My father, Gao Huan, is an invincible prince!

Chapter 10: Is it proposed to send the heir apparent to govern Yedu?

After seeing Lou Zhaojun off, Gao Cheng said no more, took the strategy book, and turned to walk towards his bedroom.

Wang Hong, the bodyguard behind him, followed closely behind, his face full of lingering fear.

When Gao Huan kicked him just now, his heart was in his throat, fearing that the king had really gone for the kill.

After the two entered the bedroom one after the other, Gao Cheng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But before he could even catch his breath, he couldn't help but hiss.

I hadn't felt anything while I was putting on a brave face in front of Lou Zhaojun, but now that I've relaxed, I feel a piercing pain in my left shoulder, as if I'd been kicked by a mule.

He gritted his teeth, loosened his belt, and took off his plain white shirt.

Turning his head to the side, he saw a bruise on his shoulder. The spot where Gao Huan had kicked him had bruised up to the size of a palm, a rather shocking sight.

Upon seeing this, Wang Hong turned pale with anxiety and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, the injury is very serious. Please wait a moment, and I will summon the physician from the palace to examine you!"

"No need."

Gao Cheng waved his hand in refusal, looking at the injury with a mixture of pain and relief.

Although Gao Huan's kick was very heavy, compared to the one hundred strokes of the cane in history, this kick was actually quite merciful.

After all, in the original history, Gao Cheng actually received a full hundred strokes of the cane.

One kick in exchange for a hundred canes, plus the chance to be sent to Yecheng to be a local tyrant—this deal is definitely a good one!

Thinking this, he quickly rummaged through the cabinet and took out his court robes, enduring the pain as he carefully put them on.

Wang Hong felt a pang of heartache upon seeing this and asked again, "Your Highness, are you truly unharmed?"

"It's alright."

Gao Cheng readily agreed, quickly put on his court robes, and went to the bronze mirror to adjust his hat and belt.

Looking at his handsome face in the mirror, which had a youthful sharpness, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

He has now turned this hellish start back on track. He has passed the Jin Yang hurdle, and next he should conquer Ye City and the world.

With this in mind, he no longer hesitated, strode out of the Crown Prince's courtyard, and headed straight for the main hall.

At this moment, the front hall was already brightly lit.

The room was filled with officials from the Ba family, nobles from the Xianbei, and veteran generals from the army. They mingled and chatted, exchanging toasts.

It can be said that all the wise men and righteous men have gathered here, and the court is full of upright officials.

Gao Huan sat in the main seat, smiling, raising his cup to drink with his generals, appearing to be in high spirits.

However, the smile did not reach his eyes; deep within them, there was clearly a hint of gloom.

Although Lou Zhaojun sat to one side, chatting and laughing, her expression also contained a hint of melancholy and fear.

When Gao Cheng entered, the banquet was already in full swing.

But as soon as he arrived, a dozen pairs of eyes fell on him, their emotions a mix of curiosity, closeness, distance, and dissatisfaction.

Gao Cheng had a renowned reputation in Jinyang City, and having served as his father's regent for a long time, most of the people present had dealt with him before.

Seeing him arrive late, and noticing that although his face showed no unusual expression, his shoulders were slightly stiff and unnatural, she had already guessed what was going on.

This young master has probably already been punished by the king.

Although the reason is unknown, when a father beats his son, the reason is not that important.

Therefore, many people still rose, bowed to him, and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Gentlemen, you have all rendered meritorious service to the country. Today we are celebrating with a banquet. Please refrain from empty formalities and rise."

Gao Cheng also smiled and raised his hand to help everyone up, his manners impeccable.

Upon hearing this, everyone said in unison, "Thank you, Your Highness," before taking their seats again.

Gao Cheng nodded slightly, said nothing more, and walked straight to Gao Huan, bowing and apologizing, "I am late, please forgive me, Your Majesty."

"Please sit down."

