Before seeing the Second Prince, Chen An was still hesitant, but now it was completely unnecessary.
He was still hesitating here, but the other side was more direct.
The other side didn't care about him at all!
That was the key point.
On the surface, the Second Prince's attitude seemed okay, but that indifferent attitude inadvertently revealed itself.
Compared to the Third Prince's side, the Second Prince didn't pay much attention to him.
Since that was the case, what was there to hesitate about?
Could it be that he would still seek warmth from someone who gave him the cold shoulder?
How absurd!
Comparatively, things were much better with the Third Prince. Not only did he pay enough attention to Chen An, but he also generously helped out.
In this regard, the Second Prince was too stingy, calling someone over and not even giving them anything, just showing off his status.
No need to serve him!
Since he had made up his mind, Chen An didn't hesitate and started to move.
Without deliberately concealing anything, he directly headed towards the Third Prince's residence.
Soon, he arrived at the location.
After half a month had passed, Chen An was about to have someone announce his arrival.
"The Prince has already instructed, if Master Chen comes, you can directly go in, no need to inform."
The steward's words surprised Chen An.
Compared to the Second Prince's side, the Third Prince was indeed giving face.
But he just smiled and said, "Courtesy cannot be neglected, it would still be better to announce me."
The steward glanced at Chen An and then obediently went to announce him.
Soon, the Third Prince appeared in front of Chen An.
The Third Prince ran out, his clothes were a bit messy, it seemed like he was changing clothes before, but he hadn't completely changed yet, so he came out in a short robe.
For a prince, this was quite disrespectful, but in this context, it seemed more sincere.
"Chang'an, you finally came."
Cheng Zheng ran up to Chen An and looked at him with a joyful expression, "After half a month apart, your sudden visit today truly delights me."
"Your Highness."
Chen An smiled and bowed, then said, "I came this time to express my gratitude for the generous gift you sent me last time."
"I am very satisfied with the gift you gave."
"Satisfied is good."
Cheng Zheng smiled and then said, "You rarely come over, have you had a meal?"
"Not yet."
Chen An smiled and said, "I just came from the Second Prince's place."
"Oh?"
Cheng Zheng's expression turned serious.
With his insight, he naturally knew what that meant.
Did others also see Chen An as a valuable piece of jade?
With that thought in mind, he couldn't help but tighten his grip and said, "How did it go?"
He really valued Chen An, so he became anxious after hearing about the news from the Second Prince.
After all, on the surface, his side was indeed not treating Chen An as well as the Second Prince's.
If people had the choice, most would probably run to his second brother.
Although he had confidence in Chen An and thought that such a person probably wouldn't look kindly on his elder brother, one couldn't be entirely sure about such matters.
But Chen An's reply obviously didn't disappoint him.
Glancing at Cheng Zheng, Chen An smiled and said, "Unfortunately, although the Second Prince invited me over as a guest, he was too stingy. It's almost noon, and he didn't even want to offer me a meal."
"So I had no choice but to come over here and see if I could get a meal."
"Hahaha!"
Cheng Zheng finally relaxed and showed a genuine smile, "I may not have much else, but I can definitely provide you a meal."
"If you're willing, you can visit often today."
"Then I thank you, Your Highness."
Chen An smiled, bowed, and thanked him.
After a while, they entered the hall.
The dishes slowly arrived, but compared to the last time, this time's meal was much simpler.
Looking at the table, there were only four dishes and a soup.
For the average person who couldn't afford a meal, it wasn't considered few, but for a prince like Cheng Zheng, it was meager.
Chen An pondered.
He remembered that the last time he came as a guest, the food was very lavish.
Feeling Chen An's gaze, as if afraid of being misunderstood, Cheng Zheng smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything special."
"Your Highness, do you usually eat like this with your family?"
Chen An asked curiously.
"Savings are always good."
Cheng Zheng said frankly.
Chen An nodded, looking at Cheng Zheng with higher regard.
In every aspect, the other party seemed to live a very frugal life.
Being frugal wasn't everything, but it didn't necessarily result in achieving great things.
However, the rare thing was that despite being frugal, when it came time to act, the other party was generous.
For example, the gift of Xuanbing Jing that was given to Chen An, even as a prince, it probably took a lot of effort to obtain.
The fact that such a generous gift was given without hesitation was quite rare.
"After meeting my second brother, how do you feel?"
After finishing the meal, Cheng Zheng asked with a smile.
