The Marquis Mansion's Elite Class-Chapter 272

On the day Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu went to take the Child Prodigy Class exam, the Crown Prince came to visit Jin Cheng again.

Winter had officially arrived, and the little troublemaker had ordered two heaters to be placed in the second-floor room, along with two small hand warmers set aside for His Highness, fearing he might feel cold.

The Crown Prince watched with a warm smile as the little one bustled about, his heart touched. He said softly, "It's rare that you remember. You've gone to such trouble for me."

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍little troublemaker handed him a small hand warmer, grinning. "Serving Your Highness is my pleasure!"

When Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu returned with good news, the Crown Prince was on the second floor, holding a hand warmer while going over the Ministry of Revenue’s expenditure records with Jin Cheng.

The two boys had no idea the Crown Prince was visiting today. Before even reaching the study, they began shouting excitedly, "Jin Cheng! He Zheng! Wenxiu! Come out and see—we got into the Child Prodigy Class!"

Wei Xinglu was also yelling, "The Child Prodigy Class! The Child Prodigy Class! Only geniuses get in, and I’m a genius now! Ahahaha!!"

"Me too, I’m a genius!" Shen Yibai howled. "I’m sending word back home right away—let’s see if my grandfather still says I’m embarrassing the Ministry of Rites! Hmph, a little exam like this? Easy!"

He Zheng and Wenxiu rushed out, shushing them. "Quiet down—His Highness is here."

Shen Yibai instinctively clapped a hand over his laughing mouth, muffling his voice. "Why is His Highness here again…?"

He Zheng added another hand over his mouth and quickly dragged him off to another courtyard, whispering urgently. Wei Xinglu scurried after them like a thief.

The Crown Prince and Zong Jin Cheng sat by the window, watching the group below go from wild excitement to instant calm at the mere mention of the Crown Prince’s presence.

The little troublemaker couldn’t stop laughing. "Your Highness, don’t mind them. They’re just over the moon about getting into the Child Prodigy Class for the first time."

The Crown Prince smiled. "It’s natural for them to be happy about their achievement. I understand."

Zong Jin Cheng grinned. "Of course. Your Highness was so outstanding as a child—you must have aced plenty of exams yourself."

The Crown Prince nodded with a smile.

Just as Jin Cheng expected him to continue the lesson, the Crown Prince suddenly asked, "That boy in the beige robe earlier—was he the eldest grandson of Minister Shen from the Ministry of Rites?"

Jong Jin Cheng nodded. "Yes, he’s the newest addition to our ‘Four Little Rascals.’ A bit mischievous, but he’s a good person—very loyal."

The Crown Prince mused, "Minister Shen… is a decent man and an upright official."

With the selection of a new prime minister underway, Minister Shen might not be the most outstanding among the second-rank officials, but he was a rare exception—unaffiliated with any faction and free of personal grudges.

Well, not entirely. Strictly speaking, Shen Yibai’s mother and Qing Rong had been close friends in their youth. Perhaps… the Shen family could be elevated—for Jin Cheng’s sake.

The Crown Prince pondered this, his expression unreadable.

Jin Cheng, still oblivious to the Crown Prince’s scheming on his behalf, was cheerfully flipping through the ledger, occasionally pointing out odd entries. "Your Highness, why did the disaster relief funds for Huainan suddenly double this year? Was the calamity twice as severe?"

The Crown Prince took the ledger and glanced at it. "The harvest was poor overall, and grain prices soared by thirty percent. Some officials seized the chance to report double the relief funds."

"Ah… corruption?" Jin Cheng blinked. "So blatant?"

The Crown Prince chuckled. "Indeed. Those below assumed those above were either incompetent or complicit, so they dared to double the request and profit from the nation’s suffering."

The little troublemaker looked up. "But surely the Ministry of Revenue noticed something was wrong?"

The Crown Prince nodded. "They did. Once I learned of it, I approved the requested funds first to avoid delaying aid in case the disaster was truly dire. But at the same time, I sent men to follow the money. If they found evidence of fraud, the officials responsible were to be executed on the spot as a warning."

"Your Highness is so thorough! And was it fraud in the end?" Jin Cheng asked eagerly.

The Crown Prince paused, his tone cool. "They disappointed me."

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Corruption in the face of disaster—a heinous crime.

Jin Cheng sighed. "Those rotten officials deserve it. Executing them was the right move—they need to be made an example of."

Seeing his righteous indignation, the Crown Prince’s lips curled into a faint smile. He said approvingly, "This case was resolved smoothly because the Ministry of Revenue didn’t cover it up. Had they conspired to hide it, uncovering the truth would have been far more difficult."

The little troublemaker nodded. "So the high-ranking officials in charge must never be corrupt. Otherwise, the whole system turns foul, and those at the top make wrong decisions because of it."

"Precisely."

Another day of eye-opening lessons for the little troublemaker—his mouth and brain firing off questions and memorizing answers without a hint of fatigue.

The Crown Prince, however, was another matter. His already-pale complexion grew even paler, and when he stood, he swayed slightly, nearly losing his balance.

Jin Cheng rushed to steady him in alarm. "Your Highness! Are you all right?"

The Crown Prince smiled faintly. "It’s nothing. Just sat too long—my legs are numb. A short walk will help."

Jin Cheng hesitated. "Let me help you downstairs."

The Crown Prince shook his head. "No need. I can manage."

"But—" The little one was still worried.

The Crown Prince teased, "Really, I’m fine. But if you escort me like this, people might start thinking otherwise."

"Thinking what?" Jin Cheng frowned.

Not being able to help His Highness frustrated him.

The Crown Prince chuckled. "They’d say… the Crown Prince is failing. With the new prime minister still undecided, rumors like that could stir unrest in the court."

Jin Cheng huffed. "Nonsense! Your Highness will live a long, healthy life. Hmph, if I hear anyone spreading such lies, I’ll beat them until they can’t get up!"

The Crown Prince patted his shoulder and descended the stairs alone.

After seeing him off, Shen Yibai and Wei Xinglu immediately rushed over, shouting excitedly, "Brother! We got into the Child Prodigy Class! How impressive is that?"

Shen Yibai declared dramatically, "Looks like the ‘Four Little Rascals’ are becoming the ‘Four Little Geniuses’! Should we change our name today? ‘Geniuses’ sounds much cooler!"

The little troublemaker rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. If anything, ‘Grand Geniuses’ sounds better. No, we’re keeping ‘Little Rascals’—at least that name makes people think twice before messing with us."

He’d make sure no one dared spread rumors about the Crown Prince. If they did, he’d lead his band of rascals from the east end of the city to the west, beating every gossipmonger into silence.