The honest crown prince

"I am sorry, your highness. That wasn't my intention. However, I wanted to tell you that a mine of gold has been discovered in Rua village, on the boundary of southern Hua and northern Wei." 

The crown prince looked at him without a ripple of emotion on his calm face and said: "That should be told to my imperial uncle and not me. I can see you omitted that from your report in the court session this morning. Do you think my imperial uncle won't find out if he wants to? You are playing with fire and I'm not entertaining it. I will take my leave now." 

The crown prince and prime minister Su stood up at the same time and the prime minister bowed to him.

"Farewell, Your highness."

After the crown prince had left. The minister's face turned unsightly. "Everyone else is fighting for the throne one way or the other and this fool isn't showing any interest in it." He thought aloud with fury brewing inside him.

The emperor doesn't have a child and if he dies, someone has to be the new emperor, but this one that was the supposed crown prince has no sliver of desire in him to get the throne and it pisses him off every time he thought of how he would be marrying one of his daughters to him, thanks to the emperor's decree.

He had wanted to choose the second prince whom everyone knows was likely to be the next emperor, but the reigning emperor ruined his chances and decreed a marriage between the crown prince and one of his daughters. 

Thank goodness that the emperor had left him with the option to choose which of the daughters he wanted to give away in marriage, at least, the emperor was a little considerate in that aspect. 

Because of that, he had been trying to imbue in the crown prince a reason to be hungry for the throne, but the foolish boy only wants a quiet and peaceful life. If that continues, how was he supposed to be the father-in-law to the emperor?

"No, I can't give up, not when the pieces are in the right places." He took a deep breath before walking out of the large hall. 

Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Jin placed the roof tile back in place and jumped down quietly. He turned his gaze to look at the prime minister who just left through the front door of the hall and curled his lips into a mocking smile. 

He turned his gaze to the sky and squinted his eyes before shielding his eyes with his palm. 

The sun was still full in the sky and it burnt into his skin, wanting to turn him dark by force. 

Jin might be lazy as Hades, but two of the things he would never joke around with are his mission and beautiful skin.

He took his small cotton bag from the place he hung it and pulled out a black hoodie cloak from it. 

After draping it over his plain brown robe, he pulled the hoodie over his face and smiled. "Now it feels good to be shielded from the sun."

"Who is there?! Halt!!" A loud voice thundered from behind Jin. 

Jin sighed and pulled the hoodie off his face, then turned around with his hands up. "It's me, older brother," he beamed. 

The person walking over with his right hand on his sword's handle instantly relaxed his guard.  "What are you doing here?" He asked.

"My master gave me off today, so I was about to go out, but the heat was too much, that's why I stopped to take cover here to take out my cloak," he explained. 

"You should be careful next time and don't stop by the master's building ever again. If shadow one had caught you instead of me, he would have probably killed you on sight before realizing it was you." 

"Thank you, older brother, I'll be careful next time." He smiled again and turned around to leave but then paused. "Older brother, have you seen Hong?"

"Hong? Isn't he your nemesis? I thought he hates you?" The guard frowned slightly 

"Hehehe... everyone in the manor knows he hates me, but I haven't seen him today." 

"Don't worry about him, he might have been sent out of the manor or probably killed by one of the servants, who knows? He's not important in the manor anyway." 

"Oh, that's right, but I'm scared, older brother..." 

Jin walked closer to him and pulled at the sleeve of his black uniform.  

"...The servants in the manor kill themselves every time and the masters are not saying anything, what if I also get killed someday..."

"Who dares?! You have me, shadow two to rely on, let alone your master likes you a lot. Unless the person is asking to be killed a thousand times?"

Ah Yue Jin chuckled and said: "older brother loves me the most." 

Shadow two smiled, "start going."

"Hmm..." Jin nodded before he asked again: "what should I get you while coming back?"

"When are you coming back?" 

"Hmm… I don't know, probably tomorrow. I was told my grandmother is ill and I need to take care of her. You know she's my only family." His face suddenly looked sorrowful as his cheerful personality abruptly disappeared.

"Ai, Jin, you are a grown-up now, act like a man for once and stop behaving like a little Miss. Seventh young Miss does not behave as you do." 

Jin sighed. "It's sad, older brother. I should be on my way now," Jin said the moment he caught sight of a figure walking toward them. 

"Oh, just get me a few meatballs and buns, that will do."  Shadow two said and dug into the lapping on his chest and pulled out a small blue pouch and threw it to Jin. 

"I know that your master already gave you enough, but take that and get your grandmother some nice things." 

Jin tried to catch the pouch in the air but failed and fell on his face, prompting shadow two to snicker. 

"Older brother, where did you get the mind to laugh at him?!" A young girl's voice sounded from behind the men.