Chapter 73
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Chapter 73:
When the Dark Guard reported Li Chunzhou’s fasting to Second Prince, he was sitting on a wide chair. The court physician and palace attendants were busy extending the current emperor’s life.
Only Second Prince sits calmly among the emperor’s five sons, while the eldest prince paces anxiously. The other two princes act indifferent, and the two illegitimate sons pay no attention to the situation.
Prime Minister Gu has been handling all important state affairs. Despite the enemy’s invasion, the emperor fell ill. The eldest prince shows fake concern, partly worrying about his father and partly showing off in front of the court.
The position of heir was highly sought after before the Turks’ northern defense collapsed. Now that the Turks are about to invade, becoming the next emperor has become a burden.
If he were to ascend the throne now, Daliang might perish under his rule. The eldest prince doesn’t want to be remembered as the ruler who lost the country, but as the favored heir, he can’t back out during this crisis without tarnishing his reputation.
Now, all they can do is hope the emperor lives a few more days. If Daliang is to fall, it’s better if it happens under their indifferent father’s rule. The eldest prince struggles with conflicting emotions as he sees the Second Prince calmly drinking tea and the Third Prince joking with a maid.
The Second Prince’s wings had already grown fully. The eldest prince couldn’t interfere with his matters, so he had to scold the Third Prince, "Little Brother, the Emperor is unwell now, and the whole country is waiting for us brothers to work together to govern. Why are you only thinking about playing around? How shameful!"
The Third Prince grinned like a slice of rolling pork and said, "Big brother, why do you speak like this? Who in Shengjing City doesn’t know that the burden of Daliang will fall on your shoulders? You can make decisions on everything, isn’t it always like this? When did you ever ask for the opinions of the Second Brother and me? Now that things are heating up, you remember us?"
The eldest prince was infuriated by his sharp words, his face turning uglier. The Second Prince just sipped his fragrant tea as if not hearing their argument. His expression remained calm and indifferent, showing no hint of change, and the attendants quietly relayed the Dark Guard’s words to him. The Second Prince just responded lightly.
However, the eldest prince deliberately pressured his unpredictable brother, asking him, "Second Brother, look at his disrespectful appearance. What do you think we should do?"
"What should we do?" The Second Prince chuckled lightly, casually putting down his teacup and lazily said, "We can always sacrifice ourselves if the Emperor’s orders cannot fill Daliang. If that’s what satisfies you, big brother?"
Seeing the indifference and coldness in his eyes, the eldest prince regretted provoking this madman. He should have known that Liang Changfeng had no will to live and would rather drag everyone down with him!
Looking at the hopeless aristocrats in the room, the eldest prince felt extremely tired. Just then, the imperial doctor came out from the inner hall, and he hurriedly approached to inquire about the Emperor’s condition.
After walking out of the palace gates, the Second Prince could still sense a faint sandalwood fragrance in the air. Inside the palace, the fire in the furnaces flickered gently, smoke billowing, and the red stone pillars stood tall, holding up the magnificent painted ceiling, as if hanging beneath the sky. Both inside and outside the palace were quiet and elegant, with the palace servants dressed in luxurious attire, moving lightly, carefully maintaining the tranquility. Ministers stood respectfully under the palace steps, waiting for the Emperor’s orders.
The Second Prince walked down the steps leisurely. Passing the motionless ministers, he casually continued forward without looking back, saying, "The Emperor won’t die today. I advise everyone to return home and rest early."
The ministers were used to the Second Prince’s strange and unreasonable behavior, so they just looked at each other, then lowered their heads, pretending not to hear.
Although the current Emperor had few children, the relationships in the palace were not harmonious. Not only were the relationships between brothers strained, but the affection between fathers and sons was also lacking. The Emperor rarely showed the care and attention a father should have towards his children. It seemed like he didn’t know how to be a father, so the family relationships in the royal family of this generation were more distant compared to previous generations. The princes did not show much pain or reluctance about the Emperor’s impending passing.
Older courtiers speculated that the current Emperor’s distant relationship with his children was related to his childhood years spent locked away in abandoned palaces. The previous Emperor had many heirs, with over twenty sons, and there was fierce competition during the succession. Eventually, both sides suffered losses, and the current Emperor took advantage of the situation.
Perhaps it was those years spent locked away in the cold palace that affected the current Emperor’s mind. Although he had a gentle personality and was not a tyrant, he would occasionally have unrealistic ideas, such as seeking immortality or searching for a dream lover…
In the heart of the current ruler of Daliang, he still felt like the child locked away in the cold palace. He did not want to take on the responsibilities of a ruler, nor did he want to face the reality of being a father. Therefore, he kept his distance from his children.
The concubines in the palace knew they could not expect any warmth or support from their husband. As a result, over the past few decades, some went mad and some died. After the Empress passed away, the Emperor did not appoint a new Empress. The entire palace felt like a splendid cage, trapping everyone inside tightly. It seemed that only on the day the country fell, there might be a chance for true liberation.
