I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

On a night when the lights were just coming on, the prince held a banquet in the palace and invited Chen Jue.

Chen Jue, wearing a dark blue official uniform, arrived at the banquet looking a little tired. The prince greeted him with a smile, and the two of them greeted each other and took their seats.

At the banquet, there was a wide variety of fine wines and delicacies, musicians played melodious music, and dancers danced gracefully. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

However, Chen Jue's mind was not at all on this lively scene, and Chen Jia's figure kept appearing in his mind.

The prince looked at Chen Jue's absent-minded look, frowned slightly, and asked, "Chen Jue, I heard that your work in the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice is progressing quite smoothly. I'm hosting a banquet today, firstly to reward you, and secondly to hear about any other difficulties you have in your work. In addition, I see that you seem to have something on your mind, why not tell me about it."

Chen Jue hesitated for a moment after hearing the prince's question, then slowly said, "Your Highness, my work is going well. Thank you for your concern. As for my worries... I did fall in love with a girl, but unfortunately she doesn't have me in her heart. I don't know what to do, and I am very distressed."

The prince was slightly stunned, then smiled with understanding.

"I see. Love affairs in this world are the most troublesome. Have you ever expressed your feelings to her?"

"I dare not confess easily. I am afraid of scaring her and making our relationship even more awkward. I don't know how to let her see my true feelings."

"I do have an idea. You can create some opportunities for the girl to get into trouble, and then you can be the hero to save her. In this way, she will definitely be grateful to you, and maybe even look at you differently."

"Your Highness, I don't want to use this method to gain her favor. I hope she can really like me, instead of being with me out of gratitude."

"You are a gentleman. I will give you another idea. You can slowly let the girl get used to your presence until she can't live without you. For example, you can often appear by her side, care for her, help her, and let her get used to having you around."

After hearing what the prince said, Chen Jue thought it was a good idea, and a glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness, your idea is very good. I can try it."

"Love requires patience and courage. You have to believe in yourself. As long as you give your heart, you will always get something in return."

Then, the prince shared his experience in pursuing girls with Chen Jue.

"When I was pursuing the woman I loved, I also spent a lot of time and effort. You have to understand her preferences and cater to her needs. You have to be there when she needs you and give her a sense of security. You also have to learn to listen to her heart and understand her feelings."

Chen Jue listened very carefully and nodded continuously. The two of them talked more and more excitedly, as if they had forgotten the passage of time.

The news of the flood in the Huaihe River exploded in the court like thunder, and people were in panic for a while.

The emperor sat on the dragon throne with a solemn expression. He looked at the ministers and said in a deep voice, "The Huai River is flooding and the people are suffering. The most urgent task now is to find a solution. My dear ministers, do you have any good ideas?"

The ministers looked at each other, and no one dared to speak first for a moment.

The prince stood up and said solemnly, "Father, I think the most urgent task is to raise money and food for disaster relief and flood control."

The emperor nodded slightly, signaling the prince to continue.

The prince continued, "However, when I checked the state treasury, I found that it was empty and could not support such a large-scale disaster relief operation."

The emperor's face darkened when he heard this. He turned to look at the Second Prince who was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and said sternly, "Second Prince, you are in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, why is the treasury empty? Give me an explanation!"

The second prince panicked, his eyes flickered, and he looked around and said something else: "Father, your son... your son has been managing the Ministry of Revenue conscientiously, but... but recently the expenses are huge, so..."

The emperor angrily slapped the dragon throne, "Humph! You are shirking your responsibility! I handed the Ministry of Revenue over to you, and this is how you do things?"

After saying this, the emperor stood up angrily and left the court.

After the court session, the emperor summoned the prince alone. The prince stood respectfully before the emperor, waiting for his instructions.

The emperor looked at the prince and said slowly, "I have thought about it. Now the treasury is empty. Those princes and ministers who borrowed money from the treasury may be able to pay it back to solve the urgent problem. Do you think this is feasible?"

The prince thought for a moment, then replied, "Father, I think this plan is feasible. Those princes and ministers borrowed money from the national treasury, and now that the country is in trouble, they should return it. But this may not be easy, and someone needs to urge them to pay it back."

The emperor nodded slightly, "Do you have a suitable candidate?"

The prince said, "I am willing to do this, but I need Chen Jue's cooperation. Chen Jue is an upright person and capable. With his help, I will be able to accomplish this."

The emperor approved the prince's proposal, "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you and Chen Jue. Make sure those princes and ministers pay back the money as soon as possible."

The prince found Chen Jue and asked solemnly, "Chen Jue, the country is in trouble now. I want to collect debts from the princes and ministers. This is difficult and I need your help. Are you willing to accompany me as a lone minister?"

Chen Jue knew in his heart that this was a good opportunity to become a meritorious official. If successful, he would not only be able to contribute to the country, but also lay a solid foundation for his own career.

He agreed without hesitation: "Your Highness, I am willing. For the country and the people, I will not refuse even if I die."

