Chapter 99: His Retribution Has Come
A military general is one thing, but Li Wei is another.
For a man as ruthless as Li Wei—who went to battle in full armor at fifteen, slaughtered his enemies without a trace, and had never known defeat since making a name for himself—to be hunting a few rats who couldn’t bear the light of day was a gross misuse of his talents.
The movements of Liu Shixu and his men had been under Li Wei’s control all along. The only reason he hadn’t killed them, despite being able to, was that he was casting a long line to catch a bigger fish.
Li Wei’s men closed in on them relentlessly, forcing them to relocate again and again.
Just as Li Wei discovered their trail once more and was preparing to strike a fatal blow...
An unexpected person appeared.
When the carriage pulled up and revealed Prince Jing’s face, Liu Shixu thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.
Prince Jing’s face was stern, his expression majestic and cold. "Hurry and get on."
Liu Shixu and Chen Qian exchanged a look. Prince Jing’s appearance was a complete surprise, but they had no other choice.
The two boarded the carriage and were escorted out of the city under Prince Jing’s protection.
Even after he had dropped them off at a safe location, it still felt unreal to both of them. ’Prince Jing actually helped us? But isn’t he one of the Emperor’s men?’
"Thank you, Your Highness."
Whatever the reason, they had to thank him first.
Prince Jing looked at the two of them. He seemed to have no desire to deal with them, yet he had no choice.
He produced a token. "You recognize this, I presume."
The two of them visibly stiffened. Chen Qian said, "I don’t."
He was obviously lying, but Prince Jing looked as if he couldn’t be bothered to argue the point.
"If the Emperor hadn’t come asking, I would never have known I still had a brother left alive. No matter who it is, it’s just good that he’s alive..."
His face was filled with emotion, expressing only relief that a brother of his was still alive. With that said, he lowered the carriage curtain, and the vehicle sped away.
Having just experienced the destruction of their own families, Liu Shixu and Chen Qian deeply understood Prince Jing’s sentiments.
The Imperial Family had dwindled, and all of Prince Jing’s brothers had died, leaving him as the sole survivor. It was only natural for him to be moved upon learning that another brother was still alive. Prince Jing wasn’t very ambitious, but he had always valued loyalty and kinship.
Besides, Prince Jing had only said that one thing, without asking any further questions. Eventually, his words were relayed to a certain someone.
After hearing the report, that person let out a laugh. "So many years have passed, and that idiot is still as simple-minded as ever."
’Still, that’s exactly the kind of thing that scoundrel Xiao Xuan would pull.’
After that day, life in the imperial court went on as usual, and Prince Jing remained Prince Jing.
Prince Jing went to the Ministry of Industry, where he worked diligently. Whenever he had a spare moment, he would mingle with the artisans, studying various mechanisms and architectural structures, often becoming so engrossed that he would forget to eat or sleep.
After several days of poor sleep, he walked about listlessly. He was so out of it that when someone blocked his path, he didn’t even react at first.
He was good-natured by habit and didn’t put on airs. If someone blocked his path, he would simply walk around them.
Yawning, he was thinking about going back to get some proper sleep when he suddenly heard someone call out, "Fourth Brother."
Prince Jing didn’t think for a moment they were calling him. He continued drifting forward like a lost soul until a hand grabbed him and forced him to turn around.
A slender man stood there, watching him with a smile.
Prince Jing looked at the face but didn’t recognize the man at all. He only felt a flicker of annoyance at being so rudely stopped.
"What is it?"
Then the man smiled and called out again, "Fourth Brother."
Prince Jing finally took a proper look at the man’s face. He found a flicker of familiarity in his features, and the instant recognition dawned, his eyes widened as if he had just seen a ghost.
"You... you... you..."
Terrified, Prince Jing stumbled backward until his back was pressed flat against the wall.
"Are you a man or a ghost?"
His voice cracked in terror.
Seeing he had nearly frightened the prince to tears, the man only looked more pleased. "Didn’t you know one of us was still alive, Fourth Brother? What’s the matter? Are you not happy that it’s me?"
Prince Jing’s face was deathly pale, and he looked as if he might faint at any moment. "I... I did know a brother was alive, but... you... you were in pieces... How can you possibly be alive?"
