She would be far happier than if she had married him.

At least, she won't die...

The more He Lin thought about it, the sadder he became.

No, He Lin shook his head. The thought of such a possibility made his heart ache unbearably.

——————

The three princes' pursuit of Shu'er became increasingly relentless.

For Shu'er's sake, the third prince braved danger and led his army into battle.

Before leaving, the third prince went to look for Shu'er.

"Shu'er, when I come back alive, I will definitely marry you."

He was standing in the shadows at that time.

Originally, he wanted to find Shu'er and try to get closer to her.

But upon hearing what his third brother said, he felt a pang of bitterness and a surge of jealousy.

He felt that he had no affection or feelings for Li Wenshu, only that he wanted to use her.

However, his heart stirred slightly when he faced the icy beauty before him.

For the first time in his life, he saw Shuer and felt nervous.

But Shu'er had already discovered his existence, yet she still ignored him.

"Third Prince, I have said that I will never marry into the royal family in this lifetime, so why are you so insistent?"

Shu'er's words brought him comfort.

"I don't want the throne, I only want you." The third prince dismounted and smiled brightly at Shu'er, which displeased him.

He found these words laughable.

He would rather love a beautiful woman than his kingdom?

His third brother is really stupid.

He can't make a choice; he wants both.

"Once I have earned military merit, I will beg Father to arrange a marriage for us." The third prince persisted despite Shu'er's refusal.

"But I...don't like you." Shu'er's words were hesitant.

He knew she didn't want to hurt a hopeful young man.

But hearing her noticeably softer tone, he felt a pang of unease.

For the first time, he felt a sense of crisis with his third brother.

"It doesn't matter, I like you. If you are unwilling to marry me because of my status as a prince, I would rather be demoted to a commoner by my father."

The third prince smiled brightly, like a child. He felt that Shu'er must like him; otherwise, why would she treat him differently?

"Shu'er, wait for me to come back."

Shu'er looked at her third brother's figure and called out to him:

"When you see my father and senior brother, please give them my greetings and tell them that Shuer and her mother are waiting for them to return."

"Yes, Shuer, don't worry, I will definitely pass on these words."

The Third Prince has left...

He left with hope and unwavering devotion to the one he loved.

But once he got to the battlefield, he realized how bloody and cruel war could be.

His martial arts skills were lacking; in a one-on-one belly fight, he was no match for Shu'er.

A slight mishap could have resulted in the third prince's leg...

He became a cripple.

His face also bore more scars.

Once a sunny boy, he became depressed.

Seeing General Li and Gu Qian fighting side by side, swearing to fight to the death, the Third Prince did not retreat and continued to hold the border.

For Shu'er, he did everything in his power.

Unfortunately, in another accident, his other leg was also crippled...

News of defeat has arrived from the Dongjin Imperial Palace and the border.

General Li and Qian'er were seriously injured, and the Third Prince was crippled.

Dongjin, where life is precarious.

The late emperor was so enraged that he vomited a mouthful of blood.

At this moment, all the princes retreated, none daring to go to the front lines to their deaths.

At this moment, he stepped forward once again.

"Father, I request permission to fight!"

Only then did the emperor see his 'goodness'.

"Second Prince, you truly possess the demeanor of a great general. Your father here declares that as long as you can protect this empire for me, I guarantee that the position of Crown Prince will rightfully belong to you."