Chapter 2193: Chapter 2193: Do You Still Remember Xia Jian?

“Bring those four princes to Ci’an Palace. As for the others, send them back to where they came from!”

People who would fight over a single piece of cake–what use are they? Will they treat the Central Imperial Country like their personal cake to toy with in the future? How is it that she had never noticed these princes were like this before?

It wasn’t entirely her fault for not noticing. Before meeting the Empress Dowager, the nannies and palace maids around the princes would always give constant admonitions and instructions to their masters.

The young princes, though still children, had grown up in the palace and knew well enough not to expose their true natures in front of certain people.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” the nanny responded promptly and left.

“I’ve observed those four children; they don’t look entirely uneducated. Could it be that your Emperor brother actually cares about them?” The Empress Dowager cast her gaze toward the Ninth Prince and asked.

But perhaps she didn’t even believe her own words.

The Central Emperor had allowed even his legitimate sons to grow into such disgraceful states; would he bother to care about a few princes born of palace maids? It was simply impossible.

“How would I know that?”

The Ninth Prince curled his lips in disdain. He was still sulking about being trapped in the capital, unable to go anywhere.

As for those princes, they were the sons of the Emperor, not his. He didn’t even know of their existence–how could he possibly understand anything about how they were being educated?

“I may have heard a little about this,”

a State Knight, who had overheard their conversation, stepped forward and spoke.

“Yi Guoshi, you know something?”

The Empress Dowager turned her gaze toward the State Knight.

“A little, but not much.”

Yi Guoshi nodded, recalling a scene he had witnessed in the palace some time ago.

“Your Majesty, do you still remember Xia Jian?” he asked.

“Hmm?”

The Empress Dowager furrowed her brow slightly.

Although she didn’t meet many people on a daily basis, someone from four years ago didn’t readily come to mind. And for Yi Guoshi to bring up his name in such a manner, it was likely someone she hadn’t encountered often.

“Who is that?”

“I know this person,”

the Ninth Prince interjected as soon as Xia Jian’s name was mentioned, finally finding something to say.

“Mother, Xia Jian is the Top Imperial Exam Tanhua Scholar who wrote the *Theory of Light Taxation* four years ago. Didn’t you once praise that essay for being exceptionally written?”

“Ah, him,”

the Empress Dowager exclaimed, the reminder instantly jogging her memory.

The Central Imperial Country imposed heavy taxes. The common folk barely earned enough to survive, as nearly half of their income was taken to fill the national treasury. Their lives were unbearably difficult. She had read that *Theory of Light Taxation* as well.

She had no idea what others thought of it, but she personally found it remarkably written. She had even suggested to the Emperor that Xia Jian should be put to great use.

Ah, so it was him, she now remembered.

“That man’s talents were extraordinary–a rare genius indeed. If he had been employed effectively, it would have been a great blessing for the Central Imperial Country. But alas–”

She shook her head. A single *Theory of Light Taxation* may have won him the admiration of the common people, but it had also brought calamity upon him because the Central Emperor–her misguided son–had found the essay displeasing.

“I remember he returned to his hometown, right?”

“So it seems,”

the Ninth Prince affirmed. He had personally arranged for Xia Jian to be escorted back to his hometown. After that, however, there had been no further news.

“I heard he disappeared. No one knows where he went,”

the Empress Dowager said thoughtfully.

“He didn’t go anywhere; he’s been in the palace all along,” Yi Guoshi stated.

“Ninth Prince, your act of kindness back then didn’t bring him fortune. Shortly after he returned home, he was apprehended by men sent by the Emperor. He was brought back to the palace and has remained here ever since.”