Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 193 The Crown Prince Regent! Three-and-a-half-year-old Xiao Bao'er attends court and, with a single sentence, exposes a century-old problem.

Officials stood solemnly before the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Three-and-a-half-year-old Bao'er was dressed in a specially made bright yellow prince's robe.

Her little face was tense as she walked step by step up the high imperial steps.

Shen Qingci stood at the entrance of the palace, looking at him.

The small figure appeared particularly frail against the backdrop of the enormous palace.

But each step they took was very steady.

leisurely.

When she walked up to her, Bao'er looked up and blinked her big eyes:

"Mother, did I walk beautifully?"

Shen Qingci knelt down and straightened his collar.

"It's beautiful," she said. "The most beautiful."

Bao'er smiled contentedly, then turned around and continued walking forward.

Reach the highest point of the Imperial Staircase.

She walked up to Nangong Ye.

Then, he knelt down properly.

"Your subject, Nangong Yue, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

The voice was childish, yet every word was clear and distinct.

Nangong Ye looked at him, his eyes slightly warm.

Bao'er blinked and asked earnestly, "Father, does that mean Bao'er is going to start learning how to be an emperor now?"

Nangong Ye was taken aback, then smiled.

"No need." He patted Bao'er's head. "You should learn how to be a person first. Once you learn how to be a person, you will naturally become an emperor."

Bao'er seemed to understand, but still nodded emphatically.

"Bao'er will remember!"

Today is the most important day for Bao'er as he becomes the Crown Prince!

Choosing a mentor.

Shen Qingci had already planned for this.

"General Shen." She looked at her father.

Shen Anbang stepped forward, tears streaming down his face, and declared, "Your subject is here!"

"As the Crown Prince's tutor, you shall teach him loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness, which are the fundamental principles of being a person."

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty obeys the decree!"

"Eunuch Li."

Li Dequan stepped forward, his back hunched: "This old servant is here."

"As the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, teach him to observe people, discern their hearts, and distinguish right from wrong."

Eunuch Li kowtowed deeply: "This old servant... obeys the decree."

"Doctor Chen."

Physician Chen stepped forward and said, "Your subject is here."

"You will be the Crown Prince's medical doctor, teaching him medicine and pharmacology, and saving lives and healing the wounded."

Imperial Physician Chen's eyes reddened slightly: "Your subject...accepts the decree."

"Qian Sihai".

Qian Sihai knelt down with a thud: "This humble subject is here!"

"You are the Crown Prince's Doctor of Commerce, teach him about commerce and business, and the various aspects of people's lives."

Qian Sihai trembled all over: "This humble subject...this humble subject has no virtue or ability whatsoever..."

"If I say you're capable, then you are." Shen Qingci looked at him. "I know your abilities that have enabled Jinxiufang to achieve what it is today."

Qian Sihai kowtowed repeatedly, sobbing uncontrollably, "Your subject...accepts the decree!"

Shen Qingci read out a few more names—some were scholars, some were warriors, some were court officials, some were commoners, and there was even a… female teacher.

"Zhou Yunniang".

The daughter of that private tutor who was once barred from taking the imperial examinations is now a scholar at the Jixian Academy.

She knelt on the ground, her voice trembling: "This humble woman is here."

"You will serve as the Crown Prince's literary tutor, teaching him poetry, songs, and the art of literature."

Tears welled up in Zhou Yunniang's eyes: "This humble woman...this humble woman has no virtue or ability...this humble woman is just a woman..."

"What's wrong with being a woman?" Shen Qingci laughed. "I am a woman too."

Zhou Yunniang was stunned.

Then, he kowtowed deeply.

"Your subject...accepts the decree!"

-

Thus began the Crown Prince's days of studying.

Every day at 5:00 AM, Bao'er gets up on time.

First, learn from Eunuch Li for an hour how to "observe people and discern their intentions".

"Your Highness," Eunuch Li pointed to a palace maid walking past the window, "what do you think of her?"

Bao'er closed her eyes, then opened them a moment later.

