After crying, Sheng Chuyi wiped his face.

After calming himself down, he instructed others to take a bath and change his clothes.

Today the three armies set off, and the ministers all went to the city gate to see them off, so there is no need to attend court today.

After changing his clothes, Sheng Chuyi went directly to Chu Ningrong's palace to find Sheng Yuan.

Some time has passed since the army set off, and by now Father and Mother must have returned.

When Sheng Chuyi arrived at the Empress's palace, he indeed saw two people having breakfast.

"Your subject pays respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress." Sheng Chuyi stood at the door, bowing in a cold voice.

Chu Ningrong smiled and said, "Why are you bowing so formally today? Don't stand there, come and have breakfast with us."

Sheng Chuyi took a breath and looked at Sheng Yuan.

"Shouldn't Father Emperor say something?" Sheng Chuyi stood still, raising his head to look coldly at Sheng Yuan.

Sheng Yuan silently put down his chopsticks and sighed.

"Now that things have come to this, what do you want to say to Father?" Sheng Yuan said in a deep voice, his voice tinged with helplessness.

Sheng Chuyi sneered, "Father, my life is the Crown Prince's life, the future Emperor's life. What about Chuli's life? Isn't it also the life of the royal family, the life that Father and Mother cherish? Just because he was adopted, does he have to bear all of this for me? Just because he was adopted, does he have to pave the way for my position as Emperor?"

As Sheng Chuyi spoke, he raised his voice, looking at Sheng Yuan with grief and indignation.

Sheng Yuan didn't speak, but his aura changed. The majesty unique to the emperor filled his body, and the atmosphere in the room turned cold.

Upon hearing this, Chu Ningrong was startled, and her expression changed slightly. "Yi'er, shut up. Don't think that just because your father dotes on you, you can say whatever you want. Don't you know who your father is doing this for?"

“I know, how could I not know? Was our conversation three years ago really just a misunderstanding?” Sheng Chuyi suddenly asked about the events of three years ago.

"Three years ago, Chu Li and I made plans to drink together that night. We talked about it during lunch that day, and you know that. But you came to see me before he arrived and said those things."

Looking back now, Father's inner strength far surpasses both mine and Chu Li's. You must have sensed his arrival, which is why your tone became increasingly disdainful. But after he left, you began to explain, saying that those were just your thoughts when you first took him in, and watching him grow up, he's now no different from your own son, so those thoughts are gone. Father, are they truly gone?

"Or is it just a play put on by Father to force him away? You know how stubborn he is. He was gone for three years. Now that he has finally returned, he is still working for me, the Crown Prince."

"Father, do you really not trust your son? Do you think I won't win if I go?" Sheng Chuyi took two steps back and leaned against the door, looking somewhat dejected.

Sheng Yuan stared at the table without saying a word. Midway through, Chu Ningrong tried to stand up to stop Sheng Chuyi from speaking, but Sheng Yuan held her back.

Hearing this, Chu Ningrong could no longer hold back. "Sheng Chuyi, are you crazy? Your abilities are obvious to all. During the years you have been regent, your father has often praised you for your competence and decisiveness. Hearing your words now is truly disheartening."

She continued, "It's not that your father doesn't believe in your abilities; you have led troops into battle in the past three years. However, times have changed. If something happens to you on a campaign, what will your father do? What will your mother do?"

Saint Chuyi roared, "So, you're going to send the orphaned Saint Chuli to war in my place? Are you just taking advantage of his orphanage? You've treated him so well all these years, how could you bear to do that?" Saint Chuyi's voice trailed off towards the end.

Sheng Yuan growled, "Enough."

After he finished shouting, his voice lowered again, tinged with guilt, "I know this is unfair to him. Your mother and I have always treated him as our own child all these years, but there is still a blood relation between us. Born into the royal family, he has no choice in his own life. Yi'er, I have indeed failed him."

"I'll talk to him about it when he gets back," Sheng Yuan said before leaving.

Chu Ningrong hurriedly called out, "We haven't finished breakfast yet." But Shengyuan left without turning his head.

Chu Ningrong sighed, pulled Sheng Chuyi to sit at the table, and served him a bowl of porridge.

"Fortunately, we don't like others serving us in the room when we dine, otherwise, if your words got out, I don't know what kind of trouble those ministers would cause," Chu Ningrong said helplessly.

“Actually, I’ve also read the letter your father wrote. In it, he asked about his situation over the past three years and mentioned the war between the Holy Sky Continent and the two continents. He hopes that Li’er can come back to help you and accompany you to the battlefield.”

At this point, Chu Ningrong suddenly looked up, grabbed Chu Ningrong's sleeve, and asked, "Father Emperor sent Chu Li to the battlefield with me, not sent him in my place?"

Chu Ningrong nodded, her expression serious. "Yes, Yi'er, you three children grew up together. To your father and me, you are all equally important. You are all our children, and we would never bear to let him go to the battlefield alone."

"But don't blame your father. As parents, it's really hard to treat them equally. Perhaps there really is a blood relationship that separates them. Li'er drugged you and went to your father to insist on going to war alone without you accompanying her. Your father must have been out of his mind at the time, so he agreed."

"But what can we do if we don't agree? Li'er drugged you. We can't just carry you onto the carriage, can we? What will the ministers think? Every move you two brothers make affects the direction of the court. This matter must not be made public. We can only issue a temporary decree saying that your father is unwell and needs the Crown Prince to take care of him, so we are sending Li'er to the expedition."

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