Ji Lin was only twelve years old, but he had already experienced many years of the hardships that came with being the Crown Prince.
Father… Ji Lin knew he shouldn’t speak ill of the Emperor, and outwardly, he always acted as though he revered him. But deep down, he understood exactly what kind of man his father was.
The Emperor was not a wise ruler. He was mediocre, lustful, and spent far more time in the imperial harem than in the court.
Because of this, Ji Lin had many older brothers above him and many younger brothers below.
From a young age, the Crown Prince had been the most outstanding among his siblings, excelling in both scholarly and martial pursuits, making him the undisputed best.
As Ji Lin grew older, by the time he was around ten, his brilliance could no longer be concealed.
More and more ministers pinned their hopes on the Crown Prince, believing he would usher in an even more prosperous era for the Great Qi Dynasty.
The Emperor quickly became aware of this shift in sentiment among the court officials.
Still young himself, the Emperor did not take pride in his son’s excellence. Instead, he grew suspicious and wary of Ji Lin!
Ji Lin, sharp as he was, immediately noticed the change in his father’s attitude.
A chill ran down his spine. He was just a child barely over ten years old—how could his father not even tolerate a boy of that age?
Or was it that the Emperor lacked the confidence to surpass his own son in strategy and martial prowess?
Ji Lin knew that as he grew older, his father’s suspicions would only deepen, and his own situation would become increasingly difficult.
The hardest times were yet to come, and he needed to prepare as much as possible before they arrived.
In his eyes, the troubles of Jiang Yunshu, a five-year-old girl, were but a minor obstacle—one he could easily help her overcome.
It was like the time he had picked up a drenched puppy in the palace after a rainstorm.
He took the puppy back to the Eastern Palace to raise it, and everyone in the palace said the little dog was fortunate.
He had given it a home, shelter from the wind and rain, full meals every day, and a cozy bed to sleep in at night. The puppy happily chased after him wherever he went.
Every time Ji Lin saw the puppy, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He had changed its fate, and that made him feel powerful.
At first, Ji Lin thought bringing five-year-old Jiang Yunshu into the palace to raise would be as simple as picking up that puppy.
But he had underestimated the situation. Though Jiang Yunshu was only five, she wasn’t a dog. What she wanted wasn’t just a roof over her head.
He was still far from being strong enough.
Ji Lin didn’t bring up the idea of moving Jiang Yunshu into the palace again.
Fortunately, solving Jiang Yunshu’s immediate troubles wasn’t difficult for him.
He quickly discussed a plan with the Empress to support Jiang Yunshu!
As long as the Empress frequently bestowed gifts upon Jiang Yunshu and summoned her to the palace, no one in the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion would dare mistreat her.
He was the Crown Prince, and his mother was the Empress. Though they sometimes felt powerless before the Emperor, everyone else regarded them with reverence and fear.
The Empress’s favor and summons should have been enough. Logically, Ji Lin knew this, but he couldn’t shake a persistent thought…
He wanted to visit Jiang Yunshu’s home and see for himself how she was doing.
As time passed, this urge grew stronger, sometimes even interrupting his studies and martial training.
Realizing this distraction was affecting his focus, Ji Lin bit his lip and immediately went to the Empress. "I want to visit the marquis’s mansion to play with Jiang Yunshu."
The Empress was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Ji Lin to be so fond of the five-year-old girl that he would personally go to the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion to support her!
"This is even better. Your presence alone will ensure no one dares mistreat her in the future."
When the Marquis of Xiping's Mansion learned the Crown Prince was coming, they were overwhelmed with honor.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince wanted to play with their second daughter, the Marquess Xiping finally took a proper look at this child of his.
Hmm… she was indeed adorable, but she was only five!
The Crown Prince was twelve—what could he possibly have in common with a five-year-old?
The Marquess Xiping made meticulous preparations to receive the Crown Prince.
On the day of Ji Lin’s visit, the Marquess and Lady Hou greeted him with utmost respect.
