Chapter 1126 One Hand
From a young age, Xiao Chengyu yearned for freedom, only wanting to be a carefree prince, and even not wanting to get married, preferring to travel alone to famous mountains and rivers.
His mother was a devout Buddhist and had never opposed anything he did, so I don't know why she suddenly changed her mind.
Perhaps this thought didn't change overnight, but rather because his mother hid it so well that he never noticed.
"My son, is it because you are not of the Xiao family bloodline that you think that position shouldn't be yours?"
The old princess lowered her eyes and said solemnly.
Isn't that so?
Xiao Chengyu did not believe that anyone was more suitable for that position than Qi Heng.
"Who does Qi Heng think he is!"
The mother and son immediately started arguing. The old princess stood up, slammed her hand on the table, and shouted angrily, "Qi Heng's surname is Qi, but the Great Qi's empire belongs to the Xiao family. Qi Heng is nothing but a treacherous minister who plotted to usurp the throne!"
“Mother, my surname is Xiao, but I am not a descendant of the Xiao family.”
Xiao Chengyu was also somewhat annoyed. His mother had committed a serious crime of rebellion, putting him in a very difficult position, and all his previous efforts had been in vain.
Xiao Chengyu boasted that he understood Qi Heng perfectly, and his mother thought he hadn't missed a thing, but in reality, Qi Heng had already noticed.
Qi Heng is not making any moves right now, probably waiting for the right opportunity.
Lin Yuesha is Qi Heng's bottom line, more important than the throne.
"Who said you're not a descendant of the Xiao family?"
The old princess revealed a mysterious smile; this was a move she had carefully planned.
Back then, her husband had health problems. To cover it up, she pretended to be pregnant for ten months and took Xiao Chenggui away from a dying woman, successfully concealing the truth.
She thought she would never have her own children, but unexpectedly, a few years later, she became pregnant.
After discussing it, the couple decided to use the same trick as before: to create a smokescreen to protect their youngest son. This way, when he had a chance to compete for the throne in the future, they could catch him off guard.
Xiao Chengyu is a legitimate direct descendant of the Xiao family. Is he really going to hand over the vast empire and become a sinner of the Xiao family?
The old princess looked at her with disappointment. She had gone to great lengths to conceal the truth for many years, painstakingly planning behind the scenes, all for this day when things were in the right place so she could reap the benefits.
"You worthless piece of trash! The Xiao family's century-old empire has been destroyed in an instant because of you. You are the eternal sinner of the Xiao clan. How will your mother face your father in the future?"
When the old princess saw that her hard approach wasn't working, she started using a softer one, saying she would give up anything except the throne!
Xiao Chengyu lowered his head helplessly; the truth is often cruel.
Regardless of whether what the mother said is true or false, the mother-son relationship between the two cannot be faked.
The Xiao family's empire is gone, what does that have to do with him? Xiao Chengyu was never the crown prince. Incompetent and foolish people can't hold onto the throne. It's not him who's ashamed to show his face, is it?
Xiao Chengyu has a clear conscience, yet he can't be the one to turn the tide. Is it his fault?
The blame lies with the incompetent members of the Xiao family who listened to the words of treacherous villains and failed to distinguish right from wrong. The lives of over a hundred members of the Qi family cannot have been lost in vain.
From Qi Heng's perspective, Xiao Chengyu understood him. So many people had died, was a simple apology enough?
Some mistakes can be forgiven, some can never be.
"Throughout history, there have been countless wrongful convictions and miscarriages of justice. You are truly merciful."
The old princess thought her son was wavering, so she said, "You know Qi Heng. Do you think Qi Heng won't find out about the things we've revealed?"
Qi Heng didn't make a move, most likely waiting for them to reveal their trump card.
Rebellion is a heinous crime punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan. Now that she has come this far, there is no turning back.
“My son, if you wish to send your mother to see your father, that is fine too.”
The old princess's eyes reddened, and she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief.
She felt no sadness at all, and pondered how to force Xiao Chengyu to give in.
As she said, Xiao Chengyu was her own flesh and blood, the direct descendant of the Xiao family, and should inherit the throne in accordance with the will of Heaven.
She has already chosen the Empress. Lin Yuesha's destiny is noble, and the old princess has taken this into consideration. In order to sever the relationship between uncle and niece and avoid being criticized, the old princess will think of other ways.
"Mother, it's not that your son won't agree."
Xiao Chengyu decided to use delaying tactics. He believed that there was no turning back from the sea of suffering, and he had to apologize to Qi Heng and spare her mother's life.
Only her mother failed to see the situation clearly; Qi Heng had already seized military power and held absolute authority.
"That doesn't matter. When Mother heard the news, she arrested Lin Yuesha."
If we use Lin Yuesha as bait to kill Qi Heng, all the troubles will naturally be resolved.
Having cultivated her influence in the capital for a long time, the old princess had powerful connections.
She did all this not for herself, but for her son Xiao Chengyu. As a member of the Xiao family, he should not spend his whole life subservient to others.
"Mother, please don't touch Lin girl yet. This is a serious matter. Let your son think it over carefully."
Xiao Chengyu smiled bitterly. The matter was too complicated. On one side were his brothers, and on the other was his mother. It was a difficult choice. He could only choose to follow his original intention.
Even if he were to sit on the throne, he would have no wife or children, and there would be no successor in the future, which would still cause turmoil.
The old princess nodded in agreement and strode away.
At the same time, someone delivered a package to the Qi residence. Upon delivery, the person immediately took poison and died.
"unlucky!"
Xu Da was extremely anxious. He waited for nearly two days without receiving any news. His return visit on the third day was destined to be in vain.
The other party kidnapped Lin Yuesha and hasn't sent a message since. They finally sent someone, but before he could even ask any questions, the kidnapper was gone.
Xu Da took the wooden box, shook it, and sniffed, smelling the stench of blood.
Xu Da dared not delay and sent them directly to the bridal chamber.
Qi Heng hadn't slept a wink all night and was sitting in a chair, lost in thought.
"Is there any news about my uncle?"
To verify his suspicions, Qi Heng sent people to look for Xiao Chengyu, but they found the Prince's villa empty. Not only that, the old Princess was also nowhere to be seen.
There was no room for luck; it was simply the truth.
"No."
Xu Da pushed the small box over; inside was a letter.
Qi Heng took the letter, opened it, and read it from top to bottom two or three times.
"What did that person write?"
Xu Da stood behind Qi Heng and saw it clearly; his heart sank.
Sure enough, my cousin didn't leave on her own; she was kidnapped.
Xu Da composed himself and slowly opened the box, squinting his eyes, not daring to look inside.
What's inside?
The box was opened, and the smell of blood became even stronger.
"One hand."
Qi Heng's face was deathly pale, with a faint bluish tinge. He threw his bloodied hand into the basin to wash away the bloodstains, startling Xu Da, who had just opened his eyes.
"My cousin's hand?"
Xu Da clutched his chest, swaying precariously as if about to collapse.
A soft hand, repeatedly washed clean to remove the blood, the palm turned white, the fingernails as red as blood, giving it a somewhat eerie feel.
Xu Da remembered that Lin Yuesha's fingernails were dyed bright red with henna, which was very beautiful. This hand was a warning to Qi Heng from the person behind her.
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