The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

Hundreds of lanterns were quickly taken out of the painted boat and floated onto the Qinhuai River.

Zhu Gaosui's heart was bleeding.

Oh shit.

In just a short while, a thousand strings of cash were gone.

These little bastards, they don't care that it's not their own money they're spending.

A cunning glint flashed in Zhu Zhanjun's eyes.

"Third Uncle, we all released lanterns except you."

"How about I order you a few too?"

[Ding! You have obtained a silver treasure chest!]

Zhu Gaosui was startled and immediately said.

"I don't think it's necessary."

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

Yes, yes.

Zhu Gaosui quickly pulled Zhu Zhanjun over and whispered.

"Zhanjun, don't deliberately make fun of your third uncle."

Zhu Zhanjun said with a grin.

"Third Uncle, life is like being raped; you either resist or enjoy it."

Zhu Gaosui: "..."

That little rascal!

The words may be rough, but the principle is sound; however, yours is far too rough.

He was just about to give his nephew a good talking-to when he suddenly heard Zhu Zhanjun looking at Zhu Gaosui's back with a surprised expression.

"Oh dear, Grandpa Emperor!"

Zhu Gaosui gave a cold laugh.

"Nephew, there's no fun in messing with me."

"Could I be falling for that?"

Zhu Zhanjun ignored him and continued to wave behind him.

Zhu Gaosui sneered inwardly.

The acting was quite convincing.

He slowly turned his head and glanced at it.

Suddenly, I paused, and a familiar figure came into view.

Not far away, on a painted boat that was getting closer and closer to them, Zhu Di's figure became clearer and clearer.

The father and son's eyes met.

Zhu Gaosui: "!!!"

Wait, this little rascal didn't actually mess with him?

I thought you were going to play a trick on me, but it turns out you weren't. Isn't this a trick on me?

On a ship not far away.

Zhu Di looked at Zhu Zhanjun, Zhu Gaosui, and others on the painted boat with some surprise.

He stroked his beard, his expression strange.

"What are Zhan Jun and Gao Sui doing here?"

"Is this pleasure boat... proper?"

Everyone looked at each other.

This pleasure boat looks shady; it's clearly designed like a brothel.

However, he kept these thoughts to himself and no one would say them aloud.

Zhang Fu forced himself to speak.

"Your Majesty, this pleasure boat is named Yixiang Boat."

"Although this boat has some singing and dancing entertainment, it is mostly a place for literati, merchants and officials to gather in their leisure time, to compose poems, listen to music and appreciate the scenery. It is not a place where filth and depravity are hidden."

"And tonight's lantern festival is bustling with visitors; His Highness Prince Jiyang and His Highness Prince Zhao must also be here to enjoy the river view."

Although he admired Zhu Zhanjun, it wasn't time for him to take sides yet.

The reason he helped Zhu Zhanjun and Zhu Gaosui out of the predicament was because he had sharp eyes and noticed that his own stupid son was also there.

Damn it, it would be one thing if the Prince of Jiyang brought his son to a brothel on the Qinhuai River.

If his son brings the Prince of Jiyang over, that would be a real disaster.

Zhu Di raised an eyebrow.

He was just asking casually.

Zhang Fu offered him a way out, so he naturally accepted it.

Suddenly, Yang Shiqi, who was standing next to him, spoke up.

"Your Majesty, while what Lord Zhang said is not without merit, I have heard that this 'Yixiangfang' is actually a famous pleasure boat on the Qinhuai River, not a place for ordinary literati to gather."

"The boat was filled with singers and dancers who performed and entertained guests, and some even offered themselves as lovers."

"Tonight is a lantern festival set up by the imperial court to pray for the disaster to recede and for the people to be at peace. All people are happy and can share in the imperial grace."

"As members of the imperial family, Your Highness Prince Zhao and Your Highness Prince Jiyang's appearance in such a place at this time may cause controversy and damage the royal reputation."

"His Highness Prince Jiyang is young and should be even more careful in his words and deeds, so as to set an example for the imperial family."

"If this matter gets out, the people will probably say that the imperial family's sons do not value morality, which will not be good for His Highness's reputation or the dignity of the court."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you investigate this matter thoroughly."

Zhu Di's lips twitched.

He could tell, of course, that there was nothing proper going on in that pleasure boat.

Originally, everyone tacitly agreed to go back and discipline their son and grandson.

Unexpectedly, Yang Shiqi brought this up in public.

How was he supposed to respond?

Zhu Di remained silent for a moment, and Yang Rong, Hu Guang, and others who were accompanying him also held their breath and dared not say a word.

