Chapter 110
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Xie Duo’s fierce gaze gradually turned helpless. He stumbled back a few steps, leaning against the wall and slowly sitting on the ground.
Senior Minister Li, although extremely anxious, remained quietly waiting for the child to accept reality.
“What will Mother Empress decide?” Xie Duo lowered his head. “Will she banish me from the palace, or will she kill me?”
Senior Minister Li saw that Prince Ling had been severely shaken. In order to encourage him, he took a step forward and said in a low voice, “Your Highness, death is not the worst outcome. If the Empress is willing to take such risks to harm the Emperor, it’s clear she harbors deep hatred. If you choose to yield now, once the Empress consolidates her power, she may even reveal your true identity, making you a disgrace to the imperial family for the rest of your life.”
Noticing that Prince Ling’s tightly clenched fists were trembling slightly, Senior Minister Li took a step forward, crouched beside him, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “All you need to do is accept the decree tomorrow morning, Your Highness, and you won’t need to fear anyone.”
“What then? What do you want me to do about Mother Empress?”
Senior Minister Li frowningly said, “Your Highness, the Empress probably never truly regarded you as her own child.”
Another moment of silence followed.
Xie Duo suddenly laughed. “She knew a long time ago? How long?”
“Perhaps a year or two ago, maybe even earlier.”
“And you’re telling me now?” Xie Duo slowly lifted his head, leaned against the wall to stand up, filled with rage in his eyes, staring at Senior Minister Li. “You’re telling me now? I’d rather not know anything. I’d rather die in her hands in ignorance!”
“Your Highness, you’ve never been the type to choose avoidance.”
“But I love them!” Xie Duo grabbed Senior Minister Li’s front robe and lifted him up. “Does Sixth Brother know? Did Mother Empress tell him, or is everyone just pretending? Am I the only fool left in the dark? Am I?”
Senior Minister Li shook his head. “I can’t be sure.”
Xie Duo released his grip on Senior Minister Li’s robe, his face contorted in pain as he choked out, “Why did Father Emperor do this?”
“Your mother refused to stay by the Emperor’s side. The Emperor pleaded with her to stay and left you behind. I initially thought the Emperor did it to elevate your status, but I never imagined he had such thoughts.”
“What about the premature child? Is he still alive?”
“He’s doing well, raised by a wealthy family in the south.”
“If I let him return to Mother Empress and give the Crown Prince position to Sixth Brother, can it appease Mother Empress?”
“Your Highness.” Senior Minister Li’s expression darkened. “This isn’t something that can be solved by you surrendering. You can’t solely beg for the Empress’ mercy and kindness. Between her and you, there’s only hatred, no family bond. Mercy among enemies is a privilege of the strong. After you seize power, you can consider how to deal with them, but you must never bow down and hope for their nostalgia.”
Xie Duo closed his eyes in agony. “So what should I do?”
“Tomorrow morning, you’ll receive the decree,” Senior Minister Li said firmly, “As for other matters, I can handle them for you.”
Xie Duo looked up at him. “Why are you helping me? Prince Yan is the rightful heir.”
“First, serving the ruler faithfully is a loyal minister’s duty. Despite your misgivings about me, you can’t deny I’ve never gone against the Emperor’s orders. When the Emperor designated you as the Crown Prince, you became the only choice in my heart. Second, Prince Yan is upright but lacks depth in his political views. If he ascends, it might disrupt the peace of the people. Third, given your aptitude, you may be the generation’s Great Ruler bestowed upon Great Chu by the Heavens. For the sake of the common people, the heir can only be you.”
On that morning, Han Jiao finally received an audience with Prince Yan.
Prince Yan appeared thinner with a pale complexion. His pitiful appearance left Han Jiao unsure of how to console him.
“I’m doing fine,” it was Prince Yan who spoke first, “Father Emperor made a wise decision, and Ninth Brother… he’s doing well.”
Han Jiao spoke softly, “I don’t want to hear your praises. If you feel wronged, just speak your mind.”
Prince Yan hunched in the armchair, rubbed his face, and said in a low voice, “I acknowledge Ninth Brother’s brilliance, but… I don’t understand…”
Han Jiao encouraged him to let out his grievances, “There’s no one else here.”
“But I don’t understand, Father Emperor!” Prince Yan raised his head, a resentful look on his face. “Master, haven’t you noticed? It all seems like a scheme arranged by Father Emperor. Old Seventh and I are like pawns in this game. I’ve realized that those eyes watching me from the shadows all these years weren’t testing my righteousness but waiting for me to make a mistake and embarrass myself, waiting to push me into the mud!”
Han Jiao was slightly taken aback but quickly regained composure and remained silent.
Prince Yan’s eyes reddened, his voice hoarse as he said, “In the past, Father Emperor always taught me about kindness, magnanimity, righteousness, and selflessness. But these days, I’ve been thinking about many things from the past, and I suddenly realized that I’ve been raised to let A’Duo choose everything he’s interested in first. Father Emperor never reproached his dominance but always praised my restraint, as if all those principles of benevolence and morality were meant to confine only me. If I ever showed a hint of ambition, I would see the disappointed look in Father Emperor’s eyes, as if he was constantly watching me. After all these years outside the palace, I’ve never been able to escape it. Even now… even in this situation, I’m still desperately picking out my own faults.”
