Good Man Operation Guide

When Shen Hu’an arrived, he happened to see his Sister and Brother-in-law standing by the lake as if they were enjoying viewing the fish under the spring sun, both wearing blue robes. Although they were facing away from each other, one could still see the continuous affection of husband and wife from their hand-holding.

His Sister used to only love white, but after she married Brother-in-law, she fell in love with blue clothes.

He was happy for his sister but felt bitter at the same time.

On his side, he was panicking over Emperor Father’s anomaly and having nightmares about the hundred ways the Fifth Prince could die every day, yet his Sister and Brother-in-law were living such a good life.

“Sister.”

Shen Hu’an stoically approached and called out.

Lin Shiheng turned slightly. Seeing the young man with the ‘I’m so sad’ expression on his face, he chuckled.

“Why is Your Highness making such an expression, aren’t you quite prosperous now?”

Shen Hu’an opened his mouth and subconsciously wanted to complain, but he didn’t know what to say.

Before, when he was being bullied by his brothers in his palace and looked down upon by the ministers, he would come back to his Brother-in-law and ask him for advice, but what could he say this time?

Emperor Father was only too kind to him and caused him to panic.

Then because Emperor Father revealed that he wanted to make him Crown Prince, it scared him to the point of having nightmares every night.

So on second thought, Shen Hu’an decided to bring up some old scores.

He aggrievedly said, “Sister, do you remember when I was 8 years old and you had an argument with Third Imperial Sister, then Emperor Father…”

“Fuma.”

Shen Huyang suddenly interrupted him and turned her head to look at the blue-clad scholar standing on the side and listening quietly. “Didn’t you say two days ago that you wanted to invite your friends to appreciate the garden together?”

The man in front of her didn’t look surprised. A pair of warm eyes gazed at his wife quietly, smiling as Shen Huyang lowered her head in a slightly embarrassed manner.

“Okay, I’ll find Brother Zhao. The spring winds are chilly, so don’t stay out too long, Princess, Your Highness.”

As he said this, he refastened the somewhat loose cloak for Shen Huyang before leaving.

Shen Hu’an watched the blue-clad scholar’s back as the other left and turned to Shen Huyang. “Why didn’t Sister let Brother-in-law continue hearing? Brother-in-law treats Sister so well, if he learns the humiliation Sister had suffered, he would certainly care for you even more.”

“It’s just some old memories, what are you bringing up all this nonsense for…”

Shen Huyang didn’t want to let Fuma know about the bullying and helplessness she suffered when she was a child. Although Fuma was intelligent and thoughtful, he wasn’t in good health. What should she do if he becomes upset from listening to these things?

Seeing that her younger brother was still puzzled, she changed the topic. “Good gracious, why are you bringing up what happened back then?”

Shen Hu’an immediately forgot to worry about why his Sister didn’t want to tell his Brother-in-law and hurriedly went on to say, “When I was 8 years old, I went out for the first time, didn’t I buy a gift for Sister outside the palace? Then Third Imperial Sister wanted the gift leading Third Imperial Sister to fall into the pond during the dispute, and you went down to save her. The many eunuchs obviously saw that it was Third Imperial Sister’s fault, yet Emperor Father punished Sister, saying that you, as the eldest sister, should give way to a younger sister, and even I was chastised, being scolded for bringing things into the palace from outside.”

As he said this, perhaps from recalling his original grievance, his eyes were full of injustice.

“At that time, the four older brothers could bring back things from outside the palace, but I was the only one who couldn’t because of Emperor Father’s reprimand. I was so aggrieved that I went to request an audience with Emperor Father, but then Emperor Father made me kneel where I was for three hours.”

Shen Huyang also remembered this incident, and her eyes darkened. She remembered that when her younger brother was young, he knelt for three hours while enduring great pain in his knees. It was late at night at that time and she was just a princess who couldn’t call the imperial physician, so she hastily went to find Emperor Father to ask him to grant an imperial physician for her brother, but she couldn’t even enter.

At that time, she was afraid that her brother’s legs would be wasted, so she could only have the people around her boil some hot water and put the hot cloth on his legs over and over again, waiting all night until dawn for the imperial physician to come.

At that time, she hadn’t slept at all the whole night, but she didn’t feel wronged in her heart for her brother, just heartache and numbness.

If it weren’t for the fact that she and her brother look like Emperor Father, then they would even treasonously think that they were not Emperor Father’s biological children. Otherwise, how could they be treated like that?

Shen Hu’an saw his sister’s facial expression change and knew that she remembered. He gritted his teeth and continued, “From then on, I knew that Emperor Father had no feelings for us siblings, and I didn’t dare to expect anything. But Emperor Father was so abnormal these two days that he even proposed to make me the Crown Prince.”

Shen Huyang didn’t have much of a surprised expression on her face but said, “You are neither the son of the empress nor the oldest, even if Emperor Father had wanted to do so, the ministers of the court would still argue over it.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

Shen Hu’an very tactfully glanced around, saw that there were few people, then whispered, “Sister, I think Emperor Father wants to help Third Elder Brother or Fourth Elder Brother.”

Even Shen Huyang, who had always been intelligent, couldn’t help but be stunned at this moment.

“Why do you think so?”