"The Second Prince is outstanding, with a noble air, and exudes the demeanor of the royal family in his every move, however."
"However what?" Cheng Zheng asked.
"However, he doesn't seem like a monarch."
Chen An paused and then continued, "He might be the Queen's son, with a powerful maternal family and many dukes supporting him, but that doesn't mean he has the qualities of a monarch."
Cheng Zheng was stunned.
Was Chen An being that blunt?
"My second brother is the son of the Queen, with a powerful maternal family and numerous supporters behind him. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a threat to His Majesty."
Cheng Zheng was silent for a long time before speaking again, "So, does that not qualify as the demeanor of a monarch?"
He stared at Chen An fixedly, asking.
"It's precisely because the Second Prince has a huge force behind him, with powerful maternal family and numerous supporters, that he lacks the qualities of a monarch."
Chen An smiled and continued, "You see, the Emperor is still around."
A prince with a strong force would undoubtedly threaten the emperor, this was a certain thing.
"The Second Prince has a powerful force, a strong maternal family, which is a good thing, but the Emperor has the First Prince."
"The First Prince is the legitimate heir, the Crown Prince with the right name, and with the First Prince to deter him, it would be extremely difficult for the Second Prince to ascend the throne."
"If the eldest brother is brought down?"
Cheng Zheng continued to ask.
"In that case, I'm afraid the Emperor would be restless."
Chen An continued.
Yes, if even the eldest brother was brought down by the Second Prince, the power of the Second Prince would expand to a point that would make everyone fear and dread.
As the Emperor, who wouldn't be afraid and anxious?
In reality, even before seeing the Second Prince, just looking at the current situation, Chen An thought the chances of the Second Prince successfully ascending the throne were very slim.
The history he had learned in his past life told him that princes who gathered too much power while the emperor was still vigorous, often met with a tragic end.
If he was not yet the legitimate heir and had an elder brother (the Crown Prince) in front of him, it was even more so.
The final outcome of these people usually fell into two categories.
Either they were suppressed and gradually faded away in their heyday, or they directly rebuked and used force to overthrow the emperor.
There were many examples of the former, and the most famous of the latter was naturally Li Shimin.
But the problem was, besides Li Shimin, it seemed that there weren't many people who achieved such, right?
The probability was too small and too difficult.
So Chen An never thought about supporting the Second Prince to ascend the throne or something like that.
Even if he really joined forces with the Second Prince, he would just figure out a way to get his techniques from him.
Once he obtained the techniques, he would just run away, no matter what happened afterwards.
But in the Third Prince's place, Chen An felt that he had a much greater chance than the Second Prince.
This was completely different from the thoughts of the people around him.
"Even though Your Highness doesn't have a powerful maternal family, and you're not the eldest son, you excel in being discreet."
Chen An said, "Whether it's the Second Prince or the First Prince, they see each other as enemies, but they rarely see you as a rival, right?"
"This is your advantage, Your Highness. You can develop slowly without being targeted by others."
"That's the first point."
"And?"
Cheng Zheng quickly asked.
"The second point is, of course, His Majesty's trust."
Chen An smiled and said, "Among the three elder princes, Your Highness has the smallest force, posing the least threat to His Majesty."
"Among the three princes, the one His Majesty trusts the most is undoubtedly you, Your Highness."
"And as long as His Majesty trusts you, everything is possible."
In this world, warriors were the most powerful force.
And when it came to the skilled fighters under one's command, who could surpass the current emperor?
Forget about the numerous supports of Marquis with expelling spirit for the Second Prince, what would they amount to compared to the forces under the emperor's command?
It probably fell far short.
The Emperor wielded the most powerful force, which was a decisive factor.
So as long as one could gain the trust of the Emperor, it was equivalent to obtaining the support of the most potent force.
"The First Prince is the eldest son, but his mother died early, and he is known to be cruel and not well-liked by others."
"Even though he has had many supporters over the years, he has not been formally declared as the Crown Prince yet, and that is telling."
"As for the Second Prince, it's needless to say. By aligning with the Marquis, having a strong maternal family, and having many supporters, he is bound to be watched with caution by His Majesty."
"Up to now, His Majesty has refrained from making the First Prince the Crown Prince but has continued to support the First Prince. It is likely to balance the First Prince against the Second Prince to prevent an imbalance."
Chen An continued.
After many years of lurking in Dahua, he had done quite a bit of research and had his own thoughts on the situation.
They might not be accurate, but they seemed reasonable on the surface.
