Chapter 46

Chapter 46

The Empress Hui was startled by the desperate cries of the Twelfth Prince and reached out to cover his mouth, for fear that he would attract the attention of Xue Fuguang.

Although he was raised by the Empress Hui, he was not of her lineage after all; as long as he did not infuriate Xue Fuguang, he should be safe.

Since Xue Fuguang did not want to bear the infamy of usurpation, he had to treat all the sons left by the former emperor well.

She held the Twelfth Prince tightly and whispered soothingly, "It's alright, don't cry Twelfth, your Empress Mother Hui is here."

But the Twelfth Prince struggled violently.

He was just a child of barely ten years old; when he truly resisted with all his might, even the Empress Hui could not restrain him.

He managed to break free and rushed to Xue Fuguang.

Mu Jian Shu's eyes grew cold, and he was about to intervene.

But Xue Fuguang raised his hand, stopping Mu Jian Shu's movement, and looked down at the Twelfth Prince.

He was certain that the Twelfth Prince was not the same sort of person as the Sixth Prince.

When the Twelfth Prince reached Xue Fuguang, he suddenly knelt down, grabbed the hem of Xue Fuguang's robe that touched the ground, tears streaming down his face yet holding back his sobs, "Crown Prince, I beg you, spare Empress Mother Hui and Brother Six's lives! They realize their mistake, they truly do!"

The Sixth Prince struggled to lift his head, his voice hoarse, "Twelfth! Stand up, don't beg him! Do you think he's a good person? That Mother and I have fallen to such a state today is all his scheming!"

Xue Fuguang chuckled lightly, "Your Highness the Sixth Prince, when have I ever schemed against you? Was it I who forced your hand to seize the throne? Or did I make you come to see me? Is it not because Your Highness wished to cross the river and demolish the bridge?"

He looked down, his gaze on the Twelfth Prince at his feet, and said softly, "Your royal brother, accused of fratricide and patricide, bears no unwarranted charges. Perhaps you do not know, on the day the Eastern Palace was bathed in blood, the Sixth Prince already knew of this news. Yet he stood there, watching as the Eastern Palace turned into a river of blood and everyone perished, then he stepped forward to claim the credit for slaying the assassins. He has been living well. Had he not contended for the throne, he could have been smoothly granted a fiefdom, leaving the imperial city to continue his exalted life. Sadly, he wanted more."

More tears filled the eyes of the Twelfth Prince, his gaze full of resistance and an inevitable sense of collapse that he could not bring himself to believe. The peaceful life of more than a decade, and the images of those he trusted and was closest to, were now completely overturned in his heart, tainted with a layer of gloom, sordid and irreparably stained.

Yet there was no emotion of compassion in the eyes of Xue Fuguang.

He had been protected too well, a child of innocence and purity. Unfortunately, the hands that protected him were not clean.

He needed to understand this, whether to survive better in the days to come, or to realize that Xue Fuguang's action against the Sixth Prince was not without reason.

The Sixth Prince was an indifferent man, but he truly cherished his younger brother, earnestly maintaining the facade of a kind elder in his eyes.

He roared, "Twelve! Do not listen to his nonsense! Xue Fuguang, what are you? Wasn't the disaster of the Crown Prince's followers orchestrated by you? And now, you dare to usurp the throne, you treacherous traitor! Isn’t every single life lost in the Eastern Palace tied to you?!"

The person pressing down on his back pushed him harder, pressing his face against the ground, making him taste the filth left by countless soles.

Xue Fuguang slightly lifted his gaze, landing on the others in the hall.

They trembled, understanding that they had heard what they should not have.

Yet Xue Fuguang continued to smile, his voice calm and even somewhat nonchalant, with a hint of surprise, "How are you and I alike? The Crown Prince was not my brother, but my nemesis. My scheming at best can be considered vengeance. Besides, I merely gave a push; the main actor was you, was it not? As for usurping the throne, it's nonsense. His Majesty’s dying words were heard clearly by everyone here. It’s precisely because of the Sixth Prince's lack of virtue that His Majesty dared not entrust the kingdom into the hands of his own son."

"All things considered, in this hall, only I remain. Presumably, His Majesty was also very clear in his heart that half of this kingdom’s surname is Xue. His Majesty and the Sixth Prince, such ungrateful individuals, are naturally different."

Xue Fuguang looked at the others in the hall, gently laughing, "My esteemed officials, would you not say that what I declare is correct?"

How could those ministers dare to disagree?

Moreover, they didn’t actually know much about the details; the Sixth Prince’s parricide and fratricide were indisputable facts.

Thus, they all lowered their heads, loudly proclaiming, "What His Majesty says is exceedingly true!"

Xue Fuguang then laughed even more joyfully.

Indeed, he was not a good person.

But in this lifetime, he intended to stand on the pinnacle of morality, leaving no one any reason to scold or resent him.

Even if he were to seize power, he wished to be praised by all.

He lowered his hand, slowly touching the crown of the Twelfth Prince’s head, saying, "Think carefully; if you ask me to spare them, I will have to go against the late emperor's last wishes. I do not wish to bear this infamy for no reason; you must pay the price for their lives."

The Twelfth Prince continued to weep softly, but upon hearing these words, he nodded without hesitation, "Anything, everything is fine, as long as you spare the Sixth Prince and Empress Hui."

