Chapter 56 Father and Son Showdown 2

Chapter 56 Father and Son Showdown, Part 2

The Crown Prince scooped A Wu into his arms and dismounted from his horse.

A Wu, still reeling from the shock, could barely stand and nearly collapsed.

The Crown Prince’s strong arm wrapped around her slender waist.

A Wu immediately felt a searing heat where he gripped her waist. She wanted to push him away, but the Crown Prince held her tightly.

A Wu trembled violently, large teardrops rolling from the corners of her eyes. She seethed with hatred, but after such a scare, she was limp and helpless, unable to escape. (This couldn't be happening—not like this!)

She had only just entered the palace as an imperial consort, and the Emperor had doted on her so much. She had even been ambitious, dreaming of rising to Zhao Yi rank or becoming a concubine, believing that with effort, she could climb higher.

But now, before all these Imperial Guards, she—an imperial consort of the inner palace—was being held like this by the Crown Prince.

Burning with shame and panic, she could only gaze up pleadingly at the Jingxi Emperor with tearful eyes, too helpless to speak.

The Jingxi Emperor’s cold gaze swept over A Wu’s tear-streaked face before he flicked a dispassionate glance at his side.

At this, Fu Tai stepped forward and said respectfully with a smile, “Your Grace, it’s freezing cold out here, and the blades are sharp. Please come with this old servant to take shelter from the chill.”

A Wu’s lips quivered as she gazed up pleadingly at the Jingxi Emperor.

The Jingxi Emperor remained aloof and indifferent, ignoring her desperate look.

A Wu was freezing, but she still clutched at one last hope. It wasn’t the Imperial Guards coming to seize her—it was Fu Tai. That meant there was still a chance for her.

She managed to whisper to the Crown Prince, “Your Highness… please let go of me…”

The Crown Prince hesitated, glancing at the Jingxi Emperor and then at Fu Tai, before finally releasing A Wu.

The moment she was freed, A Wu finally gasped in relief and stumbled toward Fu Tai.

Fu Tai quickly supported her. “Ah, Your Grace, please come with this old servant at once.”

With that, he led her to a secluded side chamber where a warm brazier, incense, and steaming tea awaited.

Since all the palace maids and eunuchs had been forbidden from moving about, the place was deserted, with no attendants in sight. Fu Tai personally poured a cup of tea and presented it to A Wu with both hands.

A Wu, shaking with nerves, held the warm teacup with trembling hands.

Tearfully, she asked Fu Tai, “Eunuch Fu… will the Emperor be angry with me? Will he cast me away?”

Fu Tai looked at the delicate young woman before him, her eyes like rain-drenched autumn pools—so pitiful and heart-wrenching.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy.

This silly girl, asking such a question.

If the Emperor truly intended to abandon her, why would he stage this whole production today—having all thirteen guard divisions stand down, ensuring only the most loyal Imperial Guards, sworn to secrecy, remained by his side? Not a whisper of this would leak.

Not to mention all the effort and risks the Emperor had taken for her in the past.

In this world, there were countless beauties of every kind—any of them could be summoned to the Emperor with just a glance. Yet for this one woman, he had gambled his very reputation as a wise ruler.

And yet, here she was, worrying that the Emperor might discard her.

*(Footnote: The Zhao Yi rank is a prestigious title within the imperial harem hierarchy, signifying a high-ranking concubine favored by the Emperor.)*

He sighed for the emperor, his heart aching—this was the passionate heart of an emperor!

But after a sigh, he still comforted her: "How could that be? His Majesty has always cherished you most, Noble Lady. There’s no need to fear. Whatever happens, His Majesty will shield you from it."

A Wu knew Fu Tai was the Jingxi Emperor’s most trusted aide, the one who best understood his intentions. If he said so, then there was still hope for her.

Thinking of the crown prince, she grew worried again: "His Majesty wants to speak with the crown prince alone—what does this mean?"

Fu Tai: "This humble servant wouldn’t know. Father and son surely have much to discuss."

A Wu recalled the words the crown prince had spoken to her and covered her face in distress: "I just hope this passes quickly. I pray the crown prince doesn’t cause trouble."

Fu Tai looked at A Wu and understood her concern for the crown prince.

This gave him mixed feelings. If the emperor knew she still cared for the crown prince, he would surely be even more furious.

The one he held dearest in his heart had once been intimate with the crown prince—what was the emperor to do? Today, the emperor had been cold toward Noble Lady Ning, his face darkened with anger, barely containing his fury!

Fu Tai could only console her: "Noble Lady, don’t overthink it. Just put your heart at ease. His Majesty will handle everything. Soon enough, you’ll continue happily as Noble Lady Ning."

A Wu: "Really?"

Tears streaked the young woman’s pale cheeks, half-believing, half-doubting.

