The low-key prince summons trainees from the Imperial Household Department at the start of the game.

On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in the twenty-third year of Yonghe, it was the Qixi Festival.

Outside the palace, this day is a time for young women to thread needles and pray for skill and good fortune by worshipping the moon, but inside the palace, it is the annual royal family banquet.

According to the ancestral rules of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the Qiqiao family banquet did not include foreign officials or ceremonial guards; it was a rare gathering of the royal family that was exclusively for their own members.

The Liufang Hall by Taiye Pond was already decorated with lanterns and colorful lights three days ago, with seven-colored glass lanterns hanging under the corridor.

A red brocade felt was laid out in front of the palace, and palace maids carried fresh fruits and pastries as they moved among them, while eunuchs squatted in the corner of the corridor and carefully released river lanterns into the pond.

Those river lanterns were handmade by the ladies of the palace; they were lotus-shaped with a single candle wick.

Drifting slowly out of the Taiye Pond, they converge into a ribbon of twinkling lights in the night.

Reflected in the Milky Way, it's impossible to distinguish between the stars in the sky and the lights in the water.

Just after dusk, the princes and princesses began to arrive one after another.

The first to arrive was the eldest prince, Zhou Cong. He was wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a jade belt around his waist. He walked with composure and had a gentle demeanor.

Beside him was a young woman dressed in a light blue palace dress, with delicate features and dignified demeanor; she was none other than the Crown Prince's principal wife, Lady Xie.

The Xie family came from a scholarly family in Jiangnan. Their father, Xie Wenyuan, was a lecturer in the Hanlin Academy.

Although not a powerful and influential family, the Xie family enjoyed a very high reputation in the literary circles of Jiangnan.

The family of the eldest prince's mother, Consort Xian, was a long-standing friend, and this marriage was personally arranged by Consort Xian when she was alive.

After Zhou Cong took his seat, he sat down below Kong Yan, with Xie Shi sitting quietly beside him.

She would occasionally whisper a few words to him, and their respectful demeanor made them appear to outsiders as a perfectly matched young couple.

Immediately afterwards, the Second Prince Zhou Xun strode in.

He wasn't wearing his martial arts uniform today; instead, he wore a dark blue brocade robe with a short sword hanging at his waist.

That was the Crimson Flame Sword, a gift from Grand Commandant Zhou Jing, which he never parted with.

The woman accompanying him, Lady Han, was a direct descendant of Marquis Dingyuan, Han Chong. She had striking features, a tall stature, and a confident stride, clearly a daughter of a military family.

After the two sat down, Madam Han's gaze swept around the hall and landed on Madam Xie opposite her, giving her a slight nod.

Lady Xie returned the greeting with a smile, and the silent exchange between the two principal wives was completed in the instant their eyes met.

The Third Prince, Zhou Ying, arrived later than the previous two.

His birth mother, Consort Rong, had long since fallen out of favor and had always kept a low profile in the palace.

His principal wife, Lady Liu, was the illegitimate daughter of a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites. Although she did not come from a high social class, she was well-educated and reasonable, and had a good reputation among her sisters-in-law.

When the two men took their seats, they only greeted the brothers around them and then sat down quietly.

The fourth prince, Zhou Bin, arrived shortly after.

He was the son-in-law of Marquis Zhao Xi of Wu'an.

When Zhao Xi's eldest daughter married into the Fourth Prince's household, the marriage caused quite a stir in the court.

Zhao Xi was the most low-key of the four marquises, but he held real power over the southwestern border army.

By marrying his legitimate daughter, the fourth prince essentially gained a powerful patron in the army.

The Fourth Prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, wore a pomegranate-red palace dress and a red-gold phoenix hairpin in her hair, making her stand out among the other principal wives.

As she sat down, her gaze lingered on Han for a moment.

The Marquis of Wu'an's mansion and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion belong to different factions in the army. Although the two families do not openly fall out, their private rivalry has never stopped.

Han noticed the gaze, but simply picked up her teacup, smiled slightly, and turned her head away without making a sound.

When the Fifth Prince Zhou Gui took his seat, there was an empty seat next to him.

He was one of the few princes who had not yet married a principal wife.

Grand Tutor Yuwen Lie was his mentor, and the Yuwen family held a prominent position in the court, so his marriage naturally required utmost care.

After taking his seat, he began to talk quietly with the sixth prince next to him, appearing completely at ease and seemingly unconcerned about the empty seat beside him.

The sixth prince Zhou Ke's principal wife, Lady Cao, was the illegitimate daughter of Marquis Cao Jun of Anxi. She was gentle and mild-mannered, and not particularly outstanding among her sisters-in-law, but she was good at being dutiful and respectful.