"She...she's a little anxious. Her kitten is missing, and she's looking for it."

Eunuch Li's eyes lit up.

"Anything else?"

Bao'er sensed it again: "She...she doesn't dare let anyone know, because she's raising it secretly."

Eunuch Li smiled.

"Your Highness, this is what is meant by 'observing people and discerning their hearts.' It is not about prying into their privacy, but about understanding human nature."

"You know she's in a hurry, so you won't ask her to do anything at this time."

"You know she's afraid of being discovered, so you'll cover for her."

"In that way, she will be grateful for your kindness."

Bao'er listened attentively and nodded.

"Bao'er will remember."

-

At Chenshi (7-9 AM), it was Shen Anbang's turn to teach.

Grand Tutor Shen taught the Analects.

"Your Highness, what does the saying 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you' mean?"

Bao'er tilted her little head and thought for a moment:

"It's just... if Bao'er doesn't want to eat carrots, can't you force Aunt Jinshu to eat carrots?"

Shen Anbang was stunned for a moment, then stroked his beard and laughed.

"Your Highness is right, but it's not just that."

He patiently explained, "If you don't want to be deceived, you can't deceive others."

If you don't want to be hurt, you can't hurt others.

What you want, others also want;

What you fear, others fear too.

"This is what is meant by 'putting yourself in others' shoes'."

Bao'er blinked and suddenly asked:

"Did Father depose Mother back then because he was afraid of being deposed himself?"

Shen Anbang was stunned.

He couldn't answer that question.

Bao'er nodded to herself:

"Bao'er understands. Father was afraid back then, so he did something wrong."

"So from now on, Bao'er, you need to make sure you're not afraid."

"That way, you won't make mistakes."

Shen Anbang looked at the three-and-a-half-year-old child, and his eyes suddenly welled up with tears.

"Your Highness..." His voice choked with emotion, "You were born to be an emperor."

-

At 9:00 AM, it was Physician Chen's medical class.

"Your Highness, what is this?"

Physician Chen pointed to a medicinal herb on the table.

Bao'er leaned closer to smell it, then closed her eyes to sense it.

"This is...mint? It's cool and refreshing."

Imperial Physician Chen asked in surprise, "How did Your Highness know?"

"It told Bao'er itself."

Bao'er said matter-of-factly,

"It says its name is mint, and it can cure headaches and keep insects away."

Physician Chen: "..."

He looked at Shen Qingci beside him, his face full of shock.

Shen Qingci simply smiled.

"Keep teaching him," she said. "He has the talent; don't waste it."

-

At noon, it was Qian Sihai's business class.

"Your Highness, do you know how many processes this bolt of silk goes through?"

Bao'er shook her head.

Qian Sihai counted on his fingers: "Planting mulberry trees, raising silkworms, harvesting cocoons, reeling silk, dyeing, weaving, cutting, sewing... a total of eight steps."

"Every step of the process requires people to do it. These people need to eat and support their families."

"Therefore, the price of a bolt of silk is not only the silk itself, but also the wages, food, and clothing of the people who wore it..."

As Bao'er listened, she suddenly asked:

"What if the silk becomes too expensive, and people can't afford it?"

Qian Sihai was taken aback.

Bao'er continued, "If they can't afford it, they won't have clothes to wear, they'll be cold, they'll get sick, they'll die."

"Then... could you make the silk a little cheaper? So that everyone can afford it?"

Qian Sihai opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Shen Qingci smiled slightly as she stood beside him.

"Qian Sihai," she said, "you can't answer this question?"

Qian Sihai smiled wryly: "Your Majesty, I...I've only ever thought about how to make money, I've never thought about..."

"Then start thinking about it now," Shen Qingci said. "The Crown Prince asked a good question."

Qian Sihai nodded solemnly.

"Your Majesty... I will go back and think it over carefully."

-

At 1-3 PM, it was Zhou Yunniang's literature class.

Zhou Yunniang taught the Book of Poetry.

