The Crown Prince's Hidden Beauty: A Father-Son Plot

The answer is obvious.

Zhu Mingyu hadn't finished speaking, but his eyes, which were looking at Zhiwei again, clearly showed the answer—without Zhu Liji's tacit approval or even indulgence, how could Wang Miaoxiao dare to do this?

Zhiwei's heart sank as well. She reached out and gently brushed away the strands of hair clinging to Zhu Mingyu's sweaty cheek with her fingertips.

She could imagine how chilling it must have been to be tacitly approved of, or even pushed into, death by her closest brother.

Empathizing with his pain and complex emotions, Zhiwei's eyes welled up with tears again.

"So what are you planning to do now that you've come back?" Zhiwei steadied herself and pressed on, "Since you've chosen to return to the capital and infiltrate Li Tai's inner circle, it's impossible that you're just here to live an ordinary life under an assumed name."

Knowing how intelligent Zhiwei was, Zhu Mingyu sighed, realizing he couldn't hide it from her.

“Yes. I’m hiding in the shadows to leverage Li Tai’s power.” Zhu Mingyu’s eyes gleamed. “Wang Miaoxiao is wreaking havoc on the court and framing loyal officials. He can no longer be allowed to live.”

"Is your current predicament solely due to Wang Miaoxiao?" Zhiwei was clearly dissatisfied with Zhu Mingyu's words. She pulled away from Zhu Mingyu's embrace. "Does that mean the court will be at peace once Wang Miaoxiao falls?"

"Zhu Mingyu, you and I both know that the root of the turmoil in the court is not that mad dog, but the person who raises it."

Zhiwei stared intently at him: "Even if your plan succeeds, how will you, a 'dead' person, conduct yourself afterward? Reinstate? Attend court? Can Zhu Liji's suspicion tolerate a prince who has close ties with border generals and has been resurrected from the dead? Can he allow you to live a peaceful life?"

What she said, Zhu Mingyu couldn't possibly be unaware of.

Zhu Mingyu's eyes flickered: "I'll figure something out."

What method can an imperial family devise to control their own destiny? There's only ever been one.

Zhiwei rolled up the sleeve of her right arm, revealing the old wound that stretched across her right wrist. Even after many years, it was still shocking to behold.

"Did you see that?" Zhiwei's voice was calm. "After the Li Mingjing case, I was thrown into the Xin Zhe Ku. With his tacit approval, someone took advantage of the emperor's will to deliberately harm me."

This injury severed her tendons, and now she can't even lift a pot or cook, let alone touch heavy objects.

Zhiwei has never wanted to recall this past event; it was painful and shameful enough. But she is willing to bring it up again today, hoping that Zhu Mingyu can come to his senses.

The concepts of brotherly love and respect would not exist between the two brothers.

Zhu Mingyu's gaze fell on Zhiwei's scar. He had glimpsed it when he was "Shadow," but now, looking at it properly, he felt only sorrow. He reached out, his fingertips trembling as he touched the old wound, as if he could feel the excruciating pain and despair Zhiwei had endured back then.

Zhu Mingyu kissed the wound: "Wait a little longer. Once the great undertaking is accomplished, I will never let you suffer even the slightest bit more."

It's a cycle of waiting and avoidance.

After all, we're family!

Ultimately, human nature is hard to change.

The expectation in Zhiwei's eyes gradually faded.

Yes, she should have realized long ago that the affairs of the Zhu family and Zhu Liji were ultimately matters of kinship in Zhu Mingyu's heart. Her grievances and resentment were probably nothing compared to his good brother in Zhu Mingyu's eyes.

Zhu Mingyu was so loyal, filial, and affectionate. How could Zhiwei have imagined that the very virtue she once cherished most had now become the most difficult hidden wound for them to overcome?

That's enough, that's all.

Relying on others is ultimately just a mirage, a pipe dream.

In the end, she still only has herself.

Zhiwei gently withdrew her hand from Zhu Mingyu's grasp.

