Chapter 494 It's better than living alone!
After the Prince of Lingnan and the Prime Minister returned to the palace, they had just reached the door of the study when Zhu Junning came to greet them. She frowned and said in a panic, "Father, something has happened."
The Prince of Lingnan frowned, but said nothing and stepped into the study. Zhu Junning quickly followed behind him, closed the door after entering, and immediately said to the Prince of Lingnan, "Grandmother...Grandmother has passed away."
Lingnan Wang Teng stood up, his voice trembling slightly, and asked, "You... what did you say?"
Zhu Junning looked grief-stricken and said, "Grandmother has passed away."
The Prince of Lingnan felt a sudden dizziness and slumped into his chair. Zhu Junning quickly helped him up, saying worriedly, "Father, you must hold on."
The Prince of Lingnan let out a long sigh, then looked sharply at Zhu Junning and said, "What happened? How could the Dali Temple allow your grandmother to get into trouble?"
He also knew very well that as long as he and Lingnan were still around, his mother would not be in any danger, even if she was in prison.
Zhu Junning pursed his lips tightly, hesitated for a moment, and then truthfully said, "Lingnan... may have already fallen."
"What!" The King of Lingnan stood up abruptly again, staring at Zhu Junning with a terrifying gaze.
Zhu Junning immediately knelt on the ground and said in a panicked voice, "Just now, Jiang Chengye went to the Dali Temple prison and tortured my grandmother to death. In his words, he revealed that the reason he dared to do that was because the Duke of Chu had received information that Lingnan... had fallen. Moreover, tonight, the Duke of Chu secretly went to the palace."
........
The King of Lingnan stood there motionless for a long time, as if frozen in place. Seeing this, Zhu Junning stood up and said cautiously, "Father, the news that Lingnan has fallen might not be true. It's possible that all of this was a play put on by Jiang Yu and his daughter."
"Even if they're putting on an act, it's only a matter of time before Lingnan falls," the King of Lingnan murmured. He moved with difficulty to sit down and remained silent for a long time.
Zhu Junning's face was pale, and she could barely stand, having to hold onto the table to keep herself from falling. The room was quiet, yet filled with fear and panic.
After an unknown amount of time, the King of Lingnan's hoarse yet resolute voice rang out, "It's not entirely without hope of victory. As long as the Crown Prince ascends the throne, we still have a chance to turn the tide."
“But…” Zhu Junning asked cautiously, “What if the Emperor is already safe and sound, and this was all a setup by him?”
The King of Lingnan clenched his fists tightly, his body stiffening into a straight line. He stood up resolutely and said, "Even if it's a trap, we have to face it. Find a way to escape or hide."
"Father!" Zhu Junning knelt on the ground again, his voice choked with sobs.
The King of Lingnan helped Zhu Junning to his feet, his voice hoarse as if it had been ground against gravel: "For generations, the Zhu family has harbored the idea of 'replacing the Qin family with the ruler of the world,' passing it down from generation to generation. When I received this seal of the King of Lingnan, it wasn't about wielding power; it was about carrying the obsession of my ancestors and bearing the expectations of my subordinates, leaving me no choice but to accept it."
He looked down at his hands, his knuckles still taut, but his eyes betrayed his weariness: "But the Qin family has made Da Gan too stable. The people have food to eat and the border is secure. This imperial dream is just wishful thinking on our part. It's not that I haven't thought about settling down, but the Zhu family and my old subordinates have long since tied me to this path. I have no choice."
“Now that Lingnan is gone, this dream should be shattered.” He looked up at the night outside, his voice heavy as if it were made of lead. “I am the king of the Zhu family, and I have to hold on until the end; you are different. Don’t be buried with me. Live well, and just pretend that the Zhu family never existed, and that this absurd wish never came true.”
He reached out and gently stroked Zhu Junning's head, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. Watching her tears stream down her cheeks, the Prince of Lingnan resolutely strode away.
"Father!"
Zhu Junning collapsed to the ground, crying out, but it didn't stop the Prince of Lingnan from moving an inch. She lay on the ground, sobbing, and finally burst into tears.
With her level of intelligence, didn't she ever consider the possibility that they might fail one day? Of course she did.
But just as the Prince of Lingnan said, she was born a princess of the Lingnan Royal Family. Even if she did nothing, if the Lingnan Royal Family were to perish one day, she would face certain death regardless of whether she was married or not. She had no choice but to give up.
The Lingnan Prince's Mansion may no longer exist, and her father, in a desperate gamble, has sent her away. Leaving aside whether she can escape, even if she does, she'll face a life of constant wandering. She's a woman, a woman without family to rely on; how difficult it is for her to live with dignity.
She... doesn't want to live that kind of life.
Having figured everything out, she stood up and wiped away her tears. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her back and stepped out of the study. Reaching the Prince of Lingnan's bedroom, she saw the lights were on and went inside.
Standing before the King of Lingnan, she said firmly, “Father, the name ‘Zhu’ is branded on my body. It has been etched into my bones since the moment I was born, and I can’t erase it no matter where I go.”
Although her voice still trembled with emotion, her words were firm: “You taught me from childhood to share honor and disgrace, to love and protect me, to live a life of luxury and to be well-educated and reasonable, not to run away from trouble.”
She straightened her back, and a hint of pride appeared on her tear-streaked face: "What if I escape? Without the Zhu family, I'm just an orphan. I'll either be hunted down by the court or live a life of subservience under someone else's roof. You raised me for over ten years. Have you ever let me suffer even the slightest humiliation of having to be subservient to others? I'd rather not have that kind of undignified life."
She stepped forward, grasped the sleeve of the Prince of Lingnan, and her eyes showed a resolute determination: "Now that the family is in peril, you are the Prince of the Zhu family, and I am the Princess of the Zhu family. Rather than living a life of wandering and becoming a laughingstock, I would rather stay by your side and fight one last time with you! Even if we lose, we are still of the Zhu family bloodline, and we can die with dignity, which is worse than living a wretched life alone!"
Hearing her words, the Prince of Lingnan's eyes also reddened. He raised his hand and stroked Zhu Junning's head, saying softly, "It was my fault. I shouldn't have brought you to the capital. I should have sent you out of Daqian before coming to the capital, arranged everything for you, and ensured that even if the Lingnan Prince's Mansion no longer existed, you would still live a life of wealth and honor."
Zhu Junning shook his head, tears streaming down his face, and said, "My daughter came to the capital of her own volition, and she doesn't blame anyone."
The King of Lingnan felt both gratified and bitter. Why wasn't she a man? If she were a man, he would have taken him under his wing and raised him long ago.
He let out a long sigh, looked into Zhu Junning's eyes, and said very seriously, "If we fail tomorrow, so be it; we, father and daughter, will go to the Yellow Springs together. If we succeed, you will be my only heir."
Zhu Junning nodded and said with a smile, "Thank you, Father."
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