The Imperial Palace.
A figure stood in the grand hall.
As the Prince of Yan stepped into the palace, he saw a man whose handsomeness was beyond compare.
Yet, a frigid, disdainful smile flickered across his lips.
He raised his head, looking at the Emperor.
Everyone was to kneel.
Prostrate themselves at his feet.
But the Prince of Yan's expression was one of profound indifference. He showed no inclination to bend his knees, his gaze coolly fixed upwards, his tone fearlessly defiant.
"What do you want me for?"
The middle-aged man opposite him descended the steps.
He was aged, his features still hinting at the handsomeness of his youth.
But more prominently, an indescribable weariness clung to him.
He offered a bitter smile, his eyes brimming with an unutterable sadness, the only sound his sigh.
"You don't even want the throne?"
The Prince of Yan tilted his head.
His features were exceptionally well-formed, his eyes sharp, a killing aura that tempered the feminine grace of his delicate features.
He then retorted.
"What use is the throne?"
"To be a lonely king."
Perhaps the words "lonely king" struck a chord within the other man.
His brow furrowed, and he gazed once more at the Prince of Yan before him, pain and guilt evident in his eyes – but also a deep vein of relief, before he spoke.
"From the very beginning, I never intended to pass the throne to the Crown Prince!"
"In my heart, how could the Crown Prince compare to you."
"Your every battle report, I have read."
"Each time you faced death and emerged alive, I feared in my heart that you would perish in the Northwest, yet I was also relieved by your brilliant success. Only you could accomplish such feats."
"You are my pride!"
He looked at the handsome man before him, uttering such weighty words of admiration.
The handsome man opposite him merely let out a mocking scoff. He showed no respect whatsoever, regardless of the other being the Emperor; in his eyes, he held him in utter contempt!
"Pride?"
"Coincidentally, in my heart, you are my shame."
"I have never cared for this throne. Were it not for the common folk of the north, I would wish for the barbarians to storm the imperial city, to burn and kill, and to hang your head from the city walls."
Such ruthless words could only come from him.
For any other person in this world, hearing such treasonous language would surely bring forth astonishment and panic, leaving them utterly bewildered as to how to react.
This was a crime punishable by death!
Anyone who dared to speak such heart-piercing words, even upon hearing them, would be driven to distraction and rendered incapable of coherent thought.
Yet the Prince of Yan spoke them, and not only spoke them but did so with an unclouded countenance, showing no sign that he found anything amiss in his words. He spoke his thoughts with honesty and candor.
"From beginning to end, in my eyes, you have never been a father, but an enemy!"
"I wish I could kill you."
"To avenge my mother!"
The man opposite him was initially furious.
But upon hearing the handsome youth mention his mother, his expression shifted once more. He offered a bitter smile, his face instantly contorting with helplessness.
"Your mother..."
"What happened back then was not as you imagine..."
The Prince of Yan remained cold-faced.
"There is no need for explanations."
"Between us, there has never been any familial affection. You know this yourself, otherwise, you would not have watched your Empress and the Crown Prince attempt to assassinate me multiple times, leaving me gravely wounded, without lifting a finger."
"Isn't that so? In your heart, I have always been a pawn to be discarded at any moment. An eyesore."
"It's just that though my life was considered cheap, I struggled to live on for a while longer, which is perhaps why you deigned to cast a second glance."
"From beginning to end, you never once considered giving me any good treatment."
"After all, I am the child of that woman. I am a disgrace, a truth you wished to conceal. Your intentions were so vile, I could see through them completely."
The middle-aged man opposite him, his temples streaked with gray, took half a step forward, his hand trembling as he tried to explain.
"It wasn't—it wasn't as you think! I did everything I could to protect you back then... sending you to the north was also so you could survive."
"If your origins were known to the world, even as my child, you would be branded a demon and burned alive. Moreover, the Empress and the Crown Prince had the support of many officials. From my position, high above and isolated, I had my own difficulties; I could not simply do as I pleased."
The middle-aged man's voice was filled with an unbearable bitterness. He looked up, his tone laced with anxiety.