Before Zhu Mingyu could say anything more, Li Tai's bodyguard rushed over and whispered an urgent report: "Master, another group of men in black has been spotted nearby and is rapidly closing in on this area. Judging from their skills and equipment, they seem to be assassins under Wang Miaoxiao's command. I reckon they are looking for Miss Yan."

The search was a ruse; Zhiwei instantly realized the truth.

Wang Miaoxiao came for that crucial letter! He wanted to catch Wan Qi red-handed and solidify the charges against Wan Qi, and even the entire Wan family.

The letter hidden in her sleeve felt like a heavy boulder, a hot potato; Zhiwei wanted to relinquish this responsibility, but found it truly difficult to pass it on.

The situation is complicated. We must protect the Wan family and prevent them from getting the letter, while also keeping the huge secret of Zhu Mingyu's "resurrection" firmly under wraps and ensuring that he is not exposed in front of Wang Miaoxiao!

My mind raced, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

Where can they go? Back to the palace? That would be walking into a trap. There's only one place where they might be able to temporarily avoid the limelight and maneuver around the situation.

Go to the East Palace!

Zhiwei made a quick decision and pushed Zhu Mingyu away: "Li Tai, you all leave immediately and clean up any traces. Just pretend we never saw this."

——

The Eastern Palace, the sleeping quarters.

Zhu Sheng had just bathed and changed his clothes, preparing to rest. Only one or two dim lamps remained in the hall. Suddenly, he heard a very faint strange noise coming from outside the courtyard.

He frowned, abruptly stopped what he was doing, grabbed a robe and put it on, then quietly walked to the window, pushed it open a crack, and glanced outside.

The guards of the Eastern Palace had already formed a circle and lit torches.

Under the cold moonlight, with flickering firelight, a familiar figure stumbled into his courtyard.

It's my aunt.

Zhu Sheng took a deep breath.

Without a doubt, the person before her was Zhiwei, but her hair was now loose, with a few strands of black hair falling down her pale cheeks, and her clothes were also slightly disheveled. Most striking was the hem of her skirt, which was covered with patches of mud and grass, making her look utterly wretched.

Their eyes met suddenly across the silent courtyard.

Before any explanation could be given, a commotion of footsteps could be heard outside the palace gates, with people shouting "Catch the assassin!" and "Protect the Crown Prince!" It was clear that they were about to force their way into the palace.

From the direction of the main gate came a rapid and forceful knocking sound. It was Wang Miaoxiao speaking: "Your subject is ordered to search for wanted criminals. Please, Your Highness, open the palace gates immediately and grant me this favor!"

Upon hearing this, Zhiwei looked at Zhu Sheng, whose eyes, which were always full of gentleness, were now filled with undisguised pleading and a hint of vulnerability on the verge of despair.

Zhu Sheng's face darkened.

There wasn't a single word exchanged, not even a glance exchanged.

Without saying a word, Zhu Sheng suddenly pushed Zhiwei into the bedroom, glanced around, and his gaze fell on a tall rosewood wardrobe in the corner.

"Go in, and no matter what you hear, don't come out! Leave everything to me!"

Immediately, he turned around quickly, straightened his slightly wrinkled robes, and strode out, preparing to personally deal with the group of aggressive uninvited guests outside the door.

Zhiwei watched him leave, her heart pounding in her chest.

She did as she was told, curling up and hiding in the deepest part of the wardrobe. The wardrobe door clicked shut, and her vision was instantly swallowed by thick darkness.

The sounds from outside became muffled and distant. Only the voices of Zhu Sheng and Wang Miaoxiao could be faintly heard, sometimes raised and sometimes lowered. The specific content was as if separated by a thick barrier, making it difficult to hear clearly.

Zhiwei dared not make a sound, every breath was like licking blood from the tip of a knife.

After an unknown amount of time, the noise outside seemed to gradually subside, eventually settling into an eerie calm.

