"Helian Jing! Don't be so smug! You're no better than me!"
"Hmph, do you really think you can benefit from your own brother becoming emperor?"
"Your good brother, the third imperial edict after your registration was issued was to demote you from your royal title!"
"And what about your good mother! How many times did she check on you after you were injured?"
"They are a loving mother and son, just like the saints."
The Third Prince poked the Fifth Prince in the back, and the Fifth Prince didn't let him off the hook either.
They were sworn enemies, having engaged in open and covert struggles for over a decade, and they understood each other best.
Therefore, they are very clear about the other party's weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
For example, the Fifth Prince knew that the Third Prince had a lingering resentment—why was Helian Jue able to become the Crown Prince when they were born of the same mother, while he was just a prince?
Although the late emperor favored him, Empress Dowager Xiao seemed to care more about the third prince.
However, the vast difference between the crown prince and ordinary princes still made the third prince resentful.
In the past, the Third Prince could boast that his mother loved him more, but after his injury this time, he realized with despair—
His good mother doesn't love anyone; everyone else only loves themselves and power!
Helian Jue was able to make his mother the Empress Dowager, so his mother handed over the Imperial Seal of the State to him.
They even produced a so-called will for the succession!
Fake!
It's all fake!
The will was fake, and so was the mother's love.
And his queen, she must have looked down on him too.
Come to think of it, she was a noblewoman from a prestigious family, and she married this nouveau riche royal just to become empress.
Now, Helian Jing is crippled and can no longer be emperor.
Helian Jue also demoted the title of Prince from Prince to Prince of the Second Rank!
From now on, he's a useless person!
The princess did indeed return to her parents' home, presumably to discuss the "divorce" with her family.
Back then, when Helian Jue was deposed, exiled, and driven out of the capital with everyone turning against him, the Third Prince was still gloating.
But at this moment, he seems even more pitiful than Helian Jue!
Even at that time, no matter how bad things were for Helian Jue, he still had the princess who was willing to accompany him to Lingnan.
And what about Helian Jing?
"Shut up! Fifth brother, that's all you've got!"
The Third Prince couldn't stand it any longer. He turned around, his eyes fierce, and said, "If you really have the guts, go straight to the Princess's residence!"
Fifth Prince: ...
He really didn't dare.
It wasn't that I was afraid Yongchang would beat me out, but rather that I was worried about hearing bad news.
For example, annul the engagement!
Aunt Yongchang was never a kind or loving person.
She initially betrothed Nanling to him because she saw his potential to seize the throne and wanted to invest in him in advance.
Now, he has not only failed, but also lost an eye.
The Fifth Prince himself disliked and feared her, let alone the already sickly and timid Princess Nanling.
Therefore, whether for profit or out of love for his daughter, Yongchang was unwilling to continue the marriage.
But now the Fifth Prince only has Yongchang as his protector.
His maternal family was not prominent, and those aristocratic families who invested in him were merely using him.
The Fifth Prince has nothing left now!
"...Hmph! I can't be bothered to waste my breath on you!"
The Fifth Prince was already scared, but he wouldn't back down. He stubbornly snorted and walked towards his own carriage.
Xiao Zixiu watched the whole thing, and he couldn't quite describe how he felt.
The two losers dared not say anything to Helian Jue, who had succeeded, and could only hurt each other and reopen old wounds.
Why bother?
"Let's go!"
The Third Prince felt a strange sense of satisfaction upon seeing the Fifth Prince "flee in disarray."
With no outsiders around, the Third Prince was unwilling to use a cane.
He hasn't fully adapted to his disability yet, and he walks unsteadily.
To avoid falling again, the third prince shouted irritably.
"yes!"
Startled, Xiao Zixiu quickly stepped forward and reached out to support the Third Prince.
The two are not only uncle and nephew, but also master and servant, and now they are each other's only support, and their relationship has become inexplicably close.
In the large group returning to the city, Yongchang also leaned against the carriage.
Despite her noble status and the fact that no one dared to supervise her, she had endured a lot of hardship during these days.
The person who died was, after all, her own younger brother.
The siblings have been together for over forty years, growing up together since childhood. As they grew up, the younger brother indulged them in every way.
No matter how arrogant or cold-hearted Yongchang is, she cannot go against her conscience and say that her younger brother was not good enough to her.
She was truly heartbroken when her younger brother died.
Besides, Yongchang isn't young anymore; she's almost fifty.
In this day and age, they would be considered elderly people with long lifespans.
The daily mourning lasted for nearly two months, and Yongchang was really on the verge of collapse.
If she hadn't occasionally used the excuse of "serving the Empress Dowager" to sneak away and rest, she probably would have collapsed by now.
He endured and endured until the late emperor was buried. When he saw the tomb door close, Yongchang's legs went weak.
She was helped onto the carriage by palace maids and her daughter.
"Mother! Have some tea!"
Nanling looked at her mother, who was usually as fierce as a tiger, but now looked like a weak old woman, unable to move even a finger, and couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
Despite her fear of her mother, she carefully took the teacup from the maid and brought it to Yongchang's lips.
Yongchang took a few sips from Nanling's hand.
"My son is the most filial!"
The warm tea nourished his stomach and intestines, and Yongchang felt as if he had regained some strength.
She looked at Nanling with satisfaction, but suddenly, something occurred to her and her brows furrowed again.
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