“You may think that Consort Ju is wrong. She has been a favored concubine for twenty years, but she is not content and insists on fighting for that position.”
"But Second Brother, how can you be content? You always complain about your status, harboring resentment for the seventeen years of suffering you endured, and vowing to fight back for justice."
"You feel it's unfair, that life and death shouldn't be determined by birth, but there are far, far more people in this world who are more miserable than you."
Changyan turned her head, pulled her plump younger sister in front of her, and said softly, "Everyone in Fengjing knows that the eldest daughter of the Jiang family was once lost outside. Do you know what kind of hardships she suffered and what kind of beatings and scoldings she endured while living alone outside all these years? Shouldn't she also hate and feel indignant and unfair?"
"No, no, no." Jiang Sheng shook her head, regaining her senses. "I'm fine now. I don't hate you at all. If I hadn't been stranded outside, I wouldn't have met you all."
It wasn't until her soft flesh was gently pinched that she came to her senses, and said with a mournful face, "I hate it, I hate it so much! Who threw me out here, making me fight with dogs for food every day, always getting beaten, never a day without my face bruised and swollen, never a meal with a full stomach."
"Ahem." Chang Yan coughed twice, indicating that the act was over.
Jiang Sheng stopped wailing and smiled energetically, "But luckily I survived. Many people starved to death in the snow. I'm just lucky. Good fortune is yet to come."
She is truly content.
Earning two copper coins is enough, eating a meat bun is enough, and having braised pork knuckle and braised fish every day would be even more satisfying.
Even if her fate was not meant to be this way, even if her status was so noble that half of Fengjing had to give way to her.
Before learning the truth, Jiang Sheng was grateful to have met her brother; after learning the truth, she did not regret losing her wealth.
There are countless ways to live and countless origins for people.
Being the emperor's son may not be so comfortable, but is being a beggar always so miserable?
Should the children of minor officials feel resentful that they weren't born into the families of high-ranking officials?
Or perhaps happiness lies in one's heart, rather than in one's circumstances.
There is no absolute fairness or absolute truth in this world.
The key lies in cognition.
Among the crowd, some people were secretly wiping their eyes, while others seemed lost in thought.
Xu Mo took a deep breath, cupped his hands and stepped forward, "My name is Xu Mo. My father was a Jinshi during the reign of the late emperor. He was assigned to Anshui County as a county magistrate. During that time, he was framed by thieves. After his father died, he and his mother committed suicide, leaving me, Xu, with both legs broken, to live on in this world."
"He went through the imperial examinations all the way to the metropolitan examination, but due to a personal grudge, his examination paper was switched, he lost his status as the top scholar, and he even failed the exam."
"If we're talking about injustice, if we're talking about resentment, shouldn't Xu also take a place?"
While witnessing the corruption of officials, he also saw justice prevail; in his moments of suffering injustice, he also felt warmth and comfort.
So he stands here, still willing to believe in the imperial examination system, still willing to be an upright official.
As the second prince, Zhu Changyu endured many hardships growing up, but Consort Ju spared his life and Empress Yan drove away the eunuchs. After coming of age, he left Fengjing for his fiefdom, and his life would be completely his own.
In a real comparison, who is more miserable than whom?
The crowd fell completely silent, even the city's garrison soldiers were stunned and bewildered.
Zheng Ruqian gritted his teeth and raised his voice, "I am not as refined as my elder brother, but I grew up in a brothel. I don't even know my father. I was kicked out of the brothel when I was ten years old, and I have struggled all the way to where I am today."
“Every time I’m harassed or looked down upon in business, do I feel resentful that I wasn’t born into a prestigious family, that I couldn’t be a carefree and dashing young master, and that I didn’t have a father with both power and influence?”
Wen Zhiyun, suppressing her sobs, said, "My parents never made enemies, yet they faced life and death before my very eyes, causing me to wander to the ends of the earth and struggle to survive. Whom should I blame, whom should I hate, and whom should I seek revenge on?"
“My father died on the battlefield, my mother was imprisoned, my family is hunting me down, and my former relatives have turned against me overnight. What am I supposed to do?” Fang Heng murmured.
Behind him, Jiang Yi, with red eyes, said, “My parents died, my relatives drove me out, and after hoarding all my family’s wealth, they still wanted to send me to another place. In the end, I had to sell myself to survive. Who can I complain to about the injustice?”
"And me..."
“My parents are still alive, but they only want to sell me to get food for my younger brother…”
"How can I express my resentment and injustice..."
Countless people opened their mouths, and countless lives converged.
They were poor, favored, miserable, or wounded.
If they could, they would also like to live in a wealthy family, have a carefree and bright life, and never have to worry about food and clothing for the rest of their lives.
But that's how the world is; one's origins are hard to choose, and one's path is hard to broaden.
If we're really talking about resentment, even the emperor's sons wouldn't make the list.
Even a barren county town is still a fiefdom, and even the most ordinary prince is still a member of the imperial family.
By adding the surname Zhu, one has already surpassed far too many people in this lifetime.
Zhu Changyu's orphaned childhood is a real story, but his bright future is also clearly visible. His experiences are happening all over the world. When one's birth is not something one can actively choose, fairness can only become a struggle for intelligent people.
"Second Imperial Brother." Once the murmurs subsided, Changyan spoke up, "You know my background, and you know that my mother was the Empress but died in sorrow. If even you think it's unfair, then can I, as the legitimate prince, also resolutely shout, denounce, and roar?"
There are very few truly carefree people in this world; most endure unspeakable suffering and crawl through adversity.
There's no need for so much resentment, and there aren't that many dragon gates to leap over.
A power grab is a power grab. Consort Ju should not use betrayal as a reason, and Zhu Changyu has no right to use injustice as an excuse.
“Discontent may have merely fueled ambition, but the very existence of one’s own thoughts is the biggest reason,” Changyan said softly. “You are, Lady Ju, what about you?”
Zhu Changyu sat on horseback, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Perhaps he was truly resentful and unwilling, and at this moment his impulse to seize the throne had faded considerably.
Would it be comfortable and happy to be a prince in a remote prefecture?
No one will bully him anymore, everyone will respect him and love him, right?
But why did I have to hear this now?
"Your Highness..." Fang Yuan's soft sigh rang out.
With tears in his eyes and his hand gripping the reins, Zhu Changyu said, "Xiao Wu, I can't back down. I have no way out."
It wasn't just the five thousand loyal city defenders, but also the frontier battlefield thousands of miles away; it was a long-planned scheme, a decision made in a moment of resentment.
"What do you mean by that, Second Brother?" Changyan's expression changed slightly.
Zhu Changyu shook his head and signaled the city guards to charge into the crowded streets, using innocent civilians as shields. As expected, this made the Imperial Guards and the border troops hesitant to act.
He and Fang Yuan took one last deep look at the imperial city, mouthed the word "frontier" to each other, and sped away.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
