The Great Sui Dynasty, the imperial capital of Daxing.
To the east of the majestic and vast imperial palace, the Eastern Palace.
Beneath the newly risen sun, a young man with rugged features and nascent authority had just finished his cultivation.
The palace maids standing by, with flushed faces, cast stolen glances.
This was Yang Yong, the current Crown Prince of the Great Sui.
"Is my sixth imperial brother still farming? Has today's tribute been delivered?"
Yang Yong asked casually, accepting a towel from the eunuch beside him to wipe away the sweat.
"Reporting to the Crown Prince, the Sixth Prince is still farming. Today's tribute is fresh cucumbers, with flowers and thorns still attached, dewy and vibrant."
A young eunuch beside him spoke with a fawning voice, his tone laced with envy and curiosity.
Yang Yong glanced at the accumulated snow on a nearby tree, paused for a moment, and then his expression turned cold.
"Summon someone, search the Cold Palace again.
There must be no cultivation books in the Sixth Prince's possession. This is the Emperor's command! Not even novels or biographies!"
"Yes, this servant obeys."
A senior eunuch respectfully received the order, retreated nine steps, and then turned to run and carry out the task.
However, before leaving, he nodded with satisfaction at the younger eunuch who had spoken earlier.
Soon, the senior eunuch, accompanied by a group of subordinate eunuchs, bypassed half the imperial palace and arrived at the Cold Palace in the southwest corner of the imperial grounds.
In front of the [Wangwen Pavilion], the senior eunuch waved his hand, and a burly man kicked open the gate of the small courtyard.
"Bang!"
"Who dares?!"
A frail, young palace maid, like an enraged little lioness, rushed out from the courtyard, followed by an old eunuch shuffling out tremblingly.
"Hmph, we are here on the Crown Prince's orders to search for contraband. Move aside!"
The senior eunuch sneered at the old and weak pair and strode forward.
The lioness-like palace maid was even shoved by a strong eunuch, stumbling and falling to her buttocks.
Her eyes misted over, but she dared not speak, her anger suppressed.
She feared that a single wrong move would bring greater trouble to her master.
The old eunuch, trembling, had a flash of sharp light in his eyes, which he quickly hid as he bowed his head again, feigning subservience.
Despite his arrogant demeanor, the senior eunuch was methodical. While his subordinates searched for books, he walked towards the back of the courtyard.
Upon reaching the backyard, it was a vegetable garden. However, tending to it was not a palace maid or a eunuch, but the Sixth Prince of the Great Sui Dynasty—Yang Hong.
Yang Hong, though slender, was tall with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a face like jade, the most handsome prince of the current generation of the Great Sui royal family.
"This lowly servant greets Your Royal Highness, the Sixth Prince."
The senior eunuch offered a perfunctory bow. Despite the greeting, there was no hint of respect, and he felt contempt.
To think that the Sixth Prince of the Great Sui Dynasty, to survive, could only farm in this neglected corner of the Cold Palace.
Truly a colossal joke.
No!
This was not just a joke for the Great Sui Dynasty, but also a joke for the four surrounding dynasties!
"I see you. Begone!"
Yang Hong, without looking up, continued to hoe the ground methodically.
"Heh heh~ This lowly servant takes his leave."
The senior eunuch, though seething with anger, retreated with a sinister smile.
No matter how fallen Yang Hong was, he was still a prince. And no matter how powerful the eunuch was, he was still just an eunuch.
A servant of the royal family!
However, he could still play a few petty tricks.
Two hours later, with lunchtime fast approaching, the senior eunuch finally left, his heart filled with satisfaction.
As he departed, he took with him everything paper-based from the [Wangwen Pavilion], even the few pieces of toilet paper with writing on them.
Truly, not a single scrap was left behind.
The palace maid, Xiao Cao, glared at these bandits with red eyes, her small fists clenched tightly.
The old eunuch respectfully saw these eunuchs off, only closing the courtyard gate tremblingly after they were out of sight.
"Xiao Cao, the sun is already high, why aren't you preparing lunch?"
"Sob sob sob~ Grandpa Zhou, they bullied me."
"There, there, don't cry~"
Xiao Cao finally broke down, bursting into tears.
"Oh my, our little Xiao Cao is already a young lady, why are you still crying? You'll lose your beauty if you keep crying."
Just as the old eunuch Zhou Neng was gently comforting Xiao Cao, Yang Hong, clad in coarse farming clothes and carrying a hoe on his shoulder, finally appeared.
"Sob sob~ Your Highness, they bullied me! They took away all the paper with writing on it, even your favorite farming manuals!"
Xiao Cao sobbed, her tears and snot streaming down her face as she complained, her appearance somewhat endearing.
Yang Hong stepped forward and gently rubbed her head with his left hand, which he had just cleaned, comforting her.
"It's alright, don't be angry. You know as well as I do, I have a photographic memory. I never forget a book I've read.
As long as you don't reveal this secret, I don't care how many books they take."
"Mmm! Mmm! Xiao Cao will definitely keep your secret for Your Highness."
Only then did Xiao Cao stop crying, her small fists clenched, she earnestly promised.
"Alright, go prepare lunch."
"Okay, Xiao Cao will make lunch for Your Highness."
With that, Xiao Cao scurried off to the side courtyard to cook.
After she had run off, the previously trembling old eunuch Zhou Neng straightened his back, his demeanor becoming sharp.
"Your Highness, would you like me to kill that scoundrel Zhang Rang?"
Yang Hong waved his hand indifferently, speaking with a calm demeanor.
"Uncle Neng, no rush. Although you are now a congenital master, this imperial palace is full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. You are only a step away from becoming a Grandmaster.
Let's wait a little longer."
"Your Highness, I have a feeling that in another three days, I will be able to break through to Grandmaster. Then I will definitely get His Majesty to release you!"
The old eunuch Zhou Neng said with firm resolve.
"Very well, I'll go pick some cucumbers for you. You can eat cucumbers for the next few days."
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your generosity!"
Hearing that Yang Hong would personally pick cucumbers for him, Zhou Neng's eyes lit up, and he quickly knelt to express his gratitude.
"Enough, don't kneel! You're getting on in years. If you hurt yourself by kneeling, I'll have to find imperial physicians, which would be very troublesome."
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The two returned to the vegetable patch. Yang Hong walked around it and picked nine cucumbers before coming out.
"Uncle Neng, this is enough for three days. You go back first. I'll check on these provisions."
"Yes!"
The old eunuch Zhou Neng gratefully accepted the nine cucumbers and turned to leave the vegetable garden, but did not go far. He hid nearby, standing guard for Yang Hong.
He knew Yang Hong had secrets, but he would not pry.
He approached a cucumber vine about to flower. Yang Hong gently held the vine, and his inner energy surged forth.
"Ding~ You have infused the cucumber vine with three days of internal energy, and received a return~ Return multiplier: Ten Thousandfold!"
Ten thousandfold!
Damn! Will I explode?
"Ding~ Your cultivation has advanced. Congenital martial artist has been promoted to Grandmaster martial artist."
"Ding~ Your internal energy cultivation has reached its limit and is beginning to evolve~ Evolving into True Qi."
"Ding~ Your Great Sui Basic Breathing Method has reached level 100 and its limit, beginning to evolve~ Evolving into Basic Qigong."
"Ding~ Your Yang Family Body Strengthening Exercise has reached level 100 and its limit, beginning to evolve~ Evolving into Basic Body Tempering Technique."
Amidst a series of 'ding' sounds, the smile on Yang Hong's face widened.