Chapter 1365: A Pawn in Someone Else's Hands

“Prince! Are you alright?” Xiao Ba stepped forward and supported the injured Prince Jing, his eyes cautiously looking at Gu Chengyu.

“Tell me, if Father didn’t like Mother, why did he favor her? Once Mother came of age, she could have left the palace to lead a simple life. But Father ruined everything. After favoring her, he found out she was pregnant, and yet he completely ignored her.”

Prince Jing clenched the sword in his hand, ignoring Xiao Ba’s support, and instead stared blankly at the blood-stained ground before him.

“He harmed her, and as for me, I’ve become a thorn in Father’s side. No matter what I do, Father is never satisfied. I was weak since childhood and was sent out of the palace early by Father to establish my own residence. Is there any prince in history as miserable as I am?”

Prince Jing sneered coldly, his eyes filled with resentment.

“You’ve misunderstood him!” Gu Chengyu couldn’t help but defend Emperor Huiming. The misunderstanding between this father and son ran too deep. This perfectly highlighted the importance of communication.

But as a prince, even if he knew the truth, whether to vie for the throne was not for him to decide.

“Misunderstood him? Misunderstood him about what? In his eyes, it’s always just Zhao Xian. Compared to Zhao Xian, an unappealing illegitimate child like me, he probably wishes I was never born. Since he won’t give Mother a title, I’ll fight for it myself. Only when I’m on the throne can I posthumously honor my mother.”

Prince Jing’s eyes were full of resentment. He schemed step by step, even taking poison to fake not being fully healed, all for his secret plans.

Even the divine doctor said that the poison in his body couldn’t be completely eradicated. But he didn’t care; he only wanted to stay in the Capital for a few more years to plot against his ambitious brothers.

Gu Chengyu was speechless. Although this prince had never seen his own mother, his filial piety was commendable. However, his lack of favor and constant neglect had affected his temperament.

But these were all Prince Jing’s beliefs; the Emperor still had some affection for him.

Thinking about it, Gu Chengyu took out a letter from his pocket. He took a few steps forward and Xiao Ba immediately blocked Prince Jing. Xiao Ba was also wounded, trying his best not to confront Gu Chengyu directly, as he needed to preserve his strength to protect the Prince while leaving.

“Live to fight another day. As long as the Prince’s life is saved, he can surely rise again.” He glared at Gu Chengyu, his eyes showing a complicated expression.

“Once you read this letter, you’ll understand the truth. Everything is just what you thought; you are too obsessed. How could the Emperor not value you? Your perceived dislike is merely your imagination.”

Prince Jing looked confused, not knowing what the contents of the letter from Gu Chengyu would be.

Xiao Ba reached out, took the letter handed over by Gu Chengyu, and gave it to Prince Jing behind him. Gu Chengyu smiled indifferently at Xiao Ba’s cautious eyes and actions.

He once said that when Prince Jing saw this letter, it would be his time of death. Bringing the letter before Prince Jing’s death was already keeping a promise.

Though puzzled, Prince Jing still opened the letter. At first glance, he recognized it was Father’s handwriting.

His heart was filled with mixed emotions; he was too familiar with this handwriting. Once upon a time, Father had taught him calligraphy too, hadn’t he? But it was so long ago, his memories had all become blurred.

Gu Chengyu turned and looked at the surrounding battle situation, noticing that most of the army brought by Prince Jing had been annihilated by the court.

He shouted and cut down the banner bearing the word “Jing,” saying, “Stop fighting, Prince Jing has been captured. If you surrender, your lives will be spared!”

The soldiers naturally saw the scene before them, some already contemplating retreat, while others were fighting and retreating simultaneously. However, the court’s army was in a frenzy, chasing them relentlessly as if intent on exterminating them.

Gu Chengyu’s words relieved the remaining enemy soldiers; better to live than die. Who wouldn’t want to live if they could?

“No, this is impossible. Your letter is fake; you had someone write it, didn’t you?” Prince Jing frantically got up from the ground, staggering towards Gu Chengyu.

Xiao Ba immediately stopped him, caring only to protect Prince Jing’s life.

“Cousin, don’t stop me. I want to see what he truly intends by mocking me like this?” Prince Jing’s eyes were bloodshot, glaring at Gu Chengyu as if he wanted to devour him.

“Isn’t the truth clear to you? It’s the late Emperor’s handwriting; you can’t recognize it?” Gu Chengyu shook his head, looking at the collapsed Prince Jing, feeling how vulnerable he was.

“Impossible! My mother is from Jiangnan. I’ve met the clan members; she was only sent into the palace as a palace maid due to her humble birth.”

Tears welled up in Prince Jing’s eyes. He didn’t understand why the truth was this way. Were those clan relatives all false?

Xiao Ba paused while holding Prince Jing’s arm; he finally knew what was in the letter.

“What he said is true; what you see is the truth. Your mother was a vestige of the previous dynasty. She entered the palace to seek an opportunity to kill Emperor Huiming for revenge. But she fell in love with the family’s enemy, knowing she was unforgivable and became melancholic after carrying you, eventually passing away.”

Xiao Ba’s eyes were filled with sorrow. Of their clan, only he remained, and Prince Jing was merely the bloodline of his aunt.

“Then who are you?” Prince Jing turned to look at Xiao Ba. Xiao Ba’s identity was his cousin. His mother and his own mother were sisters. Was it all fake?

“I am indeed your cousin. My father and your mother were siblings! When the Qing Dynasty was overthrown, two people managed to escape. But later they were separated, and Father was adopted by the present clan, going into hiding. Later, he reunited with your mother, bringing her back to the clan, and they became siblings again. This is why Aunt entered the palace with an unquestionable identity!”

Xiao Ba remembered his father’s dying words, urging him to restore the Qing Dynasty and the family’s glory, though it was anything but easy.

Later, finding Prince Jing caring for the clan, he stayed by Prince Jing’s side for a chance to kill the Emperor of Dayan.

However, Father didn’t foresee his sister bearing offspring for Emperor Huiming, a disgrace unbearable for him and the ancestors.

After learning of this, Father was overwhelmed with anger and illness, which ultimately took his life.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Prince Jing couldn’t believe Xiao Ba, whom he trusted highly, had kept him in the dark.

“Ha ha ha!” Prince Jing suddenly burst into laughter, “How laughable, I thought I’d schemed against everyone, only to find I was just a pawn in others’ games!”