The princess regretted it.

Chapter 384 "Praise"

As soon as Changsun Wuwang said this, not only Changsun Yunji but also Jin'an were surprised in the hall.

Changsun Yunji's eyes widened in suspicion. What was his third brother up to? Hadn't they come here to advise the Emperor on the matter of the Yu envoy? Why had the conversation suddenly veered off to the snow? He couldn't help but glance at Changsun Wuwang, who stood there with a respectful expression, trying to discern any clues from his expression. But he remained completely calm, and it was impossible to discern anything.

Jin An's brows furrowed slightly, awestruck. It had only snowed for a day, yet her Third Prince was already preparing for a rainy day, thinking of a snowstorm. She remained calm, her beautiful eyes scanning the Third and Second Princes. Seeing the Second Prince's startled expression, she conjectured various possibilities.

The emperor, seated at the head of the table, was surprised to hear his third son, Changsun Wuwang, speak so eloquently. He had assumed the two were here to inquire about the envoys from the State of Yu. He had never imagined they were actually here to worry about the snowstorm.

The emperor nodded silently at his third son's words. It had only been snowing for a day, while ordinary people were still immersed in the auspicious sight of snow, yet Changsun Wuwang was already thinking about the people's travel and livelihoods, even worrying about the subsequent impact of the snowstorm. This was truly far-sighted thinking. Although he claimed to have discussed this with the second son, the emperor knew the situation clearly. Of his sons, the second son had always been a bit slow-witted and careless, so how could he have considered such thoroughness? This idea was most likely the third son's own idea.

The emperor's expression remained unchanged, but his gaze lingered on Changsun Wuwang for a moment longer, a look of scrutiny and consideration in it. He had always remembered his son as a reserved and cautious individual, sometimes resorting to unscrupulous means to achieve his goals. He had never expected him to display such keen insight and long-term planning in a crucial moment.

The emperor recalled Jin'an's earlier recollections of his childhood attempts to understand people's hearts. It seemed his son had a clear goal from a young age. He nodded calmly, "You two brothers possess the compassion and concern for the country and its people of a superior. This is truly rare, and it deeply comforts me." His tone seemed filled with recognition and praise, but deep in his eyes, a scrutiny hidden by others was imperceptible.

When Changsun Yunji heard this, he simply assumed his father was genuinely praising them. He felt that his third brother was truly capable, earning such praise from his father. However, he hadn't really considered these things, and felt a little uncomfortable receiving such praise for nothing.

He hurriedly replied respectfully: "Your Majesty, you are too kind. It is because of my third brother's sharp mind and thorough consideration that he can foresee the opportunity. I am just following behind my third brother and receiving his advice, so I know a thing or two. If we talk about merit, my third brother is the first to bear the brunt of it." As the second prince spoke, he secretly glanced at his third brother out of the corner of his eye. His eyes showed admiration for his third brother, but also a hint of indescribable complex emotions.

Unexpectedly, he met Changsun Wuwang's glare, nearly flaming with anger, and was stunned. It turned out Changsun Wuwang had already heard the probing and threatening tone in his father's words. Who was the superior? It could only be the current emperor! Benevolence? How could he, a non-eldest prince, worry about that?

Instantly, Changsun Wuwang felt a chill run down his spine, and a cold sweat broke out. He had secretly been thankful that he had described this idea as the result of a joint discussion with his second brother, figuring that no matter how suspicious his father was, he wouldn't single him out for trouble. But he hadn't expected the foolish second prince beside him to actually take his father's words seriously, believing them to be genuine praise, and to immediately take all the credit for himself, effectively pushing him into a fire pit!

Changsun Wuwang secretly groaned inwardly. He quickly stepped forward and humbly replied, "Your Majesty, Second Brother is so kind. This idea originally came to me while we were chatting while watching the heavy snow. I'm young and inexperienced, so I just casually expressed my concern. Second Brother, with his kind heart, took this to heart and invited me to come and offer our advice to Your Majesty. When it comes to this genuine concern for the country and the people, Second Brother has inherited your father's legacy and is truly a role model for me."

As he spoke, he secretly observed the emperor's expression. Seeing that the emperor's face remained calm, he breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Besides, I know very well that all matters in the court are governed by rules. Matters concerning the people's livelihood have been carefully discussed by the emperor and the ministers, and are not something I can rashly decide. Besides, these are just some unfounded speculations of mine. I'm sorry to have made you laugh."

When the Second Prince heard his Third Brother claim the credit, he recalled his previous, unwarranted fear and uneasiness toward his younger brother, and felt a surge of shame. He secretly blamed himself for being narrow-minded and judging others by his own standards. After all, in his impression, his younger brother had always been unconcerned with power, devoted only to poetry, literature, and etiquette. With this thought, he looked at Changsun Wuwang with a hint of guilt.

Jin An, sitting beside the Emperor, took in the reactions of her two brothers and sighed inwardly. Seeing her second brother's simple, honest demeanor, she couldn't help but recall her past life. Even with the Imperial Concubine's painstaking efforts, the second brother ultimately failed to achieve succession. Ultimately, it was because he was too naive, completely manipulated by the third brother with a few words, completely unaware that he was being manipulated and led by the nose.

The emperor listened to the two men's praises, his expression remaining calm. His deep eyes darted back and forth between his two sons, as if he could see through their every thought. After a moment, he nodded slightly, speaking calmly, "I'm glad you two have this intention. I will have the Imperial Observatory closely monitor the celestial phenomena, and I will have the ministers of the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works formulate appropriate countermeasures based on the actual situation. I will ensure that the people do not suffer."

After he finished speaking, he sat up straight and was about to wave the two men away when Jin An suddenly said, "Father, my two brothers have braved such a heavy snowstorm to come here for this matter. You must give them some reward!"

Jin An had previously noticed the Second Prince's surprised expression and had vaguely guessed that their initial purpose for coming wasn't the snow. As for what the matter was, she wasn't sure, but judging by the Third Prince's series of reactions, it was very likely that he was playing tricks. He had wanted the Second Prince to bring it up, but he hesitated, so the Third Prince, forced to bring up the snow disaster relief issue.

Seeing that the emperor was about to let them go back, it was such a pity that the third prince went back before he could tell her true purpose! In this case, she had no choice but to "help" him. She asked the emperor to reward them, which was to give them another chance to speak.