Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 570: Chapter 296: The Petty Crown Prince_2

"If you’re worried about Tuantuan laughing at you, then you should study hard every day." The Crown Prince naturally shifted the topic to Mr. Meng, "You met Mr. Meng yesterday, he must have also advised you to study hard, right."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yao marveled in his heart at how the Crown Prince could switch topics so suddenly and smoothly.

"No, Mr. Meng didn’t advise me to study hard."

The Crown Prince feigned surprise and asked, "Mr. Meng met you and didn’t tell you to study hard, so what did he say to you?"

Zhao Yao unceremoniously ridiculed the Crown Prince in his heart: Crown Prince, your acting is terrible, way too exaggerated.

"Mr. Meng just asked me how I created the printing technology and the curved beam plow, and he said that what I made is very useful for the people." Zhao Yao said innocently, "He also specially thanked me."

The Crown Prince heard this, furrowed his brows slightly. He asked again, "What else did Mr. Meng say to you?"

Zhao Yao shook his head and said, "Nothing else."

"Nothing else?" The Crown Prince was somewhat incredulous, "Weren’t you and Father with Mr. Meng the whole morning?"

"Yes, Father played chess with Mr. Meng afterwards."

The Crown Prince couldn’t be bothered to beat around the bush, and directly asked Zhao Yao, "Did Father speak while playing chess with Mr. Meng?"

"Of course they talked."

The Crown Prince hurriedly asked, "What did they talk about?"

Zhao Yao pretended to think, and after a while, said, "I didn’t listen carefully, it seemed like they were talking about grains, and maybe about farming, they said quite a lot."

The Crown Prince promptly asked again, "Did Father or Mr. Meng mention me, or Prince Dai, or any of the court ministers?"

"I don’t know."

"You don’t know?" The Crown Prince was not satisfied with Zhao Yao’s answer, "Weren’t you with Father, how could you not know what Father and Mr. Meng were talking about."

Zhao Yao smiled sheepishly: "I found what Father and Mr. Meng were talking about boring, then I fell asleep, so I don’t know what they said later."

The Crown Prince’s expression suddenly became very strange.

"Crown Prince, what’s wrong?" Seeing the peculiar look on the Crown Prince’s face, Zhao Yao asked with concern, "Crown Prince, does your stomach hurt?"

The Crown Prince snapped back to reality, gently smiled at Zhao Yao, "I’m fine. Did you and Father have lunch with Mr. Meng then?"

Zhao Yao nodded and said, "Yes, Mr. Meng eats just like me, ate a lot of things." Saying this, he held up four fingers, with a very admiring expression, continued, "He ate four bowls of rice."

The Eighth Prince sitting to the side almost couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

The Crown Prince was slightly startled, then laughed and said, "It seems Mr. Meng has a good appetite."

"Very good, Mr. Meng said he doesn’t need to eat side dishes, just eating rice he can eat four bowls." Zhao Yao’s face was full of admiration, "He’s really amazing."

"Did Father and Mr. Meng discuss anything over lunch?" The Crown Prince wasn’t very interested in Mr. Meng’s appetite, he only cared if Mr. Meng had mentioned him.

"Father asked Mr. Meng what he likes to do usually, Mr. Meng said he likes farming and growing vegetables, then he just kept telling Father how he farms and grows vegetables." If Mr. Meng were to meet the Empress, they should get along well, because she also likes farming and growing vegetables.

"Didn’t they talk about state affairs?"

"No," Zhao Yao added, "They also didn’t mention you or the Second Prince, Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince was still not resigned to his fate and asked, "Didn’t mention me even once?"

"Anyway, during lunch, you weren’t mentioned, Crown Prince." Zhao Yao continued, "Father and Mr. Meng kept talking about farming, they seemed to be having a great time."

The Crown Prince found it hard to accept. Why didn’t Mr. Meng mention him?

He suddenly thought of something else, and asked, "Did Mr. Meng read my articles and poems?"

"No," Zhao Yao replied, looking at the Crown Prince with a strange expression, "Crown Prince, who reads while eating?"

The Eighth Prince managed to stifle a laugh by pressing his hand against his mouth.

The Crown Prince was at a loss for words because of Zhao Yao, forcing an unnatural smile. He asked again, "Did Mr. Meng and Father discuss anything else?"

"No, after lunch, Mr. Meng and Father were still talking about farming." Zhao Yao pouted and said, "Father has never farmed, I really don’t know how he knew so much about farming, chatting so enthusiastically with Mr. Meng. Father even said it was his old dream to buy ten or so acres of land and to properly grow grains and vegetables."

The Crown Prince didn’t want to hear these words. What he wanted to hear were compliments from Mr. Meng.