The next day, the front of Zichen Palace was covered with snow and the wind was cold.
I was wearing a worn cotton coat and hiding on the steps in front of the Zichen Palace.
The cold wind in the early morning made me shiver. I squatted down with my arms folded, hiding in the corner under the stairs, waiting for the morning court to end.
After the morning court session ended, ministers in court robes came out of the Purple Palace and walked down the steps in groups of three or four.
I seized the opportunity, ran to several officials, grabbed the oldest one, and cried out, "Old man, my brother is dying. Can you please save him?"
This old man isn't General Ye Gucheng. He's a veteran of two dynasties, and my father holds him in high esteem. Imperial Physician Ouyang suggested I go directly to General Ye for help, but I think going directly to General Ye Gucheng would seem overly conspicuous. If that bitch, Concubine Xian, investigates, she might find the imperial physician who gave me advice.
The best way is to attract the attention of General Ye Gucheng and let him help me actively.
The old man was shocked by my behavior. He never expected that a child would pester him and ask him for help.
My tears streamed down, wetting my entire face.
The old man didn't recognize me and didn't react for a long time. My cries for help attracted the attention of other adults. They all stopped and gathered around to look at me.
A Hanlin scholar recognized me and pointed at me, saying, "Isn't this the Fourth Prince? Fourth Prince, why are you here?"
The princes have their own special schools, and most of the teachers are Hanlin scholars. This scholar recognized me and must have seen me in the school.
I burst into tears again. The Hanlin scholar came towards me and asked me what was wrong and if something had happened.
I wiped away my tears and cried as I said, "My brother is sick and dying. The palace servants won't let me go to the imperial physician to treat my brother. I went to find my father, but they wouldn't let me in either."
At this time, a deep and somewhat vicissitudes of life voice sounded, "Fourth Prince, which of your brothers is ill? Is it the Second Prince?"
An old man in armor walked towards me. He was tall and strong, mighty and resolute. I knew who he was - the leader of this generation of the Ye family army, General Ye Gucheng!
The reputation of General Ye Gucheng is known to everyone in our dynasty.
The general took my hand, and his rough and broad palm hurt me. It was a cold winter, but I inexplicably felt a little warm.
He pinched my cheek, which was not very fleshy, and said, "Boy, you look like a bamboo pole, not even as strong as my Ah Heng. Come on, I will take you to find your father."
The general took me to the Wende Hall where my father was. He said a few words to my father and then left the palace.
Since then, my brother and I have been treated better - our father still treats us coldly, but we are treated about the same as other brothers.
Not long after, my brother was crowned King of England.
One night, my brother walked into my room and asked me, "Xiao Si, do you want to be the crown prince?"
My brother’s words really shocked me. I looked at him and didn’t know what to say.
I don’t want to be the crown prince, because in my heart, my brother is the most suitable person to be the crown prince.
If we were to fight for the crown prince position, the one who would sit on the throne would definitely be my elder brother.
"I don't want to."
My brother said to me firmly, "I want to be the future king of this world. I want everyone to prostrate themselves at my feet and pay homage to me!"
"Brother." I looked at my brother steadily.
My brother held my hand and asked me, "If I became emperor, would you be willing to assist me?"
Without hesitation, I nodded solemnly, "I agree. If my brother becomes the emperor, then I will be the prince and assist him. From now on, my name will be Zhao You. I will protect my brother and his kingdom!"
My brother smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. He seemed particularly happy and said, "Good brother, from now on we brothers will stand at the top of the Song Dynasty and look down on everyone."
After that day, I studied the Four Books and Five Classics, historical texts, and various local customs and practices with the teachers in school during the day, and studied the strategies of deploying troops and governing the country with my brother at night.
Three years later, my father allowed my brother to leave the palace and set up his own residence, while I continued to stay in the palace.
My elder brother married the daughter of Master Lu as his princess. The next year, his new sister-in-law gave birth to a little nephew.
My nephew’s full name is Zhao Xi, and his nickname is Xier.
My brother said that the sun had risen when Xier was born, and the sunlight felt warm and comfortable on his body, so he named his nephew Xi.
Xi is the rising sun, representing that the sufferings my brother and I have endured are over, and a bright future awaits us.
After Xier turned one year old, I moved out of the palace and lived in my brother's Prince Ying's Mansion. To me, where my brother is is my home.
Before, my family only consisted of my brother, but now we have my sister-in-law and Xier.
The virtuous concubine and her son are the biggest obstacles for my brother to ascend to the throne of the crown prince. In order to get rid of the virtuous concubine and her son, and to avenge my mother, my brother and I personally designed a nightmare plan and joined forces with our confidants to accuse the virtuous concubine and her son of attempting to kill the king and our father.
My father is a suspicious person by nature. How could he allow someone to sleep soundly on the bed beside him, even if that person is his most beloved son?
At this time, the emperor's father was seriously ill and in poor spirits. Without taking time to think, he allowed the virtuous concubine to make her own decision. The fifth brother was stripped of his title as King of Jin and exiled to the southern border.
On the day when Concubine Xian committed suicide, my brother and I personally saw her off.
Since Concubine Xian refuses to make her own decision, we will help her.
My brother ordered the eunuchs to hold the virtuous concubine, and I kicked her in the knee, and she fell to her knees.
She glared at us brothers with her dead eyes, chattering non-stop, "Beast! Bastard! It was you two bastards who framed me! You framed us, mother and son!"
The brother slapped the virtuous concubine, making her face crooked and a trace of red appeared at the corner of her mouth.
My brother said slowly, with a triumphant smile, "My virtuous lady, how can you say we framed you? Isn't this all your own fault? You deserve it, don't you?"
The virtuous concubine barked at us like a mad dog, "I want to see Your Majesty, I want to see Your Majesty! Damn eunuch, let me go! Your Majesty, Your Majesty - don't you want me anymore? I don't want to die, please come and save me! Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
The more Concubine Xian struggled, the happier I was. "Concubine Xian, you can scream. Even if you scream your throat out, Father will not come to save you. You owe my mother, and you must pay with your life. You will not be alone on the road to the underworld. My fifth brother will be here to accompany you soon."
The virtuous concubine looked pale, and I laughed.
The eunuch handed over a three-foot-long white silk, and my brother took it and put it around the virtuous concubine's fair neck.
My brother and I each pulled one end of the white silk until the bitch Concubine Xian stopped struggling and became completely motionless.
My brother and I looked at each other and smiled.
My mother's revenge has finally been achieved!
My brother looked at the body of Concubine Xian and said calmly, "Cremate her and scatter her ashes somewhere."
The one who killed my mother will have her bones ground into dust and her ashes scattered.
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