Fu Tai quickly reassured her: "Of course it’s true! His Majesty will shield you from everything!"

But please, for pity’s sake, stop dwelling on the crown prince!

A Wu sighed softly, hugging her knees despondently and murmuring, "Alright."

*************

The crown prince followed the Jingxi Emperor to the Yong’an Hall, a quiet courtyard rarely used in recent years. But in earlier times, the emperor had studied and governed here.

As soon as he stepped inside, the crown prince’s eyes swept the room, and in a daze, he realized this place seemed unchanged since his childhood, when he had brought his lessons here for his father’s review.

His father had scolded him back then, and he’d secretly wiped away tears.

He had always revered and obeyed his father, holding the purest filial devotion a child could have for their parent.

And today, he would confront that same father.

The Jingxi Emperor stood before an antique cabinet: "Speak."

His utterly indifferent expression stoked the crown prince’s resentment.

He’d stolen A Wu, yet now he acted as if nothing were amiss!

Clenching his fists, the crown prince snapped: "Father, what would you have your son say? Back then, you forbade me from keeping A Wu, saying she was unworthy—and now—"

The young man’s handsome face contorted almost grotesquely: "Now you’ve seized her for yourself!"

The Jingxi Emperor glanced at the ornaments on the cabinet, his voice cool: "Any woman in the realm except A Wu—you may have your pick. I will not interfere."

The crown prince snarled: "But I want A Wu!"

The Jingxi Emperor turned, studying his son, then said: "Mo Yao, in yesterday’s 'Imperial Inner Annals,' it was recorded that your father visited Langhua Hall and favored Noble Lady Ning twice, staying until midnight—"

The crown prince’s face went deathly pale, his temples throbbing.

The Jingxi Emperor smiled faintly, "You know how to address her, don’t you?"

The Crown Prince staggered, unable to steady himself. He took a faltering step back. "Father... Father, how—how could you! How could you—"

The Jingxi Emperor fell silent, watching his son with silent melancholy.

The Crown Prince was on the verge of tears. "You nearly destroyed A Wu, and now—now you’ve taken her for yourself! Why!"

The Jingxi Emperor replied, "That day, you said I didn’t understand. Now I understand."

At these words, the Crown Prince felt like his guts were being ripped out.

Overwhelmed with pain, he cried, "Father, she’s my A Wu! You know how much she means to me! Why must it be her? You could have anyone in the world!"

He collapsed to his knees. "I beg you—return A Wu to me. Please!"

The Jingxi Emperor looked down at his son’s anguished pleas.

His lips curled into a contemptuous sneer. "Mo Yao, today you’ve failed me completely. From the moment you dared to act so recklessly, I could never hand her over to you."

The Crown Prince’s eyelids twitched. "Father, what do you mean?"

The Jingxi Emperor narrowed his eyes, enunciating each word. "Leave her to you? Let her become the femme fatale who topples kingdoms? Allow you to recklessly destroy the foundation of Great Hui?"

The Crown Prince’s pupils constricted sharply—he understood now.

Faced with his imperial father, looming like a mountain, resistance was impossible.

From the moment he had thrown away everything for A Wu, his father was destined never to yield.

This went beyond just a woman now.

The Crown Prince took a deep breath, letting his fingers brush his sword hilt, and asked, "Father, I have just one question."

The Jingxi Emperor lowered his gaze. "Speak."

The Crown Prince’s jaw tightened. "That day by the riverbank of Nanqiongzi, in the morning... when you and A Wu returned to the tent—I was waiting nearby. At that time—"

He couldn’t bring himself to finish.

He truly couldn’t bear it—couldn’t bear the thought that while he had been leisurely enjoying the dawn, mocking his father, A Wu had been inside the tent, enduring his father’s touch.

His father’s love had seemed mountain-strong, his teachings earnest and sincere, personally guiding him in archery and horsemanship—yet in the next moment, without regard for his son’s presence, in broad daylight within that tent, his father had claimed A Wu right then and there!

The stern, imposing emperor and the delicate, alluring A Wu—he dared not imagine the obscene and heartbreaking scene that must have unfolded.

He even thought he could hear, carried by the wind that day, A Wu’s broken cries as she was taken!

Just then, he heard his father—the supreme sovereign, the man always so austere and detached—give a shockingly casual laugh and say, "I didn’t intend to, but she wrapped herself around me, begging. She was too tempting—I couldn’t resist."

At that moment, something in him snapped. The taste of blood flooded his mouth, nearly choking him.

In a flash, he drew his sword and went for the kill.

No one—not even his father—could humiliate the woman he loved like this!

In the blink of an eye, the blade left its sheath, the furious prince putting his whole body behind the thrust.