Gao Huan did not reprimand him, but simply told him to sit down. His tone was neither warm nor cold, showing neither intimacy nor anger, as if the incident had never happened.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Gao Cheng bowed in thanks, then knelt down on the empty brocade stool to Gao Huan's left. But as soon as he sat down, he felt a gaze fixed intently on him from the side.

He turned his head to look.

The person who came into view was none other than his dark-skinned younger brother, Gao Yang.

Gao Yang was dressed in a crimson brocade robe, which made his already abstract face even more abstract. He looked as if he had just been pulled out of a coal mine and wrapped in a red cloth.

He held his wine glass, his gaze sweeping over Gao Cheng's face twice, before suddenly lowering his voice to ask, "Brother, have you been flogged?"

Gao Cheng couldn't bear to see his ugly face, so he casually replied, "Not yet."

Gao Yang didn't believe him and asked again, "Then why are your shoulders trembling so much?"

Gao Cheng remained calm and composed, saying, "The weather has been cold lately, and I caught a slight cold; I'm feeling a bit weak."

When Gao Yang saw that he was lying through his teeth without blushing, a dark look flashed in his eyes.

But he didn't ask any more questions, only nodded meaningfully and said in a low voice, "I see. Brother, you should take good care of yourself."

"I am grateful for your kindness, Erlang."

Gao Cheng casually agreed, his gaze sweeping across the hall.

The room was filled with distinguished guests, some he knew, some he didn't, some who would become his right-hand men, and others who would become his enemies.

He kept everything in mind, but remained outwardly calm, simply exchanging a few pleasantries with those around him with a smile, appearing completely unperturbed.

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Gao Huan suddenly put down his wine cup and said loudly, "Gentlemen, I have something to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, the commotion in the hall immediately ceased.

Everyone looked towards the person in the main seat, their faces showing surprise.

Gao Huan glanced around, then, without further ado, said directly, "Ye has been rife with affairs lately, and I, residing in Jinyang, am unable to oversee them effectively. After much deliberation, I intend to send my heir, Cheng, to Ye to govern the capital, acting as Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and Grand Commander of the Capital Region, overseeing all affairs of Ye. What do you gentlemen think?"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.

The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Grand Commander of the Capital Region were truly important positions.

In particular, the Grand Commander of the Capital Region, who was in charge of the troops inside and outside Ye City, held immense power. Previously, this position had been concurrently held by Sun Teng, a confidant of Gao Huan.

Now, Gao Huan is going to hand over both positions to a fifteen-year-old boy, and the implication is self-evident.

For a moment, everyone had different thoughts.

Lou Zhaojun, needless to say, upon hearing these words, all the worry in her eyes was replaced by joy.

Meanwhile, the Xianbei nobles mostly showed their approval.

After all, Gao Cheng is Lou Zhaojun's biological son and the legitimate son of the old matriarch of the Huai Shuo Group, so he is naturally one of their people.

The more secure his position as heir apparent is, the more secure their interests will be, so they naturally give their full support.

As for the Han gentry, their expressions were complicated.

Although they had always hoped that the Gao family could have an easy-going successor, they were also afraid that this young man would be even more difficult to deal with than Gao Huan.

But no matter what everyone thought, once Gao Huan had spoken, no one dared to actually object.

In the end, they were just going with the flow and echoing each other's sentiments.

Gao Cheng sat in his seat, holding a large wine cup, listening to the congratulations from all over the hall. He wore a polite smile on his face, but his heart remained calm.

After all, all of this was within his expectations.

However, unnoticed by anyone, while the entire hall was echoing the agreement, Gao Yang, who was standing very close to Gao Cheng, had an even deeper gloom in his eyes, and the veins on his hand holding the large wine cup were bulging.

Only when he met Gao Huan's indifferent gaze sweeping across the entire room did he regain his composure.

He then forced a smile and congratulated the king, saying, "Your Majesty is wise and your elder brother is valiant. If you can take charge of Ye City, then the foundation of our Gao clan will be as solid as a rock."