Meng Yi, who was personally standing guard, heard the commotion and walked over just in time to catch Chunyu Yue’s remark. He immediately shouted, “How dare you! Are you trying to sow discord between His Majesty and the Crown Prince?”

Chunyu Yue hastily denied the accusation, “General Meng, you’ve misunderstood. I was just concerned because I haven’t seen the Crown Prince for several days. I don’t know if he has completed the assignments I gave him, and that’s why I’m worried.”

“Lord Chunyu, you would do well to remember your place. His Majesty appointed you to instruct the Crown Prince, not to supervise his every move,” Meng Yi retorted, giving him a disdainful look. Meng Yi had always despised these Confucian scholars, who only knew how to spout pretentious phrases like ‘thus it is said.’ If it were up to him, he’d throw them all onto the battlefield to see if they’d still recite their pompous words.

If the entire country relied on their empty rhetoric, the common people would never escape their hardships.

In Meng Yi’s opinion, these Confucian scholars in the court were less useful than the farmers, who at least did some real work. These scholars only knew how to anger the Emperor.

Chunyu Yue, however, was equally dismissive of Meng Yi and his kind. They spent all their time brandishing swords and practicing martial arts. If His Majesty didn’t prioritize military affairs over civil ones, Meng Yi wouldn’t dare act so arrogantly in front of him.

But Chunyu Yue had time on his side. He could wait. Just wait until the Crown Prince ascends the throne…

“That will be all for now. His Majesty is personally instructing the Crown Prince, so Lord Chunyu, there’s no need for you to interfere,” Meng Yi said, tightening his grip on the sword at his side. “His Majesty has ordered that no one should disturb him and the Crown Prince, under penalty of death.”

Watching Chunyu Yue slink away, Meng Yi instructed the guards and then entered the inner chamber to continue his vigil.

Back at his residence, Chunyu Yue dismissed his attendants, his face turning cold.

He had been instructing the Crown Prince for years, gradually guiding him toward Confucian ideals. But if His Majesty was now personally educating the Crown Prince, it would undoubtedly influence him.

Chunyu Yue desperately wanted to find a way to bring the Crown Prince back under his guidance, but he was at a loss. Even if he came up with a plan, he didn’t dare execute it now.

And then there was Zhao Gao, who seemed to have vanished overnight from the palace, and Li Si, who hadn’t appeared in court for days. Despite all his efforts, Chunyu Yue hadn’t been able to gather any information about them, leaving him with an uneasy feeling that something was changing.

Little did he know, the Crown Prince Fusu, whom he had been instructing for years, was beginning to undergo a slow but significant shift in his worldview.

With so many books being reinterpreted, even the most stubborn person would eventually start to see things differently.

Ying Zheng had noticed these changes as early as the next day. After seeing the annotations on the texts, he became even more convinced that Fusu should go through every single one of these books.

☆☆☆

Yun Tutu hadn’t expected Chen Yuxi to be such a great cook. After the meal, everyone was stuffed and lounging on the sofa, too full to move.

“This is so much better than takeout,” Yun Tutu remarked. Apart from special occasions, she usually either ate in the cafeteria or ordered takeout. It had been a long time since she had eaten such good home-cooked food.

“Since it’s just us from now on, let’s cook together more often whenever we have free time,” Chen Yuxi said, satisfied with her cooking skills, despite being meticulous in her work. “This is healthier than eating out, even if it’s not as heavy on flavor.”

The others agreed wholeheartedly. After dinner, they were relaxing with tea, trying to bond, when suddenly Yun Tutu stood up. “We’ve got an order.”

Zhang Yaowen and the others immediately put down their teacups and, in unison, asked, “What kind of order?”

“Where is it headed?”

“What do we need to prepare?”

Yun Tutu blushed slightly, feeling flustered under their intense focus. She quickly asked Song Song to pull up the details on the screen. “You can see for yourselves.”

She had already noticed that Chen Yuxi and Zhang Yang still had some doubts, so this was the perfect opportunity to let them learn more.

Song Song, the little doll-like figure on the screen, spun around and waved cheerfully at them. “Hello, everyone! Nice to meet you. I’m Song Song.”

“There’s an express delivery order now. New customer: Xie Yufei from a world devastated by natural disasters, urgently needs anti-inflammatory medicine. Please deliver it as soon as possible.”

“A world devastated by natural disasters?” Everyone was stunned. They had only seen such settings in movies. Could it be that such a place actually existed in another dimension?

“Is there a time limit?” Yun Tutu asked, already searching for the necessary medicines and supplies. In such a disaster-stricken world, what other essentials might be needed?

“What do you think?” Song Song responded with a question, clearly unimpressed that after so many deliveries, the employee still hadn’t learned.

“Fine, I won’t ask,” Yun Tutu replied, already jotting down notes. Zhang Yaowen had already picked up the phone to contact someone.

None of them had expected to receive a task on their very first day.

“The most important thing is to get the anti-inflammatory medicine. You can decide on the rest. My vehicle only has so much space,” Yun Tutu said, turning to Song Song. “Do you know what kind of injury he has and what kind of anti-inflammatory medicine he needs?”

“No idea,” Song Song replied, the little wooden figure lowering its head, not wanting to expend the energy required to find out.

“Then we’ll just bring a variety,” Yun Tutu said. These items weren’t in short supply, and within minutes of making the call, the doorbell rang from the back of the villa. Zhang Yaowen immediately went to open the door.

A group of crew-cut men in black suits carried in the supplies. They were well-trained, their eyes never wandering, and they left as soon as they finished unloading.

Yun Tutu blinked at the scene, thinking to herself that their backers really had outdone themselves this time. And the view wasn’t bad either.

“They’re not bad-looking, huh?” Zhang Yang teased, winking at her. “This place has the most eligible bachelors around. If you’re looking to get married, you could take your pick here.”

Yun Tutu jumped away, distancing herself from Zhang Yang. “I was just appreciating the view, not having any thoughts like that.”

“Appreciating is fine too. If you have any preferences, I can arrange something next time…”

“Zhang Yang, don’t corrupt the kid,” Chen Yuxi, who had been tense since seeing Song Song, finally spoke up. “Tutu is still young. She should focus on dating before thinking about marriage. It’s a serious, lifelong decision.”

Zhang Yang stuck out her tongue. “You’re all making sense—no marriage then, just some fun.”

They sorted through the supplies, which included food, useful items, and, most importantly, various medicines. For the items Yun Tutu wasn’t familiar with, the other three kindly wrote down notes and labeled everything clearly.

“Are you the only one going?” Zhang Yaowen asked, a bit worried. “A world devastated by natural disasters must be really chaotic.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll protect her,” Song Song, feeling underestimated once again, spoke up with a bit of irritation in its voice. “Pack everything up, and let’s go quickly and come back just as fast.”

It had been having fun on the third floor when this task interrupted its game, leaving it in a foul mood.

Yun Tutu put on her helmet, hopped onto her motorcycle, and nodded to her new teammates. “We’re off. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”