Chapter 299: Beiqin Side Story 3

Chapter 299: Beiqin Side Story 3

A lovesick boy who had never seen Bei Jingchu asked him, "Marquis Renwei, is the Crown Prince beautiful?"

Beiqin found his inquiry amusing and retorted, "What does beauty have to do with it?"

"What you desire is the status of the Crown Prince, his power."

"Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac; anyone looks good with it."

Otherwise, who cares about looks without even meeting them?

Because what stirs their hearts is the Crown Prince, not Bei Jingchu.

The boy awkwardly bolted.

Many have designs on the little one, but Beiqin is not worried his sister might be taken.

After all, it’s hard to say who’d end up worse off.

The little one’s got a thing for beauty and a bit of a wild streak, but her age holds her back.

......

The incident came out of the blue, yet not entirely unexpected.

His mother’s actions had many red flags, but he subconsciously avoided them.

For example, her frequent bouts of resentment, the shady behavior of her male companions.

He should’ve caught on.

So when his sister asked if he was involved, of course he wasn’t.

If he’d caught on sooner, would he have joined in?

Beiqin wrestled with his conscience.

If he were just a carefree guy raised in the princess’s household, he wouldn’t know what choice he would make.

But he is not.

He’s the Taizi Zhanshi, a strategist who’s led two campaigns.

He’s seen fields littered with the bodies of his countrymen.

During the last campaign against Tunning, if the enemy hadn’t gotten their hands on the leaked gunpowder, far fewer Dayue soldiers would’ve died.

The remains of the dead were carried past him, buried in mass graves without markers.

Even without moral duty, he’d have stopped his mother.

But there’s no need to explain too much to the Crown Prince; it’s useless.

Because he didn’t know, and he couldn’t stop it in time.

Perhaps the reason his mother hid it from him was to prevent him from ruining things.

His so-called good uncle is all about actions, not intentions. At this point, there is no room for maneuver.

But my sister is too loyal and emotional.

If he explained further, it would be risky if this kid acted impulsively to save him.

So he advised her not to plead with the emperor.

Her stable position is paramount; everyone, including Jiu Jiu, is in the same boat as her.

Don’t risk the emperor’s displeasure for his slim chance.

Up until the execution, he was deeply concerned they might try to rescue him on their own.

Thankfully, they stayed level-headed.

Instead, he encountered an unexpected visitor.

Princess Guangde begged the emperor for permission to visit him in the dungeon.

She looked far older than her age, bringing various items to make his cell more comfortable and bribing the guards.

Her cloudy eyes filled with hopeful longing as she asked, "Qinger, will you call me mother again?"

Beiqin knew that accepting favors would make it difficult to say no later.

So he refused everything and returned it all to her.

Princess Guangde quickly retracted her plea and said, "It’s my fault; you don’t have to forgive me."

"In our next life, we’ll have a mother-son bond again, and I’ll be a better mother."

"I’ll never let you suffer like this again."

Beiqin stayed silent, offering no reply.

His mother was a sinner, a burden, the shame of Dayue—but she was still his mother.

For all her faults and mistakes, she had always been good to him.

(Side story complete~ Back to the main story tomorrow. PS: One update today (apologies for the delay).