Qi Xiao had something on his mind. After breakfast, while Bairen was bathing, he summoned the manor steward.

Qi Xiao took a sip of tea and slowly said after some deliberation, "Is it that you..."

The steward fell to his knees with a thud, his voice trembling, "Your Highness... there was a drought last year, so the harvest was poor. This humble one truly dares not lie. Your Highness can go ask the nearby manors, they are all in the same situation...

"Natural disasters aside, after the summer harvest, the court issued a decree to allocate grain to provide disaster relief for Lingnan. Even noble households had to contribute grain without exception. This humble one's manor is incomparable to others, being right under the Emperor's nose, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent. Just the summer harvest grain paid as disaster relief tax was already..."

"Who asked you about that?!" Qi Xiao laughed, "Get up and speak..."

Qi Xiao was clear as a mirror about last year's accounts. How could he only bring up old matters now? He knew this place had paid some taxes, but even so, the earnings here were still quite good.

If it was truly a manor with no income, Qi Xiao wouldn't have given it to Bairen. The reason Qi Xiao summoned the steward now was actually because he remembered Bairen mentioning he liked chicks and ducklings before.

Qi Xiao rubbed his temples. "Last year you presented quite a lot of venison. Does the manor raise deer now?"

The steward wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded. "Steward Jiang mentioned in passing the year before last that Your Highness loves venison. We brought in a batch of deer last year, but perhaps due to being unaccustomed to the environment, many grew poorly and died. Later, Steward Li went to his hometown to find some experienced masters to care for them before things improved. After surviving a winter, they can probably live..."

This steward was too afraid of Qi Xiao, rambling on and on no matter what Qi Xiao asked. Qi Xiao was impatient in his heart and frowned. "I didn't ask you about all that... Are there any fawns now?"

The steward blanked for a moment before stammering, "There are a few pregnant does, but... it will still be over a month before they give birth."

Qi Xiao grew even more impatient. "What about chicks and goslings then?"

The steward's legs began trembling again. He swallowed and said, "Fearing pollution of the hot spring, the manor doesn't allow raising ducks or geese. As for chickens... the weather is still too cold. They haven't started brooding this month yet."

Qi Xiao's face immediately darkened. Seeing the steward so frightened that his face turned pale, Jiang Deqing quickly interjected, "It doesn't have to be chicks or ducklings, anything else is fine... The young prince hasn't had much chance to play around the manor and likes these little creatures. Think carefully, is there anything else you can offer?"

The steward felt immensely relieved and hastily kowtowed. "Yes, yes... My family's rabbits just had a few litters last month. They can already run and hop now... Would that... would that be alright?"

Qi Xiao nodded reluctantly. The steward quickly withdrew to go home and fetch the baby rabbits.

Jiang Deqing smiled. "Country folk have timid dispositions, not having met Your Highness many times. They are overjoyed at Your Highness' arrival now and don't know how to ingratiate themselves. I hope Your Highness can be more tolerant."

Qi Xiao naturally didn't mind these things and lazily said, "It's not like I can eat them, right? Every single one of them is so scared..."

Jiang Deqing couldn't help but chuckle. He stepped forward to refill Qi Xiao's tea while boldly jesting, "If Your Highness could treat them with even a fraction of the gentleness shown to the young prince, these people below wouldn't be so afraid of Your Highness."

Qi Xiao snorted in laughter without replying. After a while, he said, "It's good that Bairen isn't here right now. Write a letter for me and have someone deliver it to the hidden manor at the Confucius Temple north of the city. I have an errand for them."

The people at the Confucius Temple were the most trusted among Qi Xiao's confidants, not to be used lightly under normal circumstances. Jiang Deqing furrowed his brows and lowered his voice, "May I boldly ask Your Highness what you want them to do?"

Qi Xiao smiled sinisterly and whispered. Upon hearing it, Jiang Deqing was greatly shocked. He subconsciously glanced around and leaned in closer with a frown. "Your Highness, please reconsider. If this matter is discovered... Not to mention there will definitely be a war to fight in the southern frontier, the Emperor will also certainly take the opportunity to harshly deal with you!"

