Zhao Jingyuan curled his lips slightly. “Since Miss Tong has already sent people to investigate outside, she should know that I was convicted of colluding with enemies and betraying the nation. I was framed by the current Emperor. My body is probably unable to hold on for much longer now. These people were once soldiers guarding the frontier. They merely followed the wrong master. I ask that you spare them a way out.”
He felt that he would not live much longer. Since he had already been brought to such a state, there was nothing he could not say. It was enough if the young woman in front of him would not harm his subordinates.
Tong Shuxue had no habit of killing at will. Killing was only ever done for self-preservation.
“Don’t worry. As long as you have no hostility toward me, even if you were heinous demons, there are still authorities and laws. It is not my responsibility.”
Zhao Jingyuan believed her words. At the very least, without her today, it was uncertain how many of them would have managed to escape.
“Thank you. My story must begin five years ago.”
Zhao Jingyuan’s father, Zhao Nanyi, was the Emperor’s half-brother from the same father. Zhao Nanyi had been personally titled the former Prince of Dingbei by the previous Emperor, and at the age of eighteen he had entered the Northern Frontier army camp.
Zhao Jingyuan also had an elder brother named Zhao Jingyu. The two brothers had grown up in the military camp under a battalion commander.
Five years ago, the previous Emperor passed away, and Zhao Nanyi’s family was urgently summoned back to the capital. Along the way, they encountered continuous assassination attempts.
Zhao Nanyi was severely injured. Although he managed to return to the Imperial Capital alive, his injuries ultimately proved fatal.
Before dying, Zhao Nanyi left a final decree: the title of Prince of Dingbei would be inherited by Zhao Jingyuan, as his military leadership abilities were superior even to his brother’s.
The two brothers had always shared a close relationship, and Zhao Jingyu also believed his younger brother was more suited to be Prince of Dingbei.
At that time, Zhao Jingyuan was already eighteen years old and had earned considerable prestige within the army. The Northern Frontier forces, which had been under the Dingbei Prince’s command for over twenty years, naturally passed into Zhao Jingyuan’s hands.
After Zhao Nanyi was buried, Zhao Jingyuan returned to the Northern Frontier military camp, while Zhao Jingyu and their mother were left in the capital by the Emperor.
For many years, their father had been the Emperor’s closest brother among all siblings, so before returning to the capital, none of them had ever imagined the Emperor would act against them.
The two brothers suspected that the assassinations they suffered on their way back to the capital were orchestrated by the Emperor, but since their family had always lived in the Northern Frontier, investigating the matter was not easy.
Thus, Zhao Jingyuan had to return to the Northern Frontier as soon as possible. The military power could never be lost.
Over the past five years, the brothers had uncovered much about what had happened. The assassinations had indeed been arranged by the Emperor, and even the previous Emperor’s death might not have been an accident. However, before they could obtain solid evidence, Zhao Jingyu’s mother and son were already caught in disaster.
The imperial decree summoning Zhao Jingyuan to the capital arrived almost at the same time as Zhao Jingyu’s Secret Guards reaching the Northern Frontier. Zhao Jingyu was thrown into the Imperial Prison on charges of treason.
Zhao Jingyuan had no choice but to obey the decree and return to the capital. At that time, his mother and maternal family had not yet been implicated. If he disobeyed, not only would Zhao Jingyu’s charges be confirmed, but he himself would also be punished under the same crime.
More importantly, his mother and maternal family would inevitably be dragged into it as well. The Emperor had not touched them yet only to force him back to the capital.
The Zhenbei Army recognized only the person, not the imperial token. If the brothers were harmed, the Zhenbei Army would immediately rebel.
What he did not mention was that his elder brother’s son had been secretly sent out of the Imperial Capital by the Secret Guards. Until the nephew was found, the Emperor would not execute either of the brothers.
However, the Emperor was far more ruthless than he had expected. In front of the entire court, fabricated evidence of treason was presented. Zhao Jingyuan’s tendons in both hands and feet were cut, and he was thrown into the Imperial Prison.
The exile was not only meant to make the common people believe the brothers had committed treason, but also to use the exile process to draw out their forces.
Tong Shuxue could not help but ask after hearing this: “At this point, both of you brothers are already in trouble, right? Has your Zhenbei Army not rebelled? Haven’t any of your former subordinates come to rescue you?”
Zhao Jingyuan shook his head. “We are not dead yet. Naturally, we must first attempt to rescue my elder brother and find a way to relocate my mother and maternal family. I am now nothing more than a cripple, but I still cling to life only to save my family.”
“Rescuing your elder brother and relocating your mother and maternal family would not be easy, would it? After all, the Imperial Capital is the Emperor’s territory. Not just the capital—under heaven, all land belongs to the sovereign. And with your current condition, are you certain your people still remain loyal to you?”
There was nothing wrong with Tong Shuxue’s words.
However, Zhao Jingyuan was confident. “My personal attendants are all trustworthy. The remaining commanders in the army also still obey only my orders.”
So there had been traitorous commanders as well—likely already eliminated once discovered.
Tong Shuxue fell into thought for a moment. Something still felt off.
Seeing that she remained silent, Zhao Jingyuan did not speak either, giving her time to think.
Soon, Tong Shuxue identified the inconsistency.
The Emperor did not kill Zhao Jingyuan and his brother simply to restrain the Zhenbei Army from rebelling—this explanation felt forced.
An emperor, when making such a major decision, would certainly have a complete plan. It was unlikely he would have no contingency for handling the Zhao brothers.
If Zhao Jingyuan was not lying, then something must have gone wrong midway—something that forced the Emperor to keep the brothers alive in order to suppress the Zhenbei Army.
And the fact that the Emperor immediately crippled Zhao Jingyuan’s limbs suggested it was to prevent the possibility that, if rescued, he could immediately lead a rebellion.
If the Zhenbei Army was truly loyal to Zhao Jingyuan, they would certainly prioritize his survival. Even if his limbs were crippled, as long as he lived, he would still be worth saving.
Although Tong Shuxue was a soldier, she was one whose main focus was research. Strategy was not her strongest field, and she felt she had still not grasped the key point.
“Zhao Jingyuan, is there still some reason the Emperor dares not kill you two?”
Zhao Jingyuan was silent for a moment before speaking. “My elder brother’s son was taken away by Secret Guards when the imperial forces surrounded our residence. Even now, not even my people have been able to locate my nephew.”
In ancient imperial systems, rebellions were often justified using a legitimate heir as a banner, giving the uprising a sense of rightful authority.
This was likely what Zhao Jingyuan intended to imply—the Emperor feared the Zhenbei Army would use the nephew as a legitimate reason to rebel.
However, this explanation still did not fully hold. Throughout history, there had been many cases of imperial relatives rebelling for the throne, both successful and failed. Possessing royal blood alone did not guarantee legitimacy.
Still, it seemed Zhao Jingyuan did not wish to elaborate further. Tong Shuxue could understand that. To them, she was a stranger, and the fact that she had not killed them did not mean she was necessarily not an enemy.
Thus, she did not press further and instead asked something unrelated.
“If I want to obtain a Household Registration Record, is there any loophole available?”
Zhao Jingyuan nodded. “If Miss Tong trusts me, I can handle both the Household Registration Record and the Travel Permit Document for you.”
“Alright. Then I’ll leave it to you.”
Tong Shuxue accepted without hesitation. Zhao Jingyuan had once been a regional power holder, and from everything he had said, even in his current crippled state, if he claimed he could accomplish it, then he likely still could.