"Besides, how could I not love you... I was forced to do so back then."
"I have already lost the one I loved. No matter what means I employed, I would have protected the child born to the one I loved."
"Have you any inkling of my pain?"
He pointed to his chest, his eyes filled with anguish!
But all of this, in the eyes of the Prince of Yan, seemed like a mere charade.
A supremely contemptuous smile curled his lips; he paid no heed to the other's demeanor.
"Pain?"
"What pain, what is this pain."
"What pain do you have? For so many years, you have been high above—watching me struggle in the northwest, facing certain death, did you truly feel guilt?"
"For years, you felt no guilt whatsoever. You watched the Empress and the Crown Prince bask in glory, while my mother's bones were hidden away in a cold, dark cellar. Every time I recall how my mother was murdered by those hypocritical high-and-mighty people, my heart feels as if it's being carved with a knife!"
The Prince of Yan raised his head, he pointed at the other man, the depths of his eyes filled with cold, sharp glints.
"I will never forgive you."
The middle-aged man opposite him glanced at him, then sighed.
"Do you not even want the throne?"
"Your mother's matter... ultimately, I failed her. But back then—she was discovered to be a demon, I truly could not protect her."
"She lost all her demonic power for your sake. The Empress discovered her true form, and those sorcerers declared her a calamitous demon—what could I do? I could not gamble the empire!"
"Shortly after I ascended the throne, there were still several other princes vying for the imperial throne. A single misstep would have led to eternal damnation."
"I couldn't protect your mother, but at least I left you. You grew up in the cold palace, and I assigned guards to protect you. I never neglected you; I always cared for you."
"Even when fighting the barbarians in the northwest, I arranged for guards to be by your side..."
The middle-aged man looked at the Prince of Yan with urgency.
"You cannot disregard my intentions!"
The Prince of Yan remained silent, merely looking at him coldly, his eyes showing not a trace of emotion, clearly not valuing any of his efforts.
The middle-aged man opposite him offered a bitter smile for a moment, before finally unable to refrain from speaking.
"The Duke's mansion has summoned an imperial physician."
"I know... the young lady from the Duke's mansion did not die."
"The Duke's mansion first summoned an imperial physician, and the prescription given was for an abortifacient."
"Then it was changed to a pregnancy-preserving medicine."
"That young lady is, after all, your Princess of Yan. The child in her womb, should it not be yours?"
"I know you hate me, but since you now have a child, even for the sake of that young lady from the Duke's mansion and the child she carries, you should realize that accepting the throne is your best choice."
"You cannot possibly lead her to flee everywhere, to be constantly displaced. My position, across the realm, only you can truly grasp!"
If he had mentioned anything else.
The Prince of Yan would not have paid it any mind, nor would he have cared.
But he specifically mentioned that young lady, the Princess of Yan.
The youth, whose handsomeness bordered on the demonic, slowly raised his eyes.
"Do you truly intend to abdicate the throne?"
The middle-aged man opposite him smiled bitterly.
"I only have half a year left to live."
"The imperial physicians say, at most half a year."
"Besides, I am well aware that you are unwilling to be the Crown Prince, and if it were merely the position of Crown Prince, it would be insufficient to keep you here."
"What you desire is the throne."
The Prince of Yan was silent for a moment, then he said.
"You should be aware of the special nature of my other half of blood. Are you not afraid of this matter becoming known to the world?"
The middle-aged man opposite him shook his head, and he began to speak.
"That is then the world's affair. Moreover, if you ascend to the throne, and anyone dares to question you, to resist you, simply kill them!"
"There should be no hesitation!"
He was indeed decisive, acting with swift finality.
The Prince of Yan looked at the expectant gaze of the man before him—perhaps he was the only prince who was being begged to ascend the throne. Since ancient times, for the sake of the throne, even fathers and sons could kill each other.
But now, this man who ruled the empire was so eager to hand over the throne to him, as if it were a burning ember!
The Prince of Yan remained silent for a long while, then he lowered his voice and asked his final question.
"Are you not curious as to who exactly... attacked the Crown Prince?"
