ASTRP -Chapter 80 The Provocation Technique Against a Few Brats

Xiao Yu obediently nodded, indicating he understood.

Li Jie looked confused and asked, “You understand? Understand what?”

Feng Jingge waved her hand, and a eunuch stepped forward with a fire striker, lighting an incense stick.

The incense was placed into the burner, and a thread of blue smoke curled upward. The four little brats were all left stunned by Feng Jingge’s actions.

Xu Shu frowned and asked, “Your Highness, what does this mean?”

Feng Jingge replied calmly, “It’s simple. You all will fly kites, and you may only stop once all five incense sticks have completely burned out.”

All five incense sticks?

Xiao Yu stared at the incense in his imperial uncle’s hand and sensed something was off. He was about to speak, but Xu Shu beat him to it.

“Isn’t it just five incense sticks? Then let them burn out,” Xu Shu said casually.

“Xiao Yu, Jin Anhao, let’s go!”

Xu Shu grabbed one of each of them and dragged Xiao Yu and Jin Anhao away.

The three left, leaving Li Jie alone standing there with a kite in his hand, staring intently at Feng Jingge.

His lips moved slightly, but Feng Jingge spoke first.

“What, are you scared?”

Li Jie’s expression immediately changed. He straightened up arrogantly and sneered.

“Scared?”

“Isn’t it just five incense sticks? Who’s afraid!”

With that, he turned and left in a huff.

A faint smile appeared on Feng Jingge’s lips. Children were still children—completely unable to handle even the slightest provocation.

Li Jie had clearly noticed something was off with the five incense sticks and was about to question it. But she had provoked him just like that.

Heh.

Kids.

They couldn’t even see through a simple provocation technique, yet they still wanted to compete with her, Feng Jingge?

The Grand Tutor, however, had already understood her intention and praised her, “Your Highness’s move is truly brilliant!”

“Five incense sticks would take at least an hour to burn completely.”

“These four little brats would be exhausted even after running for half an hour.”

“With Xu Shu’s temperament, he would definitely try to cheat, but with the Marquis of Dingbei present, he won’t dare act up.”

“Brilliant! Truly brilliant!”

“This old man admires you!”

Facing the praise, Feng Jingge remained calm and unchanged in expression.

Soon, eunuchs brought over two chairs and a small table.

On the table were tea, fruits, and snacks.

After placing the chairs, the eunuchs lowered their heads respectfully and said, “Your Highness, Grand Tutor, please take a seat.”

The Grand Tutor smiled warmly. “Your Highness, please.”

Feng Jingge sat down slowly, and the Grand Tutor followed.

The two leisurely drank tea, waiting to watch the show unfold.

Half an hour later, Eunuch Chen and the Marquis of Dingbei hurried over.

The Grand Tutor stood up. “Marquis, you’ve arrived.”

The Marquis of Dingbei looked furious, as if he was ready to beat someone. “Old Su, did that brat cause trouble again?”

Feng Jingge: “……”

Grand Tutor: “……”

“You’re here too, Your Highness?”

The Marquis of Dingbei looked surprised when he saw Feng Jingge.

Feng Jingge took a sip of tea and said calmly, “Didn’t Eunuch Chen tell you? It was this prince who summoned you.”

The Marquis shook his head. “Eunuch Chen only said the palace summoned me. He didn’t say who it was.”

Eunuch Chen standing nearby was speechless. He had clearly told this old man it was the prince who summoned him as soon as he arrived at the Marquis’s residence—but now he was denying it outright.

Eunuch Chen was frustrated but could not refute him. If he spoke now, it would be equivalent to slapping the Marquis in the face.

So he could only endure it.

A chair was brought and placed behind the Marquis, and he sat down.

“What does Your Highness need me for?” he asked.

The Grand Tutor snorted. “Besides your precious little tyrant, what else could it be?”

“What happened?”

The Marquis of Dingbei shot up again. “That brat didn’t hit the emperor again, did he?!”

Feng Jingge and the Grand Tutor hadn’t even responded yet when the Marquis began muttering to himself, getting worked up.

“That kid!”

“Too bold!”

“I only just beat him the other day after he returned from the imperial study!”

“It seems he hasn’t learned his lesson!”

Feng Jingge spoke to calm him. “Marquis, please calm yourself. Xu Shu didn’t fight anyone today.”

“Didn’t fight?” The Marquis froze. “Then why did you summon me?”

The Grand Tutor finally couldn’t stand it anymore. “Xu old man, can you let Your Highness finish speaking first?”

“You said everything yourself before we even had a chance!”

The Marquis flushed red. “I…”

Feng Jingge glanced at him and explained the situation briefly.

After hearing everything, the Marquis immediately said, “Leave it to me. No problem.”

“That Xu Shu kid—”

Before he could finish, hurried footsteps sounded.

Feng Jingge looked up and saw Xu Shu running toward them.

He stopped in front of her, breathing heavily, cheeks flushed.

“Your Highness, I want—”

He suddenly froze when he saw the Marquis of Dingbei.

“Grandfather??”

“What are you doing here?”

The Marquis smiled faintly. “You brat, you think I—”

“Ahem.”

Feng Jingge lightly coughed to interrupt him before he said too much.

The Marquis immediately shut his mouth.

Xu Shu’s eyes moved between the two of them, suspicious.

Feng Jingge pretended not to notice and asked, “Xu Shu, what were you about to say?”

Xu Shu snapped back to reality. “I’m thirsty. I came to ask Your Highness for a cup of water.”

Feng Jingge pointed at the tea in front of her. “There’s plenty.”

A eunuch quickly brought another cup. Xu Shu picked it up, poured himself tea, and gulped it down.

After drinking, he turned around and left again to continue playing.

Soon after, Xiao Yu and Jin Anhao also came to ask for water.

“Imperial Uncle.”

“Your Highness.”

After drinking, they also turned and left.

Feng Jingge glanced at the incense burner. The first stick of incense had already burned out completely.

Eunuch Chen stepped forward at the right moment and asked, “Your Highness, should we light the second stick?”

Feng Jingge said only one word.

“Light.”

Eunuch Chen quickly lit the second incense and removed the first one.

The Grand Tutor and the Marquis of Dingbei continued chatting and bickering.

Feng Jingge, afraid of revealing anything if she spoke too much with these two old men, simply closed her eyes to rest.

In this way, they chatted among themselves and wouldn’t involve her.

As the saying goes—plans are perfect, reality is harsh.

The two old men talked about everything under the sun, and eventually brought up the recent fire at Prince Chen’s residence.

The Grand Tutor said angrily, his tone heated, “The fire at Prince Chen’s residence must be thoroughly investigated by the capital prefecture! To dare attack a prince in the capital—what if he leaves the city?!”

The Marquis of Dingbei echoed him, “With something like this happening, if Prince Chen leaves the capital, the emperor will surely send guards to escort him.”