***
When Second Prince entered the room, Li Chunzhou was curled up in bed, motionless. He sat down beside the bed and asked, furrowing his brow, "What’s troubling you now?"
Li Chunzhou curled up even tighter, remaining silent.
She didn’t look down, and the Second Prince also didn’t bow first, even though the Third Prince had asked him why he was leaving early not long ago. The Second Prince had jokingly replied with a smile, "The kids at home are causing a ruckus." But people are strange like that, the more they care about someone, the less they want to show weakness.
Within the entire royal family, only the Third Prince seemed oblivious to politics, so he got along best with the recently returned Fourth Prince Liang Jiayou. Most of the courtiers supported the eldest prince, and the Third Prince didn’t even realize that the Prime Minister Gu had secretly gone to discuss important inheritance matters with his elder brother. He just assumed his older brother was the definite heir, and he and his elder brother had no chance, so he sided with him.
After hearing his elder brother’s answer, the Third Prince made a sly expression on his face, "What beauty? That makes my brother so interested? That little rose?"
The Second Prince just grinned and remained silent in response to his brother’s teasing, then came back on a whim.
Now that he had calmed down, the Second Prince felt that his behavior was a bit strange – there was actually no need for him to come back, but he couldn’t help himself from returning.
The Second Prince picked up Li Chunzhou and sat her in his lap.
Li Chunzhou’s eyes twinkled mischievously after achieving her plan and the Second Prince chuckled, lightly pinching her lips with his thumb, saying, "Is it worth it? Just because of this troublemaker?"
Feeling resentful about being confined in the mansion by him, Li Chunzhou playfully said with a smile, "If the Second Master brings Li Zhexuan here, then I’ll stop my hunger strike."
Indeed, Liang Changfeng’s smile disappeared immediately.
Before he came back, he heard about Li Chunzhou wanting to go on a hunger strike. He thought it was just her usual trick because she couldn’t see him. Now that he heard she still wanted to see Li Zhexuan, his feelings were like a rollercoaster, going up and down.
The Second Prince didn’t mind that Li Chunzhou was paying attention to other men while he was not in town for a long time. He thought Li Chunzhou had flirted with many men before. He considered himself a generous person, even if Li Chunzhou had physical closeness with others, Liang Changfeng didn’t think he would be very angry.
After all, he had raised this child for many years and knew her very well. He knew she had a bad personality like him, only interested in others for a while. As soon as she got all their attention, she would lose interest, and then easily push them away.
What Second Prince was most upset about was Li Chunzhou’s attitude towards Li Zhexuan – it was a complete inclusion of him in her life, an inseparable bond they shared.
However, the more this happened, the more the Second Prince wanted to cut off the connection between them. Just the thought of someone more important than him in Li Chunzhou’s life was unbearable for him. From childhood to adulthood, even when he was not in town, he always kept an eye on Li Chunzhou’s every move. Li Chunzhou had thrown tantrums before, but was there anything she wanted that Second Prince didn’t give her? She was like a piece of art that Second Prince had crafted, a replica of himself nurtured with care. Second Prince couldn’t stand her slipping out of his control and running to others.
Seeing Li Chunzhou’s defiant face in front of him, Second Prince grew slightly angry and his gaze turned cold. His hand reached under Li Chunzhou’s clothes and rubbed forcefully, skin touching skin. Li Chunzhou felt ashamed, her toes curling up. The cold fingertips ran over her skin, making her involuntarily close her legs together around the man’s hand. Just as she was about to struggle, the man bit her ear and slowly commanded, "Spread your legs."
As he kissed her fragile and fair neck, revealing his white canine teeth, he looked a bit like a snarling wolf. While Second Prince appeared indifferent on the surface, a hint of fierce red heat flickered in his eyes.
Li Chunzhou panicked and tried to hide in the bed curtains, but Second Prince watched silently. He only grabbed her ankle and dragged her back when she reached a dead end, then softly chuckled, "Where are you going?"
Li Chunzhou turned back in fear and looked at him, while Second Prince used his slender fingers to pry open her mouth and play with her tongue. The moment Li Chunzhou was forced to open her lips, tears started flowing uncontrollably from her swollen eyes and trickled down her cheeks.
The Second Prince gently held Li Chunzhou’s wrist, wiping away the tears on her face as if he was admiring a pearl.
He trapped Li Chunzhou in his arms and said with a fake smile, "You want to see him? Only if I’m dead."
Li Chunzhou stared straight at Liang Changfeng, feeling a sudden surge of hatred inside her for no apparent reason.
Before, Li Chunzhou mainly felt fear and tried to please the Second Prince out of her lower status instinctively. She knew their difference in status was too large. Li Chunzhou realized she gained a lot through the Second Prince’s status and position, so she didn’t dare to hate him, or feel she should hate him. However, her emotions reached a breaking point, and no matter how hard she tried to ignore them, she couldn’t do it anymore.
Even though the Second Prince was charming, noble, handsome, and generous, keeping her close seemed like a good thing. The girls living in the brothel did everything for money to live more decently, didn’t they…?
