He carried out massacres in the Fengtian Hall, coerced and bribed civil and military officials, and profited from the power struggles among the princes.
When Consort Ju coldly revealed her plan, Zhu Changhong instinctively rejected it.
It wasn't about brotherly affection or national love; it was because he didn't want to hurt his beloved father, and he didn't want to act recklessly in the capital city that his father cherished.
But what did my mother say?
She said there was no chance left, and that if she didn't act now, the world would be handed over to others.
Once the crown prince is appointed, the crown prince's palace takes over all the power to oversee the country, and even a rebellion would find it difficult to shake his authority.
The Ju family sacrificed so much, even feigning compliance with the Second Prince, all for this gamble.
Now, he has lost.
The Ju family thought they had the Imperial Guards surrounding the Fengxian Hall under their control and tried every means to win over the junior commander, Li Qiang. However, they were all just playing along, and Li Qiang was just as evasive.
A scheme within a scheme.
Zhu Changhong stood in the main hall, cold sweat pouring out. He wanted to show some weakness, but his mother had taught him that no matter how much fear he had, he had to hide it and that his spine should always be straight.
He could only force himself to stand firm, coldly watching Li Qiang charge in, covered in blood, before finally kneeling on one knee before Zhu Changyu, "Your Highness, the Ju family has been dealt with, and the civil and military officials are under control."
The entire Fengtian Hall fell silent once again.
Who could have imagined that in the short span of time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they would watch Zhu Changhong go from dejection to elation, and from elation to despair.
The Ju family, who were initially thought to be the masterminds behind the scenes, ended up benefiting the Second Prince.
But considering this man's shrewdness, and the fact that the Fang family had secretly pledged allegiance to him long ago without Consort Ju's knowledge, it seemed to be expected.
As Li Qiang made his move, all eyes in the hall turned to him.
The boy, half-hidden in the darkness, stirred, finally shedding his decade-long honesty and revealing the gloom from Chang Yan's memories.
How could someone who has crawled out of a swamp be honest, how could they not remember the suffering they once endured?
Despite acting for so many years, he has never been able to get into character.
Close your eyes, and all you see is beatings and insults, hunger, and a barrage of slaps and footprints.
Despite its noble status, it is actually inferior to a dog.
This imperial city is so cold and indifferent; let whoever wants to live here live their life.
Zhu Changyu took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Changyan before finally settling on Zhu Changhong.
This is the man who stole all the children's fatherly love.
But if we're talking about the real culprit, it should be that man lying in the Qianqing Palace, barely clinging to life.
"This is really boring," Zhu Changyu commented.
Because he cannot rebel, much less kill his father.
Blood ties are like a large net that did not support him when he was young, but will bind him tightly after he grows up.
Fortunately, there is the Ju family, and fortunately, there is Zhu Changhong.
He took two steps forward, his face remaining cold and gloomy, but his tone was extremely sincere. "I never expected that my eldest brother and Consort Ju would have such intentions as rebellion. Fortunately, I was able to do my part for my father and my younger brother, the Crown Prince, and nip this rebellion in the bud."
See, this is scheming.
Consort Ju plotted to have the Second Prince charge into battle while the Ju family reaped the benefits from his advance.
Conversely, the second prince plotted against the Ju family, making them the first to act, so that he could become the one who benefited.
Unfortunately, his status was too low, and he couldn't even use the self-reference "this palace" that princes commonly used. He could only use "I" like ordinary people.
The downside is that it lacks authority, but the upside is that it's approachable.
He quickly brought up the long banquet, first defining Zhu Changhong's behavior as "treason," and then whitewashing his own behavior as "suppressing a rebellion."
He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world; only the legitimate ruler can ascend the throne.
In terms of cunning, Zhu Changhong can only be considered an ordinary person; it is the Second Prince who is the true hero.
This is related to one's background, but also benefits from one's experiences.
It's just that not many people are willing to try this kind of experience.
“Younger brother, Crown Prince,” Zhu Changyu spoke again, his tone respectful and gentle, “the situation is under control, and now we need you to take charge.”
In theory, the rebellion should be dealt with by the crown prince who is in charge of overseeing the country.
But who could believe that the second prince, who had already taken control of the situation, would relinquish his power?
He was just testing whether Changyan had any backup plans.
A suspicious person will always be prone to doubt.
Especially since he himself was like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind, he had to worry even more about the crown prince becoming the hunter who killed the oriole.
Changyan's mind raced, and he didn't even dare to glance at his brother and sister out of the corner of his eye, fearing it would bring them death.
He suppressed his emotions and calmly replied, "Thank you, Second Brother. Then, inform the Imperial Guards to clean up the mess."
Zhu Changyu didn't reply, his cold eyes meeting Chang Yan's unchanging gaze.
At that moment, time seemed to fly by.
Seven-year-old Zhu Changyu met three-year-old Zhu Changyan. The older brother, who had straightened his clothes as much as possible, quietly walked up to his younger brother who had fallen and gently picked him up.
I thought I would be looked down upon and disgusted, but I didn't expect to receive a "Thank you, Second Brother".
He stood there stunned for a moment, then staggered away.
"No need to thank me," he thought to himself, "I should be the one thanking you."
But those words remained hidden in my heart for eleven years, and I never had the chance to say them aloud again.
"You're welcome." Now, he finally said it, "The eldest prince plotted a rebellion on the day he was to be crowned crown prince, and cruelly murdered His Highness the crown prince. As the elder brother, I must avenge my younger brother."
But at the same time, he made up his mind.
Only one prince is destined to survive in this Fengxian Hall; the other two will either be accused of treason or be killed innocently.
He wants the position of crown prince, he wants to sit on the dragon throne, and he wants it to be legitimate.
Perhaps a moment of reluctance would flash through his heart, but seven-year-old Zhu Changyu never thought of hurting three-year-old Zhu Changyan.
But eighteen-year-old Zhu Changyu could only climb to that position by stepping over his younger brother's corpse.
"Elder brother, make your move." He said coldly, pulling a sharp blade from Li Qiang's waist and throwing it onto the gold bricks with a crisp clinking sound. "Kill him, but spare the lives of the Ju family's women and young children."
"What if... what if I don't?" Zhu Changhong's entire body was nearly paralyzed.
Zhu Changyu finally curled his lips coldly, "Then execute the entire family."
From the elderly to infants, along with countless servants and maids, the blood that flowed could have drowned the entire Ju family.
So many lives, so many people.
Zhu Changhong's straight back finally bent. He staggered to the sharp blade, picked it up with trembling hands, and held it in his palm.
The handle, made of pure copper, feels so cool, like a snowy night or the coldest days of winter.
I have listened to my mother's teachings, so why did things turn out this way?
He grinned, turned to face Chang Yan, and a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes. "Fifth Imperial Brother, don't blame me... don't blame me."
As the sun moved to midday, the snow-white blade reflected a strong light.
Just as most people reluctantly closed their eyes, a woman's voice rang out, "Stop!"
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