Chapter 279 Can’t Let You Down

"Back then, your mother, Consort Shunzhen, died at the hands of your mother."

These few words startled the Second Prince so much that his head felt numb. A chill ran down his feet, and this chill flowed through his bloodstream, into every part of his body.

Qi and blood flow backwards, and the world spins dizzily.

He tried his best to steady himself, using all his strength, but could only utter a weak voice, "Mother... what did you say?"

Seeing his reaction like this, Xie Xiuyi's eyes flashed with pity and heartache. She reached out and smoothed his back. Seeing that his rapid breathing slowed down, she sighed and said,

"Back then, Imperial Concubine Chen was deeply favored, and after she became pregnant, her status soared to new heights, leaving her just one step away from becoming one of the Four Imperial Concubines. Your mother was afraid that she would give birth to a prince and threaten your position, so she framed her and pinned the blame on Imperial Concubine Shunzhen to bring her down.

Because the evidence was irrefutable, the Emperor and Empress Zhangyi placed Concubine Shunzhen under house arrest, hoping to slowly uncover the true culprit. Your mother, fearing the truth would be exposed, exploited the Crown Prince to gain entry to Yongfu Palace. Using the child's name, she forced Concubine Shunzhen to death, effectively convicting her of the crime.

Later, the Emperor and Empress Zhangyi realized something was wrong, and that’s when all these things happened…”

These were all told by Hua Ying, Xie Xianfei's personal maid, when she left the palace. Xie Xiuyi had always remembered them clearly, and now she recounted the events of that year.

After hearing the truth of what happened that year, the Second Prince's reaction became more intense, and the aura around him became more and more sluggish, so that in the end, the voices in his ears all faded away, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Yuchuan? Yuchuan?"

It wasn't until Xie Xiuyi's anxious voice rang out that his pupils slowly focused. He tugged at Xie Xiuyi's sleeve and asked urgently, "Mother, this can't be true, right?"

He looked at Xie Xiuyi expectantly, like a drowning man grabbing at the last piece of driftwood.

However, Xie Xiuyi failed to do as he wished. She sighed and took a handkerchief to wipe the tears of the second prince.

"Yuchuan, Mother...I won't lie to you and there's no need for me to do that."

The light in the second prince's eyes dimmed little by little, turning into an extremely sad background.

So, the reason why the emperor has been so cold to him these days is because...

Is it because you know the truth of that year?

No wonder!

No wonder!

Revenge for killing my mother!

His most admired and esteemed royal brother probably hates him to the core now. It's good enough that he doesn't eat him. How could he smile at him?

The Second Prince's heart ached, and he wept bitterly, "It is I...it is I who have let my brother down."

Seeing him crying like this, Xie Xiuyi couldn't bear it and half-hugged him.

"We Yuchuan won't cry."

"This is not Yuchuan's fault..."

“…”

The second prince cried for a long time, until his eyes became completely red and swollen, and the soreness was unbearable. Only then did he calm down a little and stop crying.

But the pain in his heart was hard to describe.

Apart from the pain, the only emotions in his mind were panic, helplessness, and confusion.

He didn't know how to go forward in the future.

He is only in his teens, an age full of vigor and vitality, but now he looks dead silent, as if his spirit has dissipated.

Xie Xiuyi twisted his shoulders and said earnestly, "Yuchuan, mother knows that telling you this today means severing the bond between you and His Majesty. But compared to your mother, this little bond is nothing. The grudge between you and your brother will inevitably be resolved. Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing to have known this earlier. From now on, you have a clear path ahead."

The Second Prince was like a puppet being manipulated, tears still lingering on his face. He asked blankly, "A clear path?"

Xie Xiuyi tearfully said, "Son, although what your mother did was shameful, she paid with her life so that you could reach that position! So, you must not let her down."

The second prince started to laugh and cry.

yes.

He had to fight for that position, otherwise how could he be worthy of his mother who sacrificed her life for his plan?

besides…

Today's mother.

He knew that his mother had been sent to the palace by her family, wasting her prime years, just to raise him well and plan a future for him.

How could he let her down?

Therefore, even if he had to fight and snatch his life, and roll in a sea of ​​blood and corpses, he could not let down the two mothers who loved him the most.

After crying heartily, the Second Prince's childishness completely disappeared, and he said expressionlessly, "Please rest assured, mother. I know what I should do."

Over the years, Xie Xiuyi has truly loved him.

Now seeing his dead look, I naturally feel very uncomfortable.

She also wanted her son to live two more years of carefree life, but there was no way, being born in the royal family was so cruel.

She suppressed her heavy thoughts and patted his shoulder, "You are not alone on this road, your mother is there for you in everything."

The Second Prince swallowed his sobs and said, "Okay."

Seeing that he had taken the tranquilizer, Xie Xiuyi let him go. After he left, Xie Xiuyi sat on the couch, trying to hold back her tears, but they still fell.

Her maid Lan Hui brought up tea and sighed softly, "Your Majesty truly loves the Second Prince, so when she saw him so sad, she couldn't help herself."

Xie Xiuyi pressed the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief and whispered,

"I have been raised by my family since I was young, used as a tool for clan marriages, and have never felt the slightest warmth. After entering the palace, I have never experienced the lingering love between men and women. All the warmth I have received was from that little snowball.

He would give me candies I couldn't bear to eat, and he would softly call me "Mother." But the years passed silently, and I watched that little man grow up in the blink of an eye. Sometimes I wanted to beg the gods to slow down these good times, so that my little snowball could live a carefree life.

But Lanhui, the little snowball in my heart has been forced to grow up. I know he is in great pain and grief, and I feel so bad.

Lan Hui's eyes also welled up with tears. She said in a muffled voice, "Your Majesty, first there is suffering, then there is happiness. If Your Highness ascends the throne, the suffering I endure now will be worth it."

Xie Xiuyi nodded: "Yes, my son has suffered so much, he will definitely take that position. I will use all means to help her."

Lan Hui held back her tears and echoed them repeatedly.

Since that day, the relationship between the eldest prince and the second prince has reached freezing point.

Except for necessary occasions, when the two brothers would exchange a few words, they would basically not talk to each other in private, and if they did, it would be provocative.

They stubbornly walked along their own destiny.

Decades of love and hatred finally came to an end at this moment.