Before seeing the Second Prince, Chen An was still hesitant, but now it was completely unnecessary.
He was still hesitating here, but the other side was more direct.
The other side didn't care about him at all!
That was the key point.
On the surface, the Second Prince's attitude seemed okay, but that indifferent attitude inadvertently revealed itself.
Compared to the Third Prince's side, the Second Prince didn't pay much attention to him.
Since that was the case, what was there to hesitate about?
Could it be that he would still seek warmth from someone who gave him the cold shoulder?
How absurd!
Comparatively, things were much better with the Third Prince. Not only did he pay enough attention to Chen An, but he also generously helped out.
In this regard, the Second Prince was too stingy, calling someone over and not even giving them anything, just showing off his status.
No need to serve him!
Since he had made up his mind, Chen An didn't hesitate and started to move.
Without deliberately concealing anything, he directly headed towards the Third Prince's residence.
Soon, he arrived at the location.
After half a month had passed, Chen An was about to have someone announce his arrival.
"The Prince has already instructed, if Master Chen comes, you can directly go in, no need to inform."
The steward's words surprised Chen An.
Compared to the Second Prince's side, the Third Prince was indeed giving face.
But he just smiled and said, "Courtesy cannot be neglected, it would still be better to announce me."
The steward glanced at Chen An and then obediently went to announce him.
Soon, the Third Prince appeared in front of Chen An.
The Third Prince ran out, his clothes were a bit messy, it seemed like he was changing clothes before, but he hadn't completely changed yet, so he came out in a short robe.
For a prince, this was quite disrespectful, but in this context, it seemed more sincere.
"Chang'an, you finally came."
Cheng Zheng ran up to Chen An and looked at him with a joyful expression, "After half a month apart, your sudden visit today truly delights me."
"Your Highness."
Chen An smiled and bowed, then said, "I came this time to express my gratitude for the generous gift you sent me last time."
"I am very satisfied with the gift you gave."
"Satisfied is good."
Cheng Zheng smiled and then said, "You rarely come over, have you had a meal?"
"Not yet."
Chen An smiled and said, "I just came from the Second Prince's place."
"Oh?"
Cheng Zheng's expression turned serious.
With his insight, he naturally knew what that meant.
Did others also see Chen An as a valuable piece of jade?
With that thought in mind, he couldn't help but tighten his grip and said, "How did it go?"
He really valued Chen An, so he became anxious after hearing about the news from the Second Prince.
After all, on the surface, his side was indeed not treating Chen An as well as the Second Prince's.
If people had the choice, most would probably run to his second brother.
Although he had confidence in Chen An and thought that such a person probably wouldn't look kindly on his elder brother, one couldn't be entirely sure about such matters.
But Chen An's reply obviously didn't disappoint him.
Glancing at Cheng Zheng, Chen An smiled and said, "Unfortunately, although the Second Prince invited me over as a guest, he was too stingy. It's almost noon, and he didn't even want to offer me a meal."
"So I had no choice but to come over here and see if I could get a meal."
"Hahaha!"
Cheng Zheng finally relaxed and showed a genuine smile, "I may not have much else, but I can definitely provide you a meal."
"If you're willing, you can visit often today."
"Then I thank you, Your Highness."
Chen An smiled, bowed, and thanked him.
After a while, they entered the hall.
The dishes slowly arrived, but compared to the last time, this time's meal was much simpler.
Looking at the table, there were only four dishes and a soup.
For the average person who couldn't afford a meal, it wasn't considered few, but for a prince like Cheng Zheng, it was meager.
Chen An pondered.
He remembered that the last time he came as a guest, the food was very lavish.
Feeling Chen An's gaze, as if afraid of being misunderstood, Cheng Zheng smiled awkwardly and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were coming, so I didn't prepare anything special."
"Your Highness, do you usually eat like this with your family?"
Chen An asked curiously.
"Savings are always good."
Cheng Zheng said frankly.
Chen An nodded, looking at Cheng Zheng with higher regard.
In every aspect, the other party seemed to live a very frugal life.
Being frugal wasn't everything, but it didn't necessarily result in achieving great things.
However, the rare thing was that despite being frugal, when it came time to act, the other party was generous.
For example, the gift of Xuanbing Jing that was given to Chen An, even as a prince, it probably took a lot of effort to obtain.
The fact that such a generous gift was given without hesitation was quite rare.
"After meeting my second brother, how do you feel?"
After finishing the meal, Cheng Zheng asked with a smile.
