Chapter 101 "I will become the future of the Great Wei Dynasty..."

At the grand court assembly that day, the Imperial Censor Cui Yan suddenly launched an attack, angrily denouncing Xiao Yan for two major crimes. First, the Second Prince Xiao Yan, while on imperial orders to provide disaster relief in Huaizhou, neglected his duties for personal reasons, ignored the disaster victims, and instead frequented brothels and indulged in nightly revelry, thus damaging the imperial reputation.

Secondly, while frequenting brothels, the Second Prince, in a struggle for the title of courtesan, publicly beat to death the only son of Master Cui, who had donated tens of thousands of taels of silver for disaster relief. This not only showed a disregard for human life but also chilled the hearts of patriotic individuals.

Xiao Yan knelt on the cold floor tiles, kowtowing three times to Emperor Yuan of Wei, proclaiming his innocence, but his heart was pounding: Didn't his third brother say he had already settled things for him? How could the Cui family still have the ability to persuade the censor to file a complaint before the emperor... His third brother was always meticulous in his work, where did things go wrong? Could it be that Xiao Jue was behind it all?

Cui Yan was a student of Cui Yu. Some time ago, at his mentor's request, he petitioned the Emperor on behalf of his nephew. He was upright by nature and unafraid of authority. After hearing the whole story, he was quite indignant. Censors were supposed to report injustices to the Emperor to uphold justice, and this was his duty. He felt obligated to do so, especially since Xue Yu was his mentor. How could he refuse his mentor's request?

Xue Yu knew this very well, which is why she asked him to handle this matter.

The accusations against Xiao Yan that Cui Yan presented were all committed in public, witnessed by everyone, and could not be faked.

Moreover, since he dared to publicly challenge Xiao Yan at the grand court assembly, he must have already put in a lot of effort and collected all the evidence of Xiao Yan's crimes.

With irrefutable evidence, Xiao Yan had no room for argument.

Moreover, with Xiao Che on leave today and not by his side, Xiao Yan lost his backbone and became increasingly disorganized.

But the matter didn't end there.

Xiao Jue also joined in.

It is said that his two falls from horses were not accidents, but man-made disasters, and the culprit was none other than his own brother, the Second Prince Xiao Yan.

These words caused an uproar throughout the court.

Xiao Yan's expression also changed abruptly.

Just as Xiao Che had predicted, Xiao Jue produced the evidence he had deliberately orchestrated to lead him to discover, and each and every piece of evidence pointed directly at Xiao Yan.

Now, Xiao Yan is not only accused of disregarding human life, ignoring the disaster, and having a corrupt personal life, but he also has the additional charge of harming his elder brother.

These charges combined mean that it is absolutely impossible for them to be let off lightly.

The court was abuzz with discussion. Although everyone knew the evidence was irrefutable, they all knew that Emperor Wei Yuan had always doted on Xiao Yan. Especially now that rumors were circulating in the palace that "Xiao Jue fell from his horse and injured his manhood, rendering him unable to have sex," if this were true, Xiao Jue would be deposed sooner or later, the position of crown prince would be vacant, the third prince was already out of the running due to bloodline disputes, wouldn't the second prince Xiao Yan be the only prince who might succeed him?

Given this consideration, would Emperor Yuan of Wei agree to depose the prince?

Understanding the emperor's intentions is also an art for ministers.

Moreover, Cui Shoujie, the head of the aristocratic families, has not yet spoken.

It seems everyone is waiting for Emperor Wei Yuan to make a statement.

However, Emperor Wei Yuan's next move took everyone by surprise.

As Emperor Yuan of Wei's most favored prince, everyone thought that Emperor Yuan would show some favoritism and deal with him leniently. However, he was furious and expressed extreme disappointment in him, and reprimanded him severely.

Upon seeing this, the court officials naturally petitioned Emperor Yuan of Wei to handle the matter impartially.

Given the prevailing circumstances, even officials who had previously sided with Xiao Yan dared not plead for mercy anymore.

Emperor Yuan of Wei immediately ordered that Xiao Yan be demoted to a commoner and exiled to Qianzhou.

This decree meant that Xiao Yan would never have the chance to ascend the throne again.

His face turned deathly pale, as if all his strength had been drained away in an instant, and he fell backward.

As the saying goes, what goes up must come down. Perhaps no one expected that the first one to be completely eliminated in the struggle for the throne would be the second prince, who was previously the most prominent.

