Yunfeng held Miao Qier's body, weeping uncontrollably...
Why! Why!! Even though I became emperor, I still couldn't keep Qi'er! Watching her die before my eyes once again, I hate it so much! I hate it so much! I hate my own powerlessness!!
I am Yun Feng, the fourth prince of the Yun Kingdom. My mother, Consort Yan, is an Imperial Noble Consort, and my maternal uncle and grandfather are both great generals. My powerful maternal family gives me the confidence to compete for the throne.
I disliked none of my father's sons, except for my sixth brother, Yunqi. I only became truly familiar with him once when we were playing in the Imperial Garden. Four-year-old Yunqi was so adorable, I longed to be close to him. At that time, he had no personal attendants with him, so I dismissed the surrounding attendants and went to play with him myself.
I was eight years old at the time, while Yunqi was only four. He recognized me, and when he saw me, he reluctantly bowed and called out in a clear voice, "Fourth Brother."
That sweet, innocent voice almost melted my heart, so much so that my actions outpaced my thoughts, and my hand unconsciously began to gently pinch Yunqi's cheek. The little one became even more unhappy, which made me even happier.
Fortunately, children are easy to coax. After instructing the servants to bring some of the child's favorite food and playing with him for a while, Yunqi started calling him "Royal Brother" affectionately.
The little guy wasn't afraid of heights at all. He huffed and puffed as he climbed up the artificial hill and waved to me. I gestured for him to watch his step so he wouldn't fall. He agreed verbally, but got carried away playing and slipped, about to fall... Without thinking, I rushed over and caught Yunqi. Luckily, Yunqi fell on top of me, while I was in excruciating pain and couldn't move. It terrified the little guy.
The imperial physician examined me and found multiple abrasions and fractures in my chest. Fortunately, my lungs and internal organs were not damaged. I'll definitely need to stay in bed for a month...
The little guy Yunqi was crying his eyes out, and I comforted him, "It's good that Qi'er is alright. Your brother will recover from his injuries in a few days."
Yunqi said to me earnestly, "My brother protected me this time. When I grow up, I will protect my brother too!"
Seeing Yunqi's serious expression, I smiled and said, "Alright, when Qi'er grows up, she will protect my elder brother!"
"Um!!"
When Yunqi was ten years old, Consort Miao (Yunqi's mother) died protecting her father from a knife. At that time, the surroundings were in chaos. The emperor held the dead Consort Miao in his arms, surrounded by ministers and guards. Only Yunqi stood alone, trembling all over... He must have been terrified. I hugged him and gently patted his back to comfort him. He gradually calmed down and stopped trembling. He buried his face in my chest and cried silently. His tears soaked the front of my clothes.
Ten-year-old Yunqi was no longer suitable to be raised by other concubines, so I asked my father for a favor and let him live in my Fourth Prince's residence (princes can establish their own residences at the age of 14).
From then on, Yunqi always put me first, going to and from school with me. My eldest brother and the others called him my little follower, but he didn't care.
However, if his elder brothers spoke ill of me, Yunqi would get very angry. Even if he couldn't beat them, he would fight them for my sake. At first, he always lost, constantly sustaining injuries, both big and small. I advised him not to hold it against his elder brothers. Yunqi wouldn't listen, getting up early every day to practice martial arts relentlessly. Eventually, he always won, and his elder brothers ended up getting beaten black and blue by Yunqi, so they stopped trying to embarrass themselves in front of him... (Of course, his elder brothers didn't complain either, after all, it would be embarrassing to talk about not being able to beat their own brother...)
At that moment, I couldn't help but feel secretly pleased; it felt so good to be protected...
Later, Yunqi grew up and accompanied me to court. Yunqi always put himself first. He helped me deal with the floods in the south and the droughts in the north. He did a great job in disaster relief and cracking down on corrupt officials. Whenever Father wanted to reward us, he would say, "Father, I was just accompanying my fourth brother in disaster relief. It was my brother who directed the disaster relief efforts. I dare not take credit."
"Then why do I insist on bestowing a reward upon my son?"
Yunqi bowed and said, "Then I humbly request that Father Emperor entrust the Lonely Mountain outside the city, as well as the refugees in the city who have nowhere to go, to your son."
"What does my son want them for?"
"My brother said that Father is worried about the refugees in the city. At that time, my brother and I discussed whether there was a place to settle them. Then we thought of the desolate Guxing Mountain outside the city and wondered if we could settle them there to cultivate the land... I want to give it a try!"
"Very well!! I am so fortunate to have you and a son like Yunfeng! I grant your request. If you need anything later, just let me know."
"Thank you, Father Emperor!"
Yunqi gave me the credit again. Later, Yunqi really succeeded in clearing the land. Yunqi ordered people to cultivate potatoes with higher yields. The refugees no longer had to live a life of fleeing. Yunqi improved the welfare of the refugees and allocated them houses. They happily settled down there.
Yunqi then shared the credit with me, saying that this was something she and her fourth brother had done together, and they never expected it to actually succeed. Heaven bless our Yun Kingdom!
The Emperor was overjoyed, and gifts were continuously brought into the Fourth Prince's residence.
Yunqi knew I was vying for the throne and had been helping me all along. Gradually, perhaps because I got used to Yunqi's sacrifices, I started to take her help for granted... and frequently asked her to do things for me...
Yunqi never complained and always did his best to help me. Sometimes I would give him things that I thought would be difficult to do, and he would always be able to do them. Every time I saw his tired figure, I couldn't help but worry about him, but I was more happy that he got things done.
I had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Yunqi was my imperial brother, not my subordinate... I shouldn't be acting this way, but Yunqi was just too easy to use... It seemed like he could do whatever I asked, and he never showed any dissatisfaction... So, I gradually ignored my initial displeasure...
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