Gu Yanxi settled into the chair with an imposing posture. "Tell me the details."
The Sixth Prince gathered his thoughts and began recounting, "That day was my eldest brother's eldest son's birthday. I had intended to just deliver a gift and leave, but my eldest brother kept holding me in conversation. It wasn't until all the other guests had departed that he finally let me leave with the rest. I found it strange at the time but couldn't figure out his motives. When I woke up later, I realized I was no longer in my own residence. At first, my eldest brother analyzed the pros and cons with me at length. Back when my mother was alive, she had warned me not to compete for the throne or involve myself in their affairs. Naturally, I remembered her words and politely declined him. Later..."
The Sixth Prince paused, looking down at the exposed white bandage on his body. "Later... he ordered his men to use force. He told me that if I agreed and wrote a letter to my maternal grandfather according to his demands, he would release me and do everything in his power to compensate me afterward. I don't know if he truly intended to kill me if I refused, but I absolutely cannot drag my maternal grandfather into this. My mother made me swear to that on her deathbed."
Leaning forward onto his knees, the Sixth Prince seemed oblivious to the pain from his wounds. "Brother Yanxi, you would never guess where my eldest brother imprisoned me. He had the audacity to lock me up in the palace he lived in before establishing his own residence—right under Father's nose. I escaped by hiding under a Ministry of Internal Affairs carriage leaving the palace. The guard who pretended to be me... he surely didn't survive."
Gu Yanxi could already guess the rest. Among the row of carriages, only the Hua family's carriage, designated for female family members, would have been suitable. In such circumstances, while women might be more easily frightened than men, their inherent maternal instincts would likely lead them to protect him.
The eldest prince's scheme was also easy to understand: first, have him return in plain sight of everyone, then secretly extract and hide him in a secluded location. If the plan were exposed, there would be plenty of people to testify on the eldest prince's behalf.
Even if the Sixth Prince later yielded and wrote the letter, then managed to escape the eldest prince's control and report to the Emperor, the Emperor might not believe him. In terms of closeness, the Sixth Prince, who had rarely appeared in court over the past two years, could not compare to the eldest prince, who had been assisting the Emperor with state affairs and had his mother's influence to rely on. Even if the Emperor did believe him, it would still be a lose-lose situation—the Emperor would not favor a son who easily betrayed his brother.
This scheme could indeed be considered thoroughly calculated.
Beating someone into submission before recruiting them—though an old tactic, it had always been effective. If not for the fact that this trap was set by the fourth prince, the eldest prince's methods showed some of the ruthlessness needed to achieve great things.
Unfortunately, he directed that ruthlessness toward his own brother.
"Since you escaped under those circumstances, why didn't you go to the Emperor with those injuries?"
The Sixth Prince smiled bitterly. "My mother left me only six people in total, and by then, only one remained by my side. I had no confidence that I could make it to my father. Moreover, my eldest brother had covered his tracks too well—I had no evidence to prove he was the one who attacked me. Father... might not necessarily believe me."
It wasn't that he wouldn't believe—it was that he couldn't believe. The Emperor's paternal affection typically manifested in such moments. Gu Yanxi was almost certain that if this matter were brought into the open, both sides would be punished equally, and the Sixth Prince would be completely marginalized afterward.His Imperial Uncle could turn a blind eye to their covert struggles, but once things were brought into the open, he would absolutely not tolerate it.
"What are you planning?"
"I have no plans." The Sixth Prince curled his lips, his eyes holding the cold indifference common to all imperial descendants. "There will always be someone more anxious than I am."
"And then push the Hua family who saved you into an abyss of eternal suffering?"
"I never intended that." The Sixth Prince immediately straightened up, the coldness in his eyes replaced by urgency. "When the time comes for me to appear, I'll do so discreetly. I would never drag the Hua family into this. My mother once said the Hua family is the most principled aristocratic clan in the Daqing Dynasty. As long as the Hua family maintains its integrity, the scholarly pride of Daqing's literati will never collapse."
Outside the room, Hua Zhi looked up at the gradually darkening sky. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop, but knowing the Sixth Prince was inside, she had no choice but to personally guard the door. With many mouths come many rumors. Though she trusted her own people, some matters were better known by fewer.
Lu Xiansheng, with his martial skills, likely knew she was outside. The Sixth Prince's address of "Brother Yanxi" indicated his extraordinary status, and this was something Lu Xiansheng clearly had no intention of hiding from her.
Hua Zhi lowered her gaze. Indeed, he had never tried to conceal his identity completely. She should have guessed earlier that the person who saved her on that rainy night was Lu Xiansheng.
But what if she had known sooner? A self-mocking smile touched Hua Zhi's lips. Would she have refused his help if she had known his identity earlier? No, she wouldn't have. If she had known his identity earlier, she might have exploited him even more thoroughly. Since she was already indebted, what difference did it make whether the debt was large or small? When repayment came due, there would be no distinction between more or less.
The conversation inside continued.
"Although the Crown Prince was the one who directly acted in this matter, it was the Fourth Prince who orchestrated it behind the scenes. If your people had arrived any later, your rescuer would have been the Fourth Prince. By then, events would likely have been beyond your control. Whether willing or not, after this confrontation, you would have become the Fourth Prince's man."
Born into the imperial family without a mother's protection, even with powerful maternal relatives, one couldn't survive without sufficient cleverness. The Sixth Prince was clearly no fool. After brief contemplation, he understood the intricacies. He felt both anger and sorrow. "I never wanted to compete with them."
"You are an imperial son. By nature, you are enemies."
"So even if I retreat to the edge of the cliff, as long as I haven't fallen, they won't let me go, is that it?"
"Yes."
The Sixth Prince laughed bitterly. "So, just to survive, I must compete."
Gu Yanxi couldn't offer him comfort. Those born into the imperial family enjoyed immense wealth and privilege, but faced too many inevitabilities. Those outside the palace would gladly trade places, while those trapped within sometimes wished they were merely ordinary people—at least then they wouldn't have to regard their father not as father, son not as son, brother not as brother, viewing everyone with suspicion and wariness.
If Consort Zhen were still alive, she might have been able to protect the Sixth Prince. That intelligent woman had seen through all this early on, which was why she voluntarily entered the palace as a hostage to alleviate the Emperor's suspicions toward the Sun family.
Unfortunately, intelligent people often lived unhappily, and she had succumbed to depression and passed away early.
No, that wasn't entirely true. If it were Hua Zhi in her place, the outcome would probably have been completely different.Gu Yanxi looked towards the door, his heart also filled with a bit of unease. Now that she already knew his identity, he wondered if she would blame him for keeping it hidden all these days.
PS: The second update will be late, need to sort out the plot.
OpenNovel