A Cai's work The Emperor's Phoenix: Abandoned Concubine The Emperor's Phoenix: Abandoned Concubine Volume 1 Extra 073 Those unforgettable pasts
Sometimes the Ninth Prince couldn’t help but wonder, is being too smart at an early age a blessing or a curse?
He had no parents to take care of him since he was born, but he was born precocious and started to remember things before he was one year old. He saw and remembered everything about his wet nurse, palace maids, etc.
The people in the palace have always been good at bullying the powerful and praising the weak. They are born to be specialized. It is a miracle that a child like him, who has no parents to look after him, can survive in the palace.
Before his father passed away, the people around him were all his trusted aides. He was well taken care of, everyone doted on him, fawned on him, and all the good things were presented to him at the first opportunity. However...
Such days were short-lived, because within half a year, his father passed away, and the people around him disappeared mysteriously one by one...
He still remembered that when his father passed away, everyone around him ran to curry favor with the new emperor, but him?
At that time, I had a high fever and my whole body was red, but no one noticed...
He couldn't cry and wanted to call for help, but his throat felt like a knife was stuck in it. It hurt when he opened his mouth, and he could only make a faint sound...
Such a sound cannot be heard in the palace at all, and the people outside cannot hear it!
Until now, he still remembered the despair he felt at that moment. He thought he was going to see his father, and his father couldn't bear to let him go, so he took him with him...
But he couldn't leave even if he wanted to. He burned for a whole day and night, but he was still alive. Later... he was found by an old eunuch, who kindly poured him a bowl of water and fed him a bowl of porridge. This was all the old eunuch could give him...
With just a bowl of water and a bowl of porridge, he managed to survive for two days and one night. He did not die, nor did he get confused due to the fever. It was really not an easy thing to do.
He didn't forget what happened in the following days. He had no memory of it at all because he fainted. He was in a daze every day and couldn't tell the difference between today, tomorrow and yesterday...
Such days continued until the new emperor entered the palace.
The emperor's elder brother ascended the throne after killing all his brothers and their descendants. Because he was afraid of being criticized by historians, the emperor's elder brother chose to favor his younger brother who posed no threat.
During the early days of his accession to the throne, the new emperor treated him quite well, at least he didn't let him suffer from the cold or hunger, but that was all.
As a prince, a prince who was born with a fiefdom, he could only eat his fill in the palace. As for other things? Forget it. Even the people left by his father were cleared away by his brother. He no longer had any loyal people around him.
At this time, the Ninth Prince was glad that he was precocious, because if he was precocious, he would not pee on himself every day, would not wear wet clothes and sleep in the winter, would not...
When the palace servants gave him rotten food, he could still swallow it foolishly, but...
No matter how smart he was, he was still just a child, a child who could not take care of himself. Without the care of the palace servants, it would be difficult for him to survive.
In this way, under the emperor's indifference and the palace servants' neglect, he slowly grew up until he was three years old...
At the age of three, he already knew everything and understood his situation in the palace. He tried to keep a low profile and not let anyone notice his presence, and then tried every possible way to learn calligraphy.
Normally, when he was three years old, he should have a teacher to teach him simple characters, but...
There was no prince of the same age as him in the palace, and other people could not see his existence. Everyone ignored him and no one remembered his existence at all. Learning calligraphy was just a luxury for him.
As a prince, a prince personally appointed by the late emperor, he could only find a way to learn calligraphy by himself, but he...
I'm glad that I grew up so early.
So, he found the eunuch who had been kind enough to secretly feed him water, and learned calligraphy from him...
Only later did he find out that this old eunuch was the one left to him by his father, and was the only one left in the palace who still remembered him as his master.
There is no way. A new emperor appoints his own ministers. When the new emperor ascends the throne, he eliminates everyone around him. It is normal for others to betray him in order to survive.
As for the others? Even if his father had left him a lot of power, he couldn't reveal it while he was still young, otherwise...
These things are not his life-saving talismans, but his death warrants.
What does it matter if his father leaves him more power? How can he, who is young and ignorant, control these powers?
How could he, who was so young and ignorant, leave the palace and contact these people under the supervision of his royal brother?
He is still too young. Even if he has mountains of gold and silver, he cannot touch them at this time...
One day, when the old eunuch was teaching him calligraphy, he said to him, "Master, before you grow up, all you have to do is to endure. Endure until you grow up. By then, you will have enough ability to protect yourself and be not afraid of the emperor. Master, endurance is not cowardice, but protecting yourself. Your life is more important than anything else. No matter what happens, as long as you survive, everything is possible."
