Qi Haoxuan was stunned; he had never considered these questions.
"So there are certain phrases, like ’well-matched in social status’ and ’a talented man and a beautiful woman.’ Liking someone and wanting to become better because of them is a good thing, a very good thing. I am truly gratified." The Emperor smiled at Qi Haoxuan.
"Royal Brother..." Qi Haoxuan looked at the Emperor’s gratified expression with some embarrassment and asked, "Royal Brother, did I often worry you in the past?"
The Emperor thought seriously for a moment: "Just a little bit. But I think, I am the Emperor, and you are my brother, I can support you for a lifetime without any problem. Even if you are uneducated and uninformed, with no literary achievements nor martial success..."
"Stop, stop." Qi Haoxuan interrupted the Emperor with dissatisfaction, "Royal Brother, although you are speaking the truth, why do I feel so uncomfortable hearing it?"
"Hahaha, you also know I am speaking the truth. But I want to say, even so, I am willing to support you for a lifetime. Even after I am gone, I have left an edict so no one can bully you." The Emperor laughed.
"No, Royal Brother, you must live a long life!" Hearing these words, Qi Haoxuan felt a bit annoyed, stood up and said, "Royal Brother, you must live a long life. If you are gone, no one will be there to protect me."
"Okay, okay, I will certainly live a long life." The Emperor smiled, "Alright, you can go back now. I will have someone go to your residence daily to give you lessons."
"Thank you, Royal Brother, you are the best." Qi Haoxuan cheerfully saluted and then ran off.
After Qi Haoxuan left, the Emperor summoned the Hidden Guard: "What happened today?"
After the Hidden Guard reported, the Emperor pondered. Because the hunting ground today was flat, the Hidden Guards couldn’t hide and could only watch from afar. Yet, inexplicably, a wild boar appeared and was shot by Haoxuan. This all sounded very strange.
Moreover, the identity of the mysterious woman named Tianmiao still hasn’t been discovered. How could this be?
"Emperor, there is another matter, but this old servant does not know whether to speak of it." Chong’an bowed.
"Speak of it if there is something; why keep me guessing?" The Emperor knew that his close Chief Eunuch wouldn’t say this unless there was something important.
"The young gentlemen in the Capital City are all behaving differently now. All because of Prince Carefree." Chong’an reported.
"Oh? Tell me more." The Emperor grew interested and asked Chong’an to elaborate.
After hearing the details, the Emperor’s expression became somewhat complicated.
Qi Haoxuan, who used to spend his days idly, chasing chickens and dogs, although not to the extent of abducting women, definitely did not have a good reputation. For instance, jumping queues, or insisting on having someone vacate a private dining room for him—all were common occurrences. But now, he actively condemned such behavior and restrained those playboys, warning them against acting this way. Anyone who dared disobey would be beaten.
He used to gather people to watch cockfights, reward birds, and such. Now, seeing such activities, he would shake his head and sigh, saying these playboys were wasteful; one should not waste precious time on these activities and should instead go back and read more books.
At one point, the playboys in the Capital City thought Qi Haoxuan was possessed by something. But that was impossible. For a while, the playboys in the Capital City became much more well-behaved.
Qi Haoxuan’s upcoming days became much more fulfilling.
Every morning, he trained in martial arts early.
As for Tianmiao, she would sit on the rocking chair under the eaves, nibbling on all sorts of snacks Qi Haoxuan commanded to be bought and sipping tribute tea Qi Haoxuan obtained from the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, leisurely watching him train in martial arts.