The man was none other than the seventh prince, Prince Zhuang, Xiao Sheng—the very one who had been hacked into more than a hundred pieces. The person least likely to be alive had somehow survived.
Xiao Sheng said, "That was just a body double. I was, however, gravely injured at the time and had to go into hiding to recuperate. By the time I finally recovered, my funeral had already been held."
’I must be hallucinating from lack of sleep.’
’Or maybe I’m overthinking things and having a nightmare.’
’Over one hundred thirty members of the Meng Family, and Fifth Brother... he gave his own life to kill this man, only to take out a body double.’
’Of the eight brothers, why did it have to be the most vicious one who survived?’
Even knowing the token belonged to the seventh prince, Prince Jing had subconsciously assumed he couldn’t possibly be alive. He thought someone else was merely using his former subordinates.
But now, the most impossible scenario had become reality.
"Then why didn’t you show yourself all these years?"
A meaningful smile touched Xiao Sheng’s lips. "How do you know I haven’t?"
Seeing that smug look, Prince Jing was suddenly reminded of the Little Emperor’s description of this man: ’a rat ruling a kingdom in the gutter.’ It was a perfect fit.
Prince Jing was so genuinely terrified that his mind couldn’t quite function. "What do you want with me now?"
Xiao Sheng replied, "Weren’t you the one who wanted me to find you? Fourth Brother is the only Prince left. You hold immense power and enjoy boundless prestige. Surely you can’t refuse your little brother who comes seeking your support?"
Prince Jing’s lips twitched. He understood now. This was his karmic retribution.
"Stop joking. You sent people to assassinate Rong Yin, and now he’s hunting for you everywhere. Then there’s Liu Shixu and Chen Qian—the Emperor has issued a kill-on-sight order for them. You’re mixed up with all of them. I can’t possibly shelter you."
Xiao Sheng scoffed, "Are you afraid of the Little Emperor?"
Prince Jing didn’t answer. ’How could I possibly be afraid of the Little Emperor?’
Prince Jing tried to reason with him. "His Majesty is wise and has reclaimed the Imperial Power. He will be a good Emperor. The court has finally found some stability, so why are you trying to stir up trouble? You’re not young anymore. Wouldn’t it be better to live a quiet and stable life?"
"A quiet and stable life?" Xiao Sheng sneered, looking at him with contempt. "You’re still as cowardly and incompetent as ever. You don’t have a single shred of the Imperial Family’s backbone."
"Did you know that the child the Empress Dowager gave birth to back then was actually a girl?"
Prince Jing was shocked. "What are you trying to say?"
Xiao Sheng said, "I mean that the current Emperor is a woman disguised as a man. She’s a woman."
Prince Jing truly had not known this, and he was utterly stunned. "Impossible... That’s impossible..."
’That little rascal is so detestable, so wicked... how could she be a girl?’
"How can a woman be the Emperor... A woman..."
Xiao Sheng watched his devastated expression. It seemed he truly hadn’t known. Xiao Sheng was satisfied.
"If you don’t believe me, you can go and confront the Emperor. See if she dares to answer you."
He coaxed, "The Chen Family deceived our sixth brother, ultimately allowing a girl to ascend the throne and throw the court into disarray. As the legitimate heirs of the Xiao Family, you and I have a duty to right this wrong."
"You have no ambitions for the throne, Fourth Brother, so why not help me? When I become the Emperor, I certainly won’t treat you poorly."
The shocks Prince Jing had received today came one after another, each greater than the last. He struggled to maintain his composure.
"Don’t do anything reckless. Rebellion is out of the question."
Xiao Sheng stood with his hands clasped behind his back, the picture of arrogance. "Whether it’s out of the question or not is not for you to decide."
"I will take back the throne that belongs to me. It should have been mine fifteen years ago. Six years ago, I almost had it. I have waited time and time again. Now, I will wait no longer. So, you will help me, Fourth Brother... won’t you?"
Xiao Sheng looked down on Prince Jing, but he had to admit the man was useful. He needed Prince Jing to verify his identity.
Only by reclaiming his title as a Prince could he make a legitimate claim to the Imperial Power.
Therefore, he needed to resort to some... extraordinary measures. Xiao Sheng produced two jade pendants. "You should recognize these, Fourth Brother."