The story begins with a power struggle among nine princes, but the protagonist doesn't vie for

In the courtyard of the eleventh prince, Luo Zhaoheng, under the eaves in one corner, there was a slightly worn purple bamboo recliner covered with a thick silver fox fur rug.

Luo Zhaoheng nestled in the recliner, covered with a fox fur of the same color, almost sinking into the soft, warm fur.

He squinted, his face slightly turned towards the sunlight, his fine eyelashes casting a light shadow on his porcelain-white cheeks, looking drowsy and extremely lazy from being sunbathed.

On the small table next to him, several open Taoist scriptures were casually spread out, along with his usual set of copper coin tortoise shells.

A white porcelain teacup was steaming, filled with "Misty Green" tea, a gift from Master Qingsong before the New Year. The tea had a delicate fragrance, which, combined with the sunshine and the crisp air after the snow, made for a pleasant experience.

Xiao Shunzi was casually dusting non-existent dust off the pillars with a fine feather duster, his eyes glancing at his master every now and then. His lips moved a few times, but he finally couldn't resist, leaning closer and speaking in a low voice, his tone tinged with earnest concern:

"Your Highness...the weather is lovely today, but have you...forgotten something?"

Luo Zhaoheng didn't even blink, and lazily hummed in response.

"Well... didn't His Majesty ask you to copy the Classic of Filial Piety ten times a few days ago to calm your mind and cultivate your character?" Xiao Shunzi's voice was even lower.

"It's been three days, and you haven't uttered a single word. This servant heard from Xiao Guizi next door that His Highness the Tenth Prince hasn't even practiced martial arts these past few days; he's been copying books in his room every day..."

"I've prepared Xuan paper, brushes, and ink for you in your study. Do you think it's alright?" Xiao Shunzi pointed towards the study, his meaning clear—stop sunbathing, it's time to get to work.

Luo Zhaoheng slowly opened his eyelids slightly, revealing a sliver of dark, deep eyes. He glanced at Xiao Shunzi, then closed them again, mumbling, "Xiao Shunzi..."

"Your servant is here."

"You're a good person in every way, except sometimes... you're too honest." Luo Zhaoheng's voice trailed off, slightly hoarse as if he had just woken up.

"The old man is so busy with state affairs that he can't even finish reading the memorials and has to take care of the concubines in the harem. How could he have the time to really check whether I copied the Classic of Filial Piety?"

He swore an oath to punish me, but that was just a show for others. As for me, I obediently agreed, and that was it—the matter was considered closed.

As he said this, Luo Zhaoheng adjusted his lying position to let the sunlight shine more fully on his face, and sighed comfortably:

"If you don't say anything, and I don't say anything, and nobody in our department says anything, then just consider it as if I've already painstakingly and diligently copied it ten times."

Who would actually investigate? That old fox Cao Jin? He wouldn't bother with something as trivial as this. My brothers in the other palaces? They'd be thrilled if I were just idle all day.

Xiao Shunzi was stunned, forgetting to even swing the duster in his hand: "But...but Your Highness, what if...what if His Majesty remembers to ask one day..."

"What if they ask?" Luo Zhaoheng's lips curled into a faint, lazy, and sly smile. "If they ask, just say I copied it. Do you think they'd make me recite the Classic of Filial Piety right here and now?"

Even if asked for details, just say that your wrists ached from copying so much that you couldn't sleep at night, but you were grateful for your father's teachings and dared not slack off...

In short, the more pitiful and sincere you are, the better. The old man wants an attitude, obedience. My being here, not running away or causing trouble, is the greatest attitude I can show.

Luo Zhaoheng extended two fingers, slowly picked up a piece of osmanthus cake from the dish beside him, took a bite, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction:

"Besides, I'm 'obsessed' with divination and Taoist scriptures, and I have a reputation for 'not doing my proper job.' It's perfectly normal for me to 'be lazy' occasionally and take a break by copying scriptures."

