Chapter 171 Extra: Prince Chen and Shen Jingbai
Yan Chen really had no interest in the throne.
Before his relationship with Shen Jingbai was exposed, as the eldest prince, he always knew that his responsibility was the country and its people. He was born to prepare for inheriting the country.
Yan Chen was naturally calm and reserved. Born into a wealthy palace, he lived a life of luxury with many servants. He had almost no extra desires, and his life seemed dull because it was too smooth.
Until a person named Shen Jingbai appeared in his life.
The connection between Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai is quite ordinary.
Shen Jingbai's grandfather was Yan Chen's teacher. In addition to teaching him the Four Books and Five Classics, he also taught him the demeanor of a crown prince and the way of an emperor.
Shen Jingbai displayed extraordinary intelligence from a young age, and the emperor liked him very much, so he made him the princes' study companion—to be precise, Yan Chen's study companion.
Yan Chen is a few years older than Shen Jingbai.
One was the eldest prince, steady, dignified, and reserved; the other was a talented and handsome young nobleman. They spent their days together, respected and appreciated each other, and got along very well.
They even shared remarkably similar views on politics.
Everyone thought they would become the best ruler and minister. When the emperor and Grand Tutor Shen had a heart-to-heart talk, the emperor praised the Shen family for raising an outstanding descendant who was gentle, refined, and exceptionally intelligent, and said that the Shen family would surely become the first family of civil officials in the future. Grand Tutor Shen praised the emperor's eldest son for being both literary and martial, and for his noble character, saying that he would be the best crown prince and that if he ascended the throne in the future, he would surely lead the Yong Kingdom to prosperity.
The other princes and noble young masters unconsciously became much more low-key and humble in front of these two, because the princes could not compete with the eldest prince's brilliance, and the noble young masters could not match Shen Jingbai's talent.
The emperor would lie with Consort Gu at night, and sometimes he would feel that with a son like Yan Chen, he could die in peace. At that time, Consort Gu never thought that her son could become emperor.
Because Yan Chen is indeed too outstanding.
Everyone was convinced that he was the crown prince.
The court officials all believed that Yan Chen's ascension to the throne was a foregone conclusion.
However, no one expected that Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai would have a homosexual relationship.
The first person to notice the signs was Grand Tutor Shen, because he was the one who had the most contact with Yan Chen and Shen Jingbai every day. The initial relationship between the Crown Prince and his study companion gradually evolved, and he saw a different emotion in the way Shen Jingbai looked at Yan Chen. This was like being doused with ice water, making him feel cold all over.
In order not to alert the enemy, and also to avoid wrongly accusing his own grandson.
After returning home, Grand Tutor Shen summoned Shen Jingbai to his study and subtly hinted at his feelings for Yan Chen. Little did he know that this would enlighten Shen Jingbai, making him suddenly realize his own feelings for Yan Chen.
What followed was unstoppable.
After their relationship became public, the emperor was furious, and his rage swept through the entire palace and the capital, leaving almost everyone feeling insecure.
Yan Chen was flogged on the spot, and Shen Jingbai was beaten to the point of near death by family discipline.
Both the Emperor and Grand Tutor Shen wanted to force the other to give in.
The emperor wanted to use Yan Chen's life to threaten Shen Jingbai, and Grand Tutor Shen wanted to use Shen Jingbai's death to force Yan Chen to back down. However, even in the midst of the excruciating pain of near-death and dizziness, neither of them uttered a word of admitting their mistakes. They were like two iron plates, with a resolute determination that if they could not live together, they would die together.
Shen Jingbai is the grandson that Grand Tutor Shen is most proud of.
Yan Chen was the emperor's most proud son.
No one could bear to actually kill them.
The matter caused a great uproar. In a fit of anger, the emperor demoted Prince Chen to a county prince and imprisoned him and Shen Jingbai in Prince Chen's mansion. The gates of Prince Chen's mansion will only be opened when he admits his mistake and is willing to sever ties.
The Shen family's once noble and distinguished reputation was ruined in an instant.
Disappointed and heartbroken, Grand Tutor Shen retired to his hometown, leaving the capital with his children and family, promising never to set foot in the capital again.
Four years of confinement did not diminish their feelings.
It wasn't until they stood on the court again that the officials and common people of the capital realized that such unwavering love truly existed in the world.
There was no self-interest or calculation, no weighing of pros and cons.
There is only one person's uncontrollable admiration for another, and one person's unwavering protection of another.
It's just that this happened to two such outstanding men, which makes people feel a little regretful and heartbroken.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com