After they finished their formal greetings, Ji Lin dismissed them. "I’ve come today to see Second Sister. The Marquess and Lady Hou may attend to your own affairs. I’ll play with Second Sister."
With the Crown Prince outright dismissing them, the Marquess and Lady Hou had no choice but to withdraw. Before leaving, Lady Hou shot Jiang Yunshu a glance, utterly baffled as to how this little girl had won the Crown Prince’s favor.
Her own daughter, Jiang Zhaohua, surpassed Jiang Yunshu in every way.
Zhaohua was even a year older than Jiang Yunshu, closer in age to the Crown Prince. Jiang Yunshu was only five—how could the Crown Prince possibly enjoy playing with a child that young?
At that moment, the same thought crossed Jiang Yunshu’s mind.
"I don’t know how I’m supposed to play with a twelve-year-old brat…"
Jiang Yunshu’s mental age was nearly twenty!
After being reborn, her psychological age had regressed somewhat due to her physical age—but even then, she was still older than twelve!
To her, the Crown Prince was just a little kid.
But since he was of noble status, Jiang Yunshu couldn’t afford to be careless in entertaining him. She had prepared three children’s activities: kite-flying, fishing, and pottery.
Ji Lin had no interest in kite-flying. As for fishing and pottery… he had never tried either.
Keeping a straight face, he refused to let Jiang Yunshu see his inexperience. "Let’s try them all. We’ll fish first, then do pottery."
At the lakeside, Jiang Yunshu handed Ji Lin a fishing spear and taught him the trick to catching fish.
"When you see a fish, don’t aim directly at it. Strike slightly below it."
Ji Lin frowned. "Why?"
Jiang Yunshu thought—this was due to light refraction, a middle-school physics concept a twelve-year-old wouldn’t understand.
She had no idea how to explain it to someone from ancient times, so she simply said, "Just do as I say!"
Ji Lin fell silent.
When the first fish swam by, he ignored Jiang Yunshu’s advice and struck directly at it.
The spear missed!
It only grazed the fish’s scales before the creature darted away.
Jiang Yunshu clapped beside him. "So close! You almost got it! Your Highness is amazing!"
Ji Lin pressed his lips together, unsure why Jiang Yunshu was so excited when he had clearly failed.
Her praise gave him a strange feeling—he had never been complimented so unreservedly before.
Everything he did had to be flawless to earn even the faintest praise from his tutors or the Empress… As for the Emperor, Ji Lin couldn’t even remember the last time his father had praised him.
When the second fish appeared, Ji Lin secretly adjusted his aim as Jiang Yunshu had instructed, striking slightly lower.
"Swish—" When he pulled the spear back, a large, plump fish wriggled at the end.
Jiang Yunshu jumped up and down in excitement. "You got it! You got it! Your Highness is incredible!"
Ji Lin didn’t think catching a fish was particularly impressive, but seeing Jiang Yunshu’s unrestrained joy, the corners of his lips curled up slightly.
From then on, every time Ji Lin struck, he never missed.
Jiang Yunshu was the complete opposite. She raised the fishing spear and thrust it into the water again and again, yet each time she pulled it up empty.
Ji Lin couldn’t understand why this was happening. He had clearly followed Jiang Yunshu’s method to catch fish—so why couldn’t she do it herself?
He stood beside her, carefully observing her technique.
Then he watched as Jiang Yunshu slowly lowered the spear into the water.
Ji Lin: "...No wonder she can’t catch anything."
He turned to her and said, "When the next fish swims by, I’ll count to three, and you must strike immediately."
Jiang Yunshu nodded.
"One, two, three—hurry, spear it!" Ji Lin urged, his face tense with impatience.
Jiang Yunshu was just as anxious. She wanted to move faster, but her five-year-old arms struggled to lift the heavy spear.
"Splash—"
In her haste, she lost her balance and tumbled into the lake, landing hard on her bottom.
Ji Lin froze.
"Pfft—HAHAHA!" He couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Jiang Yunshu’s bottom ached, her pride stung. Her lips trembled, and with a loud wail, she burst into tears.