"The ospreys cry 'guan guan' on the river's islet. A fair maiden, a gentleman's ideal..."

As Bao'er listened, she suddenly asked:

"Mr. Zhou, what does this line of poetry mean?"

Zhou Yunniang explained: "It means that when a man sees a beautiful woman, he feels admiration and wants to pursue her."

Bao'er blinked: "If a woman sees a handsome man, can she pursue him?"

Zhou Yunniang was stunned.

No one taught her this.

Bao'er continued speaking to herself:

"My mother says that men and women are equal. So women can also like men and pursue them, right?"

"Father pursued Mother, so if Mother liked Father first, she could also pursue him, right?"

Zhou Yunniang stared blankly at the three-and-a-half-year-old child.

Suddenly, she smiled.

As I laughed, tears streamed down my face.

"Your Highness is right," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "Women... can also do it."

Bao'er nodded and went back to reading.

-

The days passed by.

Bao'er's schoolwork is getting heavier and heavier, but he never complains about being tired.

Every evening, when Shen Qingci and Nangong Ye went to pick him up,

You can always see a small figure.

They sit upright at the table, either writing or reciting texts.

"Bao'er, are you tired?" Nangong Ye asked with concern.

Bao'er looked up and blinked: "Not tired at all."

What did you learn today?

"Today, Eunuch Li taught Bao'er how to judge people."

Bao'er said,

He said, "You can't judge a person by what they say, you have to look at what they do."

"Grand Tutor Shen taught Bao'er, 'Do not do to others what you would not have them do to you,' and Bao'er thought it made a lot of sense."

"Doctor Chen taught Bao'er to recognize ten kinds of herbs, and Bao'er has memorized them all!"

"Mr. Qian taught Bao'er how to do accounts today, and Bao'er did it very quickly!"

"Mr. Zhou taught Bao'er to recite poems, and Bao'er recited three!"

Nangong Ye was stunned.

A three-and-a-half-year-old child learning so much in one day?

"Qingci," he looked at Shen Qingci, "isn't this too much?"

Shen Qingci shook her head.

"He wanted to learn it himself."

She said, "I asked him if he was tired, and he said he wasn't."

When asked if he liked it, he said he did.

"Then let him learn."

She crouched down and looked at Bao'er.

"Baby, Mother is asking you, why are you learning all this?"

Bao'er tilted her little head and thought for a moment.

"So that everyone can have a better life in the future."

How can we ensure everyone lives a good life?

Bao'er counted on her fingers:

"Eunuch Li said that one must be good at judging people so as not to be deceived or to wrongly accuse others."

"Grand Tutor Shen said, 'You must be kind to others, and others will be kind to you.'"

"Doctor Chen said that we should know how to treat illnesses so that people won't be afraid when they get sick."

"Mr. Qian said that everyone should have food to eat and clothes to wear."

Mr. Zhou said that one must read more books to understand principles.

After he finished speaking, he looked up at Shen Qingci:

"Mother, am I right?"

Shen Qingci looked at him.

Looking at this small child who already understands so many principles.

My eyes felt slightly warm.

"Yes," she said. "Bao'er is right."

Bao'er smiled happily.

That smile was innocent and pure, yet it carried a strange light.

It was as if a seed was already hidden within his small body—

The heart of a true emperor.

-

end of September.

An urgent report came from Jiangnan: torrential rains have fallen in the Taihu Lake basin, causing water levels to rise sharply and posing a risk of levee breaches.

The court was in an uproar.

Some people suggested allocating funds immediately to repair the dike.

Some people said they should wait for the imperial court to send someone to investigate.

Some say that the Jiangnan region floods every year.

Repaired every year, yet collapsing every year; the root cause is local officials embezzling funds intended for the river construction project…

They argued all day but came to no avail.

Shen Qingci rubbed her temples, about to speak.

Suddenly, a small voice rang out:

"Father, Mother."

It's Bao'er.

He was exceptionally brought to court today and sat on a small stool to the side, listening quietly the whole time.

At that moment, he stood up and walked to the center of the hall.

