Chapter 98 The Prince Who Failed to Revolt
The second prince's face was pale, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead. He said in a trembling voice, "Mother, now I am no longer qualified to be the emperor, right?" His eyes were full of despair.
Concubine Xian remained silent, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She looked at her son, feeling a mixture of emotions, but she didn't know how to respond.
At this moment, Zhang Xiaojia slowly stepped forward, a slender silver needle in hand. Her expression was solemn, yet her movements were extremely gentle as she carefully applied acupuncture to the Second Prince's wound to stop the bleeding. Her technique was deft, and the needle seemed to come alive in her hands, piercing the acupuncture point with pinpoint precision, and the bleeding gradually stopped.
Zhang Xiaojia took a deep breath and spoke in a firm yet calm tone, "My uterus is damaged in this lifetime, and I will never have children again. You will be adopted by me!" She looked directly at the Second Prince, a trace of pity in her eyes, "But there won't be a next time. The men of the Great Zhou only shed blood for their country, understand?"
When the second prince heard these words, a trace of shock and emotion flashed in his eyes. He murmured, "Aunt Jiaer, Aunt Jiaer..." There was endless dependence and gratitude in his voice. At this moment, he finally found spiritual support.
Zhang Xiaojia patted his shoulder gently, his tone gentle but unquestionable: "Remember, you are the prince of the Great Zhou, and your blood can only be shed for this land."
The Second Prince nodded, the confusion in his eyes gradually dissipating, replaced by a determined look. His back straightened slightly, as if he had regained his dignity as a prince.
Zhang Xiaojia took out a small bottle from his arms, poured out some powder, and gently sprinkled it on the second prince's wound.
She knew how painful this medicine was; she had used the same medicine to stop the bleeding when she was shot by an arrow on the battlefield. The pain was so intense that it seemed to tear the soul apart, but she did not retreat, because she knew it was the only way to survive.
The Second Prince's body trembled violently, and he burst into tears. His sobs were heartbreaking, as if he wanted to vent all the grievances and pain.
Zhang Xiaojia did not stop him, but just squatted down and hugged him, with a hint of heartache in her eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, the second prince's crying gradually subsided.
He wiped his tears, knelt down in front of the virtuous concubine, and kowtowed three times in a proper manner.
His voice was low and firm: "Mother, I will not come to see you again. I will no longer be the Second Prince in this life. Don't make mistakes for me. Take care, mother." There was determination in his tone.
Xianfei's lips trembled slightly, and a trace of pain flashed in her eyes, but she didn't say anything after all. She just waved her hand gently: "Lin'er, go out first."
The second prince stood up and bowed to Zhang Xiaojia: "Aunt Jiaer, I will withdraw first." There was a hint of respect and dependence in his voice.
After the second prince left, Zhang Xiaojia sat opposite the virtuous concubine and looked straight at her with a bit of questioning and disappointment in his eyes.
She spoke slowly, "On my way back to the capital, I led two thousand soldiers through a forest where we were ambushed." Her tone was calm, as if she were describing something unrelated, but the coldness in her eyes was chilling. "I truly thought I was going to die in that forest. Of the two thousand soldiers, only 189 remained. The rest were all killed in battle."
She paused, her gaze piercing Concubine Xian like a knife. "This time, out of a total of 30,000 Youcheng cavalrymen, 4,169 died in the suppression of the rebellion. The numbers of the rest, including those of the Wude Division, the Secret Guards, the Imperial Guards, and the Dragon Guards, cannot be made public. The number of rebel casualties is even higher." Her voice gradually rose, tinged with suppressed anger. "Do you think human life is so worthless?"
Xianfei's expression changed slightly, and her fingers clutched her sleeves tightly, their tips turning white. A flicker of panic flashed across her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She opened her mouth, as if to argue, but ultimately said nothing.
Zhang Xiaojia's gaze remained icy, as if she could see through Concubine Xian's heart. "You've sacrificed so many lives for your own ambitions. Have you ever considered what will become of their families? What will become of their parents, wives, and children?" Her voice was tinged with sadness. "You keep saying you're doing this for the Great Zhou, but everything you do is pushing the Great Zhou into the abyss."
Xianfei's face grew paler and paler, her fingers trembling slightly, as if she was trying to suppress her inner turmoil. A flicker of regret flashed across her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She raised her head and looked at Zhang Xiaojia with a complicated expression: "Do you think I want this? I was forced into this..."
"Forced?" Zhang Xiaojia sneered, interrupting her. "No one forced you. You chose this path yourself." Her gaze was like a knife, as if to tear the virtuous concubine's disguise to pieces. "For power, you're willing to sacrifice everything, even using your own son. Do you really think that power gained in this way can last?"
Xianfei's face turned completely pale, and her body trembled slightly, as if all her strength had been drained away. A trace of despair flashed in her eyes, as if at this moment, she finally realized that she had no way out.
Zhang Xiaojia stared at Concubine Xian, his eyes filled with disappointment and heartache: "You always make the wrong choice. Why don't you ever trust me?"
The virtuous concubine sneered, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes. "Believe it? You avenged Princess Anguo and caused my brother to be exiled and never pardoned. Father is no longer a Jiedushi, and only has the empty title of Duke Hengguo left. The matter of Princess Anguo was just a coincidence, yet you insist on holding on to it."
Zhang Xiaojia's voice was low and firm, suppressing the anger in his heart: "Anguo, what a great title! Princess Anguo is the only daughter of the Great Emperor's uncle. The Great Emperor's uncle died on the battlefield while fighting against foreign enemies. The emperor granted Princess Anguo to your brother in marriage, which was a great favor to your Hengguo Mansion.
But four years ago, Princess Anguo fell ill at the post station. After taking medicine and returning to her room to rest, she took the wrong road and mistakenly entered your father's room. Your father returned early and mistakenly thought she was the skinny horse I had prepared for him. This misunderstanding led to a serious mistake.
However, the "Official Laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty" clearly stipulates that officials are not allowed to take skinny horses or prostitutes. Your father knowingly violated the law. Isn't the root of this tragedy your father's fault?
The virtuous concubine's face gradually turned pale, and her lips trembled slightly, but she still forced herself to refute: "My brother is a man. How could he tolerate his wife and father having such an unbearable thing? His anger, can't you understand?"
Zhang Xiaojia's voice suddenly rose, filled with long-suppressed anger. "Understanding? How did you, the Duke of Hengguo's Mansion, do it? Your father and your eldest brother first killed Princess Anguo's son. Then, for four years, your entire family gave her a slow-acting poison and beat her until she was covered in bruises, over and over again, without stopping! Four years, Princess Anguo's once noble body was tortured to shreds, weighing less than 80 kilograms when she died! Is this what you, the Duke of Hengguo's Mansion, mean by 'understanding'?"
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