Fourteenth Prince ripped off his mask and leaned closer to show Seventeenth Prince, excitedly saying, "It's me, your Fourteenth Brother..." He then untied Fourteenth Prince while asking worriedly, "Are you alright? Are you hurt? Did Zhu Wanqing do anything to you?"
Seventeenth Master breathed a sigh of relief upon learning it was Fourteenth Master. Seeing Fourteenth Master dressed in black, he guessed he too had secretly come out to risk his life to save him. A pang of sadness and a touch of emotion shot through him. He replied, "Fourteenth Brother, I'm alright... Quick... Quick, save everyone!"
The rope in Fourteenth Prince's hands loosened; his arms, which had been tied for so long, were numb. Seventeenth Prince frowned, gritted his teeth, and stretched. He then hurriedly followed Seventeenth Prince to untie the ropes binding the others.
Just then, a group of people carrying torches rushed in from outside. The Fourteenth Prince and the Seventeenth Prince were shocked and stood up, staring warily at the newcomers.
A familiar figure walked in, and Zhu Wanqing's stern and furious face appeared before the Fourteenth Prince. Only then did the Fourteenth Prince realize that this was all a trap.
Zhu Wanqing had never trusted him. During dinner, she deliberately told him about capturing pirates, her purpose being to test him. The Fourteenth Prince sighed inwardly in annoyance, realizing he had been careless and fallen for Zhu Wanqing's scheme.
Zhu Wanqing stared intently at the Fourteenth Prince, but her eyes were devoid of warmth, filled only with endless disappointment and anger.
"In the end, you still chose the Qing Dynasty!" Zhu Wanqing asked in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, the Fourteenth Prince knew he could no longer hide the truth, yet he found a sense of relief he had never felt before. He walked in front of the Seventeenth Prince, shielding him behind him, and said to Zhu Wanqing, "That's right! I've chosen the Qing Dynasty. I am a prince of the Qing Dynasty, and I cannot stand by and watch you bring ruin to the people of the Qing!"
Zhu Wanqing suddenly revealed a ferocious face and burst into laughter: "Hahahaha... Did I hear that right? You still care about your status and your people?" Suddenly, Zhu Wanqing withdrew her smile, looked at the Fourteenth Prince with extreme malice, and gritted her teeth, saying: "Have you forgotten that high and mighty dog emperor who took everything that belonged to you?"
The Fourteenth Prince remained calm, and hearing these words seemed to have no effect on him. He smiled slightly and said, "He didn't take anything from me. What's mine can't be taken away by anyone. He just got what was rightfully his!"
Zhu Wanqing looked at the Fourteenth Prince with a questioning expression and continued, "Where is your mother? She was killed by the Emperor! And how were you imprisoned in the Changping Villa? Have you forgotten all of that?"
The Fourteenth Prince shook his head and slowly said, "No, I haven't forgotten! I'm also implicated in Mother's death; it was my unfilial act... I have nothing to say about Fourth Brother imprisoning me! It's all my own fault..."
Seventeenth Prince glanced at Fourteenth Prince with emotion, his eyes filled with admiration and encouragement. Zhu Wanqing was utterly disappointed, letting out a hysterical scream as she demanded, her eyes red-rimmed, "And what about me? What am I? What about the child in my womb? He's a living, breathing life! Do you want him to be born without a father? He's innocent!"
The Fourteenth Prince's eyes also welled up with tears. He seemed to have made a great decision and said resolutely, "The children are innocent... When you cruelly killed my children, did you ever think that they were innocent?"
Zhu Wanqing was stunned, shook her head blankly, and said absentmindedly, "You still haven't forgotten... everything I did was for you..."
"Enough! I don't want to hear any more of this!" the Fourteenth Prince roared, interrupting Zhu Wanqing. Pointing at her, he questioned her word by word, "You're not doing this for me, you're doing this for yourself! What are you plotting? You're using the excuse of doing this for me to desperately try to reclaim the throne. Who are you? And what are you after?"
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