Chapter 132

Emperor Yong’s punishment of the second prince was not made public. The only one in the palace who sensed something was amiss was the Crown Prince.

Though he never engaged in factionalism or private dealings, he kept a close eye on the East Palace and the Yikun Palace.

Even though only a few insignificant people were missing from the sweeping staff, he still sensed some clues.

It was because of this that he felt even colder inside.

His father, the Emperor, had long known that the second prince had placed people in various palaces but chose to turn a blind eye. Only now, when the second prince had crossed his bottom line, did he take action, with a small punishment serving as a stern warning.

This indulgence chilled the Crown Prince’s spine and further solidified his determination.

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Five days later.

General Guo handled everything properly, handing over the Guo Mansion to his eldest son and leading the troops bestowed by Emperor Yong to the southern border.

The Crown Prince escorted him to the city gate on behalf of Emperor Yong.

After General Xiao relinquished his military power, Emperor Yong conferred upon him the title of Duke of Dingguo. Now, accompanying the Crown Prince, he bid farewell to General Guo.

General Qiao Zhongguo couldn’t attend and could only bow deeply toward the direction of the city gate from home.

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After Prince Xi fell silent, he and all his subordinates remained inactive.

Life suddenly seemed to become peaceful.

So, Qiao Jiaojiao’s biggest task became eating well and growing taller!

Prince Xi came to the Qiao Mansion every other day to “torture” her.

He returned to the mansion with Mr. Qiao after court sessions during the day and would only be picked up by the people sent by the Crown Prince close to dinnertime, and then taken back to the palace.

So, he had his lunch at the Qiao Mansion.

At first, Mrs. Qiao and Qiao Tianjing and Qiao Diyi were somewhat restrained, after all, no matter how young Prince Xi was, he was still a member of the royal family.

But after seeing how pitiful Prince Xi looked after being disciplined by Mr. Qiao all day long, they gradually got used to it. They even developed deep sympathy for Prince Xi.

Just as Mr. Qiao had said when Prince Xi came to pay respects as a disciple, once it was time for teaching, there were no longer distinctions of ruler and subject, only that of teacher and student.

When Mr. Qiao got serious, he was extremely strict and often scolded Prince Xi mercilessly.

Qiao Jiaojiao felt honored to witness the whole process.

Since she had nothing else to do, she sat on the side and watched, nibbling on biscuits and fruits to pass the time.

Then she watched as her father, from initially calling Prince Xi “Little Xi,” to later calling him “kid,” and finally, in an emotional outburst, calling him “trash” and “little dog”…

Such outrageous words, fortunately, were uttered in the Qiao Mansion. If it were in the palace, it would be unacceptable.

Qiao Diyi had been frequenting the Xiao Mansion lately. Occasionally, when he was at home, he would squat beside Qiao Jiaojiao, watching with great interest.

You see, he had been through such devilish training since childhood. Now, seeing Prince Xi, he felt a mixture of schadenfreude and sympathy.

Prince Xi was quite something. He lived up to his promise made when he became a disciple; not once did he complain.

Regardless of how strict Mr. Qiao was, he silently endured it all. Standing on the wooden stakes, swaying back and forth, he didn’t even cry out when he fell.

Sometimes, Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t help but feel sorry for him, gritting her teeth in pain while he just got up and grinned at her.

During this time, the one who felt the most heartache for Prince Xi was undoubtedly the Empress Dowager.

Her Little Xi used to eat his meals slowly and would sometimes chat with her after practicing calligraphy in the evening.

Now, after returning from the Qiao Mansion, he would bathe, eat a hasty meal, and then fall asleep.

However, the Empress Dowager also knew that learning martial arts required enduring hardship. Moreover, a strict teacher produces excellent students. The hardships Prince Xi was enduring now were all for the sake of having better self-defense abilities in the future.

Thinking of this, the Queen could only steel her heart. Once Prince Xi had fallen asleep, she would sit by his bed for a while, tucking him in.

Qiao Zhongguo had never praised Prince Xi in front of him, but in front of his family, he couldn’t stop praising him.

“That kid is really good, on par with the Second Prince when he was young, but the Second Prince was very noisy, while he doesn’t make a sound.”

“Tsk, his aptitude is also excellent. If I had gotten him earlier, I would have started training him from the age of three!”

“Wow, this kid is progressing so fast. No, I have to make it even more challenging for him!”

…

Mrs. Qiao looked at her husband’s enthusiastic expression and teased him while handing him a chopstick of food, saying, “Alright, alright, my dear husband is thrilled to have taken in a favorite disciple. Hurry up and eat, the food will get cold.”

Qiao Zhongguo looked up and realized that everyone had already finished eating and put down their chopsticks, so he couldn’t help but laugh.

Most likely, all seniors would feel delighted when they saw such a talented junior.

This was also Xiao Hongda’s current mood.

He often couldn’t help but praise Xiao Diyi in front of Mrs. Xiao.

“The Second Young Master of the Qiao family is really something. His foundation is too solid! Handing over such a good seedling to me, I feel a bit pressured.”

“Don’t look at the Second Young Master, who seems naive, but he’s actually the most malleable talent! Back then, Old Qiao was just like this, with a clear mind, and he learned military strategy quickly and accurately!”

“Tsk tsk, it’s really good. In the future, he might become the next Old Qiao!”

Mrs. Xiao observed her husband’s admiring expression and shook her head secretly.

Shouldn’t you open your eyes wide and see? Your second daughter’s soul is about to be stolen by someone else!

That Second Young Master of the Qiao family is really something. Every time he sees Xiao Yue, he smiles foolishly. If you say he’s unruly, his eyes are clear and exceptionally sincere.

Well, since her husband is so pleased with the Second Young Master of the Qiao family, let’s just see how it goes.

There happen to be two sons in the Qiao family. The eldest son of the Qiao family is promising and is about to get married. By then, it would be perfect for the Second Young Master of the Qiao family to support the Xiao family!

Thinking of this, Mrs. Xiao suddenly felt that this was a brilliant arrangement.

Days passed in an orderly manner, and in the blink of an eye, it was already July. Qiao Jiaojiao was eleven months old.

Now she could stand alone and occasionally take a few unsteady steps, but those small steps were not very skilled, and she would often end up falling on her bottom by accident.

Today, Prince Xi came to the Qiao Mansion for training again.

He stood with his legs apart on two adjacent wooden stakes, practicing horse stance.

In just over a month, Prince Xi had grown taller and darker, and his teeth looked particularly white when he smiled.

Qiao Zhongguo moved a small stool for Qiao Jiaojiao to sit on, not far from Prince Xi.

Qiao Jiaojiao was a dedicated “little supervisor.” Though she still couldn’t speak fluently, besides calling her family members, she now added “Little Xi.”

Every time she saw Prince Xi couldn’t hold on anymore, she would shout, “Little Xi!”

Pointing her chubby fingers at Prince Xi, her eyes round and shiny, she looked very cute.

Prince Xi would be startled every time. Sometimes he persisted, sometimes he couldn’t hold on and fell, and Qiao Jiaojiao would laugh at him.

But Prince Xi didn’t mind being laughed at. He would run to Qiao Jiaojiao, squat down, and gently poke her cheek.

“Don’t laugh at me, Jiaojiao. I’ll do better next time!”

And indeed, he kept his word. He lasted longer and longer on the wooden stakes, and Qiao Jiaojiao couldn’t find a reason to laugh at him anymore.

At this moment, she was nibbling on a small biscuit, feeling bored. Suddenly, she saw her eldest brother walking through the corridor towards her.

She instantly brightened up.

【Eldest Brother doesn’t usually come often. Could there be something new?】