After the mistress of the Marquis' Mansion was reborn, she divorced and married the prince!

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Prince Jing requests an audience."

At the door of the imperial study, the young eunuch reported inside.

The emperor's voice was cold and unhappy, and an atmosphere of displeasure overflowed from the palace.

The prince couldn't help but frown and glanced at Chu Yanchen... Could it be that the fourth brother invited him here to trick him?

"Let them in." The emperor snorted.

The Crown Prince and Prince Jing bowed and entered the hall.

I saw the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Wang Honglue and a man who looked like a wealthy businessman kneeling on the ground.

The rich businessman's hunched body curled up like a shrimp.

Minister Wang was kneeling there, trembling, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

The prince glanced at his father.

But the emperor's eyes were filled with anger, and it looked like he was going to punish someone.

The prince's heart skipped a beat and he glanced at Chu Yanchen coldly.

He said, how could the fourth brother be so kind-hearted? After doing a good deed, he did not take credit for it himself, but instead humbly asked his elder brother to come forward.

He is not greedy for credit, is not reckless, and is even humble and cautious. This is totally unlike the fourth brother!

Sure enough! The fourth guy dug a pit and waited for him here!

Humph! If the emperor took his anger out on him, he would just have to endure the scolding.

But he would definitely remember that Lao Si played a dirty trick on him! In the future, he would not let Lao Si off easily.

"The fourth one is here. Take a look. Does this person look familiar?"

The emperor looked at Chu Yanchen and pointed at Li Zhirong on the ground and said to him.

The emperor was in a carriage outside the yamen, but he could see clearly that when the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture was trying a case, the fourth son was sitting in the court listening.

If the fourth brother had not arrived in time, Qi Liang, who was called a "scholar businessman" by the people, would have been imprisoned in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison!

If merchants who work for the people and serve the court were treated like this by the court, wouldn't they be disheartened?

Will they still strongly support any actions taken by the imperial court in the future?

If everyone pretends to obey but actually disobeys, can the Beili Dynasty still be peaceful and prosperous?

"Oh, I remember now," Chu Yanchen slapped his forehead, "Isn't this the manager Li who sued Caiyunxuan?"

"Father, Caiyunxuan was able to accomplish this thanks to Manager Li who sold the cotton at a discount!"

When Chu Yanchen said this, Wang Honglue trembled violently.

His eyes narrowed and he gave a cold look to Li Zhirong beside him.

Well, he gave the court’s cotton to Li Zhirong at a discount!

Li Zhirong didn't make cotton clothes properly, but sold the cotton to Caiyunxuan at a discount!

King Cheng's brother-in-law is really incapable of accomplishing anything and always causes trouble!

"The prince ordered me to look after the cotton issue, but I arrived too late. The cotton had already been in Li Zhirong's hands."

Chu Yanchen reported to the emperor, "Fortunately, the prince had a way to ask Caiyunxuan to buy cotton again, which is why the cotton-padded clothes are so popular among the people of Kyoto now."

"We also want to thank Shopkeeper Li for selling cotton at a discount to benefit the people!"

Li Zhirong pulled the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that was uglier than crying, "No, I don't deserve it..."

The emperor looked at the prince lovingly, "So it was the prince who facilitated this?"

"I only gave some advice, but it is still my fourth brother who does most of the work."

The prince felt warm in his heart when he saw his father's approving and gratified gaze.

How long?

How long has it been since his father looked at him with such a loving gaze?

His father was always too harsh on him.

When he was depressed, his father explained to him that he was the crown prince and the future of Beili.

Therefore, the requirements for him will be different from those for other princes.

But he also longed for his father's approval and recognition, and longed for his father's loving gaze - just like now.

Although the emperor had turned his eyes away, the prince still felt warm in his heart.

The prince looked at Chu Yanchen... Fourth brother, you really didn’t lie to him.

The fourth brother came to the East Palace and told him that his father was very satisfied with Caiyunxuan's promotion of cotton, but the fourth brother did not want to take credit for it and just wanted to assist him, the crown prince.