Xue Fuguang said, "You are the late emperor's child; I could have made you a king. Would you still be willing if demoted to a commoner?"

The Twelfth Prince nodded.

Xue Fuguang nodded, "If that is the case, then accompany the Sixth Prince and the Noble Consort to guard the imperial tomb. Sever the tendons in the hands of the Sixth Prince and the Noble Consort, and confine them to the imperial tomb for life, never to leave by half a step."

"Prepare yourself at your own pace; be ready to enter the imperial tomb at any time." This was the last shred of pity he afforded to the Twelfth Prince.

The Twelfth Prince released his grip on Xue Fuguang's robe and bowed deeply, whispering, "Twelfth is deeply grateful for Your Majesty's great kindness."

The Noble Consort collapsed on the ground, devoid of any strength, and was dragged away listlessly.

The Sixth Prince struggled violently, his mouth muffled, his eyes bulging as if to burst, his neck veined with fierce anger, as though he wished to pounce and bite Xue Fuguang to death.

The imperial guards knocked him unconscious and dragged him away like a dead dog.

After dealing with these individuals, Xue Fuguang then said, "My lords, please leave the palace first. Given today's chaos, we shall discuss further matters tomorrow."

After they all withdrew, the consorts and children were sent back to their respective palaces, guarded by the imperial troops, forbidden from moving around freely.

Xue Fuguang glanced at the emperor's corpse, which lay on the bed with eyes wide open, and ordered the palace eunuchs, "Prepare the late emperor for burial."

Du Ruan remained, and once the surplus of people had departed, he quickly approached Xue Fuguang to ask, "What about Xiujin, the one you promised me?"

Xue Fuguang replied, "Come, I'll take you to see."

Mu Jian Shu followed behind Xue Fuguang as they walked out of the hall, casting a cold glance at Du Ruan as they passed.

Du Ruan was taken aback by his gaze.

But his mind was set on seeing Xiujin, and he could not ponder the meaning behind that one look from the guard who always accompanied Xue Fuguang.

Xue Fuguang did not leave the palace but instead headed towards the Eastern Palace.

Du Ruan followed him into a side hall of the Eastern Palace and, upon seeing a familiar face, his eyes filled with surprise and joy: "Xiujin!"

Xiujin was huddled in a chair, unaware of why he had been brought back here.

The mere thought of being in the Eastern Palace, where the Crown Prince had died, filled him with dread.

Suddenly hearing his name called out, he was startled into alertness, but upon seeing Du Ruan, he rose with joy and rushed into his embrace, murmuring non-stop, "Big brother Du! Big brother Du, you've finally come for me!"

Xue Fuguang could hardly keep from laughing, knowing full well what Xiujin had been through these days.

Clearly, Xiujin was aware of how he differed from others. He knew exactly how to appear pitiable and how to maintain an image of innocence.

Indeed, if a person is constantly fortunate, always achieving what they desire, yet lacks a sharp wit, how could they realize the sheer astonishment of their gains?

Xue Fuguang once thought that perhaps with the extermination of his entire family, the Crown Prince was the most despicable person involved. It was Lady Ming who acted as the executioner, and Xiujin merely a catalyst.

But in reality, Xiujin’s role was only more significant and more formidable than the Crown Prince’s.

How could he, with peace of mind, use his own aura to step on the Xue family as a stepping stone without any sense of guilt?

And how could he, fully aware of the Xue family’s kindness towards him, still put on a pitiful act before the Crown Prince, leading him to believe that the Xue family was a disgrace, hence fixating on tormenting every member of the Xue family until their death?

When he awakens from nightmares, entangled with various mad dogs, isn't he afraid that someone will come to claim his life?

Xue Fuguang watched the two embraced figures, emotions ebbing and flowing in his eyes.

Suddenly, he laughed in a sinister and chilling manner amid the candlelight, "Well, now that you two have met, you can go together to a place."

He said, "Throw them both down."

Following behind Xue Fuguang were Zhou Minshan and Mu Jian Shu.

Mu Jian Shu seized Xiujin, and Zhou Minshan grasped the collar of Du Ruan's garment.

The two were dragged a few steps and before they could make a sound, they were thrown down into a pit.

Du Ruan, dizzy from the fall, first scrambled to check on Xiujin.

Seeing him unharmed, he breathed a sigh of relief, then looked up furiously at Xue Fuguang standing at the edge of the pit, "Young Master Xue, are you cutting off ties after crossing the river? When have I ever offended you? And when has little Jin ever provoked you!?"

Xue Fuguang squatted down, took a lantern from Zhou Minshan's hand, and lowered it to better illuminate Du Ruan's face, "Has Master Du forgotten how he plotted against my sister?"

His voice was tinged with a chill, "It hasn’t been that long, not even a year. With such a good memory, Master Du, how could you forget?"

Du Ruan's expression suddenly stiffened.

Right, how could he have forgotten?

Before Xue Fuguang made a name for himself, when everyone still considered him insignificant, he detested the Xue family. He had conspired with the Crown Prince to take revenge for little Jin and even meddled in the marriage affairs of Xue Wanxi.

How could he have forgotten?

A Note from the Author: A bubbly good night to everyone, sleep well!