"Bao'er?" Nangong Ye was taken aback. "What's wrong?"

Bao'er tilted her little face up and said earnestly:

"Bao'er knows where the dam will break."

The entire hall erupted in uproar.

"Your Highness is joking, isn't he?"

How could a three-year-old know that?

"This...this..."

Bao'er ignored them and only looked at Shen Qingci.

"Mother, I can feel it."

Shen Qingci's heart stirred.

She remembered Bao'er's ability—early warning.

"Where?" she asked.

Bao'er closed her eyes, and after a moment, opened them.

Pointing to the map of Jiangnan hanging on the wall:

"Here...and here...and here."

The three places he pointed out were all bends in the river marked on the map.

"Why here?" Nangong Ye asked.

Bao'er thought for a moment and said:

"Bao'er doesn't know why... she just feels that the water there is angry."

"Is the water angry?"

"Yes. The water says that someone is blocking it, preventing it from leaving. If it wants to leave, it will break through."

Shen Qingci and Nangong Ye exchanged a glance.

"deliver an imperial order,"

Shen Qingci immediately said,

"The Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works was ordered to lead a team to these three locations immediately for a thorough investigation."

If any potential hazards are found, immediate repairs should be carried out.

"yes!"

-

Ten days later.

An urgent report from Jiangnan arrived in Beijing again.

The memorial personally submitted by the Vice Minister of Works, though written in hasty handwriting, could not conceal his shock:

"Your Majesty, I have been ordered to investigate the three locations you pointed out, and I have indeed found newly dug tunnels on the inner side of the dikes!"

The tunnel led directly to the center of the dike, and was filled with straw and disguised to be indistinguishable to the naked eye!

Without Your Highness's guidance, the three places would surely have collapsed during this autumn flood season!

"A dozen or so counties in Jiangnan, with millions of lives lost, are in grave danger!"

"Your Highness, I...I prostrate myself in utter submission!"

After the memorial was read, the Hall of Supreme Harmony fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone looked at the child sitting on the small stool.

Three and a half years old.

She was wearing a bright yellow robe and holding a cloth tiger in her arms.

Right now, I'm focused on grooming the cloth tiger.

It was as if the earth-shattering event that had just happened had nothing to do with him.

"Your Highness..." someone murmured, "This is a divinely ordained holy lord..."

"You should have known that day..."

"With a crown prince like this, how could the Southern Palace not prosper?"

Bao'er heard someone call her name, looked up, and blinked:

"Are you talking about Bo-er?"

The assembled ministers were at a loss for words.

Shen Qingci smiled.

She got up, walked to Bao'er, and squatted down.

"Baby," she asked softly, "how did you know the dam would breach there?"

Bao'er tilted her little head:

"Bao'er doesn't know either... she can just feel it."

"That feeling was like...like someone screaming for help."

"Bao'er heard it and told her mother."

Shen Qingci looked at him.

Looking into those clear, untainted eyes.

Suddenly, she reached out and gently pulled him into her arms.

"Baby," she whispered in her ear, "you have saved many people."

Bao'er blinked: "Really?"

"real."

Bao'er smiled happily.

"From now on, Bao'er will save even more people!"

-

late at night.

Kunning Palace.

Shen Qingci leaned against Nangong Ye's chest, looking at the full moon outside the window.

"Ah Ye," she said softly.

"Um?"

"What will happen to Bao'er's ability in the future?"

Nangong Ye paused for a moment.

"I don't know," he said, "but no matter what, we'll protect him."

"If he wants to use it, he can. If he doesn't want to, he won't."

"This country does not need a 'child prodigy prince' to sit on it."

"All you need is one good person."

Shen Qingci nodded.

"Um."

Moonlight bathed the courtyard.

In the distance, from Bao'er's bedroom, came the sound of even breathing.

He fell asleep.

She was still holding the cloth tiger in her arms.

In his dream, he heard many voices—

Some people are laughing, some are crying, and some are shouting for help.

He is not afraid.

Because he knew that his father and mother were right beside him.