When the prince looked at Chu Yanchen, his eyes revealed approval and joy.

This is what brotherly love and respect are all about. He is the crown prince, but his younger brothers are always trying to be better than him. What are they thinking?!

But my fourth brother is really strong, but he has a loyal heart!

The emperor sat upstairs and could see clearly the interaction between his two sons.

Chu Yanchen's respect for his elder brother.

The prince is kind to the fourth child.

As the emperor's old father, he was very pleased to see the brothers being friendly and respectful to each other.

"Qi Liang has the temperament of a Confucian businessman. He handled this matter very well. He was falsely accused but he was able to present the facts in a clear and logical manner and turn the situation around."

"Talents like these are what the court can use among the people."

The prince understood what he meant and said immediately, "I will meet this Confucian merchant in person. If he has the ability, he can be selected as an imperial merchant."

The emperor nodded in agreement.

Li Zhirong, who was kneeling in the hall, had a dazed expression. That was the imperial merchant!

With this identity, you will gain both fame and fortune, and dominate the industry!

Just...just fell on Qi Liang's head?

"Isn't it true that Minister Wang's vision for employing people is not very good?" The emperor said in a not harsh tone.

But Wang Honglue was already covered in cold sweat, with his face buried in the ground, unable to get any lower.

"I am guilty."

"Forget it, I will punish you for half a year and let you reflect on your mistakes. If you do it again, I will never let you off easily!"

"Thank you Lord for your grace!"

"Everyone, please leave. The prince will stay."

The emperor waved his hand and asked others to leave.

Only the prince was still standing in the palace.

"You have done a good job. Although I am still strong, I am getting older." The emperor looked at the prince and said, "Prince, please share my worries and handle more state affairs for me, so that I can relax a little."

The prince was shocked and bowed quickly, "Your Highness is willing to share your worries."

"What do you think of the fourth brother?" asked the emperor.

The prince's heart tightened, and he said cautiously, "Although my fourth brother is reckless and has a stubborn temper, he is loyal to our father, the court, and his sons. If he were placed in the army, he would be a great weapon for the country."

The emperor laughed when he heard this.

The prince looked at the emperor nervously.

The emperor nodded in approval and said, "I am very pleased that you two brothers are living in harmony and everyone is making the best use of their talents!"

"If we want to stabilize the imperial power, we must balance the aristocratic families, the maternal relatives, the powerful ministers, and the military commanders. You brothers are the closest relatives. If you can work together, the Chu family will surely be stable and prosperous."

The prince felt warm in his heart.

His father was so kind and gentle, and even looked at him with admiration in his eyes and said these things to him, which made him feel the fatherly love he had missed for a long time again.

"I will remember my father's teachings and will love my brothers and put the country first."

The emperor nodded.

The father and son talked about state affairs for a while, and when the emperor got tired, he asked the prince to leave.

Since Chu Yanchen has already said in front of his father that he will be the one to take the lead in promoting cotton and making affordable cotton clothes for the people.

The prince could not be ignorant of everything, so he returned to the East Palace and immediately ordered people to investigate the matter.

You won’t know unless you investigate this matter.

"Wang Honglue has always been very close to Prince Cheng, and Li Zhirong is the cousin of Concubine Li in Prince Cheng's mansion."

"Wang Honglue sold the cotton to Li Zhirong at a discount of 20 wen per pound. However, Li Zhirong's cotton clothes could not be sold, and he was afraid that the court would hold him accountable, so he sold the cotton to southern merchants at a discount."

"It was passed to Qi Liang of Caiyunxuan."

"I heard that Song Yunqi questioned Wang Honglue about the cotton issue and was suppressed by Wang Honglue."

The prince snorted coldly, "So King Cheng was behind this!"

"The fourth brother is so favored and so arrogant, yet he still knows to be respectful to his elder brother. The second brother actually wants to compete with me?"