The Crown Prince Drops the Act

[Scheming, Dark-Hearted Powerful Minister Top vs. Arrogant, Sharp-Tongued Crown Prince Bottom]

Chu Huai was the Crown Prince, but he had to tread carefully at court. Only when he died did he understand.

His position as Crown Prince had merely been a way for his father, the emperor, to clear the path for the Seventh Prince.

Reborn into a new life, Chu Huai was still the Crown Prince, placed in the spotlight for all to see.

He decided to stop pretending!

Loyalty to the emperor and country would get him killed. So would strict adherence to decorum.

Why not live freely for himself, then?

The Seventh Prince mocked the Crown Prince in the imperial garden, saying he had fallen out of the emperor's favor.

Chu Huai: "The Seventh Prince has disrespected the heir. Drag him away and beat him!"

A censor angrily denounced the Crown Prince for his arrogance and vowed to give his life in protest.

Lounging on his couch without even looking up, Chu Huai said, "Send someone to keep an eye on him. Come tell me when he's dead."

As time passed, one day the ministers suddenly realized it had all been deliberate.

That arrogant and overbearing Crown Prince had, at some point, taken control of the entire court.

A drought struck Jizhou, and the emperor refused to release aid.

The Crown Prince smiled. "Your Majesty, please open the granaries and provide relief."

Behind him, the prime minister was the first to step forward. "Your Majesty, please open the granaries and provide relief!"

The ministers cried out together, "We will stake our lives on this! Your Majesty, please open the granaries and provide relief!"

With his imperial authority threatened, the emperor finally lost his composure.

One day, in front of all the civil and military officials, the emperor tried to depose the Crown Prince.

The ministers fell to their knees in terror. "Your Majesty, please think this through!"

The Crown Prince curled his lip in a faint, contemptuous smile and glanced at the emperor with a hint of mockery.

The emperor trembled with rage, nearly spitting blood. "You unfilial brat!"

In his previous life, Chu Huai had seen the prime minister overthrow the emperor, then weep bitterly in imperial robes before his memorial tablet.

In this life, he had also seen the man's earnest devotion as he prayed at every temple in Chang'an to help Chu Huai recover as soon as possible.

But he truly never expected that this man, who loved him to the very core, would pin him to the bed on the first day of his reign, strip off his dragon robe, and kiss the tear marks at the corners of his eyes.

"Your Majesty... the night is short. Please focus."

Theme: Those who provoke me die.