Although Li Chunzhou could deceive herself time and time again, it was just self-deception and numbing. Deep down, she always hated this man who controlled her life, looking down on her arrogantly, just as she could never forgive those who looked down on her with arrogance.
What made Liang Changfeng angry was not only that Li Chunzhou had intentionally mentioned Li Zhexuan just now, almost mocking him, but also because he found his mindset really shifting with her words – as if something was slowly slipping out of his control.
Liang Changfeng disliked anything beyond his control, especially these subtle changes. Subconsciously, he felt a mix of shock and disgust, as if his reason and self were sending out a final call for help.
The Second Prince lifted two fingers to gently touch her cheek. Li Chunzhou bit her lip stubbornly, not saying a word. Her face blushing like a camellia flower, Liang Changfeng paused, looking down at her with eyes full of deep mystery, playfulness, and fascination.
The Second Prince’s feelings towards Li Chunzhou were not like love, but something deeper and darker. But compared to others, Li Chunzhou was special to Liang Changfeng from the moment he first saw her.
When he maliciously played with her fate in a whimsical manner, Li Chunzhou’s fearless and even angry attempts to fight back with her weak hands made Liang Changfeng find it somewhat funny, yet strangely familiar.
He wasn’t playing with where Li Chunzhou would end up momentarily, but rather enjoying the feeling of controlling her fate recklessly, especially when she struggled so intensely. A sense of dominance in the subconscious was greatly satisfied, especially when he saw her in such a state.
Suddenly, Liang Changfeng thought that his mother’s blood truly flowed within him.
The nightmares left by his mother in his childhood, which seemed like a nightmare to him, were reflected in Li Chunzhou through Liang Changfeng’s troubled soul.
No matter how Li Chunzhou struggled and cried out, Liang Changfeng’s aggressive actions did not stop, until both felt liquid soaking Liang Changfeng’s palms.
Liang Changfeng withdrew his wet hand, stained with fresh red – Li Chunzhou’s monthly cycle appeared.
The sudden awkwardness diluted the tense atmosphere between the two. Li Chunzhou was stunned, continued to cry loudly, and hit him with her fists while crying. Liang Changfeng sighed and helplessly pulled her into his arms, facing her towards his chest, then wrapped her in the bedsheet.
Comforting the crying person in his arms, the Second Prince called out loudly for the servants outside to bring water, and then voluntarily left the room.
Li Chunzhou took a hot bath, drank the herbal soup brought by the doctor from the mansion, and lay in bed holding Qi Leyuan who had sneaked in, she sniffed, buried her head in Qi Leyuan’s wings, sadly whispered to herself, "If only A’xuan were here…"
In the mercury pool several miles away, Li Zhexuan had half of his body turned into bones, manipulating this half-flesh half-bone body, struggling to climb out, responding to Li Chunzhou’s call from afar, "Lady Chun…I’m coming…"
The chains wrapped around him made a loud and heavy sound when they hit each other, they were covered in dark spells that stopped Li Zhexuan from climbing out.
***
After dealing with the latest information from the informant, the Second Prince had the Dark Guard take the Token to the neighboring county to move ten thousand private soldiers to the capital city, it was already late at night when things settled down.
He stood under the moonlight for a moment, then finally walked towards the courtyard where Li Chunzhou was.
The place where Li Chunzhou lived was the best courtyard in the royal mansion, whether it was the furniture or the location, all personally chosen by the Second Prince.
Moonlight filtered through the window lattice and fell on the gorgeous rosewood furniture, casting colorful light and shadow, like a deep painting. The jade hairpin was elegantly placed, the bed was covered with silk embroidered with flowers, intricate embroidery outlined the azure sky and flying cranes, like a dreamy fairyland.
The Second Prince bent down by the bed, looking at the sleeping Li Chunzhou, her face marked with traces of tears, her nose and eyes red.
The Second Prince felt pity for her, but he also felt a secret jealousy and unwillingness in his heart. He used to see her always smiling, but now he only saw disgust and tears in her familiar face. Even these tears were shed for another man.
Li Chunzhou arrived at water month, feeling extra heavy and the blanket was too soft. Although she was prepared to resist the Second Prince, she still fell asleep in the deep night.
Suddenly a cold hand reached into the blanket, slowly stroking her small arm. Li Chunzhou struggled out of her sleep, opened her eyes and saw Liang Changfeng close to her through the blanket, with a smile on his lips asking softly, "Why are you looking at me like that? Still mad at me?"
Li Chunzhou turned her head away, not wanting to look at him, "I didn’t… Let me go."
The Second Prince took off his shoes, got into bed, did not forcefully lift Li Chunzhou’s blanket, just placed his hand on her belly through the thin blanket. Li Chunzhou’s body resisted him, but it was late at night and she didn’t want to argue with the Second Prince again, so the two of them remained at a standstill.
In the quiet night, Liang Changfeng suddenly said, "When I was very young, I had a white Western dog as a pet. It was given to me by a family member to please me. Because of its snowy white fur, I named it Yunxiao."
Li Chunzhou stayed silent, but she listened carefully.