The seventh prince, who was not yet of age and had not married, sat alone at the end of the table, looking around curiously.

The eighth prince, who was younger, was sitting next to the seventh prince and was secretly taking a piece of osmanthus cake from the table and stuffing it into his mouth.

The Ninth Prince, Zhou Xing, was at the very end of the line, followed by Granny Liu.

Today, Granny Liu specially dressed him in a newly made indigo blue robe, with a plain belt around his waist, and his hair was neatly tied up with a small jade hairpin.

When he took his seat, the hall was already mostly occupied, and no one noticed his arrival.

Or rather, no one felt the need to pay special attention to it.

Guided by the palace servants, he sat in the very last seat. There was no principal wife or companion beside him, only an empty seat.

The seats in the hall are arranged according to seniority and social status.

At the very top are the main seats for the emperor and empress, followed by the princes and princesses arranged by age.

Zhou Xing's seat was the third to last, in front of several five- or six-year-old princes.

After he sat down, he quietly picked up the teacup in front of him and took small sips, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall without making a sound.

The princes' principal wives were seated next to the princes' seats, each dressed in palace attire according to their rank.

The light blue palace dress worn by the Crown Prince's principal wife, Lady Xie, was made of Suzhou brocade, a material that wasn't considered extremely expensive.

However, the embroidery is extremely exquisite, with the orchids on the skirt being lifelike, clearly the work of a top-notch embroiderer from Jiangnan.

The pomegranate-red palace dress of the Fourth Prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, was made of Sichuan tribute satin, with a rich and vibrant color. Paired with a red-gold phoenix hairpin, it stood out among the other principal wives dressed in simple and elegant attire.

The Second Prince's principal wife, Lady Han, wore a dark-patterned brocade from the Northern Border. The fabric was thick and crisp, and the cuffs were tightly fitted, giving her a somewhat capable air about her as a daughter of a military family.

The attire of the Empress alone at this table is equivalent to half of the geographical record of tributes from the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou Xing was observing silently when the Second Prince's principal wife, Han, suddenly glanced at him and paused for a moment on his face.

She tilted her head slightly and whispered something to the Second Prince Zhou Xun beside her. Zhou Xun also looked up at Zhou Xing, and then shook his head at Han Shi.

Han then withdrew her gaze and continued chatting with Liu, the wife of the Third Prince, who was standing next to her.

Zhou Xing picked up his teacup and took another sip, a perfectly measured timid smile on his lips.

He knew what they were talking about.

After the incident in the Imperial Garden, the Second Prince warned Consort Huang on the road, presumably because Lady Han was asking about the aftermath of that incident.

Zhou Xun shook his head, probably saying, "It's none of our business."

He lowered his eyes and continued drinking his tea.

His presence at the family dinner was as faint as ever, but unlike previous years, this year someone was already secretly observing him.

Standing behind him, Granny Liu took in all these gazes, her face remaining impassive, but inwardly she was sneering.

You're only starting to pay attention to His Highness now? It's too late.

At the exact hour of Xu (7-9 PM), the bell tolled nine times.

A long, drawn-out announcement came from outside the hall: "His Majesty has arrived! Her Majesty the Empress has arrived!"

Everyone in the hall rose and knelt in unison to welcome them.

Emperor Wu of Zhou, Zhou Qian, and his empress walked side by side into Liufang Palace.

Today, the emperor wore an ochre-red dragon robe embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, which shone brightly under the light of the glass palace lanterns.

The Empress wore a bright red phoenix robe and a nine-tailed phoenix crown, with her hair ornaments swaying gently with her steps.

After the two were seated, Zhou Qian slightly raised his hand and said "Rise," his voice not loud but enough to drown out the noise in the hall, and everyone then sat down again.

Zhou Qian's gaze swept over everyone in the hall, slowly passing over the faces of the princes and princesses.

She nodded slightly when she saw the eldest prince, Zhou Cong.

When she saw the Second Prince Zhou Xun, her eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Her gaze lingered for a moment when she saw Zhao Shi standing next to the Fourth Prince Zhou Bin.

Then his gaze continued to sweep backward, passing over several young princes and princesses, and finally stopping on the ninth prince, Zhou Xing, at the very end.

His gaze lingered on Zhou Xing's face for a couple of moments.

Two breaths is a considerable amount of time in the emperor's eyes.

Zhou Xing lowered his eyes, his posture as timid as ever.

Zhou Qian withdrew his gaze, picked up his wine glass, and announced the start of the banquet.

As the palace music began, the dancers filed in and began to dance gracefully in the center of the hall.

Palace maids carried various delicacies and moved among the guests.

