhat lacking and needed gradual improvement.

Hearing Old Ge’s words, the Emperor shook his head wistfully: “Deficiencies in book learning can be remedied, but how can a character formed at three years old be changed? The Crown Prince is kind and honest, certainly maintaining innocence and purity, but as heir apparent, being decisive in action is most crucial. He… falls far short!”

Hearing these words, the old teacher understood that His Majesty despised Crown Prince Feng Qiyuan’s overly soft nature, fearing he would inevitably be manipulated by the Tang family, unable to shoulder the great responsibility of ruling the empire.

Recalling the youth’s intelligence and patience, the old teacher couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—this child was uncut jade, but unfortunately, being born to Empress Tang was his original sin.

The Emperor had long decided to depose the Crown Prince; it was only a matter of time.