As the tip sliced through the imperial robes and pierced flesh, he came to his senses—stunned at his own act.

He widened his eyes, gazing ahead through the alternating shadows of black and white.

He saw his sword piercing his father's chest, saw the emperor silently watching him.

There was no evasion, no resistance—his expression was as composed and inscrutable as always, as if everything had been within his expectations.

The crown prince panicked instantly: "F-Father—!"

He hastily tried to withdraw the blade.

But the Jingxi Emperor gripped the slender blade with his fingers, holding it firmly, preventing the prince from pulling back.

The prince stared at the sharp blade and his father's strong fingers, then tremblingly raised his eyes to meet his father's gaze.

The Jingxi Emperor smiled softly, with a gentle and affectionate expression: "Mo Yao, excellent. Since you dared to strike this sword at me, at least you are not a coward. Our Yong clan forged its legacy amid the chaos of war, conquering the empire from horseback. By my generation, you are the only bloodline left. At least you have some courage, so I won’t disgrace our ancestors."

As he spoke, he took out a silk scroll and hurled it at the prince.

The scroll flew toward him with a sharp gust of wind. The prince froze, tilting his head slightly as the scroll fluttered to the ground.

Yet the Jingxi Emperor stepped forward into the blade, forcing the blade another half-inch deeper into his flesh.

The emperor said, "Yong Mo Yao, today, I give you this chance. You may commit patricide, ascend the throne over your father's bones and blood, and claim his consorts as your own. I have left an edict to erase your crime from history’s annals. Let this be my last act as your father—Yong Tianze’s final gift to his son."

The prince felt as though his guts twisted in torment. Horrified, he yanked the sword free, and blood immediately spilled from the emperor's robes, dripping onto the ground.

Amid the stench of blood, the prince's trembling hands picked up the silk scroll and unfolded it.

At a glance, his eyes welled up instantly.

His father had already prepared a will, passing the throne to him and arranging everything flawlessly.

The prince knelt there, his chest tight with grief, tears falling and splashing onto the floor.

He bowed deeply, pressing his forehead to the ground, his voice raw with anguish: "Father!"

The Jingxi Emperor covered his lips with a hand, croaking lightly to suppress the faint metallic taste in his throat.

Then, with a weak smile, he rasped, "Mo Yao, at first, I truly did not know. I did not know she was of the Ning family. I thought she was merely a runaway entertainer from some household—just a passing fancy. I even cast her aside, abandoned her at Nanqiongzi. I hesitated, struggled, and nearly took her life."

The prince stared fixedly at his father.

The emperor's light tea-colored eyes held sorrow: "You do not know what torment your father endured before finally accepting the disgrace of depravity. Even just now, as I looked at you, I felt some regret. But—"

A fierce, defiant satisfaction twisted his face: "But since I must bear this disgrace, then so be it. Let whoever wishes to condemn me do so. Yong Tianze lives as he damn well pleases! Anyone who dares utter a word against me shall lose their head!"

The prince clenched his fists, his knuckles white.

The Jingxi Emperor continued, "Mo Yao, you must know of your Second Imperial Uncle. But he died. Do you know how?"

Veins bulged on the prince's forehead as he gritted out, "How?"

The emperor glanced at his son, his voice cruel yet composed: "I shot him dead with my own hands. He was my own half-brother—so what? He thought me young and weak, sought to rebel, to seize the throne from me. So I executed him before our late father's spirit tablet. He died in pieces, and not one of his three hundred kin was left alive."

The prince’s thoughts shattered. His trembling gaze lifted to meet the Jingxi Emperor's.

This was a ruler who ruled the realm with iron and blood, his stern features exuding the ruthless decisiveness of a conqueror.

The Jingxi Emperor said, "Throughout history, imperial families have fought over the throne—brothers turning on each other, fathers and sons slaughtering one another. Some have even cut down their own flesh and blood before their horses. Did you truly expect your father to endure your defiance?"

The Crown Prince murmured, "Father, your son can give up being Crown Prince..."

Upon hearing this, the Jingxi Emperor let out an angry laugh.

His tone was icy and ruthless, "You dare be so disrespectful before me only because I have no other heir! But so what? I could strip you of your title with just a wave of my hand. I, Yong Tianze, still have nephews—trueborn nephews, so many of them. I can pick any one of them, and they would all kneel before me, fawning and pleading. They would revere me more than their own fathers! Even after my death, who in the ancestral temple would dare skip my memorial rites? Which of them wouldn’t be more dutiful and obedient than you?"

He growled, "Do I really need a worthless son like you?"

These words struck like thunder, leaving the Crown Prince's face ashen.

He knelt on the ground, "Father, I beg you to kill me. Just end me now!"