Midway through the banquet, Zhou Qian suddenly put down his wine cup and said, "Today is a family banquet, so there's no need for formalities. It's been a long time since I've spoken to you all."

He leaned back on the dragon throne, his gaze slowly sweeping across the faces of the princes. "Zong'er, you've been observing state affairs in the cabinet recently. Have you gained any insights?"

Zhou Cong put down his jade chopsticks, stood up, cupped his hands, and replied, "Your Majesty, I have recently been reading the annual land tax archives submitted by the Ministry of Revenue. I feel that although our dynasty's land tax system is complete, its implementation varies from place to place, especially the land survey, which urgently needs to be rectified."

His answer was standard and proper, neither deliberately showing off nor being perfunctory.

Zhou Qian nodded slightly without saying anything more, then turned to the Second Prince Zhou Xun.

"Xun'er is currently assisting with the allocation of grain supplies in the northern border region at the Grand Commandant's residence. The great war in the north has just ended, and the remnants of the Hu people are still wandering the grasslands. What weaknesses do you think there are in the northern border defense line?"

Zhou Qian's tone carried a hint of testing.

Zhou Xun put down his wine glass and stood up.

He said in a loud voice that the troop deployment from Yanmen Pass to Yunzhou was biased towards frontal defense, while the flanks were weak.

It is recommended to set up two additional cavalry outposts on the west side of Yunzhou, forming a strategic defensive position with Shuozhou.

Zhou Qian nodded slightly, his gaze continuing to sweep behind him.

He didn't ask the Third Prince, Fourth Prince, or Fifth Prince, but skipped over several people and went straight to Zhou Xing, who was at the very end.

"Little Nine." Zhou Xing quickly stood up, lowered his head, and timidly responded to his father.

Zhou Qian looked him over and asked a seemingly casual yet intriguing question.

"What have you been doing lately?"

All eyes in the hall turned to Zhou Xing.

This thin and small Ninth Prince was always the most inconspicuous presence at family banquets, and His Majesty had never asked him a question in public before.

Zhou Xing lowered his head and answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have recently been reading the 'Geography of the Great Zhou Dynasty,' and I think it is very well written. However, some of the maps are outdated, and the boundaries of several prefectures in the northern border are not drawn correctly."

Zhou Qian raised an eyebrow slightly and asked him how he knew the map of the Northern Territory was wrong.

Zhou Xing felt a pang of anxiety, knowing he had said too much, but he maintained a timid expression on his face.

In a childlike, innocent tone, he said, "I have read several geography books and found that the northern border is depicted differently in each one."

Some have an extra mountain, some have an extra river. I don't know which one is correct; I just find it strange.

Zhou Qian was silent for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, then nodded slightly and said, "Very good, you read carefully."

This answer was interpreted in various ways by everyone in the hall.

The eldest prince lowered his head and sipped his wine, a barely perceptible smile flashing in his eyes.

The second prince glanced at Zhou Xing, seemingly lost in thought.

The Fourth Prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, turned her head and whispered to the Fourth Prince, "Ninth Brother is indeed diligent," her tone carrying a hint of disapproval.

Meanwhile, Lady Han, seated in the seat of the prince's principal wife, scrutinized her ninth brother, who had been ignored by the rest of the palace, with a critical eye.

A ten-year-old child can spot a mistake in a map; this level of attention to detail and dedication goes far beyond what can be summed up by simply saying "hard work."

Zhou Xing sat back down and continued to sip his tea slowly.

Standing behind him, Granny Liu took in his fluent and eloquent answers, and her judgment of him quietly shifted.

She saw it very clearly just now.

His Highness paused slightly before answering, not to organize his thoughts, but to temper his sharpness.

He managed to say things in a way that would impress His Majesty without being too outrageous; he struck the perfect balance.

This was not like the timid and taciturn young master she had previously imagined; he was more like a knife temporarily sheathed.

When the family banquet ended, the river lanterns on Taiye Pond had already drifted far away, leaving only a few scattered ones still flickering on the water.

Zhou Xing followed the crowd out, with Granny Liu half a step behind him. The two of them slowly walked along the stone path by Taiye Pond toward the side hall.

A night breeze blew across the water, carrying a faint scent of lotus leaves.

Granny Liu draped a thin cloak over his shoulders and whispered, "Your Highness handled things well tonight, but you talked a bit too much."

Zhou Xing paused slightly in his steps.

He knew that Granny Liu was reminding him of what he had said that night about the map of the North.

Although the effect was good, it still revealed a bit of its sharpness.

He hummed in agreement, saying nothing more, but in his heart, he felt a greater sense of approval for the old woman.

The ability to immediately detect any inconsistencies in his words demonstrates his keen insight; those years spent at the Needlework Bureau were well worth it.