"Let's move closer and take a look," Zhu Di said with a light cough.

The ship slowly approached the Yixiang Pavilion.

After a while.

The two boats were moored together.

Zhu Gaosui and Zhu Zhan, along with Zhu Yi and others, boarded the ship and paid their respects to Zhu Di.

When Zhang Mao saw his father, Zhang Fu, he immediately shrank back.

After the group bowed, before Zhu Di could speak, Zhu Zhanjun said with a grin.

"Grandpa, what a coincidence!"

Zhu Di: "..."

He coughed lightly.

"Zhan Jun, Gao Sui, what are you doing here?"

Zhu Gaosui's forehead was covered in sweat, and he coughed lightly.

"Reporting to Father, we... are releasing lanterns."

"Release lanterns?" Zhu Di raised an eyebrow.

Zhu Gaosui quickly replied.

"I have heard that this year, in order to provide relief to the disaster victims, the government has adopted a work-for-relief program, hiring many disaster victims to weave lanterns and build lantern displays."

"Your subject thought that since we've caught up with the occasion, we should buy more lanterns, both to add some splendor to the lantern festival and to give the disaster victims who participated in making them some income, so they can at least get a few full meals."

Damn it, thank goodness this nephew just came up with a plausible excuse.

Now he can use it.

What a good nephew he is!

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di nodded slightly.

This kid at least did something decent; he didn't admit he was soliciting prostitutes here.

Otherwise, if word gets out, will Duke Mu Sheng of Qian have no shame?

She was hoping that her third son would marry Mu Sheng's daughter.

Upon hearing this, Yang Shiqi stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Zhu Di, and said, "Your Majesty, what Prince Zhao said is reasonable, but if it's only for helping disaster victims and releasing lanterns, one can buy them at the lantern market on the shore and at the dock stalls. Why bother to board this Yixiang Boat?"

"You all know very well how famous this boat is on the Qinhuai River."

"Singing girls and dancing girls, who accompany you for drinks and offer you sexual favors, are not places that princes, grandsons of the emperor, or members of the imperial family should frequent."

Yang Shiqi paused, and seeing that Zhu Di's expression remained unchanged, he continued:

"His Highness Prince Jiyang is still young. He should study at the academy and cultivate virtue in the palace to nurture his noble spirit."

"Yet today you appear in such a filthy place alongside His Highness Prince Zhao. Even if you haven't done anything outrageous, who among the onlookers would believe you?"

"If this were to spread among the common people, they would discuss how the imperial family's children do not value virtue and abide by etiquette, which would damage the imperial family's reputation and fail in fulfilling the court's responsibility to educate the people."

Zhu Gaosui broke out in a sweat, inwardly cursing Yang Shiqi for being nosy, but dared not refute him. He could only force himself to say, "Scholar Yang is quite right. It was my oversight..."

He had barely finished speaking when a clear voice rang out from the side.

"Old Yang, don't talk nonsense. Where is this place dirty?"

Everyone looked at each other, their gazes falling on Zhu Zhanjun, who had just spoken.

Yang Shiqi said calmly.

"This place is a filthy place because everyone makes dirty money here."

"Pah!" Zhu Zhanjun scoffed. "They're earning our hard-earned money, how is it dirty?"

Everyone: "..."

His Highness Prince Jiyang is perfectly fine.

Zhu Di's lips twitched.

Yang Shiqi raised an eyebrow.

"Regardless of the circumstances, it is outrageous and immoral for His Highness Prince Zhao and His Highness Prince Jiyang to visit a brothel together. If word gets out, it will be considered utterly immoral and absurd."

Zhu Zhanjun shook his head.

"You're right to say my third uncle is absurd; he's just a womanizer."

"If you slander me, I won't allow it!"

"I've come here on important business."

[Ding! You have obtained a silver treasure chest!]

Zhu Gaosui: "..."

You little bastard, what kind of nephew are you?!

Yang Shiqi narrowed his eyes and pondered.

"Something important?"

"Your Highness, I do not understand."

Zhu Di's face twitched.

Where did this kid go off to?

What important business could you possibly have that led you to a brothel?

Behind him, important dignitaries such as Zhang Fu, as well as several people including Hu Guang, all looked completely bewildered.

Zhu Zhanjun, facing the gazes of the crowd, spoke with conviction.

"He never cultivated good deeds in his life, but only loved to deceive people and commit arson."

"Suddenly the golden shackles were broken, and the jade lock was torn apart."

"Hey! The tide is coming in on the Qinhuai River, only today do I realize who I am."

"Today, I, the King, will attain enlightenment here!"