Therefore, Chen Jue and the prince began to collect debts from princes and ministers with all their efforts.

They first listed all the princes and ministers who borrowed money from the treasury, and then analyzed their situations one by one. Some princes and ministers borrowed money because their family business was not doing well, while others borrowed money to satisfy their own extravagant lifestyle. Chen Jue and the prince decided to start with those princes and ministers who were easier to persuade.

The prince felt that the task was arduous while collecting debts with Chen Jue. He decided to start with his younger brothers, hoping that they could set an example by returning the money borrowed from the treasury and setting an example for other princes and ministers.

The prince first came to the mansion of his seventh brother. The seventh brother was drinking tea leisurely in the mansion. When he saw the prince coming, he stood up and saluted slightly.

The prince got straight to the point and said, "Seventh brother, the Huai River is flooding now, and the country is in urgent need of money and grain to relieve the disaster. Is it time to return the money you borrowed from the treasury?"

When the seventh brother heard this, he showed a trace of displeasure on his face, "Brother Crown Prince, I can't pay this money back. I used that money to buy Happy Valley, how can I have the money to pay it back now?"

The prince frowned, "Seventh brother, the country is in trouble, how can you be so selfish? The Happy Valley matter can be put aside for now, and the money should be returned to the treasury for disaster relief."

The seventh brother said nonchalantly: "Brother Crown Prince, it is only natural for this son to spend my money. The money in the national treasury is my father's money, so what if I use it? I just won't pay it back."

The prince was so angry that his face turned blue. "Seventh brother, you are just making up excuses. The country's money is used for the welfare of the people, not for you to squander at will. If you don't pay me back, I will report it to the emperor and let him judge the matter."

The seventh brother remained unmoved, "Brother Crown Prince, what good will it do if you report it to our father? I just won't return it."

The prince had no choice but to leave his seventh brother's mansion angrily.

Then, the prince came to the house of the third brother. The third brother was studying some drawings in the study, and when he saw the prince coming, he quickly stood up to greet him.

The prince asked, "Third brother, do you know why I came here today?"

The third brother nodded slightly, "Brother Crown Prince, it's about the debt owed to the national treasury. I did borrow money from the national treasury, but I used it all on the research and development of artillery."

The prince frowned, "Developing artillery? Why?"

The third brother said seriously: "Brother Crown Prince, the border of our country is unstable now, and we need more powerful weapons to defend the country. I think it is very important to develop artillery, so I embezzled money from the national treasury."

The prince was silent for a moment, analyzing the pros and cons. He knew the importance of the border, and if the artillery developed by his third brother could really enhance the country's military strength, it would be a good thing.

The prince thought for a long time, and finally said: "Third brother, your starting point is good, but it is against the rules to embezzle money from the national treasury. However, since you are thinking about the safety of the country, I have decided to fund you to continue to develop artillery. But you must also find a way to repay the debt owed to the national treasury as soon as possible."

The third brother looked at the prince gratefully, "Thank you for your understanding, Prince Brother. I will definitely live up to your expectations."

Afterwards, the prince came to the residence of the fifth brother. The fifth brother was writing furiously in the study, and when he saw the prince coming in, he stood up and saluted.

The prince asked directly: "Fifth brother, is it time to pay back the money you borrowed from the treasury?"

The fifth brother smiled and said, "Brother Crown Prince, I used the money to write a book, and now I have no money to pay it back."

The prince was a little annoyed. "Writing a book? What's the use of that at this time? The country is facing the disaster of the Huai River flood and needs money and food for disaster relief, but you are spending money on writing a book."

The fifth brother took out a special pardon from the emperor without any hurry, "Brother Crown Prince, look, this is the special approval from my father for me to write a book. I use the money from the national treasury to write a book in order to promote culture and make contributions to the country."

The prince looked at the document and felt extremely helpless. He knew that with the emperor's amnesty, he couldn't force his fifth brother to pay back the money. The prince could only sigh and turn around to leave his fifth brother's mansion.

Finally, the prince came to the fourth brother's house. The fourth brother was inspecting the war horses in the parade ground. When he saw the prince coming, he went to greet him.

The prince asked, "Fourth brother, is it time to pay back the money you borrowed from the treasury?"

The fourth brother said solemnly: "Brother Crown Prince, all my money has been used to buy war horses to support border defense. The situation on the border is tense now, and we need more war horses to strengthen our border defense."

After hearing this, the prince also fell into deep thought. He understood the importance of border defense, but he also had to collect the debt owed to the national treasury.

The prince hesitated again and again, but finally said helplessly: "Fourth brother, although your actions are well-intentioned, the money in the treasury must be returned. You should find a way to resolve this matter as soon as possible."

The fourth brother nodded, "Brother Crown Prince, I will find a way."

The prince and his brothers encountered obstacles in the process of debt collection, and he was full of helplessness and anxiety. He knew that the road to debt collection was difficult, but for the sake of the country and the people, he had to persevere.