The Jingxi Emperor's voice was hoarse, "I worked my fingers to the bone to hand over a prosperous Great Hui to you. I gave you everything I had, hoping you would sustain the dynasty. Yet today, you utter such words? You are my imperial heir, meant to inherit this kingdom. In this world, besides your imperial grandmother, who else could hold a place in my heart?"

The Crown Prince knelt there, unable to speak further, sobbing his heart out.

How could he not know? How could he not understand!

The Emperor had only him and De Ning, but De Ning was a daughter—held back by tradition, the Emperor could not guide her as he did him. Thus, the only one who occupied his father’s thoughts, the only one he instructed with such care, was himself!

The Jingxi Emperor said, "That we, father and son, have come to this today is not because I fear you, but because you are my flesh and blood. If I die by your hand today, then it is retribution for my sin of taking my son’s woman. I will accept it."

The Crown Prince froze, sobbing his heart out.

How could he make such a choice!

How could he possibly kill his own father, his sovereign? How could he face the Great Hui with such shame?

But A Wu—his A Wu, whom he wished to protect with all his might!

Amidst this unendurable torment, the Jingxi Emperor spoke, "Yong Mo Yao, I now give you a choice."

The tear-streaked Crown Prince stared up blankly.

The Jingxi Emperor's face was stone, "You may see A Wu and persuade her. If she chooses to leave with you, then go—disappear completely."

The Crown Prince froze, understanding his father’s meaning.

If he wished to take A Wu away, he could—but he must vanish without a trace.

The Jingxi Emperor's voice was unyielding, "You may choose to remain my son, loyal and compliant, and upon my passing, the Great Hui will be yours. Or you may abandon it all—for the woman you love."

The Crown Prince lifted his face, in despair as he met his father's eyes, seeing the icy mercilessness in his gaze.

He knew just how merciless his father could be.

What his father wanted was a Crown Prince capable of inheriting and expanding Great Hui’s legacy—not a son consumed by women and wine.

Or perhaps, in his father’s eyes, it was never about the son, but the dynasty itself.

Forcing a smile, he gave a weak nod, "Very well. I wish to speak with A Wu."

The Jingxi Emperor said, "Go."

The Crown Prince turned to leave.

Then, from behind, the Jingxi Emperor suddenly added, "Your Crown Princess is pregnant—two months gone now."

The Crown Prince froze, his feet rooted to the spot.

At this moment, he found himself at a loss for words to describe the turmoil in his heart.

Back when A Wu was banished to Yanxiang Taoist Temple, he encountered his father, the Jingxi Emperor, at Nanqiongzi. The Emperor inspected his horsemanship and archery skills, drilling into him the responsibilities of the Crown Prince, emphasizing that the Crown Princess was the primary consort and that he must fulfill his duties.

His resistance softened somewhat, knowing his father spoke reason. He understood the Emperor desired a proper imperial heir, and if he remained stubborn, his father would only see him as putting personal feelings above duty.

After returning, he reluctantly visited the Crown Princess, whom he had long avoided sharing a bed with, just perfunctorily laying with her once.

Later, when A Wu suddenly disappeared, he frantically searched for her. Upon finding her and learning of the Crown Princess’s plot to frame her, he naturally never bedded the Crown Princess again—nor would he ever in the future.

The fact was, since meeting A Wu, he had only been intimate with the Crown Princess that one time—and yet she'd gotten pregnant!

What would A Wu think?

She must have misunderstood him…

Dread and remorse flooded the Crown Prince’s heart. Recalling her icy determination today, he realized she must have said those things deliberately to cut him to the quick because of this.

Just then, the Jingxi Emperor’s voice rang out again: “Imperial Physician Hu Jingnan has taken the pulse diagnosis—it is likely a male child. We'll soon have a little imperial grandson.”

The Crown Prince went stock-still before his pupils constricted sharply.

With dawning horror, he grasped the implication behind his father’s words.

If the Emperor had an imperial grandson… where did that leave him as the son?

He dared not dwell on it, a chill creeping down his spine.

The Jingxi Emperor took in his son’s reaction with piercing clarity. “Do you wish to ask why I withheld this news until now?”

The Crown Prince’s lips trembled as he whispered, “Why?”

Looking down at him with his face a mask of conflicting emotions, the Emperor replied, “You are still my son. Do you truly believe I would wield my own grandson as a weapon to drive you to despair?”

Tears welled in the Crown Prince’s eyes, spilling over.

Through the blur, he saw his father’s gaze—stern yet forgiving, tender yet detached.

The towering figure before him watched him with unreadable, complicated emotions.

He, too, must have struggled before arriving at this ruthless decision.

A Wu was captivating—he adored her, and so did his father.

A woman like her—once known, who could ever let go?

Suppressing a sob, the Crown Prince ground out, “Father… I still wish to see A Wu. I need to speak with her.”