Protect Our Chief

There is a strong sense of unreality.

Everything happened too fast, they hadn’t even mentally prepared themselves, and everything was already over.

For a moment, apart from those noble families who sat on the sidelines from the beginning and didn’t intend to get involved in the Struggle of the Imperial Sons, all other families’ plans and calculations were disrupted.

Those noble families and forces standing on Prince Anjun’s side were naturally overjoyed, with some even secretly celebrating.

The families on Prince Kang’s side were scattered like monkeys when a tree falls, becoming beaten dogs. Countless families publicly declared their dissociation from Prince Kang.

As for those families who were still waiting and wanted to stand when the situation of the Struggle of the Imperial Sons became clearer, they were now all confused.

The gaming table has been dismantled, and they didn’t even get a chance to place their bets, so what should they do next?

Under Wang Shouzhe’s series of machinations, the deposition of Prince Kang went smoothly, but the accompanying political upheaval only then truly showed its power.

For a time, countless families urgently convened family meetings, starting to discuss how their families should conduct themselves and other matters.

The surface seemed calm, but the undercurrents quietly swept through the entire court.

All the families understood that the time had come for change.

However, these disputes between families had nothing to do with ordinary people at the bottom. No matter how the situation changed, they still went about their daily lives, just with an extra topic to talk about over tea and meals.

Nevertheless, the eventual capture of the deposed Prince Kang delighted many people. At the same time, many sighed, "You know a person’s face but not their heart."

No one expected that after several turns in public opinion, this would be the final result.

The mastermind behind smuggling and collusion was indeed the deposed Prince Kang.

While many couldn’t understand, many were surprised that Emperor Longchang and the Ancestral Mansion chose not to shield him but let the deposed Prince Kang face the law, receiving no special treatment due to his imperial family status.

Because of this, the people’s perception of the imperial family improved considerably.

Despite the disgrace from the deposed Prince Kang, there were also like-minded individuals in the imperial family, including Prince Anjun, a quasi-crown prince dedicated to the people, and Prince Dewei, a special and selfless prince. In the end, most were still reliable people.

For a time, the prestige of the imperial family among the people didn’t fall but instead rose.

...

Former Prince Kang’s Mansion.

Without the multitude of servants, and with no more spiritual horse carriages and riding beasts frequenting the gate, the once lively Prince Kang’s Mansion suddenly became very desolate.

Even after nightfall, only a few scattered Fluorescent Stone Spirit Lamps illuminated the mansion, appearing exceedingly lonely.

In the main courtyard where Wu Chengsi lived, within the inner courtyard.

Reeking of alcohol, Wu Chengsi was half-leaning on a stone bench in the courtyard, his head tilted back while continuously pouring wine into his mouth. On the ground beside him, a mess of empty wine jugs were strewn about.

At this moment, he was wearing the "God-locking Shackles," his aura weakened to that of an ordinary person, devoid of any former quasi-crown prince dignity and nobility. His entire demeanor of decay and destitution might make an uninformed person think he was a down-and-out Loose Cultivator from somewhere.

Half a month ago, even Wu Chengsi himself probably couldn’t have imagined he would end up like this.

"Husband, drinking harms your body, you should eat something~"

At this moment, former Princess Consort Kang Zhao Yijing walked in from outside, carrying a few plates of food emitting tempting aromas.

She had earnestly pleaded with the Imperial Guards at the gate to help buy these delicacies from the Ten Thousand Dishes Tower. Now that there were no servants at the mansion, she had to do everything herself. Coupled with her worries, she had become significantly thinner over time.

However, just as she placed the dishes on the stone table, Wu Chengsi suddenly seemed provoked and shouted at her with red eyes.

"Get out!"

"Crash~"

He swept his hand abruptly, overturning all the dishes.

The dishes shattered on the ground, and the food fell onto the dirt, clearly inedible now.

"Your Highness..."

Zhao Yijing’s movements paused, yet she seemed accustomed to it, displaying no anger or disappointment, merely looking at Wu Chengsi with some sadness.

Wu Chengsi ignored her, raised his head abruptly, and took another swig of wine, emitting a series of sinister laughter: "Hehehehehe~ My quasi-crown prince status has been stripped, my prince status removed, all my efforts have gone down the drain, and Dawn has been defined as a rebel organization, hunted and attacked by the government. Zhao Zhikun, however, became an accomplice from the mastermind, and after denouncing the mastermind, he was penalized lightly, his sentence changed from being thrown into the Cannon Fodder Camp to serving labor at the Outer Domain Battlefield for a hundred years."

"Didn’t you always want to help Zhao Zhikun? Are you satisfied now?"

Though the former Prince Kang’s Mansion was sealed, visits were not entirely prohibited, so Wu Chengsi and his wife, while restrained these days, occasionally received some outside news, naturally knowing about the fates of Zhao Zhikun and the Dawn Organization.

Zhao Yijing looked sorrowful: "Husband, why do you say such things to hurt me intentionally? You know very well, although I tried to help Fourteenth Uncle, I never intended to harm you. You and I are one; your glory is my glory, your loss is my loss. How could I harm you?"