"Master, you are still young. What you need to do now is to learn and accumulate experience... When you have accumulated a lot, no one will dare to look down on you."
It was simple and direct, just the right words for him to understand at his age...
It's a pity that such a peaceful life is short-lived. There are some things that he doesn't want to endure, and others will let him go...
After learning Chinese characters from the old eunuch for more than half a year, he could already read simple books by himself. The Ninth Prince thought that this kind of life would continue until he finished learning. However, the palace once again taught him what cruelty is!
The palace maids and eunuchs around him are all the emperor's brother's people. Although they would not pay much attention to a three-year-old child, some of them want to take the opportunity to climb up and step on him to get to the top!
There was a young eunuch in his palace who did rough work. His eyes were lively and he looked like a smart man. This young eunuch was indeed smart. He actually followed him and discovered the secret that he was learning calligraphy from the old eunuch.
Unfortunately, this little eunuch was unlucky and was discovered by him on his way back.
Such a person must not be allowed to stay, even though he was still a child at that time, he already knew what it meant to kill to silence someone.
Back in the palace, he called the young eunuch to his side and asked him to play with him...
It's normal for a three-year-old to want someone to accompany me, isn't it?
He took the young eunuch with him, not letting him leave, and then...
He took the man to the vicinity of the Queen's palace because there was a small hill and a pond there, which was a very convenient place to cause an accidental death.
No one would doubt that a three-year-old child would kill someone. Even if he had a knife in his hand and stabbed it into the heart of the little eunuch, he could still say, "I don't know."
Age is his disadvantage, but at the moment it is his greatest advantage!
He took the little kite made by the palace maid and ran around everywhere. After dozens of times, he finally threw the little kite onto the rockery, and then...
He asked the little eunuch to climb up the rockery to help him get the kite...
The eunuch was indeed clever and courageous, but because he was clever, he would not take a three-year-old child seriously. Without thinking much, he climbed up to get the kite. But just as he was about to come down, a force of gravity hit him from behind, and he slipped and fell into the pool...
At the moment of falling, the young eunuch saw the Ninth Uncle and the old eunuch beside him. Only then did the young eunuch realize that he had been plotted against, but...
Too late!
If he falls into the water, he will die!
The old eunuch took a wooden board and beat the young eunuch to death in the water. The Ninth Prince just stood by and watched. Facing the young eunuch's cry for help, he was indifferent and didn't even blink...
He was only three years old at that time, and it was his first time to kill someone. He was afraid and terrified, but no matter how afraid and terrified he was, it could not outweigh his belief in living.
This little eunuch must die. If he doesn't die, then he will be the one to die...
His royal brother would never allow him to learn to read and understand the truth. His royal brother kept him just to let the world see the emperor's kindness.
In the eyes of the emperor, he was like an object, taken out for display when needed, and when not needed, it would be best if he was like a dead object, not able to live like a human being...
"Master, are you afraid?" The old eunuch pointed at the young eunuch who was floating in the water.
The man was already dead, floating on the water, with a face so hideous that it could give people nightmares just by looking at it.
"Don't be afraid." Even though his hands were shaking, he was not afraid. He couldn't be afraid...
People are dying in this palace at any time. If he doesn't want to die, all he can do is kill those who want to plot against him and harm him.
"Master, what do you want to do next?" The old eunuch was humble and respectful. He did not take the Ninth Prince seriously just because he was a child.
Just as he told the Ninth Uncle: Master, you are the most noble person in the world. Even the emperor is not as noble as you. You can endure but you cannot lose your dignity.
The old eunuch treated the Ninth Prince the same way. When teaching the Ninth Prince to write, he always knelt down...
The master must get used to it from a young age that the people around him kneel at his feet and obey his orders, and get used to being a superior. Even if the conditions do not exist now, the old eunuch believes that this day will not be too late.
“You leave first, I will take care of the rest.” The Ninth Prince’s small body stood there motionless. He was obviously still a child, but at this moment, he was more resilient than an adult!
The old eunuch wiped his tears, said nothing, and left silently...
Although doing so would be too cruel for the young master, he had no choice. The people left behind by the previous emperor, some dead and some gone, all turned to the new master. The young master could only rely on himself in the palace.
The young master still has a long way to go. He is already old and his abilities are limited. He can serve the young master once, but he cannot serve the young master for life.
The young master is destined to be extraordinary!
Indeed, the Ninth Prince also believed that he was extraordinary, because at the age of three, he was ruthless enough to risk his life...