Qi Xiao calmly said, "That's only if they can find out."

Jiang Deqing was so anxious his heart ached. "Why must Your Highness go against him? Once he leaves, Your Highness may not even be able to see him again. Why bother?"

A flash of viciousness passed through Qi Xiao's eyes as he sneered coldly, "Why? Because he displeased me time and time again! You know what? After hearing Bairen say that Wenyu tried to harm him several times, I ordered people to investigate. Heh... Without investigating, I had no idea. Wenyu appears timid on the surface but is truly vicious at heart."

Jiang Deqing was stunned. "Don't tell me besides the few incidents the young prince mentioned... there were others?"

Qi Xiao's tone was chilling. "Many more..."

"Do you still remember Bairen saying Wenyu once pushed him off a high platform? Heh heh... Bairen is really one to tell only half the story. Only after investigating did I find out that before that, Bairen had been living in the same courtyard as Wenyu. Such incidents were not just once or twice. It's just that Bairen was seriously injured that time, and the Princess Consort fought tooth and nail to take Bairen back to her own courtyard.

"Prior to that, such sordid affairs were simply too numerous to count. If not for Bairen's good fortune, he wouldn't have survived to now at all! Don't try to dissuade me... This isn't me harming him, it's the Heavens unable to tolerate it any longer and wanting to met out divine punishment. I am merely acting on behalf of Heaven."

Qi Xiao leaned against the soft cushion and slowly let out a long breath. "Also... this isn't entirely for venting my anger. The King of Lingnan's third son is only seven years old. It's still uncertain whether he can be established. The only adult males are Bairen and Wenyu. With Wenyu crippled, the King of Lingnan will have to think carefully about whether Bairen is still so dispensable."

Jiang Deqing blinked, not fully understanding Qi Xiao's meaning. "Is Your Highness saying... the King of Lingnan will fear having no descendants?"

Qi Xiao smiled viciously. "No, it's far worse than having no descendants... Let me ask you, after the First Emperor unified the world, he successively conferred seven princes of different surnames. Within a decade, five of them fell from power. Besides the King of Lingnan, only the Zhang clan lineage of the King of Zhenbei remained intact. Do you know why?"

Jiang Deqing nodded, "I've heard that back in the day, the old King of Zhenbei assisted the Emperor Taizu in his conquests, but suffered old injuries. His health was never good after that. Within five years of being granted the title of king, he passed away, leaving behind only two sons - one by his wife and one by a concubine.

"Emperor Taizu originally wanted to pass the kingship to the legitimate son, but before King Zhenbei's mourning period was over, the legitimate son also died. It so happened that the concubine-born son's mother used to be a courtesan. There was much debate in the court, with many saying that the concubine-born son's mother was of too lowly status and the son was unfit to inherit the kingship.

"Quite a few court officials even knelt in protest... In the end, to quell the debate, Emperor Taizu took back Zhenbei's fiefdom, stripping away the honor of perpetual inheritance, and instead made the concubine-born son a commandery prince, with the imperial grace lasting only five generations. Now in this generation, the Zhang family seems to only have an empty title of a first-rank general left."

Qi Xiao continued to ask, "The legitimate son of King Zhenbei died before the mourning period was over. Can you guess why?"

Jiang Deqing paused for a moment and suddenly understood. He said in shock, "It was... it was..."

Qi Xiao smiled faintly, "It cannot be said."

"The King of Lingnan has never valued Bairen, because he has nothing to fear, thinking that Wenyu can also be the heir. But when he realizes Wenyu can't be relied upon, he'll have to think carefully. If something happens to Bairen, the imperial city can completely follow the method used to deal with King Zhenbei back then, using the opportunity to strip away his iron-clad hat of perpetual inheritance."

Qi Xiao smiled lightly, "I want to see... if he still dares to think Bairen is dispensable. The Dongling clan spent so much effort and sacrificed so many lives to be able to pass down this kingship generation after generation when all the other six vassal kings have fallen. The King of Lingnan knows this better than anyone. If he loses the kingship... I'd like to see how he can face the ancestors of Dongling."

