The Successor Empress was so angry her nose was crooked, yet Emperor Yuanyou showed not the slightest intention of blaming Song Yu or Song Shihuan. Instead, he cheerfully served food to Song Shihuan.
Song Ling couldn't hold back any longer and said with a frown:
"Ah Huan, from the moment you entered until now, you haven't paid your respects to your Imperial Grandmother. You must not be so rude."
"But, Father said my Imperial Grandmother is in heaven."
Ahem—
Song Yu choked on his food, his neck turning red. He tried to hold back but couldn't suppress his laughter, his whole body shaking like a sieve.
"Outrageous! How can you be so crude and have no manners at all?"
"Before, everyone said I had a father but wasn't raised by him, so I truly don't know any better," Song Shihuan said with an innocent look.
Song Ling was panting with rage at Song Shihuan, while Song Yu was slapping his thigh in amusement.
To make matters worse, Emperor Yuanyou was taking sides, looking at Song Ling disapprovingly. "Why pick on a child? Don't be so petty."
Song Ling felt so disgusted he nearly vomited up the previous night's meal.
Song Shihuan secretly winked at Song Yu; father and daughter were in perfect sync.
This Crown Prince, nominally her father, actually didn't like her one bit. Coincidentally, she didn't like this Crown Prince either.
They could have had a peaceful meal, but the Successor Empress was unwilling to let the Eastern Palace lose face so easily.
"Yanzheng, didn't you recently write a policy essay? Recite it for your Imperial Grandfather to hear." Knowing full well that Song Yu was unlearned, the Successor Empress was eager to showcase the Eastern Palace's scholarly achievements.
Upon hearing this, Song Yanzheng promptly recited the policy essay he had prepared in advance.
Instead of receiving praise from Emperor Yuanyou, he was met with a sigh that sounded like a little adult's:
"Lamenting the hardships of the people... the person who wrote this essay must have personally witnessed much of the world's suffering."
Chirp—
Song Yu instantly understood and followed up immediately.
"When did you ever have such experiences?" Song Yu shot a disdainful glance at Song Yanzheng. "Feigned agony. A policy essay written like this is worthless."
"Why must Uncle speak of me with such malicious disdain?"
"Disdain you?" Song Yu curled the corner of his mouth. "Then let this prince test you with a policy question."
"Yu thought of those drowning in the world; he deemed it not enough to merely discuss it."
After saying this, Song Yu buried his head in his meal. Questions crafted by Ye Shijie were tricky; one could attempt them but dare not make a sound.
Song Yanzheng truly deserved this.
By the time Song Yu had eaten his fill, Song Yanzheng still hadn't answered, standing to the side drenched in sweat.
"As an elder, you bully a junior. Could you even answer this question yourself?" Song Ling said contemptuously.
Song Yu sat up straight.
Thanks for the invitation, he had been waiting for this moment.
He was best at answering Ye Shijie's questions.
When Song Yu answered with extreme fluency, even Emperor Yuanyou seemed somewhat unaccustomed to it, glancing at Song Yu several times in a row.
"Uncle must have memorized the answer beforehand," Song Xiyan accused.
"Hearts that are dirty see dirt in everything."
Song Shihuan's dark almond eyes turned to Song Xiyan. "Such questions are mere casual answers for my father. I don't know about your scholarship, but your character is lacking."
"You!" Song Xiyan shot to her feet.
"Alright then, let's make a bet."
Song Yu smiled as he looked at Song Ling. "You can ask any six questions, and I will answer them. If I answer them all, you will stand outside the Kunning Palace and shout four times, 'The Eastern Palace only produces stupid eggs.' How about that?"
"The Four Books and Five Classics, choose any topic."
Song Ling was somewhat tempted. "And if you can't answer?"
"Then I am the stupid egg," Song Shihuan pointed at herself. "After all, Father only has me, this one egg, right now."
Emperor Yuanyou thought of the most painful events in his life but still couldn't help letting out a laugh.
"Fine, I'll take the bet."
After Song Ling spoke, he looked up and met Song Yu's unfathomably deep eyes, feeling inexplicably creeped out.
Song Yu smiled.
He would use a blunt knife to cut flesh, making Song Ling watch clearly as the Crown Prince position changed hands, be condemned by the world, watch his own children turn on each other, and suffer unbearably.
Watch how the opponent he once looked down upon most would openly crush him in every aspect.
"Good."
Song Yu leisurely straightened his robes and then pinched Song Shihuan's little cheek. "Don't worry, Father won't let you become a stupid egg."
......
For the first question Song Ling posed, Song Yu answered without even thinking.
Song Yanzheng and Song Xiyan exchanged a subtle glance at Song Ling. Was Father going easy? This concerned the dignity of who between them and Song Shihuan was the stupid egg.
Sure enough, the difficulty of the second question increased sharply.
Song Yu answered with his feet propped up, extremely relaxed.
Song Ling, caught in the situation, hadn't yet realized, but the Successor Empress was already looking at Emperor Yuanyou's satisfied expression with horror. How could the Prince of Qin...
All six questions in a row, Song Yu answered them.
After answering, Song Yu kindly made a "please" gesture towards Song Ling.
"Shout four times, 'The Eastern Palace only produces stupid eggs.'"
"Your Majesty..." the Successor Empress couldn't help but speak up.
"A bet is a bet," Emperor Yuanyou only tossed out these four words.
Song Ling, eyes bloodshot, walked out of the room and stood outside the Kunning Palace. Having suffered the greatest humiliation of his life, he shouted four times:
"The Eastern Palace only produces stupid eggs."
"Ah Huan, do you know why it's four times?" Song Yu leaned against the railing, looking dotingly at the little one beside him.
"I know, because the Eastern Palace has four eggs."
"Clever Ah Huan."
Song Yu lifted his eyes to scan the surroundings: the Successor Empress, furious but holding it in; Song Ling, eyes full of hatred; Song Yanzheng, face full of humiliation; Song Xiyan, features twisted in anger; and... the Crown Princess, who remained aloof...
In this very atmosphere, Song Yu looked at Emperor Yuanyou:
"So, about your son becoming Crown Prince... is there a chance?"
Boom—
A clap of thunder sounded in the sky, making the faces of the Eastern Palace party turn ashen.
......
"Yu'er, what do you mean by that?" The smile on the Successor Empress's face could no longer be maintained as she forced out the words.
"Isn't the meaning clear? I also want to be Crown Prince."
Song Yu chuckled softly. "I am both the legitimate eldest son and the eldest by birth, the most suitable candidate for the Crown Prince position, am I not?"
"But you..."
"Me what? That I'm unlearned? Or a dissolute playboy? Or perhaps that I had an illicit affair with a palace maid from my stepmother's quarters, showing improper conduct?"
Song Yu pressed step by step. "Before, I didn't want to compete, so I didn't bother with these dirty tricks. But now I want to compete."
"Even so, I wouldn't use such despicable means to fight. What skill is there in bringing down a brother? Making the people's lives better is what makes a good Crown Prince." For the first time, Song Yu stood on the moral high ground, feeling both thrilled and immensely satisfied.
Emperor Yuanyou nodded excitedly repeatedly.
Seeing this, Song Yu raised an eyebrow. "Father, please treat your soon-to-arrive perfect heir well."
This old man was getting off cheap.
Before, he clearly couldn't wait to pass the throne to him.
From now on, he mustn't hit him with a shoe sole anymore!
"Ah Huan, Father will take you to see the Eastern Palace first, to pick a courtyard you like in advance."
Song Yu took Song Shihuan's hand and headed straight for the Eastern Palace, his sense of ownership overwhelmingly strong.
