Chapter 125: Good Sixth Brother
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The Great Empress Dowager said coldly, “I don’t know what your father was thinking, but I don’t trust Old Six. He’s too good at hiding himself. If he weren’t so eager to marry you, who knows how long he would have kept hiding!”
Yuwen Chu had ambitions. He wasn’t as peaceful and harmless as he appeared; he was just trying to protect himself. But what would be his ultimate fate?
Mingzhu couldn’t know. She died too early to witness the final act of that drama. But so what? None of the adult men in the Yuwen family were good. Even if he was bad, he couldn’t be worse than marrying Yuwen You. She obediently said, “I’ll remember Auntie’s words.”
The Great Empress Dowager affectionately stroked her hair and whispered, “I have no daughters, I’ve always treated you as my own daughter. Of course, I hope he genuinely cares for you and that you live well. But if he wants to harm Fu, you must distinguish between priorities. Without Fu, you have no backing at all. Remember that. Auntie isn’t scaring you. Back then, if it weren’t for your father supporting me, I’m afraid I would have turned into mud on the ground long ago. Where would we be today?”
“I remember.” Mingzhu smiled gently. She wasn’t a child anymore. However he treated her, she would treat him the same way.
Someone whispered a few words to Mu Gugu outside the hall, and she turned to enter. “Your Majesty.”
The Great Empress Dowager looked up, and Mu Gugu whispered softly, “After returning to Zhaoyang Palace, Her Majesty fell ill. His Majesty ordered Ying Wang to handle the punishment of Linan Wang.”
The Great Empress Dowager frowned, “Let them report the situation at any time.”
In the Court of the Imperial Clan, Yuwen You was pressed onto a torture bench, and the crimson court rod was raised high and then brought down, making a dull sound as it struck flesh, making people’s hearts race. Yuwen You, however, just closed his eyes in silence, letting them beat him. Soon, his back was soaked in blood, and the wound on his head burst open, blood dripping down his chin and quickly pooling on the ground.
The Court of the Imperial Clan’s Shaoqing*, watching the torture, kept glancing at Yuwen Chu, who was sitting high up. Yuwen Chu, however, just sat there, half-closed eyes, drinking his tea as if the person being beaten wasn’t his brother, but someone unrelated.
* official position
As more blood flowed, Yuwen You couldn’t bear it anymore and quietly passed out. The Shaoqing was frightened, feeling cold all over. Although the emperor ordered severe punishment for Linan Wang, he didn’t say to beat Linan Wang to death! If someone really died here, he would be the scapegoat! But he had never heard of a prince being beaten to death alive. His whole family would have to accompany him in death.
The Shaoqing couldn’t think about anything else, hastily gestured for the executioner to stop, and approached Yuwen Chu, whispering, “Your Highness, he’s fainted. What do you think…”
Even if you want to marry your brother’s wife, don’t make it so ugly, okay?
Yuwen Chu finally lifted his eyelids to glance at him and said, “Report the situation and wait for His Majesty’s decision.”
The Shaoqing almost cried. If he had the courage to report, why would he need to ask for his old man’s opinion? Let alone, the emperor really wanted him to come here to watch the excitement; he was responsible for handling this matter, right? To continue or not, if he wanted to continue, how should he continue, if he didn’t continue, how should he report it? It all had to be decided by him. Why did he make it seem so casual with just a sentence?
Seeing the Shaoqing standing still in a daze, Jing Song smiled faintly, “Is there anything difficult for you, sir? Linan Wang had injuries beforehand and couldn’t withstand the punishment. Is it so hard to report to His Majesty? Or do you not want to report?”
So it wasn’t about wanting Linan Wang to die, but about passing the buck to the emperor. If he didn’t personally report it, it was also to avoid suspicion, so that if the emperor decided to continue the beating, he wouldn’t blame it on him. The Shaoqing suddenly realized, staring blankly at Yuwen Chu, who was still sitting there calmly, not even sparing a glance at his brother, feeling a chill in his heart. He was truly a ruthless man. Fine, there was no escaping this. He had to bite the bullet and report it.
The Shaoqing sighed heavily, bowed to Yuwen Chu, and sighed as he entered the palace.
Yuwen Chu didn’t order to continue the beating, so no one dared to continue. Yuwen You lay unconscious on the torture bench. After about half an hour, the Shaoqing still hadn’t returned, but Yuwen You finally breathed out a breath and slowly woke up.
Yuwen Chu stood up and walked slowly to him, saying in a deep voice, “You’re awake. Your physical condition isn’t bad.”
Yuwen You, who harbored a grudge against Yuwen Chu and wanted to vent his anger, said fiercely, “Thanks to Sixth Brother, it’s really great that I, the younger brother, didn’t die.”
Yuwen Chu, expressionless, said, “Are you reminding me that it’s better to kill you while I have the chance? Otherwise, I’ll regret it later?”
Yuwen You, who had wanted to vent a few harsh words, thought of his recent difficulties and desperate situations. He clenched his teeth and, full of resentment, said, “I always thought you were a good person, telling you everything and believing your words, but this is how you treat me. Are you even ashamed?”
Thinking about what happened in the Jade Emperor Temple, Yuwen You’s hatred grew stronger. Everything about Ban Jian and Jiang Shanshan was deceiving!
He had trusted Yuwen Chu so much, listened to his words to please Fu Mingzhu, and lightly let Fu Mingzhu go after the self-harm incident. And then, he ended up in such a situation himself.
The more he thought about it, the more he hated and the more angry he became. With bloodshot eyes, he glared fiercely at Yuwen Chu and gritted his teeth, “Sixth Brother, you are really my good sixth brother!”
Yuwen Chu glanced around. Everyone had already silently retreated, leaving only the two of them and a dim flickering lamp.
“Don’t you understand yet? You pushed her away yourself. If she wholeheartedly wanted you, no one could take her away from you. You hate me, but I don’t hate you. On the contrary, I’m grateful to you for giving me the opportunity to marry her.” Yuwen Chu’s voice was deep and pleasant, with a hint of satisfaction. “Did it hurt just now?”
Yuwen You’s heart bled with hatred. He wanted to jump up and punch that handsome face hard, but his whole body hurt too much, and all his strength was only enough to fall off the torture bench.
“In this world, there are two types of punishment tools: one for show and one for life-threatening situations. Even if someone wants your life, based on blood ties alone, I won’t take your life lightly. Making you suffer this time is just to tell you to stay away from her in the future! I’ll protect what’s mine!” Yuwen Chu looked down at Yuwen You struggling on the ground, his voice so low it couldn’t be lower. “Be careful not to help others and end up losing your own life!”
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