Jiang Deqing nodded. After some thought, he couldn't help but voice the worry that had always been in his heart, "Your Highness, putting aside the matter of the heir, just speaking of Lingnan... it has always been a thorn in the side of the imperial city. Every generation of emperors has thought about how to weaken the vassal state. This old servant has always had a lingering fear in his heart... in the future when Your Highness inherits the throne, how will you deal with Lingnan?

"Judging from how Your Highness dotes on the heir now... I'm afraid no reward would be too great in the future. But if Lingnan is really given free rein and the constraints on Lingnan are loosened further, there naturally won't be any worries while the heir is in power, but..."

Jiang Deqing composed himself and continued, "This old servant boldly states, after the heir's passing, there will definitely be great turmoil in Lingnan. The heir can be loyal to Your Highness for a lifetime, but the dragon has nine sons, and the heir's descendants may not necessarily be so. For the sake of the country, Your Highness must make plans."

Qi Xiao listened quietly until Jiang Deqing finished speaking, then chuckled lightly, "Worrying about nothing."

Jiang Deqing frowned slightly and knelt down, "Your Highness... this old servant is relying on having served Your Highness a few more days than others to boldly ask one more question. In the future after ascending the throne, how does Your Highness plan to treat the heir? Grant the heir the title of King of Lingnan, separating him from Your Highness by thousands of miles? Or keep the heir in the palace and hand over the Lingnan kingship to someone else?"

Qi Xiao shook his head slightly, "Neither."

Jiang Deqing wanted to say more, but Qi Xiao smiled first, "You are old and love to overthink. Get up..."

Jiang Deqing had no choice but to rise. Qi Xiao said in a low voice, "When that day truly comes, I will naturally have a way to satisfy both sides. However..." Qi Xiao chuckled lightly, "You're like a scholar who hasn't even passed the imperial exam yet but is already worrying about whether to enter the Secretariat or the Chancellery in the future. You're worrying too early."

Jiang Deqing was very embarrassed. He still wanted to say more when the steward from earlier returned. Qi Xiao ordered him to come up. Before long, the steward came carrying a willow basket. Qi Xiao took a look and smiled with satisfaction. He turned to Jiang Deqing, "We'll talk more when we return. First pass on what I said earlier."

Jiang Deqing had no choice but to nod and went to make arrangements.

Qi Xiao went to the back to look for Bairen. When he entered the room, he saw Bairen rummaging through a cabinet. Qi Xiao signaled to the maids, who quietly withdrew, understanding his intention.

Qi Xiao watched silently inside, only to see Bairen take out a small box, open it, and search for a thin gold chain. He also took out the life token he had been holding in his bosom, cut off the tassel, and carefully strung the life token onto the gold chain. When everything was done, he smiled with satisfaction and put the chain around his neck. The gold chain was just the right length to tuck the life token into his clothes.

Qi Xiao felt a warmth in his heart and said softly, "Be careful not to chill your neck..."

Bairen was startled, and his face immediately turned red, "You saw? I... I don't dare to wear it outside. It's fine at home, but if I go out and others see me wearing the same jade pendant as you, they will inevitably become suspicious."

Qi Xiao nodded and smiled, handing the willow basket to Bairen, "See if you like it."

Bairen took it and lifted the willow branches covering the basket. He exclaimed in surprise, "Rabbits!"

The basket was lined with a thick layer of hay, and on the hay lay four snow-white rabbits. When the cover was lifted, they all perked up their ears and looked at Bairen with wide eyes. Bairen's face was flushed with excitement as he asked in a soft, delighted voice, "Where did these come from?"

Qi Xiao casually made up a story, "The people below heard that you are young and specially presented these for you to play with."

Bairen carefully picked up a little rabbit. The rabbit was no bigger than a palm and cutely nestled in Bairen's hand. Bairen stroked the rabbit's warm little belly and smiled, "It's so soft. Your Highness, feel it..."

Qi Xiao didn't like these things, but he perfunctorily poked the rabbit's forehead. Bairen hugged the willow basket, cherishing it immensely. Qi Xiao quietly watched for a while, then suddenly said, "Bairen... if in the future you're not allowed to return to Lingnan, will you miss home?"