Has the problem been resolved? Did Zhu Sheng successfully get rid of them?

She truly wasn't meant to die!

The tension in her heart eased slightly, and she was finally able to catch her breath. Zhiwei let out a long, trembling breath. Her nose felt a little itchy, and she subconsciously raised her hand to touch it. Then she wanted to tidy her messy hair.

At that very moment—

Without warning, the cabinet door was suddenly pulled open from the outside!

The sudden light made her squint, and instinctively, she tried to force a reassuring smile.

However, the smile froze and shattered completely the moment the person standing outside the door was seen.

Outside the cabinet door, a man stood with his hands behind his back, his posture upright and his expression inscrutable. He was dressed in ordinary clothes, yet his imposing presence was undeniable.

That wasn't Zhu Sheng, who had just pushed her into the closet.

The blood froze instantly, and Zhiwei and the newcomer made eye contact.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?"

——

The door to the sleeping quarters was kicked shut by Zhu Liji with a dull thud. He then slammed Zhiwei to the ground violently, his movements brutal and devoid of any pity.

Caught off guard, Zhiwei's forehead slammed hard against the corner of the wooden bed. A dull pain shot through her, and blood instantly trickled down her brow bone, blurring half of her eye. Before she could even prop herself up, Zhu Liji's boot tip was already pressed against her chest, the force so great that she could hardly breathe.

"Very well, very well indeed! Yan Zhiwei, I truly underestimated your ambition! What, the Hall of Mental Cultivation is not enough for you, so you've turned your attention to the Eastern Palace and started an affair with the Crown Prince?"

Zhu Liji's face was contorted with bulging veins, his chest heaving violently. The last few words were practically squeezed out between his teeth, carrying an unspeakable sense of humiliation: "What, are you thinking that because he's young and easy to manipulate, you can climb the social ladder by attaching yourself to him? Or are you just too restless to resist the temptation to even seduce my own son?!"

Zhiwei coughed up blood and tried to explain, but her throat felt blocked, and she could only let out soft sobs.

Zhu Liji grew angrier as he spoke. His gaze swept over the personal sword in Zhu Sheng's room, and he drew it from its sheath. With a flash of cold light, the sharp sword whistled through the air and struck Zhiwei.

"Father, you mustn't!"

Zhu Shenggang had just stopped Wang Miaoxiao outside the palace gates when he heard a violent commotion inside the palace. He rushed into the bedroom and happened to see Zhu Liji holding a sword, aiming straight for Zhiwei's heart.

Without hesitation, he reached out and precisely grasped the falling blade.

Blood gushed from his palm instantly, dripping onto the clean ground.

"Sheng'er!" Zhiwei exclaimed in shock as she looked at Zhu Sheng's hands, which were instantly stained red.

Zhu Sheng seemed oblivious, firmly gripping his sword and protecting Zhiwei tightly behind him, while raising his eyes to meet Zhu Liji's gaze.

Two pairs of remarkably similar eyes now met in a cold, confrontational gaze. The warmth between father and son vanished in that instant, leaving only suspicion and disappointment silently colliding in the air.

“Father,” Zhu Sheng’s voice was filled with suppressed calm, “Aunt Yan came to see me because she accidentally fell and injured herself on the way back to the palace. The journey back to the palace is long and she is in great pain, so she came to the East Palace to find some medicine for her injury.”

You've misunderstood.

"A misunderstanding?" Zhu Liji looked at the two men, whose clothes were somewhat disheveled, and listened to his eldest son's frank explanation. He laughed angrily, "Do you think I'm a fool?"

Zhu Liji raised his foot and went upwards. Zhu Sheng did not dodge, but staggered back two steps, tightening his grip on the sword blade.

His blood gushed even faster, but he acted as if nothing had happened, meeting Zhu Liji's furious gaze, and said, word by word, "Your subject had no intention of doing so."

"But then again, isn't it you, Father Emperor, who has always treated everyone else as fools?"