“Your Highness, you haven’t done anything wrong.”
Prince Yan shook his head. “Being less talented than A’Duo is a mistake, the biggest mistake. I’m not worthy of my own ambitions, nor am I worthy of your assistance, Master.”
Han Jiao felt a pang in his heart. “The nation can’t rely solely on the abilities of its ruler. You have a heart for the people, you’re diligent and courageous, and you’re willing to listen to various opinions. These qualities are more than enough to achieve your grand ambitions. Don’t underestimate yourself.”
“These words only make me more miserable.” Prince Yan took a deep breath, leaned back in the chair, and said in despair, “I’m willing to accept my fate, but I can’t face the loyal ministers who’ve followed me for years.”
“Nothing is set in stone yet. I believe that Prince Ling doesn’t have his heart set on this. When the Emperor comes to his senses, perhaps he’ll consider making concessions.”
As soon as the words were spoken, a young eunuch’s voice echoed from outside the door, seemingly with a secret message to deliver.
Prince Yan allowed him to enter and said, “Master Han is not a stranger,” then instructed the young eunuch to report the news in front of them.
The Ninth Prince received the decree today at the hour of the Dragon.
Han Jiao hadn’t expected to be contradicted so swiftly and felt too embarrassed to even look at Prince Yan.
After the eunuch withdrew, Prince Yan sighed softly, “What had to happen has happened.”
“Your Highness…”
“Master, there’s no need for consolation,” Prince Yan lowered his head, “I’ve come to terms with it. Perhaps you should go talk to the Ninth Prince and ensure he arranges for the people associated with me and Seventh Brother properly, to avoid turmoil in the court.”
Han Jiao solemnly agreed, seeing that Prince Yan didn’t wish to discuss it further, and took his leave.
On his way back to his own alley, he found the road blocked by a crowd.
Han Jiao led his donkey and walked ahead to clear a path.
Upon getting closer, he realized that the crowd blocking the alley was composed entirely of young ladies!
Han Jiao’s heart sank. He couldn’t help but wonder if his mother had arranged dozens of blind dates all on the same day by some unfortunate accident.
Han Jiao kept his head down and repeatedly called out, “Excuse me,” struggling to find a way out from the small path the girls had made in the crowd. When he finally broke free and was about to rush back home, he suddenly noticed a tall and slender figure standing at his doorstep.
Hearing the donkey’s footsteps behind him, the person turned his head sharply, his exquisitely contoured profile instantly sparking a small cheer from the girls behind Han Jiao.
Han Jiao: “……”
He had overthought it. It turned out to be a fan meeting for the big boss.
“Your Highness, what are you doing here!” Han Jiao quickly approached. After a long and fruitless searching, the boss himself had come to find him.
Xie Duo turned around and calmly said, “I came to see you.”
“To see me?” Han Jiao hurriedly invited the boss inside for a chat.
Xie Duo shook his head. “Send the donkey back, and keep me company for a stroll.”
Han Jiao: “……”
This big boss was truly raised by the Emperor without restraint. He had just become the Crown Prince of Great Chu in the morning, and by noon, he slipped out of the palace to go for a walk with Han Jiao.
There was no choice, Han Jiao could only obey, send the donkey home, and follow the big boss as they made their way through the alley’s end, leaving behind the onlookers.
The two of them strolled through the empty alley.
Han Jiao sensed that the boss wasn’t quite himself. Despite walking alongside him with a blank expression, he emitted an inexplicable sense of restraint that made Han Jiao’s heart race.
Could this guy have been forced to accept the imperial decree and is now sulking?
Han Jiao cautiously asked, “Your Highness, are you feeling trapped and came out of the palace to get some fresh air?”
Xie Duo emphasized once again, “I came to see you.”
Oh my. Han Jiao was taken aback, feeling overwhelmed by favor. His ear-shaped signal lights were about to malfunction again. He muttered quietly, “Today is an important day, Your Highness. How can you come out of the palace just to see me? If you have something to discuss, it can wait for another day.”
Xie Duo remained expressionless. “I’m going to see Mother Empress later, and we might not have another chance to meet.”
Han Jiao was startled by this revelation. He stopped in his tracks, and watched with displeasure as the boss, who was usually as sly as a fox, walked past him.
Xie Duo also stopped and turned to look at him.
“Your Highness, now that you’ve become the Crown Prince, you won’t need me as your tutor anymore, will you?”
With three steps between them, Xie Duo gazed at him quietly.
It was only then that Han Jiao realized what was peculiar about his question. He was about to correct himself, but Xie Duo replied firmly, “Correct.”
Han Jiao’s lips couldn’t help but curl up, and he said proudly, “That’s about right.”
“What about you, Han Xiaobai?” Xie Duo asked in return, “If I were not to become the Crown Prince, would you still be willing to be my tutor?”
“What do you think? I’ve been your tutor for almost a year, and you’ve just become the Crown Prince today.”
“Regardless of how our positions change, you won’t regret it?”
Seeing the serious expression of the big boss, Han Jiao couldn’t help but smile. “Of course not! I’m the tutor of the Great Chu’s War God. When making new friends, I usually introduce myself like that.”
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