——

The exile was scheduled for three days later, during which time Xiao Yan was temporarily imprisoned.

The dungeon stone steps were damp from years of wear and tear, and walking on them felt sticky and slippery.

Xiao Che followed the jailer down the steps, and after passing through a long, secluded passage, stopped at the door of Xiao Yan's cell.

The cell was dark and damp, and the air was filled with the stench of rotting rats and rust.

Xiao Che frowned slightly.

The chains were unlocked, and the jailer bowed to Xiao Che and gestured: "Your Highness, please."

Xiao Che nodded slightly and stepped inside.

The jailer then withdrew.

Xiao Yan slumped against the stone wall, which was perpetually damp and covered in mold, like the lividity of a dead body.

He opened his eyes after hearing the noise and slowly raised his head.

On the dilapidated wooden table sat an oil lamp, its flame flickering precariously. Suddenly, the remaining tung oil wick burst open, and the flame leaped up, illuminating the newcomer.

Even in the dimly lit cell, the young man's face remained as smooth as jade, his handsome features reaching the extreme. He was immaculate, like a banished immortal, completely out of place in this filthy place.

After Xiao Yan saw the face of the person who came, his previously dull eyes suddenly lit up for a moment.

"Third brother!"

He immediately stood up to greet him, his voice brimming with joy: "I knew you would come to see me, I knew it..."

Xiao Che's eyebrows twitched slightly, and his gaze swept over him indifferently: "Second brother, you've suffered."

Xiao Yan shook his head and sighed, "To be honest, I've never suffered like this before... How can a human being live in such a filthy place?!"

Xiao Che raised his hand and brushed a few specks of dust off Xiao Yan's shoulder: "Second Brother, please rest assured. We'll set off in three days. I'll take care of everything for you along the way, and once we arrive in Qianzhou, I'll arrange everything for you as well..."

"Qianzhou is indeed a harsh place, so please bear with it for now, Second Brother. After some time, I will plead with Father Emperor to allow you to go to a place with a milder climate..."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan paused for a moment, then sighed dejectedly and said, "Third brother, is there truly no way to resolve this matter? Even you can't help me..."

Xiao Che: "Second brother, the imperial decree has been issued, so there is no turning back. There is nothing I can do to help."

Xiao Yan hummed in agreement and said softly, "I know..."

"How did things come to this?" Xiao Yan suddenly clenched his fist, his eyes filled with resentment: "That position was clearly only one step away from me, how could it have ended up like this..."

"It must be Xiao Jue, it must be that good-for-nothing Xiao Jue! Third brother, I'm not reconciled, I'm not reconciled to being trampled under his feet like this!"

“I’m worried about you too. I’ve been thinking about how you will handle things if he ascends the throne one day. Will he let you off easily? Father is so foolish. He actually deposed me. Doesn’t he know that Xiao Jue has become a eunuch?! The Crown Prince of the Great Wei Dynasty is a eunuch. It’s utterly ridiculous! Does he want the Xiao family line to end?”

Xiao Che lowered his head and stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand, then suddenly chuckled softly, feeling a sense of desolation in the dim and quiet prison cell.

"Second brother, don't worry, the Xiao family line will not end."

He slowly laughed: "Have you forgotten? I have half Lanling blood in my body, and my physique is different from ordinary people, unlike Xiao Jue, who is a waste. He was already useless to begin with, and now he is completely useless."

“I am different from him. Besides, Yan Yan told me herself that she wanted to have children for me, so the Xiao family line cannot end.”

"Third brother, you..." Xiao Yan frowned slightly, sensing that Xiao Che's words were a bit strange, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Xiao Che remained smiling, not giving Xiao Yan enough time to react, and continued, "As for what Second Brother said about you worrying about me..."

"Second brother, you don't need to worry about me. If you have to worry, worry about Xiao Jue instead."

"You said you were unwilling to accept losing to Xiao Jue for the time being. Second brother, don't worry, I will avenge you when the time comes."

Xiao Yan frowned, the strange feeling in his heart growing stronger.

He swallowed hard, and heard his own voice ring out hoarsely: "...Third brother, how will you avenge me? Why should I worry about Xiao Jue instead of you?"

Xiao Che suddenly smiled. The candlelight flickered, and his face was hidden in the dim light, making his expression difficult to discern, which was quite captivating.

He said, "Because I will replace you and Xiao Jue and become the only crown prince of the Great Wei Dynasty, the future emperor."

Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.