"The Second Prince is outstanding, with a noble air, and exudes the demeanor of the royal family in his every move, however."
"However what?" Cheng Zheng asked.
"However, he doesn't seem like a monarch."
Chen An paused and then continued, "He might be the Queen's son, with a powerful maternal family and many dukes supporting him, but that doesn't mean he has the qualities of a monarch."
Cheng Zheng was stunned.
Was Chen An being that blunt?
"My second brother is the son of the Queen, with a powerful maternal family and numerous supporters behind him. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a threat to His Majesty."
Cheng Zheng was silent for a long time before speaking again, "So, does that not qualify as the demeanor of a monarch?"
He stared at Chen An fixedly, asking.
"It's precisely because the Second Prince has a huge force behind him, with powerful maternal family and numerous supporters, that he lacks the qualities of a monarch."
Chen An smiled and continued, "You see, the Emperor is still around."
A prince with a strong force would undoubtedly threaten the emperor, this was a certain thing.
"The Second Prince has a powerful force, a strong maternal family, which is a good thing, but the Emperor has the First Prince."
"The First Prince is the legitimate heir, the Crown Prince with the right name, and with the First Prince to deter him, it would be extremely difficult for the Second Prince to ascend the throne."
"If the eldest brother is brought down?"
Cheng Zheng continued to ask.
"In that case, I'm afraid the Emperor would be restless."
Chen An continued.
Yes, if even the eldest brother was brought down by the Second Prince, the power of the Second Prince would expand to a point that would make everyone fear and dread.
As the Emperor, who wouldn't be afraid and anxious?
In reality, even before seeing the Second Prince, just looking at the current situation, Chen An thought the chances of the Second Prince successfully ascending the throne were very slim.
The history he had learned in his past life told him that princes who gathered too much power while the emperor was still vigorous, often met with a tragic end.
If he was not yet the legitimate heir and had an elder brother (the Crown Prince) in front of him, it was even more so.
The final outcome of these people usually fell into two categories.
Either they were suppressed and gradually faded away in their heyday, or they directly rebuked and used force to overthrow the emperor.
There were many examples of the former, and the most famous of the latter was naturally Li Shimin.
But the problem was, besides Li Shimin, it seemed that there weren't many people who achieved such, right?
The probability was too small and too difficult.
So Chen An never thought about supporting the Second Prince to ascend the throne or something like that.
Even if he really joined forces with the Second Prince, he would just figure out a way to get his techniques from him.
Once he obtained the techniques, he would just run away, no matter what happened afterwards.
But in the Third Prince's place, Chen An felt that he had a much greater chance than the Second Prince.
This was completely different from the thoughts of the people around him.
"Even though Your Highness doesn't have a powerful maternal family, and you're not the eldest son, you excel in being discreet."
Chen An said, "Whether it's the Second Prince or the First Prince, they see each other as enemies, but they rarely see you as a rival, right?"
"This is your advantage, Your Highness. You can develop slowly without being targeted by others."
"That's the first point."
"And?"
Cheng Zheng quickly asked.
"The second point is, of course, His Majesty's trust."
Chen An smiled and said, "Among the three elder princes, Your Highness has the smallest force, posing the least threat to His Majesty."
"Among the three princes, the one His Majesty trusts the most is undoubtedly you, Your Highness."
"And as long as His Majesty trusts you, everything is possible."
In this world, warriors were the most powerful force.
And when it came to the skilled fighters under one's command, who could surpass the current emperor?
Forget about the numerous supports of Marquis with expelling spirit for the Second Prince, what would they amount to compared to the forces under the emperor's command?
It probably fell far short.
The Emperor wielded the most powerful force, which was a decisive factor.
So as long as one could gain the trust of the Emperor, it was equivalent to obtaining the support of the most potent force.
"The First Prince is the eldest son, but his mother died early, and he is known to be cruel and not well-liked by others."
"Even though he has had many supporters over the years, he has not been formally declared as the Crown Prince yet, and that is telling."
"As for the Second Prince, it's needless to say. By aligning with the Marquis, having a strong maternal family, and having many supporters, he is bound to be watched with caution by His Majesty."
"Up to now, His Majesty has refrained from making the First Prince the Crown Prince but has continued to support the First Prince. It is likely to balance the First Prince against the Second Prince to prevent an imbalance."
Chen An continued.
After many years of lurking in Dahua, he had done quite a bit of research and had his own thoughts on the situation.
They might not be accurate, but they seemed reasonable on the surface.
