Chu Kuan was very sure that this was not a question that a mature Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace would ask.
However, even if the emperor had considered making the third prince the crown prince a year ago, it was probably just a vague idea and he didn't think too deeply about it. It was only after the failure of the first prince Cangzhou that the idea really took shape. In this case, how could Chu Kuan have considered the third prince as a popular candidate for the East Palace from the beginning
After all, the eldest and second princes were two huge obstacles that their younger brothers could not overcome in terms of age and background. Moreover, the third prince was shy and the fourth prince was impulsive and reckless. From any perspective, they were not qualified candidates for the crown prince. Chu Kuan hoped that the emperor could stay healthy and then have more princes with his concubines to choose from.
For this reason, the woman who was too jealous and did not have the bearing of a queen was naturally listed as a target that he must eliminate. Now, that woman has become the deposed queen, and the emperor directly sent the eldest and second princes out of the capital, while the third prince was like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, gradually spreading his wings and radiating a different brilliance.
Now, although the Third Prince asked him such an immature question, Chu Kuan felt relieved. He lowered his head and said in a calm voice, "Your Highness, I did it on purpose."
The third prince almost blurted out the word "Why?" Fortunately, he still had a deep memory of the emperor's lecture last night, so he managed to hold it back. He finally said dryly, "I understand. Since the emperor has ordered you to serve here, from now on, you will be in charge of everything inside and outside the Ciqing Palace. You will be the only one left during the lectures."
"I respect the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." Chu Kuan bowed deeply and respectfully agreed, then said nonchalantly, "But now that I'm here, Grand Secretary Kong, who previously proposed to allow illiterate people to serve in the East Palace, may be furious."
"I don't need him to tell me what to do!"
The Third Prince sneered in anger, which was rare for him. When he saw Chu Kuan straighten up, with a strange look on his face, he suddenly realized that his self-proclaimed attitude and attitude seemed too strong. He looked away awkwardly, and after a long while he said seriously, "Father believes in you, so I also believe in you. Eunuch Chu is smart and capable, and the small Ciqing Palace is handed over to you."
Thinking back to last night, the other two scribes who came with Chu Kuan were directly dismissed from their posts and placed in idleness, but Chu Kuan was sent to Ciqing Palace to serve as a scribe after being relieved of his position as the seal-bearer by the emperor. As for his rank and treatment, he did not mention a word. After a pause, he continued, "However, Ciqing Palace is not my bedroom, and I do not live here on weekdays, so there is no need for a steward badge."
Chu Kuan didn't expect the Third Prince to block this road directly. He was slightly stunned, then lowered his head and answered respectfully: "Yes, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince usually lives in Zhaoren Palace and is taught by the Emperor himself. Ciqing Palace is just a place for reading. It has no other use except sweeping. The study is also swept by people in the morning and evening, so there is naturally no need for a steward's badge."
"My job here is to take care of the writing and the house. I will do my best to prevent anyone from hiding anything messy in any corner. That's all."