Back in the side hall, Chunlan and Qiuju had already prepared hot water.

After Zhou Xing finished washing up, he dismissed them and sat alone by the window.

The old locust tree outside the window swayed gently in the night breeze, and moonlight filtered through the leaves onto the windowsill, dappling it like broken silver.

He opened the self-made booklet, turned to the page recording the princes' power, and picked up his pen to add to the details he had observed that evening.

The Great Zhou Dynasty had seventeen princes and nine princesses.

Among the princes, only a few of the older ones were truly qualified to covet that position, and each of them had one or more powerful factions in the court behind them.

The eldest prince, Zhou Cong, is nineteen years old and holds the rank of third-grade civil official. His principal wife, Lady Xie, comes from a scholarly family in Jiangnan and is backed by Grand Tutor Kong Yan and the entire system of upright civil officials.

The second prince, Zhou Xun, is sixteen years old and a fourth-rank martial artist. His wife, Lady Han, is a direct descendant of Marquis Dingyuan, Han Chong, and is backed by Grand Commandant Zhou Jing and hardliners in the military.

The third prince, Zhou Ying, is fifteen years old and has not yet established his own residence. His principal wife, Lady Liu, is the illegitimate daughter of a vice minister of the Ministry of Rites, while his mother, Consort Rong, has long since fallen out of favor.

The fourth prince, Zhou Bin, is fifteen years old. His principal wife, Lady Zhao, is the legitimate daughter of Marquis Zhao Xi of Wu'an, and is backed by the southwestern border army.

The fifth prince, Zhou Gui, is fourteen years old and has not yet married a principal wife. He is studying under Grand Tutor Yuwen Lie and observes politics in the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.

The sixth prince, Zhou Ke, is thirteen years old. His principal wife, Lady Cao, is the illegitimate daughter of Marquis Cao Jun of Anxi, and is backed by the Northwest military.

The princes below the seventh prince are all minors and pose no immediate threat.

But there was a detail at the family dinner tonight: Zhou Xing circled it heavily in the booklet with a vermilion pen.

The Fifth Prince, Zhou Gui.

The man didn't say much all night, silently observing from the corner, but the empty seat next to him carried more weight than any words.

He was Yuwen Lie's student. The Yuwen family held a prominent position in the court, and the entire court was secretly watching how Yuwen Lie would arrange his marriage.

The Fifth Prince himself is unassuming, but the more low-key he is, the more it shows that the people behind him are patient and composed.

Such opponents are often more difficult to deal with than those who are overtly assertive.

Zhou Xing put down his pen, closed the booklet, and tucked it back under his pillow.

He leaned against the headboard, gazing at the wood grain on the ceiling, his mind still replaying every scene from tonight's family dinner.

The eldest prince was gentle and refined, and his answers were impeccable; he had been well-trained by Kong Yan.

But judging from his slightly clenched fingers when he answered, he was under more pressure than anyone else.

The second prince was spirited and spoke his mind directly, but when he saw the fourth prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

The factional conflict between the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion and the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion has clearly affected the relationship between the princes.

The Third Prince remained completely silent, as if he didn't exist, but his principal wife, Lady Liu, was able to strike up conversations with Lady Han and Lady Xie.

The fourth prince's principal wife, Lady Zhao, was too flamboyant and stood out from the other principal wives.

The Fifth Prince observed from the beginning to the end; such people are the most difficult to deal with.

And himself.

The Ninth Prince, Zhou Xing, has no maternal clan, no wife's clan, and no teacher. He is like an outsider on this map of princes' power.

In the Great Zhou royal family, such a background was practically equivalent to being automatically excluded from the competition for the throne.

Nobody saw him as a threat.

Even if his father, the emperor, unusually looked at him a couple more times and asked him a question tonight, in the eyes of others, it would just be considered "good luck".

No one will scheme against him behind his back, no one will specifically target him, and he can continue to quietly weave his web out of everyone's sight.

Princes of the Great Zhou Dynasty are considered adults at the age of thirteen or fourteen, at which time they can marry a principal wife and establish their own residence and military headquarters.

He is nine years old this year, and has four years left until he becomes an adult.

Four years is enough time for him to do a lot.

He sat up in bed, reopened the booklet, and wrote a line on the last page of the princes' power map: "Before adulthood, do not compete for prominence; on the day of adulthood, be unstoppable."

Then put down the pen and blew out the candle.

In the darkness, the moonlight outside the window cast the shadow of the old locust tree onto the window paper, which swayed gently in the wind.

He closed his eyes, and in his mind, every piece on the chessboard was already in its place, just waiting for time to push them one by one to their proper positions.