On the contrary, it suits my persona better. If I were to become a diligent, hardworking prince who rises at the crack of dawn and can recite the classics by heart, that would be real trouble.

Xiao Shunzi opened his mouth, unable to refute it for a moment. His Highness's twisted logic... thinking about it carefully, it actually seemed to make a bit of sense?

His Majesty has always been somewhat lenient towards the Eleventh Prince. As long as he doesn't go too far or cause trouble, he doesn't seem to be strictly controlled.

The other princes and nobles probably didn't really consider the Eleventh Prince a serious competitor, so they naturally didn't bother to nitpick over such trivial matters.

"But..." Xiao Shunzi was still a little uneasy. "Your Highness, after all, the Classic of Filial Piety was written by His Majesty himself..."

"Oh, Xiao Shunzi, you can rest assured." Luo Zhaoheng waved his hand, interrupting him, and stuffed the remaining half of the pastry into his mouth, mumbling.

"If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Here, the weather is sunny and warm. It's nice to bask in the sun, read some leisurely books, and ponder the divination. Go get a basin of hot water; I need to put it on my eyes. The sun is making them sore."

"..." Xiao Shunzi was completely speechless. Looking at his prince's matter-of-fact and self-righteous attitude of slacking off, he could only sigh resignedly.

"Yes, this servant will go right away."

Why seek out trouble when you can steal half a day of leisure from your busy life?

As for the Classic of Filial Piety? Let whoever wants to copy it copy it.

Luo Zhaoheng adjusted his breathing, and the "Crane Standing Tall in the Nine Heavens" internal energy within his body slowly circulated on its own, nourishing his meridians and absorbing a trace of weak yang energy from the warm winter sun...

Inside the Qianqing Palace, Cao Jin presented the imperial clan regulations copied by the tenth prince, Luo Zhaotang, to someone standing nearby who was...

Qianqing Palace.

On the rosewood imperial desk, a mountain of memorials was piled up, the ink from the vermilion brush still wet, and the air was filled with the somber scent of ambergris mixed with the fragrance of ink, a unique aura of power.

Emperor Xuankang sat on the large dragon throne, wearing a black silk robe with gold dragons. He was over forty years old. Years of paperwork and imperial strategies had etched deep lines between his brows. Although his eyes were still as sharp as a hawk's, a trace of weariness could not be hidden deep in them.

Cao Jin stood below, hands at his sides, bowing deeply, his breathing extremely soft.

The chief eunuch of the Qianqing Palace also showed signs of age, with a slightly hunched back, but his eyes remained sharp, always watching the emperor's every move. He held a stack of neatly copied papers in his hands, the edges of which were bound with brocade, making him appear quite solemn.

"Your Majesty, the 'Regulations for the Imperial Clan' submitted by His Highness the Tenth Prince has been copied and proofread. Please take a look." Cao Jin stepped forward and gently placed the paper in his hand on a corner of the imperial desk, avoiding the pile of memorials awaiting approval.

Emperor Xuankang looked up from an urgent report about the floods in the southern border region, rubbed his temples, and then his gaze fell on the stack of copied papers, his expression slightly relaxed.

Emperor Xuankang cared quite a bit about his son.

"Hmm." Emperor Xuankang responded with a nasal hum, temporarily setting aside his troubling state affairs, and reached for the stack of copied texts. The paper was thick, clearly indicating that the Tenth Prince had diligently copied them multiple times. He casually flipped through it—

The first page, although the handwriting wasn't great, was still fairly neat.

The second page is somewhat messy at the beginning, with some strokes crooked.

On the third page, the ink was uneven, and several words were clearly written incorrectly and then corrected, leaving a dark, indistinct mess.

Page 4...

Emperor Xuankang's brows gradually furrowed. He flipped through the pages faster and faster, his expression growing increasingly grim.

By the time the pages got to the later pages, the handwriting was simply illegible! It was crooked and illegible, with some characters as big as walnuts and others as small as fly heads, all crammed together, and large patches of smudged ink... This wasn't copying a book; it was clearly scribbles!