The sudden declaration from his usually quiet brother utterly blindsided both Liu Mingyun as well as The Emperor. The Crown Prince could go so far as to say that he had nearly lost control over his expression, if only for a fleeting moment.
Silence that followed the Fourth Prince's unilateral declaration was both heavy and painful. Any lesser man would have flinched even. But, of course, neither the Emperor nor the Crown Prince did.
Instead, it was the Emperor who broke the silence before it became any more painful, clearing his throat with a faux cough. "Zhen cannot help but be curious, what prompted such a swift declaration?"
Liu Mingzhen looked between his father and his older brother, a subtle twitch of his brows betraying his chagrin towards the situation.
"It is simply my desire, Your Majesty. And I do not believe anyone but His Highness the Crown Prince is best suited for this task."
Why did the focus shift to him again?