“You see, Eldest Brother and Second Brother have been abandoned for no reason, and now there are only three of us left in the palace. Although Emperor Father has never been very strict, he loved Eldest Brother and Second Brother very much. So to do this all of a sudden is to pave the way for someone.”

Seeing that his sister was looking at himself with a face of surprise, Shen Hu’an, who realized that he had finally become intelligent this time, felt even prouder.

“Third Elder Brother and Fourth Elder Brother have no actual achievements, and their demeanor is mediocre. If the Emperor Father wanted to make them the Crown Prince, the court would definitely oppose. But now that Eldest Brother and Second Brother are abolished, leaving only us three princes, if Emperor Father had first proposed to make me, the youngest Prince, the one who hadn’t done much, to become the Crown Prince, there would be absolute opposition in the court. So then he would take a step back and proposed to make it Third or Fourth Brother, such that the opposition would be much lower than when I was the candidate.”

“Besides, if Emperor Father pushed me out in this situation, then I’ll be a ready-made target, won’t I? Third Elder Brother and Fourth Elder Brother would definitely try to kill me. If Emperor Father was unsure of which to choose between the two of them, then he can use this opportunity to observe which one of them has the means to accomplish a great task, killing two birds with one stone.”

After he finished his speech, he saw that his Sister was watching him with a complicated look, which did not look like a compliment. So Shen Hu’an, who had been proud of himself, was inevitably embarrassed.

“Sister, why are you looking at me like this? Am I wrong?”

Shen Huyang shook her head.

It wasn’t wrong, it was actually quite correct…

If Emperor Father hadn’t fallen for their plan and still did as he was doing now, he would definitely be trying to do what Shen Hu’an had said just now.

This was the normal way to approach it…

But Hu’an had always been pure in nature, so how could he know these tricks that Emperors would often use?

Shen Huyang asked, “Where did you learn all these things?”

“Brother-in-law taught me.”

Although he didn’t understand what happened, seeing his sister’s seriousness, Shen Hu’an’s expression gradually weakened.

“Fuma ah?”

Shen Huyang looked relaxed, “I’m sure Fuma has gone through many history books to teach you… He must have been so aggrieved…”

It was amazing that someone like Fuma was willing to learn all these things in order to teach Hu’an.

She blushed red, slightly shy.

Shen Hu’an looked at his sister, puzzled. “Sister, are you hot? Your face is so red.”

Shen Huyang snapped at him spitefully, “Don’t think too much about Emperor Father. Since he wants to be nice to you, just go along with it. Fuma and I will be there to make sure you don’t fall into a trap.”

Shen Hu’an had always trusted his sister. So after hearing what she said, he immediately settled down and happily chirped, “I haven’t been out of the palace for a long time, so I have to have a good time this time!”

But before he had more than three seconds of excitement, Shen Huyang ruthlessly decided for him that he would stay behind to continue his studies.

She had always been a firm believer that knowledge didn’t come with a brain. Shen Hu’an’s temper may be good for an idle prince, but if he wanted to sit on the throne of the Emperor, he would have to work harder.

Shen Hu’an was thus forced to settle himself in the study, and it was only when he opened a book while wearing a long face that he remembered…

No, that’s not true, Brother-in-law had never flipped through any books as the other was teaching him!

Obviously, everything seemed to have been right at his fingertips!

He didn’t understand why his sister was so sure that Brother-in-law had to read history books to teach him so much. Didn’t she always believe that her fuma knew everything?

Shen Huyang knocked on the table. “What are you thinking about again? Still not hurrying to study!”

The messy thoughts in Shen Hu’an’s mind immediately washed away as if they encountered a flood. He straightened up and began to study.

The sister watched her brother study, while on the other side, Zhao He was invited to the Princess Residence.

He lived quite close to the Princess’s Residence, so he would come over to talk to Lin Shiheng from time to time. Contrary to what the Princess believed – that the two were discussing articles – Zhao He spent most of his time there complaining.

“Recently, the atmosphere inside the Hanlin Academy has changed because of what happened to the Eldest Highness in the palace. Brother Lin is always on leave and wouldn’t know that there were many officials who had been close to the Eldest Highness in the Hanlin Academy working under the other’s flag, so this time after he had fallen into trouble, those who were once his subordinates, many of them are being ostracized.”

Zhao He sipped his tea in frustration. Looking at Lin Shiheng’s calm demeanor, he gazed ahead at the fishing rod in his hand and continued, “And then there is the Second Prince. If it weren’t for this incident, I wouldn’t have known that even the Hanlin Academy was involved in this partisan struggle. Fortunately, I am a new official, and my age is still young. When others would come to me, I needed just to play dumb. Otherwise, if I get involved, it would really be unfortunate.”

“Since Brother Zhao doesn’t want to get involved, why do you still come in and out of the Princess Residence this many times?”

Lin Shiheng laughed lightly and directly broke the point, “Although Brother Zhao sometimes can’t think things through clearly, I’m sure you can still clearly see such important matters.”

“You and I are friends, even if Brother Lin became a fuma, if I were to avoid you, that would leave me a guilty conscience.”

Zhao He had always felt straightforward about such matters.

“Ours is a friendship between gentlemen, so why bother to think so much about these superficial matters? Besides, no one would care about a minor official like me.”

The blue-clad scholar smiled and didn’t speak again, continuing to listen to Zhao He’s chatter and gossip.