The middle-aged man opposite him shook his head.
"Since he has already... already... been assassinated, there is no point in pursuing it further."
"I have already confined the Empress to the cold palace. The Crown Prince's death has dealt her a severe blow. The imperial physicians say she has developed delirium, and she no longer possesses the demeanor of a mother of a nation."
"I will not allow anyone, or anything, to obstruct your succession to the throne."
The Prince of Yan cast a cold glance at His Majesty, then he spoke softly.
"I killed him with my own hands."
"He was the son of my mother's killer, and he coveted my wife—I heard with my own ears how he planned to possess the young princess of the Duke's mansion, and how he intended to torment my woman, to make her die in his residence. In the eyes of the world, she was already a dead person, so torturing her would be no more than she deserved."
"As he spoke with gleeful enthusiasm, I directly plunged a dagger into his vital spot."
"I knew he wouldn't die immediately. The dagger was coated with poison, and he would struggle in pain for several days before finally expiring."
The middle-aged man opposite him trembled slightly upon hearing this, his expression turning grim, a look of resigned helplessness spreading across his face.
"You—"
He sighed.
"Forget it. I can no longer interfere in your affairs."
"You are my only son now, and my throne will surely be yours."
"I am tired. Stay in the palace tonight, I will have Chen Li escort you..."
Before he could finish speaking, the Prince of Yan directly refused him. The Prince of Yan said without hesitation.
"No need."
"I am going to the Duke's mansion."
He turned and strode away without waiting for the other man's reply! This left His Majesty with a look of stunned disbelief, clutching his chest. Recalling the Prince of Yan's resolute words about killing the Crown Prince, the bitterness in his chest intensified.
He parted his lips and spat out a mouthful of blood.
He took out a handkerchief the color of imperial yellow, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, and offered a rueful smile.
"Alas... it is all karma."
"But this deep affection... it's inherited from me."
...
The Prince of Yan was indeed heading to the Duke's mansion.
Outside, panic was rampant. The Prince of Yan's arrival in the capital was known throughout the realm; he was about to ascend the throne. Yet, the capital knew nothing of him, only that he had spent years in the northwest, battling barbarians, a veritable god of war.
However, the capital was a place of wealth and decadence, filled with idleness and pleasure, and had never truly experienced the hardships of war.
It was naturally difficult to imagine what this prince, who had fought on the front lines against the barbarians, would be like.
The young maids of the Duke's mansion were more flustered than one could imagine.
"I heard the Prince of Yan is ferocious in appearance, with a dark face and a long beard, and is incredibly fearsome, his glare capable of shattering one's heart and killing them... is it true?"
"What I heard is even more terrifying than that. They say the Prince of Yan is a living Yama, incredibly terrifying, that he eats people! On the battlefield, he can tear people apart alive. They say he is much taller than ordinary people, like a wall, and his arms are thicker than a man's thighs!"
"They say his weapon is a meteor hammer, and one strike can smash a person into a pulp!"
The more these maids spoke, the more frightened they became.
"Really? Is he truly that fearsome? Oh, it's frightening just to listen!"
"Our young princess is pampered and delicate. If she even gets a tiny scratch, she cries; how can she endure such hardship, such suffering."
"She must have been terribly tormented by the Prince of Yan. Just thinking about it breaks my heart for the young princess."
"Yes, the young princess should be matched with a gentle and refined gentleman."
As these maids spoke, they were reprimanded by the leading governess.
"A bunch of little girls, babbling nonsense! What do you know of propriety? If you dare speak such disrespectful words, your tongues will be pulled out!"
"The Prince of Yan has already entered the capital, and he may ascend the throne in a few days. The prosperity and wealth of our Duke's mansion for generations to come depend on the Prince of Yan. You, a group of ignorant little girls, are still spouting nonsense and nonsense?"
"You truly have too good a life to be so carried away and not know your own limitations!"
Upon hearing the leading governess's scolding, the maids immediately dared not speak further, but then they heard a long and panicked cry from outside.
"Master, Young Master, the Prince of Yan has emerged from the palace and has come to visit our mansion!"